Nautical Wedding Ideas for Your Coastal-Inspired Celebration

Blue Gown

Your nautical accents don't have to feel obvious, as this look, styled by The Style Bungalow, proves. A wedding dress in a subtle oceanic hue, like this one from Alexia Maria, can inspire your entire event—thread the shade throughout your party for a touch of maritime influence.

• Unique Ideas for Your "Something Blue"

Unique Venue

Don't want to host your event on a boat? Consider an alternative venue that feels just as nautical. With the help of Laurie Arons and Mindy Rice, cocktail hour at this oceanside fête took place on the marina pier, affording guests sweeping views of the sea.

Sailor's Knot

The tradition of a sailor's knot, created with two intertwined ropes, began as a way for sailors to remember their loved ones while they were at sea. Although it's a relatively simple knot to tie, it's one of the strongest—which perfectly symbolizes the bond of marriage. For this very reason, the maritime tradition has been adopted by modern-day couples; the knot-tying ritual, which often takes place during the ceremony, speaks to the duo's commitment to each other.

• Creative Wedding Rituals That Symbolize Unity

Wedding Portraits

You may not be exchanging vows on a boat, but their smooth lines and rich wood make them great photo props. Joy Proctor and Bows + Arrows added garlands to this one, making it an even more striking big-day detail.

• Unique Couple Portrait Ideas to Inspire Your Wedding Photos

Shell Escort Cards

If you're looking for an affordable upgrade to paper escort cards, consider seashells. With a bit of planning, you and your fiancé (or even an eager ring bearer who wants to get involved!) can collect shells for your calligrapher to transform into seating assignment tokens, like Calligraphette & Co. did here.

• Paper Place Card Alternatives That Your Guests Won't Expect

Creative Shelving

Tipped on its end, a boat can easily become a useful and creative décor element. For this lakeside wedding, Upstate I Do transformed a canoe into a pashmina display.

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Thematic Tabletop

If you're adding a nautical statement piece, in this case a model sailboat, to your tablescape, work in other thematic details to tie the design together. Aisle Society used compass-emblazoned plates to complement the central motif.

• Trending Now: Compass Wedding Ideas

Arrival by Boat

Boats are sometimes used for grand exits, but have you thought about utilizing a sea vessel for other moments, as well? With Emily Clarke's help, this couple used a motorboat to get from their ceremony to their reception.

Ocean Hues

Nautical inspiration can be subtle—you don't have to include boat or anchor motifs if that doesn't mesh with your aesthetic. Instead, look to a color palette inspired by the sea itself. The white-and-blue color scheme at this Duet Weddings event subtly referenced the waterfront Charleston venue without feeling overly thematic.

• Cool Blue Wedding Ideas You'll Love

If you like the idea of adding art-inspired details to your maritime-influenced wedding, you'll likely gravitate towards this one-of-a-kind escort card display. Sofia Invitations made use of the couple's Wide Eyes Paper Co. crest to create this watercolor and wax-seal seating chart.

• Gorgeous Wedding Invitations with Wax Seals

Seating Chart

One of the simplest ways to weave nautical influences into your wedding day is with an ocean-minded color palette. Soft blues, sea greens, and neutral driftwood hues connected this Gilded Lily wedding's design with the seaside venue for a cohesive, maritime aesthetic.

Shell Garland

If you love the idea of adding seashells to your tablescape, but don't want to randomly scatter them around, consider crafting a shell garland. A few drill holes, some strong fishing line, and a bit of creativity are all you need to bring together an iteration like this one from Sinclair and Moore.

• Lush Wedding Garlands Guaranteed to Elevate Your Reception Tables

Saltwater Taffy

Saltwater taffy is probably the candy most associated with the ocean. Add the sweets to your welcome bags—and then fill them up with other seashore-inspired treats, as Pineapple Productions did here.

• Welcome Bags from Real Weddings

Cake Topper

Shells' interior luminescence makes them an elegant source of sparkle—so why not add them to your wedding cake? Take this Baker's Pride confection, for example. The simple white one-tier didn't need any extra embellishments for sheen; the cake's shell cake topper had it covered.

• Beach Wedding Cakes That Are Perfect for Your Seaside Dessert Table

Thematic Calligraphy

Ocean-inspired stationery accents will set the tone for your seaside wedding from the onset. As if bold blue stripes weren't enough to drive their nautical theme home, this couple also asked Laura Hooper to pen wave-inspired calligraphy onto each envelope.

• Nautical Wedding Invitations Perfect for a Waterfront Celebration

Ocean Waters

If you find yourself gravitating to this cake but can't figure out why, pay close attention to two of the elements The Sugary & Chic and The Foraged Fern incorporated into its design. Drastically different tier heights made the confection feel unique, while tide-inspired hand-painting connected the dessert to the waterfront locale.

• Beautiful Wedding Cakes That Are (Almost!) Too Pretty to Eat

Bar Sign

Small nautical accents are still incredibly striking. Case in point? This bar sign from The Detail Department, which featured a simple boat motif. The elegant script added a touch of refined romance to the signage, preventing it from feeling overtly coastal.

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Oysters

Oysters on the half-shell are always a great summer cocktail hour staple—so make sure to highlight them at your event. Galvanized trays and servers clad in ocean-inspired blue bow ties made these passed raw hors d'oeuvres feel inspired and fresh.

