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You’re going to be married on the beach with the surf providing liquid music in the background. You’ve selected your date and you’ve settled on the perfect place to hold your wedding. Beach invitations are the ideal way to let your guests know about the joyful occasion. Your hope, of course, is that your wedding invitations will entice those you care for to attend and participate in your special day.

To fulfill your hope, you’ll want to create an invitation that is so attractive, your guests will be tempted to frame it to help them remember the beauty of your wedding. If you are like most couples, you’ll also want to keep an eye on how much you spend for your invitations. The average couple spends about five per cent of their wedding budget on invitations. Surprisingly, that’s $1,000 for a $20,000 wedding. Beach invitations can cost much less than that. Rather than hiring a graphics designer to take on the task, trim your budget by creating your own.

Creating your own beach invitations may seem like a thorny challenge at first. Luckily, there’s no cause for stress. With so many choices of paper, color, and type-styles, you can easily craft invitations that perfectly reflect your unique style…without breaking the bank. This is a chance for you to be as wild and creative as you would like. Have fun!

Here are a few tips to inspire your imagination:

Online Invitation Designing: Enter “design your own wedding invitations online” into the Internet search engine you prefer. Dozens of different websites will be displayed, many of which will help you design invitations for your wedding. Beach invitations can be created using ready-made designs, if that’s what you prefer. You can use one of these ready-made designs and customize it, or you can decide to start from scratch. Either way, it’s free to design them. Your invitations won’t cost anything until you have them printed.

Shape and Size of Invitations: You might want your invitations to have a custom shape, such as a palm tree, a sea horse or something else that’s related to the beach. Custom shapes are popular, but they do have some shortcomings. The printer will need to specially set up their equipment to cut the paper into the shape you choose, and this will come at an extra cost. You may have additional postage costs, too, because the post office sometimes charges more for oversized or oddly shaped envelopes. If your budget is tight, you are better off staying with square or rectangular invitations.

Invitation Graphics: What images pop into your mind when you think about the beach? Wedding invitations can incorporate pictures of sand dollars on the beach, swaying palm trees, sailboats on the horizon and other beach-related images into their designs. You can create a tasteful background for your invitations by repeating the same image of a tropical flower, a starfish, a sunset or a dolphin. You can also use a favorite beach photo or painting in your design.

Choices for Invitation Paper: If you’re not certain about what type of paper to use, 30 to 50 pound card stock is ideal. This weight prints well and is thicker than ordinary paper, so it resists bending and creasing when it’s in the mail. If you want to be environmentally responsible, choose recycled paper. If your goal is elegance in your invitations, choose linen or cotton paper. Here’s a tip, though: if you use a cotton blend instead of 100% cotton, you’ll save money.

Type-style: The website where you design your invitations will offer a variety of fonts to choose from. You will want to choose a font that reflects romance, the beach, and of course, your own personality. One of the most popular and pleasing-to-the-eye fonts for wedding invitations is called Edwardian Script. Renaissance and Vivaldi fonts are good bets as well.

Beach invitations can be individualized even more by adding your favorite song lyric, quote or poem. If your wife or husband-to-be has a favorite expression, feature it in the wording of your invitations. By integrating these personal touches you will capture the attention and imagination of your guests. Friends and family will cherish your invitations long after the celebration has ended.

BeachWeddingMagic is devoted to helping soon-to-be-married couples create their own magical on beach wedding. Visit BeachWeddingMagic.com for suggestions and advice on wedding beach invitations, cakes, decorations, clothing and much more.

Whether you are planning a beach theme for an indoor ceremony, or setting up a seaside venue for your wedding, beach flowers are a must. There are infinite varieties of flowers to choose from in colors and shapes to suit every taste and budget. With a little careful planning, you can treat yourself and your guests to a stylish floral display…without draining your savings account.

The strategies below will help you choose the perfect flowers…and you won’t strain your budget:

Different types of flower arrangements

First you need to decide the number and type of flower arrangements you need for your wedding. Beach ceremonies can include loads of flowers or none at all. Traditional weddings normally include the following: Floral arches, a wedding bouquet, a bouquet for the bride, a basket of flowers for the flower girl, corsages for the bridesmaids, boutonnieres for the groom and groomsmen and floral arrangements for reception tables. Some couples include corsages or boutonnieres for close relatives who attend the wedding. Beach flowers are also often used to create an aisle or path leading to the ceremony.

Tip: You can get by with fewer flowers on your wedding beach because the surroundings themselves are so beautiful. If your money is limited, just have flowers for the bride and groom. You can enhance your beach theme by substituting Hawaiian-style floral leis instead of the bride’s bouquet and the groom’s boutonniere.

Budget

$2,000 is the cost of flowers for the average wedding. Beach flowers can be cheaper because you don’t need as many.

Add up all the flower arrangements you need. Decide whether you want tropical flowers, non-tropicals or some of both. When you have this information you are ready to ask florists about their charges and you’ll be able to pin down your budget.

Questions for florists

Unless you’re an experienced floral arranger, leave that task to professionals. Ask wedding planners, other newly-married couples and hotels for their recommendations on local florists. Try to get at least three names, and meet with each candidate in person. Interview the florists by phone when this isn’t possible.

