How To Choose An Attire Code For Your Wedding

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Your wedding day is a special moment in your life. Therefore, it is understandable that you'll want to ensure every detail is perfect, from the flower bouquets to the guest seatings. While controlling other aspects of your wedding is easy, selecting the dress code and ensuring it is followed is quite difficult. You don’t want to be disrespectful or forceful. But that doesn't mean you can't request your guests to appear a certain way. It's your day, after all! So, here's how to decide on an attire code for your wedding. ​

1. Consider the time and season of your wedding day

Regardless of how you want your guests to appear, you must ensure that they feel comfortable in your preferred dress code. Therefore, you would have to consider the weather, season, and time of the day when setting up your dress code. For example, if you're having your wedding in the fall season, you'll want your guests to opt for fall wedding guest dresses that offer enough covering to keep them from getting cold yet, not too many layers to prevent sweating. 

2. Match the dress code to the formality of your venue

Some weddings are more formal than others. Take a royal wedding, for example. You can't expect guests to dress casually when attending such weddings. While wedding events have the same purpose everywhere, many formalities differ. These changes are usually in line with the venue. 

So, think about the level of formality you expect to have in your wedding venue. Consider the caliber of special guests (if any) you expect, and create a dress code expected. For example, if you're hosting a small backyard garden or beach wedding with family and friends, it's understandable that you'll want to relax the dress code a little. Here, something semi-formal will make more sense. But if you're hosting a lavish wedding in a luxurious hotel with high-profile guests, you might want to go formal with black ties and tuxedos. 

3. Put yourself in your guests' shoes

It's okay to want to enforce a specific dress code or outfit you prefer, but try putting yourself in your guests' shoes before you make any decision. Consider things like costs. How much will it cost each guest to pull off the look you desire, and how easily can they get the fabrics, colors, texture, style, etc., that the dress code demands? Also, consider the type of guests you're expecting. Are they youthful and expected to hit the dance floor? Then choose an attire code that makes it easy for them to get their groove on. 

4. Consider your desired aesthetics

As indicated earlier, you can't completely dictate every detail of your guests' outfits, but you can give them clear guidelines to usher them in your preferred direction. And that direction should align with the desired aesthetics you hope to achieve that day. Moreover, you're expecting many of your wedding guests to appear in your photos, so it makes sense that their outfits appeal to you. 

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