Beach Wedding Venues Guide
A wedding on the beach at a stunning beach venue is the dream reception location for many wedding couples. Like all wedding planning processes, planning a beach venue wedding and designing the reception layout can be stressful if attention to detail is not carefully considered.
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In this guide to beach wedding venues, we have compiled all of the details and things to consider when planning the perfect beach wedding!
How Popular Are Beach Weddings?
Beach weddings have always been a popular option but continue to trend further as a top choice.
As the outdoor scenery is unmatched with natural, stunning views, a major shift to outdoor weddings has become an even stronger trend during, and now after, the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A trend towards micro weddings, also rising in popularity due to the pandemic, also allows weddings couples to select beach destination weddings for a smaller, more intimate guest list.
What to Know About Beach Weddings
Sometimes it is asked, why are beach weddings so hard? It’s not that planning a beach wedding is hard. While the planning is similar to a regular wedding planning process, there are some additional factors to consider.
Some things to consider are:
- Beach Venue Permits
- Avoiding crowded places
- Ensuring floorplan layout optimizes beach setting
- Seating needs to be sturdy
- If it’s a destination wedding, additional travel planning
- Weather and bug protection
- Ensure proper protection against bugs
- A Plan B option for inclimate weather
Determine Guest List & Wedding Budget
The first step in every wedding planning process is determining the wedding budget and event guest list. It is so important for wedding couples to have these sometimes difficult conversations before the planning process begins in order to address guest count, event vision, and budget.
A common question asked is, “what do beach weddings cost?”
However, without an established guest list, it’s impossible to know what the wedding will cost as the guest list helps to determine venue size and cost per plate. Without an established guest list and wedding budget, it’s nearly impossible to select a wedding venue or securing vendors.
Allseated’s state-of-the-art guest list tool also increases organization and operational efficiency.
Keep an accurate count and list of all invited guests in one place.
- List mailing information
- Group guests into categories (such as friends, family, and colleagues) for even more organization.
- Keep notes
- Track RSVP’s
- Assign meal preferences for each guest, preventing the chance of error.
- Specify guests for multiple events such as wedding-related events (bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, and day-after wedding brunches).
- Arrange seating charts directly from the guest list.
- Generate reports
Consider Climate
Planning an outdoor, beach wedding heavily relies on the weather and climate.
Beach venues in warmer climates can host outdoor events more frequently and with fewer contributing factors of restrictions than in colder climates. When clients look to plan their event outdoors, it’s important to take into consideration the weather and specific climate for the region during the time period of the event date. If it will be a colder time of year, remind clients that outdoor events in cold temperatures may require tents and heaters to keep guests comfortable. In extremely cold temperatures, outdoor events may not be possible although the pandemic may be shifting beliefs on this idea. Even in warmer climates, a tent may be necessary to block the sun and keep guests in the shade. A tent may also prevent rain from hindering the festivities.
It’s also important to consider the weather in the location you are leaving for a destination beach wedding. Will guests get stuck trying to depart? Also, consider the time of year for travel. For example, the holiday season means a higher volume of travelers and more expensive airline tickets and room accommodations.
Have a Plan B
When planning an outdoor wedding, especially on the beach, having a Plan B is critical. When selecting an outdoor venue, it’s worth determining if there is an indoor option that can safely host the event if the weather becomes a factor that affects the ability to host the event
For vendors working a beach wedding, many venues have rules in place when it comes to outdoor events set up and inclimate weather. Check in with the venue on these rules in advance so that you are aware of their policies. Many venues will have a thunderstorm watch policy, often stating that if thunderstorms are forecasted or within a certain mile radius, they will not allow you to set up. In some cases, they will even determine that the outdoor event must take place indoors for safety reasons.
In the event that the weather forecast can always cause the event to take place indoors instead of outdoors, check your client’s order well in advance to determine if an indoor event setup will require different items. Being prepared is critical.
Consider Accessibility
Think about what is located within proximity to the beach venue. Does the venue account for the sleep accommodations for travelers? Are there means of transportation for travelers? Can all attendees access the location (ie. Are there wheelchair and other accessibility ramps)? Are there spaces for people who have issues walking to sit in the back so they are not walking too far? Will staff be able to assist?
Ensure there is a bathroom and other amenities accessible nearby and food storage is available until ready to be served.
Think About Decor and Event Equipment
If your beach wedding will be held primarily outside, consider obtaining quality audiovisual technologies, as there can be many distracting outside noises that you don’t want to drown out the main event.
