Q: What should a man wear to an outdoor wedding in Houston?

A: Wedding jargon can seem like a foreign language to many men. “Black-tie” is easy, but when the wedding invitation says “garden wedding”, then what? First, remain calm- don’t panic! This just means you should dress a little more casual than normally expected for a wedding, but you still have to look stylish. However, with so much latitude, it can be difficult to know where to start?

Smile
The two most important things to bring to a wedding are a big smile and a great attitude. Then you can move on to your attire. Whether the venue is indoor or outdoor, the bride and groom want their guests to dress in a similar style. That is why they list it on the invitation, so you have to make an effort to accommodate them.

Houston has great weather for outdoor weddings (most of the year) however our outdoor wedding season is completely different from the rest of the country. Garden weddings are most comfortable in Houston from September to May. Much of the season you can think tropical attire and still look elegant. Pressed linen and seersucker immediately come to mind, and so do good-looking sandals and sunglasses.

Men, “stay cool”…
When planning your garden wedding attire, I think you can safely assume that you’re expected to look festive and nicely put together. At the same time, you have to be sure you remain comfortable-under-the-sun. If your tastes run on the more formal side, you can always go with a seersucker or khaki suit.

That said, I think the al fresco wedding venue begs for tropical attire without a jacket. Consider linen or cotton pants and a light or pastel linen shirt. Be sure to roll the sleeves up to your elbows.

Depending on how hot it is, I also like the idea of a linen vest instead of a blazer. Put a flower in your lapel to make a casual-formal statement.

Some men love wearing cream-colored oxford bucks in the summer. I also think that sandals or woven huaraches are also ideal for the garden – or, old-school low-top tennis shoes without socks. Leather flip flops never seem to go out of style. Finish your sophisticated hipster look with a Panama hat.

Light for ladies…
For the ladies, choose a light summer dress with a bustier top. For slightly less skin, consider an eyelet lace bodice and loose short sleeves. Another option for a garden wedding is a gauzy dress with a high-low hem. The great outdoors also calls for flat or low-heeled sandals instead of stilettos.