Tip: Ask each candidate the questions below to identify the florist that’s ideal for your wedding:

What services do you offer for weddings? Are your designing services included in the cost of the flowers? What experience do you have designing floral arrangements for beach weddings? Can you show me examples of arrangements you have designed specifically for beach weddings? Beyond the cost of the flowers, what additional charges should I expect (delivery, setup, etc.)? How far in advance do I need to place my order? Can you give me a firm price quote instead of an estimate?

Compare the florists’ answers and prices. Choose the one which has the best answers AND a reasonable price when compared to the others.

Some other money-saving ideas:

Use flowers that are grown locally

Choose flowers that are native to the location of your ceremony. They do not need refrigeration and they do not need to be shipped, so florists usually sell them cheaper. You’ll have exquisite flowers at a lower cost.

Tell your florist about the color of your decorations, the bridal couple’s clothing and the rest of the wedding party’s clothing. When your florist knows your color palate, they can recommend local flowers that coordinate with your wedding beach theme.

Use floral arrangements for more than one purpose

You can cut your floral costs by using the same flower arrangements at your reception as well as the ceremony. Some advance planning will let your florist or a few close friends quickly move the flowers from the ceremony’s location to the site of your reception.

Make sure you use flowers with strong, waxy blooms if you want your flowers to do this kind of double duty. Heliconia, antherium, orchids and calla lilies work better because they hold up in heat and keep their fresh look throughout the ceremony, the reception and beyond.

Plants and greenery can supplement blossoms

Cut flowers are more expensive. Instruct your florist to stretch your budget by using potted plants and local greenery extensively in your flower arrangements. Palm fronds, for example, are quite attractive. They’re plentiful and they’re also dramatic. You might even be able to find some free local greenery, depending on where your wedding will be held.

You can also make your floral budget go further if you use potted plants such as smaller orchids, tillandsia and African violets and give them out to guests as wedding favors.

BeachWeddingMagic helps soon-to-be-married couples create their own magical on beach wedding. Visit BeachWeddingMagic.com for tips and advice on wedding beach flowers, decorations, flowers, wedding planners and much more.

A bride’s wedding might be the most romantic, breathtaking occasion she ever has. Few events rival the magic you feel while exchanging your marriage vows on a soft white-sand beach, with your closest friends and relatives surrounding you and a gentle ocean breeze whispering through your hair.

You can create an absolutely enchanting experience with a seaside wedding. Beach gowns come in a range of choices that can boggle the mind of a bride-to-be. Read on if you need a little guidance to narrow down your options.

A casual dress is appropriate for a beach wedding, which is usually more informal than an indoor wedding. Beach gowns can easily be found that are relaxed and understated, yet elegant. Take the season into account when you’re picking a dress for your wedding. Temperatures can vary dramatically from season to season, so it will be important to consider whether you will have a Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter wedding. Beach gowns for warmer climates should be constructed from lighter fabrics, but for cooler climates or an evening wedding, pick a slightly heavier fabric and add an appropriate wrap.

Beyond these basics, here are some additional tips to help you choose a gown or dress that’s chic and captivating:

Design

Your best bet is usually a shorter dress. Longer gowns, especially those with trains, can be damaged or become soiled or wet by sand, water, stones or sea shells on the wedding beach. Ankle length or shorter is best. If you want understated elegance, try a simple tea-length A-line dress. If your ceremony will occur on a boardwalk, concrete or other hard surface you can wear a longer sheath dress, but you’ll still want to avoid a train.

Match your shape

Here are a few ways you can match your dress to the shape of your body. If you wear a plus size, look for dresses that feature a lightly belted style. This will help define your waist and minimize the boxy look. A low-cut neckline will also help.

If you have a petite figure, a sash waist will give you the appearance of added height.

A fuller figure can become more elegant by wearing a tailored design that hugs your curves.

If you have a pear-shaped body, opt for a strapless or halter-style dress. The design will draw peoples’ eyes up and provide a more balanced appearance. Make sure your skirt doesn’t cling if you go in that direction.

A busty figure looks most attractive wearing a dress featuring a high scoop-neck and supportive straps. A one-shoulder design is fine too. Also consider a fabric with a smaller print if you have a bustier figure; these fabrics can make your breasts look smaller.

Fabric

Choose a breathable fabric that will allow you to feel comfortable through both the ceremony and the reception. Otherwise the heat can become stifling. Crepe, charmeuse, duchesse satin, damask, chiffon, batiste and illusion nets all work well. Stay away from brocade, embroidered or heavily sequined fabrics.

Choice of color

White and ivory are perennial favorites for a wedding. Beach dresses however, give you more flexibility with color. Darker colors that attract and hold heat can quickly become unbearable on a hot, muggy summer day. At the same time, darker colors give a more slimming effect to plus size figures. If you want to lean more toward the casual side, go for bright, primary colors. Tropical prints can also perfectly fit the beach theme of your wedding.

You can take a few risks with beach wedding gowns. Unless you’d rather keep your wedding more formal, it’s OK to be a little wild and crazy. Informal wedding dresses with bold, tropical prints fit the beach theme perfectly. Let your personality come through. The dress you wear on your wedding day should perfectly express your unique style.

Beach Wedding Magic is devoted to helping soon-to-be-married couples create their own magical on beach wedding. Visit BeachWeddingMagic.com for suggestions and how tos on wedding beach gowns, flowers, flowers, clothing and much more.