IslandWeddingFavors.com Weblog

If you want a beach theme wedding, with  a balmy seascape as your backdrop, consider some of the top beach towns, right here in the U.S.  Don’t forget to get your beach theme wedding favors and accessories from www.IslandWeddingFavors.com before you go.

Coral Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Sand: More than 40 beaches on the island — many protected by a national park.
Things To See: Long a hippie-ish hideout for old salts and new beach bums, the funky little town has none of the bling and bustle of sister islands St. Thomas and St. Croix. Here, the economy depends on the sale of tropical trinkets from rickety shacks and bikinis from a VW bus. The unofficial town hall is Skinny Legs, a beachfront bar where the burger selections are scrawled on an old windsurfing board and an old sail serves as the awning.

Sand: Three and a half miles of white-sand beaches on a long hook of land.
Things To See: To avoid the traffic of crustacean-seeking crowds, you’ll want to ditch the car. Snag a parking spot at Footbridge Bridge early in the morning ($15 for the day) and take the trolley back into town for blueberry pancakes at Bessie’s. Then stroll with a cup of coffee through the galleries and too-cute shops. Cross back over at Ogunquit Beach to find the spot you’ve staked in the sand.
Place To Stay: Dunes on the Waterfront has screened porches and Adirondack chairs just 200 yards from the main beach.

Mexico Beach, Florida

Sand: Three miles of confectioners’-sugar sands, you’ll see bald eagles, sea turtles, dolphins — and only a few footprints.
Things To See: The 1,200 residents focus is on small-town fun, with gumbo cook-offs, kingfish tournaments, and fireworks fundraisers. You can kill two beach birds with one stone at the souvenirs-and-seafood shop Shell Shack. If you want to get off the beach, take a scuba dive through a sunken oil tanker just offshore.
Place To Stay: The Driftwood Inn’s rooms have four-poster beds. The back deck has DIY barbecue grills.

Newport, Rhode Island

Sand: Exclusive clubs beaches to free, secluded spots on Aquidneck Island.
Things To See: Newport has a dramatic, ocean-crashing-on-rocks side facing the Atlantic; a cutesy, colonial side facing Narragansett Bay; and a third, Rhode Island Sound?oriented side that’s swept with beaches. Easton’s Beach (better known as First Beach) is the classic Americana spot, with a carousel, snack bar, and cabanas; Sachuset (Second) Beach is a 1.25-mile stretch below St. George’s prep school that catches the crowd runoff. Third Beach is a quiet spot for kiteboarding, kayaking, and bird-watching.

Saugatuck, Michigan

Sand: Dunes that will remind you of Cape Cod, and beaches that mimic Malibu — right in the heart of the Midwest.
Things To See: The historic, gallery-lined town has long drawn visitors. Beachgoers can cross the bridge or board a 1913 hand-cranked ferry. The ride costs a $1 and rewards passengers with the unspoiled stretch of Oval Beach, which frequently finds itself listed as one of the world’s best — despite being miles from any ocean. The nearby Saugatuck Dunes State Park has two miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, 200-foot-tall dunes, and 1,000 acres of hiking terrain.

Beach theme weddings should be fun and the essence of island living must be reflected in the ambience of you ceremony and most importantly in your reception. Serving a signature tropical drink adds excitement to your special day. Use tiki torches, umbrellas, pineapple slices and let the party begin. The names of many tropical drinks evoke thoughts of palm trees, sandy beaches, hula dances, lelolais, and all sorts of exotic and fun happenings.

Consider presenting your wedding guests with a unique and affordable beach theme favors such as personalized Dominican Cigars for male guests and scented Hurricane Gel Candles for the ladies. Both items and many more beach theme favors and island edible favors can be found on www.islandweddingfavors.com.  Check out our delicious, wedding favor cocktail mixes. 

slandweddingfavors.com has really unique wedding favors. We carry a gourmet selection on Caribbean edible favors such as the entire Island Rose Tea line, super cute, Whip Stirs Margarita mixes and personalized hot sauce favors. Guest love edible favors. 

