Beach Weddings
In a country full of the most beautiful beaches in the world, you’d be mad not to consider getting married on one of them! With the huge variety of beaches available, your beach wedding can be as casual, as tropical or as extravagant as you like.
Casual Beach Weddings
For couples who have been together for some time, or who aren’t fans of the fuss and bother of a traditional wedding, a casual beach ceremony and laid-back reception are a fantastic option. By keeping your ideas simple and by spending very little money, you can pull of a beach wedding with very little fuss. Consider inviting only your very closest family and friends to witness your ceremony, which may be as short as five minutes’ length, and perhaps even change from the ‘traditional’ night-time reception into a breakfast or lunch BBQ on the beach!
For a basic, casual beach ceremony you’ll really only require a celebrant, yourselves, and two witnesses. You could walk down the aisle to simple guitar strums, or remove the traditional aisle-walk completely. You don’t even need to dress up, if you’d prefer! Go barefoot, wear a simple kaftan dress, make your vows up in the heat of the moment. The key to the casual beach wedding is to keep your ideas simple and true to who you are as a couple. And don’t forget – smaller, exclusive weddings are often the most romantic!
An Extravagant Affair
There’s often a misconception that a beach wedding = a casual wedding. This doesn’t have to be the case! You can still have the extravagant wedding you’ve always dreamed of – a million-dollar dress, red carpet, flower podiums, a three-piece orchestra, palm trees, cocktails on the beach afterwards, followed by a three-course beach-themed dinner on a hired yacht, or in a nearby five-star restaurant. The list of possibilities is endless!
One option is to consider hiring out a beachside resort exclusively for your wedding. You’ll find that simply by calling and enquiring that many hotels will be happy to talk to you about hosting your wedding, and have probably done so many times in the past. Their coordinator will be able to help you negotiate with suppliers in the area, if you’re not close by yourself, and could even take on much of the planning aspect on your behalf, if you so desire.
Make sure you think about guest numbers early on, though. Many of your guests will want to stay directly at your venue (you many even want to help them pay for their accommodation), but if it can only sleep 50 people, and you’ve invited 200, things are going to get ugly! Think about what other accommodation is nearby, as well as public transport options. A remote beach in Western Australia may sound romantic, but how will your 200 guests get there? Where will they all stay?
Colours & Styles
Of course, the most popular beach wedding colour is blue! Blue not only reflects the colour of the ocean but fits in nicely with the blue/white nautical theme. But if blue’s not your thing, consider going tropical (orange, fuchsia, lime green etc.), pastel (baby pink, baby yellow, cream etc.) or, if you’re looking to go with a more orginal theme, go with natural colours like beige, oyster, red and bush green, to reflect the environment around you.
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to any wedding, so don’t feel pressured to stick to the ‘popular’ colours or themes associated with a beach wedding. Be original, and keep true to yourself!
Décor
There are some wonderful décor options when it comes to beach weddings. Think Balinese flags, white tulle, strings of shells, and cushions for your guests rather than chairs. Be creative and inspired – browse beach lifestyle magazines, visit beach-themed décor stores, ask friends and family.
At your reception, why not serve cocktails in coconuts, dinner in bamboo bowls and do your first dance by the light of tiki-torches? The possibilities are utterly endless – don’t let your imagination be confined!
International Beach Weddings
Of course, if you really want to pull out all stops – take your beach wedding overseas! Don’t be daunted by the thought of organising your wedding in another country. If you pick the right venue (again, usually a resort or hotel) which is known for doing international weddings, they’ll provide you with an experienced English-speaking wedding coordinator who will organise everything for you. This may even be the least stressful route – all you have to do is check in every now and again, to make sure things are happening as planned! Of course, a downfall with organising an international wedding is that many guests may not be able to come because of flight & accommodation costs. So why not invite just close friends and family to your international wedding (or even elope!) and then have a second wedding/reception when you come back to Australia. What a great excuse to have the best day of your life twice over!
So with everything from white powdered sands with turquoise waters, to rustic rocky coves and deep blue churning seas, beach weddings are as much a part of Australian culture as beers and barbecues. If you’re considering having your wedding on a beach, why not come join our forum – www.beyondthebride.com.au/forum and introduce yourself - we’d love to share ideas with you!
