What to Wear to a Spring Wedding

Sara Roka

For the wedding that calls for one dress and nothing else, Sara Roka's painterly shirt dresses do the work. DIONE and GALA are cut from the same airy cotton-silk voile, a flamingo print in soft pink and coral against a strawberry print in vivid red, each finished with balloon or puff sleeves and a cotton under-slip for coverage. ELODIE takes the same idea further with an oversized tulip print in red and burgundy, sweeping into a full maxi skirt built for a reception that wants to be seen.

MARGIE and DANETTE offer a quieter register: MARGIE pairs a crisp white bodice with a navy horse-print skirt, while DANETTE moves in soft Fuchsia Rose stripe through a full circle skirt. DRALLA, NIDINA and HORTENSE round out the edit in lime floral, red strawberry and tropical Flamingo Sky, each dress designed to stand on its own without any further styling.

Most of these dresses arrive with their own coordinating sash belt already included. HORTENSE and NIDINA are the exception, both sold without one, which makes Sara Roka's NEW YORK belt in Magenta the natural finishing piece: a wide feather-trimmed sash that ties into an oversized bow, built to bring a print alive or simply dress up a plainer silhouette for the day.

Silk & Linen Separates

Three ways to dress for the reception without reaching for a single dress. Pierre-Louis Mascia's CIALDA jacket and trouser co-ord brings baroque paisley in warm gold tones, cut entirely in silk and finished with the label's signature relaxed tailoring. The same house's ALOE pieces, a botanical shirt and a rose-print A-line skirt, are not sold as a set but pair naturally for those who prefer to mix their prints rather than match them.

Forte Forte's Nuages d'Argent shirt and long skirt complete the opposite mood: navy silk chiffon threaded through with silver fil coupé, romantic in its bow-tied neckline and fluid, floor-length fall. For those who want the tailoring without the print, Massimo Alba's LINOSA blazer and BOGA trouser bring the only true suit in the edit, a fine sky-blue pinstripe in pure linen, soft enough to wear open over a simple shirt.

The Garden Wedding

For a wedding set in a garden, orchard or seaside marquee, Ulla Johnson offers a run of dresses built for movement and colour. KASIA is drawn from traditional pointillism artwork, a violet floral print gathered at the bodice and finished with wispy ruffles through a graceful, volume-driven hem, suited to guests who want the look without the fuss. ELOWEN carries the same easy silhouette in a Summer Garden print, sleeveless and cut from silk for the warmer half of the day.

For darker florals, CELESTINA moves through Nightshade, a richer palette suited to an evening reception, while LANA is spun from soft crepe jersey printed with imagery drawn from Helen Frankenthaler's 1957 painting, “Western Dream,” part of an exclusive collaboration with the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation. Both ISABELLE and LYRIA offer a simpler alternative in Ciel, a soft sky-blue: ISABELLE in sleeveless jersey, LYRIA in sleeveless cotton, each easy enough to dress up with a heel or down with a sandal depending on the formality of the day.