The coolest thing about beach weddings is that your ideas are not limited inside a church - giving you countless possibilities! A beach wedding ceremony also helps you save hundreds of dollars on formal wear, decoration, and limo costs, and your visitors will appreciate the comfort of dressing casually for a luau, picnic, or bonfire reception.

For your beach wedding ceremony, you may prefer to go for an ordained minister or a layman who can legally perform a wedding instead of a conventional priest.

If it's a short ceremony, you can do without the chairs and have your visitors standing on stylish, beach-themed linen on the ground. The white, floral arch is a typical fixture at beach wedding rites, with some beach resorts offering beautiful gazebos as a nice alternative. Though flowers are customary at weddings, you can break off convention by decorating the pews or rows with framed pictures of the couple fixed with themed ribbons.

This is your beach wedding ceremony, so make it your own. Design your ceremony program in the shape of a shell or flip-flop, or attach your handwritten poem to a plank of drift wood to match your beach theme. Personalize your aisle runner with a monogram or emblem of your choosing. Instead of walking with only your dad, you may be accompanied by mom or a sibling or a best friend. You can even ride on a pony or march with your beloved pet. Replace the conventional processional music with your fave tune. Up front, you may have a man of honor or best woman waiting enthusiastically. Most significantly, write your own wedding vows.

When selecting your wedding music, note the five parts of a beach wedding ceremony: prelude, processional, sand ceremony, recessional, and postlude. For the prelude, entertain your guests as they arrive with songs that they are acquainted with. Rather than the usual Here Comes the Bride, play a contemporary wedding song for your processional.

Sand on the beach takes the place of church candles, adding a little bit of ritual and reflection to the beach wedding ceremony. Songs that brought you together and other couple favourites come into action during sand ceremonies.

Recessional and postlude music should be lively as you celebrate your love and the start of your life together. Work with your band or string quartet for the best selections.