Common questions about parties and weddings | Oscar Jacobson | Wedding FAQ

No, a dress code is not required at a wedding, but it is common for the bride and groom to establish a dress code in order to both set the tone for the upcoming event and to help the guests reach a common mood on the big day.

Mistakes usually happen without intention, but if the bride and groom have specified a dress code on the invitation, it would be disrespectful and impudent to ignore it. In other words: follow it, no matter how much you dislike it.

The instruction "summer pretty" on an invitation is a very vague type of non-accepted dress code that, depending on the bride and groom and their choice of location for the wedding, can mean basically any types of clothes. As the host, in this case the bride and groom, it may be smart to stick to the codes of white tie, black tie, suit or blazer.

The dress code is usually written at the bottom of a written invitation. If the invitation doesn't state a dress code and if you are unsure of what to wear, ask the bride and groom or a possible wedding planner, how the bride and groom are planning to dress, and then try to match them in terms of formality.

No, it's not quite as easy (or difficult) as that. Lack of dress code on the invitation used to mean evening dress, ie white tie or traditional dress, but those days are long gone. Instead, come dressed as you wish in order to celebrate the bride and the groom and don't forget to show them respect with the clothes you wear. Are you unsure? Feel free to ask them what they are planning to wear.

To set the tone for the upcoming event and to unite the guests on the big day.

It is rare for brides and grooms to appreciate guests who both "steal the show" and defy the dress code. In other words, your girlfriend is right; wear a suit and not a tuxedo.

Definitely not. Sometimes, however, the groom wears a flower there. The flower is usually called a corsage and may match the bridal bouquet.

For practical reasons, it is much easier to wear the same clothes to church and to the party. Consider your and your guests comfortability rather than unnecessary changes in outfits.

Assume that you should always wear thin dark socks with high shafts. If the dress code is liberally vague "summer pretty" and the location the Swedish or Greek archipelago, a pair of summer-tanned ankles could possibly be exposed in a pair of well-kept loafers with the linen suit.

Linen and cotton could be a nice fit for a summer wedding, especially if the wedding takes place outside the city and in a more or less rural environment.

There are no such rules for this whatsoever, it's just a matter of taste and what you prefer to wear.

If it's a case of a wedding where there is no dress code, in the middle of summer, in the country side and your sneakers are more of the dressed kind, then yes, it could work. Otherwise, no.

No, stick to the dress code. To overdress because you think it looks better on you, or for some other strange reason, is not okay and chances are you wind up annoying both the bride and groom and the guests. Don't forget the difference between business casual and business formal, which is a sort of exception to this rule.

Not at all, in fact it's the opposite. The dress code business causal used to mean that the guest was expected to wear a dark suit and it still does in conservative circles. To be safe, interpret the dress code business casual as to mean a dark blazer, a pair of light-coloured trousers, a dress shirt and leather shoes.

See no. 15.

Buying is both smarter and a better look.

Start from the dress code and choose shoes accordingly.

Try to match the suit and the shirt when it comes to both colour and structure.

Regarding cocktail and elegant, it is wisest to ask the bride and groom how they will dress, but aim for a dark suit, white shirt, tie and a pair of black oxford shoes. Black tie means tuxedo.

Well, aside from the colours themselves there is the degree of formality that these two nuances express. In general, it's the darker, the more formal, but fabric also has a say in the matter. Above all, aim for the type of garment that the dress code is intended for.

Both are equally correct, but the double cuff is many times more formal and elegant, not least if the cufflinks are carefully chosen.

It can look great together with a blazer or a linen suit at a summer wedding.

It could look great if the wedding is held at a very warm place. Maybe around the Mediterranean or even further south.

Keep the jacket and the trousers on their hangers and hang everything inside a suit cover or garment carrier. Behåll kavajen och byxorna på sin galge och häng in allt i ett kostymfodral eller resegarderob som det också heter. These can usually be folded in half, which is practical if you need to place the suit on, for example, the luggage rack on board an airplane.