Believe it or not, a beach wedding is not any easier to plan than a traditional church wedding – in fact, in many respects, it may be more difficult.  While they may look quite simple to the casual observer, beach weddings are actually quite complicated events.  Here are some of the major factors to consider when thinking about holding a beachfront wedding:

Perfect Tide Timing – Tides rise and fall according to their own timetables. Thankfully, the schedules are fairly predictable, even though there may be some day-to-day changes. Be sure to find out when the tides are typically in and out before scheduling your wedding. Otherwise, you could be in for a rude wedding day awakening.

Minding Mother Nature – The last thing you want is to be forced to move your wedding at the last minute because a hurricane is blowing through the area. While you might not know the exact moment when Mother Nature’s wrath might strike, you can at least work to avoid holding your wedding during hurricane season. Since, though, there is always the possibility of rain, be sure to have a rain plan ready. For instance, you might choose a covered patio or a gazebo as an alternative location for your festivities.

If you’re fortunate enough to have a gorgeous day for your wedding, you’ll also want to practice some sun-sense. Brides should lather on the sunscreen, and you might even want to provide little bottles of sun protection to each of your guests. Also, choose to hold your wedding at a time of day when the sun is most merciful, so that you won’t be squinting through your wedding photographs. In addition, don’t forget to plan for the wind – make sure you have little weights on your veil to prevent it from flying into your face.

Overcoming the Ocean’s Roar – The ocean is certainly scenic, but it can actually rival a factory floor in terms of noise. Therefore, it is absolutely critical that you have a PA system in place so that the minister, bride, and groom can all be heard. Amplified sound can be challenging, though, since electricity can be tough to come by on the beach. The solution may be using your own generator or using extra-long extension cords so that you can get power where you need it.

Avoiding Foolish Footwear – It’s unthinkable for some women to arrive at a special event without their trusty heels. But, when you have to contend with sand, wearing high heels is a fashion faux pas. In fact, it can be a safety hazard, particularly for those who are older or who have physical limitations. It’s best, then, to advise guests to wear sandals or flip-flops – you can include a reminder right on the wedding invitation.

Occupying Your Youngest Guests – For children, beach time usually means play time. Therefore, it can be virtually impossible for them to stop scampering about when the ocean beckons. To help occupy little guests and keep them from becoming a distraction, why not provide each child with his or her own bucket and shovel? That way, you can direct their energies toward something entertaining – but quiet!

Private Beaches Are Best – You may like the idea of sharing your special day with the world, but the rest of the world can be quite loud and distracting.  If you hold your wedding on a public beach, you will have to contend with the possibility of some unwelcome distractions. Consider contacting a realtor to see if you can rent a property that will give you access to a private beach. That way, you’ll also have a place for members of the bridal party to stay the night before the big event.

Consider Cost – Contrary to popular belief, beach weddings may not be any less expensive than weddings at other locales. You’re still likely to want traditional wedding amenities, such as a fabulous reception for entertaining your guests. Also, you still might want to hire a wedding planner to make sure that your wedding day runs smoothly.

Finally, beach weddings can certainly seem an attractive option for brides who like thinking out-of-the-box.  Just keep in mind all the variables that can detract from such a lovely wedding portrait, and plan accordingly.

So where are you intending to have your beach wedding? Is it a Caribbean beach wedding or a Hawaii beach wedding or maybe your intending to have a Florida beach wedding? It doesn’t really matter which divine tropical location you’re going to have your ocean theme wedding at, they all have one thing in common. They are all warm to hot and that can play merry hell with your choice of beach wedding clothes. It’s not much good wearing a really beautiful gown only to have hideous wet marks from heat induced sweat ruining the look and all the beach wedding photos. So wear something appropriate and pick the cooler morning or late afternoon for the beach wedding ceremony. Wear something light and loose in natural materials, for instance cotton, and for the men (who sweat more) suggest under vests to absorb the sweat and keep them feeling cooler and dryer during the beach wedding.

Wind And The Beach Wedding Ceremony
Remember that a beach wedding is an outdoor wedding and therefore you are at the mercy of the elements. Mostly in the tropics, they are at least predictable and can be worked around. For instance remember it may well be windy so don’t have things that are easily blown around as part of the decor of your beach wedding. And make sure that things like the centre pieces are heavy enough to stay where they are put. Use lovely heavy glass vases or add a layer of sand inside the containers to increase their weight. And you can outline the path to your beach wedding ceremony with stones or sea shells to give even more of a marine feeling to your beach wedding.

And don’t forget to be prepared for the worst. Just in case the weather should turn to rain have a back up room in the venue which you can use so the wedding can happily proceed. Make sure the guests are fully informed of what is happening before the time arrives.

