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By Matthew Impelli
Life & Trends Reporter
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Planning a wedding dress code can be tricky, something one bride discovered after posting her instructions online and receiving unexpected feedback.
On Reddit, user Casserole12 shared a post showing a portion of her wedding website where she answers a question about the dress code.
“Wedding: Formal. Think floor-length gowns or elegant mini-dresses for women and dark suits with a tie for men,” the website states.
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Additionally, the bride also included attire instructions for her wedding welcome party, which said, “Dressy casual. Think a nice top or sundress for women and a polo or button-down with khakis for men.
“Aim for stylish and put-together, but nothing too fancy.”
Mixed Messaging
One Reddit user pointed to a line in the welcome party description that suggested guests avoid dressing “too fancy,” saying it might encourage the exact problem the bride hoped to avoid.
“I would take out the last sentence for the welcome party," the user advised the original poster (OP).
"If they notoriously underdress, don’t put out there ‘nothing too fancy.'
"Similarly on the wedding. Although people by now should remember that a formal dress code also includes midi-length dresses, if your crowd underdresses, specifying that option might open the door to much more casual dresses.”
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Questions Over Outfit Examples
Another commentator felt that parts of the dress code left too much open to interpretation particularly a suggestion that women could wear a “nice top.”
The commentator continued: “I don't know, you say people underdress and then you've said nothing too fancy, so if they underdress you have told them nothing too fancy.
“Also, you say a nice top, but don't provide anything to wear the top with. So is it a nice top and jeans? Are jeans acceptable? Or a nice top with shorts? Or a nice top and a nice pair of smart trousers?”
Meanwhile, some responses focused less on the clothing guidance and more on how the message might come across to guests.
“I would ditch the last sentence of the welcome party blurb," offered a supporter, adding, "There is something off-putting about instructing your guests to wear something stylish."
Dress Codes Often Cause Confusion
Questions about wedding attire crop up regularly online as couples include more detailed clothing guidance in invitations or wedding websites.
Newsweek reported about a woman who was invited to a wedding, but was left confused over the bride’s outfit suggestions. The woman revealed the bride had suggested female guests wear their own wedding dresses.
The bride's message read: "How about, if you have one, and if you want to, and you fit in it, your own wedding dress! Go on it will be fun.”
Wedding dress codes are often implemented to provide clarity and reduce stress for guests. The Knot wedding experts say that a clear dress code helps guests feel comfortable and confident while avoiding attire mishaps that could distract from the couple's big day, Newsweek reported.
Another Newsweek story covered a bride-to-be who shared concern online over a a guest’s “really extra” plan to wear a traditional Moroccan takchita.
The couple opted for a small Western-style wedding with a casual dress code, along with a separate henna party to celebrate her heritage. However, her sister-in-law seemed intent on wearing a takchita—an ornate, layered Moroccan gown often worn at formal celebrations—to the wedding, having previously converted to Islam.
Newsweek has reached out to Casserole12 for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case.
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