Below are some of IslandWeddingFavors.com suggested  cocktails for your beach theme wedding or event.  Share your speciality drink with us. 
Bahama Mama
Ingredients
• 1/4 oz Coffee Liqueur
• 1/2 oz Dark Rum
• 1/2 oz Coconut Liqueur
• 1/4 oz 151 Proof Rum
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon
• 4 oz Pineapple juice or crushed pineapple
Combine all ingredients and pour over cracked ice in a collins glass. Decorate with a strawberry or cherry and serve.

Acapulco Zombie
Ingredients:
• 1 oz Vodka
• 1 oz Tequila
• 1 oz White Rum
• 1 dash Creme de Menthe
• 3 oz Orange Juice
• 3 oz Grapefruit Juice
Add the 4 liquors to a tall glass half filled with ice cubes. Fill with the two juices.

Cuba Libre
Literally, Free Cuba, the largest of the Greater Antilles islands in the Caribbean and the closest in distance to the United States of America. At its closest point, it is barely eighty miles away from the USA southeastern tip. But considering that you did not visit this site to learn geography or politics, here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
• Rum
• Coca-Cola
• Lemon
• Ice
Fill a 9-ounce glass with ice cubes. Pour Coca-Cola in down the sides of the glass to avoid a bubbling effect. Add a squeeze of lemon. Stir. Pour in one shot glass full of Rum. Sip.

Mojito
Ingredients:
• fresh Mint sprigs
• 2 tsp Sugar
• 3 tblsp fresh Lemon juice (or lime)
• 1 1/2 oz Light rum
• Club soda, Chilled
• 3 or 4 ice cubes
In a tall thin glass, crush part of the mint with a fork to coat the inside. Add the sugar and lemon juice and stir thoroughly. Top with ice. Add rum and mix. Top off with the club soda (or seltzer). Add a lemon slice and the remaining mint. Serves one.

Piña Colada
is now known around the world as a symbol of the Tropics. Here’s a possible beginning for your own romantic happenings:
Ingredients
• 8 fluid ounces Pineapple juice (preferably, of course, pineapple chunks from a fresh pineapple)
• 8 fluid ounces Coconut cream (available canned under several brand names. The best known is Coco Lopez, Real Cream of Coconut.
• 6 ounces Rum
• 3 to 4 cups of Ice
• Cherries
• Slices of pineapple, orange or lime
• Paper umbrellas (?)

In a blender, grind ice while gradually adding the pineapple, coconut cream and rum. Alternatively, use shaved ice. The ice should be thick enough to hold a cherry on top without sinking in. Serve in a tall glass with a straw. Garnish with one cherry and a slice of fruit. Insert a paper umbrella for that additional tropical, exotic touch.
Omit the rum for a delicious non-alcoholic Piña Colada.

Mai Tai
Ingredients:
1 fluid ounce light rum 1/2 fluid ounce Triple Sec 1 fluid ounce lime juice or lemon juice 1 fluid ounce pineapple juice 2 fluid ounces orange juice a dash of Grenadine Shake all ingredients into an old-fashioned glass filled with crushed ice; top with 1/2 fluid ounce of dark rum.

Goombay Smash Recipe
Ingredients:
1 oz Spiced Rum
1 oz Malibu Coconut Rum
1/4 oz Apricot Brandy
2 oz Pineapple Juice
2 oz Orange Juice
Mixing Instruction
Mix all ingredients in a highball glass with ice and shake. Garnish with an orange slice and cherry.
Ingredients:
• 1 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger amaretto liqueur
• 1 fluid ounce light rum
• 1 fluid ounce dark rum
• 6 fluid ounces orange juice
• 6 fluid ounces pineapple juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 dash grenadine syrup
• 1 orange, sliced into rounds
• 1 maraschino cherry

Directions:
1. Fill a 16 ounce glass with ice. Pour in amaretto, light rum and dark rum. Pour in orange juice, pineapple juice, and lemon juice. Stir, then top with a dash of grenadine and garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.