• AVOID matching the beach:  no white, ivory, cream, gray, silver, tan, beige, khaki, light blue, NO pastels.
• This is true for your flowers too… white and pastel flowers disappear on a white/pale dress and the pale beach background!
• **Choose strong  colors or jewel tones for Flowers AND CLOTHING!** Can’t emphasize that strongly enough–you need CONTRAST!

More Honest & Blunt Advice for ALL:

The traditional American strapless, sleeveless, long skirt, white dress does NOT look good on most body types (80% of us are not tall and slender with toned arms). So, get a colorful dress that FITS YOU well, and COVERS what you don’t like to see.  Seriously… read on…

• Women (and Men) of Color:  you got a natural advantage–you can wear the white/ivory/blue colors okay, but bright colors still look MUCH better on you too.
• SHOPPING ADVICE: shop in non-wedding dress departments & bring honest friends who have good taste (do not rely on salesperson’s opinions–they work for the store, NOT you. They are hired to sell the most expensive clothes possible. It’s just business, nothing personal).
• Try on different colors and pick YOUR best color & STYLE instead–be YOU! Be a stunning bride in colors that compliment YOU. 
• IF you just GOTTA do a white dress, then put your partner and attendants in bright colors, you carry bright/contrasting flowers (avoid white/ ivory/ pale color), put colorful decor in your hair (like flowers, a tiny hat, hair jewels, or crown wreath), consider a color sash or other color accents.
• Beach Veils: consider that likely-to-be-windy shores will whip it in your face, or pull it off your head, and yank the hairdo! So have a Plan B for a veil, if any. (Margo has more cool ideas for veils)

FOR ALL DRESSES:  the photos will show EVERYTHING! Photoshop does NOT fix all the bulges and wrinkles and scars you dislike seeing! So for example:

• • 90% of us need to pick a dress style which has shoulders that flatter YOUR awesome shape. Do you have buff guns (arms) – then strapless is good! Or do you criticize your arms ? then get sleeves or a large shoulderwrap.
  • Worried about upper arms or back bulges/ side bulges–AVOID all sleeveless, backless, or strapless styles. 
  • Feel self-conscious of your legs or ankles–choose a floor-length skirt only.
  • Buy the right size in comfort for your bust and waist sizes–do NOT compromise size!

FYI: ALL PEOPLE – white and pale colors make your body appear much MUCH, MUCH bigger in person & in phtoos. Patterns and darker colors flatter any shape.  

• • Get the dress tailored or fitted to YOU! 
  • SHIRTS*** IRON out new men’s shirts! (fold/package wrinkles give a sloppy, childish, cheap, indifferent, I-don’t-really-care vibe). Don’t skimp on ironing! So iron a new shirt. Put some effort into your wedding day clothes – and you LOOK GREAT for the next 700 years in these photos! Yeah… at least 700 years – digital pics don’t disintegrate. 
  • AGAIN ** WITH BIG EMPHASIS**:  Get a colorful dress that FITS well and covers what you don’t like, get contrasting color flowers, and IRON NEW SHIRTS!! Seriously.  ~from a photographer of over 2,000 weddings