The Basics of Planning a Beach Wedding

       A glorious sunset, a gentle breeze and your love by your side. This is the romantic vision that usually comes to mind for couples planning 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 for Weddings

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 weddings? 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 wedding guests want to use such a facility?
• Are there any recreational buildings nearby that can be used for preparing food, washing dishes, restroom use, running electricity to the beach area, or shelter 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 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.

© Rose Smith