Wedding in a nautical style: Tips on how to make it beautiful!

Recently, themed weddings have gained unprecedented popularity.
This is especially often noticed among young couples who do not want to live according to old principles, and want something unusual, new.

By choosing their own individual decor, thinking through every detail for their style, the bride and groom can fully devote themselves to this wonderful pre-wedding process, letting guests know about their preferences and hobbies.

A nautical-themed wedding is one such event. It is suitable for those couples who are distinguished by their love of freedom, romance and love for the new, unknown, i.e. travel. Such an interesting celebration will leave many bright, heart-pleasing memories in the memory of the guests and the young people themselves.

Peculiarities

Marine style in wedding decoration is manifested through various elements symbolizing the ocean. The design uses all shades of blue, blue and white, airy fabrics and decorations in the form of anchors, dolphins, lifebuoys and sails.
The most suitable time of year for a nautical-themed wedding is summer. The ceremony can be organized:

• on the sea or river bank;
• in a country hotel or cottage with a swimming pool;
• in a coastal cafe;
• in a restaurant with marine-style interiors;
• on board a yacht or ship.

This wedding is suitable for a romantic couple who loves travel, a soothing palette of colors and marine motifs.

Furniture selection

Furniture for a marine interior is preferably made of natural material and has a simple shape, the design is restrained and not pretentious.

Soft sofas can be plain, with the addition of multi-colored pillows, or in classic blue and white stripes.

In the photo, the sofa and armchairs are complemented by pillows with the image of a sail.

In the bedroom, a bed and a wardrobe made of bleached wood create a light interior.

Rattan furniture will also fit harmoniously into the interior.

Marine style allows you to use different lighting methods.

• In the bedroom, you can use several light sources, such as a chandelier and bedside lamps in the shape of a sea lantern.
• A small chandelier with marine elements looks harmonious in a nursery or kitchen.
• In the living room, you can combine several methods, for example, a ceiling fan lamp and spotlights or a volumetric chandelier of an unusual shape and floor lamps.

Bride's image

When creating a bride's wedding image, they try to use the marine theme in the smallest details.

Classical

A traditional white dress is made from light fabric: organza, chiffon or silk. A beautiful belt in blue or turquoise is added to it. Choose styles in the Greek style or A-line.

Instead of a veil, you can wear a veil, tie your hair in a Greek braid, or leave your curls flowing freely over your shoulders. In makeup use soft blue shadows.

Stylized

A bride in a wedding dress of blue, turquoise or light blue looks original. The look will be complemented by a fabric handbag decorated with pearls or corals , and a laconic style of flat-soled shoes.

It is better to do without high heels, especially if you plan to walk along the shore, on sand or rocks. By the way, brave couples can come barefoot to the ceremony organized on the sandy shore.

For hairstyles, they use wreaths of flowers or shells, combs in the form of starfish, and hairbands in the Greek style.
Idea! The dress is complemented with a long, airy veil to match or played with contrast, for example, choose a turquoise veil for a white dress.
The bride's garter is decorated with small shells or crabs to match the chosen theme.

Bouquet

Floral decoration in a nautical style will help highlight the delicate image of the bride. It is recommended to choose flowers of white and blue shades for the composition:

• roses;
• hydrangeas;
• chamomile;
• peonies;
• mimosas;
• violets.

The base of the bouquet is decorated with shells, blue, light blue, white or turquoise ribbons and beads.

A bouquet of shells, corals or starfish looks original. Additionally, it is decorated with white floral mesh.

Newlyweds images

The bride will best suit the style if she chooses a blue wedding dress. Mermaid dresses, short wedding dresses and Greek-style dresses are suitable (learn more about such dresses).

To complete the look, you need to focus on accessories. These can be hair accessories made in a marine style. For example, invisible ones with shells and starfish, which go well with other decorations. A veil made of marine mesh looks original.

Shoes can be matched with anchors, ships and other attributes. If the wedding takes place on a sandy beach, then brave couples do without shoes at all.

