HOME >> WEDDING THEMES >> PLANNING A BEACH THEME WEDDING (II)

The Basics of Planning A Beach Theme Wedding
Part II

In Part I of this article, I discussed rules and regulations that you will need to have answered by local officials in regards using a particular beach for your wedding.

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 beach weddings. 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 for your wedding.

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 wedding centerpieces, 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.

by Rose Smith, Copyright 2004

Rose Smith is the author of How to Create a Beautiful Medieval Wedding and several other wedding booklets. Visit Wedding Themes and More for great ideas on theme weddings, favor ideas, budget tips, honeymoon destinations, decorations and more.