Whoever invented wedding dress codes must have had a strong sense of humour. White tie, black tie, black tie optional, casual, destination wedding casual, business casual , cocktail, formal, semi-formal — the list of cryptic options goes on and on. Too often we have found ourselves in a last-minute bind, desperately Googling, "What can you wear to a black tie wedding?" And which wedding dress codes rules can be broken? Luckily, for the less strictly formal categories that leave more room for interpretation, like cocktail or semi-formal, you get the best of both worlds. If you're itching to finally wear a floor-length dress, go for it! But if you're on the hunt for an excuse to get away with something less showy and more familiar with your personal style, then an ambiguous semi-formal dress code requirement just might be your friend.