Many people seem to love beach weddings. Some of the reasons why include departing from traditional weddings and its headaches not forgetting its rather cheap nature. In addition, a beach wedding more fun and easier to plan.
Before choosing from among a variety of beach wedding dresses, you must plan for your wedding. This includes the location, the wedding theme and the reception area.
To plan an unforgettable wedding by the beach, follow these steps:
Book Your Preferred Location
- The Location
The first step is to select a preferred location. Depending on the type of beach you might pay up to $300 to get a permit or you could hold your event for free. Also, this will depend on the exact beach location. Will you travel to the location? Is it outside the country?
If it requires traveling, consider the invited guests and confirm their availability and whether they can afford to travel.
- Book a Resort
You might think a resort is an over-the-top expense. However, this is far from the truth. On the contrary, resorts are cheap only if you book a certain number of guests for a certain number of nights. After booking the guests, the resort will offer you their assistance on almost everything.
While at it, look out for discounts which will save you tons of money. This includes room and airline discounts. Furthermore, you can land several freebies.
- How Many Guests Will Attend?
The smaller the number the cheaper. However, this will depend on the size of both families. Nevertheless, it’s good to trim down the number for the sake of your pockets.
The Ceremony
- A Family Member or Friend Can Officiate
Anyone with proper certification can officiate a wedding. However, this will cost you some money which can range from $100 to $400. You can ask a family member or a friend to officiate your wedding. Often, this will be free of charge or for a much cheaper fee.
- Use Less Flower Decorations
Fresh flowers can be a showstopper, thus decorating the event with many of these may not be necessary. They should only complement the event. In addition, the beachside is hot and windy and fresh flowers will not survive these conditions.
- Use handmade Decorations
Wedding décor can take up a lot of money which you may never use again. Instead of denting your pocket, get some handmade décor such as paper flowers. You can even invite your friends to help you with the decorations.
- The Wedding Dress
Again, simple but stylish will cut it. You can search for stores that sell cheap wedding dresses. If you don’t have the money to buy one, you can always rent it. For a beach wedding, a shorter dress with a more casual tone will do.
- Hire a Professional Photographer
This is a memorable day and you’ll want to remember it for the rest of your life. A professional photographer will take those crisp photos. Afterward, you can use various methods to share the photos with your friends. An example is social media.
The Reception
- Prepare a Simple Reception
The reception also takes up a lot of resources, from time to money. However, you can trim the expenses by staging a wine and cheese at the beach. Having the reception at the same location as the wedding eliminates extra travel expenses.
Instead of hiring a caterer, ask a friend or family member with exceptional culinary skills to prepare the appetizers. Also, if you’ll hold the reception at a public beach, keep in mind the associated laws. You may not be allowed to serve alcohol at a public beach.
You can also hire a food truck for the extra hungry people. A pizza truck is a great option.
- Entertainment
Chances are you have a friend with some deejaying skills. Sit down with them and discuss the songs you’ll play at the reception, then create a playlist. On the day, hire a great sound system and voila! You have a party going on.
- Hire Tents
Since this an outdoor event, you’ll be at the mercies of mother nature. With tents, you and your guests can seek shelter if the elements become too extreme.
There you have it. The ultimate guide to planning an affordable beach wedding. With these tips, you’ll have an easy time planning your wedding. Furthermore, you’ll save tons of money while keeping you and your guests happy throughout.
