Not many, it’s usually just the groomsmen, groom, father of the bride and father of the groom who wear tuxes. I have mine for the occassional black tie affair.
The general rule is if a wedding is behing held after 5:00 PM in a chapel (or another nice place…not a beach or something) then a tux is required. This is referred to as “black tie” or “formal” but you are correct that “white tie” used to be the most formal of wear; top hat (seriously), white bow tie, coat with tails, but no one does that anymore. Now the most formal you’ll see is black tie and that does indeed mean you need a tux.
I’d say about 1/3 of the weddings I’ve been to required me to wear a tux (not counting when I’m in the wedding party). So, it’s not entirely uncommon. Just depends on how formal (and/or snobby) your friends are. Thankfully, almost all my friends tied the knot a while ago, so now it’s more just the random one or two charity events that require a tux.
If this whole finance thing doesn’t work out, I think I could work for Kohler. I’ve convinced at least two people to buy bidets that I know of. Probably countless more AFers.
How about you are just attending the dinner reception, or what if the ceremony and the reception are on the same day (which i assume is common? chapel/church during the day reception at night) what’s the dress code for both?
Do people get changed in between? What would you wear during the day before 5pm?
Because think about it, unless it is explicitly asked for, I think wearing a tux to most dinner reception would be overdressed, you don’t want to be mistaken as the groom/ immediate family or something.
I am just wondering because i dont’ think i have been to ANY weddings where guests would wear tuxedos. Especially now there are so many fashionable suit jackets for men, perhaps they would wear a tuxedo style jacket but something more informal underneath?
The dinner the night before the wedding is the rehearsal dinner and normally reserved for the wedding party and those traveling from out of town. Even at the most formal weddings I’ve been to, the rehearsal dinner has always been, at most, country club casual.
Every wedding I’ve been to had the reception shortly following the wedding. The bride normally changes into something more comfortable, but everyone else parties in their formal wear. If, for some odd reason, you were only invited to the reception, I’d still go in a tux (provided the ceremony was an evening one) so I wouldn’t stand out as the underdressed guy.
As a guy, there’s very little downside to wearing a tux. Worst case scenario, you’re overdressed so you rock the untied bow tie look - like this (picture isn’t the best quality. Just watch The Thomas Crown Affair with Pierce Brosnan to get the gist):
I didn’t know there are so many components to a western wedding. I have been to extravagant weddings but usually ti’s the bride who has 5 wardrobe changes but the guests just wear semi-formal. Especially now denim is accepted in hotel restaurants, ties are not mandatory, black shoes are no longer considered a must to get into places… i feel like a lot of these rules are loosening up.
