Looking for what dresses to wear to a wedding in the summer? These gorgeous summer wedding guest dresses are the perfect options to welcome the new bride and groom in style!
Summer temperatures vary depending on your location, so it’s important to do some research on what dresses to wear to a wedding to ensure you’re both comfortable and stylish.
In this post, you’ll learn what colors to wear to a summer wedding and what dresses to wear to a summer wedding. Whether you’re a guest at a casual backyard ceremony or a black tie affair we’ve got you covered with the best summer wedding guest dresses!
This post is all about what dresses to wear to a wedding.
Best Dresses To Wear To A Wedding
What Color Dress To Wear to A Summer Wedding
You have a lot of different options for what color dresses to wear to a wedding in the summer. The sun is out and so is society, whether it’s at the beach, by the pool, in the garden, or picking strawberries on the farm.
Choose a color dress to wear to a summer wedding inspired but the colors of your surroundings. Colors can be vibrant such as a deep yellow to mimic the sunset, turquoise blue like the lake you kayaked, or bright pink after your favorite summer flowers.
Tropical colors and patterns also have the vibe of summer and being on vacation. Look for bright coral, seafoam green, or sandy beige. Take inspiration from tropical fruits, animals, sunrises, and sunsets.
Floral prints and bright patterns are cheery and fun to match the carefree atmosphere of the summer. Or go muted with pastel shades like hydrangeas, ice cream, and cotton candy.
Summer Colors To Wear To A Wedding
- Blues, greens, and turquoise to match the ocean
- Shades of tan, beige, and pink to match the sand
- Warm shades of yellow and orange to match the sun
- Shades of green to match plants and trees
- Bold pinks, purples, reds, yellows, and corals to match flowers
- Pastels to match ice cream and clouds
- Browns, tans, and goldenrod to match fields of hay
- Bright reds, pinks, and greens to match watermelon
Let’s not forget a classic favorite: black. Some consider black a safe choice, but in reality black looks amazing on darker skin tones, including that summertime tan! If black makes you look washed out, opt for a shade of gray instead.
Before choosing your color, refer to the dress code provided with the wedding invitation because some colors are not appropriate for certain religious ceremonies and it’s not your job to stand out as a wedding guest.
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Elegant Dresses For Wedding Guests
Let’s start off with the most formal of wedding affairs where you need to dress to the nines. This would be your white tie, black tie, and black tie optional affairs, and if you love dressing up (like I do!), events with a “formal” dress code.
Evening weddings are certainly more formal than daytime weddings, so keep this in mind. If you’re attending a daytime wedding with an evening reception, opt for a dress that’s appropriate for both day and night.
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Dress code rule of thumb: When in doubt, always opt to dress up as opposed to dressing down.
Elegant dresses for wedding guests include the following: floor-length gowns, evening gowns, and maxi dresses. Maxi dresses are considered less formal, so skip them for white tie and black tie affairs. Let’s look at some examples of these dresses to wear to a summer wedding.
Floor-Length Gown For Wedding Guest
Floor-length gowns are the most formal looks for a wedding and definitely required for a white-tie affair.
Evening Gown For Wedding Guests
Evening gowns aren’t always floor-length but can be maxi or tea-length, and are perfect for black-tie, formal, and evening weddings. They’re dressier than a “maxi dress” and more intricate in design and fabric.
Darker colors work well with the theme of the night, and so do contrasting prints like black and white and bolder colors.
Martina Dress from Marcella NYC.
This is a great opportunity to try bold floral dresses or style with flamboyant embellishments in accessories and footwear.
Elegant Maxi Dresses For Wedding Guests
Maxi dresses are the clear choice for an elegant wedding guest dress for a traditional wedding venue and dress code as they’re less formal than black tie, but you can still be dressed to the nines if you want to. Try sheer, chiffon fabrics that drape and breath easily, enabling you to wear sleeves if you want to.
Or go for a high neckline with bare arms and an open back. Style a looser maxi wedding guest dress with an elegant waist belt to create shape, or choose to keep it free-flowing on a hot and sticky evening.
Cocktail Dresses To Wear To A Wedding
Cocktail attire is the happy medium and most popular dress code for chic wedding guest dresses. This would be for your formal, cocktail, and semi-formal summer weddings. Dresses can range from maxi length, midi length, tea length, knee length, mid-thigh, and mini. Go for a simple look with bold accessories or a statement dress with minimal accessories, your preference.
The best way to determine what dress style is appropriate is to research the ceremony and reception venues, the time of the event, and of course the couple’s personality. If the bride is always the best-dressed woman around, it’s in good taste to dress in something nice as well. Weddings are about honoring and celebrating the new couple, not about how casual of a dress you can get away with wearing.
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Let’s look at some examples of cocktail dresses to wear to a wedding.
Cocktail Summer Wedding Dresses
Play around with different necklines, shapes, and lengths with contrasting colors and bold prints. Anything goes in summer time, from solid colors to florals and funky patterns. Shorter dresses are the perfect excuse to show off a pair of cute heeled sandals or platforms.
Little Black Dress For Summer Wedding
You can never go wrong with an LBD, the ultimate timeless wardrobe essential, for a summer wedding guest dress. Whether you decide to keep the look simple with an all black outfit or add a statement accessory, a black dress is a smart choice for a wedding from day to night.
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Jumpsuits For Wedding Guest
For those of you that don’t want to wear a dress, the jumpsuit is your answer!
Dresses To Wear To A Casual Wedding
There are two categories of casual wedding guest dresses: dressy casual and daytime attire/casual. There are differences, so please read on.
Dressy Casual Dresses For Wedding Guest
If your wedding guest invitation indicates a dress code that’s “dressy casual”, “smart casual”, “upscale casual”, or “fancy casual”, you’ll want to dress somewhere in-between formal and casual attire.
Business casual office dresses, shirtdresses, and upscale dresses are perfect for this dress code. Opt for a more casual fit in an elegant material such as silk or airy chiffon in a print. Jumpsuits and dressy pants are also appropriate for this dress code.
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Casual Wedding Guest Dresses
Casual wedding guest dresses aren’t typically meant to mean a t-shirt dress and pair of sneakers (unless the wedding’s at a campground, perhaps). Even backyard affairs call for a little bit of effort on your part. Opt for sun dresses, skirts, jumpsuits, or looks you’d wear out to a friend’s milestone birthday lunch at a cute outdoor restaurant.
Dresses To Wear To A Beach Wedding
While the atmosphere of the beach is laid back, not all beach weddings are casual. If you’re traveling to another location, you need to be prepared with the right attire – beach vacation chic. Let’s break down the different dresses to wear to a beach wedding.
Beach Formal Wedding Guest Dresses
Beach formal wedding attire requires a longer skirt, at midi or maxi length, so you can comfortably walk around and your legs are still covered. Opt for breathable fabrics in linen or a cotton poplin to stay cool. And a crepe or satin slip dress is a timeless, elegant chic outfit for a beach wedding.
Beach Cocktail Dress
Beach cocktail is less formal than beach formal, so you can wear dresses in any length in solid or prints, and have fun with embellishments. Jumpsuits and dressy separates are also appropriate dresses to wear to a wedding.
Beach Casual Wedding Guest Dresses
Beach casual is the least formal of them all, so sundresses, skirts, and chic separates are perfect choices. A chic pair of linen pants would even work for a super laid back beach party.
One Shoulder Midi Dress by current air.
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