Dress Codes

We at Beautiful Connexions know that many of you will be going to a wedding this year-maybe even your own. But whether you're a family member or a guest, there's something about the way people dress at weddings.We know that many people don't dress to go to church any longer, just like they don't dress to see a show, which is a result of our laid-back society. but a wedding is a different kettle of fish.

A wedding is one of the most important days in the life of a couple. In some religions, like Catholicism, a wedding ceremony is a sacrament, meaning that God is in attendance. Just think about that. If God is at the wedding, what's he going to think about you, if you're dressed in jeans or shorts?

On the flip side of the coin, we've attended afternoon weddings in church or at a hotel where the female family members of the bride and groom were dressed in long, slinky, beaded gowns in the middle of the afternoon-the gentleman in suites. They looked like they should be going to a casino instead of a wedding ceremony.

The rules are:

If you're a guest, and you're invited to a wedding in the middle of the day, men should wear business suits, dark in winter, light in summer. The women should wear beautiful suits or dresses, cut to the knee or below, with very little glitz If the wedding is held in temple or church, the outfit should not be flashy or provocative.

If a formal or semi-formal reception is held hours after the wedding ceremony ends, in the evening, for example, guests (if able) are required to change into evening suite, which may include cocktail or long dresses for women and tuxes and business suits for men.

If invited to a semi-formal evening affair, men wear business suits, women short or mid-calf cocktail dresses, etc.Formal weddings, held in the evening, are a different story. These "black tie" affairs require guests to wear to come formally dressed. Women wear fancy long, or short, or mid-calf gowns. Men wear tuxes, no exceptions (they may also wear white dinner jackets in summer of tropical climates)!

These rules also hold true for the family members of the bride and groom!
Copyright 2009 Deborah McCoy