I’m going to start off by saying I had grand plans for this post: three different dress styles (short, midi, + long) for three different wedding settings. That being said, I still do but they will be posted in three separate posts…it was a lot to try and put together with this crazy week! And as you will see, I couldn’t decide on one set pair of earrings, shoes or purse to accompany each dress…so you all have a few options for your viewing (or purchasing) pleasure.
Having been involved in weddings for over 13 years, I have seen a lot of fashion come through the doors of event spaces. And having been on the working end of weddings (wearing black, black and more black) when it was my time to attend a wedding I couldn’t hardly wait to get dressed up! In all honesty, I was just as excited to get to actually enjoy a night of eating and drinking and wear something other than a black suit, but these days as a mom it’s REALLY nice to have a reason to wear something other than my usual jeans and whatever shirt can get peanut butter, boogers, or paint on it.
Since I grew up and (I like to think) still essentially live at the beach (15 minutes is close enough, right?) I decided to start with Coastal Chic wedding styles. Beach + yacht club weddings are popular during the summer here in South Jersey and these are some inspirations if you’re headed to a coastal wedding this season:
SHORT + SWEET: While blue + white strips may be the “traditional” coastal look, this pretty pink striped dress by Cece is just as fitting but more youthful with some edge.
Go with limited jewelry in the warmer months + for weddings with a more casual feel. These statement earrings from gorjana and babublebar make enough impact without making you look overdressed.
Please don’t ever take a big purse to a wedding. You can’t have a successful cocktail hour in a tight space with an extra large tote. Any type of clutch or crossbody bag should be enough to keep your essentials: makeup, money, phone. Kate Spade + Tory Burch bags below…’nough said.
Make sure your shoes fit the setting. Don’t wear spiked heels to a lawn wedding or anywhere there might be a lot of wooden planks-think docks + decks. There are so many shoes with block heels this season that they are a safe bet to look dressy without aerating the lawn or stripping a heel on boards.
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MIDI MAGIC: For the more sophisticated coastal settings (looking at you yacht clubs) this dress by Dress the Population is classy with a bit of sex in the strappy top.
Pair it with matching earrings and clutch like these from Rebecca Minkoff + Tory Burch or standout with some contrasting accessories in green (I LOVE green + navy together) like these earrings from Loren Hope + clutch from Tory Burch.
A more elegant shoe is needed for this dress and while I don’t love that they are all spiked heels (because cocktail hour at a yacht club is almost always out on the deck) they were the only ones I felt were appropriate. So my advice? Quickly find a table to perch at + a person willing to run back and forth with drinks + apps.
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LONG + LOVELY: As a short person I’m pretty much banned from wearing long dresses, but it doesn’t keep me from dreaming of what I would wear if I were 5’7. And this dress from Alice + Olivia is my faaave! Ok, Ok, I know you’re not supposed to wear white to weddings but I feel like there’s enough going on with this beauty that it can’t technically be considered a faux pas.
With hair up, either of these earrings by Kate Spade + Kendra Scott (respectively) will look spectacular and again with a dainty clutch, you are good. to. go,
With long dresses you can go with almost any shoe as long as it’s easy to walk in. Be sure your dress is hemmed to your shoe height though unless you want to be stepping + slipping on it all night long.
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Don’t forget sunglasses + a scarf or pashmina for daytime into evening weddings. It gets pretty cool with those ocean + bay breezes!
Next Wednesday I’ll be sharing styles for other outdoor weddings- think vineyards + lake house nuptials!
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