Do you love the idea of getting married on the beach? But you don’t want to elope, and want all of your family and friends around you?
Living in the UK, we are very fortunate to have some really stunning coastlines and beautiful beaches. On the other hand, we are not so fortunate with the classic British weather.
However if it isn’t possible for you to get away to a hot destination for your wedding, or you don’t want to run the risk of not all your friends and family making it, then using our amazing beaches (rain or shine) is the perfect alternative.
Sadly, the Marriage and Civil Partnerships Regulations states that weddings cannot happen just anywhere. Which I think is really sad! But fear not there are a few ways you can get around this and plan your perfect beach wedding.
Would you love a beautiful beach wedding?
Firstly, and right on the South Coast’s doorstep, Beach Weddings Bournemouth. As far as I know this is the only wedding venue in England and Wales where you can legally get married right on the beach. How amazing is that!
The Wedding Hut, which is an ivory beach hut permanently located on Bournemouth beach, is the focus of this venue, then adding a marquee to host you and your guests. So come rain or shine, this is a perfect option for you if you love the beach and want to host your wedding on the coast.
Another option is choosing a venue on the coast, or close to your beach location. Whilst you might not have your entire wedding hosted on the beach, make the time to whip away from your guests and capture your couple photographs there. This is a perfect opportunity to have some down time just the two of you away from your guests to capture some amazing coastal wedding photographs.
Capturing Sarah and Dylan’s wedding at The Pennsylvania Castle was perfect as we made time to take the 10 minute walk down onto the beach. Spent 25 minutes there and captured some really special and memorable photographs.
TIP: Make sure you pack another pair of shoes so you have something you can comfortable wear and not have to worry about ruining on the beach. Or alternatively go barefoot!
This means you will be able to have the best of both worlds, and there are some really beautiful venues right on the coastline which are stunning and only a short amount of time away from the beach.
Lastly another way you can have the beach wedding of your dreams, is by having a blessing or unofficial ceremony on the beach. Although it will not be legally binding, you can do that before or after your day by heading to a registrar’s office. Whilst this might not be preferred for some, I think it is a great way to have the flexibility of having your wedding day exactly as you would want it.
My Favourite Coastal Wedding Venues in the UK
The Pennsylvania Castle, located in Portland
Harry Warren House, located in Studland
Shell Bay Restaurant, located in Shell Bay, Studland (my FAVOURITE restaurant ever!)
Watergate Bay Hotel, located in Cornwall
Lusty Glaze, located in Cornwall (I got married here!)
The Scarlet, located in Cornwall
Coastal Bride Perfect Inspiration
Are you looking for some inspiration for styling your coastal wedding? See this Pinterest board here I designed with you in mind.
And lastly, if here are some blogs or posts I have found to give you some more beautiful inspiration for your wedding day.
A Coastal Bride
Wedding Sparrow
A Beach Bride
Bridal Musings
If you are planning a beach wedding or looking to incorporate the beach in some way into your wedding day, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to get in touch here or via email at charlotte@charlottebryer-ash.com
All images taken by Dorset based Wedding Photographer Charlotte Bryer-Ash
