A destination wedding guest has a harder brief than a regular one. The dress has to survive heat, travel in a case, work outdoors on uneven ground, and photograph in strong light rather than a dim reception room. Most eveningwear is designed for exactly one of those conditions.

Long is the safe answer because almost every destination wedding specifies it or implies it, and because a maxi handles both a church and a beach in a way a cocktail dress does not. Fabric is the real decision. Crepe, faille and lace all travel. Heavy satin creases and shows every mark in sunlight.

The eight here run $330 to $698. Baobab's Carla at $330 and Significant Other's Mora strapless crepe at $395 are the lightest and the easiest to pack. Third Form's Visions lace is $420 and ROAME's Pamela polka dot is $440. Maygel Coronel's ruched mock-neck at $690, As It May's draped faille gown, Mac Duggal's beaded lace and AMUR's Reese silk lace all sit at $698.

Grass, sand and stone terraces are what destination weddings are held on, and a stiletto is the wrong tool for all three. The shoe that works has a wide base, and that means a block, a platform or a wedge.

This is not a compromise on height. A wedge at 90 millimetres gives the same line as a stiletto at 90 millimetres and stays on the surface instead of sinking into it. The only thing lost is the visible gap under the arch, and nobody looking at a photograph of the day will notice it.

The eight here run $375 to $695. STAUD's Brigitte satin sandal at $375 is the lowest-key option. Andrea Gomez's Bella platform at $430 and Christopher Esber's Aura Quartz wedge at $695 are the two most stable. Aeyde's Amara patent is $500, Studio Amelia's Viti is $535 and SIMKHAI's Willow strappy is $545. LUCASHEVA's Varvara python-effect wedge is $548, and Alexandre Birman's Gia at $625 is the most conventional evening sandal in the grid.

A clutch at a wedding is a fixed requirement rather than a choice, because there is nowhere to put a bag and no reason to carry a large one. What it holds is a phone, a lipstick and a folded order of service, and the decision is entirely about how it looks in a photograph.

The practical consideration is a strap. A clutch with no strap has to be held all evening, which becomes a problem at exactly the moment a drink and a canapé arrive together.

The eight here run $350 to $675. STAUD's Muse beaded satin-leather at $350 and Cult Gaia's Eviana acrylic at $395 are the accessible end. SIMKHAI's Marion shell is $495. Marlies Grace's lace clutch at $550 and Pura Utz's floral beaded at $555 are both handworked. Liffner's belted leather is $595 and Judith Leiber Couture's crystal miniature is also $595, which is the most decorative object in this entire edit. Alexis Bittar's twisted gold side-handle at $675 is the only one with a handle.