How to Dress for a Daytime Wedding

If you're invited to a daytime wedding, surely one of your most pressing dilemmas is what to wear. You're not alone. Many people find dressing for a wedding confusing. Wedding etiquette considers a daytime wedding as morning or early to mid afternoon. Follow these steps to dress properly for a daytime wedding.

Instructions

1. Inspect the invitation for the level of formality. Heavy card stock, engraving or calligraphy on envelopes are clues to a semi-formal or formal wedding. Casual invitations imply informal attire.

2. Consider the ceremony and reception locations. A church and country club are sure bets it's at least semi-formal. A backyard and barbecue scream informal.

3. Find out what the bridal party is wearing, if possible. Long bridesmaids' dresses and a formal wedding gown tell you it's at least semi-formal.

4. Wear a fairly conservative, floral or colorful short dress to a semi-formal wedding, depending on the season. Business attire usually works as well.

5. Choose a short cocktail dress for a formal daytime wedding, making sure it's not too revealing.

6. Select a dress shirt, nice slacks and tie for an informal daytime wedding. For semi-formal, add a sports coat to the same outfit or choose a lighter colored or seersucker suit. Wear a darker suit and tie for a formal daytime wedding.

Tips & Warnings

• Formal daytime weddings are quite rare; however, if you can't determine if it's semi-formal or formal, you can't go wrong with a less dressy, short cocktail dress.

• If you're wearing a dress that's strapless, has spaghetti straps or a deep neckline, bring a cover up for a religious wedding.

• Don't wear black to a daytime wedding.

• Don't wear white to any wedding. It's the bride's day.

• Never wear jeans.

• Don't wear a tuxedo, unless the invitation specifies "Black Tie."