They say that wedding planning is a seasonal job, but actually, when you are a destination wedding planner, you don’t quite get to stop, particularly if you offer services places where it’s hot all year round, like Egypt. As I’m getting more and more enquiries for weddings in the Red Sea, I thought today I’d tackle a subject I’ve had to discuss with a lot of brides: what’s the best seating solution for beach weddings?
The seating arrangement for your beach wedding is something you SHOULD give some thought to, not just because it sets the tone for the rest of your wedding, but also because it can pose a hazard if it’s not been thought out properly. Bear this in mind: not all beaches are on even ground, not all beaches have perfect, compact sand, not all beaches have meters long shores, so what you have in mind may not work with the beach venue you have chosen to get married at.
For this year’s Sharm el Sheikh wedding, for instance, I suggested to my couple that we’d hire oriental ottomans for the beach ceremony. The bride, however, preferred a more formal arrangement and asked me to set up with chairs. I didn’t feel particularly comfortable with the idea, and here is why:
- unless it’s a humid beach where the sand has turned ‘compact’ by the time you have a sunset wedding (very unlikely in super dry beach destinations like Sharm), chairs will sink in the sand more deeply than you realise they will, and trust me, sitting on them will not be a comfortable experience
- if you’re using chair covers for any reason, they will not sit on the chairs properly if the legs have sunk in, making your set up look untidy
- your guests will not be able to sit on them properly, and more importantly, safely (believe me, I had to rescue a guest whose chair sunk in the sand at the back as he sat on it and nearly tipped backwards!)
In this mood-board I’ve put together some of my favourite solutions, mixing elegant with more relaxed, rustic and even oriental solutions. I wanted you to see how it is possible to have a formal set up without using chairs.
♥ One of the simplest solutions is to lay rugs on the sand and position large cushions on them to allow your guests to sit up and be comfortable. It is relatively inexpensive, as you can quite easily hire hire the rugs or purchase inexpensive ones either from local shops, or from bigger chains such as IKEA (which is now available in places like Egypt too, so if you’re hiring my services, for instance, it’s something I can easily take care of for you).
♥ Benches are also great. They offer a lot more stability than single chairs and allow you to sit several people (i.e. 3 per bench). Don’t you just love the white benches in the picture at the top of the mood-board? I wish I could find a supplier of these in Egypt, because believe me, if I could, they would be a Linen and Silk Weddings’ trademark! They’re stylish and elegant, and being white, they work beautifully in with a sea-themed wedding reception too.
♥ Ottomans, poufs and ‘bin-bags’ are also incredibly versatile. You can find them in several shapes, materials and colours, so whether you’re looking for a super sleek gold themed set up as in the above, or a pure white-washed affair, hiring these shouldn’t be too much drama. Will your guests be comfortable? Well, it depends on the type of pouf you choose. Do bear in mind that beach ceremonies in hot countries should never last as long as a ceremony in a church. At my clients’ Sharm wedding in June we had about 38-40C at sunset, so keeping your guests seated for an hour would have been a terrible idea. If the ceremony is only about 1/2h long, a pouf is a very adequate solution (for adults and children, clearly not for the elderly).
♥ If, instead, you’re looking for a super relaxed atmosphere, how about beach loungers? The ones in the bottom left image are just perfect! They work well for smaller weddings, 20 guests max. You can create a couple of rows of 4 chairs on each side, so the set up doesn’t look too ‘busy’. If after the ceremony you’re planning a relaxed beach reception / BBQ, they’re also a great lounging solution that keeps the day flowing in an informal way.
Hope you’ve enjoyed these few ideas and if you have any more I haven’t touched on, feel free to share!
xoxo Betta
For information on my wedding planning services for your destination beach wedding, feel free to visit my Services page or contact me directly sending an email to: elisabetta{at}linenandsilk-weddings{dot}com
Credits
Top left: photography by Jenelle Kappe Photography – www.jenellekappeweddings.com, event planning, floral + event design by Little Island Design // Top right: uploaded by pinner on Pinterest via Miriam Carvajal // Second from top: photography by KT Merry Photography // Bottom left: via Simply Saleta // Bottom right: photography by Stephanie Michelle, event design by Heart’s Content Events & Design // Bottom pentagon: by Lavender Fields // Middle pentagon: via Harbour Island Event Management // Top pentagon: Photography by Karma Hill
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