Seaside-Inspired Wedding Reception Table Centerpieces & Decorations

Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to achieve an elegant and classic seashore-themed wedding reception without the result appearing too, well, theme-y. Wanting to take advantage of Louisiana's fall weather for my October wedding, I hesitantly entertained the idea of an outdoors wedding at a local park. After playing with colors and textures from nature in opposition to store-bought decorations, I immediately dove into this beautiful idea. So, if you are considering this same idea for your big day, here are several tips to attain elegant décor without your reception coming off like a children's beach birthday party.

Table setting and decorations:

Aqua silk runners or tablecloths suggest water

Fishbowls as centerpieces can display either live fish or still life, such as flowers or candles. I opted for the real thing, and utilized painted craft branches to mimic coral. (Tip: The fish bowls served as wonderful favors for little guests.)

Just the right amount of brown netting makes a dramatic statement against an aqua background, and lends a subtle appearance of fish netting

A small amount of sand was sprinkled around the base of each fishbowl as a final touchSign-in Table:

A surprisingly beautiful contrast to the traditional pen and guest book set, I chose a textured & natural-colored book, bound with raffia

For a more personal touch, I placed a silver tray filled with small stock cards in silver and gold luster, mimicking the colors found in the seashells placed on the same tray. An instruction card made from the same stock paper invited guests to leave personal messages for the groom and I. These messages were housed in a tall cylindrical glass vase whose bottom was filled with seashells and sand. To bring in the raffia from the guest book, I tied long strands of raffia around the vase's throat. Cake Table:

I chose to use the same aqua tones from my table settings for my wedding cake. Bubbles of graduating sizes and scallop shells from silicone molds were made from gum paste and painted with pink and silver luster dust to add sheen. To top off my cake, I chose a large, beautiful store-bought seashell in favor of the traditional bride and groom. Finally, a weathered treasure chest, borrowed from a friend's house, served as the perfect base for this sea-inspired wedding cake.

Tiered trays displayed various pastries, as well as decorative shells, keeping the look cohesive and uniform.In summation, by selecting decorations found in nature in favor of store-bought, and by using colors in favor of objects to invoke a sea-inspired feeling lends to a more natural setting. By simply incorporating colors found naturally in seashells, coral, and sand into your table linens, aisle runners, or tiebacks for chairs, you will attain the seaside feeling without feeling as if you have gone overboard with the theme.