What makes a wedding "black tie"?

Whoa! Based on the comments my wedding is Black Tie. Good to know. I should probably include this on the invitation.

@Precious- just because you're throwing an affair that can be considered Black Tie does not mean you have to include it on your invitations. If you want to let your guests know in advance how fancy your event is and suggest they were tuxedos/gowns then you can feel free to do so, but it most definitely isn't required.

Mine would have qualified for black tie if I had wanted to go down that route. The chances of my guests actually doing that and not hating me? Slim to none. I get the allure of black tie, don't get me wrong, but it is seriously a PITA for the guests lol.

Precious, you do not have to add that to your invitations. It is way more of an inconvenience for guests to have to dress in black tie, especially if most don't already own tuxedos. Renting tuxes is a pain. Most men already own a nice dark suit and would prefer to wear that.

Thanks for the article Miss to Mrs.! Definitely helpful. I was always under the impression that there were certain guidelines for black tie (evening, full service, etc.) but wasn't sure to what extent which is why I turned to you ladies to help clarify and you definitely did