Flip Flops

Many decades back, the idea of holding a wedding at the beach seemed like crazy but today, beach weddings are some of the most popular wedding themes adored by a wide variety of couples for a number of good reasons. Whether you choose to hold this at a nearby beach or you plan to fly out to an exotic tropical paradise, one of the things you have to take care of for this wedding is the attire that you and your future spouse would be wearing for this day.

For the Bride

The casual but elegant look is very in. Full formal skirt, fluffy ruffles, complicated patterns and designs, and overly long trains are not a good idea for a relaxed setting like that of the beach. Instead, you will be delighted to wear a sleek slightly casual wedding dress made with flowing and soft fabric such as Carmeuse, light satin, chiffon, silk, cotton, and crepe. Strapless, halter, and spaghetti straps are ideal. Summer knee length dresses are also a good option. As for the colors, you can go for the traditional white, ivory, off-white or beige. If you are on the experimental side, lime, light green, light blue, yellow, and pink are some of the best choices.

For the Groom

The groom is probably ecstatic about the fact that he can skip the bow and tuxedo, since beach weddings usually call for something more laid back in terms of groom attire. Linen trousers, linen suits, cool white shirts, beige or khaki pants are just few of the many attire ideas that the groom can choose to wear for this big day. Some even wear knee-length shorts, which is okay just as long as the groom is comfortable wearing this. Those go as far as wearing a floral polo shirt, which is ideal if you are having a Hawaiian or tropical beach theme.

Bridal Hat - Fun Wedding Wear

More Fabulous Ideas

• Flip-flops – The bride and groom do not have to wear formal shoes to this event. They can don fashionable and comfortable flip-flops instead.
• Foot jewelry – They also have the option to go barefoot. The bride can walk down the aisle barefoot but her feet can be accentuated with a wonderful piece of foot jewelry.
• Fresh flowers for the hair ornaments – Skipping the veil is common for beach weddings. Brides wear fresh flowers on their hair instead. Another idea would be to don a wide brimmed hat that is just as fashionable and can protect the bride’s face from the sun’s scorching heat.

Some Tips Before you Go

• Shop online to save time and money.
• Make your own beach wedding jewelry from seashells and other beach treasures.
• Always consider the weather when buying your attire.
• Do not forget to pin down the bridal hat if you are going to wear one.

A beach wedding is a wedding that is like no other. It is the same thing with the attire. Having a beach wedding means you can be more playful, laid-back, and exciting with the pieces of attire that you and your spouse-to-be choose to wear for this momentous occasion.

Wedding On The Beach - Couple

Are you having a beach wedding this year? While the beach already contains the basic elements that can turn the event into a romantic and unique event, these hot beach wedding ideas for 2010 would make it even better than you have originally planned.

• Laid Back Reception

Your guests have attended a hundred of weddings before and if there were something they would want for a change, they would probably want to do away with the stiff formalities and all. You and your spouse-to-be probably want the same thing; after all, you did choose a beach wedding. Make the reception short and sweet, keep speeches spontaneous, laugh and dance more, and be flexible with the program. Let yourselves and guests enjoy the event.

• Flowing and Soft Fabrics, Extravagant Embellishments

This 2010, simple and plain wedding gowns are out. The popular thing for this year is extravagant dress embellishments such as pearls, rhinestones, and crystals. As for the fabric, the perfect beach wedding attire would be something made of flowing and soft fabrics such as chiffon, tulle, lace, and so on.

• Intimate Destination Weddings

Times have been hard these past years so many couples are flying off to far-away places to get hitched and save some budget at the same time. You can save even further by having an intimate occasion consisting only of close family and friends. This 2010 would be a year of less extravagant wedding parties and more intimate gatherings.

• Fabulous Hairstyles and Hair Accessories

Wearing your hair down has always been big for beach weddings. This year, you would also see brides pulling their hair back or wearing hair ornaments such as hairpins, brooches, hair vines made of crystals, flowers, or pearls. Tiaras and combs are still popular but more brides would probably opt for fresh flower hair ornaments.

• Cool Summer Colors

Trendy colors for 2010 beach weddings include turquoise, platinum, coral, pale yellow, champagne, and sky blue.

