Dreaming of escaping to white sands and turquoise waters for your wedding day? We don’t blame you. If you’re lucky enough to treat your guests to a getaway destination wedding, you truly can’t go wrong with a beach wedding. Planning a destination beach wedding? We’ve put together some planning tips in this blog to help you along the way. We’re also featuring Alisha and Dakota’s stunning destination beach wedding in Jamaica for even more inspo. See the full gallery at the end of this post!
Picking the Right Beach Wedding Venue
Alisha and Dakota’s day is the perfect mix of formal and casual beach wedding style. A venue like The Tryall Beach Club in Montego Bay, Jamaica is the best of both worlds. You can still have a more formal ceremony overlooking the ocean, but also get your barefoot bride and groom photos in the sand. When planning your destination beach wedding, it’s also important to work with a venue or wedding planner that is familiar with the location. They can take the guesswork out of navigating the local culture and ensure you have everything you need to make your event a success. Not to mention, a planner will help you stay organized. A beach destination wedding has a lot more factors to consider, primarily the travel coordination for your guests. With so many details to keep track of, it’s important you have someone to keep you on track.
Booking an all-inclusive style venue who specializes in destination weddings makes the planning process super streamlined. Most of these locations will have wedding packages that include everything you’ll need from accommodations to dinner and drinks. For example, The Tryall Club gives you a dedicated wedding planner to create a customized destination beach wedding package. You can choose from their indoor spaces overlooking the ocean to having your wedding ceremony and reception on the sand. Not to mention, your guests will have the pleasure of enjoying the gorgeous resort as they wait for the wedding festivities to begin!
Beach Wedding Attire
Getting married by the ocean is the perfect excuse to go for a laid back, natural bridal look. Think beachy waves, sunkissed makeup and a sexy yet comfortable beach wedding dress. If a more casual and carefree style fits your aesthetic, the beach is the perfect place to bring that vision to life. Since we’re dealing with warm temperatures, you’ll likely want to skip the long sleeve wedding dress or formal groom tuxedo jacket.
A few more things to consider…the warmer temps and humidity will also call for a sweat-proof makeup look. You might be obsessed with those white bridal pumps, but they won’t be conducive to walking on the beach. If you’re considering a tulle wedding dress, remember that those fabrics can be a magnet for trapping sand. You want your look to match the easy breezy style of your beach wedding day and be comfortable for the setting!
Planning for Guest Travel
When asking your guests to travel to partake in your beach wedding celebrations, it’s important to provide an extra level of detail and communication. Ensure that all wedding events and requirements are clearly outlined. For example, include a welcome bag in your guest’s rooms with an itinerary of wedding weekend events, dress codes if applicable, and suggestions of local activities or restaurants they can enjoy on their own time. It’s always a nice touch to include things like snacks, drinks, toiletries, etc. for guests to utilize in their rooms as well.
Make it even easier for your guests by providing travel suggestions along with your wedding invites. Create a wedding website that includes all the event and venue details along with links to book. Providing estimated budgets would also be a helpful resource for guests to understand what the wedding trip will cost and if they’re able to travel and join you for your big day. The more information you can provide up front, the better!
See more shots from Alisha and Dakota’s Jamaica destination beach wedding along with our feature on Carats & Cake! Looking for more destination wedding inspo? Check out our blog post on this stunning Arizona destination wedding in the desert.