The bouquet of a bride who has chosen a nautical theme for her wedding usually consists of large flowers - peonies, roses or hydrangeas. You can complement the bouquet with shells, and decorate the base with a rope with knots.

A white suit is suitable for the groom, but always complemented with nautical accessories. The emphasis is on cufflinks, boutonniere, tie or bow tie.

Groom's outfit

The main color of the groom's suit is white or blue. Accessories include a bow tie to match the suit, suspenders, cufflinks with nautical symbols and a boutonniere.

If the ceremony takes place on the shore of a pond or on board a ship, the groom can wear an outfit consisting of white loose trousers and a light blue or dark blue shirt. In this case, you can do without a jacket and tie.

The boutonniere is made in white and blue tones and consists of the same flowers as the bride's bouquet. To emphasize the theme of the wedding, it is decorated with decorative elements related to the sea.

Details

The accent in a marine style can be not the decor, but the landscape around you. A luxurious sunset, a rolling wave, a yacht swinging at anchor - these are the details that can complement and decorate your wedding. Look for non-trivial solutions - have an outdoor ceremony on the pier, let you or your groom drive up on a boat or yacht directly to the altar. And if the landscape is not allowed to roam, then you can continue the marine theme in a sweet table or cake decor, elegant table setting with striped fabric or corals as gifts for guests.

Dress code

As a dress code for a wedding in a nautical style, several primary colors are chosen: for example, blue and white, blue or other shades. The suits use a striped print and themed accessories in the form of starfish, shells or corals.

At the entrance to the banquet hall, guests are given striped scarves, ribbons, caps with nautical symbols, and pirate hats. In the future, they will be useful for an original photo shoot.

Particular attention is paid to the choice of dresses for bridesmaids and suits for groomsmen:

• For a wedding in a nautical style, girls can choose dresses in the Greek style from light flowing fabrics in blue or blue. Shell or pearl necklaces will complete the look;
• The groomsmen support the theme of the ceremony with jackets, shirts and ties in the main color of the wedding. Drawings on a marine theme are chosen as prints. Men will look very original if they try on sailor costumes. In a more modest version, you can limit yourself to vests.

Selecting a location

If your wedding day is scheduled for the summer, you can easily arrange a celebration in the fresh air. The best option is a deserted coast. But remember the vagaries of nature. It would be a good idea to take care of the comfort of your guests in advance. Arrange the venue for the celebration in such a way that those present will not be inconvenienced by the hot sun or sudden rain. Durable canopies in blue tones are the ideal solution for a nautical-themed wedding. Decorate the wedding arch for an open-air celebration with shells, pearls and fresh flowers. Read more about wedding floristry at the link.

An ideal option for an unusual banquet is to rent a boat. In this case, you will hardly have to put any effort into organizing a wedding in a nautical style. Expanses of water, portholes and fresh air will create the appropriate atmosphere. You just need to choose outfits that suit the theme of the holiday and announce the dress code to the guests.

Interesting! To ensure that the theme can be seen even in the smallest details, design invitation cards and a book of wishes in a nautical style.

During the cold season, it is necessary to take care in advance about choosing a suitable banquet hall. Give preference to spacious and bright rooms with large windows.

It will greatly facilitate the task of choosing a restaurant whose interior is dominated by blue tones. Otherwise, decorating the hall will take a little longer.

Of course, no one will repaint the walls. It is enough to limit yourself to all kinds of decorative accessories.

Decor

By following the principles of design and adhering to the chosen color scheme, you can organize a wedding in a nautical style not only in the summer, but also at other times of the year.

Idea! In the absence of a body of water, the mood is created with the help of scenery and background sounds: the sound of the wind, the cries of seagulls, the whisper of the sea surf.

The walls, ceiling and doorways are draped with light fabric in the form of waves or sails. The walls are decorated with steering wheels, anchors, ropes, compositions of shells and starfish. To decorate the wedding arch, compositions of fresh blue and white flowers are used.

Tables are covered with blue, white or light blue tablecloths. A striped or checkered print is also appropriate. Chair covers are complemented with satin ribbons, coral branches or fresh flowers.

