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Sophisticated beach weddings are not seen as often as I wish they were.  I feel like most couples fall into a cliche, never really seeing the world of amazing possibilities that seaside fetes can be.  Gilded Lily Events has created a stunning beachy affair of worldly class using elevated design & simple touches.  Starting with the choice to play with salt water taffy hues, the team crafted water color visions dripping in refinement with a palette soft & sweet on the eyes.  Touches like the the sea shell garlands, beach glass fillers, even the wicker braided mats and hurricane lanterns bring a real New England Hamptons vibe, giving a much needed face lift to beach weddings.  As if the decor were not enough to transport you to a new water filled world, the bridal style, clad in head to toe lace, is truly breathtaking and our groom could not be more smartly dressed and a picture of refinement & youth.  There are so many lovely elements that I am confident this will inspire all our future seaside brides for their very own special shoreline celebration!

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What Storyboard Likes…

Elegance & Sophistication FactorIt might make me awful to actually vocalize it, but I really want to stress the awesome factor here, so I need to break a few eggs in the making of this cake.  {That was me prefacing that I swear I am not a mean girl in case you  missed it 🙂 }  As much as I hate to say it, for whatever reason, I have seen more then my fair share of not so great beach weddings.  I don’t necessarily mean ones that have come across my desk in particular, those overall that I have ever seen.  I can’t exactly put my finger on it, but for whatever reason,  it seems all design logic, all elevated elements of design, all too often go out the window when it comes to beach weddings.  Maybe people think its sand, it needs to be minimal and minimal means so  little there is nothing good there?  I don’t know why it happens,  but it drives me nuts.  Let me be clear folks, there is always room for awesome!  That is pretty much what I appreciate about this styled shoot.  At first glance, it too may seem simple, but that’s truly the point isnt it?   Key elements, perfect colors, placed together swimmingly {sorry I couldn’t help my cheesy self!}  Beautiful full shells, woven place mats, mini sand pails to hold the flagged table numbers {which also capture the feel of blowing in the wind}, strong nautical rope, beach glass, you name it.  All the right elements, placed together in gorgeous beachy harmony.  Don’t hate me guys, but you don’t need to shove wave replicas, shout neon blues, & throw flip flops everywhere for your guests to know that you’re getting married on the shore.  Take a cue for the elevated style & design here, go beach chic!

Built On Sand– I love the bravery here of reception tables on sand!  I will admit to never personally having been to a beach wedding, but I have had a private dinner on the beach.  I really appreciate the choice here of setting the tables along the break line, flirting with trouble but making for some amazing shots too! As well, the choice of chestnut chairs is the perfect compliment to the bone white sand. Frosted chargers & simple stemware work beautifully to take on the nature’s neutral color palette while the injection of salt water taffy infused colors provide that sense of ocean whimsy.  A decor piece that might get slightly overlooked, the woven place mats work as the perfect peace offering uniting the quiet starkness of the sand with the strong organic chestnut chairs.  These tables were built for quiet beauty.

Smart Dress– Our bride & groom could not get more New England upper crust brilliant.  The choice of an ultra feminine & playful Claire Pettibone gown is divine for 2 reasons here.  Firstly the gown gives a slight vintage nod, all the while making our bride look sophisticated as ever.  Secondly, your better off with a lighter more flirty gown for beach weddings.  While you can clearly do whatever you like, I dont suggest dragging a full on ball gown through the sand.  Our groom is equally dress in divine perfection giving the J. Crew catalog a run for its money!  The cut of the suit, along with the playful diagonal striped bow tie, give our man just the right touches to be New England chic!

 

Vendor Love

Location: Sandy Hook Beach | Wedding Dress: Claire Pettibone | Makeup Artist: Artist for Smashbox | Shoes: Yves Saint Laurent | Groom’s Attire: J. Crew | Event Designer: Gilded Lily Events | Invitation Designer: Art, Paper, Scissors Design | Photographer: Christina Lilly Photography