Beach Wedding Service - What to Look For

When you live far away and need help - What do you look for when searching for a Wedding Servcie to help you?



This is a BIG DEAL. You live in Arkansas, and your dream wedding is at the Beach. You need to find someone you can trust, to help make the best decisions, and guide you in the direction that will make YOUR wedding dream a reality.



The first action you can do, is call the Chamber of Commerce that is local to where you will be married. Tell them what you have in mind, and ask for suggestions of who they know comes well reccomended. You may even receive the names of two services. That is even better. Then you can compare properly.



For instance, here are examples that immediatley brought up Red Flags for me. I will just go point by point to guide you about how you might also compare Beach Wedding Services.



Example #1

Sunrise Special - $590.*!!!!

(Available Sunrise-10:00am, Monday-Friday)

This special package for the budget-minded includes your ceremony on a public beach, minister, planning, wedding coordination, and photography package.

(*Saturday and Sunday dates are available for an additional $75)

Packages do not include the gratuity to the minister. The gratuity to the minister on all packages is $100.00. It is payable directly to him prior to the ceremony.



* Why only weekdays? If they are a reputable service, do they really need to gouge couples who can only be in that beach town for a weekend wedding? Why should a weekend ceremony be more expensive? Don't the majority of couples want to be married on a weekend? If this service is busy, then they will do just fine by the quantity of ceremonies that they are able to help couples with, and not by charging more for doing less.



*So, to BEGIN with, this ceremony on a Saturday morning would be $590.00 ...plus $75.00... $665.00.



*Oops - No, wait...then you add the Gratuity for the Minister, and this package now increases to $765.00.



*Weddings on Public Beaches in the major majority of instances, does not include a fee anyway, so that is not a savings to you, and is listed only to "fluff up" the package look.



*Planning? If this is a Minister Only ceremony, what planning is involved? Well, just the planning by the wedding service that tells you what time sunrise is, and where to meet the Minister on the Beach!



And if their "package" includes a Photographer, then the service is only to let their staff photographer-and they should have many more than one, (if they are of a size to be able to provide services to two couples who may wish to be married on the same date and time),know where to be at what time. If they don't have an experienced staff of Beach Wedding Photographers, then another Red Flag - Why Not? Why must they depend on outside photographers (who if they have a good business, may already be scheduled), and how many have they gone through in the past 4 years? You want to have your ceremony when YOU want it, and NOT when the only photographer on call, can work you in. The point being - this is NOT planning that should cost you. This is simply the responsibility of the wedding service co-ordinator/owner and staff if they have it. It is why they make a profit ~ to take care of the planning, and the scheduleing of needed personnel for your ceremony.



Example #2

License must be obtained through the appropriate channels. Please call for details. The fee for planning help, travel to your site, and performing the ceremony is $295.00. A $75.00 deposit is needed to hold the date and the remainder is due 30 days prior to the ceremony. If you require a rehearsal there will be an additional fee charged of $150.00 and upward. The deposit is non-refundable. Checks should be made payable to "Owner's Name". A date is not confirmed until the deposit is received. Penciled in dates are held approximately 10 days until confirmed. Thank you. There will be a $75.00 consultation fee for meeting with brides in Ocean City before the wedding. Packages do not include the gratuity to the minister. The gratuity to the minister on all packages is $100.00. It is payable directly to him prior to the ceremony.



Well, of course - you knew that!! Marriage licenses are issued by government offices. There are only a couple of states, where anyone besides the courts can asssit in the issuing process. What if you don't want to call them just to ask this question, if you may not be using them? There should be clear guidance and instructions available for you to read.



So....let's look at this again.



The initial fee is $295.00 (planning for a Minister Only - for what?) Travel to the site - Don't they have to travel within a reasonable area anyway?. A $75.00 deposit. Important to hold the date and time. $150.00 for a rehearsal? $50 MORE than the gratuity? Just schedule him TWICE and save $50. The deposit is non-refundable. Never? Under any circumstances? If the military service sent your fiance' (with proof, of course) to go overseas? On top of all that, a $75 consultation fee??



This MINISTER ONLY rehearsal and ceremony could cost you: $295.00, a consultation $75.00, plus $100 gratuity, plus a MINIMUM of $150.00 for a rehearsal, comes to a

Grand Total of $620.00!!! Wow. That's heavy.



As an aside...why is the check to be written in the Owner's name and not to the business? It would be perfectly appropriate to ask that a check be written in the Minister's name if it is to be his gratuity - but to an owner rather than the Business Name?



Check for Testimonials. Pictures and names, and Audio testimonials all will help you decide. Make sure the testimonials are up to date. If one Minister is referenced and thanked, be sure he is still on staff. He may have moved from the area, or even passed away. If the referrals are not for a Minister who would be performing your ceremony, they are not valid anymore.



Just use your common sense.



If you are responded to quickly, and all of your questions are answered - if you are welcomed to ask more anytime - if the person on the phone gives you help and suggestions, even if you have not sent in a contract yet - if you feel comfortable with the personality on the other end of the line - then you should use your own best judgement. Go with the business who fits what you are looking for - the way You want it to be.



Have a Wonderful Wedding on the Beach!