What's "black-tie invited"? - KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana

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Q. I just received an invitation to a relative's wedding. The bottom of the invitation says "Black Tie Invited" -- what exactly does that mean?

A. It means the same thing as "Black Tie Optional."

Basically, this is going to be a formal wedding -- the men in the wedding party are going to be decked out in tuxes, and men in the couple's immediate families may be, too.

The "invited" or "optional" means that male guests are invited to wear tuxes and women may wear evening gowns or cocktail dresses -- what you would wear at a black-tie affair -- but you don't have to.

It's fine for men to wear nice dark suits and for women to wear dresses that aren't necessarily Oscar-night material.

If the invite just says "Black Tie," then guests are expected to attend in full formal attire.


Are you a good wedding guest? Find out here!


-- By Carley Roney of TheKnot.com




Carley Roney is co-founder and editor in chief of The Knot (www.theknot.com), the nation's leading online wedding resource.

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