Tips To Make Your Beach Wedding Eco-Friendly

Make your beach theme wedding a little greener and more eco-friendly with just a few simple touches.

1. Donate your wedding gown or buy a used wedding gown - or both. It's a shame that wedding gowns are traditionally only used once. As with regular clothing manufacturing, a certain amount of chemicals and earth's resources are used to create each and every wedding dress. By purchasing a used wedding dress or donating your dress after your beach wedding, you can minimize the impact your wedding dress has on the earth.

2. Use biodegradable seed paper for your wedding invitations, programs and favors. These incredible wedding items are great for beach weddings, because they can simply be planted instead of thrown away, burned or shredded. When planted by your guests at either your wedding site, their homes or even their favorite park or garden, biodegradable seed paper will simply sprout wildflowers! It's a beautiful way to make your beach theme wedding create a positive impact on the earth.

3. Serve local, farmer's market food at your wedding reception. While you might not be inclined to go vegan or vegetarian (although you should have these options for some of your guests), you can make your beach wedding more eco-friendly by having your vendors purchase meats, fruits and vegetables from the local farmer's market.

Beach weddings are a celebration of the earth's beauty and the union between two people - you can make yours even more incredible by being eco-minded and reducing the impact your wedding has on the earth as much as you can.

Thank You Card Etiquette

Thanking your guests after your beach theme wedding is extremely important. Many of your guests will give you gifts and many of them may end up traveling quite a long distance to be at your side on your special day. Part of thanking your guests for attending your wedding happens at the reception, with unique and fun wedding favors for them to take home and remember your big day by. Still, finding a way to thank your guests a week or two after the festivities is traditionally the proper way to do things. Here's how you can thank your guests, beach wedding style!

Use thank you cards. This is the most traditional way to thank your guests - send them to everyone who attends your wedding and especially to everyone who has sent you a gift. When making out your thank you cards, however, something impersonal such as, "Thanks from Mr. and Mrs. Smith" just won't cut it. You don't want to send generic thank you cards because it will be very obvious that you sent the same style card to everyone else who was at your beach theme wedding. Take the time to go through your gifts and your guestbook and really look at who did what for you. Did someone travel a long way? Make sure to mention it in that person's thank you card. Did someone purchase you a gift you and your new husband really love? Mention that too. If two people from the same household got you two separate gifts, they each need a separate thank you card.

How To Ask Your Friends and Family To Be Your Beach Wedding Bridesmaids

Selecting who out of your friends and family will be your bridesmaids at your beach theme wedding can be a tough decision. Once you've made the cut, however, it's time to ask them if they'll be your girls. Will they say yes?

Being a bridesmaid is an honor, but it's also a big responsibility. Not only do your bridesmaids need to assist with wedding plans, errands and the like, but they'll also have the responsibility of purchasing their dresses and having their hair and makeup done for the big day. If you're having a beach destination wedding, it can be even more of a financial burden for your friend or family member to travel for the event. Asking your bridesmaids to be by your side on your wedding day isn't something you should take lightly - it's important that they know how much you love and appreciate them when you're asking them to be your bridesmaids.

Ask each bridesmaid-to-be individually. Try taking them out to lunch with just the two of you, or send them a special card. Be sure to note the reasons why you're asking them to be your bridesmaid. If they've truly been there for you, make sure they know it! It's also important to let them know that it's okay if they decline - some people just can't take on that type of responsibility. Make sure you have a list of backups in this case. It's important to ask your girls to be your bridesmaids well in advance so they can plan for the big day and you have time to ask other friends or family members should your first choices decline!

Selecting The Perfect Bridesmaid Jewelry

Choosing bridesmaid jewelry for your beach theme wedding doesn't have to be difficult. You can save time and energy by choosing a simple, beautiful piece that speaks volumes yet is elegant and sophisticated. Pearls are often the gem of choice for beach theme weddings, as pearls themselves come from the ocean. Beach brides will usually incorporate pearls into their wedding attire, whether on their dress, in a tiara or in their bridal jewelry. You can incorporate pearls into your bridesmaids' attire as well, creating a uniform yet one of a kind look.

Give your bridesmaids each something unique to wear while still staying with a streamlined look. Pearl necklace and earring sets can come in a variety of muted colors, offsetting your bridesmaid dress of choice beautifully. Many pearl necklace and earring sets feature a single pearl instead of a multitude of pearls, giving it a simple and chic essence without overwhelming the rest of your bridesmaids' look.

Other styles of pearl necklaces are definitely a little bit bolder, creating a look that is as timeless as the sea and beach itself. Crystals and pearls work beautifully together, each stone perfectly complementing the other. Drop necklaces work well with many different styles of bridesmaid dresses, so you can be sure that your bridesmaids will look stunning. Finding jewelry and accessories that not only make your bridesmaids look good but items that they love is a big part of bringing together your whole day into one, perfectly planned and coordinated package!