• Wow, an Ice Cream Bar

While candy buffets and confection bars are trendy for general weddings this year, for the beach wedding, it is the ice cream bar that is making some noise. This is designed to refresh and relieve your guests who are feeling hot due to the warm weather.

• Wedding Photojournalism

Adirondack Chair Place Card Holders

Photojournalism is making waves in the industry of wedding photography. Many couples now prefer photo-journalistic approach of taking candid pictures to traditional posed shots.

• Eco-friendly Weddings

Just like last year, eco-weddings are still big this year whether your wedding is at the beach or not. Brides love choosing organic items while grooms are looking to reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions involved in the event planning.

• A Lot of Fresh and Natural in the Menu

The best way to celebrate this wondrous beach gathering is by feasting on delectable foods and drinks that come in the form of fresh fruits, vegetables, and grilled seafood delicacies.

• Summer Flowers

Making another comeback this year, as they do every year, are pretty summer blooms such as roses, sunflowers, calla lilies, gerber daisies, cosmos, zinnias, mums, dendrobium, and daisies.

Let all these tips turn your beach wedding into the event of the year! Enjoy and make sure you do not stress yourself too much with the planning and preparations!

Beach Bride Looking At The Ocean

Why do brides like beach weddings? Simple. The wonderful scent of the ocean breeze blowing nicely in your hair, the dramatic sunset and breathtaking beach coastline, and the distinct sound of waves crashing on the sand–all of these things create a romantic setting that every bride hopes for. Not to mention that this type of wedding is perfect for those looking beyond the traditional church ceremony. It is not a big surprise that beach weddings have increased in number significantly over the recent years. If you are getting married anytime soon and you are considering this fabulous theme for your big day, here are a couple of beautiful ideas to get you started.

Invites

The invitation is the start of everything, as this is what would inform the guests about the details of this special event. This is why, most couples pay great attention to how the invitation is designed and written. It is not any different for beach wedding invitations. One excellent idea would be to go for message-in-a-bottle invitations. However, to make yours distinct from others, choose a different bottle shape, and decorate it with sand, seashells, stones, corals, and any embellishment can fit into the bottle. Wordings can include something like, “fun and frolic on the sand while Rob and I tie the knot…”

Favors

As for wedding favors, pick something that contains any beach element such as shells, starfish, sailboats, and so on. To be more specific, some of your best choices include starfish design bottle stoppers, beach-themed cookie cutters, Adirondack place card frames, beach-themed mint tin, tin pails, and shell design candleholders. You can also have wine bottle stoppers in the shape of sailboats, flip flop refrigerator magnets, sand castle tea light set, starfish photo holders, seashell scented soaps with ocean breeze scent, and so many more. Your choices are endless! You just have to pick something that both you and your spouse-to-be would love.

Two Women Playing Music at Beach Wedding Ceremony

Décor and other Details

The beach itself is already a romantic setting but you can enhance it even more with decorative pieces such as tabletop bamboo torches, miniature nautical lanterns, miniature sandcastles and metal sailboats for the table centerpieces. You can lighten up the area by having tiki torches around the beach perimeter and hanging nautical lanterns in trees nearby. You can also decorate the cake with beach embellishments and top it off with a bikini-clad-bride and board-shorts-wearing groom cake topper. Of course, the real bride and groom do not have to be in those kinds of attire as they can choose to wear formal and less revealing beach attire. Music ideal for beach weddings include acoustic, reggae, blues, and slow rock.

Beaches are not only places for fun and relaxation. They can also provide a romantic backdrop for a special event like a wedding. To make your big day unique and wonderful, consider the tips mentioned above. Most importantly, let your hair down and have fun. Do not sweat the small stuff, this is your day, and do not forget, you are at the beach!

The planning of a successful beach wedding requires detailed knowledge of the beach in question and the local climate. Knowledge of the beach is essential so the best spot to lay the tables, chairs and other wedding decorations like flower standees will not be compromised.

Sand spots that are less stable or prone to sinking should be avoided at all costs so you do not have the embarrassment (or comic relief) of having one of your tables or guests topple over just when you say “I Do”. Knowing the tides – low or high – is also important. You do not want to have to move everything in the middle of the ceremony due to rising waters.

