Six years ago, I married the man of my dreams, Carlo, on a white-sand island. Our wedding was everything we had dreamed of. But yes, there were quite a few preparations that needed to be done to make sure everything went the way we hoped. Based on my personal experience in preparing for a beach wedding, here are the top 5 tips I can offer:
1. Find local suppliers. Being on a beach often means that you have to bring quite a number of items from far away to make your dream celebration happen. This can be stressful because not only will you have to think of logistics, you might also forget something important! When at all possible, find suppliers for items from the area. If you can, a wedding planner who’s familiar with local suppliers will make all the difference.
2. Keep things simple. A beach wedding is all about appreciating the natural terrain, so why try to turn this beautiful natural setting to look like an indoor ballroom. Let your guests enjoy sand on their feet, the beautiful starry skies, and the sound of the waves.
3. Stay comfortable. Beaches are hot, so encourage guests to wear comfortable attire and invite them to bring stylish hats. Why not throw in some cute fans and umbrellas for guests? And always make sure to have some iced water available at any given time throughout the event.
4. Less is more for your makeup. The sun and the reflected glare from the sand can be quite harsh, so I highly recommend not caking on your makeup. Try to keep your look fresh and a little dewy (but not sweaty)!
5. Let it go. When you have a beach wedding, you run the risk of running into a number of issues, the biggest of which is the weather. Preparing a Plan B is important but at the end of the day, you just have to trust that everyone will have a wonderful time, and it will all work out in the end.