Place

The first stage of organizing a wedding in a nautical style is choosing the venue for the celebration. There are several options, each of which has its own pros and cons:

1. Boat or yacht. Ideal for a nautical themed wedding, suitable for weddings of up to 20-25 people. For a larger number of guests, a ship is ordered. There is one minus - not all newlyweds can afford to rent a yacht or ship;
2. Coast . A ceremony by the sea will create a unique romantic atmosphere. If the weather suddenly turns bad, the holiday can be moved to a tent or hotel. However, this is a rather expensive option. The bank of a river or lake is suitable as a budget alternative;
3. You can organize a wedding in a nautical style, even if there is no body of water nearby. Thematic decoration and a festive table with seafood will help create the right atmosphere;
4. Restaurant. A classic option is to celebrate in a restaurant. By choosing this option, you won’t have to worry about setting the table, preparing meals or serving. This option is optimal for a winter celebration.

Scenarios

There are several scenarios for a nautical-themed wedding. They are all united by one theme, but they use different techniques for design.

Scarlet Sails

This scenario plays out the plot of Alexander Green's story "Scarlet Sails". The bride wears a dress in red or white, and the groom tries on the image of a handsome prince. The groom arrives for his betrothed on a limousine ship with scarlet sails.

You can depict a ship with fluttering sails on invitations and banquet cards. A tavern is chosen for the banquet. For decorations, natural materials and a calm color scheme are used, in which scarlet becomes a bright accent. For example, in a rich red color you can make a wedding arch, additionally decorating it with wildflowers.

Sailors' Party

A seaside party is suitable for newlyweds with a good sense of humor. The design is dominated by bright colors and striped prints.

Idea! Thematic competitions are held, for example, tug-of-war or the most artistic performance of “Yablochka”.

You can build a gangway at the entrance to the festive hall and hang sails and ropes on the walls. The newlyweds' table is decorated with a steering wheel, and all guests are dressed in vests or caps. The groom can become the captain of the ship, and the bride can become the boatswain.

Undersea world

At a sea wedding in the spirit of a fairytale dream, the bride will be able to feel like a nymph or mermaid, and the groom will try on the image of the sea god Poseidon.

The hall is stylized to resemble the seabed using pebbles, corals, starfish, exotic fish, and algae. There are seafood on the table.

Guests should definitely join in by transforming themselves into sea creatures using colorful wigs, beads and shell jewelry.

Color spectrum

The main palette for a nautical-style wedding is blue, white and light blue. You can use any shades of blue: aqua, azure, indigo, greenish, light blue.

The selected colors are used both in the newlyweds’ outfits and in decorative elements, accessories, and floristry. The main shade is used to decorate the registration arch, walls, and path to the altar. For small details, contrasting colors are selected.

The following will help soften the marine tones:

• light gray;
• cream;
• red;
• green.

To decorate a wedding in a nautical style, use no more than 3-4 colors. Their combination should be harmonious and fit well into the theme of the wedding.

Accessories

To create a holiday atmosphere in a nautical style, use various accessories, decorated with special care:

• Drink glasses are decorated with blue and white ribbons and shells;
• An original solution for decorating tables would be aquariums with live fish;
• Place cards are decorated with starfish and corals;
• The cushion for the rings is sewn from striped fabric and decorated with pearls. A real sea shell is attached as a stand for the rings;
• To create a warm and romantic atmosphere, candlesticks

Cortege

The wedding procession is decorated in two versions:

• classic: cars are decorated with satin ribbons, fresh flowers, balloons, bows - all accessories are kept in a blue and white combination;
• original: shells, corals, fishing nets or steering wheels are suitable for decoration.

Part of the route to a nautical-style wedding can be covered not by car, but by boat or yacht.

Invitations

Original invitations in a marine style are created using unusual paper. It can be plain or with a pattern.

Idea! Beautiful themed invitations can be written on original paper with images of sea creatures: fish, dolphins, starfish.

