Wedding on the California  Beach

Your Beach Destination Wedding

Whether you are going for the romantic wedding on the beach, shabby chic beach wedding, or casual beach bum surf’s Up sort of thing, there are a few things you need to know about planning and pulling off the  successful beach wedding in California.

1. Timing your California Beach Wedding:

The busiest months are July, August, and September, but after Labor Day is perfect.  Autumn cools down  in CA like anywhere else,  but in October and November, late morning – early after-noon weddings can be very nice. The rainy season may wet your plans for weddings December through March but  a gazebo or tent wedding could be very romantic.  Spring  days of April and May  where temperatures are in  the cool 60’s and 70’s make for a very nice wedding as well but keep in mind the ocean breezes coming of the surf . June is a nice month for a California beach wedding but prepare for overcast-  personally  I think there is something very nostalgic about an overcast day on the beach.  As with most other destinations, Labor Day Weekend & Memorial Day Weekend are not recommended. No matter how well you plan remember this : California beach weather is very unpredictable. It can be a beautiful  warm and sunny day,  but if the fog rolls in, it can get downright chilly (even in the summer) – so prepare for this .

2. Have a BackUp Plan:

While outdoor weddings of any theme are beautiful and romantic – Mother Nature is always the ultimate boss- SO prepare for a backup plan.  Keep in mind California beaches can be windy, hot, cool, foggy, rainy and sunny – sometimes  all on the same day.  Know your destination – know when the tides come in and go out if you plan on having your wedding close to the waterline. Know where the sun comes up and goes down so you are not facing directly into the sun – nor are your guests.  If you are allowed chairs on the beach for seating, think of  having someone place plywood down  and covering it with some sand for the chairs so they do not topple  over during the ceremony.  Have a tent or canopy set up (and somehow weighted down so if a wind does come up it will not blow away) nearby  for a quick get away from the rain should it decide to  sprinkle down on your big day. If a tent or canopy is not allowed, maybe  buckets with inexpensive umbrellas available for each guest and don’t forget to have some for the wedding party. If you have chosen an alternate location in case of rain- a nearby hotel or  shore side  cafe-  make sure you inform all guests of the alternate location. (This can be added to your wedding reception cards)

3. Get Proper Permits:

Like everything else,  most  beaches require some sort of permit for a wedding on the beach -so make sure you  research this and get the proper permits for your wedding plans-

Each town will have it’s own rules and required permits – it may be best ( and easiest) to contact a beach wedding consultant and planner but you can do it yourself if you are prepared to spend some time  researching the beach towns of your choice and contacting the proper authorities  on what rules apply to specific beaches.

Public vs. Private Beach Regulations

… a help guide to choosing a public or private beach for your wedding and the pros and cons of each choice

Wedding Consultants  for a California Wedding  on the Beach

• Monterey Beach Weddings
• Pacific Coast Weddings
• Weddings by the Sea
• Now and Forever Weddings
• Santa Barbara Weddings

4. Wedding Attire:

The wedding party can be as formal or informal as you desire – nothing is ever written in stone. Whether your gown is Gatsby or Gidget – choose what gives your day the most memorable  photos and ambiance.  But do think of footwear for the sand-  fancy sandals, ballet  slippers, or barefoot if the  beach is not hot. For your guests, make sure they know how to dress – while it used to be bad etiquette to suggest attire in the invitations, especially for a beach wedding it takes the pressure off the guests if they know ahead of time what to wear – so we break the rules.

The two most popular  guest attire choices are:

A very nice option also is to have flipflops ready for your guests to change shoes-

5. Beach Theme Wedding Invitations:

Keep costs down by  selecting beach theme wedding invitations you customize yourself from Wedding Trends – affordable and professional – order from home and complete the set with matching  rsvp, thank yous, save the date, matching postage, wedding announcements, wine labels and more: Here are examples of some of the designs offered at Wedding Trends

Beach Seashells and Glitter Save the Date Wedding Personalized Announcements by Wedding_Trends	Beach Wedding Sandy Shore Personalized Announcement by Wedding_Trends
Tropical Beach Floral Wedding Invitation by Wedding_Trends	Tropical Night Reception Insert Card Personalized Invitations by Wedding_Trends

Beach Seashells Wedding

Tropical Night Ocean

Blue Beach Wedding

Beach Wedding Sandy Shore

California Beach List

…  offers links to hundreds of the most popular California beaches along the 1000 miles of Cali coastline.

Beach Destination Wedding Links

• Planning Southern California Weddings
• Top Beach Wedding Destination Options
• Beach Wedding Locations
• Plan a Destination Beach Wedding
• 10 Best Beaches for a Wedding

Beach themed wedding ideas