Getting married can be expensive. Surveys and studies over the years have found that couples are spending more and more on their weddings than before. Of course, this won’t stop happy couples from tying the knot.

In a US News piece on affordable wedding venues, couples who got married in 2023 spent nearly 40% of their budget on venues. On average, couples spent $12,800 on their venues, depending on which state they got married in. Fortunately, finding alternative venues can help increase savings. Many of the venues US News highlighted are cost-effective outdoor venues like local public parks, national parks, barns, backyards, and beaches.

As such, outdoor weddings have become an increasingly popular alternative for couples who want to max out their savings while wedding planning. Of course, when it comes to attending outdoor weddings as a guest, it’s important to ensure you’re dressed appropriately. In this post, we’ll be sharing some tips for what to wear to an outdoor wedding:

Styling by season

One of the best ways to dress yourself for an outdoor wedding is to match the season the wedding would be held in. Winter is a good time for cool tones and sparkles — as long as you don’t outshine the bride — while summer is a great chance to wear bright, vibrant colors that fit the mood.

Meanwhile, fall is good for bringing out warm and deep autumn colors that look comfortable. This includes shades of reds, oranges, and yellows, and thick, cozy materials that emanate warmth. Of course, autumn colors aren’t just about fallen leaves. If the outdoor wedding you’re attending has a set color theme in mind, many comforting colors fall under the autumn type, including olive green and eggplant purple. Of course, styling your wedding guest look by season also goes beyond colors. Think of what materials look best for the time of year, such as sheers for spring and summer, and woolly textures for fall and winter.

Designer sunglasses

Due to the difference in setting and environment, sunglasses are an essential for outdoor weddings, not only for fashion and style points, but for much-needed sun protection as well. While wearing sunglasses indoors for conventional weddings may get you weird stares from other guests, pulling out your stylish shades for an outdoor wedding is more than okay.

Nowadays, eyewear retailers like Vision Express offer designer sunglasses from brands like Ray-Ban, Prada, and Gucci, with options for photochromic lens upgrades if the wedding you’re attending will alternate between indoor and outdoor spaces. Stylistically, sunglasses are also great for adding colors or texture to your overall look. The Ray-Ban Wayfarer Change, for example, are a great choice if you want a pop of color to complete your look. Its photochromic frame design is also an innovative gimmick, allowing the shades’ blue frames to change colors depending on light conditions. Still, it’s important not to go too bold or attention-grabbing with your shades to stay respectful to the bride and groom.

Adding layers

Finally, regardless of the time of year, you should try to incorporate layers into your outdoor wedding outfit. This helps texturize your look, especially if your dress or suit doesn’t have prints or patterns.

Depending on the theme and time of year of the wedding, you can experiment with various kinds of layers. A blazer is always a good and straightforward option to wear over your wedding guest dress, while a leather jacket offers an edgier and modernized choice. Of course, a leather jacket can look too laidback for more formal outdoor weddings and dress codes, so you should only go for this if the outdoor wedding asks for a cocktail or casual dress code. For warmer weather, sheers are good outerwear that prevents your wedding guest outfit from looking too flat.