5 Adults-Only Resorts in Costa Rica You’ll Fall in Love With
Unique Beach Wedding Favor Ideas for Your Most Memorable Special Occasion
Many couples today choose to tie the knot on the beach. A beachside setting is the perfect mix of stunning natural beauty, romance, and serenity. It’s a dream venue that allows you to combine the ceremony with a romantic getaway or even your honeymoon. If you live in an area where beautiful beaches are nearby, you can have your tropical dream ceremony close to home which makes it easy for everyone to attend. Maybe you just want to have the ceremony on a beach and then have a wonderful reception at a separate location nearby. Or maybe you want to find an awesome tropical resort on a far off island which can help you to plan every aspect of your special day. True destination weddings are amazing for sure, but they do require family and guests to travel as well.
Either way, crystal clear waters, a sandy beach, and beautiful blue sky create a magnificent natural backdrop for memories that will last a lifetime. Then there are the wonderful photo opportunities where you didn’t have to invest in a lot of background decorations like you need to do in more traditional wedding venues. On a beach, the whole atmosphere is more relaxed and can be as casual or as formal as you would like it to be!
In this article, we will share ideas for creating a tropical beach wedding which include the décor, foliage, wedding favors and even ideas for the menu and wedding cake! Tropical beach themes can be used in many different ways for weddings because at the beach, you can just be casual with a boho or modern style wedding or you can be exotic and elegant.
So continue reading on because our beach wedding party guide will help you to find the inspiration you need to make your special day one that overflows with beautiful tropical ambiance!
The Venue
There's a reason why the beach is so calming and romantic. For most people, it is a relaxing and even therapeutic place to be. You can feel the warmth of the sand between your toes, you can listen to the soothing sounds of crashing waves, and you can see the shimmer of the sun setting over the water. If you are having a beachfront ceremony, it won’t be too hard to set the perfect seaside ambiance! Nature will be right there as your backdrop.
Whether you choose to get married and have the reception at a tropical resort or you marry on a beach and have your reception at a separate location, you can easily have an amazing tropical celebration. When choosing a resort, many of them have a separate department for planning weddings and honeymoons. If you are considering a wedding on the beach outside of a resort in a foreign country, we suggest consulting with a professional destination wedding planning service and then checking with any local officials as needed to ensure there are no restrictions or issues you need to be aware of.
Once you know where you would like for your wedding ceremony to take place and have confirmed that you can move forward, consider the following suggestions to ensure that you have a beautiful ceremony:
Wedding Arch/Arbor
A palm arch is a simple and effective backdrop for the altar or podium at your beach wedding. You may want to use only one large palm frond as a single arch or use multiple fronds combined with other tropical leaves or bold colored flowers to create a glamorous touch for the ocean setting.
Of course an arch is not required. You may want to skip using one when you have the sea itself as your focal point. Some people don’t want anything to obstruct an amazing ocean view! You can simply focus on the aisle and chairs as the places for décor.
Photo Credit: Marry Me Tampa Bay
Wedding Aisle
Decorating the wedding aisle is important because it not only sets the tone of your big day and adds a personal touch to the ceremony, this is the place where the tropics should be personalized for you. A few simple decorations are really all that are needed but they should pop with a tropical look and feel that speaks to you while blending in with the surrounding natural scenery. You can keep things on the minimalist side or you can go with more but your end result should represent your vision of tropical floral beauty. To create a balanced and cohesive tropical look, you can line your aisle with a number of tropical plants while including puffs of pampas grass, eucalyptus, monstera leaves, magnolia flowers, palm leaves, or orchids. If you prefer more vibrant colors, choose birds of paradise, anthurium (laceleaf), or lobster-claws (heliconia) mixed in with some lush greenery. To create a complete tropical look, use rattan or bamboo chairs.
Photo Credit: Simple Oahu Weddings
Refreshments
When you are tying the knot on the shoreline and the weather is hot and sunny, you have to make sure your guests are properly hydrated. To help them cool off, a water station is a must. Rather than offering just plain water, opt for light refreshments such as ice water with lemon, cucumber and mint, strawberries or blueberries. You can also serve chilled lemonade or sparkling water with fruit slices. For some really cool authenticity, you can set up a coconut water station and have a bartender open fresh coconuts on the spot. Fresh water and other beverages can also be served out of coconut shells. Edible flowers are truly beautiful when displayed and bring a classy and exotic touch to your refreshment choices. Make sure the refreshment bar is easily accessible to your guests.
Photo Credit: Heather Waraksa via Brides.com
Beach Wedding Reception
The food and drinks you serve at the reception should represent the things you like. But to create a real tropical experience for you and your guests, add some local flair to the menu. Research your destination’s authentic flavors as well as popular meals and drinks to see if you can incorporate them into your menu. As tropical locations always have an abundance of seafood, try to include local fish, spices, and fruits as menu options in addition to any more traditional meat, vegetarian, and vegan options. This way, your guests will have a chance to further immerse themselves in the local environment and taste new foods and flavors that they cannot get at home.
