Expert Advice from wedding guru, Sharon Naylor

Answer:

Hello!
Renting a beach house has become a very popular option for weddings, but keep a few things in mind: if you rent a beach house, you'll have to bring in ALL of the supplies you'll need (and there are a LOT of them!) like tables, chairs, table linens, multiple sets of plates, utensils, tons of drink glasses...and while rental places often let you return dishes and such dirty, you'll have to pay for any rented glasses that get broken -- and that always happens!)
A wedding venue has lots of experienced staff on hand to prep and serve food, as well as handle anything that goes wrong on the day. You could get bartenders and wait staff at the beach house, but that's $$$.
If someone spills a glass of red wine at the beach house, you pay to clean that couch.
Also keep in mind the insurance issue. Good wedding venues have plenty of insurance to cover a great many things, and if you have your wedding in a beach house, you'll have to buy extra insurance [never go without it.]
If you'll have guests stay at the beach house with you, they'll be everywhere. Good for having help, but still, privacy will be welcome that morning.
Talk to a great wedding coordinator about what's involved in a beach house rental setting, and ask for a breakdown of potential fees so that you can measure which option would be best for your budget and for your sanity. It can work; you just have to get a realistic view of additional costs that you won't normally incur at a wedding venue.

Good luck and congratulations!
Sharon Naylor