What to Wear to Black Tie Wedding

So, the invitation to the wedding says "black tie". Now what? At a regular wedding it's acceptable for the men to wear a suit and the where a suit and the women to wear a nice dress or a cocktail dress. But for a black tie event, you need to step it up a notch.

What does black tie really mean?

Calling an event "black tie" indicates that it is about as formal as you can get. This means that formal attire needs to be worn. Often, this is up to the couple whether they want their special day to be formal or not. However, sometimes the venue chosen will dictate the terms.

How do you know the wedding is "black tie"?

When you get the formal wedding invitation, it should say if it is black tie or not. The invitation will often offer helpful suggestions for what to wear in addition to saying if it is formal or not. If the invitation doesn't offer suggestions, don't worry. The rules for a black tie wedding are pretty straightforward.

What should men wear to this kind of wedding?

The men who attend a formal wedding absolutely need to either buy or rent a tuxedo. The tuxedo should be black or another dark color, such as navy blue. Ideally, the vest or cummerbund should also be black or another dark color. If you have a date, coordinate the colors with your date's gown.

Also acceptable is if you are in the military you can wear the formal version of your military uniform (called a "mess dress"). However, if you don't have this uniform sitting around, it isn't worth it to buy one. Don't wear the uniform unless you are active duty military. In other words, you need to be authorized to wear the uniform. Don't just borrow a friend's.

What should women wear to a formal wedding?

Women have a little more creativity than men when it comes to dressing for a black tie wedding. You can wear a long evening gown, a short cocktail dress, or a dressy pantsuit suitable for a formal or semi-formal event. Men are restricted to a tuxedo or military dress uniform. However, women can choose any color or style as long as it is an evening gown, cocktail dress, or semi-formal pant suit. The one thing to watch out for is that you coordinate your colors with your date.

If the wedding invitation says "black tie" there's no need to panic. Just take the time to select the appropriate outfit and coordinate your colors with your date and you'll be all set.