Planning a Beach Wedding: What You Need to Know

Toes in the sand, the salty sea breeze in your hair, your best friend waiting at the end of the aisle with a couple of mai-tais…planning a beach wedding you’ve always dreamed of is totally doable, but you may want to hold the applause.  It can be beautiful, wonderful, and timeless, but it can also be difficult to pull off, so here are a few things to consider before you pack your umbrella and flip-flops.

Weather

This is the blessing or curse of any outdoor wedding.  Your best bet is to choose a warm, arid locale, like southern California or Baja.  An exotic island wedding can be tempting, but humidity will really ruin your day (nobody wants runnels of sweat streaming down the back of her dress) and rain can cause a postponement.  To that end, check out the seasonal norm for your destination to make sure you’re not entering into wedded bliss during hurricane season.  And keep in mind that the shoreline can be a bit windy (making it difficult for those in attendance to hear the proceedings) so consider a wireless mic setup to say your vows loud and clear.

Guest list

Be aware that some of your older relatives may not be able to sit through a ceremony in the sun.  Plan accordingly by putting up tents, or consider having the reception indoors so they can still attend.  A chic tip is to offer paper umbrellas as favors and keep water bottles on ice for heat-sensitive guests.

Your dress

You may have your heart set on a frou-frou princess dress (corset top, layers and layers of crinoline) but this is hardly practical for a beach wedding.  If the setting is more important, scale the dress back to something light, airy, and appropriately ethereal.  P.S.  Ditch the train – sand is dirty!

Photography

You can run into some serious photographic issues with an outdoor wedding, so take that into consideration when setting the time for the ceremony.  The overhead light of the midday sun will cause some serious shadows on your face and the glow of sunset can leave you looking orange or create flare on your photos, so go for the lovely light of mid-morning or mid-afternoon to ensure that your photos are flawless.

Licensing

Your marriage license is covered, but don’t forget the location permit.  You need to obtain permission to host an event on most public (or private) beaches, so check in with the local authorities or Parks and Recreation to ensure the venue is available on your wedding date and that proper facilities are provided.

There are several things to consider when planning a beach wedding, from flowers and hairstyles that won’t wilt to sand-friendly footwear.  But with a little common sense and some help from your friends (or a seasoned wedding planner) you can have a beautiful wedding in a natural setting and have both the memories and the photos to last a lifetime.