When you open a wedding invitation for an afternoon church wedding and it has the imperative that you wear semiformal attire, you may not know immediately what this means. Semiformal in any situation can seem ambiguous -- it's dressier than casual, but less dressy than formal. Where is that line of appropriateness? This ambiguity is compounded by the fact that the wedding is in a church. A basic guideline for this situation is to wear your Sunday best.

Semiformal Women's Wear

If the marrying couple decides on an afternoon semiformal wedding, the invited women can be glad as there is no need to go out and buy either a ball gown or a glitzy cocktail dress. Neither is appropriate. If you want to wear a dress, choose a light-colored, tea-length dress. A suit or dressy pants are also appropriate. Don't choose any fabrics with a shimmer or sheen. Avoid white dresses.Wearing one may make it seem like you are competing with the bride.