It's All in the Details: A Sea-Themed Wedding
By Stephanie Avent
Shannon and Walter Green had their sights set on a waterfront wedding since before they were even engaged. It all began with a boating trip that took them by the Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michaels. The couple fell in love with the scenery, and knew it was where they would be married one day. On June 30, 2007, their dream wedding became a perfect reality.
Considering that the bride-to-be is a marine biologist, and that the couple has a shared passion for all-things-aquatic, it’s not hard to imagine how the sea -inspired theme of their wedding came about. Shannon, who also has a flair for interior decorating and event planning, says that her “inspiration piece” was a picture of an invitation with a starfish attached. She quickly recruited a designer and set to work in creating her own wedding invitations using sea glass colored organza ribbon, raffia, tiny starfish, and a poem that read, “As unique as a seashell, as deep as the sea, as eternal as the waves, our love is meant to be.” With this new color palette of sea glass (blue, green, aqua, and natural brown) and starfish (gold and bronze), the theme became complete.
Using natural colored baskets, several shades of blue ribbon, starfish, and raffia, the bride created whimsical holders for the wedding programs. The decorator designed a matching basket for the flower girl’s ivory-colored rose petals.
One of the Greens’ ring bearers carried a delicate white pillow adorned with a set of three starfish and white ribbon, while the other carried a very large starfish tied with organza ribbons in sea glass colors. The sea-inspired color scheme carried into the wedding attire as well, with the groom in a white and blue seersucker suit, the bridesmaids wearing dresses in two shades of sea glass blue, and family members wearing coordinating colors or blue and green starfish ties from Vineyard Vines. Even the minister wore a matching blue bow tie!
The bride’s bouquet, a lovely arrangement of ivory roses and calla lilies, was accented with starfish, seashells, and colored sea glass on copper wire, with the flowers’ stems wrapped in ivory ribbon. The maid of honor’s bouquet was made up of blue hydrangeas, ivory calla lilies, and the same sea-faring accents as the bride’s bouquet. The men in the wedding party wore boutonnières of calla lilies and loop grass, with a special starfish “starring” in the groom’s.
Lovely tabletops were set with ivory linens and gold-rimmed china.
The bride’s handmade starfish favors sat atop each guest’s napkin and menu card, and tiny starfish accents tied the place cards in to the theme. At the center of the table, among flickering white votives, starfish, and beautiful sea glass pieces, sat low, square glass vases (also filled with starfish and sea glass) that showcased different shades of green and blue hydrangeas and ivory roses. The seashells in the centerpieces (and in the bridal bouquets as well) were carefully arranged to resemble flowers.
An amazing four-tiered, square wedding cake awed the newlyweds and their guests alike! Layers of two different flavors of cake (chocolate with chocolate cream filling, and pina colada—a rich coconut cake with pineapple mousse filling) were iced in ivory butter cream frosting and accented with cascading white chocolate starfish dusted in gold powder. A white and dark chocolate monogram of the bride and groom’s initials and a topper of blue hydrangeas and ivory calla lilies completed Chef Marl Salter’s stunning creation.
Sea Change: Extra special touches enhance the theme wedding
- Reading selections from Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
- A sand ceremony: the bride and groom combined sand from places they had traveled to (both separately and together) to symbolize the blending of their lives
- The bride’s hair comb, made of real coin pearls, starfish, and tiny aquamarines
- Matching barrettes for the flower girl
- Bride’s gift to the groom: sterling silver starfish cufflinks (they match a necklace he had given her as a birthday gift!)
- Children’s table: the sea glass and starfish present at the adult tables were replaced with sea glass colored jelly beans and starfish lollipops in wedding colors