Your daughter isn't into the big wedding thing, and she's chosen to get married at City Hall. You're still going to walk her down the aisle, but you have no idea what you're going to wear. You shouldn't rent a tux for this…should you? Should you throw on your best pair of pants and a nice sweater? And what if she chooses to get married in the backyard? You can't really wear your shorts, can you?

Check In with Her

Remember, what you end up wearing to your daughter's wedding depends on how formal an event it's going to be. City hall weddings are not necessarily thirty-second, who-cares-what-you're-wearing affairs; likewise, a casual ceremony in the backyard could be very informal, or it might be a little dressier.

If your daughter is planning a less-than-formal affair, ask her what she and the groom are wearing. That's the best way to determine the formality of the event. If, for example, she's planning on wearing a rather traditional bridal gown or some sort of formal dress and her groom is wearing a suit, you'll wear a suit, too. Informal and semiformal (daytime and evening) weddings are suit-appropriate events.

Summer Weddings

A casual summer wedding may have special rules, depending on where you live, and depending on how the bride wants her wedding party to be dressed. If you reside in Texas and your daughter is planning a rather last-minute outdoor ceremony in the middle of August, she may take pity on the whole lot of you and give the green light to lighter fabrics, such as linen or cotton, instead of insisting on traditional dark suits at her ceremony.