What to Wear to a Summer Barn Wedding

Hello darling! This past weekend my cousin, Sarah, got married. It was a wedding straight out of a fairytale. Everything was done perfectly including the live band, flowers, food, and out of control dancing. My family busted more moves than one and moved in directions I didn’t even know existed. As my mom says, we really did ‘bust a rug.’

I’ve only been two other weddings, one where I was a flower girl and one where I was a guest. So, you may say I’m a wedding amateur. As a result of this, my outfit tips are from the experience I had at this Virginia barn wedding and hot days in general.

Tip: Pick a material or silhouette that can breathe.

Whatever you do… do not wear cotton. Cotton holds in heat and will be sure to make you a hot, sweaty mess. I purposely decided to wear this dress because of how the bottom of the skirt moved. If this was a tighter dress 1. I wouldn’t be able to eat as much as I wanted later on and 2. I would be a sweat monster. Thus, when looking for a dress make sure either the material itself can breathe or the style of the dress is breatheable. By the way, this dress is on super sale right now for $15.

Tip one: Pick a light color so that if you do sweat no one can tell.

So it’s probably going to be inevitable that you’re going to sweat on a hot day in August. So, do yourself a huge favor and buy a light colored dress (not white!) so no one can tell. Regardless of this dress being breatheable, I was still sweating. So, aim for a light color with a pattern on it so it is even less noticeable. Black and navy are also a great options to hide sweat marks but it will make you hotter due to the dark hue.

Tip: For a purse, carry something small but not too small. You don’t want to lug around a huge tote bag, but you also want to make sure you can carry around the essentials.

I actually purchased this envelope clutch the day of the wedding at an outlet directly across our hotel. The clutch was originally $122 (yikes!) and I purchased it for $35. I couldn’t find a link for this clutch online so if you want it (and you want to put a ring on it) hop on over to an outlet near you. It comes in black too!

Don’t forget to pack the essentials: sunglasses, chapsticks, small change, wedding card, and cell phone.

This one is important…

Tip: Take as many pictures as you can with your family and friends.

It isn’t very often that I get to see my whole family at once, so when we do get to see each other we try to make the most of it. One of my brother’s lives in Arkansas and another lives in New York. Now that I’m living back in Connecticut, it isn’t very often that I see my brothers. Make the most of the wedding by taking pictures, dancing up a storm, and celebrating the loved ones getting married. You’ll want to remember everything by these wonderful pictures. P.S. Don’t forget to use the wedding’s hashtag!

Virginia Summer Barn Wedding

But really, how beautiful was this wedding location? They had it down to a science from the band to the ceremony. So here is to Sarah and Justin for moving onto their next chapter. I couldn’t be happier for them.

Do you have any tips for attending a hot wedding? I’ll be attending two weddings next summer so I’ll definitely need a few tips for next year. Let me know in the comments down below.

As always,