Beach weddings are romantic and simple, or so they seem. It should be as easy as finding a beach, using light cotton clothing, a messy yet cute hair do and a tropical walk to the altar, but making it all work isn’t as simple. First of all, let’s start talking about typical costs.

Beach wedding costs depend on many factors, some are the same as non-beach weddings, like the size of the wedding party, number of guests, wedding dress, suit or tuxedo, wedding minister, marriage license, music, to mention a few. A wedding dress for a beach ceremony is typically informal and can be less expensive, the same goes for the groom’s attire, however an elaborate beach set-up can be more expensive depending on the number of guests, chairs and wedding arches must be rented and there is also a delivery and set-up charge for the furniture, prices ranging widely from the type of arch (metal, bamboo, wood) to the type of chairs too. The decoration is also variable, from long ribbons to tiki torches, rose petal aisles, audio system, live music, indoors or outdoors reception, public beach or private resort beach, all these are details to consider.

Some couples choose a beach destination wedding, with both ceremony, reception and honeymoon in the same exotic locale, such as Roatan, prices will vary depending on the length of the couple’s stay, number of guests and if the wedding package is all-inclusive. We will not cover more aspects to take into consideration.

Finding the perfect beach

Roatan will have multiple beautiful beaches to choose from, so the first way to filter or set them apart is by finding out which ones are private versus public and what amenities each one can provide. Public beaches require permits while private beaches need reservations ahead of time to guarantee your special day will be available. The wedding day is key too, since beaches tend to be more crowded on weekends than weekdays.

Beach weddings occur on sunny shores with high temperatures, planning the best hour will ensure you and your guest will be comfortable, recommended ceremony hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and late afternoon 3:30 to 5:00 just before the sun goes down, in the ceremony ends about an hour before sunset, you´ll have good timing to take amazing photos.

Prepare for nature

When in a beach wedding nature must be taken into account, like wind, sun and even a slight chance of rain. Common elements in weddings are ribbons, intricate flowers, candles…and all of them can be blown away, thus decoration to be used must be resistant and sturdy enough to keep their ground. There is no way to predict how windy a beach can be on any given day, so keeping this in mind, try to use decorations that are unlikely to be tossed around, or use a good adhesive and strings to keep lightweight decorations in place.

Consider all the Amenities

Besides looking at the beach you must also check for the surrounding area to see if it fulfills all your needs, can catering be delivered? Can furniture be delivered and installed? Will you need a restaurant to be nearby? Will guests need to walk a lot? Take some time to visit all the locations that suit your fancy to choose the one that best suits your needs, Roatan will surely provide many beautiful locations to choose from. Wedding planners can help you find all-inclusive resorts that can provide venues, gourmet food, soft and alcoholic drinks and even dance floors, making the wedding plans much easier.

Think About the Food

Your wedding menu is a huge choice to make, you want it to be all about you and what you like but also something your guests will love and also keep a budget. During a beach wedding besides all of the above you must also consider where you are serving it. If you aren’t getting married at a resort, food storage is a serious consideration. Food that’s supposed to be refrigerated will spoil quickly in high temperatures, so you’ll need to choose wisely. This is also worth keeping in mind for your cake choice, cakes made with buttercream or mousse may fight a losing battle against the heat. As a rule, don’t pick anything that’s going to melt or spoil fast. If you’re concerned about food, you can also consider getting married on the beach, and having the reception at another location, like a nearby restaurant or make it hassle free by doing it at an all-inclusive resort.

Mind your Budget 

A local beach wedding package can range anywhere from $3000 to $30,000 or more. It will all depend on many of the variables discussed earlier, like how many guests, the type of menu, decorations to name a few, also taking into account that hotel and travel tickets are not included. However it is safe to conclude that beach weddings are less costly than traditional weddings most of the time. 

To make it all easier for you we recommend doing it through a local wedding planner like us that will help you make the most out of your budget while keeping all things mentioned above in check to get the wedding of your dreams in Roatán. Remember you can request your free quote with us! Hope to see you soon in Roatán.