As a safety precaution, lay down a wooden, plywood platform or mat over the sand before you put the chairs and table bearing food on the ground. This helps to stop the chairs and tables from sinking into the sand as they get heavier with guests and food. A canopy or tent always helps even in very fine weather so your guests will always stay cool in the hot sun and shielded from the sudden event of rain.

It also helps protect everyone from possible falling objects like coconuts, bird droppings or leaves from the trees. If the weather is guaranteed to be sunny, beach weddings in a canopy without walls will protect you and your guests while retaining the outdoor feel to the event. A canopy in ivory, white or beige will be a perfect blend to your surroundings while a bolder colored material will really stand out on the beach.

Other things to consider are food arrangements – how to keep the flies away while keeping your food and wedding decorations fresh from being in the sun, and more importantly, from the prying hands of the public who will be curious enough to be watching on the sidelines.

Whether formal or informal, beach weddings are always fun to attend. Just remember to provide your guests with a map for the exact spot where you will be having the ceremony so you do not have to spend time looking for lost, wandering guests.

Shopping online for beach wedding supplies is the perfect solution for busy brides. You can shop anytime and even wear your pajamas while you order specialized items to compliment the style of your wedding day.

When you go shopping, you need to spend money for gas and run around endlessly to different storefronts until you find what you want. Have you ever spent all day shopping and didn’t even find what you were looking for? With online resources, shopping is easier and more cost-effective. You don’t have to spend money to fill up your gas tank or take public transportation. If you don’t find what you want at a certain website, you simply surf to another online retailer. Within hours, you can order everything you need for your wedding online.

Planning is wedding is time-consuming and there never seems to be enough hours in the day to accomplish everything. Choosing gowns, scheduling a location for the beach ceremony and reception and booking your honeymoon involve attention to detail. The little details such as wedding supplies may go unnoticed until the last moment. When you take advantage of shopping online for accessories, you can order everything in advance because you can shop anytime you have the time.

Instead of trying to fit hours into your schedule during the day when you’re working or taking care of other wedding details, shopping online for gifts can be done whenever you have a few minutes. Shop at work during your lunch hour. Search online for beach wedding collections when everyone goes to bed at night. Spend your weekends in your skivvies looking around for unique keepsakes online.

When shopping for accessories online, you may want to designate a particular email address and credit card for all your transactions. This keeps your finances and your inbox organized. To find out the latest deals and status of your current orders, just check your wedding email inbox. You can also use this email address for RSVPs to your wedding invitations. Using one credit card ensures you stay within your budget. It also eliminates the need to go through every financial statement with a fine toothed comb to verify the transactions are correct.

No matter what type of wedding supplies you want to decorate your day, you can find them at online retailers. Most online shops have colorful photos, detailed descriptions and a secure website so you can place your order immediately. Are you looking for an unusual cake topper and cake serving set? Whether you want calla lilies or roses on your cake, you can find what you’re looking for online.

Customized items are easily ordered on the internet. Within minutes, you can order personalized decorations for your wedding. Do you want toasting flutes with your initials? You can have them personalized at online retailers and even order customized toasting flutes for your wedding party as lasting keepsakes of their participation in your big day.

Once you select your wedding theme, you can start shopping on the world wide web for items to decorate your ceremony and reception. Remember to find the perfect flower girl basket, ring bearer pillow, candles and bow markers for your wedding ceremony. Include exciting decorations at your wedding reception to get everyone in the mood. Complete the reception tables with attractive centerpieces. Vases in different sizes with colorful flowers and candle displays are classic, beautiful centerpieces for any wedding reception theme. Make sure to purchase place card holders to display the seating arrangement at your wedding reception.

Check out favors for your guests when you’re shopping online for wedding supplies. Wedding favors express thanks to your guests for attending your reception. Match the favors to the theme of your wedding, such as mini Adirondack chairs for a beach wedding. You can also select timeless favors for your guests, such as silver plated frames with a photo of the bride and groom. While you’re shopping online, remember to order thoughtful gifts for your wedding party to express your appreciation for their assistance.

