Planning Checklist & Advice Guide
Need Help?
EASY Advice for How To
Plan Your Beach Wedding ~
Worried you might miss or forget something important as you plan? We understand! Below in RED BOX or BLUE BOX, choose 1 simple Wedding Planning How-To Checklist Guide for do-it-yourself (D.I.Y.) planning of your wonderful Beach Wedding or destination wedding–or to have a cool Vows Renewal!
** READ ALL STEPS before starting **
• SMALL or SIMPLE Wedding D.I.Y Checklist for 2-25 people, see Red Box:
• FOR BIG WEDDING: having 26+ people–scroll down to the BLUE Box:
Small Wedding D.I.Y. Checklist:
- CHOOSE CEREMONY LOCATION/TOWN: also consider parking spaces and limits of elderly or handicapped guests.
- Elopers: consider hiring a low-price, no-fuss, skilled videographer–Bob Collins on our Suggested Vendors.
- CHOOSE DATE or DATE RANGE: or a week or window, or at least a weekend or weekday. OR, see #4 …
- Got FAVORITE VENDORS / SERVICES? Such as a certain super-nice Officiant or talented, fun Photographer, etc? Contact your must-haves to check availability on dates/location that you want. THEN SET A DATE! Go back to each one, ask for a Temporary Hold on that date with each of them: TELL those vendors that you love them, you are booking them soon, and you need to find accommodations first, but you are coming right back.
- CAREFULLY RESEARCH and FIRST BOOK ANY HOTEL/CONDO or HOUSE RENTALS! We post good Hotel/Rentals on our Suggested Vendors webpage. BUT:
- WARNING: most public travel websites include useless Rental listings that are very FAR away from your beach/ceremony! Can be located 1 hour away! So…
- CAREFULLY! BEFORE you book rooms/rentals, DO NOT SKIP THIS–double-check the actual physical address of that rental location to be sure it’s very near, or in, your ceremony city/beach! IF you aren’t sure how far it is, you may check the distance between the 2 street names on Google Maps.
- THEN once you are sure, BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATIONS FIRST!
- Next, Read all your favorite Vendors’ contracts before signing, and ask them all questions. Avoid being shy… surprises are not good.
- BOOK ANY OTHER SERVICES: we recommend other good companies on our Suggested Vendors page.
- FYI: an experienced hairdresser is a lifesaver for windy, humid beach weddings…worth it even for casual hairdos! (All short-hair people NEED to use hairspray or gel to avoid ‘Medusa’ crazy hair in the wind. DO NOT IGNORE THIS--it’s a big deal in photos to AVOID LOOKING RIDICULOUS at your wedding!).
- GET MARRIAGE LICENSE (Renewals don’t need it): All 50 states require a marriage license from the ceremony state, NOT your home state. See how to get your NC or SC license nearby the beaches, CLICK HERE.
- A license from any NC county can be used inside any other NC county! Same goes for within SC. Call ahead to your license office to find out what to bring! NOTE: SC ONLY requires a wait-period plus 2 visits in-person, so plan that roadtrip well ahead.
- Get your rings & clothes: be bold–neutral colors on a neutral beach is ‘meh’ photos – you will disappear and camouflage! We recommend you choose contrasting or bright clothing colors–read more HERE….
- Answer your Vendors’ questions quickly.
- For an overnight stay, email us for lists good local restaurants and hotels.
- Before you leave home:
- Contact and confirm with all your vendors.
- Pack your IDs, your marriage license, and the rings.
- Pay off balances due (or whatever those contracts tell you).
- If ceremony is outdoors, prepare to be FLEXIBLE for weather with this GREAT weather advice, LINKED HERE.
- Hit the road and come have fun getting married!
BIG Wedding D.I.Y. Checklist:
- CHOOSE LOCATION: Consider parking spaces and limits of elderly or handicapped guests.
- GUESTS: decide how many and who–HERE IS HOW. Honest advice: for a destination wedding, fewer people is better for your outcome.
- Consider the health and mobility of elderly and handicapped on long boardwalks, shifting sand, staircases, standing for 30 mins, maybe hot weather.
- Consider whether you help them find hotels/houses. Do some guests need pet-friendly hotels? do some need chairs?
- Consider guests’ cars parking space at wedding site, or renting transportation vans, or check if your hotel offers a shuttle.
- consider school days for guests with kids.
- Consider hiring a videographer to record for those not attending.
- CHOOSE DATE or DATE RANGE: or at least a specific week or few days window, or at least the month and whether you want a weekend or weekday. OR, see #4…
- Got FAVORITE VENDORS / SERVICES? Such as a certain super-nice Officiant or fun talented Photographer, etc? Contact your must-haves to check availability on dates/location that you want. SET A DATE among those they name. TELL those vendors that you love them, and you need to find accommodations first, and you are coming right back. Most offer a Courtesy Hold IF YOU ASK FOR IT.
- CAREFULLY RESEARCH and FIRST BOOK ANY HOTEL/CONDO or HOUSE RENTALS! We post good Hotel/Rentals on our Suggested Vendors webpage. BUT:
- WARNING: most public travel websites include useless Rental listings that are very FAR away from your beach/ceremony! Can be located 1 hour away! So…
- CAREFULLY! BEFORE you book rooms/rentals, DO NOT SKIP THIS–double-check the actual physical address of that rental location to be sure it’s very near, or in, your ceremony city/beach! IF you aren’t sure how far it is, you may check the distance between the 2 street names on Google Maps.
- THEN once you are sure, BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATIONS FIRST!
- Next, BOOK YOUR FAVORITE VENDORS second! Go back and do the paperwork for them. Read all contracts before signing.
- BOOK YOUR FOOD: we have a list of good local ones, just email us.
- BOOK a Wedding Coordinator if you have 30 or more guests. Seriously, you shouldn’t be working & stressing on wedding day…ruins it for you and others.
- SET your bright/contrasting color choices, your theme, tell your vendors. Be bold–neutral colors on a neutral beach is ‘meh’ photos – you will camouflage!
- BOOK OTHER SERVICES: we also offer rental bouquets or boutonnieres, live or recorded music, custom-made honeymoon basket, etc, but we recommend other good companies only on our Suggested Vendors page.
- FYI: an experienced hairdresser is a lifesaver for windy, humid beach weddings…worth it even for casual hairdos-CLICK HERE!
- Plus all short-haired people NEED to use LOTS hairspray / gel to avoid looking like cockatoo bird heads, in the strong beach wind.
- Book an Engagement Photo Shoot…use those pics on your invites, Save-the-Date cards, table decor at reception!
- Send out invitations. Require guests to RSVP by at least one month ahead.
- GET MARRIAGE LICENSE (Renewals don’t need it): All 50 states require a marriage license from the ceremony state, NOT your home state. See how to get your NC or SC license near these beaches HERE.
- A license from any NC county can be used in any other NC county! Same is true within SC. NOTE: SC requires a wait-period, specific ID cards, plus 2 visits in-person, so plan that trip well ahead. Call ahead to your license office to find out what to bring!
- Get your rings and get your colorful wedding clothes see WHY here!
- Collect RSVPs, answer vendors’ emails questions quickly.
- Email us for lists of good local restaurants and hotels.
- Last 2 weeks before ceremony: contact and confirm with all your vendors, Coordinator, pay off balances (or whatever the contracts say).
- IF ceremony is outdoors, prepare to be FLEXIBLE for weather with this advice HERE. Tell your guests that too.
- Pack your suitcases, remember to pack your IDs, marriage license, rings, then come have fun getting married!