Treat Your Guests To Delectable Beach Wedding Favors

Thanking your guests for being by your side on your special day takes thought, creativity and the genuine desire to really show them how much their presence meant to you. Edible beach wedding favors are the perfect way to show your guests how much you care! There's just something special and exquisite about a delectable treat just for your guests.

You can truly go elegant by using pearlized chocolate seashells. They're beautiful and unique, and make excellent beach wedding favors and even easy and inexpensive cake decorations. White chocolate and traditional milk chocolate seashells also work well for beach wedding favors, or you can use a combination of all three for a truly one of a kind look. Simply slip them into a sheer organza bag with a tag and you've got perfectly elegant and delicious wedding favors.

You can go for something more whimsical for your beach wedding favors, such as fun shortbread lobsters, starfish sea turtles or sugary sand dollar cookies. There are so many different types of edible beach wedding favors that you can use, allowing you true freedom when it comes to choosing the favor that will best fit your beach wedding theme and décor. Your guests will really enjoy having a special treat to themselves on your wedding day and they'll know you took the time and effort to choose something they'd truly love. When it comes to beach wedding favors, it's always the thought that counts!

Give Your Beach Wedding A Special Touch With Starfish

Starfish simply say "beach" - why wouldn't you want to incorporate them into your beach theme wedding? You can add them to anything, including your bouquet, your centerpieces and even your wedding arch or pew bows. With starfish, you have so much freedom to be creative!

Use white knobby starfish for a bold look in a beach wedding reception table centerpiece, or incorporate thin, white finger starfish into your bridal bouquet for a more delicate look. There's something so beautiful and unique about starfish that you can use them for such a variety of things! Traditional sugar starfish are a choice that many beach brides make, as their rich, sandy color really pops out against white and even other, brighter colors. You can use them to decorate your cake table and reception tables by simply strewing them about, or you can place them next to baskets full of real seashells for an elegant, pulled together look.

Starfish also make great beach wedding favors. They're a gift you can give that truly lets your guests remember how special your big day really was! For an elegant starfish beach wedding favor, you can use a specially crafted silver starfish wine bottle topper, or you can give something a little more whimsical, such as real starfish refrigerator magnets. No matter how you choose to incorporate starfish into your beach theme wedding, they'll really pull together all the minute details and make your special day look and feel exactly the way you want it to!

Stickers: A Fun And Easy Way To Personalize Your Beach Wedding!

Many beach brides don’t immediately think of using beach themed stickers to personalize their wedding and add special touches to place cards, invitations and favors. Stickers, however, are actually an easy way to personalize your wedding, allowing you to be creative and place a sticker wherever you want! You can use stickers with you and your husband’s names as well as your wedding date to add that perfect touch to a beach wedding favor, an invitation, a place card or even your wedding stationery and thank you cards. It’s so easy and inexpensive!

For an inexpensive favor/centerpiece idea, purchase plain white metal beach pails. You can use other colors as well, but white is a great way to make the colors of the sticker pop. Fill the pail with candy, top with an umbrella or flower and stick one of your beach theme personalized stickers on the outside. Put a few of these in the middle of every table and you’ve got great beach wedding favors that double as reception table centerpieces that were fun and easy to make.

You can use stickers on anything – just don’t go overboard! Pick a few things to use stickers on to keep the look uniform and streamlined.

Add A Splash Of Color To Your Beach Wedding With Chair Sashes

Making your beach theme wedding stand out from the crowd doesn’t have to be a challenge. It also doesn’t have to be expensive! There are so many ways you can add colorful and elegant details to your beach wedding that don’t cost a lot and don’t require a lot of time investment. You’re a busy bride after all!

A great way to add a splash of color to your beach theme wedding is to use chair sashes in your coordinating wedding colors. Even if you’re having a plain white beach wedding, a white organza chair sash can really add texture and depth to your beach wedding reception.

Many beach brides are harnessing the beauty and splendor of the ocean itself when planning their beach wedding colors and choosing to use a beachy blue or a shimmering aqua. Chair sashes in aqua or ocean blue really stand out against a white chair linen and are easy colors to work around when planning the rest of your beach wedding details. It’s easy to add a splash of blue or aqua to your chairs with chair sashes, and you can incorporate those same colors into your napkins, invitations, wedding flowers and more to tie everything together for the perfect beach theme wedding!

