As with any well-executed event, the key to success is proper planning.There is a fine line between cute and kitsch, and it’s easy to be overwhelmed with all things starfish and stripes. If you’re working with a wedding planner, collect images from magazines or online sources to help best illustrate your vision. By looking at the bigger picture, your planner can help decide where to best allocate your décor budget. If you’re not working with a planner, discuss your ideas with your reception site coordinator. In addition to offering creative seating arrangements, such as banquet seating, various-sized rounds, rectangles or a collection of all these options, these event veterans have likely seen nautical themes carried out in several ways.
meghansepeweddings.com
All Hands on Deck
Getting Underway Once your nautical theme has been set via the save-the-date notice and invitation, think about what your guests’ first impression will be as they arrive at your reception. For an outdoor tented event, consider a Tidewater Sailcloth tent, constructed of a durable sailcloth material. These nautical-inspired tents are a hit as they include sculpted peaks reminiscent of a sailboat. The fabric itself has a translucency to it, allowing natural light to filter through during daytime affairs and producing a gentle glow in the evening. At Newport’s Castle Hill Inn, perched on a 40-acre peninsula overlooking Narragansett Bay (which adds an intrinsic nautical ambiance all its own), a new pavilion tent will debut this season by Sperry Tents. Its ivory sailcloth fabric, a pine frame and stainless steel hardware make for a uniquely nautical feel. Rounded edges and an uninterrupted interior span will offer an open, airy feel. Consider having servers greet guests with a nautically themed signature drink. Ideas include a Dark ’n Stormy, the national drink of Bermuda and one also savored throughout the sailing community, or the Gale at Sea, a vodka-based cocktail that embodies the color of the sea with its bold blue, eye-catching
hue. If you decide to stick with standard cocktails, dress up their presentation with cocktail stirrers festooned with sailboats, anchors, compass roses or nautical signal flags.You can even kick things up a notch with coordinating cocktail napkins. Fun finds can be found in brick and mortar stores as well as online, or you can create your own nautical stirrers with a simple do-it-yourself project by crafting festive mini-flags from a nautical map. Another whimsical dash is to have bottled beers in an ice-filled miniature dory (a small, www.bridegroommag.com
shallow boat with a flat bottom and high sides), which will also help reduce any lines at the bar. Your escort/place cards are the next big opportunity to create an impression. From elaborate vignettes to uncomplicated disBRIDE&GROOM Spring 2012
55