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Beach weddings are a popular wedding venue and with goodreason – they’re often free to use, have a wonderful relaxed vibe and you getto have the beauty and grandeur of nature as your backdrop. However, carefulplanning and being prepared is important if you want to pull off your beachwedding successfully.
Here’s our practical guide to help you plan your beachwedding.
Why Have A Beach Wedding?
Before we start talking about how to plan a beach wedding,let’s first go over the reasons to pick the beach as your wedding venue. Inbrief, these are the reasons that make a beach venue so attractive:
- A beach wedding is easier to plan, and you’llneed minimal décor.
- It’s cheaper and in many states, there’s nocharge for using the beach.
- It’s more fun and relaxed without the stuffinessof an overly formal wedding.
- The beach is a romantic, natural setting with anambience that you won’t get anywhere else
- Beaches are perfect for an intimate wedding witha small number of guests, although it can accommodate large weddings too.
- They’re perfect for a destination wedding.
- Beach venues are perfect for a couple with asense of adventure.
These are only some of the reasons that make choosing abeach venue a great idea. If you’re still on board, let’s look at how to plan abeach wedding.
Planning Beach Wedding
Book Your Beach Venue
Like Imentioned before, beach weddings are typically cheap or free. If you live neara beach, check if your state requires a permit and what the regulations arelike surrounding using the beach for your wedding ceremony. There may be rulesregarding things like consuming alcohol on the beach or throwing rice.
You couldalso use the private beach of a resort. Although this sounds pricey, resortsoften do really good package deals for reception, honeymoon and accommodationfor guests so don’t write it out without checking.
Oneimportant point to note is that beaches aren’t always private, so you might endup sharing the beach with sunbathers and screaming kids who could end up inyour videos and photos. If you’re using a resort beach, check with the resortabout this.
If you’retraveling for your wedding, spare a thought for your guests and whether theywould be able to attend. And make sure they know that the wedding will be onsand so they can dress accordingly.
Pick Your Dress
Beach wedding dresses should ideally be of breathable, comfortable fabric especially if your wedding is going to be held in the warm months. Large ballgowns and dresses with long trains, can be annoying, get dirty and make you sweat. Having said that, a traditional princess style wedding dress will still look amazing on the beach but be prepared for the difficulties that come with it. You might want to have it altered so that it’s not as long and doesn’t drag in the sand.
Skip the Veil
A veil onthe beach can be a major headache if it’s windy on the beach. It can make youlook unkempt and result in messy photos. A heavy veil can usually stay itsground but why risk it when there are lots of options out there like flowercrowns or hair vines?
Pick the Right Shoes
Barefoot sandals for a beach wedding by Fancy Feet Team. See it here.
Heels on sand is a recipe for disaster, and just won’t worktogether. Ditch the heels and instead choose wedges or flats. You could also gobarefoot, or wear barefoot beach sandals, for a comfortable, free-spiritedvibe. Note that the sand could be hot and may be uncomfortable for your feet,so consider having a fabric runner or carpet set out for you to walk on ifnecessary.
Time it Right
A sunsetbeach wedding might seem tempting, but the problem is that as soon as the sundrops, the beach turns black and your pictures will not have the ambience thatyou’re after. Instead, choose a time when the sun is still up and the colorsand sights of the beach are perfect for photography.
Thedownside? It’ll be hot so don’t forget the practical things like sunscreen or aparasol and also choose flowers that won’t wilt easily in the burning sun. Andconsider your bridal party and guests. It’s not fair to make them stand or sitin the heat for prolonged periods of time or this could happen:
Have a Back Up Plan
Beach weddings (or any outdoor venue) areexposed to the elements so preparing for the unexpected is a wise move. Have aplan B just in case things don’t go the way you’d envisaged.
Gazelle: I always wanted to have a beach wedding and I picked what I thought was the perfect date. But on the day of my wedding, we had an unexpected downpour that lasted right through the ceremony time. It was unlucky because the day before and after the wedding were perfect sunshiny days. Luckily, we had a back up plan and moved everything inside to where our reception was going to be. I ended up wearing my heels all day, instead of going barefoot like I had planned for the ceremony and the entire event was held in one venue. But we were able to capture a beach photo shoot before the rain began so at least I have some beach photos.
Consider the Groom’s Attire
Black tuxedos and the beach aren’t the best combo and can behot and stuffy to wear. It’s best to stick to more comfortable clothes, withfabrics like linen or cotton. Lighter colors like whites, browns and grays,tend to suit a beach venue and also keep the groom cool and comfortable.
Have a Shoe Station
Have a shoe station near the venue where your guests canleave their shoes, so they won’t have to worry about sand getting in them. Havea little sign that signals where the shoes are to be kept. This could besomething as simple as a bench with small towels for guests to wipe the sandoff their feet with later on. It’s a considerate touch and one that your guestsare sure to appreciate.
Keep Your Guests Refreshed
Beach venues are typically hot, so try to keep your guestsrefreshed with water and drinks. You can have a table set up with icy drinks soyour guests can keep cool while they wait for the ceremony to start. Also, tryto keep the ceremony short as a long ceremony under the sun can be unbearable.
Have a Microphone
You’ll have to either speak up or use a microphone at thebeach, because the background sounds of the waves and wind can really drown outhuman speech. What’s worse than planning and preparing your vows only to haveno one hear them properly because of the volume?
Some Other Things to Consider
- Bugs: Don’t forget the bug spray because you might be fighting off mosquitoesand flies. Insect repellent is always handy at the beach.
- Wind: It can get quite windy at the beach so ensure that the decorations arefixed firmly in place and that precautions are taken against things flying offin the wind.
- Length: Keep your ceremony short to make sure that everyone is comfortable.
- Toilets: Most popular beaches and beach resorts have public toilets but you mightwant to consider hiring a portable lavatory for the event.
- Shade: Provide your guests with some shade if possible, by having a canopy setup or if nothing else, having parasols on offer.
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