What should wedding guests wear?
Put the palette on a card guests can hold, with the dress code and the one colour rule stated once. Print it as an invitation insert, or send the PNG with the wedding website link.
What should wedding guests wear?
Give guests your palette and the dress code, then ask them to skip white and ivory. A printed card on the invitation or the wedding site removes the guessing: colours they can see, one sentence on what to wear, and the one rule stated plainly.
What the card says
Your palette as swatches, the dress code in one sentence, and the rule guests ask about in every group chat: skip white and ivory. Add your own line if your wedding has another expectation.
Every dress code, for men and for women
These are the usual conventions, not rulings: region and season change them, and the invitation's own wording always wins. Where a code has a second name, guests search for that name, so both are listed.
| Code | Also called | For men | For women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black tie The most formal evening code: tuxedos and long gowns. | formal evening | Tuxedo or dinner jacket, black bow tie, formal shoes. | Floor-length gown or an elegant long dress. |
| Black tie optional Black tie is invited but a dark suit is welcome too. | formal optional | Tuxedo, or a dark suit with a tie. | Long gown, or a dressy cocktail dress. |
| Formal Formal dress without requiring a tuxedo. | black tie preferred | Dark suit and tie; a tuxedo is welcome. | Long dress, or elegant separates. |
| Semi-formal Dressier than everyday, a step below formal. | semiformal, dressy | Suit; a tie is optional. | Midi or cocktail dress; no gown needed. |
| Cocktail An evening party code: polished but not floor-length. | evening party | Suit; a tie is optional. | Knee-length or midi dress. |
| Garden party Outdoor daytime dress: lighter fabrics, shoes that survive grass. | outdoor, daytime | Light suit or blazer, no tie. | Midi dress; block heels or flats. |
| Beach Sand and heat: breathable fabrics, no jacket needed. | destination | Linen shirt and trousers; no jacket needed. | Light dress and flat sandals. |
| Casual Everyday clothes, tidy: no shorts, no gym wear. | dressy casual, smart casual | Trousers and a collared shirt. | A casual dress or neat separates. |
Anyone can wear either column; the card states the couple's code, not who may wear what.
Colours: what to wear, what to skip
Put the palette on the card as swatches, then state the one rule guests always ask about: skip white and ivory. If your wedding has another expectation — no black, no red, a separate code for the evening — add it in your own line instead of assuming guests know it.
Why a card, not a paragraph
Colour names travel badly between screens and printed paper. A swatch a guest can hold, on the invitation or the site, answers the question once instead of in forty replies — and it matches the chart they will see at the door.
What this does not decide
It does not invent etiquette. The card states the white-and-ivory convention and nothing else unless you type it. It does not promise that a screen colour prints exactly; check fabric and paper swatches for that.
About 10 minutes. Software, not a waitlist — your chart tonight.