Wedding experts help!! Dress dilemma!

[SarahFarra]

Considering a beach wedding but I've always really wanted a fit and flare dress or mermaid style. Do you think this type of dress is appropriate for a beach wedding? And would I just nix the heels for the ceremony and go barefoot? Help! I've never been to a beach wedding and am not sure what to do! :-/

 

[nmmom95]

I think that any style that you like is fine. It's the fabric will make the difference. I would keep the fabric light. You could have a runner put down that will allow you to walk in heels. Your florist can help with that.

Congratulations!

 

[jel0511]

First off, it's your wedding, do what you want!!!! All I can tell you, is all of the beach weddings I've been to, the brides wore something floaty and all were barefoot, even us guests. You probably won't want to wear shoes, so keep that in mind when choosing a dress.....

 

[Janepod]

First off, it's your wedding, do what you want!!!! All I can tell you, is all of the beach weddings I've been to, the brides wore something floaty and all were barefoot, even us guests. You probably won't want to wear shoes, so keep that in mind when choosing a dress.....

This has been my experience too. I got married across the street from the beach, rather than on the beach itself, because I didn't want to be quite this casual. But hey, it is your day!

Just do the groomsmen a favor and don't make them wear black tuxes like the last summer outdoor wedding I went to. Put them in tan suits or seersucker or linen or something.

 

[Swan4Me]

Check out this AMAZING beach wedding in Mexico-this photographer is one of my Facebook faves...............Bride has Jimmy Choo shoes that she takes off during ceremony...but I think wears at reception

http://www.krginphotoweddingsblog.c...aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=246965925417366

 

[design_mom]

If you Google "beach wedding mermaid dress" or "beach wedding fit and flare dress" you get quite a few photos of dresses in a beach setting. Maybe you can get a feeling for whether that's the look you're going for.

I agree that the fabric/decoration on the dress makes more of a difference than the cut, when it comes to suitability for the beach. You don't want anything to heavy-looking. I am sure you'll have a beautiful wedding, no matter what dress style you choose.

 

[HM]

Other things to consider about a beach wedding. Wind: don't expect to keep a nice hairdo for long. Weather: unpredictable and likely no indoor space nearby to revert to in case of rain. Parking: depending on what beach you are choosing, think about where your guests will park. Public beach: you don't know what else will be going on around your wedding.


Good luck deciding what to do. Last September I was at a the beach in NC for the day and saw two different weddings. One was set up at the top of the beach near the dunes. No seating. A lovely makeshift gazebo with floaty material and flowers was used for the ceremony, but it kept looking like it would topple over any minute in the wind. The guests wore very casual clothes. The bride had a flowy dress, the groom a shirt and pants, both barefoot. The other wedding was set up in a grassy park area with chairs for guests and was much more formal. They didn't have to deal with the wind as much since they were set back from the beach and had some trees around them.

 

[Disney Doll]

Regardless fo the style of the dress, the fabric should be light and floaty.

Sparkly flip flops for footwear on the beach would do the trick!

 

[Jeafl]

Check out this AMAZING beach wedding in Mexico-this photographer is one of my Facebook faves...............Bride has Jimmy Choo shoes that she takes off during ceremony...but I think wears at reception

http://www.krginphotoweddingsblog.c...aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=246965925417366

Those pictures are gorgeous! I loved everything about it except the groom wearing ugly sandals with his suit. It looked really odd to me.

OP, I think you could definitely wear a mermaid dress, but like everyone else said, make it a lightweight fabric. My cousin's daughter got married on the beach in Maui and wore a heavily beaded satin gown with a long train and it just didn't look right. She was dressed super formally, and the groom wore only a white shirt and linen pants. He looked appropriate for the beach, but she was dressed more appropriately for a cathedral. Gorgeous as they were, they looked a little "off" standing next to each other.

 

[Jeafl]

Other things to consider about a beach wedding. Wind: don't expect to keep a nice hairdo for long. Weather: unpredictable and likely no indoor space nearby to revert to in case of rain. Parking: depending on what beach you are choosing, think about where your guests will park. Public beach: you don't know what else will be going on around your wedding.


Good luck deciding what to do. Last September I was at a the beach in NC for the day and saw two different weddings. One was set up at the top of the beach near the dunes. No seating. A lovely makeshift gazebo with floaty material and flowers was used for the ceremony, but it kept looking like it would topple over any minute in the wind. The guests wore very casual clothes. The bride had a flowy dress, the groom a shirt and pants, both barefoot. The other wedding was set up in a grassy park area with chairs for guests and was much more formal. They didn't have to deal with the wind as much since they were set back from the beach and had some trees around them.

Very true! In some of my cousin's daughter's video and pictures they have random people running on the beach in the background, and other strangers standing there watching. I guess it depends on whether you are on a public beach or not.

 

[MrsPete]

When you say mermaid-dress, are you thinking of a long dress? Do mermaids come in short lengths?

I ask this because a long dress that's dragged through the sand is going to look messy -- no matter what type of fabric. You can't stay on that runner the whole time.

Overall, my vote is no for a mermaid. It seems "too dressy" for the beach.

 

[MissMet]

FYI- most florist will not put a runner down if it's windy. I had an outdoor wedding and on that day it was a little windy at set up time so the florist advised against it due to the wind. A runner won't help with heels sinking in the ground, especially sand unless they put something under the runner (astroturf usually). I chose to wear flats & so did my 8 bridesmaids & we were happy we did. Be comfy! It's a long day.