For a pirate party, you can order or make your own invitations in the form of old scrolls or geographical maps, playing on the theme of treasure hunting. Paper can be aged with strong coffee or tea. For greater effect, the invitations are sealed in a bottle and decorated with sea sand and shells.

The text is compiled in the spirit of the style of the celebration. For example, this: “The ship’s captain and first mate invite guests to visit their ship on _______ (date) ____ (month, year).”

DIY wedding decoration

For decoration you can use the following:

• drapery textiles;
• chair covers and bows;
• lifebuoys;
• anchors;
• sailboats;
• ropes;
• bell (ship bell);
• steering wheel;
• boats;
• sun loungers;
• hammocks;
• flowers;
• balls.

Wedding procession

It is best to choose a convertible, phaeton or roadster. The approximate cost of renting such a car per hour is 1,500 rubles. You can decorate it like this: attach two hearts decorated with any artificial flowers to the roof. The left side of the hood will be beautifully covered with chiffon fabric, and a heart of roses will be placed at the back in the middle. You can tie blue ribbons to the door handles, which will flutter beautifully in the wind.

Decoration of the registration area

If you are planning an outdoor ceremony, you need to arrange the required number of chairs, preferably folding ones, at the chosen location. It is best to arrange them 5-6 in a row and on two sides. There should be a 2-meter passage between them for the bride and groom to exit. It can be covered with a path or covered with rose petals. On the sides it will be beautiful to place vases on high legs with any fresh flowers. White covers should be put on the chairs, which should be decorated with blue bows.

Floristry in table decoration

The arch deserves special attention, which can be decorated with flowers or snow-white fabric with blue ribbons. On the left there should be a receptionist's table, which can be draped with red cloth.

That's how diverse nautical style decor can be! Watch this video showing design options for a banquet hall:

Banquet area

Here are interesting options:

• Walls. They should be decorated with fishing nets, twine, compasses, and ropes. At the entrance to the hall you can place a model of waves, a steering wheel and an anchor. Be sure to have blue balls suspended from the ceiling. The wall behind the newlyweds' table can be decorated with white fabric, against which round vertical garlands made of blue paper will look incredible.
• Tables. To decorate those at which the newlyweds will sit, large shells, mini-lamps, a white linen tablecloth, LED garland, letters of the names of the bride and groom are appropriate. You can decorate tables for guests with small ships or boats, anchors and sails. Flowers are also required, for which it is better to choose lilacs, water lilies, lilies, and hydrangea.
• Chairs. The decor of the chairs, as in the case of the registration area, can be represented by white covers and blue bows. You can also limit yourself to dragging them with blue chiffon fabric, decorated with stars and twine. Lifebuoys with the names of the guests will look interesting on the back. They can replace standard place cards.

Decor

Important little things

You can’t do a sea wedding without invitations , which can be made in the form of scrolls. Another option is dark blue envelopes tied with twine. At the top you must make a white insert with an image of an anchor and the names of the invited people.

Place cards can be ordered in the shape of shells on sticks and inserted into wooden mini-boats.

Glasses can be decorated with shells and pebbles.

Instead of a cushion for a ring, it is logical to use a small chest. Coral trim will give it a special touch.

As gifts, guests should choose bright bonbonnieres, boats, small anchors, shell-shaped jars with sea salt for bath. An interesting option would be to present glasses with the image of the newlyweds to your loved ones.

If you are planning to organize the celebration yourself, find out where to start preparing. Here you can find all the details of the process.

Don't want to be left with nothing on your wedding day? Then it’s worth thinking through a detailed preparation plan in advance. Here you will find a complete list of what needs to be done, when and in what order.

You will also need to make a list of what you need to prepare for the wedding. Another article talks about the specifics of choosing a menu, planning entertainment, bride price, etc.

Scenarios

One of the most important aspects of a nautical-themed wedding is a well-written script. It is he who sets the thematic direction and helps to feel the given spirit of celebration.

For example, a wedding in the style of a pirate party is very popular among newlyweds. You can develop a script yourself based on ideas from the Internet.

