Luna Wedding & Event Supplies Blog: How to Decorate A Beach Wedding

Nov 04, 2024

Nothing says romance like a beach wedding. With the gentle hum of the waves, sunshine in the sky and salt in the air, the beach makes for a picturesque marriage setting, to say the least. Thankfully, beach weddings are a tried and true occurrence, with many couples tying the knot by the seaside. This means there’s no shortage of practical advice, thematic inspiration and helpful tips and tricks you can make use of to ensure your beach wedding is the day you’ve been dreaming of.

With the right theme, colours and decorative elements, your beach wedding will be one to remember. Keep reading for a closer look at how to plan and execute a smooth, hassle-free and, most importantly, stunningly beautiful, beach wedding.

Picking your colours and theme

As with any wedding ceremony set in nature, there’s no point competing with the beauty of the environment. The key to a gorgeous beach wedding is to decorate in ways that harmonise with the spectacular views, the sandy, rocky or grassy shore and the sunshine. That means less is more when it comes to picking out a theme or colour scheme.

Here are some great thematic options for your beach wedding:

Elegant coastal theme

The key to nailing this theme is using soft, neutral colours throughout your decor, like pastel blues, beige, white and lighter shades of tan. Opt for lightweight fabrics like linen, muslin or light cotton. These will catch the seaside breeze and contribute to the dreamy atmosphere you’re after.

For your structural elements, opt for light, natural-coloured or white furnishings, like outdoor chairs, wooden arch or arbour arrangements for the wedding altar and subtle flower stands that don’t obstruct too much of the view.

However you go about your specific decor choices, an elegant coastal theme needs a nod to minimalism, simple tones, gentle contrast and class.

Tropical chic

This kind of wedding theme is all about vibrant energy and natural beauty, making it a perfect choice for a relaxed yet elegant ceremony. Whether your wedding is at a dream destination, or your favourite local beach, the key is to evoke the look and feel of a tropical paradise and incorporate bright colours like coral, turquoise, and lush greens.

Key furnishings include a wooden ceremony arch, adorned with draping fabric and tropical flowers like hibiscus and bird of paradise, creating a stunning focal point for the ceremony.

Bamboo chairs enhance the tropical feel while providing comfort for guests. Additionally, setting up lounge areas with colourful cushions and poufs invites guests to relax before the ceremony.

If you’re also planning for a beach reception you can set your tables with vibrant table runners, fresh fruit centrepieces, and palm leaf accents to beautifully tie in the theme. This approach creates a lovely balance between elegance and a laid-back atmosphere, making it ideal for a memorable beach wedding.

Seaside Bohemian

This theme embraces a laid-back vibe with natural beauty and a touch of artistic flair. To make this theme land, consider combining earthy tones, vibrant wildflowers, and an eclectic mix of textures, creating an inviting and relaxed atmosphere within the beautiful natural setting.

Furnishings that enhance this theme include vintage rugs and cushions scattered for seating, inviting guests to lounge comfortably on the sand. This wedding theme is also best decorated with a large arch or arbour, but there’s plenty of flexibility here. Some similar options could include a small pavilion-style tent, sheer or lightweight wall hangings mounted to a frame and more.

Essential beach wedding decor

As with most outdoor wedding ceremonies, beach weddings need a handful of furnishings to ensure your guests are comfortable and the day goes off beautifully, without setbacks. These furnishings include seats for our guests, some kind of backdrop for your wedding altar and a light rug or carpet for the aisle. Of course, there’s plenty of freedom and personal choice available when deciding what these basic furnishings look like and how you choose to decorate and arrange them.

Archways and altars - The wedding ceremony backdrop for a beach wedding should ideally be subtle, light and nonobstructive. Metal arch frames, light wooden arches and mid-sized arbours are perfect for drawing in the gorgeous view while still perfectly framing the marrying couple. These can then be decorated with subtle flower arrangements, foliage and fabrics that tie in with the broader theme of the ceremony and harmonise with the natural surroundings.

