What it's like to attend a destination wedding

Now that I’m progressing past my mid-20s, people around me have found their forever partner and I’ve been attending more weddings. I was asked to be a +1 to a wedding in Hawaii, and crashed attended my first destination wedding. It was basically like any other wedding, except you could wear whatever you like.

The wedding invitation said the attire was “casual,” and the audience took it to heart as less than 25% of the crowd wore a full suit or full length dress. Comfortable clothing was very key since the ceremony was in an outdoor courtyard and I’d presumably awkwardly dance at the reception. I wore:

Shirt: Express short sleeve button up

Pants: Express white denim pants

Shoes: Sperry’s denim colored boat shoes

I chose white pants because I think of Miami, Pitbull, and generally partying in a tropical location. Also, I have short legs so pants make me look taller. The Sperry’s were a good medium between dress shoes and sandals, plus they matched my shirt and I wanted to put them to use since I’ve otherwise only worn them in Napa. I was tempted to wear a pookah shell necklace but I didn’t want to look pose like an islander. The wedding started at 4, and the reception lasted til 11 so I’m glad I dressed comfortably. 

The vibe overall was generally more laid-back. I also enjoyed the string ensemble covering Disney classics such as “A whole new world” and “Beauty and the Beast,” although I thought “Reflection” was not as relevant. Another highlight was the “banzai” toast from the bride’s family.

This was definitely the most casual I’ve ever dressed for a wedding, and I like the idea of people not having a super strict dress code because maybe guests would be more relaxed and happier. Besides the ceremony itself, I guess the best part of a destination wedding is getting a brief break from reality, (unless you’re a guest who lives at the destination).