Ah, the beach side wedding! You've been invited to this special, momentous occasion, to share with someone you know on a (hopefully) sunny, beautiful day on the beach. Yes, the idea of a beach side wedding sounds spectacular, but what do you wear? Some wedding guests have a hard enough time deciding what to wear to a traditional wedding, let alone a wedding that will be in the sand and the hot sun. Here are some tips to keep cool and keep your "cool" at the beach side wedding.
The first thing to remember for both ladies & gents when attending a beach side wedding is that you're still attending a wedding! Which means, yes, you still need to dress up. Just because you're on the beach does not leave room for you to wear jeans, flip-flops, sun dresses or Bermuda shorts. The only time you can wear these items is if your wedding invitation specifically says this attire is appropriate. I understand, dressy attire is not the most comfortable to wear on the sand at the beach, but keep in mind that you may be having the reception at a nearby clubhouse, which is probably inside. Now that you're indoors all the beach stuff goes out the window and you're at a wedding, so you better have dressed like it! So, here we go...
Ladies:
Lets deal with the most important first, shoes! Heels or no heels? No heels! Besides the fact that walking in heels on the beach doesn't make sense, you ladies have some very dressy alternatives that can work for a beach wedding. Opt for the a dressy pair of flats or some white leather or crystal slippers. They're dressy and appropriate for walking on sand while matching with your outfit. Shh, one Ferrera Fresh Tip for you ladies is to take a second pair of mid-size heels you can grab from your car & slip on for the reception. Most guys won't notice you've changed but they will notice...you!
Second, your outfit must be strategic. Since the casual sun dress will not work for the evening reception, go for a dressier short dress with no sleeves to accommodate for the warm weather. Then when the evening reception hits reach into your purse for your fancy shawl or pashmina that you can wrap around your shoulders to dress up your outfit. Very simple but yet appropriate to keep your class and cool on the beach and at dinner.
Finally, accessories! This is probably the least of your concern. This part of your attire doesn't really change much. Bracelet, rings, necklaces, earrings and all the trimmings work in on the beach or dinner. Just avoid the extreme elegant jewelry you would wear to formal events, you don't want to chance losing them in the sand. One accessory you may want to add for a beach side wedding is a large sun hat. Not only will it control your hair in the beach breeze, but it shades you from the sun and is appropriate for beach side attire. You can ditch the hat for the dinner.
Gents (or you ladies who dress your man):
Shoes for the gents? We may have to suck it up because, yes, the dress shoes will get a little dusty. The trick is to use that handkerchief you should have in your back pocket (or maybe the extra one you bring along specifically for this purpose). Once the beach part of the wedding is over, slide into the men's room and give your shoes a quick wipe down. You can even carry a pocket-size shoe shiner that you can use for a nice shine before dinner. Besides keeping your shoes clean, aim for leather shoes you can wear without socks such as boat shoes or dress sandals. You can wear both of these with a suit or blazer, which we will talk about now.
Yes, the suit or blazer is still appropriate even for a beach wedding. Although you don't need a suit, here are some suggestions to keep in mind when choosing your outfit.
Color: The best types are light colors. Tan, beige, cream and maybe even a white dinner jacket. These are great colors for pants, suits or blazers because they will not be too hot on the beach and still appropriate at dinner. For dress shirts, ties, and handkerchiefs are best with bright colors to match the season. Choose light green, pink, sky blue, white and of course, the bright colors you like.
Fabric: The best is linen. It's cool during the beach portion and is fancy enough for the dinner. If not linen, try sear sucker, then cotton, then light wool will work as well. Sear sucker is a very light fabric that has a little crimp throughout the fabric most of the time with thin light color stripes. These fabrics are best for your light weight suits or blazer with khaki style pants.
Style: Keep your cool! Just because you're at the beach doesn't mean you compromise your style. If you dress up...dress up! It is fine. If you don't dress up often, stick with these tips and you'll be fine. You do not need to wear a tie, you do not need and jacket, you do not need to have your shirt tucked in, but make sure it's a shirt designed to be this way. A button up dress shirt is still best. Do not opt for a simple polo short sleeve shirt just because you're at the beach, remember your still at a wedding. If you do wear a polo shirt, this shirt does have to be tucked in and at dinner wear a blazer and do not take it off.
So as you attend these fantasy-like beach side weddings, plan to attend them with a little more confidence. Take notes as listed above and you'll be cool and comfortable. Needless to say, sunglasses are a great accessory for both ladies and gents. Make sure you have a cool pair!
Until the next fabulous event, remember, above anything your wear, wear confidence! And, I'm here to assist you with any other style questions & concerns.
Yours truly,
Michael Ferrera
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