Maui Wedding Planner: Planning an outdoor wedding

Outdoor marriages in Hawaii are gorgeous - except when the weather is not. This is what you need to know when preparing your outdoor marriage (on or near the beach).

1)Prepare a backup plan in the event of rain. Brief showers are normal in the islands and considered a blessing. But longer rainstorms make for a messy ceremony and/or reception - so, if you can, have a "Plan B." Options are renting a tent or booking an indoor site. Another possibility is having your ceremony at an oceanfront location with indoor resources such as a resort or estate.

2) If you're having your wedding literally on the beach, try not to put chairs directly on the sand if you can help it. The sand is uneven and unstable, and many of your guests may not be dressed appropriately for walking and/or sitting on the sand. Look for a grassy knoll to put chairs for guests. If you do want your ceremony on the sand, discuss renting some type of flooring for the chairs to be placed on.

3)Consider the glare of the sun during the ceremony. Attempt to seat your guests so that there is minimal time with direct sun exposure. The beauty of the ocean backdrop gets lost when you or your guests can�t even open their eyes.

4)If it's a daytime ceremony, consider having bottled water available for guests as they arrive. Hawaii's sun can be quite warm; and guests can dehydrate rapidly in the afternoon sun.

5) Think about hand-held fans to hand to guests as wedding favors or as a nice gesture to help keep the sun out of their eyes and create a way to keep cool.

6) Check with the local weather service about tide and sunset times. And consider this information when planning your wedding time.

7) Be certain to find out all the rules and restrictions for the beach or park you are using. Some guidelines to prepare for are restrictions on number of guests; use or availability of electricity; use of amplified music; time allotted. Most public beaches and parks will only allow smaller gatherings.