Let's start with...this is F-L-O-R-I-D-A!!!
It rains & pours, is hot and steamy and sometimes very cold and breezy, which changes from day to day and minute to minute. So what will your weather be like on Your BIG Day a year from now?? Not sure...ya me either. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE a good old beach wedding but their are elements that you may not be thinking about.
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Let me just break it down into my thoughts:
WEATHER:
As I stated earlier, this is Florida and you never know the weather. So in case of rain do you have a BACKUP PLAN? Most Brides do not, and then it rains. They don't like the fact of reserving a space and being out that $500+ if it does not rain and the wedding does go on the beach. Some hotels will allow you to use one of their rooms as a backup plan if you are using them for the reception and they have the availability but what if they are super busy and book out. Also you may not think about LIGHTING. Most weddings end up with a squinty-eyed Bride & Groom and guests throughout the whole ceremony because...well the sun is shining and bouncing off the sand and water. But if you wait to long or late for your ceremony then your pictures will be of shadow people.
ATTIRE:
What are you and the groom wearing? Are you taking into consideration the heat, humidity or rain? Trust me, your dress gets HOT under there.What about the guests? Most guests will dress formally when invited to a wedding, even a beach wedding. So when 80 year old Grandpa passes out from the heat you will get what I am saying. About 90% of weddings do not start on time so now your guests are waiting OUTSIDE probably 45 minutes or more until you walk down the aisle. Not so fun.
RENTALS:
So while all these guests are standing in the heat maybe you should think about renting chairs for them to sit in. Again going back to 80 year old Grandpa and Grandma...how long can they stand in the heat?? Also take into consideration your decor like candles for example will blow out if they are not in the right kind of containers. Who will be responsible to set out all your decor or chair rentals and pick them up when you are finished?
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CHILDREN:
Ok so imagine you are a 5 year old and can't understand for the life of you why Mom & Dad has brought you to the beach to only allow you to stand there and "look pretty". There will be NO playing in the sand and splashing in the ocean is out of the question. How cruel are your parents....well on a good note at least they are WATCHING their children. Most parents do not know how to parent these days and a missing child at a beach is DISASTER waiting to happen. So keep a close eye on those babies who will potentially be screaming and crying while you walk down that aisle since they want to go play and be a kid!!
PUBLIC BEACH:
I am sure you have been to the beach and said..."OMG what are they wearing". Well be prepared for that guy in yellow speedos with his half naked girlfriend in a thong to be in the background of your photos since this is a public beach. While you think that most people would step out of the background while you are saying "I DO", but NO...NO they don't. They will stand there and watch, right smack in the middle of it. Oh and don't forget about the washed up seaweed, trash on the sand and trash cans everywhere. Now even though this is a public beach you still have to get PERMITS from the city. Yes the city needs to know what you are doing and get paid to be in the know, but think they are blocking off space for you...uummm nnnnooooo.
PARKING:
Since we have established that this is a public location and everyone who comes to Florida wants to go to the beach....where will all your guests be parking?? You say that is not your problem they will find a spot...not cool. Guests could be circling and circling to find parking or park so far away they have to walk a mile. Next option is to park illegally, which I do not advise because the Beach Police are just waiting and wanting to ticket you. Don't move that illegally parked car in a timely fashion and your car gets towed. And going back to your 80 year old Grandparents (yet again, I know) they know have to walk a mile in the heat to get to your wedding only to stand for an hour. Poor Grandma & Grandpa :o(
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PHOTOS:
Well of course I will start off saying make sure your photographer is LICENSED & INSURED but my next thought is how qualified are they to shoot your beach wedding?? Make sure you have seen "BEACH WEDDING PHOTOS" in action and talk to your photographer about locations and timing. A great photographer will lay it all out on the table for you about what to expect and not just accept the job just to get paid.
PLANNER:
Ok so while you are off getting ready who is queuing everything or instructing the guests? Who will let the officiant know you are ready to walk down the sandy aisle, which is actually a pretty far walk? I guess you could just yell...that is acceptable...NOT! A planner is their to keep everything on track and make sure your rentals, decorations, backup plan and schedules are all on track. This should not be a "option" if you have money left over, this is a necessity!! You will thank yourself for that headache & stress relief later!!
Ok, so now that I ranted on why I think Beach Ceremonies
may not be the greatest idea let me give you some suggestions:
1. Instead of a Beach Ceremony have your ceremony and reception at a beach front location, like a hotel or restaurant Then just go out on the beach and take pictures, weather permitting of course. At least this saves you from the "back up plan".
2. If you are having a beach ceremony then have a casual reception too. Let the guests know of their invites to "dress casual" so they will be prepared for the weather if it is hot. If it is cold then don;t worry your guests will come dressed for that.
3. Have refreshments for your guests at the ceremony location. Maybe it is a cooler of bottled water or a drink station with lemonade and tea. If it is cold consider having a hot chocolate station. It is better to have guests who are happy at your wedding rather then dying of heat exhaustion or freezing to death.
4. Chairs are a must! you may say that you are only getting married for 15 minutes but those guests are standing there for an hour.
5. Think about what the kids could be doing to keep them busy and not fussy. Set up buckets with instructions for a game like Seashell Bingo. Have drawings of seashells they need to collect for your decor at the reception. Make them feel apart of your wedding.
6. Since more then likely you will be having your reception at an actual location consider renting a bus or trolley. Have your guests park at the reception location and bus in your guests. This will help with the parking situation and also timing. Have the bus pick the guests back up and take them back to the reception location. Your guests will thank you for this!!
7. If possible have people on crowd control. While you can't block off a public beach you can have people to ask random passerbys to please be courteous and stand out of the way at least for the 15 minutes while you say "I DO". Let's try to save your pictures from those banana hammocks.
8. Hire an AWESOME photographer (www.clearskiesphoto.com), which you should do regardless. This is not the time to try out the cousin or friend of a friend that just recently got into photography with their "Black Friday Deal" on a camera. You will regret those bad pictures FOREVER. How long is forever...ask your spouse in 20 years when you won't stop b*tching about those crappy photos every time you see them or every anniversary.
9. Hire a professional Wedding Planner or at least a "Big Day Coordinator". They are there to keep the sanity, schedules and fix any situations that occur. They will be your best friend throughout the process BUT do not hire "the best friend"...hire a professional who does this for a living. They know how to deal with all situations imaginable and then some. They can recommend QUALITY VENDORS and will keep all vendors in check and accounted for on all those special moments and keep things running smoothly from one event to another. They are well worth every penny and are probably not as expensive as you may think.
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