Beach weddings in Alabama are remarkably laid-back, fun, and can be very affordable. Combine cuisine, arts, history, atmosphere, and all of the southern charm found along the Alabama coast in a romantic destination wedding celebration. Stunning beaches provide the perfect picturesque backdrop for a ceremony overlooking the sparkling Gulf of Mexico. Mobile and the Alabama Gulf Coast, in case you haven’t heard, are back in a big way. You can enjoy literally miles of soft white sand outlines gentle waves that dance on the water’s surface! A chain of barrier islands limits the amount of strong waves reaching the beaches, making the resultant calm gentle waters ideal for water-based activities and weddings! Not to be missed is Dauphin Island, only 3 miles from Mobile. It’s another world, with 14 miles of beaches, with about 8 of them totally uninhabited, which will facilitate privacy and intimacy at your beach wedding. You will get tons of additional free info about these options when you visit the links I display below in my “Location. Location. Location” panel.
In considering which of hundreds of potential beaches to site your wedding ceremony, keep in mind the nearest airports, accommodations and “civilization” (caterers, wedding cake bakers, musicians, photographers, and restaurants to provide for your guests before and after the wedding itself). Also, think about whether it is important to be on the beach at particular times of the day (such as sunset) and where the sun is likely to be at that time. Huge beach houses can often be rented more affordably than putting up most people in a resort hotel.They also often offer large decks or entertaining areas that would be great for the rehearsal dinner, the wedding reception, and even the post-wedding breakfast. So, explore! Enjoy! And relax! BEACH PERMITS: Some municipalities may require you obtain a special permit in order to hold your wedding on their beaches. A few may also ask you to show proof of liability coverage before issuing a permit. The permits are generally very modest in price, but vary widely among communities (starting at $0.00).
The license fee is about $43 (cash only), but the fee varies with the county. No blood test is required. If the bride or groom has been previously married, be prepared to provide the date of the divorce or of the spouse’s death. If either of these occurred within the previous 60 days, you’ll need to bring a certified copy of the divorce decree or death certificate. Your marriage may be performed by licensed ministers or pastors of recognized religious societies, and current or retired Alabama judges. Because marriage license requirements can change, please do not regard this guidance as legal advice.
Sarah Forrester
In general, larger cities and towns are going to have more choices of hotels, motels, and bed & breakfast inns (as well as restaurants, bars, and entertainment for your guests) than remote locales. But don’t avoid considering those remote beaches. They are often far less populated, which will give you more privacy and fewer worries about gawkers and potential party-crashers.
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Planning so far in advance for a beach wedding means that you need to equip yourself with facts about the weather (temperature and possibility of precipitation) for the beach location that you have in mind.
Although there certainly are exceptions, when it comes to weather, the past is a pretty good predictor of the future. and it will almost always be better than a wild guess. This link provides historical weather data over nearly 50 years for thousands of locations in the world. You won’t want to have the bridal party standing at the water’s edge for the ceremony if the tide’s coming in. But when will that be? Find the time of the high tide for your beach location for any day in 2009 with this link. |
What if a major storm occurs or the groom has an accident that requires the wedding to be postponed or even canceled? What if an important vendor goes out of business before the wedding and you can’t get back your deposit for the cake or the music?
Consider wedding cancellation insurance. It is available online for as little as 1 cent for every dollar of insurance, and it can cover the honeymoon, too. Here’s one site that has designed a special insurance policy just for coverning wedding -related events: http://www.wedsafe.com/ |
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READING
To help you through the sometimes mind-boggling decisions that you must make,
I discovered an inexpensive and highly readable book that spells everything out for you.
I mean everything! Click here and check it out for yourself!– Your host, Sarah Forrester