Toasting Flutes Beach Theme Table Centerpiece

Using this elegant and practical beach theme wedding centerpiece or reception table is incredibly easy! It's the perfect addition to any beach theme wedding reception. You can purchase it ready made, or add your own touches for a more customized look. The sophisticated and beautiful toasting flutes have ever so slightly blue tinged stems without bases, making them unable to stand on their own. This might seem less convenient at first, however, champagne toasting flutes of this style make it easier for you to be creative with how you present them and how your guests keep them stored at home.

You can make this gorgeous centerpiece customized by simply taking a vase of your choice and filling it with a bit of sand, shells and other decorations. Use the included heart shaped vase with sand for a smaller centerpiece or you can use a tall cyndrilical vase (just fill it with more sand at the bottom so the flutes emerge from the top), or you can use a more creative vase such as a vase within a vase or a hurricane vase.

Colored sand that matches your wedding palette can be added for something more creative, or you can use the natural sand for a more "beachy" feel. If you're using a different vase, especially if it's a larger one, scoop up some dry, natural sand from your beach wedding venue instead of purchasing additional sand to make these beach wedding centerpieces even more inexpensive!

This centerpiece also doubles as favors - after the toast, each guest can take home a champagne toasting flute for their own as a keepsake to remember how much fun they had at your beach theme wedding!

Beach Theme Table Decorations

beach themed table decorations
Originally uploaded by kevandem

Use an aqua colored organza overlay and you have the perfect look of the ocean. Place sand and shells around your centerpiece to complete the look. I love the glass cylinders that have a candle inside and are wrapped with translucent shell paper for a frosted beach theme glow.

Beach Wedding Cake Ideas

ST AUGUSTINE BEACH, FL WEDDING
Originally uploaded by CaTiCiTa!!!

What a beautiful wedding cake! I love the color palette and a great way to use oversized starfish. Not sure if these are real or confectionary!

(Find real oversized starfish at our store here: http://beachthemeweddingshop.com/2-4-sugar-starfish.html).

Memorial Candles Make The Difference

Your loved ones may have passed away, but that doesn't mean they have to be excluded from your beach wedding. If you and your husband to be want to remember your beloved family members that have departed at your wedding, you can do it elegantly and tastefully with beautiful memorial candles or even a delicately inscribed vase.

Whether you're honoring your grandparents, your parents or another loved one at your beach wedding, you want to make sure they have a place on your special day just like they have a place in your heart. Display a bouquet of flowers or place your bridal bouquet in an inscribed vase with your loved one's name or a short poem on your altar or on a small pedestal in the sand or next to the crashing ocean waves.

You can also remember your dearly departed with a specially engraved memorial candle. Keep the flame burning during your beach wedding ceremony and reception to honor your loved one and let your guests know that they are with you in spirit.

Represent your loved one's ascent into the beyond with a floating memorial candle, something that pays tribute to your loved one as well as to the beautiful ocean waves. Make a floating memorial candle unique by filling the bottom with sand and real seashells and placing it next to a photo of your beloved. No matter how you choose to represent your departed friends and family at your beach wedding, they will be remembered with a gorgeous keepsake that will keep them in your mind and heart forever.

Unique Beach Wedding Favors

If you like the idea of fun in the sun with signature cocktail drinks, you'll love this neat favor idea. You've probably seen the personalized cocktail favors, where you can customize a dry packet mix of cosmopolitans or margaritas - or even lemonade for the non-drinkers. We'll, here's a great side kick!

These unique seaside or beach inspired swizzle sticks make a unique favor when you add your own gift favor tags and ribbon. Available in aqua or blue, they are sure to be a great addition to engagement party favors or bridal shower favors at your Girl's Night Out!

Jeweled Beach Sandals For Barefoot Brides

Looking your best at your beach theme wedding doesn't have to be a challenge. A few simple touches can go a long way!

Many brides choose to have a beach theme wedding ceremony to go barefoot. There's nothing like feeling the wet sand beneath your feet while walking down the aisle to marry your future husband and pledge your love to each other for the rest of your life. Going barefoot can be a symbol of going back to your roots and enabling you to experience the fullest of each moment on your wedding day, just like when you played barefoot on the beach as a child.

While some brides elect to go completely barefoot, many like to wear beach foot jewelry to enhance their feet and complete their wedding look. There are a number of jeweled sandals created for bare feet that will perfectly complement your wedding attire and make each step towards the altar count.

If your dress is ivory or white, choose jeweled sandals that feature pearls or crystals in a color similar to your dress. While you might not be able to find the exact same types of beads, these types of jeweled sandals will look amazing in the sunlight.

You can also choose something more colorful, such as sandals that feature pink or aqua blue beads. Many designs have mother of pearl shell accents to really bring the "beach" feeling to life. Choose the sandals that fit your personality best and watch as you capture the attention of each and every one of your wedding guests.