As we head towards the end of the year, we are also heading into ‘wedding season’. That means the orders ramp up, and the couriers are busier too.
Be My Guest Design is closed for the holidays from 19 December 2025. We reopen on 12 January 2026.
Cut off Dates
We set cut-off dates to keep production running smoothly and to ensure our gorgeous clients get what they need in plenty of time.
The cut-off days are when your design must be signed off and approved for printing by, not when you place your order. So you need to be ordering in advance of these dates.
If your wedding is in early/mid January, you will need to order in early December as there will not be enough time for your order to be designed and printed.
Deadline for canvas prints
Orders printed onto canvas must be signed off as ready to print by 11 December.
Deadline for foam board & poster prints
Orders must be signed off as ready to print by 16 December.
Deadline for all other custom printed items
Save the Dates, Wedding Invitations, Guest Books, Place Cards etc must be signed off and approved for printing by 17 December to be done in 2025. This gives us time to produce, package and get on the courier.
We will continue to print and package items up until our last day for 2025 (19 December). This does not allow for any delivery time, so if it’s needed for Christmas, we only recommend leaving it this late if you are able to collect.
Orders for Extra Bits
Envelopes, accessories and other ready to ship items in stock will be shipping daily up until 19 December. It’s the courier’s busiest time of year so please be mindful there may be shipping delays that can occur (over and above the festive rush).
Planning your wedding involves many details, and ensuring your guests dress appropriately is another way you can ensure the comfort of everyone. Including a dress code helps create the desired atmosphere and prevents any awkward wardrobe choices. Consider the anxiety of heading to an event when you don’t know if what you’re wearing is appropriate?! Your friends and family will typically have the same concerns about appropriate dress attire for your wedding. Here’s a comprehensive guide for engaged couples on how to communicate your wedding dress code effectively.
Why Include a Dress Code on Your Wedding Invitations?
Including a dress code on your wedding invitations sets the tone for your special day, helps guests dress appropriately, and ensures a cohesive look in your photos. A well-defined dress code clarifies the formality of the event and eliminates last-minute outfit panics.
How to share your wedding dress code with guests
The style of your invitation should convey the tone of your wedding—formal and traditional wedding invitation styles convey a different tone than bright and relaxed wedding invites. As well as the contextual clues, you can also explicitly state what you want. My rule of thumb when sharing any information is KISS (Keep It Simple Sweetie). Ensure your wording is easy to understand, clear and concise to avoid overwhelm.
Where to Include Your Wedding Dress Code
1. Wedding Invitation: This is where your wedding guests will look for this information first. You would typically place the dress code in the lower corner, or at the bottom center.
2. Information/Details Card: If you’re using a separate card for essential information, include the dress code here to keep the wedding invitation simple.
3. Wedding Website: You can use your wedding website to provide detailed dress code information. This can help answer any FAQs your guests might have about attire. If you have any specific requests, here’s where to do it. You could mention any specific colours or styles to avoid, and highlight practical considerations (e.g., avoiding heels for a garden wedding). i.e:
“Is there a dress code?” Answer directly: “The dress code for our wedding is [dress code].” Add a brief explanation with specifics.
“Are there any styles or colors you’d prefer me to wear?” Provide a brief overview of your wedding theme or swatches of your colour palette. Mention preferred colours or fabrics but keep requests flexible.
What are the different Wedding Dress Codes?
What is Formal Dress Code or ‘White Tie’?
Formal attire, evening dress, or white tie is the most formal dress code. Women wear ball gowns, while men don top hats and tails. As the name “evening dress” suggests, this dress code applies to events beginning after dark.
Example Wording: “White-tie. We ask that men wear tailcoats and women wear floor-length evening gowns or ball gowns. Top hats and gloves are encouraged.”
“Formal attire. We suggest that men wear a suit in any colour and women wear a cocktail dress or a nice pantsuit.”
What is Semi-Formal or Black Tie?
Funny enough, most people would consider black tie to be the top tier of formal attire. However in etiquette circles, this is classed as semi-formal. Women should wear dresses with a hemline ending between the knees to the floor. Men should be in a tuxedo. Often, the region will influence how formal people will dress. For example, what some consider formal attire in Dunedin might be seen as smart casual or cocktail in Auckland.
Example Wording: “Black-tie. We ask that men wear a tuxedo and women wear a floor-length gown.”
What is Black Tie Optional?
Black tie optional suggests that guests are encouraged to wear attire fitting a black-tie dress code, but it is not mandatory. Men can wear a tuxedo or a dark suit with a tie, while women can choose an evening gown, midi, or knee-length cocktail dress.
Example Wording: “Black-tie optional. We ask that men wear a tuxedo or a dark suit and tie and women wear an evening gown or midi or knee-length cocktail dress.”
What is Cocktail Attire?
Cocktail attire tends to be the default dress code for most weddings. There can be a bit of overlap between the more formal black tie and the less formal smart casual dress codes, but what sets this level of dress code apart is the length and fabric type of the dresses. Cocktail dresses allow for higher hemlines (i.e., above the knee). Men should wear a dress shirt, dress pants, a tie, and a blazer.