Shopping online for wedding favors, for example, is the wave of the future. Instead of running around town and wasting time, you can find everything you need and have it delivered right to your door when you shop online.

Contemporary bridesmaid gifts appeal to the modern woman on the go. If you want to please your bridal party, choose presents to express your appreciation for their participation in your wedding day. Contemporary gifts are pretty, practical and fit into the fast-paced lifestyle of today’s women.

In today’s constantly moving world, old-fashioned tokens of appreciation may not get much use. The key to successful giving is to choose items that will be useful yet attractive. Bridesmaid gifts are meant to thank your bridal party for all their help and should also be treasured keepsakes. Remember, your bridal party will use them often and remember the part they played in your special day at the same time.

There is a variety of eclectic, exciting options for gifts. Compact mirrors make excellent bridesmaid gifts for woman of all ages and backgrounds. Everyone woman appreciates a handy compact mirror to check out her hair and makeup along the way. Consider engraved options, such as a silver plated heart shaped compact mirror or a silver plated oval compact mirror with sparkling crystals. These compact mirrors can be engraved with the recipient’s name or initials to completely personalize your presents. If you prefer a more affordable option without specialized engraving, silver compact mirrors etched with the word “love” are a simply elegant choice.

Watches make outstanding presents. Time is of the essence in the demanding times we live in. An attractive device that keeps time is a delightful bridesmaid gift for anyone and watches don’t have to be boring or traditional. A digital portable clock with a monogram is a thoughtful give away that easily attached to purses, belts or anywhere its is needed. A travel/desk clock is a handy item to keep at the office to take on vacation. Whenever your bridesmaids glance at their travel clock, they will think your wedding day. Another elegant items to gives your bridesmaids for their offices is a diamond shaped paperweight to add a bit of bling to their in boxes.

Another thoughtful on-the-go gift for your bridesmaids is a jewelry ballpoint pen and heart strap gift set. Your friends can wear this beautiful pen around their necks at home or the office to jot down notes along the way. Another awesome office item is a flip top card case engraved with the recipient’s initials. This convenient card case is a lovely way to carry business cards and will constantly remind the recipient of your wedding.

Get to the heart of the meaning of marriage by expressing forever love with heart place card holders at your wedding. A heart theme is a natural setting for a romantic reception where you celebrate your eternal love for each other. Heart place card holders reflect this loving theme to your guests as soon as they arrive at your party.

Wedding place cards are an essential element for your reception because they guide your guests to their seats. Without wedding place cards, your guests would be unsure of where to sit creating confusion rather than a warm welcome. Having wedding placecard holders keeps your reception well organized and professional by formally greeting your guests. The color and design match the theme of your day. Each one should be placed in an attractive wedding place card holder to display by each guest’s plate at the wedding reception.

Hearts are a popular wedding theme for many happy couples in love. What girl doesn’t draw a heart with her name and her boyfriend’s name in it to look at them together? Hearts and flowers have symbolized love for centuries. Valentine’s Day, the holiday of love, is always celebrated with images of hearts. Quite simply, when you see hearts you think of love. Having hearts as the theme of your wedding celebrates the spirit and essence of the eternal commitment you are making to each other. Everyone recognizes hearts as the symbol your love, bringing a bit of this treasured emotion to all your guests.

Because hearts are such a universal theme, there are countless accessories to show off your love for each other in heart-shaped fashion. From heart-shaped balloons to heart-shaped confetti to cake toppers, you can add it to every element of your wedding day.

They bring a little heart to all of your guests as soon as they arrive at the wedding reception. Use heart-shaped place cards or card with images of hearts tucked into them. Your guests will love the adorable holders, which will become treasured keepsakes of your special day after the reception is over.

Are you having an elegant wedding in fairy tale environment? Use classic silver place card holders to guide your guests to their seats. Often round silver ones are used to mark the spot for guests when they arrive at wedding receptions. Vary this traditional element by choosing heart-shaped ones instead. Your guests will appreciate themed holders, which make memorable treasures to take home after the reception.

While princess weddings with hearts are popular, there are many other variations on heart wedding themes. Modern weddings are another choice preferred by many couples. Unique shapes, distinct lines and bold colors are featured at beach themed weddings. Include variations on heart shapes for your decorations including swish shaped holders at each plate setting.