If you are having live entertainment or a DJ, consider their needs for the event (ie. proper study station and furniture set up)
The event decor needs to uphold weather elements- ie. wind, water, heat, etc. When temperatures rise, you need to be careful about what you’re sourcing for design and décor — not everything is weather-friendly (especially when you consider those surprise showers!).
Make sure guests (and event staff too!) are comfortable in the elements – ensure shaded or covered areas.
You might also find that, when selecting rental furniture or other items, you want to avoid the surfaces that will keep the heat in. Trade leather lounge furniture for wicker cushioned couches, for example. Something still functional and comfortable, but not so warm on the bare legs that will be plopping down on it.
Ensure the furniture you select is sturdy enough to withhold wind but also won’t sink into the sand.
What Do Beach Weddings Look Like?
Weddings at a beach venue offer the chance to explore ample wedding decor and design ideas. From a tropical destination with luxurious decor to a simple ceremony along the water, beach weddings are an amazing opportunity for the natural landscape and environment to play a large role in the venue space.
Accentuating and optimizing the landscape of the beach is key. Wedding couples can work with a planner, rental company, and their beach wedding venue contact to pull the various elements together that are needed to create the beach wedding vision of their dreams.
When using Allseated, it’s easy to envision what beach weddings look like as you are able to design the layout, arrange to seat, and view in 3D to really bring the reception to life.
Selecting The Perfect Beach Venue
Many beach venues offer online photo albums and descriptions of the event spaces available. While photos and descriptions are useful and offer prospective clients a way to learn about the space, it doesn’t provide a true sense of what it feels like to be at the venue in person.
When selecting a venue space to host a beach wedding, it may not be feasible to see every venue space in person. With Allseated’s virtual venue tour technology, venues can offer virtual tours of event spaces that allow prospective clients to “visit” the properties virtually from anywhere in the world.
Venues are realizing the importance of giving prospective clients a way to virtually experience event spaces around the world, without needing to travel for onsite meetings.
With access across multiple platforms, prospective clients can tour event spaces in 360 degrees for a photorealistic experience and view life-like table layouts and furniture arrangements to visualize what their event would look like in advance.
Allseated VISION virtual tours for venues are eliminating the need to book in-person tours, as venues are able to showcase their event space and close deals virtually. This saves venues and their clients time, making the planning process much easier and more efficient. Venue tours, walkthroughs, and site inspections can now be done from anywhere in the world.
Here are several beach venue locations that use Allseated’s virtual tour technology to facilitate the venue selection process and enable clients to envision their wedding visions coming to life.
Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach
Alohilani Resort on Waikiki beach is a beautiful resort in Hawaii, offering amazing wedding packages including photography, flowers, and more. Oahu offers various flexible wedding spaces that can accommodate 50 to 1,000 guests. The amazing staff and team will capture every detail of your special day, including a professional catering team to create a personalized menu.
Casa Marina
With a variety of unique locations, perfect for beach weddings, receptions, and dinners, this beautiful and serene tropical setting offers a spectacular experience for attendees. The vibrant setting includes spaces both indoor and outdoor, and can accommodate up to 500 guests. Special offers for groups are available with personalized service and attention to detail.
El Dorado Royal
Feel the warmth of this amazing resort and spa in Mexico, set along the Riviera Maya coastline. This adults-only resort is luxurious and authentic, providing unforgettable scenery, service, and detail for your special day. From rooftop sky terraces and beachfront gazebo to grand ballrooms this venue space will be sure to fit your every need.
Huntington Bay Club
Set on Huntington Beach Harbor, this beautiful event space offers stunning views of the glistening waters below. This seaside marina is anchored along a private cove, perfect for exclusive weddings and events. Three spacious ballrooms offer panoramic views of the harbor, opening up perfecting onto an expansive outdoor terrace.
Skypark Sentosa by AJ Hackett
In the heart of the Marina Bay area, The SkyPark Observation Deck offers amazing scenic views of Singapore’s world-renowned cityscape. The large rooftop overlooks the river and skyline, a fantastic place to host a luxurious wedding. Don’t miss out on these amazing views that will leave your guests in awe.
The King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort
As the only oceanfront resort on Georgia’s St. Simon Island, this amazing property provides guests with direct beach access and amazing shoreside views in this exclusive location. Home to a devoted team of professionals, this venue offers breathtaking ocean views, inspired catering options, and outstanding service.
Destination Beach Weddings
Why are destination beach weddings becoming popular?
Destination weddings are always a popular trend. Wedding couples love to offer their guests an excuse for a trip, and who doesn’t love a trip to the beach?
Thanks to advancements in technology, planning a destination wedding is now easier and more accessible than ever before which definitely plays a role in why they have become more popular.
