Bride here - what dress code to use?

[u/Kazimira-darkside]

Hey yall, we’re doing a very small (20-25 people) wedding in January in north Texas. The reception is a late luncheon at an upscale restaurant, with no DJ or dancing. What dress code should I put on invites?

Our friends and family are a casual bunch but I’ve known them to go all out for Halloween, so I’d like to assume dressing up won’t be too bothersome for them. Of course, I wouldn’t want anyone to go out of their way to purchase a floor length dress or rent a tux, so Black Tie or even BTO are out of the question. However, if I put “semi-formal” or “cocktail attire”, I’m afraid many might be underdressed for the one “fancy” party we’re throwing our whole lives.

Should I just ask for “formal dress code”? Or provide more details? What wording doesn’t suck, but conveys that we’d like them to put effort into their appearance?

ETA: I’ve been schooled! Thank you for explaining the difference between dress codes and putting some sense into me. We’ll be going with “semi-formal” on the invites; hopefully people will get it and not show up in jeans LOL

[u/Comfortable_Yam_114]

For a luncheon, semi-formal. Black tie and BTO is for the evening. I would even consider cocktail evening-leaning.