Sri Lanka has recently become quite popular as a venue for destination weddings. Sri Lanka is an ideal location to make your dream come true and have a beach wedding. Weddings, in general, are quite stressful to plan and execute as there are many tiny details that need attention but might completely slip your mind. Planning a beach wedding in Sri Lanka might seem too big to handle right now, but we are here to help you out and reduce some of that stress you may be feeling! Here are 7 tips on how to plan a perfect beach wedding.
Not to state the obvious, but the location of your dream wedding is quite important and affects all the other details. Hikkaduwa has some of the top wedding venues in Sri Lanka as they have luxurious hotels serving high quality food and a clean wide beach. But since you may have not been to all the possible beach hotels in Sri Lanka, spend some time talking to people and researching on your various options. Do not rush your decision. Pay close attention to the setting, the view and the various amenities that will be provided by the hotel to find out if it suits your liking.
Before you jump into any conclusions about how obvious this might seem, hear us out. Yes, informing guests about the date and venue is obvious, but for a beach wedding, especially if it requires your guests to make travel arrangements, inform them well ahead. Some people may need prior notice to arrange their trip to your wedding which will help you finalize the wedding list as well. Secondly, it is vital that you mention it is an outdoor beach wedding so that guests will attend in suitable and comfortable attire. The last thing you would want is for guests to be unhappy because their heels are stuck in the sand or their brand new suit has got spoilt by the salty air.
Just like any other wedding pick whether you would want to get married in the morning or evening, but choose it well ahead. Unlike an indoor wedding, the lighting at a beach wedding can be quite unpredictable. Therefore it is important to decide on the time of day and inform the photographer so they can be well prepared with the necessary equipment. Additionally, the make-up, suit and even menu would depend highly on the time of day. So the sooner you decide on it, the sooner you can get started on the other details.
Unfortunately, no matter how meticulously you plan, everything is not in your control. Especially the weather. In case the weather on the day is not favorable for an outdoor wedding have a backup ready close to your beach location. You can even consider setting up decorated tents and marquees to fight the weather. But let’s hope and pray that on your wedding day the sky would be clear and the weather would be perfect.
Make-up is quite a crucial component in the bride and the bridal party’s attire. And even though it can generally be quite tricky, outside weddings make it even more challenging. It is important that your hair and makeup will sustain the outdoor winds. It might be even worth it to have a few trial runs to see how long it may last outdoors.
Beach weddings have an atmosphere of fun, dancing and drinking. The key to ensuring food and money is not wasted is to serve a light meal. Depending on the seating arrangement you may even consider serving finger food. Guests don’t usually expect a huge buffet at a beach wedding and most guests may not even be interested in it as they may be eyeing the dance floor. So cut down on the food, but don’t forget to spend on the drinks.
In the mad rush of planning and ensuring everything is perfect, don’t forget this is you and your loved one’s special day! The wedding may be planned to the very last detail, but don’t forget to make it more special for the two of you. Take advantage of the location and plan a memorable ending to your wedding. Most hotels offer a boat ride for the newlyweds and this getaway might be the perfect end to your perfect day.
The day of your wedding is going to be magical for the two of you; no matter where the vows are exchanged at. Your friends and family being with you at this moment will only increase that magical glow for you. But despite this, it’s worth noting that exchanging your vows on an exotic destination will make this moment special not only for you, but for the guests attending your wedding as well. Here are our top reasons for saying Sri Lanka, the little island country snug in the Indian ocean, is the ideal place for your special day.
We won’t be exaggerating if we tell you that Instagram loves Sri Lanka! In fact, it has plenty of such “gram-worthy” spots to not only keep your wedding guests happy, but also make your pre-wedding shoot look amazing. It’s a pleasant side benefit that your wedding guests, who are most undoubtedly your nearest and dearest, get to tick Sri Lanka off their travel bucket list!
Pre-wedding getaways have gained popularity steadily in the last few years. Starting out as a “celebrity trend”, this movement of taking a holiday prior to all the stress involving a wedding makes so much sense, that is it now opted for by nearly every chilled-out couple! Sri Lanka has plenty of places you could relax at; be it that it’s the sunny beach towns like Mirissa or Tangalle, or the cooler towns of Ella and Nuwara-eliye.
More often than not, wedding days are so overwhelming, you tend to forget bits and pieces of the day as time moves forward. You wouldn’t remember key moments of the day without a little prompting. This is where wedding photography becomes so important. And while it is true that most photographers nowadays can create fantastic photographs with nearly nothing to work with, having picturesque views and props to begin with can make their task a breeze.
The mental image that most people get for a beach wedding is the bride and groom standing under a flower arch, their hair pleasantly wind tousled, their skin sun kissed. However, in reality, not everyone who wants a beach wedding wants to be drying out in the sunshine while the scorching sun beats down on them. This is especially true if your wedding destination happens to be in a tropical and humid place like Sri Lanka. A great alternative for this would be to host an evening wedding, around sunset. The setting sun can create the perfect backdrop for your life changing moment; and by the time you’re ready for the dinner and dancing, romantic candles can be arranged to make you look magical.
If the wedding party is to arrive at the wedding destination ahead of the day, as is the norm, then arranging for some entertainment is a must. However, the last thing you (as the bride or groom) need during these few hours before your big moment is to stress about how to entertain your guests. Lucky for you, Sri Lankans are experts at hosting guests, and keeping them occupied! If the beaches and the food doesn’t keep your guests occupied, then it’s very easy to organize something along the line of a day tour or even a shopping expedition for them.
One of the many reasons for which destination weddings are so popular, is the fact that after the wedding, and the guests leave (taking the chaos with them), the bride and groom can jump right into enjoying their honeymoon instead of having to fly off to a separate destination. This not only saves travel expenses, but also saves time. And the benefits of a destination wedding in Sri Lanka is that it has so many secluded and romantic honeymoon spots; you’d be spoilt for choices!
If you’re not one for lazing around the beach even on your honeymoon, then it is adventure that you crave. Lucky for you, Sri Lanka has plenty of adventurous activities for you to try out. Hikes through national parks and adventure trails in mountain ranges, water sports, zip-lining, safaris, waterfall hunting, camping under the starts in private islands…you name it, Sri Lanka has it!