Mrs2Be

COAST WEDDING THEME

Whilst Britain is not renowned for its sunshine it is well known for its beautiful coast line.

There are many stunning on the British coast. A wedding by the sea without having to travel abroad may be what you have always dreamed of. As long as you plan ahead and are prepared for inclement weather then you can realise your dream.

Can you marry on a beach?

Unfortunately it is not possible to be officially married on a beach in the England or Wales however there is a way around this and that would take the form of a humanist wedding ceremony. But remember, humanist ceremonies are NOT legally binding. You would have to have had a civil ceremony first in order to be legally married.

However, the rules in Scotland are different so you may want to check them out.

First Things First

The first thing to decide is whether you wish to be married in a church or whether you wish to have a civil ceremony. If you plan to marry in a church then this should be your first port of call as there is little point booking the venue of your dreams if you have nowhere to be married first. There are many beautiful churches on the coast for a wedding to take place but allow yourselves plenty of time in order to be sure that you can get the necessary permission to be married outside your parish if that is the case.

If on the other hand you plan to marry in a civil ceremony then you can go ahead and pick your seaside venue first and foremost. You cannot officially book your registrar more than 12 months prior to your wedding day so be sure to read up on our "planning a civil ceremony" article to find out more.

Fancy marrying in a lighthouse?

The Lighthouse Hotel, Kirkcolm offers a suite with a private sea facing conservatory almost right on the rocks.

Alternatively The Old Light House - Dungeness in Kent boasts "panoramic views over the English channel". This Historic Grade II listed building is available for both Civil Weddings and as a wedding venue. If you plan to get married there, you can hold your ceremony on any level of the lighthouse though restrictions to numbers do apply depending on which level you choose. For more information see: The Old Light House Website.

Additional Lighthouse wedding venues:

Nash Point Lighthouse - South Wales

Trinity House - London

How about on a Boat?

They may not actually be moving, but it's the closest you are going to get in England and Wales! Here are a couple of Boat Wedding Venues:

Golden Hinde

HMS Warrior - Portsmouth

The Coast Theme

This is where the fun begins! There are so many things associated with the sea & the beach and it really depends on how far you want to take it.

Colour Schemes

The obvious colour scheme choice here would be blue but then there are many different shades of blue to choose from. Then there are the green hues or the aqua colour ranges. We would advise you go for an accent colour too such as beige, brown or a lovely rich coral pink.

Table Decorations

The sea conjures up many images such as drift wood, seashells, fishing boats and much more. These cute little mini metal boats are just one example from Beau-coup or for something more subtle you could buy miniature metal buckets and fill them with sweets of your choice such as mini pieces of rock.

Use your imagination though and don't just go to traditional wedding favour shops, check out seaside resort gift shops for those quintessential seaside items too!

Seaside Menu

This should be easy particularly as your venue will be more than used to serving traditional seaside cuisine. Of course, the natural choice would be fish of some description but be prepared for a number of guests who perhaps are unable to eat fish or have allergies to shellfish.

For your evening guests, how about the good old British traditional fish & chips served in newspaper or cones. Some examples: http://www.mobydicks.net/

http://www.kandncaterers.com/catering/fish-chips/

http://www.thehappyplaice.co.uk/

A seaside theme is not complete without traditional ice-cream! Here are a few companies for you to look at:

Tomineys City Ices

Table Names

It is always fun to think of new ideas for table names and a coastal theme conjures up ideas such as names of local beaches or seaside creatures. Put your imagination to the test and see what you can come up with.

For more inspiration on coastal wedding venues:

http://www.suffolkcoastweddings.co.uk/

http://www.glendorgal.co.uk/dynamicPage.asp?id=122 - newquay, Cornwall

http://www.pickwellmanor.co.uk/ - Devon

http://www.cedarsinn-barnstaple.com/wedding.htm - Devon

http://www.portmerion.co.uk/ - North Wales

http://www.rodelhotel.co.uk/ - The Outer Hebrides , Scotland

http://www.bamburghcastle.com/weddings.html - Northumberland

 

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