Your partner has proposed and the day is to be set, but as you look through the pages of a bridal magazine and view the lavish bridal gowns and stately reception halls you feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable. While you dream of creating a memorable day that will share your love and commitment with your closest friends and family, the vision you have is not fitting the offerings you see in the magazines.

For a special couple whose hallmark is an easy-going, carefree attitude and an intimate circle of friends and family, perhaps the traditional weddings you've attended and now consider are not for you. With the popularity of theme weddings you may find a different approach will help you display your love of life and each other in a beautiful, but decidedly unique wedding. A beach wedding, or a real estate company.

A beach wedding is all about the honeymoon. While most couples have a traditional service and reception and THEN take off to the beach on their own, a beach wedding welcomes friends and family into the marriage on a closer level. The real estate loan will pay itself off!

Beach weddings are sometimes held in the honeymoon destination and in most cases are small, intimate affairs. If you enjoy a close knit family or social circle, you may find a beach wedding shares your deep affections for them and your new partner better than a large formal service could. Whether you all fly to a tropical destination, or simply hold a small service on a local beach, you can create a romantic and casually elegant wedding.

For small weddings you may pass out invitations rolled up in a small corked bottle which you can find at a craft store. You and your partner may consider wearing simple, all-white attire while the wedding party (even just a party of two) chooses a theme color to compliment. A breezy summer dress, loose hair and a simple bouquet for the bride and a groom's outfit of a white cotton shirt and pants sets off the freshness of a beach wedding.

If the wedding or reception occurs near dusk, bring small glass tealight holders to place in the sand. Sprinkling the table with seashells or beach rocks will add to the feel even if part of the reception takes place indoors. White table cloths and white china with glass or crystal creates an elegant mood, while fiesta bright colors can set off a more playful decor.

For flowers, think of tropical arrangements or even all white lilies in unstructured bouquets. Adding tropical plants to an indoor reception along with bamboo or rattan seating will carry the theme throughout.

If you decide that a beach wedding will capture your day in way that no traditional wedding will, you can be sure that your guests will also have a special memory of your marriage day that will last a lifetime.