What To Wear Vol.I
By: Founder Gayle
Beach weddings can be casual or formal so what to wear at the wedding can be the same.
What to Wear to a wedding is a popular topic when I go to visit my hair dresser. I tell her what my past and most recent couples wore on their special day. You can see samples of our more recent couples here at our Paradise On Parade page & on our Facebook page (don’t forget to give us a like while you’re there too). I have been recently reminiscing by going through some old photos I took when we first started Weddings On a Whim. I shared some of my fond memories of what some of my past couples wore with my hairdresser and decided to also share some with my readers as well.
My hairdresser was quite surprised to see the variety of styles. She often wondered what each were thinking when they decided what to wear. When it comes to beach weddings, mostly anything goes. Couples like to create their own special mood & motif with what they choose to wear.
As you’ll see below, choices regarding what to wear reflect their taste, their personalities and their budget.
Although some wear a tux, the most popular garb for men are khaki slacks or shorts with a shirt that matches the wedding colors. Although more daring couples choose red or orange, most stay in the blue range. I met these 2 when they were vacationing in Madeira Beach. They booked their Wedding On a Whim just 2 days before they were to be betrothed. The bride’s sister flew in from up north. Seeking what to wear that would be comfortable, the bride discovered this cotton gauze palazzo pants set at a local boutique. What to wear in her hair? A hair band of baby’s breathe with little blue flowers and a matching bouquet.
A bride’s choice of what to wear can be as casual as a bathing suit or a cotton sundress. This bride wanted to avoid stress and formality. She chose a private elopement on the beach at our secret spot on Treasure Island. Since no witnesses are required in Florida, what to wear became a white bathing suit with gold see though pants. She happily shared she felt so natural and relaxed as the couple exchanged their vows.
Deciding what to wear creates an atmosphere for those in the wedding and those attending. This fun blended family wore tie-dyed shirts for the occasion. As a bouquet, the creative bride glued silk flowers onto a Frisbee. The guests were quite surprised to see here toss the Frisbee bouquet after they were pronounced man & wife. To add to their theme, at the potluck gathering following the ceremony, there was a donut tree “cake,” topped with a man & women in Hawaiian skirts.
A bride’s what to wear can be as formal as a beaded gown with a $6,000 price tag. The challenge with the beaded strapless dress is its weight. I often wish I could talk with bridal wear salespeople. I’d warn them that a strapless beaded gown with a train will collect sand as the bride walks. The train can cause her to trip. The heavy beads and sand cause the dress to pull down; so the bride is constantly hiking it back up or worrying it will fall down & cause her an embarrassing memory!
This bride came to us from the UK. The wedding had to be postponed because the gown that was being custom made in Majorca, Spain wasn’t ready on her original wedding day. Here’s the case of most formally dressed brides. She was accompanied by her casual kids and groom. There were no guests at the wedding; so the dress was shared with family & friends via photograph and videography.
As you can see here and on our Paradise On Parade page “What not to wear” really doesn’t apply to Weddings On a Whim’s couples. What to wear is a choice of who they wanted to be on their wedding day, for the moment, for their memories and for the photographs.
It is my opinion that every bride is beautiful on her wedding day, no matter what they wore and even if the weather doesn’t agree. Stay tuned for our next post with more beautiful brides and handsome, happy grooms on some weather challenged days.