Whether your beach-themed wedding takes place in the sand, or in the middle of Kansas, we have five ideas to help you plan your beachy bash!

Use shells and sand together. When you can, use these two beach wedding staples together. We love this aisle decor idea (above, left). It's simple, but gorgeous! And while you don't want your wedding to resemble one of those cheesy gift shops in every beach town, have one table with a seashell and sand tablescape (above, right). This would work especially well as a welcome or guest book table.

Use seashells instead of flowers. Granted, this will be a heavy bouquet, but we think it's totally worth it. Just remember to use something different for the bouquet toss! And this seashell boutonniere (below) is a pretty dapper option for the modern beach groom.

Use a variety of beach-related decor. Don't get stuck in just a seashell rut. You can use other beachy elements like starfish, sunsets, palm trees, and fish. Just don't use all of them. Pick one central "icon" and a couple of supporting ones. Remember, no cheesy beach gift shop.

You can use unexpected color palettes and textures. This invite (above) is a great example of not sticking to the tried-and-true, but still looking fairly traditional. Not all beach weddings have to have a blue color palette or a nautical theme. This invite uses pink and yellow-green with a rattan pattern for something definitely beachy, but not at all common.

Let lighting be your friend. The best part of the beach? Sunset. Whether you are using twinkle lights and tiki torches outside or candles and uplighting inside, create a warm pinky-orange sunset vibe. And the great bonus is that everyone looks spectacular in this lighting!

Credits: Beach Wedding// Seashell Tablescape// Bouquet// Boutonniere// Cake// Invitation// Centerpiece