What to Wear to a Black Tie Wedding

I am old school when it comes to traditions, especially a black tie wedding. When we got the invitation in the mail, I immediately went for the most grandiose dress I could get my hands on! I mean, who doesn’t want to look like Julia Woman in Pretty Woman (of course, the dresses, not her other outfits!) and take the opportunity to play dress up?! Last weekend, we headed to Savannah and when we got to the wedding, I was bewildered. The range of attire was all across the board and left me questioning what black tie truly means. I couldn’t help but wonder if the etiquette had changed over the years, since I have been off the wedding circuit for quite sometime now!? So, I feel like the question, “what to wear to a black tie wedding” needs to be re-evaluated and examined for both me, my fellow wedding attendees, and the next couple who gets the black tie invitation in the mail!

From women wearing white dresses (which I always thought was a huge no-no) to spring sundresses, there was a variety of beautiful, yet casual style at this formal wedding. I’m not talking black-tie optional here. I completely know the definition of optional, which leaves the gentleman the ability to choose to wear a tux or not. In that case, the woman has the choice to wear a floor length gown or a cocktail dress, depending on how dressy she prefers to be. However, black tie in my opinion, means every man should be in a tux and floor length gowns elegantly sweeping the floor on every lady, unless her short cocktail dress is a show stopper. So, I headed to the most reliable source to find out what black tie means in 2017!

I was relieved to find out that nothing has changed and Micaela Englist for Town and Country Magazine wrote a fabulous piece at the end of last year that beautifully sums up the question of What “Black Tie” Means Now’. Wedding attire can be tricky, and as with any occasion, it’s always better to be overdressed. That can mean that your dress can be tea or knee-length, but the design of the dress has to be a show stopper. Even though, times are changing, these fashion rules still apply and please remember that the answer per GLAMOUR on whether a white dress to a wedding is appropriate (sited), “the answer, forever and always, is no. No, you cannot wear white to a wedding. PERIOD.”