Dress code for outdoor wedding

I would say cocktail attire in your case (to me this means suits for the men and nice dresses for the women)

What time of day is your wedding? You can still have a formal event outdoors. A tent would be recommended to give it a more formal feel. I agree cocktail attire would be the best recommendation for your guests and I think what you are thinking would be good for your wedding party.

I agree with Hanna about cocktail attire. I feel like that's the standard wedding dress code-suits and nice cocktail dresses.

If anyone asks, nearly every wedding is Sunday Best attire. Very few are Oscars attire.

View Quoted Comment Cocktail hour starts at 4pm with dinner at 5:30

Honestly every time I hear "cocktail attire" I think of short, flirty dresses, not floor length ones. I think suits and long dresses is perfectly appropriate for a nice outdoor wedding. It is the exact level of dressiness I want for our outdoor wedding but there isn't quite a "dress code" that fits that description, for whatever reason. I think the closest is formal, but every wedding dress code is open to some interpretation and varies somewhat from region to region and depending on your social circle. Where we live and among people we socialize with, outdoor weddings are very common so almost everyone has a rough idea of how to dress for them, and how fancy the wedding is is typically determined by venue - people dress up more for nicer, more costly venues. Because of this we opted not to include a "dress code" at all for our event and instead rely on our descriptions of the event, our venue, and our wedding party attire to inform our guests about how fancy it is.

I think you either just need to be explicit and say "suits and long dresses" or expect that some people will show up slightly under dressed or over dressed for your event, because dress codes mean different things to different people, even wedding planners, fashion experts, and people who blog about wedding dress codes, as evident by the slight variability between these posts and the subtle variation in the photos below:

https://www.wexlerevents.com/defining-dress-codes-what-wear-every-occassion/

https://www.greenvelope.com/blog/common-uncommon-wedding-dress-codes-explained

Not okay -- a dress code, or a request to wear a specific style or color. Always fine - to let people know the level of formality. Always, guests dress the same level as the bride and groom or one step down.
Your guests should wear day time formal, long dresses not formal gowns, with men in seasonal suits, not the black of evening wear. It is fine on the invitation to say that you will be having a formal late afternoon reception, and the times should tell people daytime formal. On your website, actually say daytime formal. ...... You do not want men in cutaways ( day tuxes) the equivalent of black tie. You don't want nighttime formal, men in darkest dressy suits, women in taffeta, satin and lace. And daytime formal is a step more than Sunday best or tea dresses and cocktail dresses, and your service level is more formal than that too.

I would go with formal attire. I had a similar situation and that’s what I told people.

I also am June 5th and am doing the exact same thing only at a private residence on the water in Northern Michigan. I was wondering the same thing today. I’m wearing my dress, my bridesmaid and flower girl are still wearing theirs also. What state are you in? I’m so worried to cancel, I’m calling tomorrow. I understand I won’t get my deposit back but I’m more concerned that they’ll want the remaining balance. This has all become so stressful.

Cocktail attire definitely seems like your best option here!

I think cocktail attire would work best for your wedding.

Cocktail attire or Sunday best would be best for your request

I am going for the exact same concept for attire! It might be wordy but I stuck this on our wedding website:

The Ceremony and Reception will be held outdoors on the stunning grounds of Villa La Susana so lightweight, coastal-friendly formal attire recommended.

I didn't want to say semi-formal or cocktail because it gives the green light for short dresses and I would prefer as few as possible. Obviously some people will dress however they want lol. So to me it made sense to say formal but specify "lightweight" and "coastal" because I don't want anyone uncomfortable outside in heavy, dark colors/fabrics.