Beach Wedding Advice & Tips from The Bridal Suite, Bermuda
After orchestrating more than 2000 weddings in Bermuda since 1989, we have some sound advice to offer.
DESTINATION WEDDINGS
The cost of a destination wedding is less expensive than having a large wedding and reception in your home town. Aside from your travel agent, destination weddings do call for an experienced wedding coordinator like The Bridal Suite to make life very easy for you. Destination weddings provide opportunities for intimacy, romantic locations and freedom from feuding relatives. Many couples choose a destination wedding and decide to save for possibly a down payment on a home instead of spending the same amount of money on a large wedding. Some couples cannot afford to have a large wedding with a hundred relatives and the destination wedding combined with their honeymoon makes monetary sense to them. Not only will you be saving money, the romance and memories are unforgettable when marrying in an exotic locale such as Bermuda. A destination wedding arranged by The Bridal Suite allows couples to enjoy themselves and their planning without the stress involved. You decide what services you wish and how much money you wish to spend on your wedding.
SECOND MARRIAGES
Many times couples will tell us “Oh, we’ve been married before, we don’t want anything special.”. Your wedding day, whether it be your first, second or third marriage, should be just as special and important as your first marriage and probably more important as you want this marriage to last a lifetime. Remember, this is a new beginning and your first time together. Make it a special time to remember for both of you.
WEDDING ATTIRE/FLOWERS
Be sure to coordinate the bride and groom’s wedding attire. If the bride is in a formal gown, the groom should be formal also (tuxedo or jacket and tie). If the bride is casual, the groom should follow suit. The groom should not overpower the bride in wedding attire and should compliment the bride’s attire not only in style but also in colors. Overpowering bright shirts, ties or vests for the groom are not appropriate. For beach weddings, sandals should be worn with shorts, not long pants. Ladies remember, no high heels on the beach, sandals or bare feet are recommended as beach weddings are more casual and our sand is very soft.
Keep in mind to request wedding flowers which are in season. For example, tulips are available only in the spring, not in the winter or summer. Sending us a color picture of your requested flowers or wedding cake will assist our florist and pastry chef to provide pricing and assist them with ease of design. The bridal party’s wedding flowers should flow and coordinate with the bridal bouquet’s colors, flowers and theme. For example, if the bridal bouquet has all fresh flowers, it would not be recommended to have silk flowers for the groom’s b/hole or bride’s attendants. If wishing silks, then all the wedding flowers should be silk or all fresh to elegantly coordinate effectively.
Keep your wedding dress and all wedding attire, required prescriptions and necessities with you as carry on luggage in case of airline delays in departure or lost luggage. We suggest you carry your wedding dress in a garment bag with you on the plane and hang in the garment section.
HAIR SALON
It is also a good idea to bring a photo of the hair-do you would like the stylist to create for you. You can also book a trial run prior to wedding day if you arrive in plenty of time prior to the wedding.
WHAT IF OUR SHIP DOESN’T COME INTO PORT?
This has happened to us once since 1989 after years of planning weddings. We rescheduled the wedding date for our couple for another month and they returned to be married then. We do recommend that you purchase wedding/travel and health insurance prior to traveling from your local insurance agent.
BUDGET
Be realistic as to your wedding budget and how much you can afford to spend. The success of your wedding does not necessarily depend on an immeasurable budget or on an unrealistic low budget. If you have only so many dollars to spend, don’t go “over the top” and reserve expensive services not within your budget and don’t invite 50 guests, if you can only afford 10. Determine your priorities and make realistic decisions according to your budget. A smaller wedding for 10 with all the required amenities would be more successful and enjoyable for your guests and yourselves, than a large wedding of 50 where you are scrimping to a “bare bones” wedding because of affordability. Careful planning, thoughtful organization and your consultant are your closest allies. Destination weddings can be very cost effective and certainly offer less stress than planning a large wedding and reception at home for family and friends. Not only do you have the pleasure of having a memorable “Once in a Lifetime Wedding” in Bermuda, but you are also enjoying your honeymoon here as well.
Generally, a rule of thumb is invited guests pay for their own air fare while the bride and groom pay for the food, beverages and accommodation.
SUNBATHING
Don’t burn yourself before your special day. Looking like a “lobster” will ruin your wedding photographs which cannot be duplicated.
TIME OF DAY/MONTH FOR WEDDING
The best times for a ceremony are either in the morning around 8:00 or 9:00 am or in the evening between 5:00 and 7:00 pm. for the best required lighting for photography. Mornings are less busy at the beaches and both mornings and evenings provide cooler temperatures than mid-day. Remember our summer months from mid June to mid October are very hot and humid with the months of April, May & mid June as well as mid October to mid December providing less humid weather with milder temperatures.
AIRMAIL TO AND FROM BERMUDA
Airmail to and from Bermuda takes approximately two weeks. Please ensure you send important documents such as your Notice by airmail, express mail or overnight courier for safe delivery.
ATTITUDE
This is probably the most important part of this message – keep a positive attitude – don’t build mountains out of mole hills as they say. Enjoy your planning and don’t stress over all the little things like finding the perfect flowers for your bouquet. Rely on our expertise to provide you with sound advice. It is our job to calm all the anxious brides and grooms whom we encounter because we are always one step ahead of you.
Don’t expect Bermuda to have the same amenities, prices or customs as in your country. Remember, when in Rome, “Do as the Romans do!” Don’t fret because you feel the breeze on the Astwood Park cliff top and worry that your hair will be blown astray; your veil may tangle, or your attempt to light your unity candle repeatedly fails. Be practical, remember you are on an island and there are ocean breezes and it may, heaven forbid, rain unexpectedly. Don’t allow these small acts of God to hamper your day. Remember why you are here – to marry the one special person in your life. Nothing should detract from this thought. Everything else is relative. Keep an open mind and dismiss any negative feelings. Eliminate the word “worry” from your vocabulary. Resist being a pessimist and allow yourself the enjoyment of planning this wonderful event in your lives and your very special day when it arrives. Your wedding day will be your once in a lifetime event, no matter how large or how small, how extravagent or simple your wedding may be, the success of this special day and how you perceive and enjoy it all depends on you.
