From the minute the wedding invitation meets your hands, there is much excitement leading up to the event. There aren’t many people who can say they don’t enjoy attending a wedding, but there may be many who don’t enjoy figuring out what to wear to the wedding. Most couples provide all of the details you need to know in the invitation but forget to add the dress code. This can sometimes cause a bit of confusion for you as the guest. In this article, we come to the rescue with a few great wedding guest style tips to help guests decide what to wear and to help brides come up with a good dress code for her wedding invite.

The Black Tux is a snazzy online store that offers a stylish collection of modern formal wear for the men in your life. They have shared with us their wedding guest style guide for both men and women. This guide is a great tool for both brides coming up with a dress code to suit their wedding, as well as guests who aren’t too sure of what to wear.

Now that you are familiar with the various dress styles and dress codes that apply to weddings, here are a few dress etiquette tips for you to take into consideration when planning your outfit for that special wedding.

The age old universal rules of dress etiquette still apply today. These would include:

Don’t wear white or any other shade that is close to white, that is reserved for the bride ONLY.

Don’t wear anything too short or revealing.

Don’t wear anything in the same color as the wedding colors, that is reserved for the bridal party and family only.

Look respectable no matter what your personal style may be.

Some of these rules have changed over time and continue to change as weddings take on a variety of different themes in some less than traditional locations. A great general rule wold be to stick to the dress code if you have been given one. If you haven’t been given a dress code in the wedding invitation, here are a few things to bare in mind when looking for an appropriate outfit:

Dress for the season and location. If you know it will be an outdoor wedding, be sure to choose your shoes wisely ladies.

Dress comfortably, you want to enjoy the reception dancing up a storm to your favorite song, even if this means bringing along a change of shoes.

Be respectful of the bridal couple and their family, if you know they wouldn’t approve of your outfit, then don’t wear it.

Coordinate with your date. You are sure to be the couple who turn heads in complementing colors and patterns.

If you are still in doubt and can’t decide what to wear, rather choose to overdress than underdress. It’s much better to be the only man with a tie, rather than the only one without.