There are around 1.7 million marriages each year, yet it’s your wedding that you’ll remember for the rest of your life. Of course, not everyone goes in for traditional wedding ideas of a big ceremony or one in a church.
If you live on the coast or on an island, your dream wedding may prove a beach wedding. While beach weddings share a lot of elements with other kinds of weddings, they also add some challenges to the wedding planning process that you might not otherwise face.
If you’re looking for some guidance to help you avoid the common pitfalls of a beach wedding, keep reading.
Consider Guest Logistics
Let’s say that you found the perfect spot on the beach for the wedding from a visual perspective. Great! Now, can people actually access that spot easily with cars?
You cannot overlook accessibility. If guests must walk a mile to get there, some people will take a pass.
Get the Permits
Bureaucracies are often a pain, but most will sign off on a public beach wedding. They aren’t heartless, after all. Just make sure you file the paperwork for the permits well in advance.
Set a Dress Code
If you’re getting married in the heat of high August, you might want to take pity on your guests and relax the dress code. That being said, you should tell guests what you expect on the formality scale.
Talk to Caterers Early in the Process
If the meal will happen on the beach as well, you may find a lot of caterers just aren’t interested. Complications like insects and other pests multiply out of doors. You need a caterer willing to put up with it.
Decorations
You should also give some thought to decorations. Do you want a nautical theme? What kind of decorations will hold up outside.
You might consider custom koozies for weddings. You can get them themed any way you want. Plus, they’ll hold up in a beach setting.
Have a Backup Plan
Wedding planning starts so far in advance that you can’t possibly predict what kind of weather you’ll face on the day itself. You won’t really know what the weather will look like until a day or two away.
Have a backup plan in place. You don’t necessarily need an indoor venue on standby, but you do need shelter from inclement weather. That might mean an indoor venue, but it might just mean a big outdoor tent at the beach.
Beach Wedding Planning and You
Planning a beach wedding isn’t exactly like planning a traditional wedding. You must worry about things like getting permits for the beach. Unless you found a private beach.
You must also worry about finding caterers willing to do outdoor events, as not every caterer wants that hassle. Don’t overlook things like beach appropriate decorations.
Also, do consider guest logistics when picking your location. No one will thank you for a long hike in the sand.
Looking for more wedding tips? Check out some of the other posts in our Body and Soul section.
