Click here
Search The
Shopping Plaza |
|
Send this page to a Friend
The Basics of Planning A Beach Themed Wedding
by Rose Smith of
wedthemes.com
©All rights reserved to Rose Smith 2004
|
A glorious sunset, a gentle breeze and your love by your side.
This is the romantic vision that usually comes to mind for couples
panning a beach theme wedding. However, the realities of
planning such a wedding can be a bit more confusing and
stressful. Here are some guidelines that you need to take
into consideration to help you keep things under control.
Checking Rules and Regulations Regarding Beach Use.
You will need to plan carefully for your beach wedding.
There are many laws and guidelines regarding the use of
beaches and each varies according to the location you
are in. If it is just you, your mate and a marriage official,
then there will be no problem for the most part. However,
you can't just trod out onto an area of a beach with a
bunch of people and have a wedding. You will first need
to get permission to use the beach (whether it's a public
or private beach) and then determine what is allowed.
Here are some questions you should get answered:
Have you checked to see if the beach you have in
mind can be used for functions such as this? Is it a
public beach or a private beach?
Do you require a special permit to use the beach for
a wedding? If so, where do you obtain one and how
much does it cost?
Are there any restrooms nearby that can be used? Keep
in mind, most of the restrooms found on beaches are
basically outhouses. Will your guests want to use such a
facility?
Are there any recreational buildings nearby that can be
used for preparing food, washing dishes, restroom ruse,
running electricity to the beach area, or can used in case
a storm suddenly pops up.
Are you permitted to erect large tents to be used as shade
or to protect food from direct sun?
What are the regulations regarding smoking on the beach
and the serving of alcohol? Many public beaches won't permit
either. Private beaches tend to be more lenient provided you
keep all cigarette butts in a container and make sure the beach
is carefully cleaned after the festivities.
Are you allowed to have a bonfire? What other regulations
are there regarding the use of tiki torches, candles, lanterns,
etc?
Can you have a specific area of the beach designated for
your wedding to keep other beach goers from interrupting your
occasion?
Are you allowed to serve food? Are there any waste cans
available for garbage or must you supply your own?
In addition to the rules regarding the use of beaches, you will
find there are many other considerations you will need to take
into account when planning this type of wedding. Here are
some additional questions you should answer when planning
out your beach wedding theme:
What time of day do you wish to have your wedding - sunrise,
sunset, or early morning? I would suggest you do not have a
beach wedding during the heat of the afternoon. Not only would
it be uncomfortably hot for many people, beaches tend to be
crowded during this period of the day. Remember, it also cools
down a lot in the evenings when on a beach. Remind your
guests to bring sweaters, jackets and some blankets just in
case they are needed.
What is the tide schedule? How high does the tide get at that
particular beach? You will need to plan your wedding time
around the tides. The last thing you need is having to suddenly
pack up and leave because the tide is coming in and you didn't
foresee this.
As you'll probably be planning your wedding several months in
advance, you'll need to determine the type of weather that normally
occurs around your wedding date. What will you do if it rains
or if the day is unusually cold or extremely hot? You will need to
prepare a back up plan for these situations. Be sure to supply this
information on your wedding invitations so guests will know where
to go if there is a sudden change in plans.
On the same note, the day may be beautiful for the most part,
and then a sudden storm may crop up. Where will you and your
guests go? Are there any facilities nearby that you can use to
continue with your wedding festivities?
Make sure you take a trip to the beach at the time of day you
wish to have your wedding. Check on the noise at the ceremony
location. How loud is the traffic from the road? Are there a lot of
seagulls around? What about the sound from the crashing waves?
All of these can drown out the ceremony and speeches said at
your wedding.
Are there mosquitoes at that time of year and how bad are they
on the beach area? How can you control them and other bugs?
Some beaches smell bad during certain periods of the day or
certain times of the year. Check to be sure that this is not the
case
during the time period that you've chosen.
How windy is it on that particular beach? Does it get a gentle
breeze or fairly heavy winds? A breeze is nice to keep the bugs
away and cool guests off…a steady wind can cause many
problems though.
Are you thinking of setting up tables or just use picnic blankets
on the sand? How will you keep sand and other debris out of your
food? Will there be chairs set up at the ceremony for the guests?
Who will you hire to do this? Who will you get to take everything
down and clean up the beach after the wedding?
How will you supply music for the wedding ceremony and/or
reception? If there is no electricity available for use with
microphones
or musical instruments, what are your alternatives?
By answering the above questions and having a good plan of action,
you will avoid many nasty surprises at your beach wedding. Many
couples don't realize all the work involved in planning this type of
wedding. You may want to consider having just the ceremony on
the beach with a few close friends and family, and then moving to
an indoor location for the wedding reception.
There are many decorations and ideas that you can incorporate to
give the reception area a nice beach theme flavor, without having to
be outside on an actual beach. Either way, beach theme weddings
can be very romantic and memorable for both the wedding couple
and the guests. Just be sure to plan well for all possibilities and
you should have a wonderfully romantic wedding day.
=============================================
Rose Smith is the owner of Wedding Themes and More, a website
designed to help you discover your perfect wedding theme.
You can find more information, resources and articles about
beach weddings at: http://www.wedthemes.com/beach-weddings.htm
=============================================
|
|
|
Recommended Products for
Beach Theme Weddings
Here are some suggestions for
outdoor entertaining:
Ocean of Love
Beach Theme Collection
Accessories Ensemble
Table covers for indoor
or outdoor use.
Sea Gel Candles
Beach Theme Keepsake Caketops
Beach Theme Stationery
Personalized Beach Theme Cameras
Thank you so much for your quick response and help!
I wish more online companies were that responsive.
I am glad I found you!
Diane from Toronto
|
Tell a Friend about
A-wedding Day
Advertising Inquiries
|
