Wedding Gazette

Seaside Wedding Receptions

By Jennifer Baumann

After all that gushy romance, it's time to party. Here are some ideas for a wedding reception on the sand itself, or at a reception site with a beach-inspired theme.

Beach Tunes

For a fun and frivolous beach reception, have your guests boogie down to the beach tunes popular in the 1960s like the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, and the Mamas and the Papas. Hire a local band that specializes in this kind of music, Hawaiin shirts and all. Have a limbo contest, a shag competition, or a conga line to add to the summer fun festivities.

Seafood Smorgasboard

Ask your caterer to fill the guests' plates with gifts from the ocean like crabs, lobster, and salmon. For appetizers, make Hawaiian puu-puu platters of shellfish and pineapple. Serve exotic cocktails with umbrellas in them. Or, if you are looking for a more Cape Cod-style event, have an old-fashioned clam bake. For a truly casual beach affair, rent a beach house - so after your oceanside ceremony, you can all head back to the yard for a barbeque.

Almost There

If you're having your reception inside, you can still pretend you're out on the cliffs. Hang antique liferafts for decoration, or place your favors on a surfboard or in beach buckets. Line the dance floor with seashells, or stack them in buckets around the room mixed with seaglass. Bring in deck chairs for the lobby.

Shell Cake

Extend your ocean dreams even to your wedding cake. Ask your baker if they can make shells, starfish, or seahorses out of fondant, chocolate, or icing to decorate your cake. Ask for tropical fillings like pineapple. Or, accentuate a simple wedding cake with the real deal - surround it with real starfish, shells, or other beachy items to bring your cake into the nautical theme.