The groom can play the brave captain who kidnapped a young beauty from her parents' house and is going to marry her. Or future spouses can go on an exciting journey with their guests to find hidden treasures.

For musical accompaniment, cheerful instrumental music is selected. The hall is decorated with pirate flags. Among the drinks on the festive table, rum, cola and champagne should prevail.

Marine wedding theme: choosing a cake

A wedding cake is a real masterpiece of culinary art and a wonderful decoration for a festive table. It should be multi-layered and airy. You can decorate such delicious splendor with multi-colored cream and chocolate or caramel figurines of starfish, fish, and anchors in the water. This unusual dessert will be remembered for a long time by the newlyweds and their guests not only for its taste, but also for its original decor.

Menu

The menu is based on seafood: shrimp, lobster, lobsters, squid, oysters, crabs and mussels. It is also appropriate to serve sushi, rolls, fish aspic and sandwiches with caviar.

Seafood is usually served with red and white wine, alcoholic cocktails and champagne.

Take care of guests who don't like seafood. For them, include canapés, light snacks, vegetable and meat dishes in the menu, and to stick to the theme of the celebration, serve food in dishes decorated in a marine style.

For dessert, fruits are served - coconuts, mangoes, pineapples or bananas. For sweets, they come up with original thematic names, write them on special cards, and decorate them with ribbons, pebbles or shells.

Don't forget that the table setting should be in a blue and white palette.

Cake

The centerpiece of the wedding table is the cake. It should also be decorated in white, blue and blue colors, while bright details in red will add originality to the delicacy.

You can order several options:

1. Portioned cakes for each guest. Marine-style decorations are made from mastic, marzipan or chocolate. You can put one small cake on the table for the newlyweds, and treat your guests to delicious cupcakes;
2. A multi-tiered dessert decorated with sugar starfish, marzipan fish or flowers. The ocean theme will be supported by edible pearls. The shape of the cake can be different: from a pirate ship to a paradise island.

Jewelry and decor - master class

Before you start decorating the banquet hall, you need to carefully consider all the details and features of the decor.

The use of unusual design elements will create an atmosphere of comfort, support the maritime theme, the spirit of adventure and the anticipation of joyful discoveries.

A large number of different light textiles will help create the impression of inflated sails, under which young people set sail on the waves of the seas of life. They will definitely need not only an anchor, but also a life preserver.

These will be the main design elements used when decorating a banquet hall or open area.

Design elements

The main design elements for a nautical-style wedding are:

• anchors;
• images of the inhabitants of the seabed (starfish, seahorses, unusual fish);
• shells with pearls.

Instead of chic satin and silk bows for slings on the backs of chairs and garters for curtains, a rope (or a rope imitating it) is attached.

White and blue ribbons are visible everywhere in the hall; stripes of textiles of the same colors are attached to the ceiling. The curtains on the windows are made in the shape of a sail. Even tablecloths on tables can be made from white and blue linens.

And, of course, the helm becomes the decoration of the presidium (the table for the young).

Invitations, bonbonnieres and other accessories

Invite to a wedding in a nautical style, making it clear what the theme of the holiday is, the easiest way is to make your own invitations. To do this, it is enough to make invitations in the form of envelopes, postcards, cards or scrolls, which can be fastened with a piece of coarse cord and decorated with tiny starfish.

The master will need:

• printed paper;
• colored cardboard in blue and blue shades;
• glue;
• scissors;
• decorative elements (stars and cord);
• blue satin ribbon.

You need to cut out rectangles with sides of 10 and 15 cm from thick blue or light blue cardboard. Glue rectangles cut from printed paper (their size is 8 x 13 cm) on top of the prepared cards.

The text of the invitation can be printed in advance, but it is better to write it yourself.

Ready-made invitation cards should be tied with a satin ribbon and decorated with decorative starfish. Envelopes are glued from cardboard, and paper aged with strong tea or coffee is rolled into scrolls.
Bonbonnieres at a nautical-style wedding are also distinguished by their design. These are not the usual boxes, but linen bags decorated with decorative anchors. Everything is unusual at such a wedding. Even objects that are well known and seemingly familiar.

