A beach themed wedding is the dream of many couples but not all them dare to make this dream a reality. Let’s uncover how to plan a beach themed wedding ceremony with these 13 crucial tips that will make it a resounding success!
Sunsets, warm sand, boho wedding dresses, salty air, nature and the incredible backdrop of the ocean are only some of the appeal of a beach themed wedding ceremony. Beach weddings will fit every budget: they can go from economical to the most lavish and luxurious of events.
Get inspired by these ideas and start planning a beach themed wedding ceremony of your very own.
The bridal bouquet. Flowers that are heat resilient.
Or choose a wedding destination on the opposite hemisphere. That way it’s summer for you, but winter on the other side of the planet. Sometimes, one month after high season still has terrific weather but it’s not as crowded and/or expensive.
Always keep in mind to stay away from windy weather and know your tides. Unless you don’t mind getting literally blown away or under the sea. 😉
There is no need for chairs at the beach if the ceremony is short. And, what a view!
The next decision for how to plan a beach themed wedding ceremony is to choose the type of beach: public or private.
Private beach weddings locations are much harder to find. Most people will not rent their homes for such a large shindig but you can try renting an oceanfront estate. Even if you host your beach wedding at a resort with a private beach, you may have to share the place with other resort guests.
Make sure you ask the resort if privatizing the beach for your wedding is possible before you book.
At a private beach in the Bahamas, a modern beach wedding captured by Jason Mize Photography. Harbour Island, The Bahamas. jasonmizephotography
Unless it’s your very own private beach at your summer getaway home, you’ll have to become acquainted with the local ordinances (just like on public park weddings) or hire a wedding planner that specializes in destination weddings or is local to that area. There is a key ordinance on most beaches that prohibits alcohol and this is where having a reception at a location overlooking the beach and a beach wedding ceremony is a great idea.
when there will be few people present at the beach. You don’t want to have photos of passers by in a thong. 😉
During the week, early in the morning or at sunset are your best bets. And sunsets are so romantic!
Also, keep in mind that the night is not a good time for a beach wedding as the ocean goes black (unless you have a full moon and a clear night) and not only is a but scary but it does not allow for good photography.
Lauren Fair Photography captured this incredible scenario for a very intimate beach themed wedding.
You don’t need to decorate the beach for a ceremony but make sure you have a few benches for the people who may need it, like older folks and pregnant guests.
If your ceremony is short, nobody will mind standing for 30 minutes or so. So, a few benches, a canopy and the breathtaking scenery of the beach and the ocean should be enough.
Of course, if you want to go all the way and add the white chairs and an aisle runner covered with rose-petals, you will need more coordination and expenses (remember you will have to setup most of this the same day) but the photography will be spectacular. The work will be proportional to the number of guests.
Flowers and lanterns with risers in the sand.
Make sure you have a good sound system. The beach has a lot of nature noises: seagulls, waves, wind, and people and it will be hard to listen to the officiant’s words. A windscreen over the microphone is also a good idea.
Surrounded by friends and family at the time of the I dos. An original circular ceremony sitting.
Wear sunscreen and handout some for your guests (this could be a great idea for a wedding favor)
Avoid tan lines before the big day and this applies to the bride, bridesmaids. mom and everybody else that will attend the wedding. They really don’t look too good on the photos and neither does a sunburnt bride.
Chiffon bridesmaid dresses for beach weddings.
Make sure they endure the heat like freesias, calla lilies, orchids, and succulents. Try to keep all decorations to a minimum.
A beach wedding theme does not need a lot at the time of the ceremony. Maybe a few seashells and starfish in greens, corals and other colors that contrast with the sand will do.
Ditch the veil, it will make you and photography uncomfortable and very hard as it will flap in the wind. Choose fresh flowers or a hair accessory instead.
Lace trim is gorgeous but it can easily trap sand and look dirty. Go for chiffon or charmeuse so your gown flows in the ocean breeze.
This is a great opportunity for a shorter dress so it doesn’t touch the sand. Keep in mind that the wedding dress has to be comfortable and allow for movement and if you must wear high heeled shoes, add a wooden plank to walk gracefully to the ceremony area. Otherwise, flats, espadrilles and even kitten heels are a better option.
An aisle runner made of fabric will help your step and keep your feet cooler (sand gets really hot)
If your dress will not be touching much of the sand, this vintage backless bridal gown is a dream come true for a beach themed wedding.
an updo or a messy updo. Even a half up, half down bridal hairstyle will help you look beachy without looking like you were just hit by a typhoon.
A little hunger games inspiration for your beach wedding bridal hairstyle.
linen suits or lightweight cotton pants. Perfect for a beach themed wedding ceremony and they can use them again and again!
A beach themed wedding ceremony is beautiful but you have several weather factors to protect yourself against such as the rain and, more importantly, the wind. Chewing on sand is not a good way to celebrate.
Wedding reception at a Mexico beach captured by Stephen Karlisch Photography. The perfect example of a lavish beach themed wedding.
After the wedding, don’t miss the opportunity of having a great trash the dress photo session!
I love “Trash the Dress” photo sessions on beach themed weddings. Don’t worry, these are rarely the actual dresses. Most brides but a trashable dress from a thrift store for this type of photo shoot.
We hope the advise on how to plan a beach themed wedding ceremony is useful to plan yours. We leave you with a bunch of incredibly inspirational ideas to copy, mimic or plain steal for yours!!
A beautifully surprising 4-tiered beach wedding cake.
A guestbook full of wishes you will not want to cast into the sea, or will you? Event planner Leslie Cecchini
In between the sand and the dunes, this white on white beach themed wedding takes our breath away.
Tropical drink recipes for beach weddings: Mint turquoise signature wedding drink: blue thai mojito, blue curaçao, limon or white rum, coco-mint syrup, fresh lime juice and soda water.
Adorably cute seating sign for a same sex beach themed wedding ceremony. Photography: hative
How to plan a beach themed wedding ceremony.
Chiffon and silk dress, simple and dreamy for your beach themed wedding ceremony.
Something blue. A delicate foot accessory to go barefoot at your beach wedding via BarefootShop.
Get ready, chica! A 2017 beach themed wedding ceremony color palette by the Pattern Curator.
The perfect invitation for a rustic beach themed wedding ceremony.
Peach Echo, a Pantone top 10 color of the year to add a pop of color to your beach themed wedding ceremony.
Who said orchids? Well, here you go: a simple but elegant orchid table runner on top of palm fronds for your beach wedding.
Romantic beach themed wedding cake design with sun, love and seashells in gorgeous white.
What better idea for beach wedding invitations than watercolors in turquoise tones?
Photo credits: explore.idojour.com, MODwedding, instagram, theknot, weddingideasbyyou, annsbridalbargains, weddingwire, weddingpartyapp, greenweddingshoes, negriljamaicaweddings.com, cakesdecor, thenest, elegantweddinginvites, storeenvy
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Love the sign!! Definitely will steal the idea for my wedding!! Thank you for adding ideas for the LGBT community!!
It's our pleasure to share... love is eternal and all encompassing!! We try to be the same!!! <3 <3 <3
This post was super informative thanks for sharing such a wonderful information on beach themed wedding ceremony, really appreciated!
Taking into consideration the effects of the sun on your skin when preparing a beach wedding is a really helpful tip. I can see this as something we could have overlooked when planning that, so I bet that my partner would need to think up of a way to help everyone stay protected from the sun. I'll tell her about this when we find a beach wedding venue that we can start renting out.