Bring the natural beauty of ocean, sand and sunsets together for your beach wedding. Glistening ocean treasures are expressed through an assortment of pearls and sea shells while the splendor of sunset colors are reflected in tropical floras.
Natural pineapple and coconut centerpieces can create a casual Island-style elegance. Pineapples can be wrapped it netting and ribbon-tied beneath the leaf-tops. Coconuts and pineapples can be spray-painted either white or silver.
Place fruit onto a dinner plate and add shells around the base, natural or spray-painted along with over-sized imitation pearls, as below. For a beach theme wedding centerpiece, pineapples, coconuts and sea shells will also add island-sweet fragrances to your reception room.
Colorful Bird of Paradise flowers can be clipped from almost any backyard bush and look florist-fresh. Several of these spiky-plumed flowers cut into 8″ and 12″ stalks can be placed in clear or colored-glass vases with decorative shells stacked in the bottom, at least an inch high in water to weight the vase. Place-setting napkins can be folded into matching Bird of Paradise folds with starched napkins and the simple instructions found online at napkinfoldingguide.com.
Heliconia (crab-claw) flower stalks are similar to the Bird of Paradise, available in different colors ranging from purple to red, orange, yellow and pale peach shades. As other flowers need to be in pots or vases a single stalk of a flat multi-floral Heliconia can be laid directly onto long tables alternating with ferns and large decorative shells for family-style luau receptions.
Plastic-looking Anthurium flowers are another luau-style reception staple with large leaf-shaped flowers, protruding stamen and available in a wide color spectrum from black/burgundy to the softest pink and peachy shades. See the breathtakingly beautiful Big Island Watermelon Obake and Lady Jane Anthuriums online at HawaiianMagic.net.
Place an Anthurium stalk or two into a clear vase adding oversized pearls or shells to weight the bottom, no water necessary. Silk Anthuriums are available in powdery-soft shades providing an alternative to the fresh-yet-plastic look. Either way these beautiful tropical flowers will appear fresh far beyond your wedding reception so encourage your guests to take them home.
Other take-home favorites include Orchids, available potted in numerous colors and varieties from dark purple and lavender to blue, yellow and white, in spotted or variegated hues with pastel shadings. A single delicate Orchid strand usually comes potted and tied to a decorative bamboo stick for stabilization, and when placed onto a white saucer is the only décor necessary for a round guest reception table.
Wrap bridal netting around the lip of the orchid pot and tie into a large bow. Or place the flower pot onto a large square or circle of netting, pulling up and over the flower pot, tying a ribbon around the orchid stalk. A handful of black or white sand and a variety of shells can then be strewn around the saucer at the base of the netted Orchid pot.
Shells & Pearls
Over-sized white Nautilus, Conch or sand-filled Clam shells can be the focal point for beach-themed wedding table centerpieces. However large shells in their natural state can be very heavy so you might want to look for artificial shells. Weighing substantially less can look just as beautiful as if they just washed up, onto shore and landed on your reception tables.
Clam or Abalone shells shimmering with mother-of-pearl can be used to float Orchids in water, or turned into candles. Melting craft store candle wax in a microwavable container and poured carefully into shells will transform them into romantic dinner-table candles. Drop a short wick or two into the hot wax and press a few smaller shells into the top of the wax prior to hardening.
If you would rather not go through all the crafting, simply purchase over-sized imitation pearls or colored glass balls from your local craft store and fill large shells with these baubles from the sea. Place-setting napkins can simply be rolled up into hollowed shell napkin rings. Capturing natural ocean beauty for a beach theme wedding is easy to do yourself and can save enough money for your tropical honeymoon.