We are talking about a book of wishes, a chest for collecting money, candles and glasses for the newlyweds.

Photozone

To ensure that the original celebration evokes pleasant memories for many years to come, decorate the photo zone for memorable photographs in a special way.

Idea! If the ceremony takes place outdoors, then memorable photographs are taken on the shore of a reservoir. Wedding photos on the bow of a ship look very romantic.

For guests to relax and create good shots, hammocks are hung between the trees. During the photo shoot, they use signs with humorous inscriptions, pirate hats, beards and pipes to transform into sea robbers.

If the buffet is held indoors in the warm season, then the photo zone is located in the fresh air. For registration you will need sunbeds, binoculars, a dummy helm, lifebuoys and umbrellas for protection from the sun.

A sail or a piece of dense white fabric is fixed as the main background. A dummy boat is installed next to it, lifebuoys and a steering wheel are attached, on which the names of the newlyweds are written. The composition is complemented with starfish, shells and nets. The contours of the lighthouse and clouds are cut out of thick cardboard. They are fixed to the background using racks.

Basic color scheme and some nuances

The color scheme for the wedding will be rich blue and white.
The stripe sets the tone for the entire design. The combination of white and blue is used as the main color scheme for small and large decor. To soften the color scheme, additional shades can be added - red, gray, pale blue, green, black. Draping the walls and ceiling with fabric looks advantageous.

Draping on the ceiling in the area of ​​the dance floor or the newlyweds' area will create the effect of sails. The design with fabric in the form of waves looks beautiful.

It is appropriate to decorate the walls of the banquet hall with marine attributes. These could be anchors, steering wheels, compasses, twine, ropes, fishing nets or shell wreaths.

Tables can be covered with a linen tablecloth in blue - white checkered or striped, but you can choose a tablecloth in a plain blue color. The striped fabric throw on the tables will match the style of the holiday.

If the event budget is limited, then sewing a fabric strip for the table is much cheaper than buying linens for a tablecloth. At the same time, the fabric throw fits completely into the idea of ​​a themed wedding.

It is advisable to decorate the chairs in accordance with the color scheme of the tables. This could be fabric, ribbons, fresh flowers or paper. Starfish, bags of pebbles, and coral sprigs are suitable for decorating chairs. For example, chairs with white covers and blue bows with shells attached.

The photo zone can be decorated with a poster depicting the side of a ship, a picturesque shore or waves. Any thematic attributes are suitable for the photo zone - sun umbrellas, caps, vests, straw hats, binoculars.

If the celebration is organized outdoors, then the same color scheme is used when decorating the wedding arch, table for the registrar and chairs for guests.

The wedding arch is decorated with fresh flowers in blue and white tones, shells, stars, and decorative elements are placed nearby - an anchor, a chest or a lifebuoy.

Adviсe

Organizing a wedding in a nautical style is much easier if you listen to the advice of experts:

• Guests usually write down their wishes for the newlyweds in a wedding book. For a nautical wedding, you can use a real logbook for this purpose. It contains unusual graphs, for example “weather”, “time”, “wind direction”. They will help guests compose original congratulations;
• Drink bottles are decorated with unusual stickers. By making the inscriptions “glacier water” or “fresh water”, you can not only surprise guests, but also emphasize the chosen theme;
• For each table, they come up with a special name and indicate it on a decorative plate. Options may vary. The names of islands, seas, oceans or beaches are most often used.

Wedding invitations in a nautical style

The role of this element in every wedding is very important, as it will determine the style of your wedding. There are a lot of options for decorating such items. Prints in the form of dolphins, fish, anchors and shells will speak for themselves about a sea wedding.

An original way to invite guests to a wedding is to send an invitation message in a bottle. And by the way, do not forget to warn guests about a special dress code, if there is one. Write about this in the invitation.

Photo

The main advantage that sea weddings provide for any professional photographer is the variety of ideas and excellent scenery for photographs: