Bloomingdale's has the better range of true floral maxi dresses for this occasion. FARM Rio's Floral Delhi Maxi Dress at $208.60 and the Maira Floral Maxi Dress at $210 both use the kind of saturated print that reads as dressed up rather than beachy. Phase Eight's Liyah Floral Maxi Dress at $315 is more structured if the wedding leans slightly more formal than a typical garden party. MILLY's Magnolia Silver Floral Sequins Maxi Dress at $333.90 is the one to reach for if there is an evening reception and you want some shine.

Saks trades some of the florals for richer fabric and color instead. STAUD's Portia Silk Maxi Dress at $725 and Charli Silk Maxi Dress at $750 are both solid color silk rather than print, which works well if the garden setting already provides enough pattern on its own. Chiara Boni La Petite Robe's Kanji Abstract Print Maxi Dress at $746.25 and the beaded Isolda Maxi Dress at $892.50 are dressier still, closer to an evening reception than an afternoon ceremony. Acler's Forever Young Benetti Maxi Dress at $655 sits in between, structured but fine for daylight.

My honest take is that the Bloomingdale's grid is the more useful starting point for most garden formal invitations, since the florals and price points match what people wear to a daytime outdoor wedding, while several Saks pieces are dressier and pricier than a garden setting usually calls for. Skip anything in heavy satin or a fully beaded bodice unless the reception is indoors and in the evening, that fabric wilts outdoors faster than silk. Watch hemlines too, a floor length maxi that looks perfect in a photo can drag through grass all night. If you take one thing away, match dress weight to the time of day, not the word formal.