How To Pack for A Destination Beach Wedding
You are going to a destination beach wedding? Wonderful! You’ll want to pack lightly, but make sure that you have everything you’ll need for the wedding, all the festivities, and the beach. No worries! Lands’ End has your back. Let’s look at how you will want to pack.
Pack Lightly
If possible, put everything you must have for the wedding in your women’s travel bag. Your basic outfit and shoes should go there if they will fit. Make sure to have anything that you can’t replace with you on the plane (i.e., identification, phone, glasses, prescription medications, etc.). If you forget or lose a comb or a toothbrush, it’s no big deal. They are easy to replace (and inexpensive). The exact shirt to wear to the wedding? That one would be much harder to solve.
It’s not a bad idea to pack your swimsuit in your carry-on luggage, too. Swimsuits pack well because they are smaller, and in case your luggage gets delayed or lost, you will want to be able to be relaxed and enjoy both the wedding and the beach.
Lightweight Outfit for the Wedding
Keep your outfit for the wedding light and breezy to keep yourself both stylish and comfortable. Consider a lightweight women’s maxi dress and sandals for a sophisticated look. If you don’t want to opt for a dress, linen pants and a matching linen tunic would look great. The only drawback to linen is that it wrinkles. Either way, packing a small spray bottle of wrinkle releaser is a great idea.
One Extra Dress or Put Together Outfit
Weddings often come with occasions like rehearsal dinners, post-wedding brunches, and meeting new people. In addition to the outfit that you plan to wear to the wedding and any beach gear you may want to pack, it’s a great idea to have one additional outfit that can look neat and put together in the blink of an eye. If you like dresses, an easy option is a shirt dress. You can dress a shirt and dress up or down. Dresses are handy because all you need to do is add footwear for an instant outfit.
Sandals Instead of Heels
Most wedding guest outfits for women include a pair of heels. For a destination beach wedding, skip the heels and plan a pair of beautiful and comfy flat sandals instead. They will make navigating the sand practical while keeping you comfy and stylish. Even if you opt to take off the sandals and walk barefoot, they will be easy to put back on later.
Shorts and T-shirt
A comfy pair of women’s shorts and a T-shirt will be essential for the trip. After all, you are going to a wedding, but you are also going on a beach vacation. This is also a great outfit for traveling. It will take you from home to the airport to your destination in comfort.
You might want to consider packing a light jacket that you can use as a jacket, lap robe, or rolled up as a pillow. Fleece is a great choice for this due to its softness. The nice part about a jacket instead of a blanket is that you can always tie it around your waist if you need to carry it (as opposed to having it take up space in your carry-on).
For a slightly more polished look, consider a polo shirt instead of (or in addition to) a T-shirt. You can wear a polo shirt just about anywhere you can wear a T-shirt, but the reverse isn’t always the case. That simple collar and cuffed sleeves will make you look more appropriately dressed for many places, from a casual restaurant to meeting the bride or groom’s parents for the first time. It’s a great idea to have a belt and a pair of deck shoes with you, too. These can easily be worn on a plane and will make your outfit more polished.
Swimwear
Did someone say “swimsuit” ? Depending upon the wedding festivities (and how long you plan to stay), you may not have much time for swimming, but you won’t want to pass up the opportunity to enjoy that beautiful beach.
Find out in advance where you are likely to be swimming. If you can use a hotel pool towel, that is one less thing that you will need to pack. If you plan to spend most of a day at a beach that is not affiliated with the hotel, it’s a great idea to bring your own beach towel. They take up more space than some other travel items, but they can also double as a “blanket” or “pillow” on the plane, so consider stashing one in your carry-on.
Enjoy the destination beach wedding!