With wedding season just around the corner I am often asked by those invited: "What should I wear?" Here is a quick guide to wedding guest attire during spring and summer weddings.

In some cases the dress code may be listed at the bottom of the invitation. If this is the case these are usually the distinctions:

-Black Tie or Formal
Guys wear tuxedos and ladies wear a formal long cocktail dress or dressy evening separates.

-Black Tie Optional
In this case guys have the option of wearing a tuxedo or a full suit and ladies still dress formally in a long cocktail dress or dressy evening separates.

-Semi-Formal
Tuxes and long dresses are not required. If the wedding is after 5 p.m. dark suits and short cocktail dresses are appropriate. If the wedding is before 5 p.m. the colors can be a little lighter and it means a suit for him and a short nice dress for her.

-Informal
This is usually translated as casual but it's actually the same as semi-formal and when a wedding celebration or festive invite-only event calls for this attire it's best to assume the semi-formal dress code.

-Dressy Casual
This means dressed up versions of casual looks. It could mean slacks and a sports coat for him and a nice sundress for her.

-Casual
The best rule of thumb for this is to wear something you'd wear on a first date.

But what if there is no dress code distinction? I usually look to see what time the wedding will be taking place as well as the location when deciding on the attire.

Generally speaking if the wedding is:

-In the Morning
Dressy casual is the standard, I even step it up a bit from that. A great visual description is traditional summer church clothes.

-In the Afternoon
A before 5 semi-formal attire selection is the rule of thumb.

-In the Evening
Stick with semi-formal.

-A few last minute tips
Let the location be your guide. If you are on the fence about whether you should really dress up that black cocktail dress or keep it more casual think about the location. An evening wedding on the beach during sunset and an evening wedding at a ballroom in a five star hotel call for completely different attire. Think about where you'll be located and how traditional the ceremony will be when deciding on your wardrobe.

Remember even though dancing may be involved at some point during the event you're not going to a club. A wedding guest-list will include great grandparents as well as toddlers and in most cases you will be in some kind of 'house of worship' for a portion of the event so remember to keep your attire classy.

As far as color selection goes, ladies, always steer clear of white or anything that resembles white especially if your dress is a solid color, you don't want to distract from the bride. White, ivory, champagne and anything else close to those colors should be reserved for the lady of honor.

Whew! Who would have ever thought that dressing for a wedding could be so complicated! Well it certainly doesn't have to be, follow this simple guide and I'm sure you will have a blast at all those spring and summer wedding while being immaculately dressed!

Labels: Wedding Planning Tips, Wedding Style