How to Plan a Small Beach Wedding
A small wedding on the beach is a particularly romantic way to start your marriage. Although your wedding might be small, you'll find that arranging a beach wedding will still require a certain amount of planning and preparation. Before you can start making arrangements, you and your future spouse will need to determine how many guests you plan to invite to your wedding and agree on the type of beach wedding to have.
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Instructions
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Investigate several beaches as possible locations for your wedding. Consider such things as crowd levels at the beach and availability of parking and restrooms for your guests. If you are planning to have your reception at the beach, too, convenient restrooms will be very important to your guests.
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Check with local municipalities and ask whether permits are required for a beach wedding. Ask if there are certain sections of the beach recommended for weddings and if you will be permitted to erect a temporary canopy or set up chairs if you want.
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Get in touch with your hotel's wedding planner if you will be having your wedding on a beach owned by a hotel. The wedding planner can let you know when and where weddings are performed on the beach and can arrange a small reception.
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Decide the time of day for your wedding. The ocean is particularly scenic at sunrise and sunset, and many beach weddings are conducted at these times.
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Determine what kind of reception you would like to have. Perhaps you've always dreamed of a barbecue on the beach or maybe you would really like to hold your reception dinner in a restaurant overlooking the ocean. If you are considering a restaurant reception, you'll need to make these arrangements early.
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Choose the wedding dress carefully, taking into consideration that you will probably get a little sand on your dress. Avoid bridal gowns and bridesmaids dresses with trains and choose dresses that are no longer than ankle-length to prevent damage to dresses from sand and water stains.
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Find someone to officiate at your wedding if you will be handling all of the wedding arrangements. Call local ministers and judges and ask whether they perform beach weddings.
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Send invitations well in advance of your wedding date. This is particularly important if you are having your wedding in a distant location, as guests may need time to save money for airfare and hotel costs.
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Arrange for a local photographer to take photographs of the wedding or ask a friend to snap some candid shots during the ceremony. If you are arranging your wedding through a hotel, the hotel's wedding package may include photography.
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Offer guests a small gift basket when they arrive at the wedding. Include such items as sunscreen, bug spray, disposable cameras and a beach towel.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't wear heels on the beach. They will sink into the sand and make it more likely that you'll trip. Wear sandals instead or go barefoot.