No longer is it necessary to travel for site visits which means saving money during planning process that can then be applied to the actual wedding.
A destination wedding couple can now virtually tour destination beach wedding location venues, make decisions, and collaborate with destination wedding vendors throughout the entire planning process without leaving their home.
For venues and event professionals working with clients to plan destination weddings, digital planning tools, and event planning platforms offer many collaborative benefits and productivity solutions.
While it may seem that designing a destination wedding floorplan poses a challenge if you can’t visit the venue in person, Allseated makes the process simple and efficient.
It’s easy to design floorplan layouts to scale and work with vendors and clients to ensure the floorplan meets expectations and is understand prior to the day of the wedding. With the ability to view in 3D and make changes in real time, layouts are perfected through collaboration, leaving no detail unnoticed. The day of set up is seamless and accurate as well based off of the Allseated floorplan.
The internet has changed the way we interact and communicate with others. For destination beach weddings, it’s critical to have a way for clients and vendors to be able to work together without meeting in person throughout the planning process to assist with how to plan a destination wedding.
When using Allseated, event collaboration allows vendors and clients to tackle their destination wedding checklist and work directly on floorplans, guest lists, and timelines in order to ensure seamless and accurate communication.
With Allseated CONNECT, which is part of Allseated VISION, Video Conferencing is now available! Think “zoom meeting” within a floorplan with capabilities such as:
- Interactive virtual walkthroughs of layout replace in-person onsite inspections
- Easily change floorplans and venues during the conference
- Invite your clients to an online virtual meeting inside an event where you can speak, share screens, and work on the floorplan in 2D or 3D
- See changes in real-time, share ideas or make requests
Using Allseated To Plan Beach Wedding
In addition to utilizing virtual tour technology to select a beach venue, Allseated floorplan software provides the event layout tools needed to arrange the beach wedding reception layout and wedding seating chart. As part of Allseated OPs, it’s easy to create outdoor event floorplans to scale. Allseated can use Google Maps Earth Images or *overhead* photographs as long as they have at least one accurate dimension included. We can also work with hand-drawn diagrams but please be aware that if the drawing itself isn’t to scale, we need the area dimensions in order to produce an accurate diagram! You can upload your outdoor floorplan using the Floorplan Wizard.
There are many features available when designing a floorplan for a beach wedding in Allseated.
There are many features available to users when designing event floorplans using Allseated event layout software.
Using Allseated’s floorplan creator to design a floorplan you can:
- Select your tables, chairs, objects, and furniture
- Customize spacing
- Join tables and/or knock off chairs
- Include spacing for dance floors and entertainment areas
- Mark exits within the layout
- List any planning details and/or notes directly within the floorplan
- Save favorite objects and templates for future layouts
- Create custom groups and save to favorites
- Upload files (including JPG, PNG, PDF) to floorplan
Learn even more about wedding layouts in this article.
Beach Wedding Etiquette
When hosting a beach wedding, there is certain etiquette you want to follow. Here are some examples of beach wedding etiquette:
It is important to let guests know your event details in advance so they can make the proper accommodations to ensure their attendance.
Are children invited to the wedding? Think about if you want children included at the start of your planning process, and if you decide to not include children, ensure guests are well aware in advance so that they can make the necessary childcare arrangements.
Be considerate of your guest’s budget, especially if there are travel requirements. If hotel accommodations need to be made, try to secure room blocks in proximity to the wedding venue with proper transportation provided for guests if necessary.
Put together an itinerary for guests. Guests should have the information they need to get to the proper location along with timing and details. Also, let them know the wedding dress code in advance so people dress appropriately and within your expectations. Proper wedding attire is always a hot topic!
Do your research, not only on the event venue, but the surrounding area and the cultural community. Ensure your guests are respecting the laws and civilians of the area especially if you are out of your native country.
FAQ
Beach weddings have always been a popular option but continue to trend further as a top choice. As the outdoor scenery is unmatched with natural, stunning views, a major shift to outdoor weddings has become an even stronger trend during, and now after, the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s not that planning a beach wedding is hard. While the planning is similar to a regular wedding planning process, there are some additional factors to consider. Some things to consider are:
- Beach Venue Permits
- Avoiding crowded places
- Ensuring floor plan layout optimizes beach setting
- Seating needs to be sturdy
- If it’s a destination wedding, additional travel planning
- Weather and bug protection
- Ensure proper protection against bugs
- A Plan B option for inclimate weather
The first step in every wedding planning process is determining the wedding budget and event guest list. It is so important for wedding couples to have these sometimes difficult conversations before the planning process begins in order to address guest count, event vision, and budget. Without an established guest list, it’s impossible to know what the wedding will cost as the guest list helps to determine venue size and cost per plate.
