Men’s wedding attire for beach ceremonies can be tricky. You can’t just wear your aloha shirt and board shorts to the event — except when you can. Is it confusing? I’m here to help.
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I love that you can tailor your wedding to your style in the modern era. Well, your style and your bride’s style. Let’s be real. Maybe it’s mostly her style. That’s why beach wedding attire for men is more and more common these days.
Still, whether you’re a guest, the groom, a groomsman, or the father of the bride, not all beach weddings are made alike. A laid-back Malibu ceremony on the sand is different from a formal all-white affair at a Hamptons beach club.
So, even within the category of ocean-front nuptials, they vary widely. Let’s discuss the appropriate way to dress for beachside matrimony!
Men’s Attire for Beach Wedding: What Kind of Ceremony Is It?
The first thing to consider is figuring out what kind of ceremony it is. And by that, I mean two things:
- What is the level of formality?
- Is there a concept or color theme?
As with any wedding, these are things you always have to stick to. If you’re the groom, you’re setting the tone. If you’re a groomsman, you follow that tone. And if you’re a guest, you always want to respect your hosts.
For a casual wedding, linen trousers, a lightly woven button-down, and leather boat shoes may suffice. For a more traditional wedding, a full summer suit with loafers will do. And yes, there are fully formal beach ceremonies, too.
4 Groom Beach Wedding Attire for Men
I’m going to start by addressing the man of the day. What you wear is completely up to you and your bride-to-be.
Casual Grooms
Of course, you can go as casual as you want. Heck, if you’re doing a Hawaiian get-away wedding and want to wear shorts, a silk Hawaiin shirt, and several lei necklaces, you’re welcome to do that, too. Just make sure she cosigns.
For a more traditional casual wedding, though, you’ll want to stick to lightweight fabrics and lighter colors in general. Even if the ceremony doesn’t have a proper theme or color, you can always go for a “beachy look”.
This means light neutrals, like white beige or muted versions of other shades. Consider bright accents like red, orange, lime green over forest green, or even yellow, if that’s your thing. A silk-blend button-up, perhaps in mint, beige linen slacks and leather loafers, is a great example. It’s elegant and requires minimal effort.
Even though you’re going casual, you are the groom. You want to make it special in some way, right?
Your clothes’ structure is another way you can signal the sanctity of the day. Consider summer blazers, a light safari jacket, or even a light shirt jacket. They add the architecture of a suit minus the fuss and extra weight.
Since there’s no dress code, you can also have fun with your outfit. Do you have a bright patterned blazer? While you might think that it would look out of place in any context outside of a golf final. Why not consider it?
Men’s wedding attire for beach weddings can be a lot of fun.
Traditional Grooms
When it comes to groom beach wedding attire for men, you can always go the traditional route. Yes, lighter suits and brighter ties are more beach-appropriate, but it’s your day. Do what you want.
The most important thing to remember is to wear breathable fabrics. When in doubt, you can never go wrong with linen beach wedding attire for men.
Avoid full wool suits, and go for tailoring in the following materials:
- Chambray
- Silk blends
- Bamboo blends
- Linen
- Seersucker (which isn’t that traditional but is a beachside staple)
Silk and bamboo blends aren’t just light, but they add a sheen to the fabric.
Meanwhile, seersucker suits and suit separates are a great nod to your environment if that’s your style. You can even pair a seersucker jacket with solid linen trousers or vice versa.
You can also opt for a traditional dark suit, beaching it up with a bright tie or pocket square. If you don’t love lively tones, go for dustier ones. Light rust or pale forest green are good examples.
Of course, there’s the sand factor. If you’re walking on sand, you might have to wear more elegantly casual shoes, like leather drivers. You always have to consider what you’ll be walking on during a beach wedding.
If you’re indoors, in a beach club, or even on a boardwalk, you can wear traditional leather-soled dress shoes.
Beach Formal: Can You Do It?
Yes, it’s your wedding. If you want a beach formal wedding, you’re totally welcome to do that. If it’s a black tie or white tie, then you, of course, should wear the appropriate formal attire.
In that case, I would accommodate your venue to your dress code. Do it inside the banquet hall of a beach club or a beach club with an indoor-outdoor terrace. Set a walkable stage or set it up on the sand.
You don’t want your guests, yourself, and your bride walking with heeled shoes on unsound ground.
Once you’ve done that, feel free to do daytime or evening dress clothes, and follow the rules as strictly or as loosely as you want.
