What to wear to a wedding, from the beach to city hall

Start with the attire line if there is one; dress codes explained translates each common phrase. Wedding invitations also have wording of their own: "garden party attire" means light colors, florals and shoes that cope with grass, "beach formal" a pale suit with an open collar or a long, airy dress, and "festive" an invitation to wear color and a little sparkle.

Then open the wedding website. Many couples answer the dress question in an FAQ, mention whether you will be on a lawn, sand or cobblestones, and say whether the ceremony is indoors. Note whether the ceremony and the reception are in different places: a church service followed by a barn party calls for an outfit that works in both, plus a layer for the evening.

If nothing is written anywhere, ask. The couple, a parent or someone in the wedding party will be glad you checked, and their answer beats any rule in a guide.

The start time sets the tone more than anything else. A ceremony that begins before about five in the afternoon is a daytime wedding: lighter colors, lighter fabrics, knee or midi lengths, and suits in grey, tan or light blue. A ceremony at six or later moves into evening territory, where dark suits, richer fabrics and longer hemlines feel right even without a formal dress line.

Dress up a level when the wedding is in the evening, when the venue is a ballroom, a historic hall or a fine restaurant, when the guest list is long and the invitation engraved, or when you are close family. At that end, the formal wedding guest outfits are the reference. Stay nearer smart casual at a small daytime wedding at home or at the courthouse, and for the many weddings in between, the semi-formal outfits are a reliable guide. Not sure where your wedding falls? Pick the occasion and see the outfits for it on your own photo.

A beach wedding asks for clothes that move in the wind and shrug off sand. Men do well in a linen or light cotton suit, or linen trousers with a crisp shirt and no tie when the invitation is relaxed. Women do well in a flowing midi or maxi dress in chiffon, cotton or linen. Skip anything so tight it shows every gust, or so short the breeze makes it a worry.

A garden wedding is the natural home of florals and soft colors such as sage, dusty blue, lavender and coral. Midi lengths keep hems off wet grass, a light jacket or a wrap helps once the sun goes down, and a hat suits a daytime ceremony as long as it is small enough not to block anyone's view.

A barn, ranch or farm wedding is usually more relaxed, but it is still a wedding. Chinos with a blazer, a sport coat with an open collar, or a midi dress with ankle boots all fit; jeans only when the couple says so. Floors may be gravel, grass or old boards, and barns get cold after dark, so plan your shoes and bring a layer. The smart casual outfits show the level most rustic weddings expect.

A backyard wedding follows the same logic on a smaller scale: dress as for a good garden party, and find out whether guests will stand or sit on the lawn. A city hall or courthouse wedding is usually short, small and in daylight, and the few guests appear in almost every photo. A good suit without a tie, a blazer with trousers, a sheath or wrap dress or a smart jumpsuit all work, while a gown or a tuxedo would outdress the couple.

Many churches, synagogues, mosques and temples expect guests to cover their shoulders and knees, even when the reception afterward is relaxed. A cardigan, a bolero or a large scarf over a sleeveless dress solves it for the ceremony, and a midi or longer hem settles the knee question. Men should plan on long trousers, a shirt with sleeves and usually a jacket.

Some ceremonies ask for more. At a mosque, women usually cover their hair, so bring a scarf. In a gurdwara everyone covers their head and takes off their shoes, and head scarves are usually on hand at the entrance. Many synagogues offer kippahs to men at the door. At a Hindu temple you will often take your shoes off too, so choose a pair that slips off easily.

Colors follow tradition as well. At many Hindu and other South Asian weddings guests wear bright colors, red is often kept for the bride, and all-white or all-black outfits are commonly avoided. At a traditional Chinese wedding red is usually the bride's color too, so guests choose another. When the couple's tradition is new to you, ask them or a family member; it is a welcome question.

Spring weddings suit pastels and mid-weight fabrics such as cotton, crepe and light wool, with a layer for an evening that can still turn cool. Summer calls for cloth that breathes: linen, cotton, silk and tropical wool. Linen creases quickly, which looks relaxed at a beach wedding and less so at an evening one, and a jacket that comes off easily is a gift on a hot afternoon.

Fall brings deeper colors and heavier cloth: rust, burgundy, forest green and navy in wool, crepe or velvet, with tights or a wrap for the evening. Winter weddings are the time for velvet, heavier satin, long sleeves and flannel suits, plus a coat you can leave at the coat check. Dark, rich colors look at home in candlelight, and closed shoes beat sandals on a cold walk from the car. If a winter evening wedding asks for black tie, the black tie rules still apply under the coat.

The one rule nearly every wedding keeps: white belongs to the couple. That includes the near shades that look white in photos, such as ivory, cream, eggshell, very pale champagne and silver, and a pale print on a mostly white background. A white shirt under a suit is fine for men; a head-to-toe white or cream suit is not, unless the couple asks for one.

Avoid matching the wedding party too: if the couple shares its palette, skip the bridesmaids' exact shade. Black is accepted at most evening weddings but can feel somber in daylight, and anything that glitters from head to toe competes with the couple in the photos.

Safe choices are easy to find: jewel tones like sapphire, emerald and burgundy at any time of day; dusty blue, sage, lavender and soft coral for spring and summer; rust, mustard and deep green for fall. For men, a navy, grey or tan suit with a colored tie or pocket square is always right. Prints work when the background is clearly a color, not white.

On a lawn, a thin heel works like a tent peg: it sinks with every step and picks up mud. Block heels, wedges and flat sandals stay on top of the grass, and small heel protectors that slip over a stiletto help if you cannot part with yours. Suede darkens in wet grass, so smooth leather is the better choice when the ceremony starts on a dewy lawn.

Sand defeats almost every heel. Flat leather sandals, espadrilles or bare feet for a ceremony on the beach are all normal, and men can wear loafers without socks or leather sandals at a relaxed beach wedding. For gravel, cobblestones and old barn boards, a low block heel, a loafer or a dressy ankle boot is the safe choice.

Then plan for the dancing. If your ceremony shoes pinch after two hours, slip a pair of flat, foldable shoes into your bag. Break new shoes in at home first, and scuff smooth new soles on a rough sidewalk so they grip a polished floor. The same footwear logic holds at an outdoor graduation.