Can you wear jeans to a wedding? 4 Helpful Tips

Jeans on a wedding day are probably not your first thought regarding what you will wear. But there are a few circumstances where this might just be acceptable. In this blog post, we will cover those situations so that you remain on good terms with the bride and groom as a wedding guest.

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Jeans to a wedding. When and where is this acceptable?

Your first thought is probably that wearing jeans to a casual wedding or formal ceremony is never acceptable because they generally don’t have a place in a traditional setting like a wedding. Well, you are partly right. It would be best never to assume your wedding attire, mainly because there are multiple wedding events. This post is more for couples planning a wedding than attendees because you want to be sure you make your requests clear when it comes to attire for all your wedding events and wedding outfits for your type of wedding. The best way to do this is to include the attire details on the individual event invitations. That way, your guests will not need to guess what they should wear to each event.

But there are some specific situations in which wearing jeans to a wedding is acceptable. We will cover those situations; keep reading!

Can I wear jeans to a wedding?

Yes. That’s the answer. If the couple hosting the wedding that you’re attending says that casual attire is acceptable, if the wedding invitation mentions jeans in the wedding dress codes as wedding guest attire, and more specifically if you have communicated with them specifically about wearing jeans, and better yet if they are also wearing jeans to a wedding, their wedding, then you can too.

These are the only cases that you should consider wearing jeans to a wedding because, in general, weddings are formal, and in most formal events, the traditional attire doesn’t consist of jeans. To be clear, if the couple says that casual attire is acceptable, wearing jeans to a wedding is not a pass. Casual attire can mean many things that still do not mean jeans, and you will want to be sure this is okay before shopping.

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Can I wear jeans and a blazer to a wedding

After you get the go-ahead to wear jeans to a wedding, you can start thinking about your options. One of the best ways to style this look is to wear a blazer and dress shoes. This is a way to keep the casual denim look while showing that you care that you are attending a special occasion. A colorful blazer with lighter colors will even take some attention away from the fact that you are wearing jeans to a wedding. Generally, you should dress for the wedding theme, the location, and the time of day. If you wear a dark wash, this will style exceptionally well, and it will look like your look is intentionally more than just something you decided to wear that day.

My favorites for jeans right now are American Tall because of my height and Gap, which always seems to come through.

You can also wear an elegant dress shirt with it. Another great option is wearing a denim jacket with either blue or black jeans; you can also wear white shirts, black jeans, and a nice pair of shoes. You can also try out different color schemes and types of shirts, like bright, neutral, dark, or fun colors, and styles like polo shirts and collared shirts.

Outdoor Weddings

If you attend an outdoor wedding, you also want to consider what shoes to wear with your jeans. You are allowed to wear open-toed shoes if the marriage is outdoors. This is common for outdoor weddings regardless of your dress, but it will go well, especially if you are granted permission to wear jeans as a guest.

Indoor Weddings

If you are attending an indoor wedding, which would be very rare if the couple is allowing guests to wear jeans, you may want to opt for closed-toed shoes that match the theme and dress code of the wedding.

Getting The OK From The Couple

This can’t be said enough. The answer to whether you can wear jeans to a wedding depends entirely on getting direct communication from the couple that this is acceptable. I would even suggest ensuring this is in writing in some form or another. That may sound extreme, but trust me, miscommunication is the last thing you want.

If this ok is printed on an invitation or if you have it in an e-mail or maybe even a text, that would be better than going off of a conversation about the dress code. You want to be sure that you meet their wishes regarding the dress code and how to best fit in with the other guests at the wedding.

Enjoy the wedding!

You are good to go once you have clear communication from the couple to wear jeans to a wedding! The challenge is just making sure that this is acceptable attire, but once you get the okay, you can enjoy yourself because you will be completely comfortable. The only thing that you might want to think about is any clothes or shoes that you prefer to dance in but other than that enjoy the wedding!

author avatar
Aaron Smith
Hi, my name is Aaron! I’m glad to be the founder of Wedistry, a collection of tools and tips to prepare couples for their wedding day. I am currently the manager of the Wedistry Blog and Wedistry for Wedding Parties on the App Store. Thanks for stopping by and I hope that you find this content helpful during your wedding planning process.

About Our Content Creators

Aaron is a wedding officiant with 12 years of experience. After being a guest in weddings and a member of wedding parties numerous times, he was inspired to create ways to better support couples through wedding planning tools.

Aaron is an ordained minister and holds an M. Div. from the University of Chicago.

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2 responses to “Can you wear jeans to a wedding? 4 Helpful Tips”

  1. moretha Avatar

    I was invited to a wedding at Victory North Savannah (https://www.victorynorthsavannah.com/weddings) where the couples dressed casually, and it was so unique.

    1. Aaron Smith Avatar

      Unique is great! It’s so important to check with the couple on the appropriate attire.

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