About Beach Weddings
A Wedding on the Beach
I get many calls for information about having a wedding on the beach here in Florida. It is a fact that a very large percentage of my weddings are performed on the beach. There are many reasons for this.
Many of my couples come from out of state and they have different reasons for wanting a beach wedding. For some it is the fulfillment of a dream. Many little girls dream of a wedding on the beach, white dress fluttering in the ocean breeze and either the moon or the sunrise as the backdrop for the event.
Some of my couples who come from out of state are coming to the area as a departure for their honeymoon cruise. The cost to be married on the ships is quite high and so as a means of accomplishing the desired end at a reduced cost I am contacted to do the wedding, on the beach, prior to their departure.
For couples who live in Florida and choose the beach as their location there are lots of reasons as well. It is a beautiful place for a wedding, in most cases there is no charge, no reservations needed and as a last minute location it is always there and available.
In truth, in my opinion, there is no more beautiful place for a man and woman to pledge their love to one another then on our beautiful beaches!
Just a couple of suggestions if a beach wedding is in your plans:
For many areas of our beautiful beaches an Event Permit is required:
http://www.visithollywoodfl.org/BeachWeddingApplication.pdf
* Remember…we can do a great job of sunrise weddings but the sun sets in the west, not the east, so we cannot do a sunset wedding with the sun over the ocean.
*In the summer it gets quite warm on the beach at certain times of the day so if you're planning a summer beach wedding plan it early in the day or late in the evening. The sand gets very hot so if you plan to be there during the heat of the day be sure to wear some sort of footwear. You can literally burn the soles of your feet on the sand.
*If you are planning your wedding in the winter months prepare for anything. We can have beautiful warm weather and we can have extreme cold (for us). Be prepared with a wrap for a beach wedding during these times. Just in case.
Some nice additions for your beach wedding:
A sand ceremony adds a nice touch. In the ceremony the bride and groom pour sand from two containers into a "Unity" container while a reading is done by the officiant. It serves the same purpose as the Unity Candle when used in an inside ceremony. This ceremony can also include children. It is a nice way to make children feel a part of what can be a very emotional event in young lives.
There are a few other beach type ceremonies include the use of small stones as "wishing" stones thrown into the ocean and wishes on shells which can then be collected by the couple and saved as a momento.
Some other cute beach ideas:
Make a large heart drawing in the sand, sprinkle rose petals into the outline and stand in the heart as the ceremony is performed.
For a late evening wedding, using small lunch size paper bags, place a handful of sand in each bag and then set a small votive candle in each bag and light. Place in a circle or heart shape around the ceremony location. Purchase long stemmed flowers (with stiff stems) and push them into the sand surrounding the ceremony location.
These and many other small inexpensive ideas can make your wedding such a nice affair without worrying about cost.
If it will be just the two of you or perhaps a few guests, why not pack a nice picnic basket with a pretty cloth, cloth napkins, china and crystal glasses and have an elegant small lunch or dinner on the beach following your wedding.
There are so many ways to create a memorable yet inexpensive beach wedding. And do make sure to take plenty of pictures. Photographers are now more willing to take the pictures and give them to you on a zip drive at a very affordable price.
I get many calls for information about having a wedding on the beach here in Florida. It is a fact that a very large percentage of my weddings are performed on the beach. There are many reasons for this.
Many of my couples come from out of state and they have different reasons for wanting a beach wedding. For some it is the fulfillment of a dream. Many little girls dream of a wedding on the beach, white dress fluttering in the ocean breeze and either the moon or the sunrise as the backdrop for the event.
Some of my couples who come from out of state are coming to the area as a departure for their honeymoon cruise. The cost to be married on the ships is quite high and so as a means of accomplishing the desired end at a reduced cost I am contacted to do the wedding, on the beach, prior to their departure.
For couples who live in Florida and choose the beach as their location there are lots of reasons as well. It is a beautiful place for a wedding, in most cases there is no charge, no reservations needed and as a last minute location it is always there and available.
In truth, in my opinion, there is no more beautiful place for a man and woman to pledge their love to one another then on our beautiful beaches!
Just a couple of suggestions if a beach wedding is in your plans:
For many areas of our beautiful beaches an Event Permit is required:
http://www.visithollywoodfl.org/BeachWeddingApplication.pdf
* Remember…we can do a great job of sunrise weddings but the sun sets in the west, not the east, so we cannot do a sunset wedding with the sun over the ocean.
*In the summer it gets quite warm on the beach at certain times of the day so if you're planning a summer beach wedding plan it early in the day or late in the evening. The sand gets very hot so if you plan to be there during the heat of the day be sure to wear some sort of footwear. You can literally burn the soles of your feet on the sand.
*If you are planning your wedding in the winter months prepare for anything. We can have beautiful warm weather and we can have extreme cold (for us). Be prepared with a wrap for a beach wedding during these times. Just in case.
Some nice additions for your beach wedding:
A sand ceremony adds a nice touch. In the ceremony the bride and groom pour sand from two containers into a "Unity" container while a reading is done by the officiant. It serves the same purpose as the Unity Candle when used in an inside ceremony. This ceremony can also include children. It is a nice way to make children feel a part of what can be a very emotional event in young lives.
There are a few other beach type ceremonies include the use of small stones as "wishing" stones thrown into the ocean and wishes on shells which can then be collected by the couple and saved as a momento.
Some other cute beach ideas:
Make a large heart drawing in the sand, sprinkle rose petals into the outline and stand in the heart as the ceremony is performed.
For a late evening wedding, using small lunch size paper bags, place a handful of sand in each bag and then set a small votive candle in each bag and light. Place in a circle or heart shape around the ceremony location. Purchase long stemmed flowers (with stiff stems) and push them into the sand surrounding the ceremony location.
These and many other small inexpensive ideas can make your wedding such a nice affair without worrying about cost.
If it will be just the two of you or perhaps a few guests, why not pack a nice picnic basket with a pretty cloth, cloth napkins, china and crystal glasses and have an elegant small lunch or dinner on the beach following your wedding.
There are so many ways to create a memorable yet inexpensive beach wedding. And do make sure to take plenty of pictures. Photographers are now more willing to take the pictures and give them to you on a zip drive at a very affordable price.
