One of the most important trends in wedding design right now is creating a beautifully detailed event without making the entire thing feel too thematic. You can quickly lose the elegance of a wedding in something a little too cheesy if you embrace a theme too much, and yet for couples who want a beach wedding, it’s hard to not have a very themed wedding due to the setting. In our wedding planning course, we strive to give you our expertise in creating elegant weddings at any venue. Here are some of our best tips for bringing elegance to a beach wedding.

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Wedding Design Colors That Lead the Event

For a very subtle and elegant way to bring the beach to your wedding design, consider ditching the nautical details and just letting the colors speak for themselves. Classic beach wedding colors include soft blues, greens, sandy neutrals, and seashell pink. Preppy stripes are a common pattern for beach weddings that can be perfectly elegant when done in soft white and blue, rather than the bolder navy and white combo that is often seen.

Limit Wedding Decor to Create Key Focal Points

One thing we stress to our wedding planner certification students is to ensure that you have a focus at every event you plan. When it comes to making a beach wedding very elegant, the key is to dial it back on the many details. Instead of having seashells and anchors around every corner, just choose one beachy detail to focus on. Dramatic, handcrafted driftwood signs, for example, can put all the guests in a “beach mood” immediately.

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Designing With Nature

If your couple wants a more blatant nod to the sea, let the understated beauty of nature shine. Instead of anchors and stripes, make your details about seashells, natural coral, and other beach-themed nature. When you use these items in a new way, it remains elegant and subtle. For example, a cascade of pretty faux-coral creations on the wedding cake will make a lovely design element that looks like a work of modern art. Seashells used to hold escort cards or to prop up table numbers are elegant and not too obtrusive.

Wedding Planner Certification

If you loved these ideas, you can learn how to buck trends – and yet embrace them at the same time, all from IWED's certified wedding planner course. We’ll show you much more than just how to create elegant beach weddings. Your wedding designs will be expertly executed, earning you a great reputation in the wedding industry. Find out how to enroll today, and keep these tips in mind next time a destination wedding is on the table. When your bride and groom hit the beach, they can look forward to an extraordinary wedding that’s created uniquely for them!