Traditional wisdom dictates that no matter how casual a wedding may be, there are certain categories of clothing guests should NEVER wear. This timeless list of banned items includes white (for men AND women), shorts, super high heels (especially for outdoor weddings), bathing suits and anything sparkly (no one wants to outshine the bride–literally!).

And yet, in the modern age of underwater weddings, zoo weddings and weddings atop the wings of flying planes, does this classic fashion advice still stand? What do you think? If someone showed up to your beach wedding in a bikini, a pair of shorts or a slinky, sequin dress, would it make you want to rant or rave?

If I had to do it all over again, I might have chosen a beach wedding. There’s something so sweet about the smell of sea breezes and the cool tones that accompany a beach scene. Imagine your hair down, a flowing white dress, casual attire and the beauty of white sands and gorgeous blues and sea greens. Here’s my idea of an idyllic beach wedding.

Photos of casual wedding gowns from Brides.com. Jewelry and bridesmaid dress from Ann Taylor. Sweetheart table beneath a huppah from Alexis and Eric’s wedding in Coronado, California from The Knot. Starfish cake from La Patisserie: A French Bakery by the Sea in Cape May, New Jersey. Seaside Elegance wedding invitations from Wedding Paper Divas.

Meeting my fiancé’s parents was actually surprisingly anxiety-free. Thank goodness real life doesn’t play like a movie. In this case, I was not dealing with crisis after crisis like “Meet the Parents” with Ben Stiller. In fact, things went rather smoothly. What did scare me, however, was having both sets of families meet for the first time. Some couples wait until the rehearsal dinner for this momentous event. Maybe they want to put it off or their families live oceans apart. Whatever their reason, I can empathize. The one thing I know is that when the time comes I would rather start things off right by sending my future in-laws an invitation to alert them to the event. I think it’s a nice gesture and why not do a little something extra for something so important?

I’m already starting to view all of Wedding Paper Divas cool designs. The Chandelier Rehearsal Dinner Invitations are particularly dramatic and unique while the Prairie Grass Rehearsal Dinner Invitations are soft and subtle, great for a casual get together.