'Shoes optional.' A beach wedding on Cape Cod makes for a memorable day, says one bride

For her 2022 wedding in Chatham, Kelly Wilson, of New Jersey, said she and her husband-to-be had a wedding vision of “a true beach ceremony.” For starters, they placed chairs near the sandy aisle with signs that read “shoes optional,” leaving brushes for guests to “dust off their feet when they put their shoes back on.”

“All of my bridesmaids and I went barefoot and I ended up not wearing shoes for the rest of the night,” Wilson said.

“We chose to write our own vows,” she said.

The ceremony was a highlight because it felt so intimate and personal, Wilson said of her marriage to Marcellus Stires. The wedding was the kind of day she had been picturing since the couple got engaged almost a year and a half earlier. "We wouldn’t have changed a thing," Wilson said.

Can you get married on a beach on Cape Cod?

Beach weddings, it turns out, are popular on Cape Cod.

The Cape hosted 1,669 weddings in 2022, according to market research conducted by wedding.report, and shared by the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce.

That same year, as reported by global online wedding marketplace The Knot, 72% of all weddings that year took place fully or partially outdoors.

On Cape Cod, with more than 60 beaches to choose from — from town beaches and the Cape Cod National Seashore to the many inns and resorts offering seaside access — there are a multitude of choices for couples who want to tie an oceanside knot.

A few important details to consider

“We’re super lucky to be on the Cape,” with its picture-perfect locations, said wedding planner Anna Hunt, owner of Hunt Creative Events in West Barnstable.

Couples often opt for a beach ceremony followed by a sand-free reception at a resort or other venue — ideally with indoor accommodations should it rain. Other beachfront challenges can include setting up ahead of time at a public beach and the typical lack of parking at crowded beach venues.

“You’ve got to pay attention to the tides,” said Suzanne Thomas, director of community services for the town of Wellfleet, who oversees activities at the town’s beaches.

Thomas suggests that couples visit a town’s website for specific regulations at the location where they plan to marry, and seek a beach permit at least two months in advance of the big day.

“Don’t forget, you’re sharing the beach with the public,” she said. The time of day can be important — there could be a big crowd on the beach should you choose 2 p.m. on a summer’s day.

Most weddings on Cape Cod are held in June and September rather than the more heady beach days of July and August.

Choosing a beach

Just about all Cape Cod weddings involve a beach in some way or other — whether it’s a ceremony at a town beach with guests moving on to reception, an all-inclusive event at a seaside inn or resort, or simply visiting a beach for the all-important wedding photos, Jamie Bohlin, owner of Cape Cod Celebrations in Yarmouth Port, said.

The best plan can be to select the reception venue first, and then link the event with a nearby town beach, minimizing transportation hassles for guests, according to Alexa Theoharides, owner of Cape Cod Wedding Planning.

Theoharides likes to offer site tours to show potential clients their options. “It’s important to educate your guests about what a beach wedding is like, and what to expect,” she said.

The Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce offers lists of wedding vendors, from photographers and caterers to florists and guest accommodations.

Wedding planners can help couples navigate less obvious issues that may surface at a beach ceremony: Will chairs be needed, or will guests stand for the ceremony? What’s the best apparel for toes in the sand? What town regulations may affect the kind of music or refreshment allowed at the site?

'People are happy and in love'

Lists of wedding officiants are available online, or couples may wish to contact their own house of worship for suggestions. Lucinda Graham, owner of Weddings by Design in Brewster, performs weddings and works with couples who want to create their own wedding vows.

Couples, she said, must come in person to any town clerk’s office at least three days in advance of the wedding to obtain their marriage license. After the ceremony, the officiant delivers the completed license to the appropriate town clerk.

On her work over the past 18 years helping people tie the knot, she said, “I love it. I like to work with couples: people are happy and in love.”

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape Cod beach wedding: Tips from planners to make your day memorable