How do you define formal/semi-formal?

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For me, I find it almost region specific. My last wedding was in Pennsylvania, and there were a few men there who just showed up with khakis and polo shirts. Grooms men and Groom were tuxedos!

Most of my weddings I see men wearing suits with tie, but some men opt to not bother wearing a jacket, and then some don't even bother putting a tie on, just the button up shirt open collar. I don't think The couple or their family really cares how the guests are dressed as long as they aren't sloppy I am assuming.

At most of my weddings, I am seeing photographers dressed pretty casually these days. Men are usually wearing polo shirt, or button up shirt, but I don't see them wearing ties any more. Years ago, the photographers use to dress in tuxedos! Not sure what changed except perhaps the culture among photograhers in the last 15 years. Caterers are usually in all black, but sometimes white shirt and tie. Sometimes, just black polo shirts depending on who they have catering.
I do a lot in PA… coincidentally that’s where the black tie event last night was. I don’t think it has anything to do with region.
 
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I do a lot in PA… coincidentally that’s where the black tie event last night was. I don’t think it has anything to do with region.
I disagree, region has a lot to do with it once you leave metropolitan areas and venture to rural locations, most of my event occur in towns with a population under 7,000 people, there are very very few venues where black tie would even seem appropriate
 
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I learned a bit more about the wedding I'm going to. The bride's family is from Israel. I was there on business in 2013 and 2015. I never saw ties there. I just browsed the FB pages of some of my Israeli friends. The only ties I found were on members of the wedding party (groom, FOB, best man). None of the other guests had ties on.
 
I learned a bit more about the wedding I'm going to. The bride's family is from Israel. I was there on business in 2013 and 2015. I never saw ties there. I just browsed the FB pages of some of my Israeli friends. The only ties I found were on members of the wedding party (groom, FOB, best man). None of the other guests had ties on.
Middle Eastern/Mediterranean regions are more casual in these events. Often the entire village is invited, with many having no relation to the couple so it's a more common occasion and perhaps why a more toned down attire.
 
I disagree, region has a lot to do with it once you leave metropolitan areas and venture to rural locations, most of my event occur in towns with a population under 7,000 people, there are very very few venues where black tie would even seem appropriate
I still don't think it has to do with location/region, but perhaps more along the lines of wealth/social circles. Doctors, lawyers, high net worth business people, even in smaller population areas may still be part of country clubs or attend galas or charity events and be familiar with more formal/black tie environments.
 
I still don't think it has to do with location/region, but perhaps more along the lines of wealth/social circles. Doctors, lawyers, high net worth business people, even in smaller population areas may still be part of country clubs or attend galas or charity events and be familiar with more formal/black tie environments.
They may be familiar with them however those type of events don’t occur in small rural communities, they will typically be held at a high end hotel or event center a significant distance from where they work or live.
 
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lol. My dad kicked my cousin out of my brother’s wedding reception. My cousin showed up in ripped jeans, a t shirt, and sandals.
This was 40 years ago.
Your dud kicked your cousin out of the venue. Not the owner or staff working at the venue. That's what I was talking about.
 
For me, I find it almost region specific.
Black Tie events have nothing to do with region - but they are dependent on venues appropriate to host one - or sites where one can be created. It's economics.

It's more costly to dress black tie, so if that's the dress code - you either expect an affluent crowd, or know that most of the attendees are people who already own their formal-wear and/or have access to high end evening gowns.

It's not an accident that any serious fundraising or political events are black tie.
 
Taso you keep mentioning venues that require vendors to dress a certain way. I get that. What I was talking about are guest who are not dressed appropriately for the event they are attending. I have done events where a few people attending the event will be wearing jeans and a shirt. While the majority of the people attending the event are dressed to impress.
 
