A Sea Glass-Inspired Wedding

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Today marks a wedding planning milestone — we’ve finally settled upon both our wedding colors and theme! To complement our planned seaside nuptials and incorporate our undying love of everything Carolina blue (Go Heels!), the colors and theme will be sea glass.

Now, major credit is due here once again to the team at Martha Stewart Weddings for making the lives of brides like me so much easier thanks to their craftiness and creative expertise. Their photo gallery gave me the needed inspiration to dream up a mental image of what my own wedding will look like.

Blues, greens and frosted glass characterize this Sea Glass Palette from Martha Stewart Weddings.

Photo Source: Wedding Belles Online

I’m imaging blues and greens among a backdrop of sand with white accents like starfish and calla lilies. I see the men in khaki linen suits with white shirts — with or without shoes. After a recent trip to the J Crew Bridal Boutique on Madison Avenue in New York, I think I’ve found the perfect dress for the girls. A cotton knee-length dress that’s a perfect balance between beachy and formal, the Cotton Cady Serena Dress in Light Blade may just be the one for the maids. The A-line cut will be flattering and the material will be light and airy to help prevent them from getting too hot during the ceremony and at the reception.

This bridesmaid dress from J Crew is versatile and can be dressed up or down. It will make a great dress for the beach and is heavy enough to withstand wind during a seaside ceremony.

Photo Source: J Crew Weddings

I can also picture frosty sea glass accents at the ceremony and reception. Maybe instead of petals the flower girl can toss small pieces of green and blue sea glass on the shore? The button on the ring bearer’s pillow could be made of sea glass. At the reception, the seating cards with table assignments for guests could rest atop a bed of sea glass like in this wedding featured on Martha Stewart Weddings.

A tray layered with sea glass is a great way to incorporate the theme without investing too much time or money to create an elaborate table assignment system.

Photo Source: Martha Stewart Weddings

To incorporate the Carolina blue color, ribbon could be tied around the stems of the bridesmaids’ bouquets and on the men’s boutonnieres. I’m also considering dying my shoes Carolina blue for the reception with a nod to Green Wedding Shoes for the gumption to opt of the traditional white-hued shoe.

Light blue Cinderella-style shoes add a pop of color and playfulness that goes well with white.

Photo Source: Luster Studios

Aside from the initial major decision of where to get married, I feel like this really has been the hardest step in planning to date. To me, picking a theme is an expression of the personalities of the couple. It’s what makes a wedding unique and truly yours. It’s part of what makes your day different and special.

Now that we have a clear guiding theme and specific shades selected, I think it’s going to make finding decorations and making other decisions much easier! Now, onto the next major task — selecting our wedding vendors!