What is Semi-Formal for Wedding Guest Attire? Answers to This and More

woman; well-dressed woman; red-haired woman

You’ve received the wedding invitation you’ve been waiting for has just arrived. First thought: Yippy! Second thought, what the hell am I supposed to wear?

Never fear, I’m here to help you on that rocky wedding-themed road,

Suggested Informal Attire

Women:

Daytime: Street length dress, separates, or business attire for daytime weddings
Evening: Attire appropriate for a nice restaurant

Men:

Daytime: Dress shirt and pants, preferably add a sports jacket
Evening: Suit or sport jacket paired with slacks if very informal

Suggested Semi-Formal

Women:

Daytime: Street length dress/nice separates or suit
Evening: Cocktail dress (little black dress or its equivalent)

Men:

Daytime: Suit
Evening: Dark suit and tie

Suggested Formal & Black-Tie

Women:

Daytime: Daytime appropriate cocktail dress or suit. Hats and gloves are optional.
Evening or Black-Tie: Long or dressy short cocktail (beading and sequins with dressier accessories)

Men:

Daytime: Dark suit and tie
Evening: if the invitation states "black tie or formal" wear a tuxedo; wear a dark suit if not

Suggested Ultra-Formal or White Tie

Women:

Evening: Long gown and top-notch, very high-quality accessories (jewelry, gloves, expensive-looking wraps)

Men:

Ultra-formal Evening or White Tie: Black tailcoat, striped trousers, white plain stiff-front shirt with detachable (preferably) wing collar, white bow tie, and white waistcoat

Note: Most always, the little black dress or its equivalent is perfect for women, while a dark suit is perfect for men. For more informal events, the attire worn to an elegant restaurant would work well.

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Comments

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Hi Polite One, I need help. My step-cousin recently married. She is close with my parents, but not so much with me. Not because of anything bad, we just sort of lost touch, we just never see each other. In fact, I only see her once a year at Christmas. She comes from a wealthy family and her wedding was extremely lavish. I'm guessing minimum $300-$500 per plate. I was invited to the wedding with a guest and was concerned because I barely had the money to attend the wedding ( dress , shoes, etc.), let alone give a gift. My family is all about monetary gifts (always cash or check). My parents were insisting that I needed to cover the cost of my plate which was more than 2 weeks of my pay. I wanted to decline because I couldn't afford to go and was embarrassed. My parents insisted that it was family and that was not an option. I was told to do whatever I needed to do to get a dress, shoes, and cash gift to cover my plate. Because of the pressure, I responded that I would

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