Dress Code 101: How to Choose The Right Dress Code For Your Destination Wedding

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While many still prefer a traditional wedding, destination weddings are increasingly becoming popular since there’s no shortage of themes, venues, and creative possibilities when holding a ceremony outside one’s hometown. It doesn’t have to be expensive, as a previous article even highlights budget-friendly tips for couples planning their dream destination wedding. These include booking during off-seasons to avoid price spikes, looking for bulk discounts for transport and logistics, and using local vendors with lower currency conversion rates.Once you’ve finalized your guest list, another essential step is determining what you want your guests to wear on your special day. While the wide range of options may overwhelm you, here’s a brief guide to wedding dress codes to help ensure your destination wedding is the one you’ve always envisioned.

Common dress codes for weddings

To help narrow down your guests’ attire options, refer to Fashionable Clothing’s guide to common wedding dress codes. These include formal attire that entails a suit or tuxedo among men, while women can choose between long gowns, cocktail dresses, or dressy pantsuits. Meanwhile, a black-tie dress code is a step up the formal attire and strictly involves a black tuxedo for men and a floor-length gown for women.

Semi-formal attire provides greater flexibility and comfort, with men wearing a dress shirt and slacks while women can opt for below-the-knee dresses or a dressy skirt and top. Lastly, casual attire is the most laid-back of all dress codes. However, guests must still be careful not to be overly casual by wearing items like slippers, shorts, and tank tops.

Tips for choosing the right dress code

1. Match it to your venue

A simple way to determine the right attire for your wedding guests is to match the level of formality to the location. If your destination wedding venue is a beach-front property like the Cobblers Cove in Speightstown, Barbados, opt for a semi-formal attire that highlights flowy dresses and dress shirts instead of fancy gowns and tuxedos that would make it difficult for your guests to walk in the sand. Meanwhile, a five-star destination like the Four Seasons Hotel in Hampshire, UK, deserves an equally luxurious dress code consisting of floor-length evening gowns and dapper three-piece suits.

2. Think about the overall theme

More than just using the venue as your basis, it also helps to close your eyes and picture the overall vibe and atmosphere you want for your wedding. Among the popular wedding themes is rustic, which involves wedding decor like string lights, twine, and lace in a rural, intimate setting like a barn. If this matches your vision, ask your guests to come in semi-formal clothing like midi or maxi dresses for women and collared, long-sleeved shirts and slacks for men, preferably in earthy tones to suit the theme better.

3. Consider the time and day of the wedding

Lastly, it would be best to consider the temperature on your wedding day to ensure your guests are comfortable throughout the ceremony. For instance, a summer wedding in the afternoon is best suited for semi-formal and casual attire, as opposed to formalwear that will leave your guests hot and sweaty.Whatever dress code you choose for your wedding, what matters is you decide early so you can immediately inform your guests and give them ample time to prepare for your special day. As you move forward with the planning phase of your dream destination wedding, check out the resources and offerings here at My Sweet Engagement to ensure the process is as smooth as possible.

Written by Alize M Craven.

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