A beach wedding is like no other. If you’re facing one, either as a participant or a guest, you may be wondering how to prepare for it. Here is some advice on how to do just that.

First and foremost, don’t forget the suntan lotion. A sunburned face never looks good in wedding photos, so it’s best to avoid it. Focus on the parts of your body that are exposed to the sun. But if you are wearing very lightweight clothing you may want to spray yourself all over before getting dressed for the day.

When the time does come to get dressed, make sure you choose a suit compatible with the climate you’ll be in. Beach wedding attire should always be appropriate but comfortable. This means wearing light linens and colors too.

For a more casual look, you can get away with a bold print shirt for a beach wedding. If you care at all about following trends, bold shirts are a hotter choice than a plain white shirt ever would be. But if you can’t see yourself in a loud shirt you can always wear something as simple as a striped shirt and khakis, chinos or even jeans.

One of the most important things to remember is that no matter how you dress, a beach wedding is not the place to wear flip flops. While you don’t want to show up barefoot, slip-on shoes are your best bet. They are easier to walk in on sand and they look classier. Sandals are also an option for a casual beach wedding.

Figuring out your outfit is only half the battle. Finding comfortable shoes that are still appropriate for a wedding is the other half. While sandals and casual slip-on shoes are acceptable, they aren’t your only choices.

Boat shoes may look like something your father would wear, but they also make standing and walking in the sand comfortable. A plain pair of black or brown boat shoes can help strike a balance between wedding appropriate and stylish footwear. Penny loafers are also an option that falls into the same category. They also tend to come in more colors than boat shoes do.

No matter what shoes you pick to wear, for a beach wedding they should have a thick sole. Most of the time you will find that these do better on the sand than thin-soled shoes would. The only exception is if you choose perforated lace-up sneakers because this is the type of shoe that would have a thin sole. The tradeoff is that perforated shoes will keep your feet cooler in the heat. Some even come in loafer style if you are looking for something that looks a little nicer.

Nailing the details of a beach wedding isn’t always easy, but following this advice will help. When you look good and feel good, you make for a better guest or participant (especially if you are the groom.) So putting some thought into it is all you need in order to look your best.