The Unity Sand Ceremony
Another beach wedding idea is to have the more traditional Unity Candle Ceremony replaced by the Unity Sand Ceremony. At your beach wedding, you can even scoop up the sand at your feet to use in the ceremony and as a permanent souvenir of the glorious beach where you had your beach wedding ceremony. It also solves the problem of the wind blowing the Unity Candle out. The Unity Sand Ceremony is a ceremony a couple of minutes long during which the bride and groom pour sand into a Unity Vase from a separate container each and is really well suited to a beach wedding. This symbolizes their two separate lives coming together, being joined and continuing on as one. It is a simple, beautiful and heart felt ceremony. Other family members, particularly children of the couple, are also able to join in and feel part of the beach wedding ceremony.

The beach wedding site can be pretty noisy with wind, surf, birds and maybe other happy people if you are on a public beach. So ensure that there is some kind of public address system so you can be heard taking your vows.

Soft Sand and High Heels
Soft sand can be difficult for the elderly or disabled to walk on. And it can be a real challenge for high heels. For yourself consider sandals or bare feet for your beach wedding, it’s wonderful feeling the sand squidging up between your toes. And for your guests, seriously consider getting some flooring for the seating and tables to prevent them from sinking into the sand.

Keep the beach wedding theme flowing through the food you serve. Use sea shells or abalone shells to serve seafoods in. Have a Hawaiian pit roast or a BBQ instead of a ‘normal’ meal. And for the cake have it laced with dark or heavy rum as they do in the West Indies.

We may have made the idea of a beach wedding sound as if it has insurmountable problems. But this is not really so. At least no more so than any wedding has challenges to over come. With a little planning your beach theme wedding can be a true highlight of your life.

You’ve got it all pictured in your mind you just don’t know where to go for your destination wedding.You’ve decided you want your destination wedding to be somewhere exotic like the Caribbean with its golden beaches and azure sea and sky, or Hawaii with its fabulous beaches and lush tropical flowers, or Florida with its cosmopolitan cities and world famous theme parks and its beautiful beaches. Let’s take a closer look at these destination wedding locations.

Do All Roads Lead to Caribbean Destination Wedding Resorts?
We’ll start our tour with the Islands of the Bahamas. There are 700 of them stretching for 500 miles to the east of Florida and Cuba. They have some of the clearest sea water in the world which makes for truly spectacular snorkeling and beach weddings. They also have a whole division of the Tourism Ministry devoted to Destination Weddings. So if you have a beach wedding idea, give them a ring during office hours and they will be happy to help you.

On the other side of the Caribbean in Mexico is Cancun, another spectacular Caribbean Beach Wedding setting. Its unique attractions are Mayan archaeological sites along with beautiful white beaches and some of the best diving sites in the Caribbean. Many hotels and resorts have destination wedding packages that include the beach wedding free. This bonus is available at many Caribbean resorts.

Back to the eastern side of the Caribbean you come across the Puerto Rico wedding destination. With so many connections with the USA, this is one of the most popular destination wedding resort islands. Another spectacular tropical wedding destination, Puerto Rico has more than its fair share of fabulous beaches and fantastic scenery. It also has waterfalls and other places of scenic beauty in its interior. A truly idyllic island for your outdoor wedding.

How About A Hawaii Destination Wedding?
Hawaii, the Friendly Islands, stunning island after island. Oahu, Maui, The Big Island, all different but all clad with their rich volcanic vegetation and surrounded by cliffs and fabulous beaches. The whole archipelago cries out love and romance. Home of the hula dancers and the lei of scented frangipani flowers. Where else in the USA could a more romantic Hawaii beach wedding be held? Then there are literally hundreds of other choices if you don’t want the beach for your destination wedding. Just imagine an idyllic waterfall surrounded by exotic tropical flowers or a beautiful chapel for a more traditional wedding. Heaven awaits the bride and groom in the Hawaiian Isles.

Finally Florida For A Fabulous Destination Wedding
Miami is the most exotic city in the United States but also has some of the most beautiful beaches of any city anywhere. And there are lots of alternative outdoor wedding locations including yachts and launches. Another destination wedding location is Key West an idyllic tropical island at the end of a 100 mile chain of islands and keys off the southern Florida coast. And there are many other cities like Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and the Theme Parks of Orlando. A virtual cornucopia of Florida destination wedding locations.

The Unity Sand Ceremony For Your Destination Wedding
While we are talking about tropical wedding destinations and beach wedding ceremonies, it is an ideal time to mention the great outdoor alternative to the unity candle ceremony, the unity sand ceremony. At your beach wedding, you can even scoop up the sand at your feet to use in the ceremony and as a permanent souvenir of the glorious beach where you took your vows. The Unity Sand Ceremony is a ceremony a couple of minutes long during which the bride and groom each pour colorful sand into a unity vase. This symbolizes their two separate lives coming together, being joined and continuing on as one married couple. It is a simple and beautiful ceremony. Other family members particularly children of the couple are also able to join in the ceremony with miniature versions of the unity vase. The Unity Sand Ceremony has also become increasingly popular with couples who are venturing into second marriages and are looking for a meaningful ceremony for blended families where the children of the bride and groom can also participate.