Beach Formal and Beach Wedding Dress Code

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There are very few reasons to dress formally at a beach except for a wedding. So let’s assume you’ve traveled very far, go to your resort, and you assume you can buy your attire there, that’s not the case.

Usually, you’ll find shorts and flip-flops which is not something that would be appropriate for a wedding. So plan ahead and bring the right stuff because a business suit or regular tuxedo is simply over the top.

What Is Beach Formal Or Beach Wedding?

It’s typically used for beach weddings and it’s comprised of the most formal things you can wear at the beach without looking totally out of place. It’s quite similar to resort attire in the sense that it has lots of lighter colors, open weaves, spring or summery colors that are well suited to a tropical climate.

Beach Wedding
Beach Wedding [Image Credit: Corona Del Mar]

What Not To Wear

1. Never Wear Sandals With A Suit

It just doesn’t go together. If you wear long pants, you could just take off your shoes, take off your socks and roll up the hems. That way, it works with the beach wedding theme. Because it’s warmer outside, some may want to skip the jacket and go maybe with a vest and matching pants instead.

Sandals and Suits obviously don't go well together
Sandals and Suits obviously don’t go well together

2. Don’t Wear A Suit Jacket Or Blazer With Shorts

It may be a look that is originally from Bermuda and they wear it with over-the-calf socks. You show up at a beach wedding, it just looks awkward and it draws too much attention to yourself which is not the point. You want to have the bride and the groom be the center of that day.

3. Avoid Short-Sleeved Shirts

Either you go a little more casual and have a polo shirt with short sleeves or you take a long-sleeve shirt. If it’s quite warm, you can simply roll up your shirt sleeves. It will always look better than a short-sleeved shirt. Short-sleeved shirts are particularly bad when worn with a jacket or a sport coat. One thing I’ve seen recently at a beach wedding that was quite awkward was a suit with a shirt that was untucked. Someone tried to be more casual and relaxed but it just looks weird. I know Justin Timberlake wore it at the Super Bowl halftime show but it was a camel suit with a bandana and overall, it had nothing to do with classic style.

Short sleeve shirts are never a good plan
Short sleeve shirts are never a good plan

4. Ditch The Monochromatic Look

By that, I mean pants, or a jacket, or shirt, and even a tie, all matching in the same color. It lacks contrast and overall, monochromatic outfits are never flattering. Likewise, you should skip bold or any whimsical patterns because huge Paisleys or Hawaiian shirt style suit jackets or pants are simply not appropriate. Some people like to wear suspenders but if you do so, I suggest to wear at least a vest or a jacket. If you just have it on top of a shirt, it looks weird. Likewise, it’s a beach wedding so you shouldn’t bring any kind of formal accessories such as black shoes or black belts. It provides too much of a contrast to your lighter colored pants and it’s overall out of place.

monochrome layering
monochrome layering [Image Credit: Lookastic]

Beach Formal Must-Haves

First of all, if you think you don’t have anything in your current closet, it’s better to buy something than to rent something because you can always wear it whenever you travel into warmer climates. If you are part of the wedding party you simply don’t have a choice, simply go along with what the bride and groom have planned for you. It’s their day and you just have to accept it and go with the flow.

1. Casual Close-Toed Shoes

If you’re often in warmer climates, I suggest thinking about a perforated leather shoe because it’s something that keeps you cooler and it’s definitely more casual than a regular leather shoe. At the same time, it’s still classically stylish. If you like it bolder, you may be able to pull off a spectator shoe but always keep in mind, you never want to overshadow the bride and groom because it’s their day.

medium brown penny loafers
medium brown penny loafers

If you want to invest in something that you can wear at home, I suggest to go with a loafer either a penny loafer, maybe a tassel loafer in a light tan color, because it’s versatile and you can just wear it at the beach or at a beach wedding but also to the office or casual Fridays. Other colors that work well are tan and even white buckskin shoes because, in the tropics or the beach wedding, it’s an appropriate look.

Allen Edmonds Wide Basic Dress Belt
Allen Edmonds Wide Basic Dress Belt [Image Credit: Allen Edmonds]

2. Belt That Matches Colors In Your Outfit

If you go with a belt, make sure the color works with your overall attire. Definitely, don’t show up in shorts unless the bride and groom have specifically asked you to do so.

