I think the summer is one of the most perfect times to get married, although there is a lot to be said for a winter wonderland wedding or colorful fall ceremony. But for me, summer was the right time for our ceremony and reception to be held. The only problem I had was trying to decide how I wanted to set this up. I wasn’t sure what theme I should go with, or if I should go with a theme at all. Traditional weddings are lovely too. So I thought maybe a garden party would be nice, with all the beautiful flowers and maybe a trellis or two and all the ladies in sun hats. Then I considered a ceremony in the park with all my bridesmaids in beautiful flower print summer dresses and the beauty of nature as our background. All of a sudden it hit me, the perfect spot for a summer wedding, the beach!
So my next step was to get my invitations out so I could start planning seating arrangements and how many people to have the caterers plan for. After I received all the RSVP’s I started planning the menus. We decided, since we were going to be by the ocean for our reception that it only made sense to plan on lots of seafoods. We had shrimp, Alaskan king crab and Lobsters galore. We thought about having an old fashioned clam bake, but after looking up all that goes into it, we decided that was too much work on a night that we wanted to party. So we ordered clams already prepared. We also had an assortment of salads, different types of potatoes and many desserts and snack foods. For our drinks, we chose champagne, wines, and a couple of kegs. We also had plenty of soda for those that preferred non acoholic beverages. Food and refreshment wise, we were all set.
I didn’t have a long fancy wedding gown, it was just a little too hot for a beach wedding, but I did have a beautiful flowing, light weight summer dress, as did my bridesmaids and flower girl. The guys dressed comfortably too, in white linen suits that were perfect for a beach wedding, and helped them stay cool in the hot summer sun. I thought it would be a beautiful ceremony, but I really had know idea just how wonderful summer weddings can be, until we said our vows with the waves and warm sand surrounding us.
After the ceremony it was on to the reception. Our cake was beautiful as well as delicious and everyone toasted to the bride and groom. Then the party was on. Some of our guests decided to bring swim wear and some wore them underneath their clothing so they could enjoy a dip in the ocean. We danced and partied until late in the evening and everyone kept telling me what a great time they were having and what a wonderful idea it was to have a beach wedding and reception. Some couples played volley ball, some went swimming and the flower girl and ring boy got together to build sandcastles. It was just one big fantastic beach party that night. Our guests really seemed to like the summer wedding favors I chose for them, too. They all represented the beach and was packaged in adorable beach themed favor boxes. I got a lot of thank you’s from our guests.
The party was still going on we left the reception to start on our honeymoon. This was a very special day for us with our friends and family and I hope to have many more in the future.