Summertime means barbecues, beach days, and, if you’re above the age of 25, approximately a hundred weddings to attend. As soon as the invite hits your rarely-used mailbox, the countdown to find yet another summer wedding guest dress begins.
There are thousands of options out there, but depending on the venue, dress code, and time of season, picking out the perfect dress can be a lot harder than it seems. To help you out, we rounded up a selection of the best dresses for every occasion, from a casual backyard wedding to the most formal of events. Our selections include something for every budget, too, from under $40 to over $500.
Enter our fabulous virtual dressing room and say goodbye to the depressing real one. Seriously, we love you, TJMaxx, but could you possibly invest in more flattering fitting room lighting?
Summer Wedding Guest Dresses For Every Venue and Budget
1. Still the One Emerald Green Floral Print Satin Maxi Dress, $89
Green is one of the colors of the moment, so you really can’t go wrong with this satin emerald number that features a vibrant floral print. You’ll be wooing the hot groomsman before cocktail hour is over.
2. Mac Duggal Pleated Ruffle Cap Sleeve Chiffon Gown in Lilac, $598
Speaking of the colors of the moment: lavender is the star of the show right now, and we’re loving it. If you’ve got some leftover money from your tax return to blow, gowns by designers don’t come cheap, but they sure do make a statement.
Just maybe don’t wear this one if the fare is pasta with red sauce. Unless this is your form of adrenaline, then you do you!
3. Reformation Frankie Silk Dress Es in Verdigris, $298
This mint-colored maxi dress from Reformation just hugs the body in all the right places. Not that there are any wrong places. Okay, maybe not our feet. We’re ticklish!
4. Azazie Feeling Like Forever Fuchsia Floral Print Maxi Dress, $39
For the backyard garden party wedding, this bright pink floral dress is a no-brainer. Sure, you might end up with a weird tan line triangle, but there are worse things. Like, say, forgetting to bring a gift. (You’re welcome for the reminder.)
5. Black Ruffled Tulle Corset Bustier Midi Dress in Black, $181
Yes, okay, summer weddings don’t exactly scream, “wear black!” But your inner goth does, and sometimes, you have to let her win. This gorgeous midi dress is a great choice for a black tie event, or if you happened to get an invite to Morticia and Gomez’s vow renewal. Side note: do you need a plus one?
6. Twist Bodice Mini Dress, $129.95
This mini dress is perfect for curvier and bustier ladies, in sizes up to 22. The tie dye orange, pink, and yellow print brings to mind melted sherbet, and suddenly we urgently need to leave this wedding before Baskin-Robbins closes. Byeeee!
7. ANRABESS Square Neck Ruffle Slit Midi Formal Dress in Red
Looking for a formal wedding guest dress that won’t break the bank? Look no further. Well, you’re gonna have to click the link. But no further than that.
8. Chic Sensibility Cobalt Blue Satin Jacquard Pleated Midi Dress, $82
We’re all too familiar with the dress code dilemma. Usually, you can’t wear the same dress to a backyard wedding, a beach wedding, and a formal wedding. This dress will make you question everything you thought you knew.
It’ll fit in as easily on a mountainside venue as it does at a cocktail attire affair, and with all the money you’ve saved, you can finally afford a Ninja Creami. For us, obviously.
9. Sachin & Babi Blaine Strapless Bow Taffeta Midi Dress in Yellow, $298
This pretty midi feels utterly classic, while the canary yellow color brings the playfulness of summer. Name a summer wedding guest dress that’s more perfect. We’ll wait. Hey, you can’t just pick another one from our list, that’s cheating.
10. Meg Midi Dress in Teagan Floral, $268
Available in sizes XS to 3XL, any body type will stun in this midi-maxi dress. It’s easily re-wearable to brunch with the besties or a more formal affair.
And really, what more could you ask for from a wedding guest dress than it not collecting dust in the back of your closet until you get over the weird guilt you have over donating it to Goodwill?
Available at Show Me Your Mumu
11. City Chic Flirty Tiered High-Low Dress in Magenta, $119
This deep purple dress drapes dramatically in the back while showing some leg in the front. Beware: the color might be a bit of a scene-stealer, so wear this one to your middle school frenemy’s wedding. You know, the one that you were surprised to get invited to.
