Couples ditching traditional dress codes in favour of unusual wedding themes

More couples appear to be ditching tradition when it comes to what wedding guests should wear, to the confusion of some of those invited.

Maggie Long, 34, recently attended the nuptials of a close friend in a low-key Denver lounge. The suggested dress was “Dive Bar Semiformal”.

“I love a theme,” said Ms Long, who lives in New York. “It’s fun that people aren’t taking weddings so seriously, but I had no idea what that meant.”

After exchanging thoughts for months with the officiant, who is also a friend, Ms Long took her outfit idea – a strappy-back, low-cut ultra-mini purple dress with a high side slit – to the bride.

“There were a lot of vintage jumpsuits. One of our friends went full 1960s with go-go boots and a bouffant. A lot of sequins were happening,” Ms Long said.

Some couples are offering mood boards as a way to guide guests, including older ones. At the dive bar wedding, Ms Long said plenty of older guests got into the spirit. One donned a rainbow tie-dye T-shirt.

Other wedding guests have contended with “Tropical Formal”, “Snappy Casual” and “Garden Party Whimsical”.

Heading into the busy summer season for weddings and other special events, Indya Wright in Washington DC has had enough.

She recently posted on Twitter: “These new age event dress codes are the bane of my existence. What happened to just ‘casual,’ ‘cocktail’ and ‘formal’? Now I gotta Google ‘After 5 Formal Festive Renaissance attire’ to figure out if you want me to give Great Gatsby or King Arthur & the Knights of the Round Table.”

Renee Strauss, co-founder and CEO of the destination wedding planning company Wedaways in Beverly Hills, California, said wacky dress codes come down to couples striving to make their nuptials custom and unique.

“The key is making sure there’s communication behind the dress code. Don’t just confuse guests,” she said.

When her company builds wedding websites for clients, it includes descriptions for dress codes such as “Wine Country Chic”, urging couples to offer a broad enough palette for people to express themselves. “Tropical Formal”, for instance, could be long, flowing dresses in bright summer colours and linen suits with playful ties.

“Most guests have a lot of fun with it,” Ms Strauss said.

Rikki Gotthelf, 32, in Los Angeles, attended a wedding recently and has three more this year. She was a bridesmaid for the “Space Disco Cowboy” nuptials of friends who shuttled their guests to an abandoned ghost town near Austin, Texas.

For guidance, Ms Gotthelf turned to Sophie Strauss, who bills herself as a “stylist for regular people”. Ms Strauss suggests following up with the couple if they have not made themselves clear.

“They won’t be offended,” she said. “They’re invested enough in how everyone looks to have put forth a kooky dress code.”

One of her clients has a “Music Festival Formal” wedding coming up.

“He clarified with the couple that it’s more Woodstock, less Burning Man. Good to know,” Ms Strauss said.

She implored guests staring down out-there dress codes to remember: “It’s not a costume. Unless, of course, it’s literally a costume party.”