Posts Tagged ‘ wedding etiquette ’

I often get asked what sort of dress code a couple should put on their wedding invitations . This of course really comes down to the style of the event that is planned, so if you are pondering this question, there are a few questions you should ask yourself.

What style of event are we planning? Very formal and elegant? Stylish and simple? Relaxed and celebratory?

Where is the event being held? Does this dictate the type of attire required?

What is the timing of the event? Is it indoors or outdoors? What time of day is it being held?

For those looking for a bit more clarification, I’ve listed some of the more popular dress codes and what they generally mean below.

White Tie
This is reserved for ultra formal occasions. For men , a full black tuxedo coat with tails, a white pique shirt, white vest and white bow tie and black trousers and black formal shoes are appropriate. For women, a full length gown and glamorous hair and make up is essential. This is the look you’d have if you were going to the Oscars!

above: Collete Dinnigan embroidered French spot tulle strapless gown with scalloped beading – for a very special occasion!

Black Tie
This is perhaps the most popular of the formal dress codes we see and is usually used if the wedding is to be an evening affair (from 4.30pm onwards). For men , a black tuxedo or dinner suit worn with a white pique shirt and black bow tie, black trousers and black shoes and socks. For women , a glamorous formal evening gown or cocktail dress (long or short) is appropriate.

Formal
This suggests that the event is a formal affair, but perhaps not as strict on dress code as Black Tie.
For the men , a dark formal suit, white shirt and tie. For the women, a stylish evening or cocktail gown.

Lounge Suit
This is one of the most popular dress codes we have our couples using on their invitations. It suggests the wedding is a stylish event, although less formal than the above options. It is suitable for weddings held at any time of the day or evening. For men , a dark business suit, shirt and matching tie is appropriate. For the women , a dress, smart suit or cocktail dress is suitable.

Above: Pretty dress form Asos

Cocktail
This is usually used for an evening wedding. For the men a dark suit and tie is appropriate. For women a short elegant cocktail dress.

Above: Gorgeous Oasis cocktail gown from Asos

Smart Casual
Don’t be fooled by the word ‘casual’ in the heading. Jeans are not appropriate at this wedding! For men , a suit and shirt, dark or light depending on the time of day, alternatively a pair of tailored pants and jacket is also suitable. A tie is optional for this occasion. For the women , a pretty dress, cocktail or other, a dressy skirt and top, or smart tailored pants and stylish top.

Casual
For a more relaxed affair, men and women would dress as if going to a nice restaurant. For men a nice pair of pants and shirt. For women a skirt, dress or pants are also appropriate. No jeans here either.

There’s nothing quite like receiving a beautiful hand written note. Even more so when it’s someone saying Thank You.

This week I received some gorgeous notes in the mail from two of my wedding clients. They were simple words, but they touched my heart as they’d taken the time to write and post them off amongst the hundreds of other cards they were writing.

Thank you Molly and Tanya, you made my day.

So this got me to thinking on wedding etiquette. I’ve been to a few weddings in my time and I’m saddened to say that a large majority didn’t send thank you notes out after the big day. I’m a firm believer that it’s good etiquette to thank your guests for attending your wedding – and for their gift. After all, your guest’s generally aren’t present when you open it, so it’s always nice to acknowledge it was received.

So what does a thank you note have to look like?

There’s no hard and fast rules. In the Alannah Rose boutique we do of course have matching thank you cards if you would like to tie in with your stationery theme and give the guests a little reminder of the day, but if budget does not allow, a simple pretty piece of note paper will also do the job. It is after all about the sentiment.

Wedding Thank you cards available from Alannah Rose. Clockwise from top left: Latte Lace Folding Thank You Card, Embellish Monogram Thank You Card, True Romance Thank You Card and Style Wedding Photo Thank You Card. More styles available in the online boutique.

What should you say in your thank you card or note?

Thank you of course! You can say a simple thank you for sharing your day, or you can be more specific and mention the gift you were given and how you are using it.

Here’s a couple of examples that might help you along the way.

For a gift of Money:

Dear Suzi
Thank you for helping us celebrate our wedding day.
We were so pleased to share this special occasion with our closest family and friends.
Your generous gift is appreciated and we will be using it to put towards our kitchen renovation.
With love from Jack and Ainslee Richards

For an actual gift:

Dear Alannah
Thank you for sharing our wedding day with us, we were so pleased you could be there to help us celebrate.
The Vera Wang champagne flutes are divine, we used them for our first celebration toast on return from our honeymoon!
With love from Jack Richards and Ainslee Smythe