No You Can't Elope - But, Yes to Cantalope! Sailboat Theme

Looking for a fabulous and inexpensive "WOW" factor for your wedding? So simple. So uniqe. I found this in the Southern Living Magazine; July 2009 Issue. This is great for the beach, summer or even spring wedding.

The cantalope sailboat. A wonderful spring/summer place setting. Take a wedge of melon which is basically a simple boat shape. (you can use honeydew or even watermelon if you prefer.) Then take a wooden skewer, some twine and thick card stock for a sail. Cut your paper into a curve triangle and use a pen to personalize. Cut a hole at the top and bottom of the paper and feed it onto a wood skewer. Afix a small piece of knotted twine at each end and stick into cantalope. Voila! A wonderful place setting that your guests will talk about. Take it a step further and purchase wedding stock with a light pattern or color coordinate to your wedding. You can also add other sailboat or nautical themes to the reception.

Source: Page 18, Southern Maryland Magazine (July, 2009); Photo by Ralph Anderson; Styling by Buffy Hargett

More Beach Themed Wedding Accessories

More beach themed accessories for your summer wedding . . .

Seaside Allure Garter Set Keep your beach theme going down to the smallest detail. This set arrives with two garters, one for tossing and the other to keep. Both are embroidered in blue and your keepsake piece includes a blue lining and a silver starfish embellishment.

Seaside Allure Guestbook and pen set. This book and pen set has the breezy, summery look of linen that feels just right for your seaside wedding. Each piece is finished with a touch of embroidery and a silver starfish to carry out your theme. The guest book has a title page that can be adapted to accommodate three languages - English, French and Spanish, and various
occasions. The book accommodates 430 entries in a simple line format without titles on each page. The spiral construction ensures the book lays flat. Each book measures 9 1/2" long and 6 1/2" tall. The matching pen holder includes a silver ball point pen that writes with black ink.

Seaside Allure Pillow. This pillow has the breezy, summery look of linen that feels just right for your seaside wedding. Finished with a touch of embroidery and a silver starfish, this pillow measures 8" square.

Newport Shore Wedding Candle favors - The incredible details make these little tealights look like reall shells and starfish so they're perfect for your celebration by the sea. Each set arrives ready for giving and includes four tealights in a clear gift box, tied with raffia and a beach-themed thank you tag.

Planning a Themed Wedding

When you dreamed of your wedding as a little girl, was it a grand, traditional experience or did it have a unique, modern twist?

The sky is the limit when planning a theme wedding. The key thing to remember is that even though it is a theme wedding, it should have all of the same basic elements of a traditional wedding. But where to start? Our check list is the first step.

• Choose Your Theme!A great theme wedding cannot start without a great theme. Start by choosing something meaningful to you. What are your interests or hobbies? Are you more serious, playful, elegant or edgy? Whatever you choose, make sure it fits your personality.
• Popular themes include beach/nautical and garden themes, romantic or Shakespearean themes and even Western-style or Renaissance themes. Cultural themes are especially popular in recent years. These include African, Hawaiian, Italian or Asian Wedding Theme. Choose Unique Wedding Favors and Invitations!
  Invitations are a great place to start introducing your theme. For the Renaissance theme, an invitation with a knight in shining armor
  would fit well. A garden theme invitation inset with flowers and
  trees would work well for a garden wedding. Do you want a causal
  beach wedding? Create fun, tropical style invitations to give
  your guests a hint of what is to come.
• Continue your theme with themed wedding favors. If you and your fiancé love golf, golf ball bottle openers or a golfer's key ring might be perfect for you. You can start your search for the most unique wedding favors and bridal shower favors online.
• Choose Location and Decorations! Now that you have decided on a theme, picked out invitations and chosen favors, you can think about big items like location and decorations.
  Remember, nothing is too out of the ordinary.
• Host a Camelot-themed wedding inside a romantic castle or an under the sea wedding at the local aquarium. A garden wedding would be perfect in a tranquil wooded setting.
• When decorating for your Renaissance wedding, you can use flowers, balloons, garlands, streamers, posters and other items to help transform your site into the fairytale you are creating for your guests.
• Think about popular motifs for your theme. Beach balls indicate a fun beach wedding, while a saddle and bales of hay would be perfect for a Western-themed wedding. Whatever you choose, there are great places where you can either rent or purchase everything from decorations to props and costumes.
• Choose the Music, Food and Dance! What better way to carry out your theme than through the right choice of music. This is especially true for cultural weddings where African music or an Italian dance can set the mood and make all the difference.
• Do some research to find the right type of music or take dance classes to learn the proper waltz technique for a royal wedding. Through your research, you may find other great ideas for details to make your themed event a spectacular one.