Photo by Yan Schwartzman Photography
Congratulations! You’re engaged! What an exciting time in your life. However, with that engagement comes lots of decisions and one of the very first is where to get married. Your ceremony location is literally a blank canvas. If you’re religious, a church or temple may be the perfect fit! If you love the city, then maybe Liberty State Park with the skyline in the background is your dream location. But if you grew up at the Jersey Shore like we did, the beach may feel like home and what better way to start the next chapter of your life than in a place where you spent the first few!
A beach ceremony sounds ideal. The waves crashing on the shoreline will be the background music. The sun will hit you at the right moment and you’ll sparkle down the aisle. The cool breeze will keep you and your guests relaxed and feeling comfortable from start to finish. All of these moments seem picturesque like a movie, but with a beach wedding, this isn't always the case.
Your Jersey Shore girls (not the Snooki kind) are here to help! We put together a list of benefits as well as the challenges of having your best day ever at the best place on earth: the beach!
We’ll start with the good news:
Your ceremony will feel laid back and relaxed with guests and even the bridal party going barefoot
The backdrop will be a sight to see and minimal decor is necessary
Your wedding photos will be beautiful with waves, sand and natural light in the background
The breeze off the ocean will keep you sweat free in that lovely gown or your short or silky dress which is totally acceptable for a beach wedding
Your guests will have a unique experience with a beach ceremony
The location is a blank canvas, so you can create your very own space
Now the challenges:
Your guests may might need to rinse off their toes before they put their fancy shoes back on
Mother nature is not always nurturing and if your day calls for clouds or rain the ceremony may need to be moved indoors
A cool breeze is not always guaranteed, so on a sunny day in July your guests and your bridal party may be sweating at the wedding
Most beaches are public not private so you may have some unexpected guests photobombing some of your most precious moments
Unfortunately the beach in the summer brings crowds, so parking and traffic may be more complicated than a wedding away from the summer sunshine- you may want to consider using a bus to transport your guests
If you do choose a beach wedding it probably means you picked a summer or fall wedding which is always a beautiful time of year, but also more expensive than off peak rates like in winter and spring
Photo by Endless Wave Studios
So, you’ve read the great things about a beach wedding and the challenging pieces, but whatever you decide will be the right decision for you and the love of your life.
Just remember these three things:
1) Always have a backup plan in case the weather doesn’t cooperate
2) Make sure your guests know how to dress accordingly and to leave extra time for traffic and parking
3) Go with the flow!! A perfect day doesn’t mean everything goes perfectly it means you get to marry the love of your life!
Happy Planning!
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