So where are you intending to have your wedding? Is it a Caribbean beach wedding or a Hawaii beach wedding or maybe your intending to have a Florida beach wedding? It doesn't really matter which divine tropical location you're going to have your ocean theme wedding at, they all have one thing in common. They are all warm to hot and that can play merry hell with your choice of clothes. It's not much good wearing a really beautiful gown only to have hideous wet marks from heat induced sweat ruining the look and all the photos. So wear something appropriate and pick the cooler morning or late afternoon for the beach wedding ceremony. Wear something light and loose in natural materials, for instance cotton, and for the men (who sweat more) suggest under vests to absorb the sweat and keep them feeling cooler and dryer during the ceremony.

Wind and The Beach Wedding Ceremony

Remember that it is an outdoor wedding and therefore you are at the mercy of the elements. Mostly in the tropics, they are at least predictable and can be worked around. For instance remember it may well be windy so don't have things that are easily blown around as part of the decor of your reception. And make sure that things like the centrepieces are heavy enough to stay where they are put. Use lovely heavy glass vases or add a layer of sand inside the containers to increase their weight. And you can outline the path to your beach wedding ceremony with stones or sea shells to give even more of a marinefeeling to your ceremony.

And don't forget to be prepared for the worst. Just in case the weather should turn to rain have a back up room in the venue which you can use so the wedding can happily proceed. Make sure the guests are fully informed of what is happening before the time arrives.

The Unity Sand Ceremony

Another idea is to have the more traditional Unity Candle Ceremony replaced by the Unity Sand Ceremony. At your beach wedding, you can even scoop up the sand at your feet to use in the ceremony and as a permanent souvenir of the glorious beach where you had your beach wedding ceremony. It also solves the problem of the wind blowing the Unity Candle out.

The Unity Sand Ceremony is a ceremony a couple of minutes long during which the bride and groom pour sand into a Unity Vase from a separate container each and is really well suited to a beach wedding. This symbolizes their two separate lives coming together, being joined and continuing on as one. It is a simple, beautiful and heart felt ceremony. Other family members, particularly children of the couple, are also able to join in and feel part of the beach wedding ceremony.

An outdoor wedding site can be pretty noisy with wind, surf, birds and maybe other happy people if you are on a public beach. So ensure that there is some kind of public address system so you can be heard taking your vows.

Soft Sand and High Heels

Soft sand can be difficult for the elderly or disabled to walk on. And it can be a real challenge for high heels. For yourself consider sandals or bare feet for your beach wedding, it's wonderful feeling the sand squidging up between your toes. And for your guests, seriously consider getting some flooring for the seating and tables to prevent them from sinking into the sand.

Keep the ocean theme flowing through the food you serve. Use sea shells or abalone shells to serve seafoods in. Have a Hawaiian pit roast or a BBQ instead of a 'normal' meal. And for the cake, have it laced with dark or heavy rum as they do in the West Indies.

We may have made the idea of a beach wedding sound as if it has insurmountable problems. But this is not really so. At least no more so than any wedding has challenges to over come. With a little planning, your event can be a true high light of your life.