Beach Wedding Outfits For Every Coastal Ceremony
From Linen Sets to Floral Dresses, Here's How to Build the Perfect Beach Wedding Outfit
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Receiving an invite to watch your close friends or family get married on a beach is not the worst way to spend a weekend. These nuptials offer stunning backdrops and favorable weather, and sometimes you can turn the trip into an actual vacation. When I was invited to a wedding in Cancun, my mind started dreaming of sipping a cold drink while laying out and reading the summer book that had been burning a hole in my bookshelf for months. Once I snapped back to reality, I started wondering what I might wear. Figuring out your outfit for the main event should be the least of your worries, but if you aren’t sure where to start, I’m here to take some of the burden off of you.
When deciding on what to wear to a beach wedding, there are a few questions that could arise. How can I crack this dress code? What’s the difference between tropical chic and resort cocktail? Is the wedding truly in the sand or is it indoors, right next to the beach? What’s the terrain like? Will my heels sink into the ground? Are flats too casual for a wedding? It could go on and on. As stressful as it might feel, there are lots of fun ways to dress for this kind of event.
For example, beach weddings are the perfect time to break out a look you might not be able to wear as easily to another ceremony. These events, generally speaking, lean on the more casual side, even if the dress code is listed as formal. Plus, with so many beachy prints like sardines and hibiscus florals trending right now, accessorizing your look to match the vibe can really show off some personality.
I’ve broken down ideas for how to dress for a beach wedding, plus answers to some of your most puzzling questions for deciding what’s truly appropriate to wear. All you have to do now is make your flight, celebrate your loved ones, party all night long, and accept the fact that you’ll be finding sand in the most unexpected places for days. Cheers to the newlyweds!
Factors to Consider
While beach weddings tend to be a little more relaxed, that doesn't mean anything goes. Before you start shopping, think about the setting, the weather, and the dress code. A ceremony on the sand calls for different outfit choices than one held at a beachfront resort or an upscale oceanside venue. From there, your two biggest decisions are choosing the right colors and prints, and selecting a silhouette that feels both comfortable and appropriate for the occasion.
Colors & Prints
One huge plus of picking an outfit for your upcoming waterfront event? You can have fun with your look. Beach weddings are a perfect time to break out a bright color or a fun print. Florals and tropicals are usually a safe bet, or you can go for polka dots or stripes. Just like nearly all other weddings, the best rule of thumb is to avoid white and cream colors. For beach weddings, I’d also lean away from black and dark shades and go for brighter colors or pastels hues.
Silhouettes
Beach wedding guest attire tends to lean a bit more on the casual side. The floor-length gown you wore to your cousin’s New Year’s Eve wedding held at a museum might not be the best style for a ceremony in the sand. When selecting a style for a beach wedding, go with silhouettes with lighter, less rigid fabrics. Not only will these match the easy-breezy vibe of the wedding, but they offer a more comfortable wear in the hot sun. Strapless or sleeveless dresses are usually good choices for longer dresses as well as casual dress codes.
Breaking Down Beach Wedding Dress Codes
There can be a few different levels of dress codes for any beach wedding. Nowadays, the variety of these can be quite vast. More and more modern weddings are seeing never-before-seen dress codes. If you’re like me, you’ll be texting your friends who are also attending and asking them what they’re wearing to feel on the safe side. Translating the attire guidelines for any type of event can be wildly confusing (what does Summer Soiree really mean?) and seaside weddings can have their own unspoken or unclear rules around the standard dress codes. Sometimes, brides and grooms even attach a mood board to help you navigate, but if not, continue reading for a simple breakdown.
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Authors
Tara Larson is a freelance writer and editor with expertise in covering men’s and women’s style, streetwear, footwear, beauty, culture, and lifestyle. Outside of Rank & Style, her work can be found in publications like WWD, Stylecaster, Business Insi
Written By:
Tara Larson
Formal Beach Wedding Attire
The dressiest of the different dress codes has a slightly different meaning when it comes to sandy nuptials. Formal beach wedding dress codes tend to be more casual than other venues, but you still want to choose an outfit and accessories that are polished. While you probably won’t see “black tie” and “beach wedding” in the same sentence, just in case, go for floor-length gowns in lighter colors and materials that are more casual. Chiffon, pleats, and tiered dresses are perfect for this kind of dress code. You can dress up a gown even more with a formal hairstyle and makeup.
