Beautiful Beach Wedding Ideas That Beat The Budget Crunch
You can save money with cool beach wedding ideas without sacrificing quality or romance. Planning a beach wedding can be creative fun for all, designing a fabulous, elegant, even luxurious yet affordable beach wedding that's as colorful, unique and special as you are! The beach wedding theme itself gives ample fodder for your creative genius. Here are some nifty beach wedding ideas with flair to help you pull it off in style.
- Some couples have their guests remain barefoot and in beach attire, instead of everyone dressing in expensive attire with expensive dry cleaning bills. Many wedding guests prefer bare feet for weddings in the sand, because everyone hates sand in the shoes! Some couples even carry through the color scheme of their beach wedding theme with plastic thong sandals for everyone, presented in baskets.
- Flower bills can be high, but there are alternatives to abundant flowers - or to supplement flowers - that are just as much fun. Some couples use driftwood as table centerpieces. Add some sea shells and candles, and perhaps some sea greens, palm, or single exotic bloom, and you can have something that's just as impressive and impactful as a huge arrangement - if not more so, because it sets the tone of your beach wedding reception theme so well.
Romantic Yet Affordable Beach Wedding Idea
- Create a "green" reception by using potted plants in the decor. They won't blow away like cut flowers, they cost less, hold up better, and are not single purpose. They can later adorn your new home, or be used as gifts for the couples' parents or wedding attendants. Clusters of smaller potted plants - green, tropical, or other flowering plants - can be laid on ribbons on the tables instead of expensive floral arrangements, and then serve as wedding guest favors.
- Votive candles are a very romantic wedding decoration option. Everyone loves twinkling candlelight. Hanging votives made of wire or copper are perfect to hang from trees, from inexpensive metal poles sunk in the sand, or along railings. Votives can also be used on guest tables instead of expensive blooms. For extra glitter, place cylinder votives on inexpensive, mirrored bottoms around the reception area.
- An expensive band or orchestra is not necessary for dreamy wedding reception music, either. Many couples compile CDs of their favorite love songs and dance music, and embrace to the music that's most special to them. Some wedding couples duplicate their favorite music on CDs as wedding favors for their guests. (Just watch copyright.)
- Get married on a Friday or Sunday instead of Saturday. Most wedding ceremony and wedding reception venues cost less to rent on a day other than Saturday, and a Sunday wedding allows your guests the weekend to assemble, enjoy the beach, any luncheons, and rehearsal dinner...then the beach wedding on Sunday. A Sunday beach wedding would be just as elegant and festive as a Saturday wedding, but probably significantly cheaper.
Affordable Beach Wedding Reception Ideas
- A formal, seated dinner is not necessary for the beach wedding reception. Guests love to mix and mingle, and really don't want to be tied to one spot. Champagne, punch, hors d'oeuvres, and wedding cake can be every bit as elegant as a full seated dinner. If the beach wedding location is by your home town, you might even do as some couples, who have friends bring favorite dishes to augment the set-up, beverages, and cake supplied by the wedding couple. If you are using the facilities of a beachside restaurant, you might want a cocktail buffet. It will be more than ample.
