Chan Luu Bridal Earrings

Celebrating one's nuptials by the sea provides ample opportunity to choose from an array of effortlessly chic bridal gowns. Luckily, there are nearly as many alternatives to the traditional ball gown as there are grains of sands on the beach. More casual beach wedding dresses make use of sheer panels, openwork lace and ruffles. Simple beach wedding dresses include those with midi lengths that feel easygoing, yet sophisticated. Boho wedding dresses are another choice: romantic and dreamy like a tropical island. Meanwhile, short beach wedding dresses feel cheerily free-spirited while providing wedding-friendly frills.

Look for lightweight materials for your beachfront or destination wedding dress. Silk, cotton blends, crochet, chiffon and lace make for breezy beach dresses. While not explicitly bridal, many white or ivory cocktail dresses will work wonders in a beach wedding, plus they can be worn afterward on the honeymoon. Below, check out 15 alternatives to the heavily embellished wedding gown that instead are easy, breezy and downright gorgeous. Post-wedding, you can relax poolside, confident you were a thoroughly beachy bride.

More and more brides are taking the leap and opting to wear a white jumpsuit on their wedding day. The chic look has been championed by celebrity brides including Solange Knowles, in her marriage to video producer Alan Ferguson, and human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, who, of course, is married to actor George Clooney.

Knowles actually wore three different jumpsuits by French designer Stéphane Rolland during her wedding weekend, beginning with a sexy ivory-toned version she wore while biking to the ceremony at New Orleans' Marigny Opera House. By the wedding's end, she was dancing in the streets to a brass band while wearing her third jumpsuit, with a plunging neckline.

For the Italian civil ceremony that preceded her wedding, Amal Clooney wore what looked like a white jumpsuit, but was actually belted separates, by Stella McCartney. Clooney, who is friends with McCartney, has also worn a one-shoulder jumpsuit with crochet lace and cropped legs by the British designer, as well as a lace burgundy jumpsuit by Giambattista Valli.
A white bridal jumpsuit is a chic dress alternative that is perfect for the style-savvy bride. As Clooney did, the bride can wear a white jumpsuit to her civil wedding for an unexpected look that is destined to impress. She can also wear a jumpsuit to the wedding ceremony to create a memorable look. As another option, she could wear a jumpsuit to her wedding reception, because this wedding-dress alternative is perfect for hitting the dance floor. Freedom is the vibe of a bridal jumpsuit, and we love it.