Proper dress for a daytime wedding

[Tiggeroo]

What would be the proper dress for a daytime wedding. It is in a restaurant/reception hall. I believe there will be a sit down meal because we have to choose beef or chicken. The wedding is on Halloween and is a whimsical inviation with many halloween jokes such as bubbling brews and frog legs immediately following. The only reference to dress is no costumes allowed. The bride and groom wanted costumes but the bride's father who is paying vetoed it. I'm especially concerned about dh who doesn't currently own a sport coat. He has one fairly formal pin stripe suit which depending on his current weight may or may not fit. I don't want to dump a ton of money on clothes for this.

[Bren's Mom]

Why don't you call the bride and ask how formal she'd like the dress to be since you couldn't determine that from the invitation?

[ChrizJen]

To me, it sounds as if it'll be a relatively casual affair. I would say that slacks and a shirt and tie would suffice for DH, and maybe a cocktail type dress for you.
But I like the suggestion of just asking the bride. Or if you don't feel comfortable doing that, ask some other guests you know will be going what they plan to wear. Sounds like a FUN wedding!

[goofy4tink]

Men can get away with a blazer/sport coat at a daytime wedding. Or, they could wear a suit, but depending on others, he may be overdressed. I know my dh would always wear a suit to a wedding as long as it wasn't held in someone's back yard. But, he doesn't mind being that dressed up.
I figure that women would wear a short dress, kind of dressy, and men would wear blazers and grey slacks. But, again, it depends on the local customs. Some areas of the country would demand more dressy, while others would be okay with more casual dress.

[MomNeedsVacay]

I say nice dressy slacks and a dressy button down for him... and a short coctail dres for you- not black though...

[3boymthr]

Take your cue from what the bride and groom are wearing. This is always my formula:

Formal gown and tux, dress for you w/heels and the like and suit and tie for DH.

Cocktail dress and suit: dress or dressy pants or nice capri set for you, whatever shoes I want and shirt and tie for DH.

Nice dress and shirt and tie - we wear the same with maybe just a polo for DH.

Tye die wedding dress and jeans and tie-dye button down shirt (don't laugh this was DB & SIL's wedding attire) = Capris or sundress for you and button down or polo and khaki shorts for DH.

If you don't know don't be afraid to call a bridesmaid or other member of the wedding party to ask. Also I alway feel if we're not going to be at a fancy place for the reception we can be a little more casual about DH's jacket as most guys take it off if the reception hall isn't fancy.

BTW - you can sometimes get a nice but inexpensive sport coat at JC Penney or Sears or even Marshall's or TJ Maxx or sometimes even Macy's. DH picked one up at Marshall's for $30 once.

[Tiggeroo]

nd a short coctail dres for you- not black though...

hehe the bridesmaids are wearing black. I don't know the bride. It's a part of my family that we were formally very close with but have lost touch. Since our side of the family is so small we will all be going but some of us haven't seen the groom in 15 years or more. I can figure out something semi-formal for myself. DH is different. Whatever he is going to wear I will have to buy. I'd like to get something he might use again. I guess I'll be making a trip to Marshalls and Burlington Coat Factory and Value City to see what I can dig up for him. He rarely dresses up and I hate spending money for a one time wearing. I, however if I buy myself something will use it again.

[Chicago526]

I don't think black is "taboo" at wedings like it used to be. My SIL wore black to my wedding, and I know for a fact she likes me and my DH just fine. I wasn't offended and neither was anyone else (okay, grandma may have had thoughts on it, but she'd be dead in a ditch before she'd ever say anything...).

Totally depends on the families involved, but I think black is okay in most cases, as long as crying and wailing don't go along with it!

[3boymthr]

Originally Posted by Tiggeroo

hehe the bridesmaids are wearing black. I don't know the bride. It's a part of my family that we were formally very close with but have lost touch. Since our side of the family is so small we will all be going but some of us haven't seen the groom in 15 years or more. I can figure out something semi-formal for myself. DH is different. Whatever he is going to wear I will have to buy. I'd like to get something he might use again. I guess I'll be making a trip to Marshalls and Burlington Coat Factory and Value City to see what I can dig up for him. He rarely dresses up and I hate spending money for a one time wearing. I, however if I buy myself something will use it again.

I know how you feel. DH is an HVAC service guy - only wears a suit for weddings and funerals. DH has been wearing the same suit for a couple years; We paid $150 for it and I think he's worn it like 4 times and he mentioned that it's time to get a new one because everyone's seen him in this one (boy he sounds like a girl ). The one before this one we had to replace after he'd only worn it once because the moths got to it (that was our $30 special). I wish there was someplace like Mr. Tux where instead of a tuxedo you could rent a suit or blazer for a day for like $10 or $20 - it would be sooo worth it.

[RadioNate]

What is the weather like around Halloween for you? I think he could get away with dress pants, shirt and tie if it was still pretty nice out. I couldn't even tell you what people wore to the last wedding I was at.

I'd get a sport coat if it was cooler out. You can get one pretty cheap. My DH got a black one at Kohls not too long again for like $40 after discounts. He's already gotten a ton of use out if it so it was well worth the $$.

[NotUrsula]

I wish there was someplace like Mr. Tux where instead of a tuxedo you could rent a suit or blazer for a day for like $10 or $20 - it would be sooo worth it.

Almost all tuxedo-rental shops also rent regular suits, but usually not sport coats. It's a bit more than $20, though; normally a suit rents for about $50-60. (They don't advertise the suits as much, but they almost always have them.)