Your Ultimate Guide On What To Wear To A Beach Wedding (As a Guest)
Are you unsure about what to wear to a wedding on a beach? Don’t worry! We compiled our top picks and tips on what to wear to a beach wedding as a guest. Plus, you’ll find the most gorgeous dresses to wear to a beach wedding here too!
Beach weddings are fun and are typically more casual than the traditional weddings held in more solemn places like churches. They are similar to backyard or garden weddings (although garden weddings still have some sort of formality to them). While beach weddings are exciting, they can also cause confusion among guests on what to wear.
Tips On What To Wear To A Beach Wedding As A Guest
1. Go For Laid Back Clothing
Since we’re talking about what to wear to a beach wedding, then your best bet is to choose laid-back clothing that’s not too constricting. Think of linen jumpsuits or flouncy dresses. You can also show a little bit of skin by going for off-shoulder dresses as well.
As for the length, you can go for either mini, midi, or maxi. The goal here is to be comfortable and fun, but be also mindful of the sea breeze that might blow your dress up! To protect yourself, make sure to wear matching color biker shorts underneath.
Walking on the sand with stiletto heels can simply be too much work, so you can swap them out for strappy sandals or platforms. The bride and groom might opt to go barefoot at the afterparty, so don’t be shy and take off your footwear so you can feel the sand on your toes as you’re dancing the night away!
As for the men, lighter colors are perfect for beach weddings, as they will help you keep cool in the sun. You can try smart-casual looks with blazers and pants in beige, light grey, light blue and even light pink. These looks are best paired with loafers or smart sneakers.
2. Be Location Appropriate
The location is also a big factor in your outfit, so make sure to check in with the bride and groom on the exact location, since there are instances that the “beach” wedding is actually held on a patio or a venue overlooking the ocean and not on the beach itself.
If the location is the former, then just dress normally like how you would dress at a formal wedding. If the location is on the latter (on the beach and the sand itself), then you can dress more casually like what we mentioned above.
What Colors To Choose
1. Avoid White (& Black In Some Cases)
It depends on the bride and groom’s wedding theme, but if they don’t have one, then you have a little bit more freedom in this area because it’s casual, like we said. The only color that you should avoid is white and any colors that can look like white in photos, as to not overshadow the bride.
Black is also best avoided as it’s typically associated with funerals and very formal events, however, modern weddings are more relaxed when it comes to guests wearing this color. Wearing black is typically fine at casual weddings, but it’s best that you check the color theme on the invitation, or directly ask the bride, just to be on the safe side.
2. Colors & Florals Are Best
The beach is such a beautiful location for a wedding, and it’s best complemented by colorful, flouncy dresses, similar to the ones that you would wear to a fancy dinner on vacation.
Warm tones such as yellow, orange and pink are beautiful when worn to the beach, and they will look even more gorgeous underneath the glow of the sunset when everyone’s partying. If these colors aren’t your thing, you can go with light shades of blue to complement the color of the water. Blue is simply pleasant to look at, especially on a bright day at the beach.
Green is also a beautiful color to wear, as it is reminiscent of palm trees and leaves, and it’s a gorgeous shade to wear to a beach wedding.
You can also go for floral patterned dresses to fit the beach vibe!
To make things easier for you, here’s a quick list of our most loved retailers for beach wedding guests:
- Lulus – Lots of beachy midi and maxi dresses in here.
- Hello Molly – They offer a ton of patterned beachy dresses.
- Sabo Skirt – Their entire catalog is just perfect for the beach! However, many of these dresses are also super short.
- Zimmermann – These dresses are made for beach weddings. If you can afford Zimmermann, start your search here.
Most of the dresses we’ve featured below are below $100, but we’ve also featured a few that retail for $300+. Let’s get started, shall we?
21 Dresses To Wear To A Beach Wedding As A Guest
1.
Get this dress from Showpo
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Get this dress from ASTR The Label
3.
Get this dress from Lulus
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Get this dress on Net-A-Porter (it’s a steep price, but this dress is timeless and you can easily wear it beyond the wedding!)
5.
Get this dress on Hello Molly
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Get this dress from In The Style (Get it in the long version here)
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Get this dress at Shein
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Get this dress at Hello Molly
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Get this dress on Hello Molly
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Get this dress on Net A Porter
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Get this dress from Neiman Marcus
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Get this dress on ASOS
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Get this dress at Hello Molly
This gorgeous floral off-shoulder maxi dress is perfect for a beach wedding, and it gives you so much freedom on the dancefloor at the afterparty!
14.
Get this dress on Matches Fashion
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Get this two piece at Lulus
This stunning two-piece blue floral set gives us serious beach vibes.
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Get this dress on Hello Molly
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Get this dress at Lulus
If you’re feeling bold, go for this bright orange mini dress with colorful prints on the back. Very laid-back, yet chic at the same time!
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Get this dress at Lulus
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Get this jumpsuit at ASOS
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Get this dress at Lulus
21.
Get this two-piece from Lulus
Now that we’ve shared our favorite dresses to wear to a beach wedding, let’s have a look at some of the best colors and outfit ideas for men.
7 Beach Wedding Guest Outfit Ideas For Men
Outfit ideas for men are fairly easy since they’re not too complicated. For a smart-casual look, you can pair a blazer and pants with smart sneakers or loafers, and just leave the blazer open. Men typically wear navy blue or dark colors at weddings, but beach weddings are perfect for lighter shades, both for the aesthetic as well as keeping your cool. Try sage green, beige, or light grey!
While you can definitely wear shorts at beach weddings, blazers with pants are still the safe and best choice. If you do opt to wear shorts, make sure that you choose a smart pair and style them with an equally smart shirt.
Get the jacket & pants on ASOS
Sage green is one of the trendiest colors in 2021, and it looks great on wedding guests too!
Get this striped jacket at River Island | pants at River Island
Get this suit at Indochino
Get this jacket and pants at Express
Get this look at ASOS
Get this blazer at ASOS
Get the suit & trousers on J.Crew
Lastly, the classic navy blue wedding look for men that’s fit for all occasions. To make it more casual and beach-appropriate, pair this look with a pair of smart sneakers instead of office shoes.
We hope you got your inspiration on what to wear to a beach wedding from this post! And if you’re still looking for more fashion inspiration, check the posts down below.
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