Casual Beach Weddings
For couples who have been together for some time, or who aren’t fans of the fuss and bother of a traditional wedding, a casual beach ceremony and laid-back reception are a fantastic option. By keeping your ideas simple and by spending very little money, you can pull of a beach wedding with very little fuss. Consider inviting only your very closest family and friends to witness your ceremony, which may be as short as five minutes’ length, and perhaps even change from the ‘traditional’ night-time reception into a breakfast or lunch BBQ on the beach!
For a basic, casual beach ceremony you’ll really only require a celebrant, yourselves, and two witnesses. You could walk down the aisle to simple guitar strums, or remove the traditional aisle-walk completely. You don’t even need to dress up, if you’d prefer! Go barefoot, wear a simple kaftan dress, make your vows up in the heat of the moment. The key to the casual beach wedding is to keep your ideas simple and true to who you are as a couple. And don’t forget – smaller, exclusive weddings are often the most romantic!
An Extravagant Affair
There’s often a misconception that a beach wedding = a casual wedding. This doesn’t have to be the case! You can still have the extravagant wedding you’ve always dreamed of – a million-dollar dress, red carpet, flower podiums, a three-piece orchestra, palm trees, cocktails on the beach afterwards, followed by a three-course beach-themed dinner on a hired yacht, or in a nearby five-star restaurant. The list of possibilities is endless!
One option is to consider hiring out a beachside resort exclusively for your wedding. You’ll find that simply by calling and enquiring that many hotels will be happy to talk to you about hosting your wedding, and have probably done so many times in the past. Their coordinator will be able to help you negotiate with suppliers in the area, if you’re not close by yourself, and could even take on much of the planning aspect on your behalf, if you so desire.
Make sure you think about guest numbers early on, though. Many of your guests will want to stay directly at your venue (you many even want to help them pay for their accommodation), but if it can only sleep 50 people, and you’ve invited 200, things are going to get ugly! Think about what other accommodation is nearby, as well as public transport options. A remote beach in Western Australia may sound romantic, but how will your 200 guests get there? Where will they all stay?
Colours & Styles
Of course, the most popular beach wedding colour is blue! Blue not only reflects the colour of the ocean but fits in nicely with the blue/white nautical theme. But if blue’s not your thing, consider going tropical (orange, fuchsia, lime green etc.), pastel (baby pink, baby yellow, cream etc.) or, if you’re looking to go with a more orginal theme, go with natural colours like beige, oyster, red and bush green, to reflect the environment around you.
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to any wedding, so don’t feel pressured to stick to the ‘popular’ colours or themes associated with a beach wedding. Be original, and keep true to yourself!
Décor
There are some wonderful décor options when it comes to beach weddings. Think Balinese flags, white tulle, strings of shells, and cushions for your guests rather than chairs. Be creative and inspired – browse beach lifestyle magazines, visit beach-themed décor stores, ask friends and family.
At your reception, why not serve cocktails in coconuts, dinner in bamboo bowls and do your first dance by the light of tiki-torches? The possibilities are utterly endless – don’t let your imagination be confined!
International Beach Weddings
Of course, if you really want to pull out all stops – take your beach wedding overseas! Don’t be daunted by the thought of organising your wedding in another country. If you pick the right venue (again, usually a resort or hotel) which is known for doing international weddings, they’ll provide you with an experienced English-speaking wedding coordinator who will organise everything for you. This may even be the least stressful route – all you have to do is check in every now and again, to make sure things are happening as planned! Of course, a downfall with organising an international wedding is that many guests may not be able to come because of flight & accommodation costs. So why not invite just close friends and family to your international wedding (or even elope!) and then have a second wedding/reception when you come back to Australia. What a great excuse to have the best day of your life twice over!
So with everything from white powdered sands with turquoise waters, to rustic rocky coves and deep blue churning seas, beach weddings are as much a part of Australian culture as beers and barbecues. If you’re considering having your wedding on a beach, why not come join our forum – www.beyondthebride.com.au/forum and introduce yourself - we’d love to share ideas with you!