The Menu
If you are planning to have a destination wedding at a tropical beach, your resort or venue will undoubtedly have a wonderful selection of menu ideas. When planning a menu, here are a few suggestions to consider from buffet style meals to 3-course sit-down meals so you can be sure nothing is missed:
- Cocktail Hour – Popular choices include fresh fruit juices and smoothies (mango, pineapple, tropical punch), pina coladas, margaritas, mojitos, daiquiris, flavored sipping rums and tequilas, as well as signature cocktails and tropical classics such as mai tais.
Photo Credit: Emily Wren Photography via Green Wedding Shoes
- Appetizers – You can serve appetizers during cocktail hour or before dinner. Here are a few ideas to spark your interest – mini crab cakes, shrimp cocktail shooters, fresh fruit, oysters, mini lobster rolls, veggie cups, caprese salad, and mini avocado and shrimp tostadas.
- Soups & Salads – Classic choices include Caesar salad, garden salad, clam chowder soup, and shrimp bisque. Look for local soups and salads to include as options.
- Entrées - This is a great opportunity to serve local dishes, especially local fish and seafood as these feature very prominently in tropical cultures. Wedding favorites include lobster dinners, Surf & Turf combinations, grilled Mahi Mahi, sea scallops, and seared swordfish with mango salsa in addition to vegetable curry, barbecue chicken, rib-eye steak, and filet mignon.
Photo Credit: Aigerim Cheffoodworld via LinkedIn
- Sides – Choose sides that go well with both meat and fish including grilled or sauteed vegetables, pastas, grilled pineapple, coconut lime rice, saffron rice, and tropical fruit relishes and salsas.
- Desserts – Even though you will have a wedding cake, you will need desserts which are available for everyone if the cake itself is not meant to be served to your guests. If that is the case, here is your chance once again to bring your guests into the tropical experience by focusing on local dessert specialties. These can include desserts such as coconut pie, coconut rum cake, mango sorbet, Fijian honey cake, caramelized plantains, and banana flambe.
Image courtesy of Punta Cana Photographer
Wedding Cake
A wedding cake is the sweet symbol of a couple’s unity, prosperity, and good luck. It represents the celebration of their marriage which is why it is the focal point of the reception. Cutting the cake is a shared experience of joy and happiness not only for the bride and groom but also for all of the guests. The cake can be as simple or as elaborate as you desire and again, it can be reserved for the bride and groom only or it can be made large enough so it can be shared with everyone. There are no rules that you have to follow. Just create it based on your own preferences!
Image credit: Sanaz Photography via Psalm Seed
When choosing your cake for your beach wedding, we suggest going with a refreshing tropical flavor to add to the tropical experience. Wonderful flavors include mango, coconut, lemon, orange, guava, and pineapple. Of course, there are the other details you will need to consider:
- The Shape (round, square, rectangular, mixed shape, etc.)
- The Size: Is the cake just for the happy couple? Or is it for guests as well? (miniature, two or more tiers, stacked, pillar)
- The Style and Color: (minimalist, modern, floral, monochrome, luxury)
When doing a destination wedding, check with your resort or venue to see what wedding cake options are available. You can also see if there are local bakeries that can assist.
Image by: Married with Hawaii
Wedding Dress & Groom’s Attire
Obviously what you choose to wear needs to coincide with the weather that you can expect for your special day. For the bride, we recommend choosing a dress that is the most practical for the location and which will be easy to wear if the weather is hot. Keep things easier by avoiding heavy fabrics, long trains, and lots of layers. Instead, select lightweight, flowy, and breathable materials suitable for the beach. Since the tropics and the beach are all about being calm and relaxed, you definitely need to be those things too! So choose a dress that is beautiful yet very comfortable. Sleek dresses are also easier to travel with because they don’t take up a lot of space and fit into regular garment bags and carry-ons much more easily. Add vibrancy to your styling with a vibrant colored bouquet filled with tropical flowers like hibiscus, frangipani, plumeria, orchids, and bougainvillea. Resorts can assist with creating bouquets and destination wedding services can assist with finding local florists.
Photo by: Weddings Kauai
The advice above applies to the groom as well. Keep things easy and comfortable! It’s the beach! So we recommend avoiding tuxedos and heavy suits. Choose lightweight fabrics like cotton or linen which will be much more comfortable to wear on your big day.
Photo Credit: Maggie Sottero
Beach Wedding Party Décor Ideas
If you are looking for tropical decoration ideas for your perfect wedding in places such as Fiji, the Dominican Republic, Bali or the Seychelles and are having a hard time deciding what to do, don’t worry. There are so many tropical elements that you can incorporate into your big day. Most tropical inspirations and ideas will work just fine in any tropical location and if you are using a local resort, they can assist with bringing local elements and designs. By using carefully chosen textures and materials which are reminiscent of far off tropical islands, you can really bring the tropics into your wedding theme. You can have tropically inspired invitations, table displays and centerpieces, escort and place cards, place mats, and floral arrangements. You can even have a shoe valet for barefoot or flip-flop ceremonies! Here are a few ideas to consider:
Tropical Centerpieces
When deciding how to decorate tables, be sure to consider the placement of all tabletop items and the sizing of each. Proportions are so important for the best look! Centerpieces should be appropriately sized for the table and for the number of guests sitting at it. They also should not obstruct the view. If your centerpiece incorporates flowers, make sure their scent is not too strong as this can literally affect the taste of food and maybe even cause allergic reactions among guests. If you know you will have guests who are sensitive to live flowers and foliage, consider having centerpieces made from seashells, tropical fruit, sea glass, or even wood.
