Have you always wanted a beach wedding? Dreamed of waves splashing the bottom of your wedding dress. Walking hand and hand with your new husband in the white sand. So what’s holding you back? You don’t have a beach near by? The cost would be too much? Well these problems shouldn't stop your dream wedding. Do you really want a beach wedding or just the feel of a beach wedding?
Do you want an elegant beach wedding, then price and place shouldn't stop you. Whether you are having your wedding at home, a firehouse, clubhouse or reception hall, you deserve your fantasy beach wedding.
Let’s start with the invitations. Let the invitation indicate what the theme is. Let it be known that they should dress as if it were an elegant beach wedding. Your dress should also do the same. No matter how elegant a beach wedding is, remember that they are always elegant on the casual side.
Why not have your guests greeted at the reception with leis. Nothing feels more "beachy" than that. Have a CD player playing the sounds of the ocean when your guests walk in.
Cocktail Hour: Your wedding drinks should also reflect that feel. Why not have daiquiris, margaritas, wine or sangria and beer. If you keep to that, you will keep your liquor budget down. Remember with these kinds of mixed drinks, you don’t use top shelf liquor. Have a sand box or two at cocktail hour so that everyone can feel the sand between their toes. The most economical way to do this is to buy a plastic kiddy pool at the end of the season. Fill it with sand and some shells. Not only will it bring a smile to everyone’s face, but it will get everyone in a beach mood. Have the DJ or band play tropical music during cocktail hour.
Food: What food do you think of when you think of the beach? Well fish of course but I also think of grilled chicken with a fresh fruity salsa or shish kabob. You can have someone barbecue for you. Have a beautiful salad (you can buy flowers to go into a salad that adds to the elegance) a vegetable that’s in season, and rice and you’ve got yourselves an elegant meal on a budget.
Tablescaping: The tables would look great with blue table clothes and white napkins. The center of the table could be as simple as a mound of sand in the middle with tea lights and shells. If you want flowers, how about a couple of tropical flowers stuck in the sand (use a test tube flower vase to keep them fresh).
Cake: Decorate a very plain wedding cake with chocolate sea shells and tropical flowers.
Favors: Have the favors reflect your invitation. You could do candy wrappers with the same theme as your invitation. When you are buying or making chocolate sea shells for the cake why not buy extra to give out as favors. Put a chocolate shell in a little box, wrap it in blue paper and glue a little shell on the top and you've got an elegant and inexpensive favor.
Don’t feel that because you live in the Midwest and don’t have an ocean or you live by an ocean but can’t afford it that you can’t have the feel of a beach wedding. Remember weddings are about fantasy. Live your fantasy!
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