Be sure to include these beach ceremony tips at your wedding. Guests will be glad you did! And don’t forget to subscribe, too!
Brides: are you making these beach ceremony mistakes? Avoid them with top beach ceremony tips from wedding shoes to keeping guests happy. PLUS, get inspired with handmade beach ceremony finds we know you’ll love. Enjoy!
Beach Ceremony Tips: 12 Mistakes to Avoid
Here are the best beach ceremony tips + mistakes to avoid to ensure yours goes off without a hitch! And if you run into any questions along the way, you can *always* Ask Emmaline — our door is always open to you!
Beach Ceremony Tips: Mistake #1. The Wrong Footwear.
The sand is too hot, but you can’t walk in sand with heels. One option is to wear a pair of wedding flats. Find a pair that is 1) comfortable to walk in, and 2) doesn’t have too wide of an opening for sand to seep into. Beach flip flops and “barefoot” sandals are great options if you can walk in them easily on sand.
These sandals are bride ready! By MorMalas.
Beach Ceremony Tips: Mistake #2. The Uncomfortable Wedding Party.
An overdressed wedding party on the beach plus a hot sunny day equals a truly uncomfortable wedding party. Being uncomfortable is no fun for anyone, so make it easy with lightweight fabrics — long or short. Convertible bridesmaid dresses for the girls and a casual groomsmen attire for the guys will definitely keep everyone happy. Don’t forget the flower girl dress, too!
P.S. These convertible dresses are under $100 and come in a TON of colors. Plus they ship from the USA and require *no* alterations.
Also love this ombre look (dresses by thedaintyard):
Beach Ceremony Tips: Mistake #3. The Train.
An elegant train sounds great on paper but on sand will get dirty in an instant. Instead, wear a more casual beach wedding dress (at least for the ceremony) and skip the train. These beautiful + cheap beach wedding dresses are amazingly affordable.
Beach Ceremony Tips: Mistake #4. The Unknown Dress Code.
Guests want to dress nice for your wedding and they won’t dress less formal unless the bride gives the green light. Here are two ways to word a beach dress code on your invitation:
o Beach Formal – this style of dress is for an elegant beach wedding.
o Dressy Casual / Semi-formal is in-between formal and casual.
o Casual is the most relaxed look for guests.
Refer to this wedding attire cheat sheet for help. It’s fantastic.
Include the dress code for a beach wedding in the lower right-hand corner of your invitation (ask as a custom request). This beautiful invite is by Cricket Printing:
Beach Ceremony Tips: Mistake #5. The Uncomfortable Guest.
Sunshine in the eyes? Fill up a basket of cheap sunglasses for guests to grab!
No breeze? Provide program fans instead of traditional booklets.
Prefer no program? Opt for raffia fans; place one on each seat.
Include a designated shoe valet for guests or a cool sign for guests at which to place their shoes. I also love the simplicity of a shoe basket (something like this works great and you can re-use at home after the big day!). Include a “Shoes here, vows there” sign to let guests know where to drop their shoes.
And, of course, you could always encourage a barefoot wedding (for guests who wish to participate).
Nearby, include a galvanized tub of cheap flip flops or cheap bamboo sandals for guests to grab.
I’ve also seen brides leave a small basket of large cheap paintbrushes (like these) by the shoe check area for guests to dust sand from their toes before putting shoes back on. A brilliant idea, I say!
Beach Ceremony Tips: Mistake #6. The Where-Do-We-Go Dilemma.
Since a beach ceremony takes place off the beaten path, you’ll want a sign to direct guests where to go from the parking lot. It also helps when there are several weddings during peak season, so guests know they’ve arrived at the right spot.
Beach Ceremony Tips: Mistake #7. The Overly Decorated Space.
Similar to a mountain wedding or wedding in the woods, a beach ceremony is a popular choice for couples because it is already decorated for you! A few tasteful decor items — like creative sea glass decorations, a beach arbor or one of these wedding arches, for instance — will personalize your space in an instant.
Or check out this one, it’s gorgeous!
(P.S. Read: 21 Easy Ways to Decorate for Beach Wedding.)
Beach Ceremony Tips: Mistake #8. Trying to Do It All Yourself.
Hire a wedding planner! Planning a beach ceremony isn’t easy and a professional wedding planner will keep your stress level to a minimum. Find a wedding planner that has experience with beach weddings, particularly one who has planned a wedding at your specific location in the past.
In addition, you can get some great ideas and inspiration from wedding planning books, like The Handcrafted Wedding and The Inspired Wedding. I know for a fact they both include beach ceremony tips!
Beach Ceremony Tips: Mistake #9. No Backup Plan.
No one wants to think about what would happen if it rains or storms on your wedding. If you’re planning a beach ceremony, though, a backup plan is an absolute essential. Consider an indoor location nearby where you could hold the ceremony just in case. For a friend’s wedding, she paid for a temporary rental of a VFW hall just in case. You never know! Be sure to let vendors know of your backup location in the event of a last-minute change of plans.
Beach Ceremony Tips: Mistake #10. The Sunburn.
It doesn’t take long for the sun to give you more than just a sun-kissed look. Lather up on the SPF before the ceremony. Oh, and a basket of these for guests will be a pleasant surprise for anyone who forgot!
Beach Ceremony Tips: Mistake #11. The Sound.
Make sure your sound system is loud enough for guests to hear, especially on excessively windy days. You want guests to be able to hear you reciting vows, as well as the music before and after the ceremony.
Beach Ceremony Tips: Mistake #12. Dehydration.
Stay hydrated! Offer bottled water to guests and the wedding party in a large cooler or galvanized tub with lots of ice. And don’t forget to drink plenty of water pre-ceremony yourself — you don’t want to get dizzy down the aisle. (Same goes for eating!)
Handmade Beach Wedding Finds
Here are some really cute handmade beach finds we found in The Marketplace for your beach wedding:
where to buy:
We hope you enjoyed these beach ceremony tips! What would you add to the list?
INSPO:
-Check out this amazing wedding by jane z photography via the knot for more ideas! This is one example of a beach ceremony done beautifully well. I love the lanterns lining the aisle in lieu of flowers and the bamboo canopies to shield guests from direct sunlight.
Also see this wedding shot by my lens of love via limn and lovely. You’ll be inspired!
Happy Planning!
xo
Emma
It’s your turn: Are you planning a beach ceremony? Do you like beach weddings? Why or why not?
Updated 2019
