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With today’s weddings becoming so diverse, it’s hard to know what to wear to the various weddings you’ll attend. We’ve found this article by Cynthia Nellis , a journalist and former fashion buyer, who’ll help you make the right choices.

Wedding guest style for her

- Informal Daytime: Short dress or suit (business attire OK for morning weddings)
- Informal Evening: Cocktail dress
- Semi-Formal Daytime: Short dress or suit
- Semi-formal Evening: Cocktail dress
- Formal Daytime: Short dress or suit. Hats and gloves optional.
- Formal Evening or Black-Tie: Long or dressy short cocktail (beading, glam accessories, wrap)
- Ultra-formal or White Tie: Long gown, extra glitz (furs, diamonds, etc.)

Do’s and Don’ts for Her

- Don’t wear white because it competes with the bride. There are plenty of other colors available.
- Don’t wear black or sequins during the daytime.
- Don’t worry about wearing the same colors as the bridesmaids or mothers. You can’t possibly coordinate with everyone in the wedding party.
- Do wear something feminine and appropriate, out of respect for your hosts. Clubwear, overtly sexy clothing (strapless, see-through, etc) doesn’t belong at a wedding. If you have to ask if it’s appropriate, it probably isn’t.
- Don’t wear opera-length gloves (to top of arm) with anything but sleeveless or strapless gowns.
- Do take off gloves to eat or drink.
- Do use good judgment if the invitation doesn’t specify the formality of the event. A pastel suit or soft floral dress for daytime or a little black dress for evening (after 6 p.m.) will take you almost anywhere.

Wedding Style for him

- Informal Daytime: Dress shirt and pants, preferably a sports jacket.
- Informal Evening: Suit
- Semi-Formal Daytime: Suit
- Semi-Formal Evening: Dark suit
- Formal Daytime: Dark suit and tie
- Formal Evening: Tuxedo (if invitation states “black tie”) or dark suits if women wear short dresses.
- Ultra-formal Evening or White Tie: White tie, cummerbund, vest and shirt.

Do’s and Don’ts for Him

- Don’t try to get cute with a tuxedo. A black tux with white shirt and black bow tie is the best way to go. If “Creative Black Tie” or “Texas Formal” or some sort of other vague formal description is used, then going with a tux and black shirt, no tie, might be acceptable. Also, trendier cities like Los Angeles and New York might be more accepting of breaking with tradition.
- Do wear a dark suit, with a tie if the wedding is after 6 PM, and doesn’t say “Black Tie.”
- Don’t wear a tuxedo during the day time, regardless of the formality of the event.
- Do use good judgment if the invitation doesn’t specify the formality of the event. A dark suit and conservative tie will take you just about anywhere.

Hope this article helps make your wedding attire decisions easier…and appropriate:)

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You can help your wedding party look good by finding dresses, tuxedos and other attire that compliment them while keeping a close eye on price. You should always consider the color, style, fit and feel of the material as well as the theme of your wedding.

Let’s take a look at how we can save money on wedding attire.

SAVE MONEY BY RENTING

I know you’re wondering. Rent a wedding dress? It’s not as strange as it might seem. A lot of brides are saying to themselves, “Will my daughter really want to wear my wedding dress at her wedding 20-30 years from now?” More than likely, NOT! It use to be a grand tradition to get married in white, and spend several hundred dollars to preserve a wedding dress. However, more brides are opting not to wear mom’s old wedding dress.

BUY A PROM DRESS

Who can really tell if a prom dress is a prom dress? Prom dresses like wedding dresses are all formal. In addition, prom dresses are usually priced lower than the dresses that are slated for weddings. Don’t ask me why, that’s just how the designers and retailers do it. Look at the prom dresses before you order dresses for you wedding party. You may be in for a big surprise.

HOW MUCH TO PAY?

This is a big question! I know some people who will go to bargain show after bargain show until they find the nicest dress for the most affordable price. Still, there’s another school of thought that suggests your wedding dress should be the most expensive dress you’ll ever own. In other words, the sky is the limit when you want a wedding dress.

I believe the dress, headpiece/veil, under garments, shoes and accessories fall in the 15% range for your wedding expenses. However, I say feel free to play around with the numbers! If you can cut corners in another way, by all means do it!

Designer wedding dresses are the most expensive. They range in price from $1,500 on up! However, you may be able to find a wedding dress on sale for as little as $300.00.

On average, brides are spending about $800.00 for their dresses. You could save some money be wearing your mother or grandmothers wedding dresses. Yes, some people are still doing that! Just bear in mind that if you go the “something old” route you will most likely have to pay a little extra for cleaning and alterations. Not a big deal, as you are saving a fortune by not buying a brand new wedding dress.

A TUX FOR HIM

Okay! That’s enough about the female persuasion for right now. Let’s talk about attire for him. Tuxes are an important side issue. More and more people are opting to buy tuxes because they figure they’ll use them over again during the course of a marriage.

The guys play an important role in a wedding. They are the first people your guests see. Be sure to pick out a tux that conveys the tone of your wedding.

RENT OR BUY?

I bet you were wondering how you should handle the question over tuxedos. Should you rent or buy is another good question. Tuxedo’s like wedding and bridesmaids dresses help to set the tone for your overall wedding. Tuxedo’s cost anywhere from $300.00 to $500.00 depending on where you buy them.

You will pay about 30% of the price of a new tuxedo if you rent a tuxedo. It’s also not unusual to be able to buy a good tux in the same place that the bride is buying her gown at. A lot of businesses are making it really convenient for you. If you buy the tux in the same place as the bridesmaids dresses, then it’s easier to match up colors and you could find
yourself getting a bit of a discount.

It’s my personal preference to go ahead and buy a tux if you’re going to go to at least three formal functions during your first year of marriage. You can wear a good tux for years.

TO SUIT OR NOT TO SUIT

A lot of grooms are saying to heck with tuxedos! They are going for the idea of wearing a fine suit on their wedding day. Picking a suit over a tux for a formal wedding is a growing idea. A black on black suit can and will give him the same dashing effect! Yet it’s quite a bit cheaper.

It’s not hard to save money on your wedding attire. Just be a little creative and consider your overall budget. If you are the sentimental type, them by all means, put a little more into your dress. Just remember to look at your budget for other ways to compensate.

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