For summer 2010 brides, heading to the beach is the H-O-T trend this wedding season. Destination weddings are still revving with full throttle ahead. Don’t be left behind as family and friends head to the beach for some of the hottest weddings this year!

It doesn’t even have to be summer!

Now, you don’t have to have your destination beach wedding in the summer months… it just seems that this is the most popular time of year to throw your wedding. Many brides continue this trend into the fall and winter seasons, plus the later in the wedding season the cheaper the pricing! Have your ceremony in the sand or on an outdoor patio, then stay at the scene and throw your reception or move the party indoors and beat the heat in the A/C! Most hotels/resorts offer a wedding package which includes both the ceremony and reception. There is an on-site wedding coordinator who will be there to hold your hand every step of the way!

Keep your look simple

This is about the only time you and your wedding party can get away with more casual attire… you can even go barefoot!. A lot of brides are doing the double gown option; having a simple short breezy dress for the outdoor ceremony, then changing into a more refined and traditional dress for pictures, dinner, and dancing. You can put the guys in dress/linen pants with a short sleeved button down and put your maids in a simple sun dress. Accessorize with fresh flowers, and you have an amazing bridal ensemble!

If a destination wedding isn’t quite in the budget, please don’t fret. There are plenty of ways to bring the beach theme to your town. Start with finding a local park or part of your city where there is a body of water (ie. pond, lake, stream, even fountains will work). Many parks or city public areas will have spaces you can petition to use, most involve obtaining a license, so please do so! Keep your wedding budget wise by selecting a location that can double as your ceremony and reception site. If you find a nice reception house, use the outdoor space for your ceremony. Outdoor equals less decorating, so you can spend more money on the reception. All you really need for your ceremony is an arch and some collapsible chairs!

Light foods and cocktails

By choosing a beach wedding theme, you can go pretty light on the food. This type of wedding is perfect for a cocktail reception. Choose some light appetizers to start and pick a signature cocktail for your guests to drink. It will cut down on the costs of an open bar and food. If you don’t like the idea of just a signature cocktail, you can still be budget savvy and provide beer and wine as an alternative. Just remember, cocktail receptions shouldn’t last longer than a few hours. So, if you’re planning on a longer reception you should consider a second round of finger foods, especially if you aren’t planning on serving dinner (but don’t fish tacos sound delicious?).

Keep the party going!

Your guests will delight in your beach themed wedding regardless of whether or not you are in your hometown or sitting in the sand. No matter what the cost or location, the main purpose of your big day is to have the best wedding you could ever imagine and to share your joy with your friends and family. In the end truly making it a day you and your future spouse will never forget. Cheers and good luck!

Or… just stay home ; )

Images from toriadolce.com, weddingmagic, my-beach-wedding.com, alohaislandweddings.com, obxweddingblog.com, ainakai.com, articlesbase.com, stsimonselopements, cairnsunlimited.com, savannahbeachweddings, msweddingphotos.com, raeleytham.net, grandwebsite.com, loriandersonphoto.com, foodfrenzy, dexknows.com, and layoutsparks.com

This entry was posted on Friday, June 11th, 2010 at 8:14 am and is filed under Themed. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.