The night was perfect, like something out of a movie. A romantic dinner at the restaurant where you had your first date, followed by a show at the theater and a long walk along the beach. You approach a small fire on the edge of the beach, and he turns to you, slipping down on one knee and reaching into his pocket. You, of course, said yes and the two of you begin to prepare for the rest of your lives together.
Some decisions were easy—late spring, on the beach, big ceremony followed by an even bigger reception. The cake, band and clothes took some planning and compromise, but now the date is rapidly approaching, and you feel good. Then it hits you as you innocently watch your favorite movie one night—while you were born and raised just minutes from the ocean, nearly everyone coming to the ceremony have never set foot on a beach in their lifetime.
Planning a beach wedding, while not necessarily more difficult than an indoor wedding, takes some extra preparation and forethought in terms of making sure your guests have everything they need. The truth of the matter is that many people who have never been to the beach think that a couple of hours in the sun means the same thing everywhere. They don’t realize that the sun in, for example, San Diego is very different from the sun in Chicago. So what can you do?
First off, be prepared. Make sure you pick a time and location that is wedding appropriate. The Bahamas may be beautiful, but you don’t want to plan your wedding for the late summer—hurricanes make for horrible wedding guests. Make sure you research the beach you want to use. Do you want it to be public or private? Is there enough room to fit all of your guests? Is the tide going to come in and crash the party?
Make sure you take advantage of local resources. Beach weddings are nothing new and most popular beach destinations are prepared to cater to wedding parties. Many have complete packages that you can purchase ahead of time, but if not, make sure you have what you need. It’s usually recommended to find a local officiate to perform the ceremony as they often have experience. With items like chairs and water stations, it is always better to have too many rather than too few. Small pavilions or tents can give guests a respite from the sun if they are unaccustomed to it and having the reception at a nearby resort can make the transition from the beach easy.
Finally, take care of your guests. Often times your friends and family will be travelling hundreds if not thousands of miles to attend your special day. Many will be nearly as excited as you are, and in that state of mind packing can be tricky. Create small care packages that they can pick up as they enter the beach. These favors can contain necessary items like personalized sunscreen, and mini water bottles as well as fun ideas like sunglasses with custom colored lenses for each guest.
Weddings are often one of the most important days in a couple’s life. With a little planning and forethought things can go off without a hitch.
