10 Steps to Plan a Beach Wedding

As a little girl, you have always dreamed of this day happening. The day when your whole life changed at a blink of an eye. The day when everything you ever went through prepared you for this moment. The day when you realized why it didn’t work with anyone else. It seems as though you had waited a lifetime to see your hunk of a man get down on one knee and bring you to tears. And the best part about it is that you didn’t even see it coming! What woman doesn’t like surprises like that? So the day has arrived and you are totally blown away by how clever your guy was by completely sweeping you off your feet! In that moment, you are probably experiencing a myriad of emotions that you can’t express with words. It’s a moment you’ll never forget and the pre-cursor to the rest of your lives together. After all the squeals and screams die down and you wipe your happy tears in an attempt to regain your ability to walk with your noodle-like legs, a variety of things to do in a short period of time starts to flood your mind. Don’t freak out! You and your fiancé have already decided on having a beach wedding and set a date, so you definitely have something to work with! Let me take it from here and give you a little more insight into what steps you need for planning. I’ll let you crazy lovebirds continue smooching each other down.

The wedding planner is your friend!

Before you do anything else, make sure that you plan on making a mad dash to your computer in order to find a reputable wedding planner in your area. One of the best ways to alleviate some of the pressure that you may feel in the upcoming months is to get someone on your side that can help you navigate the tedious tasks you must conquer while planning one of the biggest days of your lives.

What is your vision?

Just because you decided to have a beach wedding doesn’t mean that you don’t have to put any effort into the style you want to embody for your big day. Yes, you have the beautiful ocean waves and cozy sands to help maximize the loving feelings, but you want to make sure that you and your fiancé are on one accord when it comes to the décor and overall theme that you want to showcase for your guests. So grab your man, sit him down, and set aside the time to discuss all things wedding design. Who knows, he may grow to actually like it!

Budget, budget, budget!

I can’t stress enough to you how important it is to budget your beach wedding! This goes hand in hand with the vision you have for your big day. I suggest making sure that you kill two birds with one stone (just make sure they aren’t doves) by coming up with your budget and your vision at the same time. This is a smart move because your budget will determine how realistic your vision can be. I would hate for you guys to have this grandiose vision in mind and have your heart set on it only to have it crushed to pieces when you realize that it’s nowhere near your budget allotment. This is a crucial step that can make and break you long after the wedding so make sure you take advantage of your wedding planner’s expertise on this one!

Yikes! Guest list bonanza!

While you already have your man sitting down and focused on the wedding planning (make sure there isn’t a game getting ready to come on), I would also suggest discussing the guest list with him. This wedding is the physical representation of two whole families coming together in peace and understanding, so you want to make sure that you two can agree on an even number of guest for your respective sides of the family. There may be some disagreements along the way but I say take it as a test run of some of the things you will have to work on as a team while married!

Beach venue: destination or local?

Have you already started thinking about what exact beach you have in mind for your wedding? If not, you may want to start doing some more research! The most important question you should be asking yourself is whether or not you want to have a destination beach wedding or a local one. These different beach venues can be on the opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to cost, so you may want to refer back to your budget and vision to see which one would work best for you.

The web is also your friend…Your very BEST friend

A great idea to enhancing your vision is to add visuals to the mix. Simply googling some of the ideas you have in your head will give you and your wedding planner a better gauge on exactly what you want. Take it one step further and print out those photos to create a wedding vision board of each detail. You will save yourself tons of time by avoiding the hard way.

Picture-Perfect: nabbing a great photographer

A high-quality photographer should also be at the top of your list. This is one of those things that you definitely want to add as a top priority in your budget. The reason for this is because your photographer is in control of capturing precious moments at just the right time for a lifetime. These are the pictures you’ll be looking back at when your children have children. When it comes to this part of wedding planning, you really do get what you pay for.

Confide in your girls!

You carefully selected the awesome women that you wanted by your side on your big day, so why not let them help you with some ideas while wedding planning? You know these women have always had your best interest at heart, so it would definitely be wise to let them sound off on what they may have in mind if you’ve began to feel overwhelmed and stuck. While the bridal shower and bachelorette party is still in the works, try throwing together a fun girls night with wine and sweets to get their opinion on some refreshing concepts for your fabulous beach wedding.

Secure your music!

Anyone can tell you that one of the best parts of a reception or after-party is the how good the music was. The last thing you want to have happen is to witness the awkward moment of music playing but everyone still sitting in their seats looking lost. This is yet another big thing that you want to factor into your budget first. Booking your DJ and photographer ahead of time will do you a whole world of good.

SAY YES TO THE DRESS!!!!

Of all the things you will be planning for your big day, this part of the journey is a milestone all on its own! Picking out the dress that’s perfect for you is a moving moment that can transcend generations. Your mom, grandmother and other women close to you will more than likely be there assisting you in finding the dress that will make all of the hustle and bustle so worth it! Make sure you have a box of tissues ready for you all! Since you are having a beach wedding, another added benefit that will make this experience even more enjoyable is the fact that you will possibly save a few dollars. What a win-win!

Man that was a long smooch! If I were you, I would be pretty ecstatic that I have an outline to help me better with planning the perfect beach wedding. Time for some hardcore planning!

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