The Ultimate Romantic Beach Or Cruise Ship Wedding

Destination weddings are a hot trend for couples, who may choose to have their wedding on a beach or even aboard a cruise ship. This arrangement makes the most of the time you have by combining the ceremony with the honeymoon in the presence of a few guests.

Whether you decide on a ship or a resort on a beach for your wedding, you will have a stunning backdrop, along with delicious food and entertainment.

There are many similarities between having a wedding on the beach or on a cruise ship, but perhaps the biggest one is that there are people on staff whose job it is to make sure that your wedding is perfect. At the Princess Royale Hotel, located on the beach in Ocean City Maryland, the staff works with couples to make sure that all the bases are covered when they come for the wedding. The same is true with the staff of most major cruise lines.

Attire and Fashion
Most weddings on a ship take place in the chapel (if they have one), a lounge area, a boardroom, or even on the top floor of the ship. Beach weddings may take place on a patio near the water or on the beach itself. In either case, here are some things to consider:

• If your wedding is formal, let your guests know in advance. When people enter a cruise ship or come to the beach, they think casual and comfortable.
• Be aware of the sea breeze, which can play havoc with billowy gowns. On the deck of the ship or on the beach, it is going to be windy and quite warm, so this not a great place for a full gown and a long veil. It is also tough on the men wearing full tuxedo wear. Consider a light, partially flowing gown and summer dresses for your bridesmaids. If this is unacceptable, have your wedding indoors.

  Wedding attire experts like bridal gown and bridesmaid dress provider Azazie recommend a tea length dress for the bridesmaids. They are beautifully designed, cool, and do not blow up to the waist in a summer wind.

• Bare shoulders and faces need sunscreen. If you opt to not applying sunscreen, expect colorful faces in your wedding photos and uncomfortable guests. Small tubes of personalized sunscreen make useful favors!
• Find out what is required to get a wedding license in the state or country you will be in for the wedding. Requirements are sometimes different than in your local area, so work with wedding planners from the cruise line to make arrangements.

• Decide who will perform the ceremony. On most ships, the Captain performs the wedding, but this is not always allowed. At a resort, the wedding planner may be able to hook you up with someone authorized to marry you. In either case, you can make arrangements for your own officiant.

Pros and Cons
You choose a destination wedding on or by the water, guess who travel in May stay on to enjoy the amenities of the location. While it can be fun to have your friends and relatives celebrating with you for an extended time, it changes the dynamics of your honeymoon.

• Pro – The wedding will be understandably small. Weeding out people you do not want will be much easier due to cost, space, and time.
• Con – Your (and his) mother-in-law will be on your honeymoon with you.
• Pro – Dinners are filled with fun and friends and even strangers.
• Con – You will not have private, little dinners unless you carve out time for them away from the group.
• Pro – The price of a cruise ship wedding is usually less than a large, formal affair at home. Prices of a beach wedding vary according to how many people, and how involved the hotel staff is.
• Con – There will be limited (very limited) space in the cabins for cruise ship weddings. On ship or at the beach, you will have your wedding attire to take home.
• Pro – The sea and nature are all around you. There is little need for extensive decorations. This also means less to carry and less to clean-up.
• Con – There is not room for your candle holders, dozens of roses, or bows. If your wedding must include your grandmother's family Bible, and your mother's crystal, this may not be the best choice for you.

Set an Agenda
Being married on a cruise ship or a beach resort means that your guests will be there during your honeymoon. This does not mean that you will have no private time.

Create an agenda for the guests to enjoy time with you, but carve out “do not disturb” alone time. Post it on your wedding web page, pass it out on flyers, and tape it to your cabin door.

Cruise ship weddings are the most beautiful and exciting weddings ever. But they do require a little pre-planning. Allow yourself plenty of time to tie up all the details.

About the Author
Yunas Chaudhry is a super-connector with Darkroom Clicks Photographers in Lahore and Islamabad who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, Photography, branding and networking. He frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing, digital photography.