Whether you are holding your wedding by the ocean, a river or a swimming pool, you should choose decorations that somehow connect to water. The decorations don't necessarily have to be nautical, but they should be flowing and invoke the qualities of the body of water. Keep in mind that a seaside or river-side location may be windy, so choose decorations that you would mount firmly.
Lighting
Candles are a great choice of lighting for a beach or poolside wedding. Place small candles that float in the pool or use tiki torches or other large, dramatic looking candles at a beach wedding. If your wedding is by a river or lake, go for more classic lighting options, such as lanterns with candles inside or a string of paper lanterns. Candles and lanterns are great choices for a wedding in the late afternoon and early evening, before it gets too dark outside. For a more environmentally-friendly option, use candles made of soy instead of beeswax or petroleum.
Centerpieces
For a beach wedding, fill cylindrical vases with seashells and place in the center of each table. Carefully arrange more seashells around the base of the vase for a casual look. Skip the seashells and fill the vases with bits of sea glass, if you prefer. If the wedding is by a lake or river, choose flowers or plants native to the area for your centerpieces. You can also fill a shallow glass bowl with water and float petals or flowers on the water. Fill the bowl with blue glass pebbles and nestle tea lights into the pebbles if you prefer.
The Aisle and Seats
Unless you plan on walking down a sandy aisle, you may want to spread a runner across it. A runner made of blue sheer fabric will invoke the water in the ocean, pool or lake. Hold the runner down with river rocks or large seashells. If your wedding is by a lake or river, hold the runner down with potted grass or small potted flowers. You can also drape the seats with matching blue fabric and hold in place with seashell pins. To make the pins, simply hot glue a shell to a safety pin or brooch pin.
The Altar
Many couples may want to say their vows under an arch decorated with flowers. If your wedding is at a beach, though, that arch may come crashing down the second a strong breeze kicks up. Design your altar so that it matches the rest of the wedding instead. If your wedding is poolside, consider saying your vows on the diving board. If it is at a lake or river, say your vows balancing very carefully in a rowboat or canoe. At the beach, you may want to build a sand castle around the altar area or arrange seashells in a pretty pattern.
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