If you are like us (and we are guessing you wouldn’t be reading this if you weren’t) tropical beach weddings seem like a dream wedding. For those of you who have had a tropical beach wedding this can be true with a little planning. There is nothing like saying “I do” with a little sand between your toes. Since there are an abundance of articles on the net about beach weddings we thought we would offer some helpful tips and things to think about when planning your tropical beach wedding to ensure that everything is “perfect”.

Things to think about – Since beach weddings do include sand it is often good to have “backups” of things that you want to put in a memory box for later. Many a bride has said “we will just have to be careful” when discussing the groom picking up and carrying the bride after the wedding. Veils are prone to fall off and get sand in them or because of the ocean breeze sometimes they blow off on their own. Also sand is not the most level surface to be carrying the bride on.
Also if you are cutting the cake on the beach keep it covered until just before the ceremony and serving. Gritty cake is not something you or your guests will enjoy.
Make sure to check sunrise and sunset times if you have a choice of when you can get married. These will make for much more dramatic photos and a beautiful background.
A basket is a good idea to hold dress shoes and expensive items you don’t want to get sand in. Keep this in the trunk or back seat of someones vehicle covered so those items are not exposed to sand as well.
So now you get the trend here with the problems that can arise with the sand. Also consider the water if you will be near it as well. While this may be planned and you may have thought it all through it is always good to have a checklist in order to prepare for the worst so nothing spoils your special day.

Destination wedding or not – While destination weddings can be awesome they do require a bit more planning and flexibility for the unexpected. The first thing to do is make sure you know all the requirements to getting a marriage license at the destination you are visiting unless you plan just to have a ceremony only. In the US the requirements can be pretty straight forward. Once you get outside the borders of the US then it can begin to get a bit interesting, especially if this is not your first wedding.
Next is to get with all of the guests you want to have at the wedding and see who can and cannot make it. If passports are involved make sure they have plenty of time to acquire those to be able to make the wedding (or not if you really don’t want them there).
Next is select the destination and the resort in which you will be staying. All inclusive resorts are a great way to go for destination weddings as they can be a bit more economical and you have less to worry about when it comes to dining reservations and where to gather at night to have fun. The typical places like Sandals and Almond Resorts offer some great packages for weddings in the Caribbean.

After that getting the word out these days is probably the easiest part. Most of the people coming to a destination wedding you will know well, so sending an announcement is likely the easiest part. Make sure to discuss packages and discounts with hotels or resorts since you will be bringing them business. Also you might check to see if they have special gift items for the wedding party like fruit baskets of even special “room kits” they can include for your guests.
Once this is all done the list above should be taken care of by the resort or location where you will be getting married with the exception of personal items.

After all this, it is time to relax and enjoy your big day starting your long weekend life together.