If you aren't going to wear a long dress for a black tie, that's fine, but do make sure it's a really dressy cocktail dress. Maybe it's tea length to elevate it to be appropriate for what the bride wants.

A tea length wedding dress covers all dresses with skirts that finish anywhere between the ankle and the knee. Short tea length wedding dresses, especially those with full skirts and petticoats are often referred to as a Fifties style wedding dress.

TEA LENGTH: A "tea length" dress (so named because it's what a woman would wear to the tea table in the 1920s, according to Emily Post) falls about three to four inches below the knee and has lately become a great evening alternative to the floor-sweeping gown.

For guidance, look to a more relaxed version of a cocktail dress. Women should embrace wrap dresses, midi dresses or elegant jumpsuits. For men, if it's a daytime wedding, a light sport jacket, button-down shirt and relaxed chinos fit the bill.