wedding in south alabama

catastrophekitty · May 2012

Hello everyone! I am planning to get married on the beach in Gulf Shores (or maybe Orange Beach) on Feb 16 2013. I live in Foley, AL. My future father-in-law was warning me about how cold it would be, but I've been living down here for a couple years and mid-February has been pretty mild. I wanted to have the ceremony on the beach and the reception indoors. Any ideas? I was wondering if I should have a back up plan in case a cold front moved in, but I'm on a tight budget and might not be able to.

Also have a few more questions (sorry!). Can anyone recommend a wedding planner/coordinator in the Foley/Gulf Shores/Orange Beach/Fort Morgan/Fairhope area? I have seen a lot of sites that offer beach weddings but haven't found one that I think I want to work with yet. What about a reception coordinator and venue? Ideally I would find a company that specializes in beach weddings and has an affordable package, and then would move indoors to a site for the reception which would be inclusive with venue, catering, etc. One company I liked does beach weddings but they no longer provide reception planning and they were a bit pricy.

Any tips on having a wedding with around 50 guests on a budget? Regarding catering, would it be less expensive to have buffet style? If the reception is in the evening am I obliged to provide dinner, or can I have appetizers, desserts, hors dorves (sp)?

Okay, one more question.. Just one more, I promise lol. Do you know of a place in south Alabama where I can try on plus sized gowns? One of my bridesmaids wants to take me to some local shops but I'm afraid they won't carry any larger sizes.

Sorry for so many questions, I really have no idea what I'm doing! Thanks for any help and suggestions. Feeling a bit overwhelmed.

sessionswedding · May 2012

I won't be much help with specific vendors for beach weddings, but I can answer some of your more general questions!

As for catering, whether a buffet would be cheaper really depends on the caterer, the type of food being served, etc. If you get really fancy with a buffet it can end up costing you more than a plated meal! In general buffets are cheaper, but you'll need to get a few quotes from a few different caterers in the area to be sure.

If you only want to serve appetizers and desserts, I would recommend getting married in the afternoon (around 2:00 or 3:00 ceremony time). Any later than that in February and the sun would be going down anyway. If you get married at 4:00 or 5:00 your guests will most likely expect dinner, if you get married at 11:00 or 12:00 your guests will most likely expect lunch. But if you get married between major meal times, they will probably not be expecting a major meal.

Most bridal shops DO carry plus sized sample gowns, but it's always best to call ahead to be sure. Pretty much any bridal shop will do, just give them a call and they should almost definitely have at least SOME plus sized samples.

Hope this helps!

catastrophekitty · May 2012

That was helpful! Thanks!
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</div><div>n Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_alabama_wedding-in-south-alabama?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:74Discussion:54135448-5687-4de3-987e-80d125977ff1Post:5d41fb0d-87f0-4324-9f35-6af19a90dd51">Re: wedding in south alabama</a>:
[QUOTE]I won't be much help with specific vendors for beach weddings, but I can answer some of your more general questions! As for catering, whether a buffet would be cheaper really depends on the caterer, the type of food being served, etc. If you get really fancy with a buffet it can end up costing you more than a plated meal! In general buffets are cheaper, but you'll need to get a few quotes from a few different caterers in the area to be sure. If you only want to serve appetizers and desserts, I would recommend getting married in the afternoon (around 2:00 or 3:00 ceremony time). Any later than that in February and the sun would be going down anyway. If you get married at 4:00 or 5:00 your guests will most likely expect dinner, if you get married at 11:00 or 12:00 your guests will most likely expect lunch. But if you get married between major meal times, they will probably not be expecting a major meal. Most bridal shops DO carry plus sized sample gowns, but it's always best to call ahead to be sure. Pretty much any bridal shop will do, just give them a call and they should almost definitely have at least SOME plus sized samples. Hope this helps!
Posted by sessionswedding[/QUOTE]

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Zonkaghoop · May 2012

I am actually doing all this right now..I am having my wedding on the beach in Orange Beach. The vendor/wedding planner place I am using is called Big Day Weddings. I looked into several different ones and they seemed to have the best prices. You can purchase a wedding package (and add/remove things as necessary) and it includes everything you need for your ceremony. As for the reception, I did look into a couple of beach restaurants that do groups and catering but they were a bit expensive for someone on a budget. We have rented a big beach house with a pool and figured we could have a poolside cookout for the reception and save some money that way but still have a lot of fun

As for the weather..its definitely a good idea to have a backup plan. But you know, this Alabama weather is so crazy..just like this February/March one day it felt like a nice summer day and the next it would be freezing. Even if it is a bit cold, the ceremony is what 20-30 minutes, it would probably be bearable for that amount of time.

Hopefully this helps, just giving you an idea of what someone else is doing

ankeller · August 2012

Paradisebeachweddings.com is a get place to check for a beach wedding

catastrophekitty · September 2012

Thanks y'all, gave me some things to check out!

wedding in south alabama

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