beach modern

As a follow up to the last post, if you are considering a destination wedding this winter (or any time!), how gorgeous is this beach modern look? Love the key lime green and cream. So classic. So tropical.

Then maybe you could give away one of these in your guest welcome bags. New favorite for beach towels--lightweight linen, oversized, quick drying and gorgeous.

{erica}

Ocean House: an elegant gem.

No detail was missed. They even managed to order up the most perfect, breezy late May evening for the premiere {re}opening and ribbon cutting last night. This five star resort truly embodies classic elegance of days gone by- from the carefully edited selection of artwork, to the grand entryway, the attentive and professional staff, sweeping verandas and panoramic vistas of the crashing surf and Block Island. A few of us had the feeling of being invited onto the christening of a 1920's elegant ocean liner. Mike and I came away from the premiere event just feeling so proud and excited that we lived in a community that was home to this iconic classic. Check out the details, the delicious menus from the different restaurants on site, the spa and the events for Ocean House this season. Your summer cocktail on the wrap around porch is waiting.

mango + coral love.

Today's forcast Orchid Island, FL: 75 degrees. Mystic, CT: 7 degrees. Beautiful images from this wedding found on Snippet and Ink make me nostalgic for our own breezy, beachy, tropical wedding with similar casual, seaside vibe . I feel warmer already.

{erica}

Pantone Swatches: The Wedding Palette

We still laugh at how many conversations, emails and magazine tear sheets were exchanged between my mom and I for color ideas when it came time to plan our (Mike and I, that is) wedding. It did not help that it was a destination wedding at my parents beach club so mom got stuck with the thankless task of scouting out locally just the precise shade of mango and coral for all of our decor items. Not pink and orange. Not salmon and fushia. Very specifically, mango and coral. I still cringe thinking of how picky I got in the planning process.

So to avoid these long consultation sessions-how smart is this concept found at Snippet & Ink from the leaders in color? Pantone Wedding swatches from Dessy eases the communication process between graphic designers doing your invites, the florists and your bridesmaids. Even with our wedding behind us, I could still spend hours here in the color chart and creating inspiration boards with all the beautiful Pantone color combos!
{erica}

where ocean and wedding celebration meet.

Thought these were two wonderful ways to mark a celebration space for an oceanside wedding. Playful, bright and celebratory- these flags and balloons are a unique way to mark where seaside ends and reception space begins. I am partial to the Balinese flags as these are from our wedding...designed and hand-sewn by mom. The light, white sailcloth gracefully lined the poolside cocktail hour blowing in the breeze- nautical and crisp. The ocean was just down the dune steps and our reception space in the Georgian Style beach club set poolside. True tropical beach celebration.
{erica}

Morning Coffee #8 : beach tans + whites

These rooms- breezy & beachy with distressed wood and multiple shades of white and cream are the perfect inspiration for a true beach wedding. How lovely is this wedding celebration? Skip the tent. Bring in the cigar rollers. Burlap, linens and wood beams with flowing feminine touches play beautifully off one another. To me, it is the perfect balance of masculine and feminine influences. Another lovely wedding photographed by Elizabeth Messina ( clean & classic with perfect lighting, beautiful composition, and an eye for lovely details) with room images courtesy of Skona.

Tropical Seaside Celebration

When my husband and I got engaged in June we knew we did not want to wait for a warm New England summer to roll around again before we got married. We love nature and we loved the ideas of making the outdoors part of our day. The immediate thought was a late Autumn wedding in Block Island. While considering the idea- the stories of Late Fall weddings where stormy seas cancelled ferries and and the fact that many our favorite places were already booked or out of our price range- caused the Block Island dream to fizzle. We crossed that destination off our list.

In late June, on a road trip after our friends wedding in Colorado a new idea was sparked. Somewhere on a steep switchback road through Berthoud Pass or on a long open stretch beyond Winter Park we fell in love with the idea of a Colorado Ranch wedding in Spring Time. Devils Thumb Ranch made us lose our breath (perhaps the altitude?) We envisioned a weekend getaway made for movies-an intimate group of friends and family- horsebackriding and hikes, bonding conversations by the fire pit, bluegrass barbeque for our rehearsal dinner. One look at the enormous central fireplace, vaulted ceilings and panoramic view of the Continental Divide and we were smitten. Post and beam barn meets rough hewn Ralph Lauren decor. We were definitely on a Rocky Mountain High and I think Mike channeled a bit of Robert Redford for a few days. He had a swagger to his step until we got home. But the reality sunk in at sea level - a Colorado wedding at such a high altitude (9000 ft) would mean some very important older relatives would not be able to join in our wildflower and evergreen dream.

We kept looking. What evolved could not have been more perfect. My parents beach club (Very bermuda-esque...think Georgian style Mansion in coral!) on a Barrier Island near Vero Beach. We warmed up to the idea slowly but once we got the full picture of a wedding in the tropics- I became a little obsessed. This very New England duo (okay -so it was mainly me) all of a sudden embraced everything tropical. Visions of Mango Margheritas and Vodka Basil Lemonade and steel drums danced in my head. The inspiration board above gives you a flavor. In this quiet community surrounded by the mangroves of the Intercoastal to the west and the ocean to the east-we let the blues and tans of sand and sky dominate. Two colors gave it a pop-mango and coral to be specific. (I could never get Mike to use the "right" names for the colors- orange and pink- no matter how often I described the nuances!) The day was perfect- breezy, 70s and big puffy cumulus clouds on cue in early November. Beach ceremony at sunset and our celebration just up the dune steps to the Club and pool. A slice of tropical paradise at last.

|erica|

Photo credits left to right/Top down

www.brookemayo.com
www.whatistimco.com
www.marybasnight.com
www.amydeyoung.com
www.pauljohnsonphotography.com
www.tullebride.com
www.simplesong.typepad.com