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Nicole
Beginner May 2021

Is Elegant an option for Wedding attire??

Nicole, on November 14, 2019 at 8:36 PM Posted in Wedding Attire 0 11
My fiancé and I are having our wedding at a very nice venue in downtown Chicago in the evening and the groomsmen will be in Tuxedos and Bridesmaids in long gowns.


I was thinking of listing the attire as Elegant instead of Formal since I didn’t want to put any pressure on guests but does this leave way too much room for interpretation?!?

11 Comments

Latest activity by Andrea, on November 20, 2019 at 4:24 PM
  • Gen
    Champion June 2019
    Gen ·
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    Yeah I do think that’s too confusing! I’d say formal Smiley smile
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  • Megan
    Super October 2020
    Megan ·
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    You can put “black tie optional”
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  • Caytlyn
    Legend November 2019
    Caytlyn ·
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    Yeah, I wouldn’t understand what elegant attire was. I would stick with formal or semi formal.
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  • Andrea
    Super May 2020
    Andrea ·
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    Yes, you’ll get a lot of questions about what that means. I would use a dress code that people can look up and know exactly what you’re expecting. So nothing is open to interpretation and you won’t be answering the same question a million times.
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  • Cortney
    Devoted August 2020
    Cortney ·
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    I agree - black tie optional is quite clear.
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  • Christine
    Expert September 2020
    Christine ·
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    Yep, either formal or black-tie option would be better. "Elegant" would just confuse people unfortunately!

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  • L
    Lady ·
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    I don't think you need to list anything. Black tie optional is not a thing - it's black tie or it's not. If you're having the ceremony and reception at upscale venues in the evening in downtown Chicago, your guests will be able to infer the level of formality from that (and your invites should feel fancier as well).

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  • Cortney
    Devoted August 2020
    Cortney ·
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    Black tie optional is a well documented thing. For men, it means you can choose to wear a tuxedo or choose to wear a suit (typically dark in color). If you look at Rent the Runway, it’s a category for women’s dresses. Stitch Fix and The Knot have articles explaining it. It even has a nail polish named after it (by OPI, probably discontinued these days). It may be confusing to some people, but it’s a thing. It’s the nice way not to require people to purchase or rent tuxedos but achieve the dress code you’re looking for.
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  • L
    Lady ·
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    Black tie requires a certain level of service by the hosts. If they are truly having the elements of a black tie affair, then a dress code of Black tie is appropriate. If you just want people super dressed up - that's not a thing. Dress codes are not just "what you want people to wear", it is a reflection of rules and standards set by the venue and level of service.


    Black tie optional is not a thing.

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  • Nicole
    Beginner May 2021
    Nicole ·
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    Thanks everyone for the feedback! We will be making the attire Formal on the invitation as the rest of the wedding is going to be formal as well and it eliminates confusion!
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  • Andrea
    Super May 2020
    Andrea ·
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    Black tie optional is 100% a “thing”. It means you’re requesting your guests wear tuxedos but they have the option to wear a dark colored suit instead. Look it up.
    But yes, service and the event in general need to warrant these dress codes.
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