So I'd say sandals or barefoot on the beach... if your gown is altered correctly no one will even notice your feet.

Congrats!

 

[suzannen]

Considering a beach wedding but I've always really wanted a fit and flare dress or mermaid style. Do you think this type of dress is appropriate for a beach wedding? And would I just nix the heels for the ceremony and go barefoot? Help! I've never been to a beach wedding and am not sure what to do! :-/

My niece got married at the beach this spring and wore a fairly dressy, beautiful and very fitted mermaid dress. She did wear shoes walking down the boardwalk to the beach, then took them off to walk down the aisle on the beach, put them back on for the reception. The bridesmaids wore cocktail length dark turqoise sundresses. The men (including groom) all wore khaki-colored linen pants with white linen shirts. Oh, and the entire wedding party came down the aisle wearing sunglasses. It was classy and fun, all at the same time.

Edited to add: they did not have a runner, her dress was long, and wasn't dirty or destroyed at all by being on the beach. Now, if it's raining and it gets wet, then if might get dirty, which could happen at anyone's wedding.

 

[Jaya]

Other things to consider about a beach wedding. Public beach: you don't know what else will be going on around your wedding.


.

So true. The funniest wedding photo I ever saw was of a wedding occuring on a tropical beach that had a somewhat "relaxed" dress code. In the background, right between the bride and groom, was an old man "au naturale" watching the wedding. In other pics, you could see nude people in the background, but this picture took the cake. The bride and groom stuck a little paste-on fig leaf on the guy in the picture and put the pic in their wedding album. We laughed about that one for years. As long as you're not having your wedding on a nude beach, you should be safe from everything but fat hairy guys in speedos.

 

[SarahFarra]

So true. The funniest wedding photo I ever saw was of a wedding occuring on a tropical beach that had a somewhat "relaxed" dress code. In the background, right between the bride and groom, was an old man "au naturale" watching the wedding. In other pics, you could see nude people in the background, but this picture took the cake. The bride and groom stuck a little paste-on fig leaf on the guy in the picture and put the pic in their wedding album. We laughed about that one for years. As long as you're not having your wedding on a nude beach, you should be safe from everything but fat hairy guys in speedos.

This wouldn't be an issue as we're looking at wdw resort lake beaches

 

[SarahFarra]

This has been my experience too. I got married across the street from the beach, rather than on the beach itself, because I didn't want to be quite this casual. But hey, it is your day!

Just do the groomsmen a favor and don't make them wear black tuxes like the last summer outdoor wedding I went to. Put them in tan suits or seersucker or linen or something.

Thanks! Agreed on the guys, under the FL sun, that would just be mean!

 

[SarahFarra]

Check out this AMAZING beach wedding in Mexico-this photographer is one of my Facebook faves...............Bride has Jimmy Choo shoes that she takes off during ceremony...but I think wears at reception

http://www.krginphotoweddingsblog.c...aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=246965925417366

I love this! This is exactly what I was looking for!! I also found this video which is also the feel I'm going for. Love love LOVE this!

http://vimeo.com/26183189

 

[SarahFarra]

Those pictures are gorgeous! I loved everything about it except the groom wearing ugly sandals with his suit. It looked really odd to me.

OP, I think you could definitely wear a mermaid dress, but like everyone else said, make it a lightweight fabric. My cousin's daughter got married on the beach in Maui and wore a heavily beaded satin gown with a long train and it just didn't look right. She was dressed super formally, and the groom wore only a white shirt and linen pants. He looked appropriate for the beach, but she was dressed more appropriately for a cathedral. Gorgeous as they were, they looked a little "off" standing next to each other.

Totally agreed on the sandals! Haha

I can imagine the distinct contrast at your cousin's daughter's wedding and that that might look awkward. This is also something some people might not think about. Good observation and I will keep this in mind!

 

[SarahFarra]

My niece got married at the beach this spring and wore a fairly dressy, beautiful and very fitted mermaid dress. She did wear shoes walking down the boardwalk to the beach, then took them off to walk down the aisle on the beach, put them back on for the reception. The bridesmaids wore cocktail length dark turqoise sundresses. The men (including groom) all wore khaki-colored linen pants with white linen shirts. Oh, and the entire wedding party came down the aisle wearing sunglasses. It was classy and fun, all at the same time.

Edited to add: they did not have a runner, her dress was long, and wasn't dirty or destroyed at all by being on the beach. Now, if it's raining and it gets wet, then if might get dirty, which could happen at anyone's wedding.

This sounds perfect!! Thanks for sharing!

 

[SarahFarra]

FYI- most florist will not put a runner down if it's windy. I had an outdoor wedding and on that day it was a little windy at set up time so the florist advised against it due to the wind. A runner won't help with heels sinking in the ground, especially sand unless they put something under the runner (astroturf usually). I chose to wear flats & so did my 8 bridesmaids & we were happy we did. Be comfy! It's a long day.

So I'd say sandals or barefoot on the beach... if your gown is altered correctly no one will even notice your feet.

Congrats!

This is a good tip! I think if we did a beach wedding I would just plan on barefoot for the ceremony...that seems to work for others (even though we're 9 inches apart! Haha) and seems like it would be comfortable.