After spending the last five days at
the beach, I still have a little sand in my shoes. So, in honor of my
lovely vacation [and the fact that I am not happy I had to come home],
we're going to chat about beach weddings.
I have never decided if I am pro-beach wedding or against the whole
idea. I have attended a beautiful sea side wedding and I've witnessed
some tacky ones (a.k.a. sat in my beach chair and watched/stalked).
What made the tacky ones so god awful? The ceremony. It wasn't
necessarily what was being spoken; but the wind and the ugly decor made
it sooooooooooo bad. Now, of course no one having an outdoor
ceremony/reception/hoe down wants bad weather, but it happens. Even a
cloudy afternoon may ruin your day in the sun [Ha! Pun intended]. But,
since you can't control Mother Nature, focus on the decorations you use.
Why? Whoever decided to use ivy for this ceremony should probably be shot. It's bad enough that they tacked it to anything that wouldn't be blown away. Regardless of your taste and theme, you are at the beach. Take advantage of your surroundings and enhance them. Ivy (or whatever that green mess is) doesn't belong on a beach,
it belongs at the local motel where your second cousin and his third
wife got hitched.
More of this, Please Example # 1:
Why? Simple and clean. And I'm not biased because this is from one of my
girlfriend's wedding. For the location, my friend and her fiance chose
a small beach at set the date for October. The weather was still nice
and warm; but, we didn't sweat to death under the sun. Another upside
to October: there are less people out because it is the off season.
Back to the decor... The three black chairs were for a few important
family members. All the guests moved to the traditional bride or groom
side and remained standing. In doing so, we created an isle for the
bride to walk down. The alter was designated by the two black iron
rods. The rods held white sea shell chandeliers topped with black
bows. The other focal color for the wedding (yellow) was showcased in
the bridesmaids gowns and boutonnieres.
Why? This couple and their wedding party are taking some post-ceremony photos. Lovely. However, I'll bet you a million bucks that those kids behind them were screaming and splashing during the ceremony too. When you have a beach
wedding on a public beach, you run the risk of having many spectators.
Kids are loud, people don't want to move from their spot so you can set
up the ceremony seating, dogs are barking... the list goes on. Try to
pick a more secluded spot at your favorite beach or move to another
beach entirely. Thinking Myrtle Beach, South Carolina because you know the area and you like the flat beach? Move thirty minutes up the coast to Sunset Beach in North Carolina. Same feel but more private.
More of this, Please Example # 2:
Why? You know your wedding is on the beach, thus, in the sand. You're
guests know because the invitations say so. You probably mentioned on
your wedding website what the attire for the event should be. Most
people put two and two together and know to wear sandals and/or beach
friendly shoes for your event.
But, there's always a few people who either forget to pack proper shoes
or think they can walk in five inch stilettos in sand. Go figure.
Either way, giving your guests some shoes to slip on is a smart idea.
Leave a bucket of inexpensive flip-flops (in your colors of course) in
a visible location for your guests. It's a nice gesture and it looks
pretty darn cute.
Check out more cute photos, like this one, from
Jules Bianchi's blog and website.
Moral of the story: As always, this is just my humble opinion. If you want to have a beach wedding, go for it! I [usually] love them and it's an excuse for me to take a vacation. Just think through
every little detail. Find someone who can help you work out the
details and manage your destination wedding. Hire a wedding planner
that works in the desired area. They will give you valuable advice and
know the in's and out's of a beach wedding.
What do you love/hate about beach weddings?
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