Late August wedding - what to wear? ETA option

Ladies, I need your advice about what to wear to a beachy outdoor wedding on a small West Coast island in late August.

The couple is outdoorsy (they're encouraging guests to bring kayaks and canoes for the after party), athletic, and casual. But I know the bride well and she's also got impeccable, refined, modern taste. I'm a bit stumped on the kind of dress I should be getting for this event!

I don't want to go too casual and I'd like what I buy to be something I can wear again. Unfortunately, I just don't have anything in my current wardrobe that will work for this one. And there's potential for the weather to be h-o-t in late August, so my businessy dresses won't work (a bit too corporate, too).

What would you be looking for? Can I get away with sandals as footwear? Sooo stumped.

ETA one option: found this over the lunch hour. It's Anne Klein - it's cute, but not 100% sure. I think I'd go summery with my footwear and could even wear white strappy heels. This is not the direction I was thinking of going though...

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11 years ago

Diana

Veteran

Hmm, do you have a nice sundress? I am thinking something with a full skirt, in a beachy fabric like linen or cotton. Or even separates - I might wear my white cotton full skirt, with a pretty top or something like that.

I always find something incongruous about people wearing things like pencil skirts or sheath dresses to beach weddings, but maybe that's just me.

For shoes I would go with nice flat sandals (maybe metallic?) or wedges. If it's on the actual beach, definitely no heels.

Niki Lea

Thanks Diana!

For footwear, I could wear these (they're in my closet currently and they would work on sand or grass, I think): http://www.pinterest.com/pin/31595634860654143/

I like the idea of a full skirt too - breezy and not too hot if the weather is toasty. I wonder if I could do separates? Maybe even a t-shirt with a fancier full skirt and a nice necklace. Is a t-shirt a wedding no-no?

Bumping this because I have the dress on hold.

Thoughts on the orange dress? I was also thinking maybe I should just track down a maxi dress and wear fancy accessories, like big chandelier earrings.

DonnaF

Maybe a maxi dress or one with a high-low hem? IMHO, the orange dress looks like it might be better for an indoor wedding or a garden wedding. Of course, I've never attended an outdoor beachy wedding. . .

rabbit

Outdoor beachy wedding to me says, flat or low wedge heeled but pretty sandals you can wear on a beach, natural cotton or linen or silk that isn't body con, it's great if it moves, in spring or summer colors. Some kind of topper that fits all this, Iess blazer, and more wrap or cardigan maybe.

ETA: I like the orange dress, but it reads as more indoor to me, something about the heavier material and fitted top with high neckline makes it look uncomfortable for really hot outdoor weather when you want things that flow away from the skin.

ETA2: I have attended an outdoor summer beachy wedding but it was very casual dressy (everyone threw off their clothes and ran into the surf at the end of the ceremony - it was on a private island). So not jeans and t shirts, but much more sundresses and straw hats on the women and bright cotton on the guys than formal or office wear.

Thanks DonnaF and rabbit!

Hunting online, since I can't seem to find anything downtown. I may also head out to H&M and Joe Fresh in the suburbs to try some of this on in person. Cheaper options out there, which may work better for a dress that may be a one-hit-wonder.

What do you think of these (they may end up being too short on me)?
http://www.hm.com/ca/product/44909?article=44909-A
http://www.hm.com/ca/product/30633?article=30633-A
https://www.joefresh.com/ca/Ca.....300032_504
https://www.joefresh.com/ca/Ca.....310033_221

This last dress is totally crazy, but I LOVE the print and I could probably deck it out with some chunky gold jewelry or a belt?
https://www.joefresh.com/ca/Ca.....300046_003

This casual wedding is complicated! Gah!

Some Boden options:
http://www.bodenusa.com/en-US/.....vGroupID=4
http://www.bodenusa.com/en-US/.....vGroupID=4

Man, I share your taste in dresses, those are lovely.

Of the selections the two Joe Fresh dresses look most like they would be comfortable and fit the vibe to my eye, with the blue rayon dress possibly being cooler in temperature than the pale poly one (but that one has a gorgeous beachy color and on a cooler day or if it feels light enough would be great I think, it's my favorite).

Love the color of the pink H&M dress but you'd have to see if the material felt 'heavy'. The dark blue H&M dress and JF floral tee both look kind of dark for a wedding to me, unless it was at night. Hey but if you need a night-time reception dress...

I think the Joe Fresh and Boden dresses would work best. I know nothing about JF's quality, but I've heard good things about Boden. I would avoid poly in this situation because on the beach it will feel either hot or clammy. Looks like you can take advantage of summer sales!

Note to self: H&M may be a good place for me to buy dresses since I'm 5'1".

Anonymous

I really like the Boden Nancy dress. It looks like the model in one view is wearing it on a beach with a straw hat.

Firecracker (Sharan)

I agree that the orange print dress isn't quite right for a beach wedding--too structured looking in my view. I like the last Joe Fresh one you linked to (the one you call "totally crazy," because if you love the print, you'll wear it again, and that's something that you mentioned as a goal. I can definitely see it for the wedding you describe, with some flat sandals or espadrilles. Some of the others you've shown are perfect for the occasion, but I wonder how much you'll get to wear them again--except you may need something to wear on a beach vacation.

I like the blue joe fresh and the Biden nancy! They both look like they'd be suitably breezy for the beach. Add some metallic sandals and a big, glam straw hat.

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