Beach Weddings & Receptions

Rentals of glasses, dinnerware, cutlery, tables, chairs and canopies can be arranged at the time of booking or please refer to Local Resources and Suppliers
Catering services are available. Please refer to Local Resources and Suppliers.

KEY QUESTIONS

Have you checked local ordinances and obtained necessary permits? A wedding on the beach can be a blast -- but some prep work and research are required to pull it off without a hitch. Here's a working list of must-ask questions:

• Are there toilet facilities for guests?
• Are electrical outlets available
• What are the rules for lighting fires:
• • bonfires
  • candles
  • torches
  • citronella
  • etc
• Who cleans up the area?
• Is it pet friendly?
• What is the tide schedule? (Incoming tides are noisier than outgoing)
• For a tide chart, click here
• What time does the sun set? click here for a sunset time chart.
• Is there a time limit? If so, when does the beach close?

CEREMONY READINGS & RITUALS

Bring your setting into the ceremony with beach-inspired ideas. For readings, Anne Lindbergh relates relationships to the changing tides in Gift from the Sea, and Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet contains a passage describing love like a moving sea between the shores of your souls. In her book, I Do: A Guide to Creating Your Own Unique Wedding Ceremony, Sydney Barbara Metrick suggests ways to personalize your ceremony by including elements from your surroundings. Consider a symbolic "sand ceremony" where each of you pours a glass of sand into a larger bowl, mixing the sands together to represent a blending or union. To make the ceremony even more personal, write your own vows.

SETTING THE SCENE

• Create a walkway made of seashells
• Place a lifesaver or anchor amidst the buffet
• Arrange place cards atop a surfboard
• String colorful fish lights or paper lanterns above the reception tables
• Set out party favors inside colorful inner tubes
• For a natural setting, use potted herbs and grasses. For serving tables, use boxes of wheat grass.
• Arrange flowers in large conch shells or colorful beach pails as centerpieces
• Forgo the water altogether and put sand in the bottom of a cylindrical vase, with a large pillar candle in the middle surrounded by small shells or beautiful stones.

AN INVITATION TO A WEDDING BY THE SEA

"For a beachside ceremony, you shouldn't use the phrase ‘request the honor of your presence,‘" advises New Jersey wedding consultant Carolyn Bodner, in regard to wording invitations. "That's reserved for ceremonies taking place in houses of worship." Instead, she suggests the following text: "Mr. and Mrs. Smith request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their children Leigh Elizabeth and John Philip at an oceanside ceremony..." Or let your creativity take the helm and compose an original line of your own. For the design, navy blue type and embossed seashell borders or a single letterpress scallop shell at the top add nautical touches ). Laptop Bride

PHOTOGRAPHY

Your wedding pictures will be anything but ordinary -- hugging your honey with the sand between your toes, waves crashing in the distance, a sunset backdrop beside the water's edge -- take advantage of the beauty of Big Beach! . For great candid shots, show your joy! Kick the sand, throw a Frisbee, turn a cartwheel, or simply stroll hand in hand along the shoreline. It’s a good idea to prepare a list of must-have shots, discuss them with your photographer, confirming with them prior to your arrival your wishes to ensure that on your special day, everything goes smoothly. (see Local Resources and Suppliers local wedding photographers).

THE ELEMENTS

• Keep decorations simple. Be sure flowers are well secured and your aisle runner is weighted down. Options are heavy rocks or sand/shell filled containers.
• Create an aisle using seashells, rocks, or torches
• We recommend that you stage your beach wedding for early morning or late afternoon to avoid uninvited guests in your wedding photos. Lighting is much more conducive at these times for photography. Please ensure that you have a cleanup crew to clear the beach after your wedding.
• Include a bad weather plan card with wedding invitations. Big Beach Lodge does not provide wet weather gear so please ensure that you have asked your guests to be prepared.
• If you want an archway, we suggest that you keep it narrow in width to prevent a strong gust knocking it down.
• Check with your booking agent or online as to the weather expected for your special day Weather Network
• As a preventative measure, we recommend a tent or canopy to protect your guests and yourselves. see suppliers and resource page)

CREATIVE IDEAS FOR ENHANCING YOUR WEDDING CEREMONY OR RECEPTION

Use citronella candles or torches to ward off pesky flying bugs and set out a container of insect repellant (small plastic traveling bottles would be suitable) for guest protection.