Aisle decorations - Like the wedding altar, all eyes will be on the aisle while the bride arrives. To make this process go smoothly, you’ll want to consider covering uneven ground like sand or pebbles with a relatively thick carpet roll. This also helps to create a visual line at the centre of the space that will tie your decor all together. This carpet can also be framed by beach-friendly decorative pieces, including driftwood logs, sea shells, or light sprinklings of sand around the edges.

Seating arrangements - The simplest way to arrange your eating for a beach wedding is with dedicated outdoor seating. These may be folding chairs, stools or benches for more mobile and self-supporting guests, lined in rows to ensure all guests can witness the ceremony. Outdoor chairs can also be individually decorated with subtle floral arrangements, lightweight chair coverings and chair sashes, or tied together with garlands.
Reception tables - Seating and dining arrangements will only apply to your beach wedding if you plan to host your wedding reception on the sea after your ceremony. Make sure your decor colours, textures and materials tie in with the rest of your furnishings. You could also consider covering your wedding tables with a pavilion or marquee to keep your guests safe from the sun and wind.

Floral arrangements

It’s difficult to imagine a wedding without flowers. For a beach wedding ceremony and reception, the key is to pick flowers that visually work within the beautiful natural surroundings, but that also can withstand the seaside conditions without quickly wilting.

Choosing beach-friendly flowers - The last thing you want is your gorgeous wedding bouquets to wilt in the sun, snap in the seaside breeze and get otherwise destroyed by the coastal conditions. Opt for bouquets suited to full sun, as well as tougher, more durable flowers like roses, gerbera daisies, marigolds or hibiscus foliage and flowers.

DIY vs. hiring a florist - The classic conundrum for planning a wedding is how much you do yourself, vs how much you leave to the professionals. When it comes to floral arrangements, leaving to a professional florist to procure and arrange your bouquets can help ensure they’re suitable for the conditions and beautifully set. If you have an aesthetic eye, you can also arrange your own bouquets, giving you endless decorative possibilities to express your taste.

Foliage and extras - You can also use foliage, branches and other plant elements to bolster your floral arrangements and tie your theme to the gorgeous natural surroundings of the coast. Some classic options include palm fronds in your bouquets or tied to your fixtures, dangling ivy on your wedding arch or tied to your chairs and more. You can also incorporate materials such as hessian and lightweight linen fabrics into your floral arrangements by framing or tying them together with the materials.

Keeping comfortable and protected

Part of the beauty of a beach wedding is opening your ceremony to the beautiful coastal scenery and natural elements. This can sometimes require careful management to ensure that gusts of onshore winds don’t blow away your guests or decorations.

Windproofing your decorations can be a great way to deal with this. For smaller, lightweight decorations, like bouquets, fabrics and ornaments, ensure that everything is securely tied to its furnishings. You can use twine or small staples to pin your fabrics to their mounts or use florist sponge to ensure your flowers are secure and won’t fly away in the wind.

Low-to-ground decorations like seashells, sand piles and lighter pieces of driftwood will generally be fine unless there are significant gusts. If strong winds are expected on the day, consider foregoing these smaller decorative elements.

Benchtop ornaments, like placards, offerings, lettering and similar items, can all be discretely secured with just a touch of reusable putty, like Blu Tack.

If some of your guests are sensitive to the sun, and not inclined to wear large beach hats with their beautiful wedding attire, you can also opt for a small number of elegant beach umbrellas placed among the seating areas. Just ensure that these umbrellas do not block anyone’s view of the ceremony. You can also opt for the ceremony to begin early in the day or towards the sunset. This way you can avoid the most intense heat and sunshine of the day, while making the most of the enchanting natural scenery.

Be sure to follow Luna Wedding & Event Supplies on Instagram for more gorgeous decor ideas and wedding inspiration, or to see our amazing decorations and products in action.

‘Til next month xx