How to plan the perfect beach wedding
I followed my heart, and it led me to the beach.
Umthunzi Hotel has just launched beach weddings for the new wedding season, making it possible for all brides to have the ultimate wedding ceremony on Tweni beach, with waves gently lapping in the background and soft sand underfoot.
Lucky for us they have done all the heavy lifting – the couple and guests just have to show up. Beach wedding décor includes a bamboo gazebo or arch with floating chiffon draping, beautiful white slated Wimbledon chairs, a white aisle runner, and fun décor elements such as wooden crates, wooden beach signs, and lanterns. To see what the full beach wedding package includes, click here.
Your guests will be super-excited about the idea of a romantic beach ceremony, but they do need to be prepared a little for what it entails.
Prepping your guests
Stilettos and beach sand don’t go well together. In fact, it’s pretty much a disaster. So to avoid all complications, why don’t you right from the start do a “Shoes optional” wedding invite?
We love the idea of a shoe station where guests can drop their shoes before moving on to the beach. (Since the wedding reception is inside the hotel, they may want to wear shoes for the rest of the evening.)
A big basket or shoe rack filled with flip flops is a fun gift option and will keep feet relatively sand-free.
A nice touch is to have a de-sanding station. Get your flower girls or ring bearers to sprinkle guests’ feet with baby powder and then softly brush the sand from their feet with a soft brush.
Barefoot brides
Brides who choose to go au naturel can have fun with feet decoration. Choose between crocheted barefoot sandals, lace designs, ankle bracelets, tassels and henna tattoos.
Ehow.com describes beach beaded foot thongs or barefoot sandals as “glamorous, sexy adornments, seen on naked feet from the French Riviera to the beaches of St. Kitts. These are required accessories for beach weddings. Barefoot sandals are easy and inexpensive to make.” According to Ehow even the novice crafter, will be able to make barefoot jewelry in less than an hour.
Are you keen to make your own barefoot sandals? Click on the image to be re-directed to a very easy tutorial on how to make barefoot sandals within minutes.
If you love the idea of barefoot ‘sandals’ Awesomestuff 365 has 30 more great designs for you.
Hats and sunnies
A beautiful day on the beach can be a bright affair. Encourage your guests to bring hats – it could even be part of the dress code, along with sunglasses.
If at all possible, aim for an early morning or late afternoon beach ceremony– it lessens sun and heat exposure and the soft light will make beautiful wedding photos.
We love the idea of a hat gift station – set up a “hat wall”’ next to your shoe station where guests can pick a hat before being seated.
If your ceremony is midday, be sure to have bottled water available. We may be stating the obvious, but make sure your guests wear sunscreen. Not everyone may think ahead, so having a sunscreen sample on each chair will be a nice touch. Spray-on sunscreen can be fun if you have a volunteer to spritz your guests as they arrive.
What to wear
If your dream wedding includes a ball gown, long train and elaborate veil, then a beach wedding is probably not the best choice for you. Half of the fun of beach ceremonies is that one gets to dress down.
For the bride, light, floaty fabrics are a must – sheer silks and chiffons are ideal. It’s best to avoid a lace trim to your dress, as this has a sneaky way of picking up all kinds of bits and pieces from the sand. Grooms look elegant in linen and cotton and can even consider Bermuda shorts. (We can already hear the average guy out there sighing from relief!)
The same dress code can be applied to your wedding guests – keep it light and airy. Weather can be unpredictable so it will be a good idea to have a shawl on standby for yourself. If you know beforehand that it is likely to be a chilly day, a basket of pashminas for the ladies would work like a charm.
Weather forecast
On the subject of weather, a beach wedding has some unique challenges as far as the elements are concerned. Be sure to do a ten-day weather check and then again the day before. If the weatherman says that there is an 80% chance of rain and gale-force wind, then don’t tempt the universe, rather switch to an indoors Plan B. Even a slight breeze will require that you weigh down any furniture and décor.
Check the tide timetable – visit the site beforehand and make sure you know when high tide is and where the water line is.
Crashing waves are picturesque but may drown out the voice of the preacher, so make sure that you have a mike and speaker available if this is the case.
Check out the bug situation beforehand – stay away from areas where there is a lot of seaweed as this is usually a gathering place of all kinds of insects that you don’t want near yourself or your wedding guests. If you want to be extra cautious, include some bug spray in your bridal welcome kit or on the drinks table.
The upstyle
Brides may want to opt for a low-maintenance hairstyle in breezy conditions. If your hair is frizz-prone or has a will of its own, an up-style may be a better idea. While loose-flowing hair seems like a romantic idea and can definitely work on a wind-still day, it would be a good idea to face into the wind during the ceremony to prevent loose strands of hair sticking to your lip gloss or blowing into your face at crucial romantic moments.
A minimalist low ponytail, braids, a messy bun, or plaits will all look beautiful and be immensely practical on a breezy day.
Destinationweddings.com has loads of beach hairstyle ideas for your upcoming wedding at Umthunzi – browse through their ideas by clicking on the image below:
What about pets?
Check on your public beach pet policy, as well as that of your wedding venue. If both areas allow pets, it could be great fun – dogs make wonderful ring bearers and are great models for wedding photo shoots.
Décor tips
King proteas, Chrysanthemums, Arum lilies and penny gum do well on the beach and are ideal choices for beach wedding flowers. Add a bit of indigenous fynbos and your wedding flowers are beautiful and cost-effective.
Silk flowers are the star of the show for outdoor weddings and outdoor décor – no chance of wilting, and no watering needed. If flowers don’t fit your theme, rough wood, shells, plumes and fruit look lovely for wedding décor.
Don’t forget the outdoor lanterns (preferably with flameless or electric candles) and any kind of palms or tropic greenery in the place of flowers.
Beach wedding photography tips
Face it, 99% of the reason brides choose weddings on the beach is that it is just so tear-jerkingly photogenic. Have you ever seen a bride looking less than lovely in beach photos? Neither have we.
For some amazing wedding photography tips, we lend our ear to Makeuseof.com:
- The Sunny f/16 Rule
This may not mean much to us mere mortals but photographers understand that in essence, the rule is that you should maintain an aperture of f/16 and only fiddle with the shutter speed or ISO to get the shot you want. On a beach, you will get natural sunlight from all sides and low-light shots are the least of your worries.
- Bright to the Right
Chances are, when you see your camera’s live preview, the picture looks a little too dark. In manual mode, this means aiming for brighter than center value on your light meter. In priority modes, bump up exposure compensation by one or two stops. The resulting image should now be “brighter than normal”, which is exactly what you want in bright condition.
- Look to the Sky for Perfect Silhouettes
Mihir Patkar explains in the article that there’s nothing like a beautiful sunset to seal romance in a picture. As the sun dips below the horizon, the lighting will be perfect to get a gorgeous silhouette. The first step to the perfect silhouette photo is to turn off the flash.
- Find poetry in motion
The point of a beach wedding isn’t just the great outdoors – it’s the great atmosphere and ebb and flow of nature around you. Capture this by snapping the bride’s gown fluttering with the wind, an unexpected seagull above the bridal couple, or sea spray behind the wedding guests. These are the magic moments when outstanding, memorable wedding photographs are made of.
To have your perfect beach wedding, call Umthunzi Hotel now on Tel 039 695-0852.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CHRISTA BADENHORST
