Dear Jacquelyn,

My friend is getting married this summer and the wedding is at 11 a.m. I’ve never been to a morning wedding and I don’t know what would be appropriate to wear. When attending a morning wedding, what are female guests expected to wear?

Dear Reader,

Traditionally, a daytime wedding is a semi-formal event and an evening wedding a formal event.

When deciding what to wear, the time of day isn’t the only thing to take into consideration. The location and venue of the wedding are also big determining factors in what a guest should wear.

Paying attention to these details will keep you appropriately dressed at every wedding you attend.

For example, a church wedding has an assumed more formal dress code versus an outside picnic ceremony. The key here is that wedding-wear for guests should always be respectful of the occasion and relatively modest.

Summer morning weddings require a dress code that is both dressy causal and light. Tea-length dresses are always appropriate. Colors that should be at the top of your dress shopping list for a morning ceremony are pastels. Lighter fabrics like cotton and silk are excellent choices in warm weather.

If the invitation does not give a dress code, use your best judgment.

If you have been invited to a wedding and aren’t quite sure what to wear, keep in mind the closer it is to 6 p.m., the more formal the attire.

Whether intimate or grand, a wedding is still a formal event. If you’re lucky enough to be invited to a wedding, you owe it to the couple to show your respect by looking your very best.

Respectfully Yours,

Jacquelyn

Have a question? Email: jacquelyn@ptd.net. Jacquelyn Youst is owner of the Pennsylvania Academy of Protocol, specializing in etiquette training.

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