What to Wear to a Summer Wedding as a Guest

A gorgeous summer day is an ideal setting for a wedding: the shining sun, the fresh breeze, and blooming natural landscapes make for a picture-perfect moment. It’s no wonder why the season is traditionally the season most couples choose for their nuptials. 

Yet, dressing for one is no easy task. The abundance of sunny weather opens up a myriad of possibilities for outdoor and non-traditional venues. However, coupled with the high temperatures and the rising costs of dresses, there’s a perfect storm of outfit questions that make finding a guest-appropriate ensemble an odyssey. 

It may be tempting to just pull something from your closet, but that’s not the current reality for many wedding guests. According to The Knot’s 2023 study, nearly 50% of respondents said they purchased a new outfit with an average price tag of $81. Add accessories, gifts, travel, and other wedding expenses, and having a top-notch guest outfit keeps getting harder. 

As wedding season ramps up, stylist and brand consultant Anny Choi shares some of her best tips for finding the perfect outfit for a summer wedding. 

What To Consider

Choi recommends starting your summer wedding outfit by reviewing the invitation details, especially the location and dress code. “Obviously a New York black tie wedding will feel very different from a black tie beach wedding,” she says. These two factors are considerably more important during the summertime, when weddings move into the outdoors and venues get more creative, whether that’s a beach setting or a garden. “You don’t want to be wearing five-inch stilettos and sinking into grass,” she says. 

Look of the day

If a wedding is outdoors, chances are it will be hot, a factor Choi says should be pivotal to your outfit. “Do you sweat a lot? If so, stay away from silks, where you can see the marks,” she says, adding that linens or printed fabrics might help you hide that. But if the affair is going into the evening hours, your outfit may also call for some transitional elements, whether that’s a matching shawl or added sleeves. 

Finally, thinking about the couple’s style might be a good indication of what’s appropriate for the wedding, no matter the dress code. If a wedding invitation is more on the classic side, it might be a good idea to stick to more traditional styles, rather than edgier takes on guest attire. 

How To Manage the Heat

Getting dressed up when it’s 85 degrees is no easy task, especially considering the layers of makeup, underwear, and accessories thrown onto one’s body. And weddings, notorious for the hours one spends standing, are even harder. 

Choi says one way to manage the high temperatures is to stay away from dark colors and heavier fabrics, including silk and taffeta. More revealing styles like strapless and open-back can also help with the heat. If sleeves are required, though, she says to go for more voluminous versions rather than skin-tight styles. And if you’re still afraid of a heat meltdown in the middle of the ceremony, bringing a fashionable fan with you is always a good idea, according to Choi. 

What Shoes To Wear

While wedding venues get trickier in the summertime, there are still ways to work around them. Choi says the safest bet would be to go for a block heel, which makes walking manageable in a wide variety of settings.

She also recommends sandals or wedges, which are good options for more casual dress codes. Yet, for more elevated dress codes, Choi has a particular liking for fancy flats, whether that’s an embellished sandal or a satin mule. “I think that’s a really chic way of making your look more comfortable without forgoing style,” she says. 

How To Stick To Dress Codes

Summertime fashion is intrinsically more casual than any other season. Layers come off for the sake of functionality and breezier fabrics are prioritized over fanciful materials. It makes it difficult to stick to wedding dress codes, and while couples usually go for more relaxed themes and locations, the elevated takes are still expected.

Choi says that, while you may feel it's necessary to go for more casual fabrics, like linen or cotton, it's key to make sure the laid-back styles are balanced with more dressed up accessories. "It does get so hot at weddings, that playing up the accessories is how I would go about it," she says.

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