Breezy Semi-Formal and Cocktail Outfits
Cocktail or semi-formal can be slightly more subjective than other dress codes, but there still are some ground rules for this attire. One plus side to this dress code level is that semi-formal or cocktail lends itself to more to more interesting or personality-driven ensembles. For these mid-tier coastal events, tea or midi length dresses in bright color or patterns are a good call. You can also go for a knee-length or mini dress if you opt for a more structured material and select a style with more coverage on top. If you choose a more simple dress, a good way to make it semi-formal-approved is dressing it up with elevated accessories and hair.
Casual Beach Wedding Outfits
For casual beach wedding attire, there are a few different options for appropriate outfits. Think of taking something from your typical wardrobe, but slightly more elevated. Women can usually wear sundresses, a dressy romper, or a maxi dress to these relaxed settings. Breathable materials like linen, cotton, or jersey all usually pass the stamp of approval. One nice part of this dress code is you likely already own an outfit that works for this. If not, you can rewear it after for so many other events, like date night or even to the office. If in doubt, always go for a more formal option over a more casual one.
Footwear for Beach Ceremonies
Footwear is a huge component in picking your beach wedding guest outfit for a seaside ceremony. Unless you want to be sinking into the sand, I would avoid stiletto heels. Even block heels might be a risk. Beach weddings are the perfect time to break out a pair of wedge heels. For more casual affairs, flat sandals are more than appropriate. Still, remember this is a wedding, and leave the rubber flip flops at home and select a slightly more formal option. If there’s going to be an indoor reception, I’d consider bringing a second pair of shoes for the dancing portion of the night if I thought my flat sandals were too casual.
Accessorizing Your Wedding Guest Look
Finding the right jewelry, bag, or hair piece can make or break your look for any outing. Coastal weddings are the perfect time to have a little fun with your accessories. While you don’t need to go overboard (pun intended), little touches like pearl earrings, a sardine beaded bag, or mermaidcore seashell hair clips can take up your entire look up a notch or two and really lean into the theme of the evening. If in doubt, less tends to be more. After all, this is the biggest day of your loved one’s life, not a costume party.
Beachy Menswear Ideas
If you thought your date could get away with his standard suit for the upcoming beach wedding, you might want to think again. While there’s nothing wrong with leaning on the formal side, men’s styling at a beach wedding is slightly different than the average church-wedding-reception-to-follow event, too. You can get creative with colors, patterns, and materials.
Light Colors
Understandably so, but men tend to default to darker colors for most wedding festivities. While this is totally appropriate for the standard black tie or formal event, beach weddings and light colors go hand in hand. While it’s still best to avoid white, shades of cream, green, and blue are all more than appropriate. If you want a bolder look, a salmon colored suit is a good choice. For less formal events, men can opt for a button down shirt in a fun print or light shades to match the attire on the beach.
Breathable Fabrics
Beach weddings tend to run on the warmer side. When you’re sitting in full sun for an hour or two, you’ll start to feel the heat. Luckily, linen suits are an easy option and great for beach weddings. Though they’re less formal than a standard suit, the fabric matches the level of formality on a beach and also offers a sweat-wicking component. Cotton is another good choice for a warm outdoor wedding (look for wrinkle-free options so you don’t need to hunt down an iron), but these tend to be thicker than linen. Consider a half-lined or unlined jacket for maximum breathability. For casual affairs, choose a short sleeve button down or polo shirt in a lighter fabric, as these are usually acceptable attire.
Authors
Tara Larson is a freelance writer and editor with expertise in covering men’s and women’s style, streetwear, footwear, beauty, culture, and lifestyle. Outside of Rank & Style, her work can be found in publications like WWD, Stylecaster, Business Insi
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