For those having beach ceremonies...

obxlaurak

How are you dealing with elderly folks or those with mobility issues and the sand?

My father has a lot of trouble walking in the sand but we really want to have a beach ceremony.  Of course we want him and our other elderly guests to be comfortable and not struggle.

I've googled and saw that some people put down plywood.  And there are these roll out walkways, but I feel like they may not be quite supportive enough.  http://www.misterboardwalk.com/

Any other ideas? 

If we go with the Hilton Pier House, one option is to get married on the actual pier, but I think we'd still want to do some pictures on the beach.

sarahebrown

Laura,
I've thought alot about this too. My Grandmother is handicapped and would not be able to stand or walk on the sand easily. They actually rent beach wheelchairs. I know Ocean Atlantic Rentals has them. I'm not sure the cost though.

Thankfully, our venue, The Pearl, offers an outerdeck with a view of the ceremony space, so we will have Grandma observing from there.

obxlaurak

The tough part for me is that I want my dad to walk me down the aisle.  One of the ideas I had was that I walk myself and he meets me like 4 steps from my groom.  But he, and the other mobility challenged people would still have to get to their seats.

The wheelchair could work for pictures though.  Good idea!

The more I think about it, the more the pier is probably the best option. 

ms_teach

One of our guests has trouble walking in the sand after losing all of his toes to diabetes.  He brought a cane and took it slower than everyone else, but he was able to be there for everything that way.  It was also easier to walk where the sand had been packed down, so maybe that's an option for your aisle?

seashells12

For my daughter's wedding we are researching the possibility of purchasing bambo or seagrass aisle runners/mats. My other daughter has special needs and doesn't like to walk on sand. Plus one of the grandfathers isn't a fan of the sand either. We saw a picture in one of the bridal magazines of large bamboo mats laid down to make an aisle. It looks very natural and blends in with the color of the sand. We found a few websites that sell the mats/runners but we just are not sure of the length we will need.

obxlaurak

Seashells, if you end up doing it, I'd love to hear how it works out!

seashells12

Obxlaurak....we will definitely be doing something with mats or a runner. It is the only way my daughter with special needs will be able to participate in her sister's wedding. She is going to be the maid of honor! The wedding is 6-24-12. When is yours? I will give updates when we place the order (it may not be until the Fall).

obxlaurak

September or October 2012!!!  Thanks!

asoho0704

I am so glad you ladies provided this information.  We just got engaged last week, and I'm looking into spots in the OBX to get married in the sand - but my fiance's father and aunt are in their 80's, and it will be especially difficult for his dad.  I love the idea of the bamboo mats, and that misterboardwalk looks pretty perfect!  

Thanks so much ladies!

obxshelley

I have been photographing beach weddings on the Outer Banks for 20 years. Some of the ways I have seen couples deal with elderly members of the family is to have  a person on each side of them to walk them down to their seats. Another way is to have the ceremony close enough to the stairs that lead down to the beach as possible, and the elderly guests and family remain at the top of the steps seated on benches or chairs. They can't hear much from up there, but my experience is nobody hears much of anything anway considering the crashing of the waves.
 Using grass mats, not sure if that is a great idea, they would sink down into the sand every step you take and could cause a real tripping hazard, not just for the elderly, but everyine else. Nothing more embarrassing than being all decked out in gown and veil and trip on the way down the aisle.
If you choose a location like the Hilton Garden Inn Pier House for the ceremony, you can still have your photos on the beach, just plan to do the photos with your elderly family members on the pier, then go down to the beach for the pictures of you with your bridal party and your groom.

Hope this helps! Best of luck!

Shelley Chamberlin Photography

obxlaurak

Thanks Shelley!  I think that is a great plan and very reasonable.  Thanks for the advice!

seashells12

Shelley....The weddingwill be at a home on the sound side. Do you think the sand might be more compacted on the sound then on the beach?
We are worried about the tripping, which is why we ruled out a typical aisle runner.  Having an escort for my daughter (the MOH) is being considered. But it's more of sensory issues with her when the sand touches her skin.

littlemsmagic138

At my brother's wedding, the groomsmen carried my grandmother up to the top landing of the beach access (she has a walker with a seat) and she and my grandfather were able to watch/listen from there. The ceremony was very close to the dune, but I'm pretty sure they mostly just watched, couldn't really listen.

I think that something similar will occur at my wedding, although at Pelican's Landing, the beach access has a landing relatively close to the beach and there are benches on each side for those that can't make it on to the beach. Obviously this may not be the case for all beach accesses, but was one of the reasons we picked our venue.

boderboo

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_north-carolina-outer-banks_those-having-beach-ceremonies?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:598Discussion:06891da8-cea2-4867-84ac-78a3c4da3418Post:2468e64a-3685-462f-bd7a-0c8c8bfe1b0b">Re: For those having beach ceremonies...</a>:
[QUOTE]But it's more of sensory issues with her when the sand touches her skin.
Posted by seashells12[/QUOTE]

Seashells, have you considered ballet flats for your daughter?  You could spray paint them to match her dress.  I recall having to paint some for one of my daughter's recital.  Krylon works great.  Then, you could add some silk flowers to match the bouquets.  It would be novel and very cute I think.