Are you dreaming about a wedding abroad, perhaps on an exotic beach? I can totally relate to that. I got married on a beach on Costa Brava myself, and loved it! Here in Spain we are spoiled with beautiful beaches. They are fantastic ceremony backdrops. If you’re interested in tips regarding how to organize a beach wedding in Spain, please continue reading. However, keep in mind, that I work in Barcelona, Sitges and Costa Brava area, and the things on some points might differ if you are getting married somewhere else.
Best month for beach wedding in Spain
Spain has very hot summers, I think we all can agree on that. But even if it is possible to have a summer beach wedding, I would highly suggest that you consider other months than July and August.
Firstly, July and August are very hot months with temperatures rising up to 30 °C (85 °F). This means there will be people on the beaches all day, even in the late afternoon.
Secondly, August is also the official holiday month here in Spain, and the beaches will be packed. Instead, consider months such as June, September or beginning of October. There will still be people on the beaches, but not as much as in July or August.
Beach weddings in Spain during winter
If you want to get married during the winter months, there are still options in Spain. However, the mainland and Balearic islands might be too cold during the winter. I would rather suggest that you look into the Canary Islands, which have very nice temperatures all year around.
No private beaches in Spain
In Spain, there are no private beaches. This means that all beaches here are public, and anybody can visit the beaches at anytime of the day. Therefore, it’s important to choose the location carefully, and try to find a place with as little people as possible.
Beach Permissions
You will need to get a permission from the local authorities to have any type of event on the beach. This needs to be done with at least 4 months prior to the wedding, but I suggest you to apply for it as soon as possible. Even if you’re doing a small ceremony I would highly suggest to get a permission. Otherwise, if you’re unlucky, the police could force you to leave and you do not want to risk that on your big day. Make sure to bring the signed permission the day of the wedding as well as your ID.
Beach Wedding Plan B
This actually goes for all outdoor weddings, but you really need to have a plan B for it in case it rains. Yes, it does rain in Spain too, but luckily not as much as in other places. Sitges for example, which is a very cute seaside town 43 km south of Barcelona, is known for it’s a micro climate. That means about 300 sunny days a year (!). Just make sure that you are really happy with your Plan B as well and you’ll be fine!
Positioning of the sun
You have to check where exactly the sun will be shining from at the time of your wedding, and plan accordingly. This information you can get by googling weather related pages, they usually also have information about when the sun goes up and down. Inform your photographer, and if possible, plan your ceremony to take place around the golden hour for magical atmosphere and photos. On my wedding, we had the ceremony starting at about 17:30 if I remember right. That was in the beginning of October. Keep in mind if you are getting married in the summer months it will get dark later than that.
Beach Wedding logistics
If you are getting married at a hotel that organizes everything for you, you might not have to think about this. But if you don’t, you need to think about how to get the furniture there. Who will set everything up for the ceremony? And how will you organize the pick up afterwards? This can be a bit tricky to manage by yourself, even if you have a friend or family member to do it for you. So if you can, I would highly suggest that you hire a wedding planner to do the work for you. This is the perfect example of why you should have a wedding planner.
Accessibility
How accessible is the beach that you have in mind? This is something to think about if you for example have many elderly guests, or somebody in wheel chair. It’s also important to know this in order to be sure that vendors can access easily to deliver and collect the furniture and other equipment. Check if there is a parking close by for the guests to park, if not, you might want to consider a shuttle bus for the guests.
Beach wedding dress code
Include in the invitation that the ceremony will be on the beach. Will you be getting married during summer? You might want to consider having a more relaxed dress code for your guests. That way they can feel more comfortable in the Mediterranean heat.
Environmental friendly confetti
Make sure to use only use environmental friendly confetti, such as flower petals, olive tree leaves.. etc.
Drinks for the guests
Don’t forget to arrange something cold to drink for the guests while waiting. Some non-alcoholic beverages such as scented waters, or lemonade will be just fine.
Unplugged beach wedding
Try to keep the electricity to a minimum, on some beached it wont be possible to have any electricity at all. And even if there are wireless and bluetooth equipment you could use, I would really go for that really, relaxed, unplugged atmosphere. Maybe some live Spanish guitar music, or why not somebody playing reggae music on guitar? The officiant will however need a wireless microphone that will project over the background sounds (read; waves, wind etc).
A last advice
Don’t be afraid of keeping it really simple. The beach itself is already such a beautiful place on it’s own for a wedding, the whole idea of this type of ceremony is to embrace the simplicity of it. Maybe you don’t need a massive arch, or chairs for each guest – they could all stand up around you in a circle. Maybe you can walk barefoot down the aisle. Just keep it simple!