Can’t you just smell the salt air, feel the ocean breeze and hear the lapping of the waves on the beach? I sure remember when I had that dream but I never went through with it. Research shows that approximately 35% of all weddings are outdoor weddings – I wonder just how many of those are at the beach?
Beach weddings are popular but they do present "special issues" and planning a beach wedding may be one of the most romantic challenges in a life time; great scenery, natural decorations, originality and non-conformism of the location are among the main features of a beach wedding. But what are the issues of planning a beach wedding? You don’t want to be surprised on your wedding day because you didn’t take these issues into consideration beforehand.
A beach wedding can be in some far-off exotic location or at your own local beach – the issues are the same with the exception of needing the services of a local wedding planner/consultant if you are going to an exotic location.
The person desiring a beach wedding is typically someone who does not like to conform and is desiring to have a more casual, relaxing day. Beach weddings are typically much more creative – there is no right or wrong way to have them. Unless you go all out, a beach wedding can save you quite a bit of money over the more traditional wedding.
Also, the wedding ceremony and reception can both be held at the same place which opens up wonderful possibilities for the day and some of the activities. There are many more options available once you decide what time of day you would like to have the ceremony (remember that this is also dependent on the officiants schedule).
You could decide to make this a sunset ceremony which would be absolutely lovely on a clear, calm day; or you could decide on an all-day affair with outdoor activities before or after – it truly is up to you to create your wildest dream.
That being said, lets go back to the “issues” you will deal with when having a beach wedding. Depending on what part of the world you are planning for, the time of year will definitely have to be considered. Since it is outdoors, Mother Nature plays the starring role so you will have to plan accordingly – possibly with tents or being near to shelter; and have a backup location arranged. Another Mother Nature issue is tide – not following this schedule could be disastrous!
One of the first things to do is find out from the local authorities whether or not you need a permit to use the beach. Unless you are having a very large wedding and will require the beach to be closed off, you typically don’t but every place is different and don’t just assume anything.
Then you will have to deal with having/not having electricity and having restrooms for your guests. Very basic stuff here but so easy to overlook. Again, if you are in relatively close proximity to facilities it makes it a bit easier.
As mentioned earlier, tents and flooring might need to be considered. If many of your guests are elderly, these will be needed to protect them from the sun. Also, unless it is a very casual blanket type reception, tents will be needed for the eating area.
Typically, decorations for a beach wedding are also a lot less formal and here you save quite a bit of money. Most beach wedding brides have their ceremony performed under a wedding arch dripping with fresh seasonal flowers so that they really are the focus. Because of the informality of the beach, the remainder of the decorations are minimal.
I could go on and on here about the possibilities that are open to anyone having a beach wedding but I think the best thing for me to do is refer you to Debbie Reynold’s great resource “My Perfect Beach Wedding.” In it she shares everything she learned from her wedding planner/coordinator (who is going to be starring in his own wedding planning reality show!). Let her tell you all about the ways to shine with your beach wedding and also about all of the potential pitfalls. If I did it we would never be able to explore anything other than beach weddings on this blog and that really is not my intention. (Note to self: beach wedding blog is not a bad idea!)
Enjoy – and I really have to say that this is the way I will go for my next wedding!
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