Sandhya Garg — Travelling to a Wedding
Dressing for a Destination Wedding
Five Destinations · What Each One Asks For · 12 New Arrivals · XS–3XL
Quick Answer
A destination wedding asks more of a guest's wardrobe than a local one, because you are dressing for heat, an unfamiliar venue, several events across a weekend, and a suitcase. Four things solve most of it: choose a saturated colour or print, since pale neutrals bleach flat in strong sun and photograph as a shape; choose natural fibres, which behave in humidity; choose silhouettes that pack and recover overnight; and check whether the venue is sand, stone or grass before you decide on shoes and hem length. And avoid white — everywhere, always.
Destination weddings are the hardest invitation to dress for. It is rarely one event — there is usually a welcome dinner, the ceremony itself, and something the morning after — and all of it happens in a climate you are not packing from, on ground you have not seen.
I am a Project Runway designer and most of what I make ends up at exactly these weddings. So rather than a list of beautiful places, here is what each kind of destination actually asks a guest to wear.
Four Things That Decide Everything Else
| Decide first | Why it matters more abroad than at home |
|---|---|
| Colour and print | Strong sun and reflected water strip the detail out of pale shades — a beige dress photographs as a flat outline. Saturated colour and dense print hold their depth in exactly that light. |
| Fibre | Humidity is the test. Cotton, linen and viscose breathe and recover; synthetics hold heat and cling. This is the single most consequential choice for a long, hot ceremony. |
| How it packs | You may not have an iron. Roll rather than fold, and choose prints and textures that hide a crease. Anything needing a steamer to look right should not travel. |
| The ground | Sand, stone, grass or deck. It decides your shoes and your hem — a floor-length gown on sand is the most common destination-wedding regret there is. |
Ask what the ground is before you decide anything else. Sand, stone or grass settles the shoes, the hem and half the outfit.
Five Destinations, and What Each Asks For
[SANDHYA: the destination photographs on the live page are other people's copyrighted work and should not be republished — see the note at the top of this file. Drop your own travel photography in beside each destination below, or licensed stock from Unsplash, Pexels or Shopify Burst. Your Bermuda images would work well here. Delete this box once images are in.]
Rajasthan, India
Fort and palace weddings set against Rajputana architecture — carved sandstone screens, courtyards, and a scale of ornament that most Western venues cannot match. It is also, not coincidentally, where a great deal of the world's finest hand embroidery and block printing is still made.
What it asks a guest for: colour, and plenty of it. Indian weddings are unapologetically bright, and a restrained neutral palette reads as underdressed rather than tasteful. If you want to wear a saree or lehenga, wear one properly — buy from an Indian designer rather than an approximation, and expect multiple events across several days. If you would rather not, a saturated printed maxi with hand embroidery is entirely at home. Cover shoulders for temple visits, which are often part of the programme.
Bora Bora, Tahiti
Overwater ceremonies at sunset, on decking rather than sand. What it asks for: fabric that moves, because there is always wind coming off open water, and a hem that does not drag on wet boards. Golden-hour light is warm and low — the one setting where a softer shade genuinely works, though anything near-white still reads as bridal in photographs. Flat sandals or a wedge; never a stiletto on decking.
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Desert and grand-hotel settings, and the most formal of these five. What it asks for: more coverage than you might expect. Modesty expectations vary by venue but shoulders and knees covered is the safe default, and many hotel and mosque settings require it outright — worth asking the couple directly rather than guessing. Sleeves are also genuinely practical against desert sun and fierce indoor air conditioning. Deep jewel tones suit the setting far better than pastels.
Turks and Caicos, Caribbean
Beach ceremonies on soft white sand, usually late afternoon. What it asks for: the shortest hem you are comfortable in, because a maxi on soft sand collects it. Flats or bare feet — heels are unusable and every guest discovers this at the same moment. Humidity is high, so natural fibres matter more here than anywhere else on this list, and a bright print holds up against very white sand where pale colours vanish into it.
Lake Como, Italy
Villa gardens, stone terraces and lake steps — the most formal European option and the one closest to a traditional dress code. What it asks for: a proper occasion dress, midi or maxi, and a block heel rather than a stiletto because you will be on gravel and old stone. Evenings by the lake turn cool even in August, so bring a real layer rather than a token wrap. This is the destination where a structured jacket earns its place.
The Newest Arrivals · Twelve Pieces · XS to 3XL
Our Ten Newest Pieces, and Two More
The ten most recent additions to the collection, in order of arrival — all with original hand-drawn prints, all verified in stock today.
Just Landed — The Three Newest
New This Season — Kaftans, Wraps and Jackets
Two More for the Heat
All pieces XS · S · M · L · XL · XXL · XXXL · Made to measure · Shipped from Scottsdale within 1–3 days
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I wear to a destination wedding as a guest?
A saturated colour or an original print in a natural fibre, in a silhouette that packs and recovers overnight. Pale neutrals bleach out in strong sun and photograph as a flat shape, and synthetics hold heat in humidity. Ask what the ground is — sand, stone, grass or decking — before choosing shoes or hem length.
How many outfits do I need for a destination wedding weekend?
Usually three or four: a welcome dinner, the ceremony, the reception if it is a separate register, and a morning-after brunch nobody plans for. A kaftan with a waist tie covers two of those on its own, which is why it earns its place over a second occasion dress.
What should I wear to a wedding in India?
Colour, and plenty of it — restrained neutrals read as underdressed rather than tasteful. If you want to wear a saree or lehenga, buy from an Indian designer rather than an approximation. Otherwise a saturated printed maxi with real embroidery is entirely at home. Expect several events across several days, and cover shoulders for any temple visit.
Can I wear a floor-length dress to a beach wedding?
You can, but a midi is usually the better decision. Soft sand collects a floor-length hem within about twenty steps, and heels are unusable — most guests end up barefoot regardless. A halter or secure strap also matters in wind coming off open water.
How do I stop a dress creasing on the way to a wedding abroad?
Roll rather than fold, pack it on top, and hang it in a steamy bathroom on arrival. Viscose and velvet drop out overnight; heavy linen will not. A print or a texture hides a crease far better than a flat solid — full instructions by fabric are in our garment care guide.
What colours should a wedding guest avoid?
White, ivory and champagne, including very pale blush which photographs as white on fair skin. Also avoid the bridal party's colour if you know it. Beyond that, destination weddings are the most colour-friendly weddings there are — the setting rewards it. Full dress codes are in our wedding guest guide.
Keep Reading
Dress Codes
The Wedding Guest Guide
Every code, venue by venue.
Packing
45 Resort Wear Ideas
Colour, silhouette, layering, destination.
The Family
Mother of the Bride
Who chooses first, and what to avoid.
Inside the Studio
How Our Prints Are Made
Drawn by hand, from these places.
About the Writer
Sandhya Garg is a Project Runway Season 13 designer who won two challenges on the show and presented her collection at Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week. She studied womenswear at London College of Fashion and worked at Alexander McQueen, Gucci, Liberty London, and Alice Temperley. Her Los Angeles label creates limited-edition occasion and resort wear in original hand-drawn prints — featured in Marie Claire, Elle, Cosmopolitan and Vogue online, in sizes XS–3XL with made to measure available.
Project Runway · Vogue · Marie Claire · XS–3XL
Ask what the ground is. Then pack.
Sandhya Garg is a Los Angeles boutique creating limited-edition artisanal dresses in original hand-drawn prints, hand embroidery and heritage textiles. Sizes XS–3XL, shipped from Scottsdale within 1–3 days.
Leave a comment