I have to go to a wedding in W virginia at the end of July

It is black tie for men (ffs, in that heat and humidity!)

So my q is
do you change for the evening? Wear something very eveningy for the day? or is it just normal wedding stuff for women?

ime they wear cocktail dresses all day - think Coast or Monsoon strapless kneelength type

they do not wear lovely tailored linen dresses from Aquascutum with big hats (I stuck out like a sore thumb)

neither do they change for the evening

Fantastic thanks

I am not wearing strapless I have big shoulders

Bugger will have to find something now

but I bet you looked v stylish MrsB

i wasn't going to do a hat

oyu kwnot hat bermuda do

the americans were nto as glamemd up as the eurpoeans

At the Washington wedding we went to, there were people in mid length cocktail dresses.
I wore a lovely sleeved dress to the knee with heels and a small stylish hat, and then took the hat off fot the evening hotel reception.
Fitted in nicely

what time is the wedding and what time is the reception?

is the reception a ball?

if it's an all evening thing - wedding followed by cocktails, sit down dinner and ball, then yes, you need to glam it up, particularly a southern one.

if it's a morning or afternoon thing then you can go with something less jazzy.

i always took 'black tie' to mean tuxes or morning coat for non-evening affairs.

do they wear hats?

if they are Southerners, you will be expected to dress accordingly.

Southerners will wear if it's a daytime thing.

I certainly looked very English

brides family are greek orthooox
groom is irish with 9 siblings

But they love the whole english accent thing, maybe it added to your general quaintness and penchant for saying thigs like 'mobile' rather than 'cell'

the greek orthodox are probably going to be dressed up.

i think i'd go English all the way.

i seriously hope it they are getting married outside that it's in the morning.

and that the reception venue has A/C.

it's not just hot there. it's SOOOOOO muggy.