Wedding Guest Ideas: What to Wear to a Summer Wedding

Most summer weddings are held outdoors at beautiful venues like vineyards, mountain resorts, and scenic beaches. It’s a great time of year to have a wedding if everything is planned outright. Hopefully, the bride and groom have thought about the temperature, humidity, shade, bugs, and have a backup plan if it rains. Guests will also want to think about these things when planning what to wear for the wedding ceremony and reception. Here are some ideas of what to wear to a summer wedding.

We’ll start off with wedding shoes since you’re probably still imagining trying to walk in heels on moist ground or on a sandy beach as you sink and stumble. You’ll want to check out the venue online before deciding what to wear. Will the ceremony or reception be held in a grassy field that might be moist from recent rain? Will it be held on the beach in the sand that’s hard to walk in? If you’re dead set on heels for the wedding, then consider platform heels. If it’s been dry out, then a pair of dress sandal flats is a solid choice for any summer wedding to keep your feet cool and comfy.

A summer wedding during the daytime can easily be expected to get hot. Hopefully, the humidity and wind will be low. With those things in mind, you’ll want a lightweight and breathable dress that will help keep you cool. Think spaghetti strap midi and maxi dresses. Light colors, floral patterns, and a small number of embellishments like lace and ruffles are perfect for summer styles. Almost all chic women’s dresses can become fancy enough to be worn to a wedding if you choose the right accessories to pair with them. Check the dress code before you go to make sure you’re not over or under-dressed. Many weddings held in the summer are more casual to semi-formal than formal. If the reception will last into the night, bring a cardigan to layer over your summer wedding dress in case it gets chilly.

If you don’t like dresses, there are other options for a summer wedding. And, if it’s going to be a windy day, which often happens at beachside weddings, then you might not want to have to hold your dress down from blowing up in the wind. Instead, you may want to opt for a boutique blouse and some dressy capris. We suggest capris because long pants might get hot and uncomfortable and shorts are not appropriate for most weddings. Unfortunately, your partner is likely to be stuck wearing long pants! Capris in white or tan will match perfectly with a colorful top and a little clutch purse. Look for boutique tops that have design accents like unique buttons, puff sleeves, or embroidery.

The right accessories will make an outdoor summer wedding on a sunny day much more comfortable. You will definitely want a hat to help keep the sun out of your eyes and keep your hair tamed if it’s windy out. A stylish fedora or cute cloche style that gives you just enough brim and won’t block anyone’s view during the ceremony. 

A sunny day may also call for sunglasses and possibly sunblock if you burn easily. Though you may not need those items, you’ll probably want them just in case, so pack them into the handbag you will wear with your outfit. A clutch purse is always a good choice for a wedding if you can fit everything you want to bring in it. Or, you could go for an over-the-shoulder bag and only put a few items inside that you won’t mind leaving at a table while you get moving on the dance floor at the reception.

The right jewelry can bring your outfit to a whole new level of fancy. If you want to keep your look elegant and subtle, then go with classic and traditional precious metals and semi-precious gemstones. Little gold earrings, a pendant necklace, a chain bracelet, and stackable rings are a dainty combo of fine fashion jewelry that adds a bit of sparkle in all the right places. But if you’re not the traditional type, summer weddings are definitely a place where you can go outside the box with your jewelry. Think flowers, butterflies, bright colorful materials, beads, shells, and more!  

Summer weddings are tons of fun, so don’t be afraid to kick off your shoes during the reception and celebrate! And just because you’re not the bride, doesn’t mean you can’t turn heads with a gorgeous outfit.