DEAR MISS MANNERS: If a wedding is at 5:30 p.m. at a resort destination, and the invitation states “Black tie invited,” is a sport coat and tie or a dark suit acceptable?
GENTLE READER: To whom?
The wording of the invitation suggests that Miss Manners and you are not the only ones who are confused about the dress code. Having itself been invited, does the formal attire need to respond to the host separately about whether it will be attending? And can the black tie wear a guest of its own choosing?
You yourself may wear a dark suit (though not a sport coat), on the assumption that the host intended to say that black tie was not required.