What to Wear

Garden black-tie

Formal, but made for a garden in May. Dress as though the evening might be photographed and you might also cross a lawn — because both are true.

One reading

Black tie, softened

A dinner jacket or dark suit is exactly right. Nothing here needs to be new — well cut beats brand new.

  • Tuxedo or a dark suit, black or midnight blue
  • Bow tie or a good tie, whichever you wear better
  • A pocket square in your house colour, if you have one

Another reading

Long, floaty, considered

Floor-length or a sharp midi both work. The garden rewards fabric that moves.

  • Evening gown, jumpsuit or a dressy midi
  • A wrap or jacket — the terrace gets cold after dinner
  • Block heels or elegant flats, for reasons of gravel

Very welcome

  • Colour — please. This is not a black-and-grey wedding.
  • A touch of sparkle, metallics, or something that catches candlelight.
  • Your house colour worn somewhere, however small.
  • Something you can genuinely dance in at one in the morning.

Best left at home

  • White, ivory or cream as the main colour of an outfit.
  • Stiletto heels — the gardens are gravel and old stone.
  • Jeans, trainers, or shorts of any length.
  • Anything that needs both hands to manage. You will want a glass.

A Small Conspiracy

Wear your house colour

We are seating the tables by house, and we would love a room that shows it. Take the Sorting Mirror if you have not yet — it takes two minutes — then work your colour in somewhere: a tie, a shawl, an earring, a lining.

Have you been sorted? Find your colour

Emberlys

Ember orange

#d98a55

Thornvale

Garden green

#6f9e78

Noctara

Night blue

#8098dd

Aurelune

Old gold

#c9a45c

No obligation, and no one will be turned away for wearing the wrong green.

Practical matters

The ground

Gravel paths, lawn and old stone. Nothing that sinks, catches or slips.

The temperature

Warm afternoon, cool night. Layers you can shed and retrieve.

Changing

There are rooms at the Hacienda if you would rather travel comfortably and change on arrival.

When in doubt: dress for a garden party thrown by someone who takes candles seriously.

RSVP