Formal vs. Semi-formal

Hi Karli! You could place the dress code on your wedding website to help guide guests. I found this online (see photo) that may help. We had what I would consider a semi-formal wedding. Women wore a mix of maxi dresses and cocktail dresses. Men wore either suit and tie or shirt with sport coat. We had an outdoor ceremony under a tent, so we didn’t want it to be formal. Hope this helps!! 🏝❤️🐚

View Quoted Comment Thank you. That’s helpful!

View Quoted Comment Karli,

I would sum it up by saying that with formal, you’re asking that the men wear a suit and tie and the women wear something accommodating to that; and with semi formal, you’re allowing your guests to make broader decisions about what “formal” is. For example: black-tie would be tuxes, formal would be dresses and suits, and semi-formal would be “Sunday’s best,” so you may end up with some blue-jeans or color-coded polo outfits in the mix. I would categorize white-tie as “as opulently as you can possibly dress.”

Thanks for your post! I look forward to hearing what the consensus is, haha!
Aubrianna Abbema

Semi formal is the default for all weddings. It's basically like dressing up for church. Formal is like your NYE party with fancier dresses and tuxes but isn't quite Oscar caliber.


You do not mention dress code to your guests, nor can you control it in any way. They are adults responsible for dressing themselves and should not be judged.

Here is a picture that explains the difference