<p>Update–Well after a week of intense research, brainstorming, and zillions of texts and phone calls, we have a place and a date. Whew!</p>
<p>Found a beautiful public setting which is sort of indoors and outdoors. Not the beach itself but right on it, but much more accessible for family members with mobility issues. Surprisingly affordable as far as the venue itself, though we have to use their bar service and a licensed caterer (they have some vetted, but will take another if they have the right insurance etc.) So it won’t be totally cheap, but it should be in our budget, and the setting is wonderful. </p>
<p>Now on to food, cakes, music, etc. Biggest challenge will be getting everyone to the area and having places to stay. Groom is researching budget motels in the area. His family, as I’ve mentioned, has some complicated relationship logistics, but I will stay out of that, i hope.</p>
<p>My daughter had a beach wedding. It was very small. One idea I really liked from our otherwise awful wedding planner was the bride and groom’s names painted onto shells and the guests each threw one out to the ocean while making a wish for the couple. My SIL first of all thought it was silly, but it was the one touch I really wanted so we did it. It was a lovely moment and all the guests (and the bride and groom) loved it.</p>
<p>Made for some cute photos too. The groom holding the bride’s dress up out of the surf for her. One of her friends (a guest who turns out to be an excellent photographer, better than the awful wedding planner who was also an awful wedding photographer!!) waited and took a picture of a shell that washed back back in the surf.</p>
<p>Regarding the cake, I went to a beach wedding last year where they had cupcakes arranged in a big tower. Really pretty. Really cute. Cupcakes are pretty trendy right now, but I had not seen this at a wedding before. They had small white boxes available so people could take “their” cupcake home easily.</p>
<p>The other thing this couple did that I hadn’t seen before…they gave each guest a glass of champagne or sparkling cider when we were all seated for the ceremony and the toast was immediately after “the kiss.” That was also fun and different. I realized later that because the post wedding food/reception was a more relaxed buffet with everyone milling around so everyone was stationary and “together” at the ceremony.</p>
<p>Places to stay - we rented a beach house for immediate family and some close friends that traveled to the wedding. We actually stayed the whole week afterwards as my brother came from England and my son from across the country (we did not live near the venue, so it was a good way to spend time with them without the 12 hour drive back to our home - simpler for my brother as well). Was a wonderful week. The bridal party (bride/groom/bridesmaids/grooms man and woman) rented a house just for the weekend, though one of the bridesmaids Mom’s surprised the couple with a fancy hotel for the wedding night.</p>
<p>That article about two weddings was so strange, especially the part about the first couple mentioned who apparently had two ceremonies just because the bride liked the second venue. I suppose I could see a couple who is married in a secular setting later deciding to be married in a religious setting to comply with religious law, or a couple married far from family and friends having a RECEPTION (i.e., a party) in their honor close to home. But to have TWO CEREMONIES just so that two sets of people could see them get married – or even to have two ceremonies and receptions on different days in the same area to fit in all of the cultural traditions of each – seems strange to me. Unless there is some legal or religious reason why a couple wouldn’t truly be “married” without the second ceremony, I think the first event is the WEDDING and the second event is just a pageant and a party (or, a best, a blessing of the union that has already occurred). Would love to hear from others who disagree with me!</p>
<p>I’ve worked at a lot of weddings in my time, as I sometimes work in event catering. One of the nicest ones that sticks out in my mind was a farmer’s daughter who got married in a teepee that had been set up on her father’s land. It was really relaxed people ate on simple tables and benches with reindeer skins to sit on, and there were fires inside to keep everyone warm. The farmers dogs made an appearance after the meal, and everyone looked like they were having a lot of fun. Anyway, the point of me telling the story is to emphasise the teepees, which everyone loved. It looked a lot like this, and you can get them in different sizes <a href=“http://www.slatersparke.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/teepee1.jpg[/url]”>http://www.slatersparke.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/teepee1.jpg</a></p>
<p>In contrast, one of the least pleasant weddings I’ve worked was one where it was clear that a lot of money had been spent on it, and there was a definite element of a Bridezilla about it. We’re talking hiring a cathedral, a boat as wedding party transport and a Michelin starred chef. The guests didn’t look like they were enjoying it anywhere near as much as the teepee wedding, and the staff were muttering about eloping by the end of it!</p>
<p>@nottelling that’s just bizarre. I know some religions will have two ceremonies e.g. Muslims living in non-Islamic countries will have a Nikkah (religious bit, which takes precedence) and then to make it legal there’s a civil ceremony too at the registry office. </p>
<p>But two weddings just because seems bizarre and rather like the people involved just like conspicuous consumption.</p>
<p>Well, things are moving along. D has some wonderful decorating ideas! Right now, it turns out though, that keeping a list under 100 turns out to be a lot harder than I would’ve thought! D is resigned to not inviting everyone she’d like to, since the venue has a hard cap (not to mention expense.) But I do feel bad; it’s hard making those decisions. Hoping to hear that some folks can’t come, and then she and fiance will add a few more–I promised no one but bare bones family from us.</p>
<p>Sounds great! Borrowing from hyperJulie’s thread, if you want ribbon, DO NOT go to craft stores to purchase it, even with 40% off coupons! Trust me!!</p>
<p>Thanks! So here’s her great idea–so, we’re all beach themed. D wants to name each table after a local beach, then have a jar of sand from that beach in the middle of the table with some symbol that goes with it (tiny fishing pole for the beach everyone fishes at, roller coaster for the amusement park beach, etc.) Then, for placecards when they come in, we’ll collect clam shells (H is a clammer), and table name will be painted in each person’s shell–have to find right beach, rather than table number. (might take some tweaking, but that’s the general idea). Thought this was really clever!</p>
<p>Sounds like fun! If she wants beach-themed favors, you can buy miniature tin pails, fill them part way up with raw sugar “sand,” then add a couple of chocolate shells. I have a picture of this, if I can figure out how to post it or send it to you. Another alternative would be to just make a bunch of chocolate starfish and put them on the table. I used to make glittered shells and starfish for our church craft fair. The starfish in particular are gorgeous. You need craft glue and <strong>ultrafine</strong> glitter. Mix the glue with some water, and smoodge onto the starfish with a brush. Heavily sprinkle ultrafine glitter over all. The glue dries to invisibility, and the starfish looks as if it has washed up on a magical beach. :)</p>
![http://www.slatersparke.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/teepee1.jpg[/url]](http://www.slatersparke.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/teepee1.jpg%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
