March 2011 - Beach Bride

Gifts for Your Guests for Your Beach Destination Wedding

By Rachael

Choosing favors for your beach destination wedding may sound like a piece of cake, but believe it or not, picking out favors for a destination wedding often requires more thought and creativity than it would for a wedding back home.

While it may seem logical to assume that shopping for gifts to give your guests for your beach destination wedding is easy, that isn’t always the case. Choosing the perfect favors and gifts for wedding guests may be a simpler task back home, but picking favors that are suitable for an island occasion can be very different. And since you want to make sure you give everyone something truly unique, it helps to consider which types of beach destination wedding favors will be appropriate beforehand.

As with everything else pertaining to your wedding, first and foremost, it helps to plan ahead. Whatever you do, don’t wait until the last minute to snag some favors for your special beach destination wedding. Large quantities of them will mostly likely have to be flown into your destination ahead of time, especially since they will be needed for decorating your reception long before you say “I do.” Plus, in the event that you cannot pack and bring them yourself, your wedding planner may need to take them, or they may need to be directly shipped to your location for your coordinator to receive.

Beach destination wedding favors need to be practical, and they need to suit the beach environment. Instead of giving your guests fragile glass or ceramic favors, for example, personalized hand towels, lip balm, or folding fans are more suitable and require less maintenance. Favors such as these can also be used after a dip in the ocean, on a hot sandy beach, or for a trip to the pool.

Gifts for Your Guests for Your Beach Destination Wedding — "Sweet Kisses" Personalized Lip Balm

Anything that won’t be beat up when moved around from place to place or when packed in a suitcase is ideal, and speaking of packing, this is another reason you need to be careful about which beach destination wedding favors you choose.

While many guests typically need to fly to make it to a wedding, this is even truer for destination weddings. Instead of some guests driving to your ceremony or reception location, all of your guests will be flying to attend, which means their favors can get a real beating when tossed around in luggage on an airplane. Keep all of this in mind when choosing the right favors for your guests for your beach destination wedding.

Share Your Island Spirit with Destination Beach Wedding Favors

By Rachael

Your guests will always feel the sand between their toes and smell the salt in the air when you send them home with destination beach wedding favors.

As if destination beach weddings aren’t fabulous enough as it is, sending your guests home with destination beach wedding favors to match can really amp up the island ambience and make them even more special! Buying wedding favors for your reception can be a lot of fun, but it may seem tricky to find quality, affordable favors that are specifically geared toward destination beach themes. Fortunately, you don’t have to worry, because there are plenty of great favors to choose from that will leave your guests with pieces of island serenity long after they make it back home.

For a truly natural island feel that emphasizes the personality of your location, try the Natural Selections Collection Shell Design Place Card Holders, which are not only beautiful, but practical, too. They look great with your cozy reception place settings, and they are wonderful keepsakes for your guests after they head home and unpack their bags. Another sweet casual favor that is ideal for destination beach weddings is the Beach Themed Mint Tin Favor, which is beautiful when paired up with the Shell Design Place Card Holders. These tin favors have pretty shell designs on the outside of the tin, and they are a nice white and ivory color, which offers a good neutral tone for your reception table décor.

Share Your Island Spirit with Destination Beach Wedding Favors — Natural Selections Collection Shell Design Place Card Holders

For an exceptional nautical feel, consider decorating your reception tables with the Sand and Shell Tea Light Holder favors. Filled with real sand and tiny seashells, these stylish candle holders are perfect for any destination beach wedding. They enhance your décor and can bring out the true character of your intimate island oasis. They can also be lit for your wedding or your guests can take them home and use them in their own homes. They come with sweet “For You” tags which offer a nice personal touch to your favors. Any of these destination beach wedding favors give you the chance to share your island spirit with your guests who are traveling miles to be with you on your special day!

Choosing Attire for a Beach Destination Wedding

By Rachael

Choosing what you and your bridal party will wear for your beach destination is just as important as planning the rest of the occasion.

As you prepare for your beach destination wedding, it is easy to get caught up in all of the plans for the ceremony and reception. You already have to worry about catering, décor, floral arrangements, and a cake. Also, a destination wedding calls for more planning for your guests, since they are traveling from all over the world to be with you on the island of your choice. Making sure they are accommodated and comfortable by booking their rooms and sending them favors and gift baskets can be another time-consuming task. After all, you want to make them feel special, right?

Aside from these necessities, choosing what you and your bridal party will wear is another responsibility you must take on as a bride. Although it may seem like a simple aspect of planning, choosing the proper attire for a beach destination wedding takes some very careful thought and consideration on your part. You will need to choose gowns and tuxes that are comfortable and suitable for a beach environment, but you will also need to choose changes of clothes, or secondary outfits that you or your bridal party may need to change into as the event progresses.

