Having an outdoor wedding is so exciting, but it can make planning a bit more stressful! You have to be hopeful that Mother Nature will be on your side, and be prepared for her not to be.
One of the biggest things to think about when you are planning an outdoor wedding is what dress to wear!
TIPS FOR FINDING AN OUTDOOR WEDDING DRESS
Here are some of our tips for finding an outdoor wedding dress! Keep this in mind: you should love your wedding dress. Don’t choose a dress just because it fits all of this criteria that you don’t like!
1. Consider your venue
One of the first things that you’ll want to do is think about where exactly you’re getting married. Of course, you’re getting married outside. But is it a sandy beach? A rocky mountain? A muddy lakeside?
It’s important to consider this so that you can figure out what elements might affect your dress. For example, you may not want a long, sweeping train that you could trip over in the sand.
2. Consider the weather/season
The time of the year that your wedding will be.
Is it a hot climate or during a hotter month? You will likely not want to have long sleeves on your dress. You’ll also want to look into some more lightweight fabrics! This could include lots of lacework, organza, and chiffon. You could even consider a dress with a high slit to give you some extra breathability — which, luckily, are super trendy right now!
Are you getting married in a colder climate or month? You’ll likely want to choose something with heavier fabrics, potentially with sleeves or a high neckline. Heavier fabrics include velvet and a heavier cotton. If you feel like you will be chilly in your dress, or if it’s a situation where it will get colder later in the day, you may want to consider some sort of pashmina or jacket!
3. Look for certain silhouettes
There are a few silhouettes that work very well for outdoor weddings. These include A-lines, sheaths, fit-and-flares, and tea-length dresses.
All of these silhouettes work well on any body type and are super comfortable, which is so important for an outdoor wedding!
4. Tips for finding bridesmaid dresses
Trying to figure out what your bridesmaids should wear for your outdoor wedding?
If you are getting married in a cold climate, you’ll want to look at dresses with longer hemlines, raised necklines, and sleeves. If you’re getting married in a hot climate, you can look at short dresses, lightweight fabrics, or dresses with slits. You’ll want to steer clear of sleeves or heavy fabrics!
5. How to protect your gown
It is very important to protect your gown from the natural elements. It would not be fun to ruin your dress in the mud or sand before your ceremony begins!
There are a lot of options that you can look into to help protect your gown, depending on where you’re getting married and what your dress is. One option would be to purchase an underskirt that you can wear under your dress on your wedding day. This could help protect your wedding dress from touching anything on the ground and ruining it — it would hit the underskirt instead!
Another option is to have your seamstress add a bustle to your dress, which will gather any extra fabric up & away from the ground. If you anticipate using your bustle and letting it out multiple times throughout the wedding day, ask them to do one that’s fairly simple — it could even be a wrist strap!
OUTDOOR WEDDING DRESS RECOMMENDATIONS
Here are some dresses that we currently carry at our shop that we recommend for an outdoor wedding!
Madi Lane Malone
This gown would be perfect for a summer outdoor wedding — especially on the beach! It has a crepe skirt with a high slit. There is a train, but it could easily be bustled!
Adore by Justin Alexander Jovanna
A knee-length wedding dress might be just what you’re looking for for your outdoor wedding! This gown is exclusively in our shop for our current Adore by Justin Alexander trunk show that ends August 15, 2021. However, we do carry Adore year-round, so we may be able to find you something similar!
Justin Alexander 8936
This gown is absolutely stunning and would be perfect for an outdoor winter wedding! We think it would look absolutely gorgeous in a snowy area.
Are you planning an outdoor wedding? We can definitely help you find the perfect dress for you and your specific needs! Give us a call at 301-665-1070 or visit our “Book an Appointment” link.