Beach Wedding or Lawn?

KatfshhRN

Has anyone had a Beach wedding with 40--50 guests. I just feel like that is too many people to stand on the beach and get married. It just seems like you need chairs for that many people. It just seems to me that it would feel disorganized.
I am still stressing over ceremony locations and reception locations. I am right not debating between Sarento's and 5 Palms. (Kind of going a little crazy trying to figure this all out.)

Tanq&Tonic

We did lawn -- it was easier for me and the guests to walk on, we had chairs, and we didn't really have to worry about whipping wind & sand.  I think having chairs makes a big difference for guests -- it's nice to be able to sit especially since some poeple come early, etc. I could imagine it being really neat if you had seating area near the beach so people could sit & wait, and then stand in a circle surrounding you during the ceremony for an intimate feel that's hard to create when you have rows of chairs.  But I've always been a huge sucker for circular seating and ceremonies.  Here's a wedding we went to last year where the chairs were arranged all around the altar -- it was pretty neat!

http://dannyphotostudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/dannyphotostudio_20101106_22.jpg

sparklegirl84

Oh Tanq - that's a gorgeous setup! 

I also thought that having a large group of people on the sand at the beach around us might be awkward for the guests, so it made more sense for us to get a venue that allowed chairs. (Plus I really wanted an aisle and an arch!) So my vote is for the lawn.

FSForever

I think with 40 to 50 guests you should go lawn.  Seems like a lot for the beach and I would think it would be disorganized also. 

You are making me rethink our decision to move to the beach from the Lower Lawn at Gannon's.  They are still holding it for us and will notify if someone else wants it but haven't heard at this point.  Hmm. 

kaesha

I think the beach is tricky with that many people as well too - especially since you can't have the chairs or anything to set up AND you're competing for that space with others on the beach.

Having said that, I've always thought a beach ceremony where everyone is sitting on big pillows and blankets might look really awesome. Kinda hippy, but awesome nonetheless.

And likewise with Tanq, I love the idea of circular ceremonies too! An old knottie here did a really cool ring blessing part of her ceremony by passing the wedding rings around the circle and asking people to bless them. I thought that was a really lovely touch.

KatfshhRN

OK Great!! I really love being able to throw this stuff off of you ladies! I love that Beach wedding Tanq! That is so cool! I guess that is not Hawaii though, since there are chairs on the beach. OK, I am going to lean towards lawn and see what I can come up with. THANKS!!

breaness

I really think you could go either way and have a beautiful ceremony, and if you're dying for beach pictures you can always go down to the beach following the ceremony for portraits.