Beach Wedding Favors

Almost everyone you know will probably mention that they dream of getting married by the beach. And why not? With the sound of the waves splashing on the shore, smell of saltwater in the air, breeze blowing in your hair and skin and soft sand at your feet, it is the kind of ambience that arouses just about every sense in your body. Not to mention the fact that a beach wedding makes for a pretty picture.

Just as your beach wedding is a unique event, your beach wedding favors can be equally different. Some ideas for beach wedding favors could be edible chocolates, velveteen photo frames, wooden place card holders, tealight holders, silver sea shells, miniature wedding candles in gift boxes and personalized mirrors and tin boxes. The beauty of having a beach wedding is that you may not even need to wrap your favors in conventional wedding wraps. Having such lovely souvenirs in their "outdoor" skins is more than enough.

As with every other gift you give, you want to make sure your beach wedding favor is appreciated and what better way to ensure this than to give a present that is not just lovely to behold but useful in everyday living.

Top of the list as beach wedding favors are miniature photo albums which are both beautiful to look at and practical as well. Choose mulberry texture paper finishes and beach themed covers for the photo albums to complete the "beach" appearance. Other equally beautiful beach wedding favors are shell-designed and seashell-themed items like the seaside tea light candle set which are beige-colored tea light candles engraved with seashells. Shell place card holders are also popular. These are real, authentic sea shells attached to matching place card holders which will complement any table it is set upon, whether on a mantelpiece or the imposing table desk at work. The novelty of these is that the size and shape of each sea shell is unique which means no two place card holders will look exactly alike.

Aside from shell-themed gifts, other appropriate beach wedding favors include those with sailboat designs like bottle stoppers in the shape of sailboats. These bottle stoppers come with a miniature sailboat across the top decorated in various styles - some even have rhinestones ingrained. Normally in a beautiful gift box, the bottle stopper comes with a matching "Thank You" card which can be custom colored to match your wedding colors.

You may wish for a less formal appearance to your beach wedding favors. If so, you can go for a more playful design of beach balls, sandcastles or palm trees. Brightly colored, these child-like playful designs can be found as the base designs of bottle stoppers, place card holders, photo frames and gift boxes which can have colorful cookies inside. To go with the more informal designs, pick materials that are also less formal like plastic and cork instead of steel, for example, so you can retain a similar feel to the texture of your gifts.

The planning of a successful beach wedding requires detailed knowledge of the beach in question and the local climate. Knowledge of the beach is essential so the best spot to lay the tables, chairs and other wedding decorations like flower standees will not be compromised. Sand spots that are less stable or prone to sinking should be avoided at all costs so you do not have the embarrassment (or comic relief) of having one of your tables or guests topple over just when you say "I Do". Knowing the tides - low or high - is also important. You do not want to have to move everything in the middle of the ceremony due to rising waters.

As a safety precaution, lay down a wooden, plywood platform or mat over the sand before you put the chairs and table bearing food on the ground. This helps to stop the chairs and tables from sinking into the sand as they get heavier with guests and food. A canopy or tent always helps even in very fine weather so your guests will always stay cool in the hot sun and shielded from the sudden event of rain. It also helps protect everyone from possible falling objects like coconuts, bird droppings or leaves from the trees. If the weather is guaranteed to be sunny, beach weddings in a canopy without walls will protect you and your guests while retaining the outdoor feel to the event. A canopy in ivory, white or beige will be a perfect blend to your surroundings while a bolder colored material will really stand out on the beach.

Other things to consider are food arrangements - how to keep the flies away while keeping your food and wedding decorations fresh from being in the sun, and more importantly, from the prying hands of the public who will be curious enough to be watching on the sidelines.

Whether formal or informal, beach weddings are always fun to attend. Just remember to provide your guests with a map for the exact spot where you will be having the ceremony so you do not have to spend time looking for lost, wandering guests.