To make sure you select attire for yourself and your bridal party that is both stylish and functional for the beach, consider short cocktail dresses for your bridesmaids. You can even go for an all-out retro or vintage theme and choose a cocktail bridal gown for yourself as well. They are very in vogue and look fabulous with a sexy birdcage veil. For the groom and his men, consider lightweight cotton suits, or have them forego suit jackets all together; instead having them wear only the dress shirts with their sleeves rolled up and a lightweight pair of slacks.

Also, make sure everyone in the bridal party has shorts and footwear with fair traction for possible rocky areas on the beach. If you have a train on your gown, be sure to have a full proof bustle design that will keep the train safely off the ground and out of the dirt and sand. Since short gowns are not for every bride, if you prefer more formal attire but still need gowns that are suitable for the beach, consider simple, formal gowns, but allow your bridesmaids to wear stylish flip-flops or other comfortable footwear. Basically, anything that you can wear on your feet that is more casual will allow you to be more comfortable in the sand, so try to compromise on the footwear if you insist on more formal attire.

Choosing the Right Wedding Dress for Your Destination Beach Wedding

By Rachael

Trying to decide which dress to wear for your destination beach wedding? Before you make your final decision, take these things into consideration.

Choosing the right wedding dress for your destination beach wedding can help you feel beautiful on your special day. It can also help you avoid any unfortunate events due to poor planning while exchanging your wedding vows. To help you make the right decision, consider these factors when selecting your destination beach wedding dress.

Time of Your Wedding

Because your destination beach wedding will be taking place outdoors, your dress should fit the time of day you will be having your ceremony. During the day, shimmering embellishments can be overwhelming in the sun. Instead, choose embellishments like lace, embroidery, ruffles, or pleats. However, if you will be exchanging your vows at night, the embellishments are likely to be enhanced. This is the time for those sparkly additions, which can intensify your beauty from the light of the moon.

The Length

If you have always dreamed of a long, elegant train since you were a little girl, you may want to let go of that fantasy for your destination beach wedding. A long train will only cause complications on your special day. Difficulty managing the train can cause you to drag sand behind you and get your beautiful dress dirty in a matter of seconds. Instead, consider wearing a dress that comes closer to the length of your knees, like a cocktail dress. This flirty style is very functional.

The Material

The material of your wedding dress can mean the difference between comfort and extreme discomfort on your wedding day. Most likely, the weather will be warm for your destination beach wedding. Heavy materials can cause you to quickly become overheated and uncomfortable. Instead, choose thin fabrics that will allow your skin to breathe. You should also avoid materials that might wrinkle easily, because of the probability of wind on your wedding day. Choosing the perfect dress for your big day takes a lot of time and consideration. Regardless, no type of wedding can allow you the same wonderful freedom in choosing your dress as a destination beach wedding can.

Deciding on the Location for Your Beach Destination Wedding

By Rachael

There are a number of exotic beach destinations you can choose from. If you are having trouble deciding, here are some things to think about while considering your options.

Deciding on the location for your beach destination wedding can seem overwhelming, especially with so many fabulous options to choose from. If you are having a hard time deciding, narrowing down your options can help tremendously. Consider these key points to select the perfect location for your beach destination wedding.

Can Guests Attend?

Before deciding on the location for your beach destination wedding, consider whether or not the guests that are most important to you will be able to attend. Local beaches can often be reached with less expense to your guests. Flights and train tickets can be pretty pricey, so keep this in mind. Marrying locally may allow some guests to attend that might have otherwise missed out.

Where do You Want to Honeymoon?

Obviously, your honeymoon beach location would make the most convenient destination for your beach wedding ceremony. Selecting a beach in the place that you want to honeymoon means less travel, and your honeymoon can start right after the wedding. It may even allow a few of your guests to squeeze in a well deserved vacation. If you have your heart set on a different Europe, though, yet you still want to be married on the beach, marry on a beach nearby so you can honeymoon somewhere else.

What are the Legal Requirements?

Different island locations have different requirements when it comes to obtaining your marriage license. Carefully consider the specifics entailed with obtaining your license when selecting your beach wedding location. This is especially true for islands in the West Indies, the Caribbean, or Hawaii.

What Time of Year is Your Wedding?

Some beach locations are tropical all year round. Others may have rainy seasons different than the seasons you are used to. Carefully check the weather conditions of each beach location according to the date of your wedding, and take extra precaution to find out when the island has its hurricane or monsoon season.

Compare

If you have narrowed down your options but are still having a hard time deciding, consider the pros and cons of each location. This can help you greatly in deciding on the location for your beach destination wedding location. Write everything that matters to you down, and begin weeding out the options that absolutely do not meet those preferences. Toward the end of your list, you will have to make hard and fast decisions, or you will never be able to settle on one you like!

If you have always dreamed of a beach wedding or just envision an exciting and exotic locale, then a beach destination wedding is perfect for you. Even though the number of wonderful options can make choosing difficult, carefully narrowing down your choices will make deciding on the location for your beach destination wedding much easier.

Archives for March 2011