It was a bit rainy of and on during the weekend when our guests were married. They chose the Blue Wave, our beautiful house located one block from the Gulfport beach. They were married at the kiosk on the beach at the intersection of Cowan and Beach Blvd.
Gulfport Beach Kiosk
According to the people at Harrison County who manage the beaches, this location is the most popular along the entire coast for small weddings. You can see the kiosk from our front porch so it was a short walk for the party to reach the kiosk and exchange vows.
Our property was perfect for the reception which was held both inside and outside. They erected tents on our lawn and set up tables. Good thing we have plenty of parking on the property and adjacent to it. While it was a smaller wedding, their sufficient space for the entire wedding party and guests to have a great time.
There are other weddings on our calendar, some will be larger and some on the small side, regardless our Blue Wave house is the perfect venue for a beach wedding. Please contact us if you are interested. We can arrange for tents, tables, anything you need to make the event a success.
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.
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