Hmm....while I can't give you specifics, I would say that probably means no black, even though it's an evening reception, or if you choose black, you might keep the styling of the dress more light and flirty. That phrase does seem pretty vague, though--it could mean almost anything. Maybe some others on here have more specific suggestions (I don't go to many weddings). I'm sorry. Here's a "cheat sheet" Angie developed for Evening Weddings, maybe this will give you some ideas:

http://youlookfab.com/summer-evening-wedding

The farm sounds absolutely gorgeous, have fun!

Thanks. That is kind of what I thought. I forgot to mention there is note in the wedding "paper work" that says: Please note that the wedding and festivities will take place outdoors. For your comfort, we suggest footwear that will allow you to move freely. Great. Now I need to find a flirty, dress that does not need heels?? EEKS!!!!

Interesting. I've never heard the phrase "joyous dinner attire". It sounds kinda nice, though :-) Looking at the examples on Angie's cheat sheets, I feel that the setting of the farm trumps the evening time in terms of what style of outfit to pick. I'd consider the dresses pictured in the "Summer Day Wedding" appropriate, and would think that the dresses pictured in the "Evening Wedding" are overkill.

I went to a summer wedding at a farm last year. I wore a knee length A-line dress with white background and a green, red and fuchsia floral pattern, and brought a cardigan (which I definitely needed later in the evening.) Figuring out the shoes was indeed the hardest part, especially since I knew there'd be contraband dancing at the reception. In the end I wore my red strappy sandals for the ceremony, and then switched into flats for the dancing. THere were a couple other women who brought an extra pair of shoes, too.

The wedding I went to was on the more casual end of the spectrum, but even for a more formal event I'd go with the same style of outfit. I'd choose a fancier dress in terms of the material and details (mine was a relatively plain cotton in a simple cut; for a more formal wedding I'd look for something with more shine or flounce or interesting details to bring it up a notch, but I'd still stick with the A-line and knee length).

Hope this helps. You might want to ask the couple how formal/informal you should interpret the dress code. My hunch is that "joyous" translates to less rather than more formal.

You got some excellent advice above. I would only add that wedges would be an excellent pick for shoes that would go well with skirts/dresses yet not sink into the grass. However, they are not that great for dancing so I would bring a second pair of shoes for that.

Thanks everyone! I am so glad I found this web site! Very, very helpful! The only thing better would be having Tim Gunn go shopping with me!

Not quite. The very best thing would be to have Angie shopping with you :-)