Wedding Resources

Is it ok to mix formal and informal in a wedding?

My sister is getting married at the end of september. It will be an outdoor ceremony(weather permitting). She would like to have as elegant a wedding as her tight budget will allow. The groom will NOT wear a tux or suit, he's wearing wranglers and a button up, short-sleeved shirt, as will the 6 ushers. However all 6 of the bridesmaids are expected to buy a $200 dress and matching dyed shoes we won't ever wear again. Is it wrong to think that it's not going to look right together?

Public Comments

1. The bridal party should match in wedding "style". Wranglers goes straight to the heart of "informal" or "casual" so the bridesmaids shouldn't be wearing gowns. If she wants to "mix" the two styles she should go "semi-formal" and have the guys in slacks and a long sleeve button-down at least, add a tie if she wants more formal or a vest if less formal. The current choice of attire however will make it look as though they didn't care what the men wore at all. It will also make it confusing for the guests to know what they should wear (do they go in their "Sunday best" or just in nice jeans?) That said, it is THEIR wedding and if they decide to proceed as planned you should either decline the bridesmaid position immediately so she has plenty of time for alternate plans or you should "grin and bear it"
2. No you are not wrong to think it's not going to look right together. I agree with you. It is your sister's wedding and if this is what she wants (and won't listen to anyone) what can you do? You want to keep the peace and just hope your sister comes around. It's not the end of the world, just different. It is your sister, after all.
3. you should all be the same level of formal otherwise its just wrong! it doesnt cost that much to hire a suit!! and i always thought its not right for the bridesmaids to pay for their own dresses either, unless maybe they're choosing their own.
4. Nope, you're not wrong. Wow, if that doesn't cause a clash of style, I don't know what will. The bride and the maids are better to wear something more casual to match the men's attire. It's an outdoor party anyway.
5. It's not wrong to think it will look funny together, you are entitled to an opinion, but whether your sister chooses to heed your advice is another matter, it is their wedding after all and if she is happy, and the groom is happy then that's all that really matters in the end. However I also can't help thinking it is such a shame that he refuses to wear a suit for one day, that's all it is, just one day, and there are some beautiful men's suits out there, he could consider wearing a "destination wedding suit" they tend to be a bit lighter to wear as they are designed to be worn in hot countries, they look slightly more relaxed than a normal suit, perhaps suggest that to him?
6. Well its your sisters wedding they should do what she wants but yes it should be fine. my friends wedding was like that and it turned out fine.
7. Wow. Thst si kinda weird. But she cant suggest that the guys wear khakis? I mean, all guys have to own SOME kind of khakis, right? Even if they have to borrow them. Just get the guys out of the jeans!!! Besides that it might bo ok, the bridesmaids will just be really dressy!
8. What's the groom's gripe? He does realize that this is important to your sister, doesn't he? And it's going to be photographed; for all time? There are some things in this life you have to concede to & this is one of those things. It's not going to hurt him. Have him make a trip to the tux store along with your sis & see if he can find somthing he really likes. They need to come to some sort of compromise. You can't have formal dresses with blue jeans. My son refused to wear a tie for his wedding. He chose a longer length jacket, with a madrin collar. The shirt was a mandrin collar, too, so all that showed was a button cover. They all looked cool. For meaness, I'd tell this guy that someday he's going to be buried in a tux.....he'll have to wear it for all eternity, not just a few hours. :)
9. Your sister is a silly ass! Her wedding is NOT going to be elegant if the groom is in jeans, and having 12 attendants at a budget wedding is just ridiculous. How old is she anyway? You're right... this is going to look like 2 bridal parties got mixed up and half of you are at the wrong wedding! If the groom is so stubborn that he won't dress up at all, why not change the whole theme of the wedding to a hoedown and be done with it? Cheap, fun, noisy... and you can ALL wear jeans :)
10. That is not a good match. They could wear something much less formal, more of a casual feel.
11. not a good idea in this case.
12. No you cant have both. Either formal or informal but not a mix. A mix will look strange and some guests who dressed up will feel odd when they see others dressed down and vice vs. The bridal party will look horrible. They dont match. If she wants a formal wedding then she needs to tell her fiance to shut up and wear a tux. I would NEVER put up with that crap from my fiance. Either he does what she wants on her day or she shouldnt marry him.
13. I hope your sister knows what she's doing marrying a man that won't wear a tux one time for her. He probably won't do much for her after their married either.