With the wedding season approaching quickly and as Spring and Summer is fast upon us I thought it would be a good time to cover what is good for guests to wear to a beach wedding. As beach weddings are becoming more and more popular there are shops popping up in certain places that are dedicated to clothing to be worn on such occasions. Since beach weddings can run from very casual to semi formal it is up to the bride and groom to indicate on the wedding invitation their plans and style of the day. They should let you know what they want the dress of the guests to be. A suggestion is if they do not specify the attire for that day call and ask them what the dress du jour is.
Here are some helpful tips and ideas to make it easier to plan you wedding wear for the day.
1. Daytime Beach Weddings If the bride and groom are wearing a dress and suit then most certainly you can feel comfortable in a nice sundress. Also, don’t forget a hat or pretty parasol as they are pretty much a necessity. I know of a small outdoor wedding where the bride and groom wore bathing suits under caftan-type cover ups and asked the guests to do the same if they wished and they all jumped in a lake near their wedding site after the vows. As to shoes, they are pretty much optional usually so you can choose to wear dressy flip flops or a sandal which you might choose to carry while on the beach and than put on for the reception and dancing.
Don’t forget the sunscreen especially if you are prone to sun burning. For the men guests you should not wear shorts unless your invitation actually specifies them as acceptable. A good rule of thumb is to wear something that is cool, light and khakis are very nice with a lightweight collared shirt. You can’t go wrong with s summer suit in a comfortable fabric and if it is going to be very warm than bring along an appropriate hat perhaps straw you can put on. Try to avoid a baseball cap or other to casual type of headwear. For your shoes your cue might come from the groom and what he is planning to do about shoes. Some groom’s encourage going barefoot on the beach and then wearing casual sandals, shoes or flip flops for later. A sunset wedding couple.
2. A Sunset Wedding When the wedding is at sunset and it might be a bit cooler you can wear the same clothes as daytime but be sure you bring along a light shawl, lightweight cardigan or a bolero. The men need to take with them a unstructured jacket in a linen, cotton or silk. As you can see a lot of formality and such does not usually exist in guest wedding attire at a beach wedding and this most often lets everyone enjoy the moment more and after all isn’t that what it’s all about. If you can add helpful ideas please comment below and I thank you.