A light blue linen dress shirt
A light blue linen dress shirt

3. Cotton & Linen Shirts Are King!

Linen breathes a little more heavily but in any case, you want something with an open weave so you can really feel the breeze at the sea. You may be tempted to go with silk because it is often very lightweight and has a nice touch but it is in fact quite insulating and so I suggest not to wear it. Skip the French cuffs and cufflinks, rather go for buttoned barrel cuffs because it’s just one layer of fabric and if you’re really overheating, you can even unbutton the shirt button on your cuff.

Raphael in green linen sports coat and pants paired with a panama hat
You can never go wrong with linen when attending a beach wedding!
Orange Red Mottled Knit Tie Cri De La Soie Silk Fort Belvedere

Fort Belvedere

Orange Red Mottled Knit Tie Cri De La Soie Silk

Light Blue Veronica Persica Boutonniere Buttonhole Flower

Fort Belvedere

Light Blue Veronica Persica Boutonniere Buttonhole

4. A Lighter Colored Suit

Because even a beach wedding is more formal than regular outings at the beach, it’s okay to wear a suit. If you do so, go with something lighter colored, may be a seersucker suit or a lighter suit maybe in khaki or tan, or you can go with a combination of seersucker pants and a lighter jacket. Lighter colors have the advantage because they reflect the sunlight and so you stay cooler. Definitely, skip navy or gray colors because they’re simply out of place at the beach. Fun colors such as lighter greens, maybe petrol are perfectly appropriate.

In terms of fabric choice, you can go with wool especially if it’s an open weave like a tropical fabric. You can also go with cotton, linen or blends thereof. Make sure to stay clear of polyester or nylon because those fibers will just make you sweat. Likewise, your jacket should be made of a lighter material but what’s even more important is that it has an open weave and a sewn canvas. If it’s glued, which is something you usually find on less expensive suits, it’s more insulating and you’ll stay hot at the beach.

Definitely, opt for more casual details in your jackets which means notch lapels or patch pockets rather than peak lapels and jetted pockets.

A light colored suit keep you stay cooler on a beach wedding.
A light-colored suit keeps you stay cooler at a beach wedding.
Shantung Striped Dark Red, Blue and White Silk Tie - Fort Belvedere

Fort Belvedere

Shantung Striped Dark Red, Blue and White Silk Tie

Dark Blue Linen Pocket Square with White Handrolled X Stitch by Fort Belvedere on white background

Fort Belvedere

Dark Blue Linen Pocket Square with White Handrolled X Stitch

5. Go For Lighter & Bolder Accessories

In terms of accessories, it’s okay to go without neckwear because it is warm. However, it’s a wedding, after all, and you want to put your best foot forward. I suggest to either go with a knit tie because it has an open weave or maybe a bow tie because it’s lighter in weight. You can also have bolder colors or summery colors and you can look for fabrics like shantung silk which is more knobby and more casual than a traditional wedding tie or an office tie.

Even if you decide against neckwear, I always suggest you go with a pocket square because it quickly elevates your outfit. On top of that, a little boutonniere in your buttonhole can be a nice addition. However, sometimes that’s reserved just for the wedding party so when in doubt, I’d rather skip the boutonniere and normally go with a pocket square.

As for socks, basically, I always like to have over the calf socks that will take off. If that’s too much for you, maybe go with a pair of no-show socks so that way, you have that beach look but you still have shoes on and you’re not sweating or you don’t get blisters inside your shoes.

Outfit Rundown

Raphael wearing a typical outfit for beach formal or beach wedding dresscode
Raphael wearing a typical outfit for a beach formal or beach wedding dress code.
Shantung Silk Striped Two Tone Bow Tie Green, Purple, Cream

Fort Belvedere

Shantung Silk Striped Two Tone Bow Tie Green, Purple, Cream

Orange Red Mottled Knit Tie Cri De La Soie Silk Fort Belvedere

Fort Belvedere

Orange Red Mottled Knit Tie Cri De La Soie

It consists of an off-white or cream-colored jacket. It’s single-breasted so it keeps me cool. It reflects the sunlight. I wear it with a light-colored, light blue shirt with an open weave so I stay cool. I combine it with a pair of seersuckers which are very lightweight and perfect for summer. And the shirt ties together the jacket and the pants quite well. I wear it with tan woven leather wingtips which are more casual. I’m wearing it with a matching leather belt and my pocket square picks up the brown tones of the shoes and the belts as well as the blue of the shirt and the seersucker pants. My bowtie on the other hand is a little bolder. It’s a green Shantung silk stripe tie with a dark purple stripe. And, I combined it with a pair of dark green socks so everything is harmonious. At a regular wedding, I would never wear a white or off-white jacket but because it’s at the beach it’s perfectly fine.

