If you have always been dreaming of a beach wedding, there are a few ideas that can make it special and memorable. You can plan the wedding yourself, get a friend to help you hire professional wedding planners to do it for you. Either way, you need to be involved during the entire planning to share your ideas and opinions.
When planning for a beach wedding, here are some of the ideas you can use:
1. Simple attire
Instead of wearing tuxedos or elaborate gowns, you should consider keeping the attire simple. A white beach wedding dress for the bride and khaki shorts/long pants with a collared shirt for the groom are both great choices. There are several online and retail stores where you can buy beach wedding dresses in the US online marketplaces like Amazon or eBay offer a wide selection of choices. I personally love Pronovias wedding dresses that you can buy directly from Pronovias. They are super stylish, fun and also very inexpensive for the quality you get.
As far as footwear, you can even opt to walk barefooted or wear simple sandals if you don’t prefer walking barefoot.
2. Wedding party
Since the bride and the groom have opted for simple attire, the bridesmaid and grooms should wear colorful leis to have a similar theme. These colorful leis are affordable and they compliment your beach theme.
3. Set up an archway
An archway will create a great backdrop for photographs during and after your wedding. You just need a simple garden arch to compliment the theme. To decorate the archway, use long, flowing, sheer fabric e.g. tulle or tying large bows from either end.
4. Place your wedding cards on shells
Since you are having a beach wedding, your reception should be nearby (probably in a nearby restaurant. You can make name cards for your guests and then set these cards in strategic places where these guests should sit. To prevent the cards from blowing away, you can place a natural seashell on top of each card. This will not only make your reception tables beautiful but also amplify your beach theme.
5. Have beach themed centerpieces
Each table should have a centerpiece from candles for lighting. The centerpieces should have a large clear glass to place the candle. The area around the candle should be filled with sand dollars, starfish, sand or even seashells to have a beach-inspired centerpiece in every table.
6. Have tiny bottles with messages as gifts
To appreciate your guests, you can have tiny bottles filled with sand and then write different messages. This will not only make the tables look great but also create beautiful memories with your guests because they will always remember the occasion.
7. Use a boat as a getaway exit
You will be having a wedding on a beach and instead of driving off in a ‘just married’ car, hire a boat to make it exciting and memorable. You can drive away in a boat to a destination of your choice depending on the plans you have after the wedding.
8. Use light Tiki torches at night
Tiki torches made from bamboos are great at night. If your reception runs into the evening, you can have these torches lined up in different designs to make your reception beautiful and romantic.
9. Have a beach themed wedding cake
Your cake can be decorated with beach themes and neutral colors e.g. shells, start fish and pearl cake toppers. You can also think of something else and add it on your cake to make the D-day memorable.
10. Music
Finally, your wedding music can vary depending on the location, the band you have hired, your choice of music and the event. Consider having different genres of music during the ceremony and at the reception. For instance, if your receptions run till evening, slow romantic jams could be a great way to end the day. With such songs, your guests can get to dance, have fun and engage in conversations before calling it a day.