Allseated’s state-of-the-art guest list tool also increases organization and operational efficiency.
Planning an outdoor, beach wedding heavily relies on the weather and climate. It’s important to take into consideration the weather and specific climate for the region during the time period of the event date. It’s also important to consider the weather in the location you are leaving for a destination beach wedding. Will guests get stuck trying to depart? Also, consider the time of year for travel. Think about what is located within proximity to the beach venue. Does the venue account for the sleep accommodations for travelers? Are there means of transportation for travelers? Can all attendees access the location?
If your beach wedding will be held primarily outside, consider obtaining quality audiovisual technologies, as there can be many distracting outside noises that you don’t want to drown out the main event.
If you are having live entertainment or a DJ, consider their needs for the event (ie. proper study station and furniture set up)
The event decor needs to uphold weather elements- ie. wind, water, heat, etc. When temperatures rise, you need to be careful about what you’re sourcing for design and décor — not everything is weather-friendly (especially when you consider those surprise showers!).
Make sure guests (and event staff too!) are comfortable in the elements – ensure shaded or covered areas.
You want to avoid the surfaces that will keep the heat in. Trade leather lounge furniture for wicker cushioned couches, for example. Something still functional and comfortable, but not so warm on the bare legs that will be plopping down on it.
Ensure the furniture you select is sturdy enough to withhold wind but also won’t sink into the sand.
Many beach venues offer online photo albums and descriptions of the event spaces available. While photos and descriptions are useful and offer prospective clients a way to learn about the space, it doesn’t provide a true sense of what it feels like to be at the venue in person.
When selecting a venue space to host a beach wedding, it may not be feasible to see every venue space in person. With Allseated’s virtual venue tour technology, venues can offer virtual tours of event spaces that allow prospective clients to “visit” the properties virtually from anywhere in the world.
Thanks to advancements in technology, planning a destination wedding is now easier and more accessible than ever before which definitely plays a role in why they have become more popular. No longer is it necessary to travel for site visits which means saving money during the planning process that can then be applied to the actual wedding.
It’s easy to design floorplan layouts to scale and work with vendors and clients to ensure the floorplan meets expectations and is understood prior to the day of the wedding. With the ability to view in 3D and make changes in real time, layouts are perfected through collaboration, leaving no detail unnoticed. The day of set up is seamless and accurate as well based off of the Allseated floorplan.
When using Allseated, event collaboration allows vendors and clients to tackle their destination wedding checklist and work directly on floorplans, guest lists, and timelines in order to ensure seamless and accurate communication.
Using Allseated’s floorplan creator to design a floorplan you can:
- Select your tables, chairs, objects, and furniture
- Customize spacing
- Join tables and/or knock off chairs
- Include spacing for dance floors and entertainment areas
- Mark exits within the layout
- List any planning details and/or notes directly within the floorplan
- Save favorite objects and templates for future layouts
- Create custom groups and save to favorites
- Upload files (including JPG, PNG, PDF) to floorplan
It is important to let guests know your event details in advance so they can make the proper accommodations to ensure their attendance. Are children invited to the wedding? Be considerate of your guest’s budget, especially if there are travel requirements.Put together an itinerary for guests. Guests should have the information they need to get to the proper location along with timing and details. Ensure your guests are respecting the laws and civilians of the area especially if you are out of your native country.
When planning an event, guest list management, floorplan layouts, and seating chart templates are important steps that require organization, accuracy, and efficient collaboration between vendors and clients to ensure a seamless day of event.
Yes, once RSVP’s are received and floorplan layout is created, easily create an online seating chart. The seating tab within your event provides you with access to your floorplans and guest list. Seat guests within the floorplan layout by selecting guests from the guest list and placing them at the desired tables.
At any time during the process of designing the floorplan and seating chart, it’s easy to switch from 2D viewing to 3D viewing to take a virtual walkthrough of the layout. The 3D viewing options include Bird’s Eye viewing which allows you to see your floorplan in 3D from an above view. Alternatively, you can also walk through the event seating plan in 3D via 1st Person View as if you were taking a virtual walkthrough of your floorplan. The many 3D viewing options help to ensure that you’re 100% satisfied with the layout before the day of your event.
Allseated’s physical distance tool for floorplans allows planners, venues and other event stakeholders to plan event layouts incorporating new social-distancing guidelines, and dynamically ascertain new room capacities, ingress and egress, and foodservice protocols while ensuring the safety of event guests and staff as paramount.
