Beach-themed Wedding Ideas

Many of you will actually have your wedding on the beach, while some of you may opt to have a beach-themed wedding at a land-locked location inside or outside. These ideas may work with either scenario. You will want to pick and choose as you will not need to try to incorporate all of the ideas into one wedding.

There are many different ways you can go with a beach-theme. You may decide to use mostly a sea shell theme, sailboats, pirate, treasure hunt, items seen on a beach or creatures from the ocean. We hope you will find a new idea from us or perhaps we will provide the spark for a unique idea of your own.

Happy planning!

Use a surfboard as a table for favors, the card box or guestbook.

Construct a card box shaped as a shell, sandcastle, lighthouse, beach hut, lobster trap or other beach related object.

Use shades of ocean green, sky blue, ocean blue, sand beige, tropical pink, orange or lime green.

Have guests wear Hawaiian shirts.

Leis for the guests – may be flower leis, leis made from shells or made from your choice of flowers & shells.

Limbo contest. Beach volley ball.

Decorate cake with shells, starfish, seahorses, palm trees out of fondant or icing. May use real shells. Scatter real shells around on the table. Could use real sand or brown sugar to look like sand then add shells.

Grass skirts to line base of tables.

Four rattan poles draped with white gauze as a canopy.

Garlands of sea shells between chairs, on tables, lining the aisle, etc.

Use sea shells in the aisle instead of rose petals.

Bouquets of flowers mixed with shells and other sea treasures.

Flowers, greens, raffia or bear grass looped with clusters of shells that are attached (with glue) to hang on chairs by the aisle.

Tiki torches to line the aisles or scattered about.

Line the aisle with pails of sand, buckets of shells, paper luminaries or palm branches.

Make or rent a beach gazebo. Build a wooden aisle to resemble a pier or boardwalk.

Woven baskets full of favors, bottle waters, etc.

Use a small paddleboat to hold iced beverages.

Leather journal (to resemble log book) for the guest book.

Nets on the wall or on tables – adorn with shells, starfish, anchors, rope, life rings, oars, buoys. This might be a good idea for a groom’s table – scatter shells, etc around with a little sand or brown sugar underneath, use a cake shaped like a lighthouse, shells, anchor, or any other beach related item that he prefers.

Use buoys in corners or as aisle markers.

Use a conch shell as a cake topper with smaller shells, starfish and pearls to adorn the cake.

Sandcastle-shaped cake – use brown sugar for sand around the cake with candy sea shells, star fish, sand dollars, and/or seahorses.

Dolphin Ice Sculpture.

Sand Pails full of flowers. You could use these as centerpieces or line the aisle with them.

Spread sand/shells for bride and groom to stand on.

Use a large shell lined with tissue paper or material for carrying the rings instead of a ring pillow.

Adirondack chairs, Picnic Tables, Beach Blankets or Picnic baskets may be incorporated in your theme.

Outdoor reception – spread sand down center of tables – add tea lights or lanterns, shells, etc.

Sailboat tea light candles.

Beach hut bubbles, beach hut centerpieces.

Use bamboo mats, banana leaf or palm frond under centerpieces.

Make beach themed shaped place cards from plaster of Paris – paint & write guests names on with a sharpie marker.

Driftwood or sea shells as place card holders.

Starfish or shell shaped place cards.

Cut small surf board from balsa wood – paint and add names to use as place cards. Could use a small wooden easel to hold them up.

Use white candles, white sand, scatter sea shells, sand dollars, star fish, etc around it or prop the starfish up against the candle as a centerpiece.

Fill bowl with sand, add various shells, pebbles, starfish, etc. and a candle (in a votive cup) or tealight in the center.

Cylinder vases (various heights) – shells in bottom, fill with water, add a floating candle – set on a bamboo mat, palm frond or banana leaf. Add sand under vases. Make sure floating candles are almost as large as the vases or they will float to one side.

Candles with raffia tied around them & shells attached to the front.

Moss covered wreaths decorated with shells of various shapes, sizes and colors, sea glass, starfish, rope or any other item you prefer – set candles or lanterns in the center. Scatter a few shells around the outside edge of wreaths.

Clear glass container with sand/shells or pebbles in the bottom – add beach grass.

Use blue glass bottles from a flea market to hold your flowers, beach grass, etc.

Glass vases – add a layer of pearls in the bottom- insert candle (in votive cup) in the center.
Crystal or clear bowl – votive candle in center surrounded by glass pebbles, shells & pearls.

Use starfish or shell shaped bowls, plates or platters.

Boats or buckets of mints.

Beach-themed shaped and decorated cookies – may be enclosed in cello tied with raffia and adorned with a shell as a favor.

Decorative beach themed soap favors.

Seashell hor d’oeuvre picks.

Bamboo napkins rings.

Palm leaf fans for guests.

Hurricane vases filled with sand and shells around a candle in the center.

Candles with embedded shells.

Tabletop tiki torch centerpieces.

Place sand and shells in a bowl, fill with water add floating candles.

Use shaped floating candles: star fish, fish, palm trees, shells, etc.

Tall vases with palm fronds.

Vases filled with various sizes, shapes and colors of shells.

Use Pineapples as centerpieces on food tables or you may stack three for a pineapple tree. You will have to slice the top off of two of the pineapples and attach them together with wooden skewers.

Sand dollars with a ribbon or jute attached; add wedding date and/or couple’s names – Christmas ornament favor

Serve drinks with umbrellas.

Rent or construct a beach hut bar to serve your favorite beach beverages.

Recommendations for beach beverages:

Pina Colada, Blue Hawaiian Cocktail, Green Dragon, Sex on the Beach Cocktail, Tropical Itch Cocktail, Sangria, Melon Martinis, Watermelon Margaritas, Mimosa, Coco Loco, Midnight by the Beach, Mojito, Southern Comfort Punch, Beach Bum Cocktail, Rum Runner, or lemon, lime or orange jello shooters.

Non-Alcoholic: Herb-infused teas and lemonade.

Margarita Bar:

Mango, Papaya, Tangerine, Lemon, Key Lime, Passionfruit or Watermelon.

A few food Ideas:

Set up food stations – finger foods, fork foods, dessert station, salad station, fruit station,etc.

Candy Buffett – dolphins of molded chocolate, sea shell, sand dollar, star fish or palm tree shaped candies. Maybe made from various chocolates.

Cupcakes decorated in a beach theme or tropical flavored cupcakes.

Clam bake, luau or barbeque.

Shrimp in shot glasses at each place setting.

Fresh fruit, fruit juices, vegetable or meat kabobs, coconut cake or cupcakes, sweet & sour chicken or pork, salads.

Grilled chicken.

Shrimp, potato, corn on cob boil with baked beans and salad.

Tropical fruits & cheese appetizers.

Crab cakes with spicy remoulade.

Grilled shrimp and scallop kabobs.

Use large conch shells for holding grapes, condiments, or mints.

Build a bonfire if it is an evening wedding.

Play beach music – such as Beach Boys, etc.