How To Plan A Simple Beach Wedding In 3 Weeks

As a little girl, I knew exactly what I wanted for my future wedding. I even had a back up plan just in case the first one didn’t work out. The plans: a fun filled day at Sunny Cove, an old rustic, lakeside lodge just outside my hometown in Ontario or a beach wedding with my feet buried in the sand.

My husband gave me both

Here’s a bit of back story. I’m a Canadian and my husband is an American meaning there was a whole mess of immigration stuff to consider. We consulted a lawyer, who urged us to get married sooner than later. Sooner meant my paperwork should arrive before our ‘big day’, which was in the works, in my Canadian hometown and I would be able to cross the border issue-free. We had about a three week window.

Photo courtesy of Christie Sachse – Yours Truly Weddings

Three weeks, that was it, I had to be realistic. This short of a time crunch meant sacrifices and a lot of rushed decisions, but what was the alternative?

First things first, we needed to decide where to get married. Once that was figured out, the rest would fall into place. The beach has always been a favourite of ours. We were familiar with Destin, a friendly beach town located along the Florida panhandle, so that seemed an easy fit for us. We also wanted something close enough to drive to, since it would be a quick weekend getaway.

Next, we needed to hire someone to perform the ceremony. We wanted a simple wedding, since a traditional wedding was already in the works for later that year, we didn’t want anything extra. Most of the businesses that specialize in wedding ceremonies on beaches have multiple packages, something for everyone. We hired Christie from Yours truly Weddings (we highly recommend her if you’re in the area) to preform the ceremony.

We both appreciate the symbol a wedding ring carries, it was important to us, so we bought each other inexpensive rings online, with the promise of an upgrade in the future. My husband surprised me with a beautiful ring at our second wedding.

Three weeks to find a wedding dress, makes me nervous to this day. I had tried on a few white dresses, not what you’d consider wedding dress necessarily but I wanted something white. My husband, being that sweet man he is, suggested we drive up to Cleveland, GA and check out the David’s bridal. He helped me try on dresses and actually picked out the one we took home. Choosing a wedding dress within three weeks doesn’t leave too many options, but they did have more options than I expected. My husband bought his suit the night before heading to Florida.

We weren’t expecting any family or friends to join us on such short notice. My parents, though, were not about to miss their daughter’s wedding. So let’s call it an almost elopement. Two weeks later, the four of us piled into a vehicle headed for Florida.

Since my folks were able to come and would have a camera along, we had decided to nix the photographer. Luckily for us, Christie called and asked us to be guinea pigs for a new photographer she was hiring. This meant wedding photos for us, of course, we happily agreed. I’m so glad we had photos of the day and would recommend paying for a photographer. You will want to remember this day forever.

The marriage license. Please check with your wedding coordinator about the marriage license. We took take an impromptu road trip so we would have the license and could make everything legal.

The beach wedding​

We arrived in Destin early Saturday afternoon, ditched our bags and went exploring. The guys shopped for neckties, while the ladies relaxed at a nearby nail salon. We enjoyed the evening on a dinner cruise.

Sunday morning, my mom and I ran to Walmart for flowers and supplies so I could throw together a bouquet before the ceremony that night. I’m crafty enough and figured it couldn’t be too hard. If you’re thinking this might be something you’d like to do, I’ve put together a wedding bouquet tutorial here.

We hired a makeup artist to meet us in the hotel, so we would look our best, there was a few exceptions I was okay with making, make up wasn’t one of them.

We met Christie on the beach at six o’clock, exchanged vows which we wrote with her help and made our promises permanent. Our first kiss, as husband and wife, ended with a roar of applause from the hotel guests from their balconies. Unaware anyone was watching, the cheers caught us completely off guard but is a very cherished memory. The kindness of strangers is powerful.

We ended the day by sharing a slice of key lime pie, which, in wedding tradition, we fed to each other.

I remember thinking, as I was putting together the final touches on the bouquet. “I’m so calm, shouldn’t I be nervous” but it felt like just another day. I had zero nerves! I think that’s when it hit me, I was exactly where I was suppose to be. We hadn’t planned for this quick adventure, but I’m a big believer in everything happening for a reason. You may have to scratch a few things off your list to make a 3 week wedding work but that doesn’t mean it won’t. Start with an open mind and you’ll be surprised at what you can accomplish.

Five months later my husband gave me the gift of marrying me all over again, this time in front of our family and friends. The hometown celebration was a dream. I’m big on the little things, the details that make an occasion memorable.

See the top ten most memorable details from our second wedding here.

A special thank you to my Dad for the photos.