For the alternative outfit, I simply swapped a green jacket for the green fresco one. Fresco is a nice wool fabric with an open weave so you really feel that breeze. I also exchanged the bow tie for a knit tie in a mottled orange tone which is very summery and perfect for a beach wedding. I also swapped the shoes and socks for a pair of tassel loafers in green so it goes with the entire outfit. Of course, at the beach, it’s bright and warm so a Panama hat may be exactly the right thing to bring. If it’s still too bright bring a pair of sunglasses and combine them together. If you don’t like the hat you can also just go with sunglasses, no problem! Both sunglasses and Panama hats are always good stylish things to bring along with you for a beach wedding.

How will you put together the perfect beach formal outfit? Comment below!

Reader Comments

    1. Thanks, I thought so too. A sales clerk at Brooks did note that some young men are sporting either deeper cuffs o no cuffs and , what some of us older men would refer to as “high water” cuffs. Fortunately, i am too old to feel the need to follow either “innovation”…

      1. I worked in mens’ clothing in the ’60s and I never saw such cuffs in either the mid-west to the Ivy League. How popular were they?

  1. I have attended a few beach celebrations on warm California days. My white bucks have been perfect for these occasions (with long pants, of course).

  2. I would wear a guayabera with contrasting slacks not pants. Guayaberas are considered formal wear in many tropical countries. A white linen or cotton one would be appropriate.

    1. Just a note on guayaberas. My spouse is from a very prominent Nicaraguan family. When someone showed up at a function wearing one, the family was quietly horrified, and that was for an occasion much less formal than a beach wedding. Naturally, no one said a word at the time, a guest’s comfort is paramount. Afterward however, a gentle suggestion was made by one of the younger male family members to the friend, who has never worn one since, except to the most casual of gatherings.

      1. I’m VERY curious about this – supposedly long-sleeved guayaberas are wedding shirts in Mexico. There are apparently considerable variations in quality, but you see them worn as a kind of business casual by public officials at official functions in some countries. Look at pictures from the sixth Summit of the Americas in Colombia and something like half the heads of state are wearing one. Thoughts?

      2. There are guayaberas for $19.99 made of polyester that look and are cheap, and to be avoided. Mine is 100% linen in it’s natural beige, and looks great, for $160!

        But I do not know about social customs in Nicaragua, so I defer to Quatorze’s expertise.

  3. Thank you for this segment. In early October, I will be attending a late afternoon wedding at the Nantucket Yacht Club. The weather is typically warm/hot during the day and cool/cold in the evening. Would your suggestions in the video/article change based on this time of the Year? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

    1. My two cents: A tropical weight wool blazer and ivory linen trousers might be perfect for a yacht club setting, especially on the more formal Northeast coast. A tie is a definite must – a yacht club is not the same as a beach.

  4. As a clergyman, I also always advise those who have beach weddings outside of their own country, to make sure that the paperwork has been correctly completed and your marriage has been registered at home. I know people who have tried to get marriage certificates after a “destination” wedding only to find out that their marriages have not been properly documented.

  5. Why not go with a nice guayabera
    Shirt in white or light color with white pants and penny loafers.you will fit in and stay cool at the same time and you will not look out of place, after all it is a beach wedding !!

  6. I have put the idea to Harry and he would have gone along with it but Meghan has her heart set on Windsor Castle. Talking of that, when I was a young man there was a popular song which began “They’re changing guard at Windsor Castle. Christopher Robin went down with . . . ” and I just can’t remember the girl’s name. Perhaps you could remind me.

    1. They’re changing guard at Buckingham Palace
      Christopher Robin went down with Alice.

  7. Thanks for doing the video. I’ve got a beach wedding to go to early next year and I wasn’t sure what to wear. This video answered all my questions. Great stuff.

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