Make sure you buy shoes that are easy to wear and summer styled. A nice summer sandal in white, gold, ivory or silver works well too. Another option are adorable and practical Holey Shoes as they are called in Ucluelet or white crocs. Comfortable, waterproof, flexible enough to walk over shells and rocks on the beach.

Seashells can be used in many areas of the wedding: invitations, place cards, table markers, wedding cake, bouquets, pew bows, guestbook, centerpeices, favors, and more. Larger Seashells, like the second one shown below, can actually be used as a bouquet holder for the bride, bridesmaids and/or centerpieces as well! If you are really crafty, the right Seashells shape can be filled with candle wax and a wick for a custom, one of a kind candle to use in your decor or as a favor for your guests!

Starfish ideas

Starfish make a great theme or accent piece for any beach themed wedding. Here are some neat ideas for incorporating starfish into your decor.

• 1. Small starfish can be used to decorate each wedding invitation, program, place marker or table marker.
• 2. Place Starfish on your wedding cake, in your centerpiece, in your flowers, or in garlands used for decor.
• 3. A large starfish can also make a great wedding favor. Tie each one with a ribbon and a personalized tag.
• 4. Create a beach wedding canopy by hanging Starfish, shells, and other sea "life" from the ceiling on fish wire, raffia or ribbon. This is a great way to bring a little beach into an indoor or tent reception as well!

Sand Dollar Wedding Theme

Sand dollars are beautiful and make a beautiful wedding theme.. Large sand dollars (3-4") can be used as keepsake wedding favors: just tie each one with a raffia bow and a personalized tag. Medium sizes make great decor pieces. You can use a magic marker or gel pen to write on them and use them as place markers or table markers. They can be used in your centerpieces, or as accent pieces on the cake or guestbook tables. Smaller sand dollars (1/2 - 1") can be used to accent invitations, programs, place cards, table names, the guestbook, or even placed on small picks and inserted in among your flowers!

Solar Lighting for Summer Weddings

If your reception is to be outdoors, as the evening draws on, you will need lighting for the dance area, table areas, path ways and more. While these may not work for the main reception area, these are a nice, energy-wise option for lighting pathways other less used areas. Solar lights don’t have to look tacky either. Both of the lights shown below run on solar power and are beautiful as well! These are also great for areas were you need a light more light but do not want to run unsightly extension cords. Solar lighting is readily available at Canadian Tire, Wal Mart, Home Depot, and better gardening shops.

Reception Centerpieces

DIY Moonsnail Candles

Resources and Suppliers

Help Us Help you!
To ensure that we provide you with all that you require for your special day, from extra accomodations for your guests or a catering service, just click on this link, fill in the form and submit at the time of your booking.

WEST COAST LOCAL RESOURCES & SUPPLIERS

(plus Links that can help a bride’s creativity for a DIY Beach Wedding!)

FLOWERS & FLORISTS
	Mystic Horizon Florist Box 347 Ucluelet, BC V0R 3A0 Phone/Fax: (250) 726-7315. Fresh cut Flowers and arrangements - Delivery available
	Taylor's Flower Shop Website
Spa, Massage and Estetician Services	Pamper yourself ,and your matron/maid of honour and bridesmaid(s) mothers and mother in laws to be! with any of the following services to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet before the ceremony. The prospective couple can take advantage of the couples' massage at Tauca Lea Spa and Resort, or have a personal in-house massage, in your accomodation and on your schedule! Save yourself time and stress by choosing one of our local professional services. Just clink on a link. We recommend that you book your appointments at the time you make your accomodation booking. Ucluelet is a world wide destination for wedding groups making appointments harder to ensure as the high season approaches.
	Quality therapeutic treatments for your whole being. Massage, Acupressure, Reiki, Craniosacral, Hot LaStones, Lomi Lomi, Thai Massage, Yoga, Scrubs & Wraps, Pregnancy Massage, Infrared Sauna. Out calls available. Reflections Retreat
Other Resources
	Weddings West
	West Coast Weddings and Events - Links
	Ucluelet Chamber of commerce - Buisness listings
	WeddingChannel.com - Flowers and decorations

