light blue ruffle prom dress Pleated Split Long with Bow Tie Straps US8 / Custom Color custom fit Strapless Long Sweetheart Prom Dress

We can't be sure whether a couple who specifies "beach formal" is thinking blazers or board shorts, but if you stick to our guidelines, you can't go too far wrong

Jenrose by Rebecca Ingram makes an effortless statement in beaded lace and simple crepe

My most reached-for pair is the J.Crew Kate straight-leg pant in a four-season stretch

My first time renting a dress was effortless and the dress was in perfect condition

- Sun protection: Summer means sun, and dresses that offer built-in sun protection (like UPF fabrics) are a game changer

(This liquid gold Reformation number, $398, is basically the equivalent of human wrapping paper.) I dug through the virtual aisles, as Im wont to do, to find the shiniest, most festive, joy-inducing frocks of the bunch that Im adding to my pre-Christmas wish list