Beach style wedding

Have you ever watched a romantic movie that ends with a beach wedding ceremony? The bride and groom, surrounded by their closest family and friends, make a vow of deep love and fidelity, with the sea or ocean humming behind them. Even if you haven’t seen a similar movie, it’s very easy to imagine such a scene, isn’t it?

You may have been thinking that planning a beach wedding is impossible in your country, but you can arrange beach theme wedding on the river bank, at the lakeside or any seaside resort, not particularly tropical resort somewhere far away.

Wedding couple on the stone wall by the seaside, mossy cliffs in the background — https://www.instagram.com/p/CVccV5cNeak/

A wedding on the beach is one of the biggest dreams that brides declare, and it is easier to become true than it may seem to be.

The bride in soft pink wedding dress with blonde hair in classic updo, the groom in classic black suit, wedding flower gate behind them on the sand, the sea in the background — https://www.instagram.com/p/CS-KJyIp-FJ/

A beach wedding in whatever country you live in?

It used to be impossible to receive the sacrament of marriage outside the building of a designated institution in some countries. This is changing and in many of them you are able to marry your significant other wherever you want.

Travelling to warm countries searching for ocean breeze would be very expensive, so why not appreciate what we have locally? A beach themed wedding in every country may not be surrounded by tropical greenery, but it will be surrounded by charming dunes, cliffs or rocks with sea shells under your feet. The sunset over every water is just as beautiful as in the tropics, and the tables can be filled with sophisticated fish and seafood dishes wherever you arrange your wedding reception.

Pine trees forest by the seaside, wedding reception venue with the triangle shaped gate with flowers, cellist on the side, white chairs ready for guests — https://www.instagram.com/p/CVceKRRMWr9/

But how do you go about wedding planning when it comes to a beach wedding? Most wedding guides, talk about decoration, menus, sound and lighting, which are tailored to the wedding hall. Preparing an open space for a beach wedding is quite a challenge, but with the right approach and knowledge, it can turn out to be the best decision of your life.

Preparing a beach wedding

Legal matters

For a beach wedding, you need to prepare properly. When it comes to official matters, we require making a request for a wedding ceremony outside the city buildings and indicate the location of our choice. One of the requirements for organizing a beach wedding is to provide a place for a law representative that must accompany us when we take our vows.

Location

Not every beach venue is the same- that is the choice of the place for the wedding, and it may take some time. The chosen beach for the wedding or any seaside event must be located in an intimate and easily accessible place. It is best if we choose a private beach, that belongs to a hotel or a resort, where our guests will be accommodated. On many wedding portals you can find a list of objects, which, apart from the wedding hall, offer organization of the reception in the open air.

Venue organization for beach wedding ceremony

If the beach is public, we have to ask for permission from the institution responsible for that. Remember that the reservation of the beach may involve additional costs. The weather in most of the countries can surprise us, so it is always worth having a second place for seaside ceremony under the roof as a back-up. Wedding venues often offer charming gazebos or tents located on the seashore.

Greek style wedding white tables with white and blue table runners, white wooden chairs, Mediterranean Sea style — https://www.instagram.com/p/CVc4YW9MSIf/

Tables and a dancing floor

As for the ceremony itself, tables and chairs that you would normally set up in a wedding hall will also be necessary here. You can of course limit yourself to a few rows for the oldest and most important guests. This type of ceremony does not last too long, so some wedding guests can stand at the back. However, it is necessary to prepare a comfortable place for the civil servant, who will be giving the wedding, and our witnesses.

The Bride and The Bride on the beach wedding, gray sand, palm trees, wedding guests on white chairs — https://www.instagram.com/p/CVdBZB7Lx1r/

For the party time, tables and chairs for eating are unlikely to be placed on soft sand. Therefore, a suitable surface in the form of a platform, dance floor, or stage is necessary. It can be rented from an external company or the place already built by the wedding venue of your choice can be used. The venue itself can also be located inside the building, with ocean view from the terrace or huge windows.

Evening wedding party by the sea, golden tablecloths, pastel flower arrangements, chairs with white chiffon for decoration, palm trees in the back — https://www.instagram.com/p/CWTQOnFpXXQ/

Accommodation

The wedding party must have easy access to the beach, so the best hotels are those located right by the water. Cars can then be left in the car park, clothes in the hotel room, and you can go to the ceremony in peace.

Decor for beach weddings

These types of frames can be arranged in an interesting way, using backrests and steps. Delicate decorations based on natural elements such as palm leaves, bamboo chairs, lanterns, light garlands or live torches stuck in the sand create a magical atmosphere after dark. Pampas grass are in-style nowadays, and they can create unforgettable atmosphere on the sand. Seashell escort cards are also a detail, but can make a difference in creating an overall wedding theme. Using natural beauty for your wedding decor can save you quite a lot of money. All you need to do is time and creativity. Sea glass can be a beautiful addition to string lights for creating an astonishing atmosphere, especially after dawn.

Table decoration with wicker plates under the plates, baby blue napkins, deep green greenery and flower arrangements — https://www.instagram.com/p/CVbkVirM4Uh/

Food

No wedding can take place without catering. If our hotel does not have a restaurant, we have to order an external company. The beach can be quite far from the catering facilities, so it is best if the meals are constantly delivered to the tables by qualified waiters.

At a wedding by the sea, it is much more difficult to find space for candy bars or tables with alcohol. You can use your imagination and, for example, use crates, barrels or mobile tables, which are not afraid of the seaside sand.

Snack for the party in Greek style, sticks with bread mozzarella and meatballs, mini tortilla tacos — https://www.instagram.com/p/CSF2knhsqHT/

Dress code – beach wedding dresses, flip-flops and flowers.

The Groom and the Bride are the ones that decide about the atmosphere of the wedding. They may ask guests to follow certain dress code and lead these rules with their own outfits. It may be kept in elegant and sophisticated style, but can also be more casual, for example, hippie style with flip-flops and the Bride in casual wedding dress.

Wedding reception on wicker carpet, wedding bouquet with palm leaves and tropical flowers, guest on seats made out of crates, the Groom in light colored suit and the Bride in simple beach wedding gown — https://www.instagram.com/p/CVcIMKhAqei/

Conclusion

Beach themed wedding requires more ingenuity than organizing a wedding in a wedding hall. The bride and groom must not let themselves be carried away by film fantasies, but make rational decisions. Otherwise, a beach wedding, despite its charm, can be awkward and uncomfortable for the guests. However, if we approach the organization with foresight, we can make our biggest dream come true. With a bit of commitment, we will have a wedding by the sea, which none of the guests will forget.