Having your friends stand by you on your wedding day is more than just a tradition. It’s a friend’s way of saying, “I love you, I support you in your marriage, and I’ve got your back.” And choosing your beach wedding bridesmaids is just as important as choosing where you will get married…in this case, it’s a beach in Florida! Which one? Why not choose one of the Gulf beach venues such as Clearwater Beach, St. Pete Beach, Siesta Key for you and the gals to stand together by the emerald water on your special day. And once you’ve established your bridal party, the next step is to choose the right beach wedding bridesmaid style. You will probably want to include some color and design themes from your all-inclusive beach wedding package. The Destiny is the package that has the most color options for customization. With up to 24 chairs, it is a great choice for a larger wedding. Another popular package our brides love is the Rustic Romance (shown below) which can accommodate up to 100 guests! Whichever complete wedding package you decide upon, you and your bridal party will want to arrive in style.
Bride Guide: Beach Wedding Bridesmaid Style
Bridesmaid Dress Color:
This is probably the biggest statement when it comes to the overall aesthetic look of your wedding. Are you into bright and bold or are you looking to go natural and blend in with the beach scene? Remember to think about the BIG picture. Envision you and your bridal party in front of your beach wedding package set up and decide what look you want to achieve. And remember, you can totally go for matching dress and decor (bold or neutral), complimentary but not quite “matching” colors, or a neutral for set up and bold dresses (or vice versa).
Bridesmaid Dress Style:
Do your ladies have a variety of body types? It’s likely that there is a variety of shapes and sizes standing up in your wedding. Before you are able to make the final call, get advice from your bridesmaids so they feel comfortable in what they’re wearing. There’s lots of resources for body types and flattering styles just like this one. And remember you can choose one style for all or do a little mixing and matching within the same color family.
Budget Friendly:
You probably have a good idea of where your friends stand financially (ballpark figure anyways). So consider this when choosing dresses. If you’re friend is scraping the bank just to travel and attend your wedding, don’t send her into debt over a dress. There are lots of affordable bridesmaid dresses. Some tips for saving money include:
Shop local: Support local business and do yourself a favor by checking out your local bridal shop’s sale rack. Often they need to clear previous season’s dresses to make room for the next batch.
Resale- Check sites like Ebay or a local Facebook resale site. This is especially convenient if you are mixing and matching styles or colors.
Hopefully this guide has you started on the path to planning your dream beach wedding. And if you need some more help with designing and planning, contact us here!
Laid back and relaxed, small and intimate, or straight up beach party. Whatever the feel of your wedding ceremony, here are some tips for choosing the perfect men’s beach wedding attire, and for your wedding party if you have one. These helpful beach wedding ideas for clothing and style will help you be cool and comfortable when you tie the knot in Florida.
5 Keys to Great Groom Beach Wedding Attire
Practically Speaking: So the fact you’ve chosen a beach wedding or elopement hints at the fact that you’re outdoorsy and appreciate nature’s beauty. Don’t let your beach wedding attire steal the joy a beach wedding has to offer with hot and uncomfortable clothing. Rather, let your style blend in. So what does that mean? You don’t have to scour the Knot wedding website to find the answers…we have them here! Years of planning and officiating marriages on the beach in Florida have provided us with insight on what works and what hurts. Avoid clunky shoes, multiple layers, and thick fabrics. Wear lightweight fabrics like cotton or linen and stick with lighter colors. The colors will compliment the beach scene and can even be customized to your beach wedding package, if you so desire. It will also will leave you feeling much cooler.
2. Barefoot Bliss- We’ve already said to ditch the clunky shoes, so what options does that leave you with? Well, you can choose a classic boat shoe, flip flops, or lose the shoes altogether and go for a barefoot wedding ceremony…it feels so good. Anything more will have you weighed down in the sand and enough sand in your shoes to fill a child’s sandbox. You are lucky in love and on a sandy beachfront in Florida: let your feet and toes enjoy that warm, sunny sand. Our groom below opted to go barefoot and suit-free for a truly tropical feel.
3. Well Suited: Consider your season. Tampa, Florida beaches are pretty consistently warm MOST of the year: Fort De Soto, Pass-A-Grille, Lido Key, and Sand Key Beach near Clearwater. Even the Atlantic side of Florida, like St. Augustine, Daytona beach venues and Cocoa Beach with its robust surf and sea breezes, is nice and toasty. So, even if you love a suite and tie, save the three piece suit for another day.
Groom and beach wedding party
You don’t have to lose the traditional groom wedding attire look however. A classic white shirt with a vest paired with a nice pair of Chinos is a great option. You can even get a little creative with colored chinos. Or add a pop of color to a white button up with a fun bow tie or suspenders. For winter weddings, jackets and dark colors are a go, so just check out the trending temps before you pick your style! Our groom below went more formal and neutral, but he looks completely cool and comfortable for his marriage ceremony in Siesta Key.
4. Accessorize: Okay, accessorizing isn’t just for the bride. There are lots of ways to add a personal touch to your groom style. Check out cuff links, tie clips, sunglasses or nautical bow ties. Really it all comes down to personal style and theme of your wedding. Is it nautical, natural with driftwood, neutral or floral? A groom can match this theme with colors and accessories to make the wedding a stunning success. Having a sunset beach wedding? That may be all the color you need for your perfect day, so a simple white shirt or jacket may be what you choose. Our St. Pete and Clearwater wedding venues provide you with many choices for this purpose.
