Author: William Anderson

Getting Married on the Beach

Getting married at the beach has been a favorite venue for many and the venue is more popular than ever. So how do you plan a wedding on the beach?

Get Married in Gulfport MS

Our beach and wedding gazebo

Let’s speak specifically about beaches in Gulfport, MS, and more specifically the beach located at the end of Cowan as it reaches Beach Blvd (U.S. Hwy 90) at the beach. Harrison County manages the beach at this point and issues permit for weddings. This particular spot is one of the most popular on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. There are a gazebo and a large fire pit. The beach is very wide at this point and there is parking for the bride, groom, and a couple of others on Beach Blvd near the gazebo.

Back to the permit. The fee is under $50 and the primary reason for the fee is to reserve the spot so that others do not plan to use it when you want to. There are no restrictions on the number in your party. The beach is open 24/7.

The primary reason for writing this blog about getting married on the beach is that one of our vacation properties the Blue Wave is a three-minute walk from the beach. The wedding party needs a place to prepare before the wedding and the entire party requires a venue after the wedding to celebrate.

Blue Wave Reception & Wedding HQ

The Blue Wave is perfectly situated for everything. There are two bathrooms and three bedrooms where the party can prepare for the wedding. They can stay one or two nights in advance to prepare. The wedding party can be driven to the beach and everyone can park at our property and walk to the beach.

After the ceremony, the married couple can be driven back to the Blue Wave where the entire wedding party and guests can enjoy themselves in our large yard that can be complete with tents, tables, and chairs along. Your wedding planner can work with us to arrange everything. Even if that wedding planner is your Sister and or Mother.

The opportunities for great photos on the beach are endless. Depending upon the hour of the day, you can have great sunrise or sunset photos. Mid day is also nice because the sun does not cast shadows. Take your shoes off and wade out into the water (it is warm most of the year). Why not invite the entire wedding party to take off their shoes?

After the ceremony, your guests can retire to the Blue Wave while your photographer can work their magic on the beach.

My daughter was married on the beach as well as other family members. I have enjoyed each wedding that I have attended on the beach. The wedding party is generally dressed similarly to a church wedding but guests are permitted to be a bit more casual.

Cost of Your Wedding

This brings me to the cost of a beach wedding. When you permit guests to dress more casually (not jeans), you reduce their cost to attend your event. Church weddings are generally more conservative and therefore in theory more dressy. I do not suggest here that the wedding party dress down. The bride’s gown and those tuxedos are a key element in most weddings.

The setting is essentially free. You are not paying rent for the venue itself except for the small reservation fee. If you are having a longer ceremony, you will need chairs which can be arranged but at additional cost. This is a variable. If the vows are exchanged and the ceremony is brief, there may be no need for chairs except for older guests or those with physical issues in which case, you can have a few chairs.

The reception at the Blue Wave can be held at minimal cost if the family were to cook the food and use the Blue Wave kitchen to reheat (or cook) then present the food to the guests in the yard. This avoids the cost of a catering company. If you are offering snack foods, you can visit Sams Club and buy many finger foods that require only heating.

Bring your own alcoholic beverages, store them in ice chests. If you want to set up a bar, we can have a bar available for set up. Buy your condiments and mixers at the grocery store.

For entertainment, you can hire a local band or just someone who will play your list on a music system which we can also provide. As part of the set up in the yard, we can provide a dance floor as well.

If after reading all of the above you wish to have the event catered and hire professional music makers, why not? We are here to work with you regardless of your budget. In the end, the newly married couple and their guests will have fun.

We will be adding to this blog article including offering some names of local wedding planners that are willing to help you have a great beach wedding.

Please leave comments about this article. If you are interested in contacting us, please use any of the contact forms on this website.

William Anderson Beach Wedding

Compare Vacation Rental to Hotel Room

There are some significant differences between renting a hotel room for your vacation or renting a house or townhome. The obvious thing is that there is no check-in desk although some vacation rentals are located in high-rise condo buildings that have a check-in desk. Parking can be as close as just outside of the door for most vacation rentals while hotels require you to park in a separate lot or parking structure.

These items are the least of the differences. The most important reason for renting a house or townhome rather than a hotel room is the feeling of being at home. Our properties for example are set up so that our guests feel at home. They can cook, have a barbecue outside and entertain a group.

The cost of renting a vacation property is generally lower on a per person basis than a hotel room. Some hotel rooms have two queen beds which can accommodate four adults. Some even have portable beds for a child or two. Our properties for example can sleep 12 or more people. As an example, assume that your vacation rental is $300 per day. Your hotel is $125 per day. If you have 10 people staying at a hotel, you will need three rooms at a minimum. That’s $375 per day and you will all have to eat at restaurants. At the vacation rental, your cost per person is $30 per day and you never need to use a restaurant.

Our properties have more than one bathroom as well which helps everyone take showers and baths getting ready for the day or evening. This is a key reason why many like to stay at vacation rentals.

Hotels can have access to restaurants for their guests, this can be convenient for a late-night snack. You can have your snack at your vacation rental because they have kitchens. One way to bring a large family to a vacation destination on a modest budget is to stay at a vacation rental. You can buy food at the grocery store and cook at your temporary home for a cost that can be significantly lower than eating at restaurants.

Vacation rentals are great for socializing. They have space to spread out and an outside area for parties. If you are traveling for a special event such as the Cruzin the Coast event on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, you will need space to park your tow vehicle, train,ler, and special car/truck. Most hotels do not have sufficient spaces or clearance for trailers.

At this point, you should get the idea that there are many more benefits of staying at a vacation home than the typical hotel. Without a doubt, there are many more reasons why should stay at a vacation rental, let us know after staying at one of our properties or others by leaving comments about this article.

William Anderson Vacation Rentals