What is your guest attire for your wedding?

Depending on the time of day and venue guests should be able to figure out what to wear. I do think khakis are appropriate for some weddings, especially daytime, outdoor events during warm weather. If someone wore jeans or shorts to a wedding I'd side eye them in most situations, but you really can't tell them how to dress unless your event is black tie. Like another poster said, if you are not sure if it's black tie, it's not. I put a note on our website about our outdoor ceremony so people can dress accordingly. That's as far as I would go.

It doesn't matter what you're comfortable with; they will wear what they want to wear. Even if you say 'black tie' Even if it's not really black tie.

If it's going to be environmentally challenging; (grass, cold, very hot, hiking up a mountain, you need to communicate that in some way. But most people have no idea the difference between semi-formal, formal....... and the euphamisms that have cropped up ("country club attire" " elegant casual") just make it even more confounding.

If your group of friends and family are typically those that feel that jeans and more casual attire is acceptable, you will be fighting an uphill battle. This is honestly one of those things that you should not spend time focusing on. Imagine how you are going to feel if you just let it go, don't try and direct anyone on their attire and see Uncle Joe in jeans and cowboy boots vs posting the attire online and seeing Uncle Joe in jeans and cowboy boots. I'd put 10-1 odds on you being more pissed if someone doesn't listen to you than just happens to show up in something casual.

We also had our wedding a golf courses with a dress code that included no jeans, so I did put that on the wedding website.

Even if you write "cocktail attire" somebody who wants to wear jeans will wear jeans, there's really nothing you can do, try to just let it go, you can't control what people will do, maybe nobody will wear jeans, maybe somebody will, people do what they like as we see often on this forum.

I'm hoping for business casual. I'm ok with jeans, but on a hot July evening, I don't want my guests to be uncomfortable in suits and such. I'm fine with whatever they're comfortable in though. Just my BP is going to be dressed formally, I hope.

We specifically said for our guests to dress comfortably. Its an outdoor wedding in Las Vegas, and while it IS November, its not uncommon for it to get really bloody hot.

that being said, I expect everything from nice dresses to cut off shorts and tank tops, and I am totally 100% ok with all of it.

We're unconventional, and have a lot of unconventional friends, and I love them the way they are.

Thanks ladies for your opinions!

One more thought - an astonishing number of my guests actually contacted me and asked what they should wear. In that case it is okay to steer them towards what you think would be most appropriate. I just said things like, "most people will probably wear x."

My friend requested no jeans for her wedding, but some people wore jeans anyway. Then again, it was also an open facebook invite, and everyone had to pay for their own meal at the reception.

My wedding was Sept, 3:30PM, ballroom and reception going until midnight.

I did specify dress as business casual or cocktail attire on wedding website, because it prompted me to! Wedding party was it tuxes, Bridesmaids in short satin dresses, mom's in long dresses and it was in an elegant ballroom. But honestly, I don't think anyone looked at the "suggested attire". We had most people dress up in short dresses or men in dress pants, but we had someone in a sweat suit and tennis shoes... I understand wanting people to look nice, but others are right, that person is the one who looks strange in pictures.

@jacqui76 Your friend specified a dress code but didn't pay for meals or send invites to her guests....? How did that go over?

We're putting dress code in our FAQ on the website, mostly because people keep asking us and its just easier to have that info easily accessible for everyone. We're going with "beach formal" - we're getting married on the Outer Banks at a waterfront country club - we also have the "no denim" in the country club contract that another poster mentioned.

Protip: Don't make up dress codes because no one knows what they mean, like 'Beach formal" or everyone will be all

You communicate the formality of your event by the level of formality of invitation that you select. I wouldn't specify even "cocktail attire" on an invitation. Trust your guests to figure it out.

Sugarunicorn - I'm going to suggest here that you switch the wording on your website to indicate that no denim is allowed at the venue, and leave it at that. "Beach formal" is self-contradictory and will probably confuse your guests more than if you'd just left it off, but the no denim information is helpful.

Venue: Backyard

Month: September

Guest attire: Anything nice they had

I had a few guests ask how formal the wedding would be and like PPs I said "most people will be wearing dresses or nice pants." I didn't specify no jeans but even my most redneck relatives didn't show up in jeans. A friend showed up in a white summer dress and even apologized to me for wearing white, but I didn't care. She is young and on a budget. I was just happy to have her come and celebrate with us. Put the dress code on your website if you must but know that people will dress however they think is appropriate.

I agree that putting a notation on your website is the best way to get your ideal attire across to your guests. Please just enjoy your day and not get wrapped up in what other people are wearing. I'm sure there are other things during your planning you really can control so focus on making those perfect and to your liking for your wedding. When everything is said and done you probably won't remember that Joe Smith wore khakis, but you will remember if you let them wearing khakis ruin your wedding day.

You guys are probably right on the beach formal thing. I just REALLY felt weird about just straight up saying "NO DENIM". I overthink things sometimes, lol.

@futureseptmrs it went over as you would expect. People who wanted to attended, paid for their meals, and still talk about it 2 years later. We attended because the groom was my FH's best friend of 20 years so we didn't want to miss it regardless.