Beach Bride

Beach and Destination Wedding Planning Ideas!

Peach

Romantic Beach Styled Shoot – The Scarborough Bluffs

By Car

Beaches inspire natural beauty and romance. Surrounded by creamy-white sand, gentle glimmers reflecting off the water, and the soft tones of a sunset, they create a flawless backdrop to exchange vows. Today, we brought together tones and textures of creams, whites and a just touch of peach, as a gentle contrast against the creamy sand and rugged scenery nestled against it. Let us show you a concept of ridiculously creative styled layouts and ideas captured by Samantha Ong Photography that will make your romantic beach themed wedding come true!

We’re All About the Details!

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We chose soft and effortless materials, that flow ever-so gently in the breeze. We outfitted the tablescape with shabby chic details and elegant florals, offering a unique take on boho chic. Truly, a set of uncompromising and effortless beauty.

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About the Photographer
Samantha Ong Photography is a Toronto based wedding and lifestyle photography studio. We take the responsibility of documenting your special day very seriously as we want to capture it as beautiful as possible. Our style of photography is fun, fresh and romantic. Our goal is to also capture timeless photos as we want to make sure that not only you are able to look back and enjoy your wedding day through these photos, but generations to come. We love telling stories. We love capturing the beauty of the moment. We hope that you love our work as much as we loved creating it. Our work recently has had the honour of being published in popular wedding blogs such as The Knot, Today’s Bride, Bride Canada, The Wedding Co., Wedding Obsession, Bespoke Bride, The Bridal Detective, and many more! We are also proudly the winner of Wedding Wire’s Couple’s Choice 2015 and 2016. We are booking couples for 2016/2017 and are available for weddings in the Greater Toronto Area. We are also able travel around Ontario. Please inquire with your wedding details.

Take this Advice

You can achieve a warm romantic beach look in Canada if you really want to. ~ Samantha Ong/Photographer

Vendors

Photographer: Samantha Ong Photography
Hair Stylist: A&J Beauty
Cake Designer: Cakes by Bex
Makeup Artist: Joli Avail Beauty
Event Planner: Lisi Purr
Floral Designer: Mum’s Garden Floral Studio
Event Planner: Rachel Hollis
Dress Store: Sash & Bustle
Other Location: Scarborough Bluffs

Sandcastles And Love

By Scarlet

Kyle and Kristie went with soft colors for their big day at the beach — coral, peach, tan, and white. It was laidback but romantic; something these two wanted to have on the happiest day of their lives. Their tables adorned with floral centerpieces that screamed love and class. Their wedding cake that was shaped to look like a sandcastle was on point with the beach-theme. Speaking of things on point — Kristie’s mermaid wedding dress was perfect. She was stunning on it. So gorgeous and radiant, she looked like a legitimate siren. Cheers to love and life! Congratulations, K&K!

The Wedding:

We knew that we wanted to do something different and loved the idea of having a beach wedding. Long Beach Island is our favorite place in the world. We adore the small town vibe and laid-back beach lifestyle, so it only made sense to celebrate the happiest day of our lives with everyone we love in the place we love the most! Our wedding ceremony took place on the 9th street beach while the reception was held at The Stateroom in Ship Bottom, NJ.

We Are A Perfect Match:

Kyle and I dated long distance for four years. We may have only been 17 when we started dating and went off to two different universities, but we knew that what we had been worth it. We are each other’s best friends, biggest supporters, and have been crazy about each other from the day we met.

The Proposal:

We were dating for just over seven years when Kyle proposed. He told me we were headed to Villanova for a recruiting event for work. When we arrived, we walked through campus and stopped at the “whispering arches.” Kyle got down on one knee and proposed. To my surprise, Kyle had strategically placed our family and friends all around the campus and revealed them as we walked through the campus. It was incredible and so special! It meant so much to have our closest family and friends there with us to celebrate.

The Outfit Inspiration:

My Paloma Blanca wedding dress was from Kleinfeld Bridal. It was light, beautiful, and perfect for the beach! I knew it was the one from the minute I tried it on. My amazing bridal consultant Allison found the dress for me based on what I told her I was looking for. My bridesmaids wore four different style Watters and Watters dresses from Always a Bridesmaid Boutique. I wanted to make sure all of my bridesmaids were comfortable and felt amazing in their dresses, which is why we went with different styles in the same color. We chose tan suits for Kyle and his groomsmen as we felt it would match perfectly with the coral bridesmaids gowns.

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The Planning Process:

We planned and saved for just over two years. I think it was the perfect amount of time because we were able to enjoy being engaged without feeling rushed to plan the wedding.

The Best Advice We Received:

My best friend told me to make sure that we take a minute and look around during our reception so we can “take it all in.” The night goes by so quickly; I was so happy that we took a moment to ourselves to appreciate everything.

Tips & Tricks for Future Brides:

Instead of renting expensive centerpieces or decorations, see if you can get what you need from craft stores first. We started doing this as soon as we booked our venue, two years prior to the wedding date, so we were able to get a lot of the items we need during off-season sales.

The Challenges We Faced:

To eliminate the guesswork as to what we could afford, we put together a preliminary budget based on what we thought things would cost. As we booked our vendors and made wedding purchases, we kept spreadsheets of actual costs and due dates to ensure our saving was on track to avoid any issues.

The Wedding Décor Inspiration:

We wanted to use soft colors for our beach themed wedding. We decided on coral, peach, tan and white. Our florist did a fantastic job designing our bouquets, ceremony flowers, and centerpieces by choosing flowers based on our color scheme. We didn’t want all of our centerpieces to be exactly alike, so we chose five different styles of centerpieces. Some were floral arrangements while we used hurricane vases and various style lanterns for others. I loved how the different centerpieces turned out!

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Money Matters:

  • We save money on flowers. For our ceremony, we had mason jars of flowers hanging on shepherds hooks. After the ceremony, these were reused for some of our centerpieces. Although we did have some, we saved a lot by choosing not to have all of our centerpieces use large floral arrangements.
  • The venue was a big expense, but it was well worth it. The food was outrageous, and everyone was happy with their dinner choice!

The Guest List:

We invited 210 guests, and our final headcount was 165.

The Songs:

For our ceremony, we had a string trio.

  • They played: Processional – Canon in D
  • Brides Entrance – A Thousand Years
  • Recessional – La Rejouissance

What Awaits Us:

There are so many things we are excited about for the future! We’re looking forward to traveling, buying our first home, and eventually raising a family together.

Planning Advice For Couples:

Make sure you give yourselves enough time to enjoy being engaged. Planning should be fun and exciting! Before you know it, you will be at your wedding having the time of your life!

Favorite Part of the Day:

My absolute favorite wedding day moment is a tie between our first look and being announced as husband and wife. I will never forget the look on Kyle’s face when he saw me in my wedding dress for the first time. Prior to seeing each other, I was feeling a little anxious, but all the nerves turned into pure excitement as soon as we saw each other! When Reverend Brian announced us as husband and wife, it was almost surreal. After nine and a half years together, we were officially Mr. & Mrs. Kyle Raventos! Dancing the night away at the reception with everyone we love was another favorite part of our day! We had the time of our lives! Our family and friends mean the world to us; it was amazing to have all of them with us to celebrate the biggest day of our lives at our favorite place in the world!

Most Memorable Moments:

Our officiant did a beautiful job putting together our ceremony. He told the story of how Kyle and I met, and also how he proposed, which got some laughs and cheers. Being announced as husband and wife was the most memorable part of the ceremony, though!

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VENDORS

Photographer: Popography
Dress Boutique: Kleinfeld
Ceremony location: 9th Street Beach, Ship Bottom, NJ
Reception Location: The Stateroom 
Cake: Carlo’s Bakery 
Caterer: Taste
Favours: Country Kettle Fudge 
DJ: E-squared
Ceremony Music: String Elegance 
Hair & Makeup: Chic Blowout Bar
Flowers: Lily in the Valley Florist
Stationery: Wedding Paper Divas
Transportation: Long Branch Trolley
Videographer & Photo booth: Enchanted Celebrations 
Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Always a Bridesmaid Boutique

Sandy Toes And Salty Kisses

By Lauren

After twenty fruitful and blessed years, the Diaz’ finally renewed their vows together with their children and all important people in their lives down Palm Beach. Swept with perfection, their day was full of ivory and black DIY decors. What I liked best is Sophie’s lucid floral crown combined with the flowy ivory dress which completed her whole look.  The day was humid and the sun was at its peak. To give their some good shade, they provided a wagasa, the authentic Japanese oil-paper umbrella. And finally, they had a DJ who mixed music which made all the guest’s dancing souls groove with every beat! Cheers to more years, Sophie and Guillermo!

The Album Story

We the pleasure of capturing Sophie and G’s intimate 20 year Vow Renewal Wedding Ceremony in West Palm Beach! This sweet couple lives in the Palm Beach area, and spends quite a bit of time in this beautiful, quiet part of the beach. What better place to celebrate their vow renewal? Sophie actually began the day before we arrived getting hair done by Ashley at Edmund James Salon and makeup by Loriana Classic Makeup for Every Occasion. Once ready, she and G headed over to the beach (near the Estee Lauder Mansion!) to prepare for their ceremony!

www.StevenMillerPix.com | Steven Miller Photography Orlando

Rose Kish Events provided the floral arrangements, and Absolute Party Rentals provided the decor! We captured their beautiful ceremony shortly after a few family photos around the beach and some personal portraits around the neighborhood! After their renewals, we captured a few more family portraits, then proceeded over to Carmine’s Ocean Grill off PGA Blvd in Palm Beach Gardens for their outdoor wedding reception!

www.StevenMillerPix.com | Steven Miller Photography Orlando

We of course snuck in some fun portraits as the sun set over the marina, but captured their first dance, dinner, party, and finished with cake cutting! DJ Lester rocked the dance floor and kept everyone moving, and the cake was designed and created by Cake Pro Shop! We had such a great time with Sophie and G, and thank them so much for inviting us to capture such a sweet moment in their life-long love story!

www.StevenMillerPix.com | Steven Miller Photography Orlando

Favorite Part Of The Day

The super sweet vows written themselves expressing 20 years of their wonderful marriage and vow renewals.

www.StevenMillerPix.com | Steven Miller Photography Orlando

VENDORS

Photographer:  Steven Miller Photography
Equipment Rentals: Absolute Party Rentals
Cake Designer: Cake Pro Shop
Culinary: Carmine’s Ocean Grill and Sushi Bar
Hair Stylist: Edmund James Salon & Spa
Makeup Artist: Loriana
Event Planner: Rose Kish Events
Bridesmaid Dresses: Saks Fifth Avenue
Event Venue: West Palm Beach

Fate Is A Funny Thing

By Scarlet

I do believe that fate brings people together no matter what the circumstances are – if it’s their time to cross paths it’ll happen. If anything’s meant to be, it will be. Now, Michael and Lauren’s story is just the proof of that. If it weren’t for that elevator ride, I wouldn’t have written this feature for today. We wouldn’t have been able to witness this beautiful wedding. I love stories like this. Even better than novels because you know it happened in real life. Here goes the hopeless romantic in me. I should stop myself while I still can. Go on and read the rest of the story from the beautiful bride, Lauren.

Our Story:

To start off, I grew up in the small town of Red Hook in upstate NY about 2 1/2 hours North of Manhattan. Mike grew up in Bethesda, MD, which is about a 25 min drive from Washington DC. Mike and I crossed paths one sunny day moving into Enterprise Hall while back at our alma mater, Hofstra University in Long Island, NY a long, long time ago back in 2006. According to Mike, when I walked by him he thought “I need to get that girl’s digits”. A few weeks passed, and we ran into each other in the elevator in our building. It was the perfect time to meet! It was pouring out, so I decided to hitch a ride with Mike to the student center. It was a brief meeting, but he did get my name and number, and we both knew that we would see each other again. If we didn’t end up in that same elevator at the same time, I don’t know where we would be today!

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Mike conveniently ended up living only a few floors above me, and we would chat back and forth on AOL instant messenger daily exchanging jokes and funny youtube links. He went by the screen name “nyknickslova”. Who knew at the time that I would end up being his actual LOVA and spending our lives together?! We ended up going on a double date with mutual friends and knew right off the bat that our personalities clicked, and we had the same sense of humor. We spent more and more time together and realized this was something we both wanted to invest in. Now eight years later Mike and I both reside in NYC and are in love with our tabby cat, Troy. We are both huge foodies – love trying new restaurants, love ethnic food especially Ethiopian and most of all love a good NY bagel with lox (Barney Greengrass is our favorite!). We love to bike – on a nice day you can find us biking from our apartment on the Upper East Side all the way around the border of Manhattan. We love live music, especially live jazz and love going to comedy shows, museums and are pretty much always up for anything!

The Theme:

Shabby Chic

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The Wedding Details:

Before we started planning our wedding, we were clueless about venues, but 100% knew we wanted to escape the hustle and bustle of NYC living and plan a relaxing destination wedding that was also a little vacation for all of our friends and family. A big piece of both of our hearts is in Florida. Mike grew up vacationing in Florida with his mother, father, brother and grandparents. His family has always owned a condo on South Ocean Blvd in Palm Beach, and once Mike and I started becoming serious he would take me to Florida on vacations and I instantly fell in love! It’s honestly our home away from home!

It’s a funny story how we ended up at The Hillsboro Club. Our initial goal was to have the wedding in Palm Beach because of all of the sentimental value it has in out hearts. But after looking at so many venues that weren’t really our taste, we stumbled upon Hillsboro. We hired Joni Scalzo (Your Special Day by Joni) as our planner, and after she showed us the venues in Palm Beach, she quickly picked up on my style. We were presented the idea of the Hillsboro Club. With it being only about 40 min from Palm Beach we thought “What do we have to lose?!” It sounded very appealing and not knowing much about it, we took a drive there.

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As soon as we drove into the Hillsboro Club, I almost jumped out of the car with excitement because I knew I had found the place! The thing I loved most about Hillsboro was that guests did not have to leave the premises. Everything you could want was there! We had our rehearsal dinner by the pool; guests could lounge at the beach/pool during the day and then hang at the tiki bar at night! Overall, it was a very accommodating venue. I just loved the simplicity of the club with its pop of Tiffany blue awnings and having the ocean as the backdrop for our wedding was breathtaking! We also loved how secluded the place was – away from the main road and traffic. It was our hidden wedding oasis!

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VENDORS

Photographer: Jeff Kolodny Photography, Inc
Cinema and Video: Artistry Wedding Films
Bridesmaid Dresses: Bill Levkoff
Floral Designer: Dalsimer Atlas
Bridesmaid Dresses: Here Comes The Bridesmaid
Reception Venue: Hillsboro Club
Musicians: Master Musicians Incorporated
Shoes: Michael Kors
Tuxedo and Mens Attire: Suit Supply
Cake Designer: Susie’s Scrumptious Sweets
Groomsmen Attire: Tommy Hilfiger
Musicians: Tropics entertainment
Event Planner: Your Special Day by Joni

Cheers To Many More Adventures

By Scarlet

Rodney and Danielle love to travel, and they showed that to every guest at their wedding. It was clever to use postcards of different places they’ve been to along with the city names as table names. It was put in a peach frame and also served as a decor. And the guest book was of a world map, how resourceful! You can tell how these two are such a fun couple on how their wedding came to be. Read on to get more of the details.

Our Story:

Rodney and I met in high school. We didn’t date at first and then finally tried dating a year or so later. We dated on and off during our college years. Then in 2005, we got together and never seconded guessed it. Rodney and I were together almost nine years before he popped the question!

We Are A Perfect Match:

We are a perfect match because we fill in each other’s gap! The qualities I lack or need to be enhanced, Rodney fills in and vice versa! We don’t take things for granted and never forget to say ‘ I love you.’

The Proposal:

Rodney proposed on October 13, 2014. He made a romantic dinner that doesn’t happen often and dressed in his tuxedo! He got down on one knee and popped open the box!!

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The Planning Process:

I was brainstorming while helping all my friends plan their weddings the year before so ten months was plenty of time for me! What was the best advice you received when you were planning your wedding? Do what you want, it’s your wedding!

Tips & Tricks For Future Brides:

  • Sometimes the DIY look great and easy but the reality is sometimes it costs you more money and time to try to create it, and it doesn’t turn out.
  • Break in your shoes before your big day and keep a pair of flats or flops handy – pick a good team and don’t be afraid to ask them for help

The Challenges We Faced:

Traveling to Newport which is 4.5 hours from our house was challenging. A Destination Wedding is great but remember you may have to travel there multiple times and don’t forget all the wedding decor you have to take. Make sure you have your list of appointments to get done while you are there!

Wedding Décor Inspiration:

The things we loved inspired our wedding. We love having fun, adventure, the beach, the outdoors and each other, so it was easy!

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Money Matters:

The wedding budget is, I say, $25000, but I didn’t have one. Of course, everyone likes to spend less money and get the same results, but we knew We would never do it again, so we spent what we wanted. We did cut things out which we didn’t; sometimes you just need a realistic vision.

We saved money in decor because we didn’t need any for the ceremony or the reception. The location and the view were all we needed. We used centerpieces that were simple and beautiful.

Food. Our thought was we wanted our guests to have a great meal and as much to drink as they wanted!

The Guest List:

145 were invited 100 attended

Close family and friends since everyone had to travel. We invited aunts and uncles but no cousins!

The Songs:

Traditional wedding march Gone gone gone by Phillip Phillips

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Excited About:

The feeling of how our love grows stronger every day. And the adventures to come!

Planning Advice For Other Couples:

Make sure you think like a guest when planning:

  • Where is at?
  • Where will we stay?
  • What is the venue like?
  • Outdoor, inside?
  • Weather?
  • How will we get to the hotel if we drive at the reception?

Decide if you are going to provide transportation or not, if not have alternatives in mind, check hotels out before you send guests to them! Don’t sell yourself short, it’s your wedding day! You are the bride and groom and what you want in it!

Wedding Day Outfit Inspiration:

Nothing just found bridesmaids dresses we liked that were on sale! My dress was perfect cost didn’t matter! His tux was made for him, and the cost didn’t matter.

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Favorite Part Of The Day:

The entire day was perfect

The Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Projects:

The table numbers were destinations we have been to, its postcards inside them the guestbook map

The Highlights From The Ceremony & Reception:

Seeing all our family and friends. The first kiss when he dipped me over and gave me the biggest kiss!

 
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VENDORS

Photographer: Nicole Lopez Photography
Floral Designer: Broadway Florist
Reception Venue: Hyatt Regency Newport Hotel & Spa
Cake Designer: Scrumptions, Inc