5. Dry Run: Light colors, linens, and cottons are all ideal groom beach wedding attire. However, let’s make sure whatever fabric you’ve chosen for your undergarments are not public information. The outdoor sun can shine right through those dapper linen pants and reveal a pair of bright boxer briefs. So, like we advise our beach brides, it’s best to give your ensemble an outdoor test drive before the big day!
If you feel like rocking a hat there is no better place than the beach: it keeps you feeling cool and looking cool! Now it’s time to get your Florida wedding license and hit the beach! Get married then enjoy the beach activities you love with family and friends. Contact our beach wedding company to find our if your date and beach wedding venue is available.
You know the tune, “Here comes the bride all dressed in….see through!?!” Wait, what? Your beach wedding dress should have guests dropping their jaws at your beauty and elegance. However, jaw drops should NOT be due to the fact you look like you’re auditioning for a Victoria Secret lingerie photo shoot or because of the amount of sweat pouring down your body. After many years of operating a wedding store, we want to help guide you in choosing the perfect dress whether it’s magical mermaid, classic beauty, or boho chic style. So here are a few pointers for choosing the perfect beach wedding dress.
How to Choose the Perfect Beach Wedding Dress
Material, girl: We’re not talking Madonna here, we’re talking fabric. Choose a breathable wedding dress made from fabrics like chiffon, cotton blends, or organza. And if you want one of those crazy sweat inducing wraps to shed those last few pre-wedding pounds, go for it. However, sweating off pounds in a satin suction cup dress while walking down the aisle is just a bad idea. Keep it cool and comfortable.
Length: You may be thinking, warm, sunny weather hence a shorter dress. Well, that MAY be an option, but the sun isn’t the only factor to consider. While that sea breeze will keep you cool and relaxed, a swift breeze in a short dress could have your guests getting to know you in ways you didn’t expect. Beach brides may be afraid of “dirtying up” a floor length dress, but a little saltwater and sand is nothing a professional cleaning can’t take care of. In fact, many brides love to wade into the sea for a few stunning photos! If you’re set on avoiding a full length dress, above the knee and tea length are great options also.
Stylin’: Choose a style that magnifies your natural beauty and is comfortable for you. You may choose to stick with your already non-traditional wedding theme and go with a flowing and mystical gown or opt for a classic, timeless look. Check out our Beach Wedding photo gallery below to get an idea of some beach wedding dresses.
Trial: Lighting in a retail store provides a totally different effect from natural sunlight. Think you’ve found the perfect dress? Take a step outside in your dress to make sure it’s not see through. It’s also a good idea to take a couple of pictures in that natural light. Often the camera has some sort of tricky x-ray vision and without testing out the lighting and visibility, you could end up with some very revealing wedding photos.
Underneath it all: Make sure to wear no show/seamless undergarments. Again, do a trial run. Get your whole ensemble together and step outside. Have a friend check front and back to make sure there are no see through surprises or funky strap lines. You can also add a personal touch with a fun garter.
Coordinate with your decor: Don’t forget you can style your beach wedding package decor to match your bride and groom vibe! Tropical island mermaid or elegant, simple and neutral? We have the bamboo, flowers and draping for that. Floral or seashells? At Florida Beach Weddings company it’s your choice.
Get your Bruno Mars playlist ready for just a minute and “Put yo pinky finger to the groom.” That’s right, this post is all about the groom: the beach groom to be exact. So beach brides, step aside, and make way for your stylin’ man! Don’t miss out on these must-have looks and tips for styling your Florida beach wedding.
Beach Groom Style
Whether it’s Boho, classic white wedding, bright and bold, or anywhere in between, you have so many style decisions to make for a beach wedding. The beach atmosphere lends itself to a more simplistic and natural environment for a wedding. However, an affordable beach wedding doesn’t have to look like a cheap beach wedding! You don’t have to sacrifice your particular style. But beach wedding attire should blend with the overall natural, beach vibe which is a little different depending on your location choice of the Gulf coast or east coast. So here a few tips to ensure you beach groom fits right in while keeping his personal touch at your beach wedding in Florida:
Weather: So topping the style charts is weather friendliness. Although Florida certainly has it’s cold spells in the winter, the weather is warm-hot 85% of the year. So this topic is most important when considering your beach groom’s attire. Avoid heavy jackets and thick materials (like tweed/wool). And stick with lighter suit/pant colors in the khaki or gray family over black.
Black Tie or Beach Tide Affair: So as we just mentioned in the weather point, a full tuxedo is probably not the best choice for your beach wedding. However there are creative ways to get a very polished and traditional ways OR keep it totally laid back and casual. Here is a great groom look from a recent Clearwater Beach Wedding:
Beach Touch: A starfish boutonniere, nautical tie clip, or accent tropical flower are all great ideas for adding a beachy touch to your beach groom style. Tie in your colors with the blue green waters of the Gulf beaches.
Toes in the Sand: Literally. Toes, in the sand. On your wedding day. Bare feet are an easy, affordable ;) style choice! If ditching the shoes are out, then a classic boat shoe or flip flip will do the job. Avoid traditional dress shoes as they will sink in and fill up with sand faster than you can say “I do.”
Does all the talk about beach grooms- the cufflinks, the vests, the dreamy photos of grooms in ties, have you ready to tie the knot? Click HERE to book your Clearwater Beach Wedding today!
And once you’ve established your bridal party, the next step is to choose the right beach wedding bridesmaid style. You will probably want to include some color and design themes from your all-inclusive beach wedding package. The Destiny is the package that has the most color options for customization. With up to 24 chairs, it is a great choice for a larger wedding. Another popular package our brides love is the Rustic Romance (shown below) which can accommodate up to 100 guests! Whichever complete wedding package you decide upon, you and your bridal party will want to arrive in style.
