Western Australian bride Julie came to me looking for some help with her nautical inspired wedding. She’d love to use a colour palette of red, sapphire blue, pale blue and ivory. Julie particularly loves red spider orchids (reminiscent of coral), but was having trouble with her table centrepieces.

julies-nautical-jubilee

Photo by Jenny Ebert via Snippet & Ink, Guestbook from Martha Stewart Weddings,  bridesmaids from Brides, Glass fishing float from Pink Pearls, blueberry tart from Sweet Infinity, orchids from Ruby & Joy, cupcakes from Sweet Dreams Cakes,nautical numeric flag from Tiki Master,  shells from Coastal Living, Bunting from Not On The High Street, beach scene from Bunkers Beach Cafe

Here’s some ideas I came up with for her centrepieces and other bits and pieces:

– fishing floats in different sizes sitting on sand on the tables amongst shells, starfish, sea glass, wooden sea horses
– keep the red orchids in lots of old bottles, grouped on the tables amongst the fishing floats
– tie a shell with twine around the vases/bottles, backs of chairs, a twine and shell garland around windows, fireplace etc, or use a striped ribbon in the sapphire or red colour to string the shells onto
– an overcloth in cotton, organza on top of your white tablecloths in the light blue, perhaps edged in seashells or starfish sewn onto the edge or just the corners to represent the sea
– garlands of flags – buy paper from a scrapbooking shop (use only your colours from your scheme, but the patterns on the paper could be many and varied)  and cut simple triangles (two long sides and one shorter side) and bend an edge over on the short side and glue onto ribbon or twine and string behind your lolly or dessert table
– string shells, driftwood or bunting on twine and hang over doorways or windows like those beaded curtains of old
– if having a lolly table keep the lollies to your colour scheme – or just red and white might be easier to find. Tie the some of the jars with sapphire and light blue ribbons and add some of your paper flags, this time on sticks, stuck into a lolly jar purely for fun
–  I wouldn’t have hydrangeas or red berries. Best to keep the theme to the more nautical elements, and use your red orchid as the only flower
– model boats somewhere in the room, perhaps on your lolly bar, or on a mantel piece
– Favours if you are having them, could incorporate small bottles with a heartfelt message written on beautiful paper peeping out from the neck (message in a bottle!), cute little wooden boats, shells
– your boys could wear navy nautical jackets, light blue shirts, cream pants and fun striped socks if the wedding is a little casual
– your idea of coloured shoes and/or coloured sash for your dress looks stunning
– what about driftwood – you could use this amongst your shells and sand on the tables and keep the fishing floats to quite small ones. This idea is to create a ‘tableau/scene’ on each table reminiscent of a small piece of beach with flotsam and jetsam
– you could go really mad and find on-line at nautical decor websites ships wheel, anchors, treasure chest etc to add to your theme
– provide a basket with sunscreen, beach balls, thongs, for beach games
– bottles of juice and water could be set on a table for guests to help themselves and labelled with a red, sapphire and pale blue label with your names on it, and tied with a miniature flag
– line the boardwalk, if you are allowed, in tealights, placed in nautical themed glass holders, or taller candles set in glass cylinders filled with sand. Create a special place at the end of the board walk for just the two of you, to take in the day for a few moments, with some seating, bunting fluttering in the breeze and the Indian Ocean – how romantic