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Good beach wedding tips that tell the real story are hard to find.  Most of the resources want to convince the reader how romantic beach weddings are.  Yes, beach weddings are romantic and can be a great cost savings but there are things you need to check to make sure that your wedding on the beach is the best one possible.

Pests

Most people don’t realize how common pests are on the beach.  Below are just some you need to watch out for:

Mosquitoes; these voracious vampires come out at dusk, the most ideal time for a beach wedding because the setting sun is so romantic.  However, being the dinner and having welts all over your body is sure to ruin the mood and your wedding photos.  Action item:  Ask how the location deters mosquitoes and other flying pests.

Sand Fleas; these vicious ankle biters will have you scratching and miserable so fast your head will spin.  Your guests, and you, will not be able to stay for the whole ceremony if you come under attack from these critters.  Action item:  Ask if sand fleas are a problem.

Seagulls; these scavengers are numerous and aggressive.  For your wedding reception, do not have the food outside where seagulls can get to it.  If your guests decide to eat outside, the caterers must be diligent in keeping the eating area clean.  Action item:  Plan the reception indoors or have a food tent to protect the food.

Uninvited Guests; if you’re not having your wedding on a private beach, there is always a chance of having human pests at your wedding party.  Even if you don’t have party crashers, having strangers in the background of your wedding photos is not the most ideal thing.  Action item:  Have the wedding on private property.

Mother Nature

Even though your mother is very interested in your wedding, Mother Nature could care less.  Beach weather is beautiful and turbulent, but thankfully usually follows a pattern.

Wind; depending on which coast you are on, the wind can be a problem.  For example, the east coast of Florida has a very strong wind and crashing waves, but the west coast of Florida is very calm and locals call the gulf a ‘bathtub’.  If where you are having your wedding is very windy, plan on a microphone if you want your guests to hear you say your vows.  Also, plan the clothes and decorations accordingly.  Last thing you need to worry about is having decorations blowing away.  Action item:  check the local weather station for the average wind speed.

Rain; Seasonal rains follow patterns.  Learn these patterns to prevent a good soaking in the middle of your wedding.  Action item:  check the local weather station for average time for rainfall.

Heat & humidity; What season will you be getting married in?  If it’s in the middle of summer, what is the heat and humidity like?  If there is wind, that will help with the heat.  However, if the area is calm, the humidity might be a real issue.  There is nothing worse than having your make-up slide off your face during your wedding.  Action item:  Look into renting fans and misters for the area if heat and humidity will be a problem and there are no cooling winds.

Odor;  Have you ever been at the beach during low tide and wondered what the heck that smell was?  Do you really want your wedding guests wondering the same thing?  The beach is part of nature and nature can be quite smelly!  Action item:  find out when low tide is at your location.  Also, will management of the location scour the beach prior to the wedding to pick-up any dead fish and other items that might have washed up the night before?

Hurricanes; Incredibly unpredictable even though the weather forecasters tell us about them for 5 days in advance.  Nothing can be done about hurricanes but there is one thing you can do to protect yourself – wedding insurance!  Action item:  make sure the wedding location has a clause in the contract for wedding insurance in case of a hurricane.  Check into wedding insurance for the rest of your wedding as well.

Best Advice

Visit the beach wedding location at the same time you are planning your wedding.  Observe for the things written above.  If everything passes the above items, you have done a lot of work in ensuring your beach wedding is going to be one of the best!