Since you’re on the beach, you can also go for an ivory dinner jacket with your tuxedo. It’s the appropriate formal jacket in warm weather, and it makes you feel like Sean Connery.
Groomsmen
Groomsmen should follow their groom’s lead. If he has specific rules or even a specific suit for you to wear, go with that. He might want everyone to wear the same color tie, or perhaps he wants your pocket square to match his tie.
If he has no rules, find a way to create a through-line between what he’s wearing and what you’re wearing.
If he’s wearing a black bow tie, maybe go for a regular long langsdorf, also in black. Even if the wedding is smart casual or co*cktail, step it up with a suit. You’re in the “court”, after all. Just don’t outdress the groom.
And again, at the beach, you want breathable, lighter tailoring.
Men’s Attire for Beach Weddings as a Guest
If you’re a guest considering your attire for a beach wedding, be sure to read the invitation. That way you’re sure of the dress code.
Formal is easy. Wear a dark suit, dress shoes, and a dress shirt, with either a black or white tie. Unless strictly prohibited by the hosts or venue, you can stick to a business suit if you don’t have a tuxedo. And as I mentioned to the groom, go for breathable fabrics in linen, silk blends, bamboo, or chambray.
And again, go for lighter colors and brighter accents. If you’re insecure about loud pops of color, go for dustier colors, which also have a summer vibe with vintage undertones.
Light rust orange or light slate blue are two good options.
Casual Beach Wedding Attire for Men
For casual weddings, more relaxed dress codes can often be more difficult to navigate. This doesn’t mean you can just wear whatever you want — again, respecting your hosts is important when attending any event.
I know it’s the beach. However, unless you know for an undeniable fact that swim shorts and T-shirts are allowed, go for something more formal. Even if the wedding is super casual, you might want to step it up for such a special day.
Something as simple as a knit polo and linen trousers with a leather slip-on is an easy yet neat casual combination. When in doubt, dress up more than you think you need to.
A linen or cotton blazer can level up a t-shirt and chinos situation.
Some casual beach weddings do allow for shorts, but you still want to put your best foot forward. Go for dress shorts or classic flat fronts. Then, balance it out with some structure up top. Go for a polo over a T-shirt, or better yet, a dress shirt and blazer.
Dressing casually without looking sloppy is all about balance.
Now, let’s tackle semi-formal beach wedding attire for men.
co*cktail and Semi Formal Beach Wedding Attire for Men
The semi-formal way of dressing is technically less formal than co*cktail since the latter is an evening dress code.
However, there’s a lot of overlap. Suppose the beach wedding spans an entire day. In that case, make sure your daytime semi-formal outfit is more casual than your night-time co*cktail outfit.
For instance, you could wear dress shorts, a linen shirt, and a blazer for the daytime champagne brunch. Then, you might wear a light linen suit and dress shirt for the evening co*cktail party.
At the end of the day, you can’t go wrong with wearing a full summer suit. Or, alternatively, you could at least incorporating suit separates with beachier garments.
Perhaps you pair your bamboo suit pants with a knit polo for a more casual wedding. Or you can go for a broken suit, say light olive pants and a beige jacket for a smart casual wedding.
As I mentioned to the groom, always consider what you’ll be walking on. You might want hybrid dress shoes like Amberjack instead of classic ones if you’ll be walking on uneasy terrain.
You can also go for leveled-up versions of beach footwear. Examples include all-leather boat shoes (if the dress code allows), drivers, and hard-soled leather moccasins.
Beach Accessories To Consider
Here’s a list of practical or visual accessories you can incorporate into your beach wedding outfit:
- A watch. Go for either a dress watch or even a dive watch since you’re at the beach
- Sunglasses
- A beachy lapel pin (perhaps an enamel palm tree if it’s appropriate)
- A pocket square. Complement your tie with it; don’t match them
- A seasonal boutonniere. This is a great way to create a consistent look among groomsmen
- A classic hat, such as a boater hat or a Panama
Conclusion: Coastal and Romantic
I can see why a couple would want to have a wedding at the beach. And though it isn’t always sartorially practical, it can really add to the vibe of the event.
For all attendees, the most important thing is to consider are finding lightweight versions of dress clothes. Also, make sure your shoes are appropriate.
Linen is better than wool. Meanwhile, a strong-heeled Oxford will not do well on sand but will be fine on the boardwalk.
Even beach weddings come in all shapes and sizes.
When was your last beach wedding, and what did you wear to it? If you have one coming up, which style tip from this article will you use? Let us know in the comments!
