# Late Afternoon Wedding



## filfoster (Aug 23, 2011)

It's not because I am lazy (guilty), but also because my search did not yield the answer. What hour divides 'morning dress' and 'black tie' for a formal wedding? I am faced with the prospect of a late afternoon wedding, 4 or 5 o'clock, and a later reception. 
What is the 'trad' dress code? It seems a lot of bother to swap clothes between the wedding and the reception.


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## arkirshner (May 10, 2005)

The traditional dividing was sunset, evening clothes were not to be worn during the day. Of course the father from the equator the later the sunsets during the summer and Daylight Savings Time adds another hour. Accordingly, it became common to use 6PM. For events beginning during the day and carrying over into evening it has always been fine to wear one's day wear through the event. Today many will wear black tie for events beginning 5 PM or some even 4PM. In the long run the best policy may be to let the women decide.


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## Starch (Jun 28, 2010)

The above is right, so far as I'm concerned, but just another observation: what kind of "search" did you do that didn't reveal the answer? I mean, come on: there's a whole formal wear brand called "After Six" because people are generally assumed to know that that's when black tie is worn.

You can either regard 6:00 pm as a hard cutoff or a rule of thumb. If the latter, you could slide it earlier in northern climes during the winter (for example: the sun set here yesterday at 4:47 pm); doing so in the summer gets questionable.


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## Youthful Repp-robate (Sep 26, 2011)

Make 100% sure that the word "formal" actually means what it should, instead of meaning "don't be a slob, and wear a tie for heaven's sake." Having worked in the wedding industry, I know these terms become a bit confused. You absolutely do not want to be the only one there in a tuxedo or morning dress, since that might play as an attempt to upstage the bride.


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## filfoster (Aug 23, 2011)

Starch said:


> The above is right, so far as I'm concerned, but just another observation: what kind of "search" did you do that didn't reveal the answer? I mean, come on: there's a whole formal wear brand called "After Six" because people are generally assumed to know that that's when black tie is worn.
> 
> You can either regard 6:00 pm as a hard cutoff or a rule of thumb. If the latter, you could slide it earlier in northern climes during the winter (for example: the sun set here yesterday at 4:47 pm); doing so in the summer gets questionable.


I entered a search from the Trad forum for 'late afternoon wedding attire' and got something close in the 'Fashion' forum here but not exactly what was needed. That search also yielded some other interesting things but not on point.


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## filfoster (Aug 23, 2011)

arkirshner said:


> The traditional dividing was sunset, evening clothes were not to be worn during the day. Of course the father from the equator the later the sunsets during the summer and Daylight Savings Time adds another hour. Accordingly, it became common to use 6PM. For events beginning during the day and carrying over into evening it has always been fine to wear one's day wear through the event. Today many will wear black tie for events beginning 5 PM or some even 4PM. In the long run the best policy may be to let the women decide.


Married 30 years this June so yes, I must agree this is usually the best policy. I predict I will be asked, however and from these posts and what I can glean elsewhere on line, it seems some type of 'morning' attire, either black or gray cutaway or a 'stroller' would do, and to keep that on for the reception if the wedding is before 6 PM. It will likely be August so longer days still. 
If the wedding will be at or after 6 the more formal attire (black tie) would seem best. It seems more generous not to ask the guests to bother with anything more than suits for men and whatever women always know what to wear.
The posts are very welcome and helpful and I hope there will be more.


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## Mike Petrik (Jul 5, 2005)

I am normally quite the traditionalist, especially when it comes to black tie, but on this issue I tend to be more flexible in that I think black tie is acceptable, even if not ideal, for any afternoon wedding if the reception is in the evening. Few Americans have any idea what morning dress is, but those who do definitely understand that it is not appropriate for evening. By contemporary American standards morning dress is a bit eccentric, I'm afraid, and for a person to make such an effort to be dressed properly for the time of day and then to wear such attire in the evening seems to me to require a rather awkward congnitive dissonance. And while certainly the gentlemen can change for the reception, very few gentlemen will view that as either practical or desirable. My own view is that if the tuxes are proper (no weird colors or long black ties -- ugh!), even the most discerning satorialists wiill be pretty forgiving about wearing them in the afternoon, especially if the reception is in the evening. I'm willing to be flamed on this, but .....


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## filfoster (Aug 23, 2011)

Mike Petrik said:


> .... I'm willing to be flamed on this, but .....


Wait for it....


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## arkirshner (May 10, 2005)

Mike Petrik said:


> I am normally quite the traditionalist, especially when it comes to black tie, but on this issue I tend to be more flexible in that I think black tie is acceptable, even if not ideal, for any afternoon wedding if the reception is in the evening. Few Americans have any idea what morning dress is, but those who do definitely understand that it is not appropriate for evening. By contemporary American standards morning dress is a bit eccentric, I'm afraid, and for a person to make such an effort to be dressed properly for the time of day and then to wear such attire in the evening seems to me to require a rather awkward congnitive dissonance. And while certainly the gentlemen can change for the reception, very few gentlemen will view that as either practical or desirable. My own view is that if the tuxes are proper (no weird colors or long black ties -- ugh!), even the most discerning satorialists wiill be pretty forgiving about wearing them in the afternoon, especially if the reception is in the evening. I'm willing to be flamed on this, but .....


I see no cognitive dissonance in wearing day wear and then going to an evening event providing that changing would be impractical. Of course, a noon wedding, followed by a 7PM reception would allow time to change. A 4PM wedding, followed by photos and driving to a 7pm reception would probably not allow time to change.

I am not a discerning satorialist, nor have I played one on TV, but the older I get the more forgiving I seem to be. As it is unlikely that any future weddings I attend will be my own, I agree with you that the better course is to go with the flow of the bridal party.

I also am not a fireman, but should flames brake out, I will try to cover your back with my admittedly small fire extinguisher.


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