If you’re planning on getting out of town for a once in a lifetime wedding on a gorgeous, white sandy beach, but are a bit concerned that the great outdoors might provide the potential for hazards – don’t worry!
Here’s a quick low down on the most essential beach wedding supplies for your health and well-being, to help you and your guests to get the very best from the beach setting.
Sun protection
All being well, the sun will be shining, so do ensure that there is adequate protection from the sun as appropriate for those who need it. Give careful consideration to the time of day and, particularly if it is a time when the elderly or young may be vulnerable to the heat, do think seriously about whether there will be any shade available. If there is no gazebo-type structure to offer shade, consider organizing a couple of pretty umbrella stands with parasols in, for your guests to make use of. You could also ensure that you supply a couple of trust-worthy guests with some sun block to carry in their bags, to be used by the guests if needed.
Hydration
If there is to be some waiting around for guests, a couple of ice boxes filled with bottled water may help guests who are struggling with the heat.
Flowers
Make sure that flowers are chosen carefully with respect to the climate and beach conditions. Last minute thought may need to be given to any wind factor on the day (beaches can be very windy places) in order to ensure that any guests who may be allergic are not having pollen blown into their faces. Similarly with highly scented flowers, a whiff of scent is fine, but being down-wind of the strong scent of, say, lilies is a real sneeze-factor that could ruin the enjoyment of the happy couple or guests. It’s worth taking extra advice on the right flowers for a beach wedding.
Bites and stings
Along with sun-protection, do also consider the outside situation and have some quick remedies to hand in case of bites and stings. Having a responsible, designated person who is positioned close to say the ice boxes of bottled water is useful, as the ice can also be used to ‘calm’ a sting. Signpost the guests to this person when they arrive for the ceremony so they know who to approach if needed. This may be particularly useful if there are small children who can be particularly prone to stings and who can become easily distressed if stung.
Do also check with the local weather office and venue administration in case of any local issues in relation to insects around the date of the wedding, particularly if abroad.
Make-up
All eyes will be on one lady in particular, so extra care may need to be taken to ensure that any face makeup contains an appropriate sun screen, if shade will not be on offer through the ceremony. Thought will also need to be given to other makeup, such as eye makeup and mascara, to ensure that this does not run, stick or clump in humid conditions – you don’t want to be an Alice Cooper look-alike in the wedding photos! Keep a supply of anti-shine face wipes with your bridesmaids if necessary, so that any touch-ups or overly shiny features can be dealt with quickly.
It all sounds a bit heavy, but it just takes a bit of common sense to organize a few essential beach wedding supplies to off-set basic outdoor annoyances so that the backdrop of the day is memorable for all of the right reasons.
This article was written exclusively for STL Weddings by Chloe Wilson whose Wedding Supplies website offers advice to those about to get married on all of the bits and bobs they do not want to forget. She talks about what you might need for popular themes including beach wedding supplies as well as individual items such as cake toppers and ring pillows.
