Beach wedding seating

Generally the position is that it's better to have seats for people to sit in. Even 20 minutes standing can be a long time, and you don't want guests sitting in the sand. I would pay the money for a permit. You don't want your ceremony disrupted with complaints.

Yes, it would be tacky. You should provide seating for your guests. Is the permit that difficult to get?

We're also getting married on the beach, waiting on approval from the state. You should get the permit, less to worry about

Get the permit. "Bring your own chair" is tacky, as well as making guests sit on blankets.

That’s not OK. Just because the ceremony is on the beach doesn’t mean people will be dressed to sit on a blanket. It’s also not acceptable to ask people to stand around. Plenty of people, even young people, have invisible back issues etc. Also people will arrive early in order to be sure they are on time so they will be standing for a long time. Host appropriately or reconsider your plans.