• Cocktail Hour Food Ideas Your Guests Will Love

Lobster Rolls

Another great sea-ready addition to your cocktail hour menu? Lobster rolls. Whether you're tying the knot in Maine, or simply have a soft spot for these shellfish sandwiches, they'll bring a fun, nautical feel to your cuisine. Upgrade the savory snacks even more by serving them on raw-edged wood trays that reference driftwood.

• Crowd-Pleasing Engagement Party Food Ideas

Classic

If you consider yourself a classic-meets-preppy bride, this suite is for you. This Zazzle invitation proved that navy and white will always work for a seaside wedding.

• Classic Wedding Invitations for Traditional Brides and Grooms

Anchor Pins

These Lion in the Sun escort cards are a great reminder that paying attention to the smallest details is the best way to make your aesthetic feel cohesive. Mini anchor pins adhered guests' escort cards to the display board for a practical and on-theme addition to the wedding design.

• Insanely Creative Escort Cards and Seating Displays

King Crab

It's not hard to understand why delicious King crab legs should make an appearance at your nautical celebration. But the part of this display that really resonates? The catering team displayed the seafood in oversized shell-inspired trays as yet another nod to the water.

Model Boat

Did you grow up building model boats? Or maybe you just love sailing. Either way, miniature sailboats with table numbers painted onto their sails are a thematic way to bring the sea to your reception tables—the wooden vessels at this Amorology wedding did exactly that.

• The Prettiest Wedding Table Number Ideas from Real Weddings

Save-the-Date

You don't need to wait until the end of the reception to hand out favors—send a trinket along with your save-the-date to get the party started early. Crab hammers, engraved by Empress Stationery with pertinent big-day details, gave guests an idea of what to expect at this couple's seafood-filled event.

• Wedding Insiders Share the Biggest Save-the-Date Faux Pas

Shells

There are a million shells on the beach, which means they're an easily-accessible addition to your event design. You don't have to go crazy when adding seashells to your décor—Margaret Cally Events simply placed one at every place setting as a finishing touch.

Calligraphed Shells

With a bit of planning, shell escort cards are a wedding project that everyone can participate in. During your next seaside vacation, task your family with collecting shells for your calligrapher to decorate. Depending on their script style, the end result will look similar to what Chelsea Petaja created here.

Crab Box

A crab box caught a little something different at this Gilded Lily Events wedding: cards from friends and family! Selecting a gift container that fits into your overall theme is a thoughtful, personalized touch.

• Ways to Set Up a Card or Gift Table at Your Wedding

Anchors Away

Looking for a way to honor your spouse-to-be's service? A subtle nod to the Navy, these tiny gold anchors were a thoughtful reference to the groom's career. Vanessa Michelle helped bring the couple's vision to life while Kelsey Malie was responsible for the calligraphy.

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Life Preserver

Of all the seafaring ideas on this list, this is one of the most unique. A calligraphed life preserver was used to commemorate the pre-wedding boat ride this couple hosted for guests at their destination wedding, which Bash Please planned.

Favors

To ensure that your wedding feels nautical from beginning to end, pay extra attention to the favors you're sending guests home with. Bottles of maple syrup got an anchor upgrade at this wedding, so attendees could remembered its ocean-inspired theme long after it wrapped.

• Edible Wedding Favors Guests Will Eat Up (Literally!)

Seafaring Fashion

One word of advice: Pay special attention to the fabrics you select for your oceanside wedding ensemble. Breathable materials like chiffon and organza are the way to go, as opposed to more structured crêpes and brocades. These brides selected light and breezy BHLDN outfits that felt right at home at their Rhode Island wedding.

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Grand Exit

If you want to carry your seafaring theme throughout every element of your day, don't forget to plan a nautical grand exit. This couple hopped into the back of a vintage boat for a one-of-a-kind getaway.

• Unique Ideas for Your Wedding Exit

Portraits on a Boat

This couple took their wedding portraits on a picturesque sailboat. If your locale affords you the same opportunity, take advantage of the pretty prop—especially during golden hour.

• Get Inspired by Unique Couple Portrait Ideas

Tying the Knot

Make like this this bride and groom—who participated in a traditional knot-tying ceremony using sailing rope—and display the keepsake in a shadowbox in your home to commemorate your marriage vows.

• See More Creative Wedding Rituals That Symbolize Unity

Arrival by Boat

Make your "something borrowed" nautical by borrowing a boat from a loved one for your wedding. This couple did just that; the groom arrived to the ceremony on his father-in-law's boat.

• Get More Unexpected Wedding Transportation Ideas

Oar Signs

Wedding-day signage certainly doesn't have to be paper. This couple opted for calligraphed wooden oars to match their oceanside theme. The boat motifs from Life at Studio B were turned into signposts, guiding guests to all of the evening's activities and events.

• 29 Creative Wedding Signs You'll Love

Sailboat Escort Card

If you aren't able to incorporate an actual sailboat into your nautical wedding plans, consider creating paper iterations instead, like this bride did. These sailboat-shaped escort cards were actually calligraphed by the bride herself.

• See More Elegant Ways to Decorate Your Wedding with Calligraphy