Okay, I know that it can feel awkward telling your guests what to wear. You may think it makes you seem high maintenance or like a bride/groomzilla, but I promise you, not only will it make your guests' lives easier, but it will tie together the entire wedding! How? Let's explore!
1. Dress Code Guidance = Ease for Guests
How many of you have been invited to a wedding that was "cocktail attire" and you thought to yourself "What the heck am I going to wear?" A short dress? A bright color? A print? What should he wear? Linen suit? Black tie? What is everyone else wearing? I know I am not the only one thinking this when attending an event, especially a wedding! In fact, I held an open ended Instagram question a few months ago and an overwhelming amount of people said they would appreciate dress code guidance and suggestions because it would take the guessing out of it! It would put them at ease knowing they were following the guidelines and wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb.
2. Cohesive Photo Gallery
Trust me, your wedding gallery has A TON of photos of your guests. Whether they're the subject of the photo or just in the background, they are there! Looking through a wedding gallery with a cohesive style, color scheme, or aesthetic is so much more enjoyable than when things feel all over the place or without a common thread. When it comes time to print your photos, it is a lot easier to choose from a gallery that has a clear vision and story behind it.
When your photos are a representation of the wedding day you so meticulously planned and thought about for a year (most likely longer), you will enjoy looking through your wedding gallery so much more. There won't be those wildcard outfits that seem to jump right out of the photograph (or at least as many of them, we can't promise too much!).
3. So, How Do You Guide Your Guests?
Visuals, visuals, visuals! Words, words, words! What may mean "fun, cocktail attire" to you, may mean something completely different to your Aunt Susan. Providing descriptive words like "bold prints", "florals", "solid colors only" or specific colors or color palettes like "muted neutrals", "neons and bright colors", "black and dark colors only" is super helpful. Honestly, the more specific you can get (without writing a fashion column), the better!
If you can, provide visuals! As part of our design boards, we add in suggested guest attire (see below). You can use this as guidance for your guests and send it directly to them or upload to your website.
You can also use a wedding styling service like Ariete Style to help put together guest attire mood boards based on your wedding style, colors, and location. Ariète is a one stop shop for thoughtful bridal, wedding & special events fashion! They know how overwhelming it can be to start shopping for weddings and special occasions, so they are there to guide, streamline, and simplify this process for you and your guests. They have ready to shop guides (see below) on their website. You can also create a custom guest mood board where they will have a call with you (or us at hand +heart) to discuss the vibe of the event/venue /location and the overall feel that we've envisioned for the event. The mood board/graphic can be added to your wedding website for guests to find easily, and/or you can have them printed and mailed out if preferred.
Giving your guests attire guidance is a no brainer in our book. It makes everyones' lives easier and results in a beautiful, visual story that reflects the time and place of your wedding day.
Don't feel like you're being high maintenance or picky-- your guests will thank you!
For more wedding tips, check out more of our blog posts below!
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