Wedding dress codes,
explained.
8 dress codes, each with what it means, what your guests should actually wear, what to skip, and the line to put on the invitation. Take any of them onto your own wedding site and change a word wherever it does not fit.
White Tie
The most formal dress code there is: floor-length gowns and tailcoats, always after dark.
Black Tie
Formal evening wear: a tuxedo, and a floor-length or very formal gown.
Tropical Formal
Formal for real heat: bright maxi dresses, linen suits, jacket usually optional.
Winter Formal
Formal for cold weather: velvet, long sleeves, jewel tones and a proper coat.
Semi-Formal
A notch below cocktail: a suit without the tie, a midi or a smart dress.
Festive Attire
Cocktail attire with colour, sequins or a seasonal pattern welcome.
Vineyard Chic
Relaxed but put together, in earthy tones, for a wedding among the vines.
Casual
The most relaxed code: a sundress or good jeans, and trainers are fine.
Every code in one line.
| Dress code | What it means |
|---|---|
| White Tie | The most formal dress code there is: floor-length gowns and tailcoats, always after dark. |
| Black Tie | Formal evening wear: a tuxedo, and a floor-length or very formal gown. |
| Tropical Formal | Formal for real heat: bright maxi dresses, linen suits, jacket usually optional. |
| Winter Formal | Formal for cold weather: velvet, long sleeves, jewel tones and a proper coat. |
| Semi-Formal | A notch below cocktail: a suit without the tie, a midi or a smart dress. |
| Festive Attire | Cocktail attire with colour, sequins or a seasonal pattern welcome. |
| Vineyard Chic | Relaxed but put together, in earthy tones, for a wedding among the vines. |
| Casual | The most relaxed code: a sundress or good jeans, and trainers are fine. |
Questions people ask.
What are the wedding dress codes, most to least formal?
White tie, black tie, black-tie optional, formal, cocktail attire, semi-formal, festive, beach formal, and dressy casual. Named codes like vineyard chic or tropical formal sit alongside these and borrow their formality: vineyard chic is dressy casual outdoors, tropical formal is formal in linen.
Do I have to put a dress code on my wedding invitation?
No, but guests will ask. Without one, people read the venue and the time and guess, which is how you get a black tuxedo and a sundress at the same ceremony. One term on the invitation and a short paragraph on your wedding website settles it.
Where does the dress code go on the invitation?
Lower right corner of the invitation, or on the details card, as just the term: "Black tie". Save the explanation for your wedding website, where you have room to say the reception is on grass and the evening turns cold.
Can we have different dress codes for different events?
Yes, and for a wedding weekend you usually should. A welcome dinner on a terrace and a black-tie reception ask different things of the same suitcase. Say so per event, and say it early enough that people can pack for it.
Pick one, then make it
yours.
Every code here drops onto your wedding site with its photos and its wording, beside the event it belongs to. Change any word that does not fit your weekend.