For me no white to a wedding is a pretty hard and fast rule-it shows respect for the bride.
Please no white…there is nothing like a bride, even a lcool hippie one when faced with a guest becomes a bridezilla.
Plenty of people wear white to weddings on the beach in California. Some obnoxious brides even specify that they want the guests to wear white. I would not wear a white, flowy gauzy top to a wedding on a ranch in the mountains, however, if that is where this wedding is taking place.
With bright yellow or red patent shoes and a bold necklace.
^^You want to look like Minnie Mouse? 
(the dress is great-but it’s bold-you need to be neutral with your accents, imo)
Polka dots seem the antithesis of hippy/artsy wedding to me. Seems very Shaker Heights if anyone catches my drift.
I’m from California…we have attended LOTS of weddings here, Palm Dessert, Hawaii and on the east coast. No white…pale colors read white in the evening. How do I know this? I wore the yellow silk outfit…
I went to a vegan hippie artsy wedding in Point Reyes Station (coastal Marin County), and a guest showed up in a fur coat. That was definitely what NOT to wear. There was some major passive-aggressive stuff going on with that guest!
LOL, @nottelling
@jollymama, judging from the things you chose initially, you prefer solid colors to prints, so I’m guessing you don’t want to be a peacock. It just isn’t your style. For this reason, I’d buy something you will definitely want to wear again for other occasions, but pair it with some really stunning costume jewelry. Maybe find a floaty dress from Anthropologie with a beautiful pendant or earrings? Or decide which body parts you like on yourself (shoulders? ankles? cleavage? waist?) and find something that highlights (or at least doesn’t hide) those parts.
If you’re going to do a solid color, it should be made from a dressy fabric, like silk, or something with a sheen to it. Museum gift shops can be a good place to shop for these things, believe it or not.
Nottelling: OMG!
I love those Calypso pieces. I’m not sure that they’d be right for OP, but gourmetmom is going to look fabulous on her vacation!
For me, I rarely ever buy something just for one event. I like things I can wear for more events. If that is your preference, keep it in mind while shopping, as it can affect your budget and what range of things you may wish to consider.
For the weddings I recently attended, I had a bunch of possible dresses sent to me from Macy’s for free and picked up some from Ross. I then tried each on and tried to think how it would suit the event, accessories, and other uses for the outfit. I winnowed down the selections and was very pleased with final choices.
Total expense of an outfit is something I do pay some attention to, as well as how to care for the garment. If it really makes me look and feel amazing and I can envision using it for several things, I may splurge more.
Talbots usually has a good selection of “occasion” dresses.
https://www.talbots.com/online/browse/occasions/_/N-10202?intcmp=20160307_home_occasion
Here is another option. Wear with a long chunky necklace of some sort. This could be flattering for someone with a large chest if the waist hits at the right spot (not an empire waist, but lower).
A good rule of thumb if you have any lumps or bumps is to go for something fitted that pulls away from your body (linen, silk, cotton) rather than a clingy cut or stretchy fabric. Wedge shoes are a must for outdoor so you don’t sink in. I love a shift style dress that you can accessorize with a scarf or jewelry. Sometime a solid works best jazzed up with a flowery scarf and dangly earrings and bracelets.
My daughter’s had a similar wedding last June. Dress code was “wear what you like”. There were people in suits, hawaiian shirts, silk dresses, linen shorts, etc. Everyone looked great because they were comfortable. Most brought a change of clothes for evening to dress down. It was perfect. Have FUN!
For those objecting to white (in a context where it’s clearly not a wedding dress), do you also object to black at a wedding? That “taboo” seems to have gone by the wayside years ago, IMO.
No offense, but I really don’t think that Tory Burch dress would work for the OP’s figure or would be appropriate for a semi-formal wedding. Cute dress though.
How about something like this, with a shawl?
Casual/hippie wedding in the shade in the summer in inland southern California? Pale colors in lightweight fabrics (my choice would be linen pants and a gauzy top with flowers in my hair).
ditto at the beach in northern CA (like Eureka, where it could be 60 and foggy)? pants, pretty sweater, maybe even a shawl.
It really matters where this is!