Looking to take the next step in life and have your dream wedding? What better place to have it than on the beach in Galveston! Today, I will compare public beach and private beach weddings in Galveston. After all, you want to have the best, memorable and relaxing experience, but you also want to make sure you are following all of the City’s guidelines and regulations.
Below I have covered a few basic questions when wanting to host a wedding on Galveston’s public beaches.
Galveston Public Beach Wedding Rules
- Do I need a permit to have my wedding on a public beach? If you are throwing a basic ceremony with no chairs or decorations, you won’t need a permit.
- Can I have my ceremony in an area owned by The Galveston Park Board of Trustees? Absolutely, BUT you must get it approved by them. The Galveston Park Board of Trustees manages East Beach, Dellanera RV Park, Stewart Beach, and the Seawall beaches between 10th and 61st streets. To get in touch with The Galveston Park Board of Trustees, please visit their website at https://www.galvestonparkboard.org.
- What if you want to host a wedding outside of Board Areas? If you have more than seventy-five guests, you will need to request a permit from the City of Galveston.
- Can I rope off a certain portion of the beach for wedding use? The answer, unfortunately, is no, you’re not allowed to restrict a certain portion off from everyone who is not part of the wedding party. Areas under the ownership of the City can’t be sectioned off for private events such as weddings. The Galveston Park Board, however, offers two areas that are designed specifically for weddings and other events. They are fenced areas near the shoreline – one is located in Stewart Beach Park and the other is at East Beach Park. Again, please refer to their website at https://www.galvestonparkboard.org.
- Can we play music at our wedding? OF COURSE!! What kind of party would that be if you couldn’t? PLEASE NOTE – you will need to submit an application for a Loudspeaker and Amplifier permit to the City of Galveston so you can get your party on!
Galveston Private Beach Wedding Rules and Suggestion to Consider
Moving on to private beach weddings. These beaches have a little bit different rules especially on the West end. Below are some rules of thumb and just advise to follow and consider when renting a beachfront home to have your wedding:
Still check with the city and get a permit for music/band, etc. so that if neighbors happen to complain about all the noise on the beach you are covered. CYA!
Be sure to hire a security guard to supervise the party, because the last thing you need is party crashers! You should probably consider security anyways in case your own guests turn rowdy. We’ve all been to one those weddings – LOL!
I would also advise you to purchase event insurance that can be bought through any insurance broker and can be purchased for the number of hours you need. A basic insurance policy that covers loss of photos, videos, attire, presents, rings and deposits usually costs anywhere between $155 and $550, depending on the amount of coverage you want. General liability insurance, which covers up to $1,000,000 for accidents, costs a couple of hundred dollars.
If you are going to serve alcohol, be sure to hire bartenders who are Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) certified. These guys will know when to stop serving those guests who have over consumed and will ID people to make sure they are not serving minors because serving minors at any occasion can get you into heaps of trouble including jail time.
Depending the size of the beach home you rent on a private beach, the owners may not want everyone going through their home for bathroom breaks. If that is the case, porta potties can be rented.
Yes, I can feel you cringing at the words “porta potties.” I did too before I did some research. Did you know that nowadays they have some really nice ones that even have a place to wash your hands? Yep! You can check them out here: http://www.portapotty.net. If you rent them, make sure you plan out where they will be delivered and set up.
And finally, be sure you have discussed all of the wedding details with the owners of the home you rented. You don’t want them to have any surprises. Breaking one rule in the rental agreement can lead up to being evicted and the owners keeping your money!
So if you say only 10 people will be in the house getting ready for your big day, make sure you didn’t mean 20 people. Most beach homes in Galveston have an occupancy limit so it is always best to stick to it!
Hopefully I have given you some important things about when planning your beach wedding. Good luck and best wishes!!