Reception Centerpieces

Many brides say the most difficult part of planning the reception is deciding what to use for centerpieces. Hopefully the tips contained in this article will help make that decision easier.

Before you begin choosing your centerpiece, check with the reception hall for any rules that might preclude certain items. For example, some halls won't allow open flames. You don't want to have your heart set on a certain centerpiece only to find the hall won't allow you to use it. Also consider the size and type of table you will be using. You don't want the centerpiece to be so big that it takes up all the room on the table.

If you will be having children at the reception, be aware that if you choose something tempting like balloons for your centerpiece, the children will probably play with them.

Decide if you want the centerpiece to be something a guest can take home. If you don't want to keep the centerpieces or give them away, consider having an edible one such as fruit or hor d'oeuvres.

If you are having a theme reception, try and incorporate that theme into your centerpieces. For example, if you are having a Las Vegas theme, you could use big fuzzy dice as part of your centerpiece.

Incorporate your honeymoon destination into your centerpiece theme. For example, if your honeymoon will take you to a tropical island where you plan to spend time on the beach, include seashells in your decor.

Your centerpieces don't have to all be alike. If you vary the size and type of the centerpieces you will add a unique look to the room and create a more interesting view. For example, use different size vases for your flower arrangements or different sizes of candles.

If you are getting married near a holiday, use items that represent the holiday in your centerpieces. For example, if you are getting married near Easter, use colored eggs in your centerpieces.

If you use a tall centerpiece, make sure it is stable and won't tip over when the table is bumped. Also check to make sure the centerpieces don't block your guests' view or make it hard for them to talk with each other.

Mirrors can enhance a centerpiece by making a small centerpiece look larger or by reflecting the candlelight in the centerpiece (if a candle is used).

When using fresh flowers, be careful not to choose a flower with a strong scent. The perfume from the flowers could distract from the flavor of the meal.

For an eye catching sparkle, add glitter or confetti around the base of your centerpiece. Tinsel will also add some sparkle.

If you make your own candles, make sure the container is heat resistant and won't break after the candle is lit.

You are only limited by your own imagination when it comes to designing centerpieces. Have fun!

UltimateWedding.com

DYI SEASHELL CANDLES

The material list for this project is short, but results are beautiful, romantic candles to decorate your reception tables or to use as evening illumination.

Materials:

• Moon Snails are the optimum shells to use. (abalone, conch shells, oyster and moon snail shells all make good choices).
• Beeswax, (coloured and scented)
• Wick; (cotton braided, size 0/2, about 3" per shell)
• Artificial pearls, (for decorating your candle)

Procedure:

Start by testing your shells for any holes by filling each shell with water and watching for leaks. To plugs any holes dry the shell and place a small amount of glue to the outside over the crack or hole. Let the glue dry completely. Protect your counter with newspaper and place the shells on your work surface, making sure each is stable with the cavity facing up. Melt the wax in a tin can in which a spout has been pinched out. *Always use caution when melting wax, and always place tin can in a water bath while melting. Wax the pieces of wick by dipping into the melted was and then into cold water to set. Pour the melted wax into the shell cavity. Place in waxed wick piece. Wait until the wax starts to set before pressing your pearl into the surface far away from the wick. When the candles have cooled completely, trim the wick within a half inch of the surface.

Contact info:

Reservation Page

Carolyn Campbell
info@thedomesticgoddessathome.com