A Coastal Tented Wedding in Blue, White, and Rattan at the Crystal Coast

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September 12, 2023

The Planning

Design / Vibe / Vision

Gracie and Andrew's summertime waterfront tented wedding was designed in a palette of powder blue and white with organic greenery touches, elegant nods to the coast with rattan accents and woven textures, statement rattan chandeliers & lush floral installations to highlight the waterfront tent, personalized details and timeless elements with an understated elegance and coastal charm, and was classic, chic, and romantic yet polished, fresh, and fun. Gracie and Andrew wanted their wedding day to have a focus on faith, celebration, gathering, and heartfelt hospitality as they celebrated their love and their new marriage with their beloved families and friends. There’s nothing like the magic of a white tent gracing such a pristine waterfront setting — and the unbelievably gorgeous flowers & centerpieces, the duogram-wrapped dance floor moment with a massive rattan chandelier and floral installation overtop, the oval bar statement moment with the bar decals and focal florals and blue glassware on the white shelves, the exquisite linens (one of which matched Gracie’s wedding dress), the rattan chandeliers and market lights and romantic tent liner, the gorgeous lounges, and all of the wedding signage and the details. It was exquisite, unique, unendingly fun, and so deeply meaningful, all in one. Gracie and Andrew’s wedding was magical & intentional, coastal & elevated, inviting & refined, fresh & memorable, and filled with the most heartfelt, beautiful, meaningful details and design. Their faith, their love, and their joy shone through at every turn.

Getting Ready

Bridal Portraits

Flat Lays

The Fashion

Wedding Gown

Gracie wore a stunning strapless sweetheart neckline floral Sareh Nouri gown from Gilded Bridal. The floral applique dress was perfect for a summertime coastal wedding, and the bride added a romantic floral-edged cathedral length veil, powder blue Loeffler Randall heels, and wore family heirloom jewelry. Gracie also changed into a white Farm Rio flower dress for the later part of their reception, and for their private last dance and getaway, she changed into a white sequin dress. For the bride's bouquet, she carried a bouquet filled with her favorite all-white flowers, including white orchids, and dark greenery accents.

Bridesmaid Dresses

Gracie's bridesmaids wore ice blueSachin And Babi one-shouldered gowns that perfectly tied into the flowers and design of the wedding day. The gowns had a statement collapsed bow on one shoulder, and the bridesmaids wore white floral earrings and party ponytails to complete their look. The bridesmaids carried bouquets similar to the bride's with white blooms, dark greenery, and soft touches of blue, all tied with a powder blue silk ribbon. In addition to Gracie's bridesmaids, she also had honorary bridesmaids who were a complementary blue & white floral gown of their choosing. The honorary bridesmaids carried all-white flower-blocked bouquets. Blue, white, and florals were a common thread of the entire day and wedding design, and all of the fashion came together so exquisitely.

Groomsman Attire

The groom wore a dapper tuxedo with a white dinner jacket to set him apart, while his groomsmen wore elegant black tuxedos to complement Andrew. Full of Southern elegance, the groom's white dinner jacket was a handsome selection for their coastal summertime setting and the elegance of the wedding. Boutonnières included white blooms and dark greenery and were tied with a powder blue silk ribbon.

Wedding Party

Ceremony

Cocktail Hour

The Details

Food & Drink

The food and drinks were especially important to the families, and not only did they want delicious food, but they also wanted fun and unique food offerings for their guests! Common to tented weddings at the coast, Gracie and Andrew's reception was mix & mingle style with simultaneous stations and dancing all evening long. A standard seated and plated reception did not fit this lively and fun wedding! As their guests walked from the ceremony to cocktail hour, waiters greeted them with passed signature cocktails: blackberry mojitos (the bride's favorite) and whiskey gingers (the groom's favorite). In addition to a full bar with ample offerings, the bride and groom also had a tiered champagne display awaiting guests, with flutes of champagne from the bride's cousin's family vineyard in Germany. Passed hors d'oeuvres greeted guests at cocktail hour and included fish tacos (served in limes), crab and avocado toast with pickled onion, ham and pimento cheese biscuits, watermelon, mint, & feta bites, chicken & waffles, and artisan cheese and fresh fruit. For the stations during their reception, there was a trio of salads (kale, blueberry, & goat cheese, a Southern BLT salad, and a peach panzanella salad), shrimp & grits, grilled summer vegetables with lemon, mac & cheese bar with all the toppings, and a carving station with sides. And, of course, no party is complete without late night snacks! During the dancing, milkshake shooters, donut holes, cones of french fries, and chicken tenders were served, along with a surprise for the groom: his favorite sauces from a local BBQ restaurant back home. With creative displays, a fun service style, and a delicious seafood & Southern-food focused menu, guests ate and drank well all night long.