12. NBD Shelby Gown in Navy, $228
We can’t explain it, but this dress is just the “it girl” personified. It’s somehow both timeless and trendy, so it’ll last beyond this season. Color us impressed. In navy.
13. Lilac Mango Macaws Maxi Dress, $265
Are you shopping for a wedding in Hawaii? First of all, we’re jealous. Second of all, here’s what you should wear. Third of all, remember to book your flight, because you can’t drive there. Trust us.
14. Oasis Printed Midi Dress in Lavender Combo, $168
Picture this: your essential oils-slinging cousin is getting married in a refurbished barn and the decor includes mason jars and lots of plants. And you’re wearing this, if that wasn’t clear.
15. PRETTYGARDEN One Shoulder Tiered Midi Dress
Another one of those versatile dresses that could work for pretty much any occasion, this particular option comes in a dozen patterns and colors, so you can buy one for every wedding you’re invited to this year.
Trust us, your Instagram followers won’t notice. Every day, at least three new engagement announcements, two new babies on the way, and a partridge invasion in the pear tree. You’re the least of our concerns.
16. Reformation Twilight Dress in Emerald, $278
We get you. You want to look like you gave your outfit very little thought, but you look flawless anyway. You’ve got those Beyonce “I woke up like this” expectations. This dress delivers. As will your swole thigh muscles.
17. Sunny Evenings Pink Multi Lurex Flutter Sleeve Mini Dress, $74
This mini is both simple and eye-catching. You’ll be sure to receive loads of compliments. Just don’t let it go to your head. With great power, and all that.
18. By Anthropologie Ruffled V-Neck Slip Dress, $160
Slip dresses are an airy addition to any wedding wardrobe. They won’t constrict your rib-cage after you scarf down a second entree, and they’re fun to dance in. Not that you’ll necessarily want to dance after eating two dinners, but the option is there.
19. ASOS Design Peekaboo Shoulder Midi Pencil Dress in Frosted Sage, $85
A classic pencil silhouette gets a modern update with the fun across-the-shoulder bow detail on this sage green number. Sage choice, grasshopper.
20. Lace & Beads Corset Tille Midi Dress in Red and Pink Floral, $148
Fun, flowy, and fierce. We were going to say “colorful,” but it ruined the alliteration, so allow us to also mention that here. It’s colorful.
21. Isa Cotton-Silk Dress in Gather Floral Periwinkle, $190
A silk and cotton combination with an empire waist and periwinkle floral print, this is a dress you could rock at the office and on the wedding dance floor. Well, there is that bit of midriff showing, which may not be office appropriate. But if you work at the Oppenheim Group, anything goes!
22. The Ophelia Dress in Night Bloom Cotton, $175
Hill House makes comfortable dresses that also look great in a variety of classic prints, colors, and patterns. We like the Ophelia dress for a wedding, because it feels a bit more dressed up than the popular Nap dress.
That Lumineers song is stuck in your head now, isn’t it? Well, if it wasn’t, it is now. Good luck with that.
23. Dress the Population Audrey Fit & Flare Sheer Lace Floral Appliqué Midi Dress in Tangerine, $298
We’re suckers for a good nude illusion, and this one takes the (wedding) cake with the gorgeous floral appliqué details. Speaking of cake, did we ever tell you about the time the cake at a wedding we went to was…carrot? We’re still scarred.
24. Squareneck Midi Dress in Brilliant Blue Dark, $89.50
No one can accuse you of not being ready to party if you show up in this little number. The bright colors just scream “summer” and we can just picture you in it at a beach-side wedding. That being said, you should probably figure out footwear next. Your Old Navy flip flops might not cut it.
25. Minya Mini Dress in Millennial Pink, $575
The human world is a bore. Why not enter the Barbie one with this frilly pink mini dress from Love Shack Fancy? If you try to tell us this dress wasn’t made for Barb, we simply won’t believe you.
When she's not typing away on her laptop, you can find Laura working on her MBA at Boston College, listening to Taylor Swift, or sweating it out at an OrangeTheory class. Follow her on Instagram @LauraKristine21 and LinkedIn.
- 25 Summer Wedding Guest Dress Options That *Probably* Won’t Upstage the Bride - July 3, 2024
- 50 Valentine’s Day-Inspired Rooms to Use for Decorating Inspiration - February 9, 2024
- Shake Up One of These 27 Romantic Valentine’s Day Cocktails This Week - January 16, 2024
Leave a Comment