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Beach themed wedding cake (photo from www.everystockphoto.com)A beach wedding can refer to either the wedding ceremony on the beach or both the wedding ceremony and reception on the beach. Many brides have the ceremony on the beach and then host the reception at either a pavilion or inside a nearby resort. Other couples have both the wedding ceremony and the reception on the beach. Many guests also incorporate the beach theme into their invitations, food, favors and cake. - One of the first decisions to make when planning a beach wedding is to decide if you are going to have the wedding on a public beach or a private beach. The costs for a public beach might be less, but most public beaches require you to purchase a permit and have strict regulations about noise, alcohol and open flames. On a private beach, you do not need a permit, and the rules are often more lenient about alcohol. In addition, you often have access to an indoor setting in case of inclement weather. You should also consider catering needs when selecting your beach location.
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Calla Lillies are a good choice for flowers for a beach wedding (photo by Aneta Blaszczyk)When selecting the time for a beach wedding, be sure to factor in the tides for the location of the wedding. You should also consider the temperature and time of day. You want to avoid hot times of the year and of the day. Summer weddings at the beach in locations such as Florida should only be done in the late evening for safety and comfort reasons. Because the temperatures often drop sharply at the beach once the sun goes down, you should provide blankets for guests if you have an evening beach wedding. If you are going to be having the wedding during the day, be sure to select hardy flowers to avoid them wilting during the ceremony. Many florists suggest orchids and calla lilies because they are very hardy. Try to avoid tulips and hydrangeas because they do not hold up well in direct sunlight. -
A seaside chapel can be a good backup plan for bad weather (photo by Jill Kerr)One of the most important considerations in a beach wedding is to make sure that you have a backup plan in case it rains. One option is to have an indoor location available. Another plan is to move the start time of the wedding back a few hours if the rain is expected to pass. To make sure that your guests can hear your vows over the crashing surf, consider renting a speaker system and placing speakers near the guest chairs. Many couple's planning a wedding on a public are concerned about other beachgoers crashing the wedding. To reduce the number of people on the beach during your ceremony, plan the wedding for the late afternoon or evening. Most people are very respectful of weddings and will not get in the way. If you are concerned, you can ask your wedding planner or a close family member to quietly ask other people to respect the wedding. Because many beach weddings are planned in remote locations, guests can often have difficulty finding the wedding location. To assist the guests with finding the wedding, provide a detailed map, set up signs to direct the guests to the location and provide guests with the cell phone number of a close family friend or family member. -
An elegant setting for a beach wedding ceremony (Photo by Laura Ellis)If the wedding will be on a public beach, be sure to provide toilets for the guests. While you may be near a public restrooms, these are often not the quality of accommodations you want to provide. You can rent clean and nice portable toilets. It is recommended that you have at least 1 toilet for every 50 guests. For beach wedding receptions, consider selecting a location where the food can be prepared into and brought to the beach. You will also need to provide chairs and shelter for the guests.
