Dave and I received a wedding invitation last week and in the lower left corner the phrase “Black Tie” was printed. So we took Dave’s tuxedo to the cleaner and I started to see if I have a formal gown to wear.

Then, yesterday Dave saw some of the other guests and somehow the wedding came up in conversation. He mentioned that he found a tuxedo in the back of the closet, and was relieved that he didn’t need to rent or buy one.  To which one guy replied, “You don’t need to wear a tuxedo.” It turns out his girlfriend called the bride and asked if a tux was mandatory, and she was told (by the bride) that a black suit was fine. A tuxedo was not mandatory.

After hearing this, Dave’s friend said that they should have printed “Black Tie Optional” so guests knew that they could wear a suit instead of a tux.  (I have to admit, I was impressed that he knew this bit of wedding info.)

My point: Before you print your wedding invitation really think about what type of attire you want your guests in—Tuxedos (Black Tie), tuxedos or suits (Black Tie Optional), suits (don’t print anything)—and have the appropriate phrase printed, or left blank, on your wedding invitation.