Florals & Decor

When building a reception tent from the ground up, you can really do anything with the design and creative direction of the tent! The waterfront tent setting was an idyllic backdrop, and a white tent was the only way to go in the heat of June at the coast. The lawn was pristine and expansive, and we added a romantic white liner to the tent ceiling, draping on the poles, and then went to work creating the most beautiful, thoughtful, and fresh design inside the tent with ample space for movement of their 350 guests, along with the focal dance floor and the focal bar. The dance floor included a custom duogram wrap, a statement 13' greenery and floral chandelier overtop, and rattan and woven chandeliers to frame the dance floor. The stagefront was adorned with flowers, the stage backdrop included boxwood walls, and the band was electric all night long with an utterly packed dance floor! Several lounges flanked the dance floor in the perfect palette, along with a mix of high top wood tables, cocktail tables, bistro tables, longer tables with a lush runner of hydrangeas, the most beautiful blue and white linens, romantic candlelight, and stunning floral centerpieces and bud vases. The weather was gorgeous on their wedding day, and we utilized the surrounding waterfront lawn and veranda for additional seating. The focal oval bar in the tent was grand and beautiful with statement tall floral arrangements in each corner, rattan chandeliers and a chandelier of greenery adorning the space above the bar, white shelves with blue glassware to tie in the blue palette, powder blue and white floral decals for the bar fronts, powder blue signage in rattan frames, custom cocktail napkins and drink stirrers, and all the fresh and fun design elements at the bar. At the ceremony site, which overlooked the sound, there was a grand floral arch to frame the bride and groom. Towering almost ten feet tall and filled with lush white and blue flowers, it accentuated the ceremony site so beautifully. White chiavari chairs stood out against the waterfront backdrop, 34 aisle flowers framed the ceremony aisle, two towering urns graced the back of the chairs, and the heron and boats that went by were so picturesque.

Wedding Cake

The grand five tier wedding cake was quite the showstopper inside the tent! The cake was designed to match the bride's gown with the floral appliques, and there were some exquisite 3D flowers that popped out of the cake, as well. The cake perched atop the statement blue and white patterned linen with a lush meadow of flowers surrounding the base of the cake to make it pop beautifully. The bride and groom cut into their wedding cake with the bride's parents' heirloom silver cake knife and server, and they served wedding cake in vanilla cake with lemon curd, marble cake with chocolate ganache, and almond cake with almond buttercream. It was as delicious as it was beautiful, and the grand cake and cake table were one of the first things the guests saw as they entered the reception tent.

Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs

The entire focus of Gracie and Andrew's wedding day was truly about their ceremony, their vows and marriage, their faith, and celebrating all of this with their treasured family and friends. As much fun as we had designing the tent and bringing the gorgeous details and design together, the emphasis was on their marriage and this holy celebration. And what a joyous celebration it was! Gracie and Andrew are adored by their families and friends, and you could feel the pure joy, celebration, excitement, and love from everyone. They had their pastor from their church marry them, which was so special and touching. 53 people walked down the aisle, which is such a testament to how loved these two are! The weather was picture perfect and not too hot, especially for a June day at the coast, and their ceremony was so special and so meaningful. A string quartet played a mix of traditional wedding music and their favorite hymns. Processional songs included Ode to Joy and Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, and the bride walked down the aisle with her father to Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, with the string quartet accompanied by a trumpet. There wasn't a dry eye as Gracie joyfully walked down the aisle, especially seeing Andrew's emotional reaction to his beautiful bride. What a moment! During the ceremony, the groom's father read Colossians 3:12-17 and a dear friend of the bride read 1 John 4:7-21. Guests were invited to join in singing a congregational hymn, Be Thou My Vision, lead by the worship team from Gracie and Andrew's church. As Gracie's cathedral length veiled gracefully billowed in the wind, as the heron and seagulls flew by, and as small boats sailed by in the background, Gracie and Andrew said their vows to one another, sealed it with the sweetest kiss, and joyfully walked down the aisle - with a kiss and a dip! - as newlyweds!

Special Detail #1

Atlantic Beach/Pine Knoll Shores is a very special place to the bride's family, in particular! Her father has had a family beach house for many decades, and the family just finished building a beach home right next door to the older home. Their new beach house was designed by the grandmother of the bride and the mother of the bride, and it was the most beautiful, special, and perfect spot for a Thursday night backyard BBQ before the wedding, where the parents, bride, and bridesmaids stayed all week long, where the bride and bridesmaids got ready on the wedding morning, and where many of the special early moments of the wedding day unfolded. Hair and makeup, spontaneous dance parties, and sweet moments together all took place at the family beach house, and then Gracie put on her wedding dress with her mom, did a fabulous bridesmaid reveal at the house, took some photos with her bridesmaids, and did a first look with her dad there. What precious memories to have in your home! It was so convenient - and so fun! - that the beach house was so close to the wedding venue and such a picturesque and gorgeous setting for so many anticipated moments. Since the family has a house at the coast, it made it easy to bring her dad's beloved vintage dark green truck to the wedding venue! We adorned the vintage getaway car with lush white flowers and greenery, and what a beautiful statement that getaway car made. Gracie and Andrew had a few moments to enjoy it privately during their wedding, and it whisked them off at the end of the reception, as well.

Special Detail #2

Tent reveals are one of the best and most anticipated moments of a wedding day for both the bride and the wedding planner! Because of the timing of the day and since they opted to wait til the aisle to see each other, we decided to do a tent reveal with the bride, mother of the bride, & all of Gracie’s bridesmaids! Getting to unveil Gracie & Andrew’s reception tent to the ladies was an unforgettable moment and pure joy for all of us — and such a dream come true after countless hours of planning and design every detail, logistic, and design element! Plus, it’s always a good day when spontaneous dancing with the bride and her bridesmaids takes place during the tent reveal on that stunner of a dance floor!

Special Detail #3

The bride and groom move to Boston this summer to go into ministry together, and we wanted to surprise them - and their wedding guests! - with a little send-off. We dreamt up a display with their college pennants, the distance between the two schools, some adorable fabric signage, lush flowers, and then several Boston-themed treats: Cape Cod chips, Boston Baked Beans, and hand-tied packages of the bride's favorite, lobster gummies. Not only was it a sweet treat and personalized favor for guests as they departed the wedding, but it was a very special and meaningful surprise for the bride and groom as they move to Boston and begin their lives there together. We try to find several impactful ways to surprise and delight not only the guests, families, and friends but also the bride and groom, and this was one of many ways we achieved that and celebrated them well!

Couple Portraits