Wedding dress code conundrums. Let me start by saying I’m sort of past that age when all my friends are getting married. Well past it (sadly, ha!). So while I send out a lot of wedding invitations for my clients, I’m really not used to getting many of them myself. But I recently received a wedding invitation from a friend to their big day overseas. Other than the fact that I am so excited to be making the trip, the wedding dress code on the invitation sort of threw me. They had simply just written Elegant. To me, that word makes it obvious as to what’s expected and set the tone and the mood of the event. But then as the wedding date approaches, I started to second guess myself. Mostly because the wedding is in Moscow, and the word on the street is that Russian women are a wee bit glamorous when they attend weddings, and I’d never want to show up under dressed. Does the wedding dress code Elegant in Australia translate the same in Russia? I have no idea.
Deciding to add unique wedding dress code wording on the invitation I think can be really fun and playful rather than stick to the usual list: Black tie / Semi-formal / Lounge Suit / Cocktail / Smart Casual / Casual. But I feel like for men, it’s not so straight forward? A creative wedding dress code can be so much harder to interpret when it means possibly either showing up with a black tie or a lounge suit.
If you’re ever in the situation where you are finding it a challenge to decode the wedding dress code, in my opinion – you can never fail by asking the bride or groom. Which is exactly what I did. I am so glad I did, because the bride is the sweetest person ever and was very helpful. And while she gave me very useful tips on dress, the loveliest thing she said was that it didn’t matter what I wore as long as I was there. Maww…insert hearts. While I still haven’t exactly decided what I’m wearing, at least I can throw a few options into a suitcase and decide later. And I don’t have to worry about that horrible sinking stomach feeling come wedding day that I got it wrong.
If you’re considering what to write on your wedding invitation, it doesn’t hurt to add some helpful notes on to your wedding website if you have one. Even a line of copy on a card insert in your wedding invitation can clear things up. This is especially true if the location of your ceremony and / or reception requires special dress (for e.g. a beach, or walking distances between the ceremony and reception). In the meantime, I have a few new elegant frocks lined up, and can’t wait to share more of the wedding of the year, I’m attending in Moscow!
