You are going to a wedding in Hawaii! The romance, the beach, the sunsets, the flowers and fragrances! What a sensory overload and an opportunity to look gorgeous and have fun. Of course, choosing the perfect wedding guest dress is not an easy task. You need to consider many factors, such as weather, theme, style and fabric. At this moment, you may be a little discouraged: why is it so difficult?
Don’t worry, we will guide you through the decision-making process, simplify the complex things, and help you choose the right guest dress. First, you want to consider what sort of theme the wedding has, and here are some examples common to the area. At Chicsew, you can find all the various kinds of dresses we are going to talk about here.
Hawaiian wedding common themes
- BOHO: This works in Hawaii due to its nature, wicker, the flowers, the colours, and the overall feeling of being free.
- Rustic: Expect this to be outdoorsy but elegant.
- Vintage Hawaiian style with lots of flowers and lei and could be casual or formal. If it does not say on the invitation, don’t be afraid to ask.
Dress Options for Different Wedding Settings
The weather is warm in Hawaii. With its weather, beaches, flowers, and lush greenery, it is a spectacular location to get married. But what do you wear? The first thing you do is check the invitation to see if there is a dress code, check the venue, location, and, lastly, the time of day. Use these as your guides. Now, let’s get into more detail about the fun part of shopping!
Beach Wedding
Wear a relaxed, casual, pretty dress with a light, breathable fabric like linen, cotton, or chiffon. Long, midi, or knee length would be fitting. Whatever makes you feel and look comfortable and beautiful. Bring a shawl or some wrap; it might get a little breezy. Wear light colours in solids or soft prints. You want to look elegant yet casual and “beachy.”
Wear shoes that are flat on the bottom so you can walk around and slip them off easily. Accessories can be fun for a beach wedding: a sheikh wide-brimmed hat made for Summer and sunglasses make a statement and protect you from the sun. Wear light and dainty jewellery and a beachy perfume to pull the mood and the look together.
Jewellery made of wood or seashells would be pretty and fit the natural theme of an outdoor celebration, and you can buy that kind of jewellery when you get there. A cute woven basket purse would be adorable at the beach, or a medium-sized woven bag if you need room for your wrap.
Garden Party Wedding
Garden party weddings are a little dressier than beach weddings, but a lot of the same dresses will work. You may want to accessorize them more formally, for example, with a clutch bag. Maxi, midi dresses, or knee-length dresses with thin straps will look lovely and be comfortable in a lush garden setting. Light fabrics like cotton, linen, or chiffon will keep you cool and comfortable.
Chiffon would flow beautifully and make you feel feminine. Try wearing colours using the inspiration of Island flowers. Pinks, roses, blues, greens, or whatever inspires you. Wear espadrilles with a heel and straps that lace and tie into a pretty bow at the ankle or beautiful sandals. Wear something that would look fabulous with you holding a flute of champagne!
I would stay away from heels because you will probably be walking on grass or perhaps wooden floors with slats that would ruin your heels. Or uneven natural stone tiles. You never know, and I have ruined kitten heels in a situation like that. My favourite pair (of my life), I will never make that mistake again.
Formal Wedding
A formal wedding will likely be in an indoor venue, and you can pull out all the stops. You can wear longer and darker colours for a formal wedding if you wish, which will more than likely be in the evening. Light colours would also look nice. Vibrant colours would be stunning, considering all the vibrant colours in Hawaii. Silk or satin would be lovely and timeless. Wear some heels but something you can dance and enjoy yourself in. You can bring out your good jewellery, but you might want to be careful if you are travelling. The aim is to look glamorous. Use a gorgeous clutch bag. Something unique and special to you.
Hawaii Wedding Guest Dress Code Notes
Now we are going to talk about some things you don’t want to do. Don’t wear white or cream colours. Anything light enough that might photograph white, and some brides do wear off-white or antique white, so be very mindful of that. Even a pink that is very pale can look too much like white. I would also stay away from a fire engine red, but a dark burgundy in the red family would be doable at a formal evening affair.
Don’t wear anything too skimpy or revealing. This would not be elegant, and we want all eyes on the bride! Keep your dress elegant, cheerful, and respectful. Some people feel comfortable wearing black for a formal evening affair, but I just don’t feel comfortable wearing black at weddings. I am not saying don’t; it’s up to you. I have seen some women pull it off and look great!
This goes without saying, but even at a casual affair, no denim and no t-shirts. No stilettos or flip-flops! One thing you might want TO DO, depending on the fabric of your dress, is bring a little hand steamer with you to make your dress look perfect before going out. Wrinkles are a big no-no, and if you are wearing cotton or linen, this may be an issue.
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