Taso you keep mentioning venues that require vendors to dress a certain way. I get that. What I was talking about are guest who are not dressed appropriately for the event they are attending. I have done events where a few people attending the event will be wearing jeans and a shirt. While the majority of the people attending the event are dressed to impress.
A lot of weddings in NJ have dress codes for their guests listed on the invitations. Whether thety get kicked out is one thing, but they'll definitely feel out of place and be talked about by the family for years to come. I've also never seen a guest willfully go against a stated dress code. Now if they happen to have a wedding planner, it's not unusual to see them inform the guest they have a dress code and that they've been asked to change. I invite you to join tik tok where you see a lot couples and planners share experiences.
 
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A lot of weddings in NJ have dress codes for their guests listed on the invitations. Whether thety get kicked out is one thing, but they'll definitely feel out of place and be talked about by the family for years to come. I've also never seen a guest willfully go against a stated dress code. Now if they happen to have a wedding planner, it's not unusual to see them inform the guest they have a dress code and that they've been asked to change. I invite you to join tik tok where you see a lot couples and planners share experiences.
To be fair you're talking about super high end venues. The people attending an event in such a venue will know to dress with class at the event. The places you're talking about are not low budget venues. For an event to take place in such a venue it will cost some really good money to have an event there. Such places they will have a chef on the premises to cook the food and servers to serve the food.
 
To be fair you're talking about super high end venues. The people attending an event in such a venue will know to dress with class at the event. The places you're talking about are not low budget venues. For an event to take place in such a venue it will cost some really good money to have an event there. Such places they will have a chef on the premises to cook the food and servers to serve the food.
Not at all. I've done black tie events in church gyms. I have one coming up in Fayetteville, NC (not sure if this counts as a metro area) in September that is just a regular hall rental w/ an outside caterer, not a chef on premise... nothing like what you're likely envisioning. There are 300 guests, with black tie attire requested on the invitation. They are asking me to include mr and mrs as I introduce people for introductions or for toasts. Some people just want things to be more formal.

We often also forget we live in a much smaller world, and things like tiktok and instagram have allowed couples to be exposed to many different styles of doing things. Tik tok has numerous brides saying how they're doing black tie events because they just love the idea of everyone getting dressed up and looking classy and their best in photos. Practically every other wedding finalization has a moment where the couple says "we saw this on tik tok".
 
Certain venues have a reputation to keep up. So those venues have to show that they're a classy venue if they want people to rent out their venue. What I'm talking about are those venues that very expensive. If the quality of such a venue goes down people won't want to book an event at that venue. So such venues have a standard they must maintain or people won't want to have their event there and if they don't get enough events being held at the venue they will eventually go out of business.
 
Certain venues have a reputation to keep up. So those venues have to show that they're a classy venue if they want people to rent out their venue. What I'm talking about are those venues that very expensive. If the quality of such a venue goes down people won't want to book an event at that venue. So such venues have a standard they must maintain or people won't want to have their event there and if they don't get enough events being held at the venue they will eventually go out of business.
Venues don't set the rules for a guest's attire at their private event. It is the HOST that is requesting/requiring it of their guests.

What was talked about before was country clubs having dress codes for their MEMBERS... very different thing. Or in some cases, they will have rules for the vendors that are in the building which are often viewed as an extension of the venue.

So yes... this literally has nothing to do with the venue itself.
 
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Certain venues have a reputation to keep up. So those venues have to show that they're a classy venue if they want people to rent out their venue. What I'm talking about are those venues that very expensive. If the quality of such a venue goes down people won't want to book an event at that venue. So such venues have a standard they must maintain or people won't want to have their event there and if they don't get enough events being held at the venue they will eventually go out of business.
Let's start with the actual clients you have who routinely hold black tie events?

What I'm talking about is some whimsical notion that exists only in your own head, You don't understand what a black tie event is, let alone how and where it could be held. So, there's that.
 
Let's start with the actual clients you have who routinely hold black tie events?

What I'm talking about is some whimsical notion that exists only in your own head, You don't understand what a black tie event is, let alone how and where it could be held. So, there's that.
What are you talking about? I know what a black tie affair is. That's where the guys wear a tux or a black suit with a tie. The females wear an evening gown or some other formal wear. I used to have a tux. I still do but it won't fit me anymore.