Tips & Advice
You’ve found your perfect destination wedding site on a wonderful beach, with the calming sounds of the ocean and the beautiful colors you envisioned when you said “Yes” to that gorgeous diamond ring. It’s time to plan the ideal beach ceremony for you and your groom, and the people you’ve invited to celebrate this day with you.
First, it’s important to find a secluded location where your ceremony can take place without interruptions, and hopefully out of earshot of any beachgoers who are playing music, volleyball or just generally being noisy. You’ll want to check the tide schedule, what part of the day the weather is the way you’d like it, and how much lighting you’ll need at that time of day.
The tide schedule is an important factor in setting up your ceremony and reception seating. Make sure you know when the water hits your ceremony spot, and make sure you choose your seating space accordingly. Choose chairs that will be stable in the sand and easy to get in and out of.
What part of day you choose will also make a difference to your comfort and the comfort of your wedding party and guests. You don’t want the groomsmen to have sweat stains on their shirts or your curls to be limp and frizzy, so pick a time of day when it’s not too hot and humid. Earlier in the day before the sun reaches full strength is a good time, or late afternoon to early evening, when the sun begins its descent to the horizon. Twilight is for that flawless picture of you and your groom against the setting sun, from the day you’ll always remember.
If you’ve chosen the latter part of the day, make sure your lighting is appropriate. Candles, tiki torches and bonfires can lighten up your wedding festivities, or you can bring electricity onto the beach with cables if you’re near a hotel or some other building structure, to plug in fairy lights (mini white Christmas lights) to illuminate your storybook ceremony and reception.
For a beach wedding, there are a few things you can consider for the comfort and enjoyment of your guests. If you are having a tented wedding to protect you and your guests from the bright sun, great. Still, you should also provide things like large buckets of ice for bottled water at the entrance to the location. Consider printing your program on paper fans to hand out, in case the weather is a bit warmer than you expected, or have them printed on paper the guests can fold into fans on their own. If you don’t have a tent, consider a selection of floppy hats or paper umbrellas to protect your guests from the sunlight, in case they sunburn easily or take medications that affect how much exposure to the sun they can have.
Finally, you should check any laws or regulations affecting weddings on beaches at your destination. Some beaches do not allow large gatherings or weddings. You should check with your wedding planner or with the local beach authority before finalizing the wedding location just so there are no unexpected hiccups.
Planning in advance for all these contingencies will keep the spotlight on you during your destination wedding ceremony. |
