6 Magical Ideas For
A Beach Wedding Ceremony

A beach wedding ceremony can be a magical event. With waves crashing in the background, the sun shining down on you and your toes in the sand, could it get much better?

Beach weddings take a lot of hard work and coordination. There are things to consider like choosing the perfect location, the time of year and day to get married and what to do if it rains. Listed below are 6 ideas to help you plan your ceremony:

Location, Location, Location

For a beach wedding ceremony, the location you choose is very important. Beaches come in all shapes and sizes from a Caribbean resort to a tranquil Oregon beach.

When choosing a resort, make sure they have the facilities you are looking for. Shorten your list down to two or three choices based on the criteria that means the most to you and try not to get too caught up in all of the details.

Travel agents and wedding planners that specialize in destination weddings can be a big help here. Visiting travel websites and online forums can also help you get first hand feedback about the locations you are choosing from.

It's All About The Timing

Although you can probably save some money by getting married during hurricane season, the risk may not be worth it. Spring and winter are usually the best times for getting married in the Caribbean and Hawaii since the temperature is usually a few degrees cooler than in the summer.

Getting married in the evening usually means the weather will be a little cooler, and you will also have the opportunity for sunset photos right after your ceremony.

Try to time the sunset so you can get a few good shots, but make sure you start early enough to get full sun shots as well. Running out of sunlight is a bad thing.

Again, check with your travel agent, wedding planner or online for recommendations about your wedding location.

With Your Toes In The Sand

Having your beach wedding ceremony directly on the beach is the ideal situation for most people. For small weddings you can have your friends and family just gather around you as you exchange your vows.

For larger weddings you will want to have chairs set up on the beach. This is where having the assistance of talented resort staff and wedding planner will pay off.

Near the beach

There are many beautiful locations that aren't directly on the beach that are perfect for a ceremony. Restaurants and reception facilities often have decks or other locations that overlook the beach.

Also, many resorts will have areas away from the beach like gazebos and tropical gardens. While maybe not as adventurous as getting married directly on the beach, ceremonies near the beach may be easier to manage and coordinate.

If you still want part of your wedding to take place directly on the beach, consider having your reception in the sand instead of the ceremony.

Picture Perfect Photos

To ensure you get the best beach wedding ceremony photos possible, you will want to plan out what photos you want taken on your wedding day. If possible visit your ceremony location and take detailed notes about where you would like to have photos taken.

If visiting isn't an option, talk online with brides who have gotten married at your location. Also, discussing this with your photographer prior to your wedding day will help to avoid any problems or missed photos.

Take things like the position of the sun into account when planning your photo locations, and look for unique backdrops, like rocks or flowers, in addition to the ocean.

Disaster Recovery

While no one wants to think about it, bad weather on the day of your wedding is a possibility. To limit the chances of having your wedding interrupted by bad weather, plan to have your wedding outside of hurricane season.

Even if it isn't hurricane season, you will need to plan a backup location for your beach wedding ceremony. If you are getting married at a resort, have them build into your contract a fall back location like an onsite restaurant or banquet room.

At the very least they should be able to provide you with a tent in the event of bad weather. Whatever the back up plan, make sure to get it in writing.


While these tips should be very helpful to you when planning your ceremony, be sure to give yourself plenty of time for planning everything.