Beach wedding tips – at least really good ones
– can be hard to come by. Many people consider beach weddings a beautiful and romantic way to get married, but worry about the cost. Here at Aloha Ever After we understand that beach weddings would be much more attainable if they were more affordable. We are often asked for beach wedding tips. This series of blog articles takes a look at how you can reduce the cost of a typical Hawaii beach wedding (or even weddings near a beach even if they are not on it), and provides quality beach wedding tips based on our many years of professional experience.
One obvious area to save money on when it comes to your beach wedding is chairs. Carefully consider whether you really want to use chairs. They cost around $7-20 each to rent, and if you are having a moderately-sized group, the cost can stack up fast (pun intended!). For example, if you have a group of 12 guests, you could save $240 just by not having chairs at the ceremony. If some of your guests are elderly, frail or easy to tire, this may not be an option, but for many brides and grooms, having their guests stand for the ceremony is standard.
Side note about DNLR (Department of Land and Natural Resources) rules on chairs: chairs are no longer legal to have at any beach wedding anywhere in the state of Hawaii because all beaches are public and you must be on privately owned land to use chairs (unless the person using the chair is elderly or not able to stand/walk do to any physical limitations). This is a statewide rule, so be leery of any person who does not clearly explain that this is the law. The DNLR has the right to stop any wedding if their rules are not followed (and fine the wedding coordinator up to $5000).
By choosing to have your guests stand during any ceremony (at the beach or on the grass) and avoiding the need for chairs, you not only save money on chair rental, but also you save money on the decorations that accompany it: chair covers, ribbons and isle flowers. These may be small things each on their own, but they can add up very quickly. (Before you know it your 12 guests sitting down for the 15 minute ceremony could cost you in excess of $350 depending on the amount of flowers you would have used to decorate the isles.)
When it comes to saving money on your wedding, a great rule of thumb is to spend money on things that last, such as photography and videography. They will give you lasting memories you can keep coming back to, again and again. Our recommendation is that you spend money on any item you could possibly ever regret not having, and let go of the things that will soon fade into only memories. You could potentially feel regret one day for not having an irreplaceable video, but it is unlikely that you will feel long term regret over not having chairs at the ceremony.
In part 2 of this Beach Wedding Tips series, we will explore further ways to reduce the cost of your Hawaii beach wedding – and still make it romantic and beautiful.