The bride’s dress or gown is arguably the most important aspect of the ceremony (second only to the venue’s color scheme and evening party, of course). The subsequent photo and video moments further immortalize the dress.
However, as important as it is, choosing a suitable wedding dress is not as easy. For one, you will have to pore over tens of designs and consider different lengths and materials. Things get even more complicated if you decide to go full eccentric and do a boat or yacht ceremony. And if that’s the path you’ve chosen to go, you’ll definitely appreciate the following ideas for choosing a dress for a boat wedding:
Avoid the “Basic”
Exchanging your nuptials on a yacht is peak urbaneness and wearing the usual big, puffy, long-veiled wedding gown will not only cheapen the event but also shows a worrying lack of creativity.
Instead, consider doing a classy, form-fitting look with some nautical elements (lots of blue, pearls, etc). The two most popular nautical themes are sheath and mermaid style designs. The former is just like an ordinary dinner dress but is accented at the top part. Mermaid dresses, on the other hand, flare out at the bottom and can have a character at both the top and bottom parts.
Consider the Bridal Party As Well
As much as the bride is the star of the show, the bridesmaids, as the supporting acts, are also key to the overall aesthetic and should also factor into your plans. To keep up with the day’s theme, consider getting them some blue dresses. To this end, you may either go with one hue for everyone, or a mixture of several complementary hues for different maids. Just make sure no one has the same hue as the bride, and that all the maids’ dresses are shorter. The ideal length is slightly above the knee – not too short to be tacky, and not too long for a boat ceremony.
…and The Flower Girls
While most of the photo and video moments will be monopolized by the bride and her maids, the flower girls (and the ring bearer) are also key parts of the event’s theme and should factor into your plans. Of course, you don’t need to get them anything fancy – anything that syncs with what the bridal party wears will suffice. If you don’t know where to start, remember you can never go wrong with light blue dresses for a boat party. You can also pick a mix of blue and white dresses to have them stand out while still sticking to the theme.
As for the ring bearer, you can either pick something similar to what the groomsmen wear, or a pure white naval suit.
Length Matters
A wedding on a yacht is different from a beach wedding and the length of your wedding dress should reflect this. Of course, we all have different principles and preferences and you are free to pick what you want. However, a wedding dress that’s too short will be widely perceived as tasteless (which is probably not your goal) while full-length gowns just don’t belong in boats. The perfect length is just below the knee (or up to the calf). Such a dress would not only appear elegant but will also help your shoes to stand out.