Photo Credit: Lizz Stewart Floral design via Wedding Wire
Escort Cards and Place Cards
Escort cards list the names of people who will sit at particular tables with each person choosing their own seat at that table while place cards assign specific seats to each guest at each table. This is important to know if you are planning to have specific or named wedding favors for specific guests. But regardless of which type of seating direction you choose, try to have your cards reflect the tropics as well. You can easily use small things such as shells, small pebbles or stones, or pieces of driftwood to adorn each card. It’s small details like these that will bring fun, playfulness, and creativity to your special day!
Photo Credit: Inside Weddings
Shoe Valet
At many beach weddings, going barefoot is the norm so having a shoe valet where your guests can leave their shoes is a fantastic idea for you should consider. If you want, you can provide flip flops for them to wear. You can have the bride and groom’s names with the wedding date printed on the flip flops!
Photo Credit: Wedding Costa Rica via Beach Bride
Beach Themed Wedding Favors
Although you are not obligated to have wedding favors, it is a nice touch to show your guests how grateful you are for them attending your wedding, especially if it is a destination wedding. Wedding favors will remind your guests not only of the destination itself but also of the whole wedding experience and of you as a couple. Beach-inspired favors may include things like miniature sunscreen bottles, tropical fruit jams, coconut-shaped candies, seashell bottle openers, or small wooden carvings such as sea turtles. The options are endless! You could also opt for items that are locally sourced and produced. Of course we at Cerulean Bay can assist with particular items so please check out our online store and send us an email if you have any questions! Some of what we carry comes in different sizes and could be the perfect favors for you!
Hand Fans
Here’s a smart solution for helping your guests to stay cool while also providing a wedding favor: A small hand fan! Some people simply get hotter than others both indoors and out so when someone needs to fan themselves, you now have just what they need. You can order them in tropical colors that match the décor and even have the names of guests printed on them. If you want to support the local economy, check out local vendors to see what they have to offer.
Photo Credit: The Wedding Outlet via Paradise Weddings
Fijian Wooden Sea Turtle
This handcarved wooden sea turtle showcases exceptional craftsmanship with its simple and beautiful details, featuring a Fijian house and palm trees. This favor holds significant value and will be the perfect coffee table décor or console table accent piece!
Photo Credit: Cerulean Bay
Personalized Beach Towels
Customized beach towels are awesome. They are very practical and can be reused for a long time while serving as a reminder of your big day. You can print your names, your picture, or your favorite saying which will remind your guests of you as a couple.
Photo Credit: Rawline Textile on Etsy
Sunglasses
Gift your attendees with stylish sunglasses as they attend your special day at the beach. It is worth it to spend a little extra on some quality shades so your guests can use them long after returning home. You can have them personalized if you choose. Or if would rather not have each one personalized, you can simply create some really cool tags which have your names and your special date on them and then attach the tags to each pair. Guests can remove the tags whenever they want to as they use their shades later on!
Photo Credit: Forever Favors
Prepare For The Weather
Although joining in matrimony at the beach can be a magical experience, don’t forget that you will be outdoors and in some locations, the weather can change rather quickly. So make sure to plan ahead for the things you can’t control like the humidity, wind, or rain. While you can't fight nature's elements, you can and should have a backup plans for each scheduled part of the day. In addition to knowing your destination’s wet and dry seasons, here are a few things to consider:
- Research your destination’s weather patterns before you book anything.
- Consider how easy or difficult your destination will be for others to travel to.
- Consider all of the amenities such as restrooms, parking, and accessibility.
- Try to avoid midday ceremonies because of the direct sun and related heat.
- Consider whether you want to include candles and other open flames. It could be windy.
- As the bride and groom consider what to wear, make sure your guests consider that too.
- Schedule hair and makeup touch ups for as late as possible so you can look your freshest for the ceremony. Plan the timing of these carefully!
- Be sure to stock up on lots of water and refreshments for your guests.
- All outdoor activities should have indoor options available just in case the weather doesn’t cooperate.
- Provide sunscreen (great wedding favors!) and even bottles of bug spray if needed.
- Communicate all backup plans with all the vendors. Inform your guests as well!
- Talk to your vendors about local noise ordinances and adhere to those.
Turn Your Dreams Of A Romantic Beach Wedding Into Reality
If you have decided to walk down the aisle in a gorgeous tropical setting, there’s so much you can do to add a touch of the tropics to the wedding ceremony and reception too. From having a beautiful bouquet of tropical florals, to serving signature tropical cocktails, to using seashells as name card holders, the options truly are endless and the choice is yours. Regardless of what you choose, going tropical for your wedding is an awesome way to celebrate and will create a gorgeous setting and fun ambiance for your big day!
You May Also Find Interesting:
