Yay! I am SO excited about today’s “Mel’s Monday” because I finally get to share some kind of recap from my own pre-wedding events! I’ve been dying to share pics from my Iced Tea Bridal Shower that took place over the Fourth of July weekend. My wonderful sister, Lydia was an amazing host and brought out the Martha Stewart in her to create a truly unforgettable and most perfect bridal shower day for me. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. My mom was there as she always is to help be the “creative team behind the scenes” as I like to call it, helping with set-up, special props and other creative elements. I LOVE that we get our creative streak from her and I’ve already warned Mr. Oceanside that I do plan on passing down the gene to our future children so he should just go ahead and be prepared for future family weekends to be filled with paint, glue, stencils, hot glue guns, felt, card stock, stickers and rubber stamps! Lol.
Anyway, no further delays, let’s dive into the fun weekend we had…
My sister made the most unique bridal shower invites that welcomed the guests to the “Iced Tea” themed bridal shower. She home printed the invites, cut out the little paper tea cups by hand and assembled the card stock invites that included a layer of lace and an adorable little “tea bag” made of fabric and thread that shared our registry information. Creative don’t you think?!
Haha, my silly bridesmaid Dominique is all about “photo opportunities” and saw one using the props! Lol…this is me and the host, my beautiful sister Lydia.
Although this took place on a warm Georgia summer afternoon, I LOVED the outdoor set up. It was so perfect!
Mmmm, mmmm…my mom’s chicken salad croissants and Asian lettuce/chicken wraps are amazing!! Trust me.
The games were so fun!! I was super shocked and overwhelmed with excitement by one game my sister came up with. She found a way to incorporate my blog- The Oceanside Bride! She printed these amazing cards with a snapshot of us, the blog homepage, and the game instructions. In case you have a friend who blogs and want to incorporate it somehow in her pre-wedding events here were the instructions for the challenge:
Blogging the Big Day!
The Oceanside Bride is about to be married but who will blog HER story? That would be YOU…well sort of. Since the big day hasn’t actually happened, it would be hard to write about it. So you’re challenge today is to create a blog TITLE for the happy couple!
Directions: With the ladies at your table, combine your creativity to come up with a blog title that reflects Mel and Mark’s relationship and love for each other.
Use this sheet to brainstorm, write, and re-write. When you think you have the perfect title, write it on The Oceanside Bride’s blog page (in the blank box).
The game was played throughout the shower and teams had to turn in their final titles before gifts were opened.
The fun part? I got to review all the creative “anonymous” blog titles and choose the winner. Once I read the winning title out loud, my sister revealed the team members who won the grand prize!
We had a private table for two…my Matron of Honor {and cousin} Katrina flew in from California to be a part of my day. =)
Family & friends working hard on their blog titles…ha ha!
Loved this window pane of tea cups that my mom made!
Favors were cute cups filled with little packets of cookies and tea!
That’s a pic of me (above) opening up one of my favorite gifts from my youngest sister, Stacy and her hubby. It is seriously the most unique salt and pepper grinder I spotted at a Georgia state fair I went to with my mom and sisters for Mother’s Day. I wanted it so bad but being on a wedding budget, didn’t buy it. Somehow Stacy and my brother in law (who were there at the fair) bought it behind my back when I wasn’t looking! Sneaky, sneaky….
Don’t ask me what the paper napkins/doilies are for (first pic above)…I still don’t know. My sister had me leave when she explained the object of these to the guests. I’m assuming I’ll find out soon though, lol! =)
And since we had a destination wedding and some of my bridal shower guests were not attending the wedding, I decided to leave out my wedding guest puzzle that served as our guest book. Although they wouldn’t be at the actual wedding, all of these people have been in my life for many, many years and have still contributed their time, love and support throughout our lives and wedding planning so I felt it was important to capture their presence by signing a piece of our “guest book” wedding puzzle. As I put it to guests at our wedding in Cabo, each and every one of these people are a “piece” to our puzzle and without them we would not be complete.
And I love this last picture we took at my shower. These are some of the most influential, strong and independent, encouraging, nurturing, and loving women in my life. In this picture are my moms, mother-in-laws, sisters, cousins, middle school, high school and college best friends, old co-workers turned friends for life, cheerleaders, support system, shoulders I’ve cried on, will cry on, and hands I promise to hold should they need a friend. The women in this picture, blood or not, are family.
An even greater blessing is that I have more amazing women in my life who were not able to be there physically but who were there in spirit. It’s such a blessing to have so many wonderful women (and men) who are always in my corner and I thank God every day for these gifts.
All photo credits go to my step-sisters, Christy Browne and Jamie Grant. =)
Okay, okay I know I have lots of favorites, but seriously this one is definitely going in the books as one of my top favorites. Stephanie A Smith never disappoints with her photography and this was just the most perfect St. Pete, Florida beach wedding to share with you! I think this beach wedding intertwined the perfect amount of nautically inspired decor and beach theme elements without going overboard. This wedding was so crisp, cool, and elegant. I actually was telling Mr. Oceanside about Amie & Matt’s wedding event as we headed to our own 2 weeks ago. I told him lately I’ve become obsessed with nautical stripes, boats, and knotted ropes and if I ever planned a vow renewal celebration, I’d keep this wedding in mind for inspiration. I just love everything about it.
I love how Stephanie describes this beautiful couple’s style, love and special moments…
My brother came up with this a saying and it always makes me laugh, “Were Nautical Baby”. The boat shoes, the crew cut shorts, some sort of tie to New England. And while many attempt to be nautical, it’s not something that can be easily gained. It’s something that’s inside, something that naturally resonates from your soul. With being said Amie + Matt are so nautical! I can remember the first time I set foot in their waterfront condo. I recall the sailing images, the view of the bay, and their pups boating collars. Not only did I dig their style but I also fell in love with the two of them. Their engagement session took place on their boat. We packed up a cooler and headed toward the sunset. They let me into their life and I was so happy to be a part of it. Thus enters wedding day. I knew Amie had an amazing talent for design however I was blown away at what I saw she was capable of. She designed everything from the invitations, menu cards, centerpieces, ceremony decor, etc. You name it, Amie designed it……And it was all nautical baby. I think the reason I enjoyed this wedding so much was because it was totally about Amie + Matt. We left plenty of time during the day to accomplish all that they wanted. Amie wanted a few snaps with her pups, Bella and Murphy. We had a first look and then family photos all before the ceremony giving Amie and Matt most of the cocktail hour to enjoy with their guests. And then we were out on the beach until the sunset. Such an awesome day.
This image only provided by the Bride, Amie Lee
And I absolutely adore this couple’s true seaside love story…{from the Oceanside Bride, Amie}
Matt and I met 3 years ago after we both moved to Florida. I’m originally from the Twin Cities, MN and it was my dream to escape the cold and live on the gulf coast of Florida. Matt was inspired to leave Boston, MA to further pursue his career and fell in love with the warm gulf waters as well. Matt comes from a family of sailors and grew up on the water so he naturally got me to date him by chartering a boat and taking me sailing. We fell in love from there and we share that love for the water and boating. We bought a boat and started our life together in Tierra Verde, a little island just before St. Pete Beach and this became our home. It was there that Matt proposed to me.
Getting married on St. Pete Beach was our obvious destination since it’s where we fell in love and became a little family, that is Matt and I, and our two yellow labs, Murphy and Bella. The gorgeous beaches and coastal islands were our weekend haven. We wanted to share this special place with our family and friends. Sadly, Matt’s work relocated us to the east coast of Florida so it became a destination wedding after all. We will always have those special memories of St. Pete Beach and where it all started.
I got inspired! I had so much fun creating everything from the invitations to the menus and thank you cards, that I am starting my own design company, Inspirations by Amie Lee. I made all of the paper products for the wedding myself. Since nautical was our theme, the dark navy blue and white stripe was a nice contrast on the white sandy beaches. Everyone received a “Save the Date” pocket invite with a magnet picture of the two of us on our boat to keep the date. The invite itself arrived in a box, attached with a starfish, nautical chart of the area and nautical invite details. All guests received a sail cloth cooler bag with personalized bottled water and little treats from our pups, chocolates “bagged by Bella from MN” and “Sail Mix, mixed by Murphy.” The bags were embroidered with our wedding date and included another invitation to our sailing party the day after in Tampa Bay. I made my own place cards by using starfish and handmade name plates. I also used a wedge favor box, stood it upright and created a sail filled with sweet sloop chocolates from Harbor Sweets in Salem, MA. They were perfect and delicious! I used nautical white line, navy striped ribbon and starfish for decorating the aisle and Matt’s father hand painted an old oar from a family boat for our guests to sign.
What challenges (if any) did you face while planning your destination wedding?
With today’s technology we found that it was not as hard as we thought it would be. I was able to choose my flowers during a virtual consultation with my florist. I chose a day to travel to St. Pete for the finishing touches on the menu, cake and dress. My best advice is to relax a little, because with destination weddings you can’t be there for everything. Let the professionals take over the fine details.
What was the best thing about having a destination wedding? Share your best wedding weekend moment!
Having a destination wedding is like inviting everyone on vacation with you! We not only had the opportunity to share our special day with our closest friends and family, but they too had the opportunity to enjoy a relaxing and fun filled weekend vacation. Most of our guests arrived Thursday to enjoy our “Sailor’s Soiree” at our favorite little seafood restaurant. Our wedding was on Friday and the following Saturday was a day to relax by the pool and beach. Our best weekend moment was Saturday evening when we invited everyone to join us for a sunset sail where they enjoyed one last evening of fun with dolphins, food and wine on a 60 foot schooner in the Tampa Bay. It was important to us to share our special place and make sure our guests had a truly enjoyable vacation as well!
What is your best advice for other couples considering a destination wedding?
Give your guests plenty of time to make travel arrangements. Design a website that shares the upcoming events of your wedding so they can prepare and anticipate the fun they are going to have! Offer several options for hotel and accommodations to meet the needs of everyone. Consider your guest list when planning events and excursions. Make sure that the event is something that everyone can participate in.
Ahhhh- I just love the last photo of the bride- after the ceremony, alone on the beach at sunset, looking so free and relaxed. As you know I’ve only been married for less than two weeks and this moment is still soooo very fresh in my mind. The moment of having a million different emotions at one time- but all positive emotions. No worries or care in the world. Just bliss. Happy wedded bliss…and it feels so good.
Bride/Groom: Amie & Matthew
Wedding Date: April 1, 2011
Location (City, State, Country): St. Pete Beach, FLorida, USA
Approximate Guest Size: 30
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Beachside, St. Pete Beach at the Don Cesar Hotel
The Creative Team Behind the Scenes:
So you’d think after being on vacation for nearly 19 days, I’d have plenty of energy and be ready to head back to work. I guess it’s like they say, sometimes you need a vacation from a vacation. Phew! As I write up this post, I’m seriously doing it with one eye open. Ha! Starbucks will be the first stop on my way to work for like the next 2 weeks. I want to have plenty-o-energy and my mojo back before I meet some fantabulous TWIPS members, a network of international wedding bloggers and wedding industry professionals, in Atlanta at the end of the month!! Woohoo- can’t wait!
So to help me regain my energy, I’m taking in and enjoying the fresh breath of prettiness this week from A Brit & A Blonde. You might remember this adorable couple’s wedding I featured a few weeks ago before I went M.I.A. The french side of the island of St. Martin where these photos were taken is where Dali proposed to Cynthia originally. The lighting and love captured in these photos were too perfect not to share!
Okay I’m still catching up on all the fun goodies and giveaways out there, but here’s one I wanted to share with you right away. Just a few days in, but still lots of time to get in on the action. Remember, Simply Bridal? The online team who custom designs and hand makes very affordable and beautiful custom wedding dresses?
Well they just started (August 8th) something fantastic…they are giving away one FREE wedding dress every day for a month!! As my brother in law would say, “Shut yo mouth!?” Nope, I will not! You heard it right ladies…
The deets?
- Just visit Simply Bridal and you’ll see the banner to enter their DAILY Dress Giveaway from Aug 8 – Sept 8!
- Tell them your Name, Email Address, and Zip Code to Enter – That’s All!
- No purchase is necessary to enter the giveaway!
Every Saturday, they will be announcing the winners on their Facebook page. So as I always say…what are you waiting for!?!
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