PSA: You Don’t Have to Wear White on Your Honeymoon—Here’s Proof

During my bridal era, I learned a new-to-me word to file away in my sartorial dictionary: trousseau. A bridal trousseau, it turns out, encompasses all the pieces a bride collects specifically for her bridal events and honeymoon. Don’t tell TikTok, but it turns out the concept of a “wedding wardrobe” has been around for centuries.

In particular, bulking up my bridal trousseau with fun honeymoon pieces was something I looked forward to. Rather than hopping on a flight immediately following our October nuptials, my husband and I planned a trip to Italy spanning Rome, Florence, and Sorrento for June 2026. I had tons of time in the seven months following my big day to establish my honeymoon outfits.

One thing I knew from the jump? I didn’t want to wear white, as so many brides do. It isn’t that I find this particularly corny—I just felt sick of buying so much white! As a lover of prints, patterns, and colors, it felt wrong to kick off Euro summer travels with a suitcase full of neutrals. So, I did away with the unspoken tradition and kept true to my personal style.

What I did pack, in fact, proved perfect for our little Italian getaway. Beautiful dresses for days spent wandering the streets of Rome, special caftans and swimsuits for sunbathing in Sorrento, and accessories versatile enough to be styled again and again without looking repetitive.

Whether you’re seeking honeymoon wardrobe inspiration, need to revamp your summer dress collection, or just want a recommendation for a comfortable pair of sandals, my picks below have been wear-tested and deemed worthy of cramming into even the most overweight suitcase. (I packed three, don’t judge me!)

My Tourist Uniform: Sundresses and Sets

I’m a certified Dress Girl in everyday life, so I don’t deviate while traveling. I packed favorites from Staud, Hill House Home, Reiss, Abercrombie, and Sandro, and really leaned into bright colors and fun patterns, which I believe help distract from the occasional wrinkle. When I’m on holiday, there’s no time to steam every look I pull out of my suitcase.

Some standouts included my beloved Staud Wells dress, a go-to piece I own in multiple colorways, and the Abercrombie Bra-Free Dylan Midi, which offers a really similar silhouette at a fraction of the price. For the latter, I chose a red polka-dotted print that really spoke to my Euro Summer mood board.

Another versatile pick was the Ame Skirt with Maisie Crop Top combo from Hill House Home, which I styled initially as a set, and then broke up as separates when my clean suitcase selects dwindled down. The skirt looked great with a white knotted tee, as did the crop top with some white linen beach pants.

Even though I’m a Dress Girl, packing sets is key for creating numerous outfit options with the same few pieces, instead of packing only-wear-once items. I love a statement look as much as the next girl, but a few practical pieces in the mix need not be boring.

My favorite set of all? I was desperate to get my hands on anything in Hunter Bell’s new Lost At Sea print for my time exploring the Amalfi Coast, and the Maeve Top and Paloma Wrap Skirt arrived just before I left for my flight. Kismet! I wore this for our longest day road-tripping from Sorrento to Positano, Ravello, Amalfi and back, and I knew I’d want to be in something I’d feel good in all day—not to mention, look great in for multiple photo opps.

This was probably my most-complimented look of the trip, and I can’t wait to break up and style the pieces separately now that I’m home.

My Non-Negotiable: Shoes I Can Walk In

I don’t mess around when it comes to comfortable footwear—especially when my pedometer is clocking an average of 20,000 steps per day. I wore my Aritzia Nike collab sneakers when absolutely necessary, but for the most part, I rotated between a trusty pair of flat espadrilles and a few comfortable sandals (God bless Andre Assous’s Featherweights footbed technology!).

At night, I skipped full-on heels, which don’t really suit Italy’s cobblestone streets, and opted for a recently-revived retro silhouette: the humble wedge! I packed a black and a neutral pair with a classic chunky base, but ended up especially loving the micro-wedge on a pair of white Arezzo sandals. It was just enough lift, without feeling like anything at all.

My Brand Fixation: CAMILLA

Remember what I said about statement pieces? I knew exactly which brands to turn to when it came to packing the more “special” outfits for my honeymoon. CAMILLA is an Australian brand that combines serious wanderlust with storytelling patterns and prints, so I knew I wanted to invest in a few significant pieces to wear on my honeymoon and keep in my forever summer wardrobe.

I nabbed an unreal maxi caftan (mine is sold out, but this one is similar) for our boat day to Capri, which doubled as a dress for wandering the town. Underneath, arguably the prettiest embellished one-piece swimsuit anyone has ever seen. Aside from this one, I only packed solid-colored bikinis and one-pieces —the new SPANXsculpt styles are amazing—so this was a huge departure from my other poolside looks, which I loved.

For nights out, I overdressed in even more special Camilla pieces. In a suitcase full of color, this 100% silk bias-cut slip dress was my only black look of the entire trip—a complete contrast to my other Camilla dress, this frilly, ruffled number from the brand’s recent collaboration with The MET. Both dresses proved perfect for different legs of my trip: I wore the black one to aperitivo on the chic Bvlgari Hotel rooftop in Rome, and the ruffled one to dinner under the lemon trees for our first night in Sorrento.

My Finishing Touches: Jewelry and Handbags

When it comes to travel, I try to only bring accessories I can wear consistently throughout the trip. OK, perhaps a statement earring like these gorgeous flowery tendrils from Anthropologie find their way into my bag, but for the most part, I kept things strict!

For my everyday golds, I turned to my number one jewelry brand, Jenny Bird. I leveled up from my usual huggies to the Slim Nelle Hoops for a little more oomph, and went all in on the Italy theme with both the Rome Chain Necklace and the Rome Anklet. Side note: Something about wearing an anklet on vacation just feels so right.

When it came to handbags, I was ISO styles that would be pickpocket-proof for daytime (if you’ve ever been to Rome, you know what I’m talking about). Madewell’s Signature Woven Shoulder Bag was my lifesaver, with a magnetic closure that was both easy for me to open and hard for others to access. I dressed it up with the sweetest crochet bag charms from The Sak and it complimented virtually every daytime outfit.

At night, I switched over to Strathberry’s gorgeous Mosaic Nano bag in a fun summer raffia. This is one of those fits-way-more-than-you’d-expect mini bags, so it’s perfect for long evenings out. And for my sole black ensemble of the trip (that Camilla dress!) I brought along a gorgeous Chanel bag rented via Vivrelle. A bag rental service really is just the thing for anyone wanting a statement piece for a big trip that they might not use in their daily life.

My Sun Essentials: Hats and Sunnies

For my time in the sun—whether that be seaside or shopping the city—stylish hats and sunnies were essential. I fell in love with a new Miu Miu silhouette during a recent try-on sesh at Sunglass Hut, and pretty much never took them off throughout my trip. That said, I also brought along a pair of white Raybans for some specific vintage-y vibes.

In terms of hats, I’m not ashamed to tell you I brought along at least six options. Sue me, I have melasma! Favorites included a little straw bucket from Vince and a dramatic wide-brimmed black hat by COS.

Last but not least, a newfound favorite to combat humidity, crappy hotel shampoo, and general vacation bad hair days: the humble hair kerchief! This crochet one from my honeymoon collection with RPZL is my favorite.