What’s more exciting than finding Mr. Right? Planning your beach themed wedding, of course! If you’re like most brides, you’ve had a clear vision of your wedding day since you were a little girl. Though planning your wedding may seem like a joyous cake walk (pun intended), you’ll likely find that things won’t always go your way. Budget concerns, family issues, dress mishaps and reception rejection can all be fixed. But, the one thing that can’t be changed is your geographical location.

It can be tough trying to plan a beach themed wedding when you’re hundreds of miles away from sandy beaches and roaring oceans. But, with a bit of ingenuity you can successfully bring the beach to you without looking tacky.

Ideally, you’ll have your wedding outdoors during the hot summer months (especially if you live in the north) in order to mimic the sunny setting of typical beach weddings. Hosting your wedding in a garden or park which features a pond or a lake is ideal. But, you’ll need more than a sunny, open space in order to achieve your desired, beachy look.  You’ll need a beach theme wedding cake, centerpieces, aisle décor and wedding attire appropriate for the occasion.

In an effort to beachify your venue, purchase a wholesale lot of play box sand and pour it along the main floor. Be aware, however, that this may make walking in high heels or open toe shoes extremely uncomfortable for your female attendees. Be sure to warn them of your sand plans, or simply pour the sand alongside the seating area for decorative purposes instead of directly on the main floor.

Now, let’s get onto the details. You’ll need a beach-worthy wedding cake. The most common (and economical) option, is to have a simple, multi-tier wedding cake with butter cream starfish and seashells. However, you can choose a more elaborate design to wow your guests. For a centerpiece,  place your favorite flowers in a vase and set seashells, rocks and/or sand at the bottom of the vase. Then, dust rings of beach sand around each centerpiece vase and place small seashells along the ring.

Because you’re hosting a beach themed wedding, it’s only appropriate to continue the sand theme throughout your aisle décor. Instead of choosing a traditional aisle runner, create a make-shirt aisle runner by  dusting a line of beach sand along each side of the aisle. Place hand-picked beach rocks on top of the sand. Instead of simply stopping at the end of the aisle, create a large, open-ended heart with the beach rocks and extend the heart far enough so your entire wedding party, yourself and your groom can stand in the heart throughout the wedding ceremony. 

The final and most important detail to bring your beach themed wedding together is attire.  Consider opting for a lace wedding gown without a train, such as an A-line, mermaid or sheath dress for your wedding; these dresses have the right amount of oomph for a beach themed wedding. Your wedding dress will be the center of attention, of course. However, it’s important to choose light, beachy attire for your groom and bridesmaids as well. Consider opting for cocktail length bridesmaids dresses and a light colored (e.g. ivory, cream, tan) tux for your groom.