We are so very excited to welcome one of our favourite bloggers, Lexi, of Glitter Inc. onto our pretty pages today.

Lexi is a part-time lawyer, part-time blogger and full-time fashion obsessive who blogs about fashion, lifestyle, DIY, design, weddings, events and impractical shoes. (Our kind of girl!)

It's such a treat to have her stop by and share her stylish musings and favourite wedding dress styles with us.

Grab your sandals as we're off to the beach!

photo by Anna Delores Photography via Bridal Musings

Growing up in sunny Miami, Florida, I always dreamed of the beach. As a child, I was generally happier with one foot in the sand, and my parents always found time to take us to the local public beach where we'd spend hours wading in the shallow water and eating sticky peanut butter and jelly sandwiches when we got tired. When it came time to plan our own wedding, I knew I wanted water. I needed water. But we went a little non-traditional, at least in the eyes of our sun-loving Miami families; and quickly decided on a destination wedding, on the water, in New England (and boy, was it cold.) But let me tell you, we got the best of both worlds, and it was everything I could have ever wanted, and more. Choosing a wedding dress to fit the beachy environment, now that was a much trickier decision to make! I searched store after store, the few wedding blogs that were popular at the time, and every online retailer I could Google.

TOP 10 BEACH WEDDING DRESS STYLES

Years later, and with an even greater love for beautiful weddings (and dresses), I've got the whole beach-appropriate wedding dress thing down to a science. So I thought I would share a few tips and tricks, and my favorite dresses along the way.

GO BIG AND GLAMOROUS

photo by Ashley Kelemen via Wedding Sparrow

At first, when dreaming up a beach-side locale for our own wedding, I fretted over sand and water and all of the other elements harming my beautiful wedding dress, but the truth is, it's your big day, it's your beautiful dress ... so what if you get a bit of sand along the hem? It adds character, and certainly shouldn't stop you from wearing the dress of your dreams!

BE TRUE TO YOURSELF

photo by Ben Holtrop via Magnolia Rouge

As I mentioned before, don't let the elements worry you too much. Certainly you want a dress you can walk in, a dress you can dance in, but most importantly, you want a dress you can love. The gauzy top to this dress, and breezy layers of tulle, are everything I love about an ethereal beach wedding.

LACE AND THE BEACH DO MIX

photo by Lavender & Twine via Green Wedding Shoes

I adore a lace wedding dress. There is something so vintage and elegant about a delicate lace dress, and this bride wore a stunning and soft lace dress that is both bohemian and perfect for the gorgeous beach setting.

LET THE BACK DO THE TALKING

photo by Braedon Photography via Green Wedding Shoes

A stunning back will always be gorgeous. And at a beach wedding, with such lovely and natural surroundings, letting guests stare at the mesmerizing back of your intricate wedding dress is just the kind of perfect subtle nod to fashion a beach wedding can encompass.

WEAR COLOR

photo by Malia & Stuart Of Malia Johnson Photography via Style Me Pretty

In the eyes of many, a beach wedding is already a bit non-traditional, so why not leap and try out a colored wedding dress? A soft blush-hued wedding dress fits in beautifully amidst the beach environment and is not such a far cry from the more traditional white or cream dress so as to be too over-the-top (though there's absolutely nothing wrong with being over-the-top either!)

CONSIDER A BIT OF BLING

photo by Closer to Love via Green Wedding Shoes

Sometimes an unexpected touch of sparkle or bling can go a long way (or in my mind, always ... but I'm a sparkle lover!) This adorable bride's wedding dress is topped with gold sequins ... ah-mazing!

EMBRACE A THEME

photo by Jose Villa via Green Wedding Shoes

This couple dreamed up a shipwrecked Winter beach wedding and I absolutely love how true to her theme, this bride remained. The pair embraced the idea of a formal winter beach wedding and the bride stood out in layers of ruffles, tulle, delicate long sleeves, and even a traditional corset.

CONSIDER SHORT AND SWEET

photo (and dress) via Sarah Seven

Certainly the most comfortable and beach-friendly style wedding dress is the short dress. If you've always toyed with the idea of a short wedding dress (and frankly, even if in a million years you had never dreamed of wearing a short wedding dress), consider trying one on at your favorite wedding boutique. You may be surprised how much you love the idea. So many beach brides opt for a shorter-length wedding dress for a beach-side wedding, and the result is adorable and beautiful.

SEARCH BOTH ON AND OFF THE RACKS

photo by Simply Sarah Photography via Style Me Pretty

Sometimes the most beautiful, and the most unexpected wedding dresses, are the dresses you never expected at all. This gold Badgley Mischka dress proves that thinking outside the wedding box can produce gorgeous results.

SOMETIMES SIMPLE IS BEST

photo by Lauren Kinsey Fine Art Wedding Photogaphy via Style Me Pretty

Don't let all of the tulle and sparkle overwhelm you. If you've always pictured a serene beach wedding and a soft breezy wedding dress, then you already know what kind of dress you should be looking for. Again, stay true to who you are, and you'll find that perfect dress! Are you planning a beach wedding? Which of these wedding dress styles floats your boat?

Thanks so much to Lexi for stopping by!

Be sure to check out her beautiful blog Glitter Inc. and connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.

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