Two hearts beat as one when you get married, representing the union of two people. Show off the union of two hearts with ‘heart in a heart’ place card holders. Combining color, metallic and texture adds a professional feel to your wedding reception. The matte texture against the shiny texture on these attractive items adds depth to your table settings. They are also lovely keepsakes for your guests to display in their homes.

They can be used for more than defining the seating arrangement for your guests. Use these themed ones to display all types of signs on your reception tables. Display the table numbers, reception menus and table greetings to the guests in eye-catching heart-shaped place card holders to show off your theme everywhere. After the reception, you can keep them to display special occasion cards at your new home together.

Bring these elements into every aspect of your special day by paying careful attention to all the little details. Whether you use table numbers, greetings or menus, they are a delightful accent at your heart-themed wedding.

Congratulations you lucky girl! Keep on blushing and walk on cloud nine and be the most beautiful bride the world has ever seen on your grand wedding day. Surprise your family and friends with this fun and practical wedding planning checklist to put you guaranteed right smack in the center of the social calendar, at the fraction of the price. It’s a given would be brides and grooms end up stressed out months in advance, cat fighting on the nitty gritty details but rejoice! Sit back and relax as you read on these practical tips, with the right attitude, planning, strategy and precision to details, your union becomes the solemn and fashionable wedding ceremony the way you always wanted. It’s your wedding so be ahead and on top of it all.

Plan A Year In Advance: When, Where and Who!

Now that your man has asked you to live with him forever and accepted to love him unconditionally, share your passion to your immediate and best friends, their thoughts and ideas would really help make your dream wedding a reality. A simple text message gathering your loved once to an intimate get together at home over lunch or dinner announcing your engagement would be a welcome delight for everyone. They would truly appreciate that you have included them all in your plans. Planning a year or several months in advance is the key to it all as everything shall fall into place once you decide to practice these wedding planning checklist.

Wedding Motif/Style The fun part is choosing the right motif and style that you prefer, depending on your personality as a couple. Is it the white off the shoulder dress draped in a see through veil or that cutting edge sexy number? As you walk down the aisle, visualize how your guests sees you and try to evoke the perfect feeling of euphoria as all eyes anticipate your grand entrance, the choice is endless! Make sure to choose the right color scheme that works for you and your hubby. Pastel or upbeat colors work for a day wedding while dark tones and hues are perfect for that evening reception. Men are perfect in their dapper suits while the bridal entourage must be attired perfectly in synch with the bridal gown. Wedding invitations must be well coordinated as well to suit the style and function, from the engraved letters to the type of paper preferred.

Cuisine And Catering Service

Your wedding venue dictates the type of food that you would prefer to be served, from the Waldorf salad, tenderloin Australian steak to the French wine for the toast. The food accents the ambiance, motif and the venue evoking the solemnity and mood that you wish to impart. Wedding Planners And Budgets Wedding planners or event organizers are professional authorities in different fields of specifications who banded together to help ease tensions shaping all your suggestions and ideas into reality. With today’s technology at your fingertips, a quick type on the search engine Google would give you an instant list of wedding planners in your area to fully help you and answer your queries at their FAQs carefully explained on their websites.

They are your one-stop-shop offering services from securing your wedding license, coordinating with church authorities, ceremonial wedding walk rehearsals, printing of invitations, beauty and makeup photographers, video slide presentations, food catering, honeymoon and hotel accommodation’s of your choice, all within your budget. In recent years these group of dedicated individuals helped many couple’s achieved their dreams from weddings of corporate America, the intimate unions in Asia to the receptions in the medieval courts of Europe, all worked on a specific budget.

Keeping Things On Track

It helps to have a notebook with you at all times, where you can monitor all the progress as it comes. This has been a time and tested method says Valerie Owens of Queens, NY. “I have subscribed to the services of wedding planners in my area, without them my wedding with Will came close to what I have expected all along.” When asked what more can she advice to would be brides and grooms preparing for their wedding day, this she has to say. “Having a handy diary with throughout the planning process, helped with all the details that just popped up that I didn’t, even think about”