BEACH/SEASIDE THEME WEDDINGS
Beach Themes, whether or not you get married on an actual beach, are a very popular wedding theme. Variations of this theme can include Seaside, Sand and Sun, Sand and Sea, Seashells, Dolphins, Hawaiian – anything related to the beach or sea. Just alter any of our listed ideas to suit your variation. Below are some ideas for a Beach Themed Weddings:
ATTIRE
– Mermaid style dress for bride and bridesmaids
– Weave strings of pearl into hair
– Have dress embroidered with blue or silver
– Pearl or Crystal tiara
CAKE
– Have your baker create a wave effect with blue curved icing
– Have shells decorate your cake (your baker can make realistic ones)
– Have a white or ivory frosted cake decorated with colored sugar to simulate sand. Decorate with sugar or chocolate seashells
– Use a glass cake top shaped into something that matches your theme (dolphins, mermaid, etc)
– Have your baker make the top layer of the cake in the shape of a shell and decorate the entire thing with chocolate in the shape of various shells.
CENTERPIECES
– Filling a hurricane or glass globe with sand and shells than insert a candle votive within the center. Tie with coordinating ribbon
– Decorate large and small pillar candles with small sea shells (just press the shells into the candles). Pour some sand on a mirrored tile, then place one large pillar candle in the center and surround it with smaller pillars of varying sizes. You can also tie all the candles together with some raffia ribbon. Place some small pieces of driftwood and/or larger seashells, dried starfish, etc. around the candles.
– Fill large jars with sand; place shells, etc. inside then close with a cork. Decorate with ribbon.
– Fill terra cotta pots filled with sand and push several taper candles in at uneven heights. Decorate the candles with small sea shells
– Fill a large clear bowl with water. Place sand on the bottom, and place shells, etc. on the bottom. Add floating candles and/or some flower blossoms to float on the top.
– Large conch shells with flowers coming out of them (cornucopia-like)
– Place a large piece of driftwood on a mirrored tile; place some sand on the mirror and arrange small candles around the driftwood.
– Fishbowls with sand and shells in the bottom with floating gardenias (perfect for a day wedding!)
COLORS
Here are some suggestions on wedding colors:
– Blues
– Greens
– Silver
– Creams
– Apricots
– Warm shades of yellow
FAVORS
– Buy double “hurricane” candle holders (available at craft stores such as Michaels) Put items to match your theme on the bottom (sand and sea shells etc.) and a votive candle in the top. Tie a color coordinated ribbon around the middle to finish the look.
– Decorative soaps (seashells, seahorses, etc.)
– Chocolate shapes (shells, etc) wrapped in tulle or small gift boxes
– Half coconut shell filled with sand and then place a votive in each one
– Fill a half coconut shell with candle wax
– Filled a white sea shell with candies and a white and dark chocolate. Wrap with white tulle and a color coordinated ribbon.
– Candles made from scallop shell halves
– Bubbles tied with raffia ribbon with small shells glued onto them.
– Take a sand dollar, and sprinkle it with a glitter, preferably in the color of your theme. Cover the entire front of the sand dollar, and then hot glue gun three or four small sea shells on the bottom. Glue either a magnet to the back or a ribbon the the top for hanging. Attach a small card with your names and wedding date to the top, and distribute at each place setting.
FLOWERS
– Yellow and cream roses
– Flowers in shades of blue; use silver accents
MENU IDEAS
– Lobster boil buffet
– Seafood buffet (shrimp, crab, lobster, etc.)
– Offer a seafood plated dinner
– Offer a buffet with at least one or two seafood choices
– Crab and lobster stuffed mushroom appetizers
– Shrimp cocktail appetizers
– Plated surf and turf meal.
RECEPTION DECORATIONS
– Make place cards by making cookies into sea shapes (starfish, fish, shells) and write each guests names on them icing (also great favor idea!)
– Another placecard idea: cut blue posterboard into sea shapes (starfish, fish, shells). Write on them using a silver pen.
– Yet another placecard idea: use large actual seashells that you either found or purchased. Print the guests’ name on a clear label and attach to the shell. 
– Hang swags of blue/green/silver iridescent materials around the walls or pillars, then decorate with small silver sea creatures and shells.
– Use sea shells and shiny pebbles in floral decorations
– Name the guests tables after sea creatures (or something that relates to your theme)
OTHER IDEAS
– Have your guests blow bubbles during your first dance
– Name your tables after beaches in your area, or other popular beachs.
– Book a boat for the ceremony or the reception (or both!)