Example Wording: “Cocktail attire. We suggest that men wear a suit or dress shirt with tie and women wear a midi- or knee-length dress or dressy separates.”
What is Semi-Formal or Dressy Casual Attire?
Semi-formal attire includes cocktail-length dresses or dressy separates for women and a suit and tie for men. Dressy casual allows for comfort while maintaining a stylish appearance.
Example Wording: “We ask that you wear semi-formal attire such as a cocktail-length dress or dressy separates for women and a suit and tie for men. Please note that the venue does not permit blue jeans or sneakers.” “Dressy casual. We want you to be comfortable at our wedding. The dress code is dressy casual attire. For this time of year on Waiheke Island, may we suggest the following attire:
Women: Sundresses, lightweight separates, and flats or wedge heels for the outdoor ceremony on the lawn.
Men: Light dress shirts with khaki or other lightweight slacks; jackets and ties optional.”
What is Smart Casual?
Smart casual is perfect for a small, informal wedding or a garden wedding. A dress with a floral design or plain colour would be perfect. For men, a dress shirt and dress pants, with a tie optional.
Example Wording: “Smart casual. May we suggest button-down shirts with khaki pants for men and sundresses with dressy flats or comfortable heels for women.”
What is Beach Casual?
Beach casual is ideal for beach weddings and destination weddings. Men can wear a long or short-sleeved shirt with slacks or shorts, while women can opt for sundresses or dressy separates. Heels are discouraged in favour of flats or sandals.
Example Wording: “Beach casual. May we suggest that men wear a long or short-sleeved shirt with slacks or shorts and ladies wear a sundress or dressy separates, like a nice top and skirt. Instead of heels, wear a pair of strappy or platform sandals.”
What is Daytime Attire?
Daytime attire is suitable for weddings held outdoors. Sundresses and sandals are appropriate for women, while men can wear button-down shirts with pants. Avoid athletic wear.
Example Wording: “Daytime attire. Our wedding will be taking place outdoors in the grass. May we suggest sundresses and sandals for women and button-down shirts with pants for men. Please, no athletic wear.”
By providing clear dress code instructions, you can help your guests feel confident in their attire choices and ensure everyone looks great on your special day. Happy planning!
More wording & etiquette posts from the Wedding Invitation Wording Series
Planning wedding stationery can be overwhelming, but with a well-organised timeline, you can ensure everything runs smoothly. This wedding invitation timeline has been developed to help New Zealand couples identify the important milestones to meet when planning, ordering and sending wedding stationery and invitations.
Planning a wedding is an exciting journey, but it can also be overwhelming with countless details to manage. One critical aspect is knowing when to send out your wedding invitations. Sending your wedding invitations out at the right time is crucial for ensuring your guests have all the necessary information to plan for and attend your big day. This blog post provides a detailed guide on when to send your wedding invitations, considering New Zealand’s cultural norms, to help you achieve smooth and stress-free wedding planning.
Ask any couple how their wedding planning is going with only a few weeks to go, and you’re guaranteed to hear a rant of some sort on guests, and RSVPing – or the lack thereof! As tempting as it is to spitefully leave them off the seating plan and pointedly mention they didn’t actually say they were coming… don’t. The thought of them turning up will stress you out and distract you from enjoying the guests who did RSVP!
How to follow up wedding guests who haven’t RSVPed by the deadline
Remember, they may think they have RSVPed. Perhaps they told your Dad at the rugby game, expecting him to pass it on (yeah right). Maybe they posted the RSVP card back and forgot to add a stamp. More than likely, one half of the couple thinks their other half has RSVP’ed already, and vice versa! Approach your guests with this mindset and you’ll avoid offending anyone who has done their duty.
If there are a lot of missing RSVPs, then consider enlisting a parent, your fiancé or bridesmaids to help chase. If they have a closer personal connection to the guest, they may have better luck eliciting a response when they reach out. I know I’d be more likely to flick back a casual “yep, just trying to sort the babysitter” to a close friend than replying to a message from my partner’s workmate’s fiancee that I’ve only met once.
It’s also likely that some guests will be dragging the chain because they can’t make the wedding. They could be shy or embarrassed about saying no directly. I know all you want is a response! But people don’t like to let other people down, and so they could be procrastinating. Following up with them is really doing them a favour… which leads us to…
Using the magic RSVP email
When all else fails and you still have stragglers, never fear! We have the solution. Once your RSVP date has passed, chase your slack non-RSVPing wedding guests with our magic RSVP email. Send out a blanket email (use the BCC function) and remind them firmly – but politely -: “Hey everyone, I really need to get confirmed numbers from our wedding guests ASAP – got to keep the caterers happy! If we haven’t heard from you by Monday, I’ll have to assume you can’t make it. Looking forward to catching up at a later date. Love, The Nearlyweds”.
This message is great because it gives you certainty for your final numbers, saves you from dealing with guests who ignore or ghost your message, and puts the ‘blame’ on someone other than you (the ‘caterers’). Give it a try and see how you get on!
