Fall beach wedding in Alabama - any tips?

[Lariet]

I'm attempting to start making some wedding plans, but I'm having the worst time. We have a relatively small budget, and I'm determined to stay well within it. To the point of being totally DIY about the whole thing, to my mother's horror. But what I really want is a simple, fall beach wedding. And for some reason, all I hear is reasons why that's a bad idea! I don't want to deal with some fancy hotel, because they'll charge too much. But then people say "Well where will the guests use the restroom?" "What if it rains?" Etc, etc. So I feel very discouraged about the whole idea, and have no idea where to start. I'm REALLY hoping someone out there had advice about how they did a nice beach wedding on the inexpensive side. I just feel like my head's going to explode, and it's still so far away!

[lilmsjess]

lariet-slow down sister! i'm having your issues also ;)

i've decided on an october wedding ceremony on the beach in florida:bbeek: yea, ya know, the end of the hurricane season? lol hahaha.....BUT when me and FH got together, he'd said he'd always liked to just get married on the beach.....so, i'm just going to keep it to myself and the guests, and we're having a beach ceremony! in the event it rains VERY LIGHTLY i'm going to rent some big umbrellas(unless i find a great deal on a tent ;))

we are having an indoor reception maybe-it depends on if the place i'm having it, moves before then!

you're not the only one! we'll do it together, haha! i'm trying to keep a wedding for 100 under $2k, so i definitely hear you!

several things we incorporated for our original outdoor reception, were no flowers except for the wedding party and parents! instead, we made centerpeices, out of bullets, plastic diamonds and roses/floating candles! something that won't blow over in case of a good breeze!

for table cloths, i'll be scouring the dollar stores, for white or clear table cloth pins(they're plastic "l" shaped thingys, that hold the table cloths on! let's see.....also to help hold those down, i bought bigger plastic diamonds at garden ridge(they're in the floral dept, with the marbles and river rocks), to scatter about! as i remember everything i've done, i'll help you out! there's alot to do that's easy and inexpensive! another thing, i read about on another website: one bride who lived on the beach, went and picked up good sized sea shells for each invitation she'd need to send out, printed out her invites on single aqua paper with a sea shell at the top, and rolled them into scrolls, asking the guests to use a sharpie, and write well wishes for the couple on the shells, and place them in a tall vase at the ceremony site.....i think she sent them out in little boxes, it said it cost her about $2 to send each one, making 30 invites about $50 with shipping and paper, since shells were free ;)

[TheWeddingPlanner]

A fall wedding that I went to use sunflowers and other "fall" flowers in the bouquets. The centerpieces at the tables were candles surronded by beautiful orange, yellow and red leaves. The bridesmaid dresses were a copper color. It was very, very beautiful.

[cpatterson19]

I understand the concerns totally. First and foremost don't always assume going through the hotel will be expensive.

I helped my best friend with his wedding. Beach wedding in Miami. There are several ways to go about it.

You can stay at a relatively cheap hotel where its nice but not expensive and on the wedding day go to the hotel where you rent out the conference room for the reception and the reserved beach wedding. Go through the hotel manager directly. They might be able to work something for you. All you will be paying for is the use of the conference room for the reception and catering from the hotel along with the regular wedding expenses such as the JP or the pastor. Some resorts will work it for you as long as you spend a night there.

If I remember right we spent right around $2000 for the entire wedding. Where he went over budget was in the photos and video and so on. My moto is don't spend all the money and run into debt. After the wedding and honeymoon you return to the reality you ignored for the moment. Keep a level head, dont panic, dont stress. It will work out.

[justabeachbum19]

I'm getting married on the beach in North Carolina this October and I too have a very small budget. Naturally, I am running into the same troubles!

I am pretty much going completely DIY with the help of my mother and all her friends she crafts with, and our colors are teal/turquoise and silver/grey. I am having a hard time with finding a venue for a cheap price :(

We are doing an afternoon (3pm) ceremony with finger foods. Flip flops, seashells, and a very laid-back fun atmosphere is out goal.

For centerpieces, we are using seashells we have collected scattered on the tables with a white candle and sand in a hurricane glass in the center.

Let me know how it goes for you, and I will do my best to offer an advice I come up with! :yesnod: