Dress

I've had a few people asking about dress codes for the wedding and reception. The invitations will say cocktail dress, but I'm never sure exactly what these shorthands mean—we actually spent a while reading through etiquette stuff on the internets to figure out what fit best—and I'm sure I'm not the only one. So we thought it would be best to actually describe things in more detail; I'll start and Melinda can add to this later.

I'll be wearing what the tailor describes as a Nehru suit, in deep blue, with no tie; it has raised 'mandarin' collars instead. I think that's probably a good guide for the men present. A couple of people have asked if it's OK to wear a tie, worrying that I'll be offended if they do, so I should make one thing clear: I dislike ties because I don't like how it feels to wear one, not because I have any objection to people wearing ties. We're really just giving you a dress code so you know what to expect - we're not going to be offended if you show up looking different from that.

While I'm on the subject, I've been really enjoying the tailor experience. I think it helps that the guy bears a strong resemblance to Peter Hook (though I have as yet to catch him doing the dance), but it's not just that. There's something utterly charming about getting this kind of personalised service, as compared to the mass-produced everything I would buy for most day-to-day purposes.