Beach wedding challenges

Master Wedding Planner,  Sari Skalnik of Tropical Weddings has done hundreds of beach weddings on the miles and miles of beaches in beautiful Puerto Rico among other beachfront destinations. We asked her to tell us about the trends in beach weddings and what as wedding planner we should be aware of when planning a beachfront wedding.

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Having it all on the beach is the most recent trend. The couple is not just planning their ceremony on the beach but also cocktail, dinner and dancing. This can be a challenge depending on where you are having your wedding (which island, state or country) you need to check what is allowed and what requirements need to be met. For example, Skalnik explains, “we have sea turtle nesting in Puerto Rico, so most areas require us to have a permit from the Department of Natural Resources(If the couple has it at the hotel they are staying -most hotels already have the permit saving the couple time and money).” The locations of a beach wedding may also have cut off times for music, and restriction on alcohol. As a wedding planner, it is our job to be aware of these issues and address them with the couple before they determine a venue.

The biggest issue a planner will encounter according to Skalnik is weather which can be rain, wind, high seas or sun or all of the above in one day. You should have your back up plans in place when you begin planning the event. You never know what Mother Nature may have in-store for you that day. If you are having it at the hotel (the hotel will most likely provide back-up location). But if you have it somewhere other than a full-service venue you might not always have that option. Skalnik suggests looking into a nearby restaurant as a Plan B as it a lot less expensive than a tent and they might be willing to do the catering for you as well.

Skalnik shared her beach wedding checklist that you can adapt for your own needs she said, “these are a few of the things couples haven’t thought about when they dream of their wedding entirely on the beach. But rest assured that is why they are calling you to help with all these details and more.”

Location: So many options but is the beach private, public, does it come with a full service venue or will you have to bring everything to the beach what are the cost, what permits are needed privacy: How private is the location, even large hotel beach wedding venues are open to their guests, other places all beaches are public no matter the circumstance, importance of privacy to your couple is a key question.

Guest comfort: Bathrooms, lighting, walkability to the area, shade options, ADA accessibility if needed

Power options: on site, a generator provided, how reliable is the power source, how much power will you need for lighting, DJ/Band, catering etc.

Dress code: providing your guests with a dress code is important, so they don’t feel too over or underdressed. Common things to include, flats or wedge shoes, cover up if it gets cool at night, light-colored clothing that is comfortable in the sun, hats if appropriate for the wedding.

Insects: consider spraying the day before, have insect repellant available for guests, keep food covered until right before it is served, make sure trash is picked up and disposed of away from the guest area