Bride-to-Be Blogger Danielle: Finding Inspiration on Vacation

Tim and I recently took a week of vacation alone together for the first time in longer than I can remember. We escaped to Cape Cod to relax by the seashore, decompress and spend some time concentrating on one another. While we were there, we refrained from planning for the wedding, but we did take a look at our surroundings to try and find inspiration for our seaside wedding.

Some of our inspiration came from nature: After looking at the long grasses along the beach I think I’d like to incorporate beach grass into my bouquet, and maybe my bridesmaids’ bouquets as well. As we walked along the water we looked at shells in different shapes, colors and textures and began thinking about what to include in our centerpieces, which will be seascapes with sand, shells and candles.

We also found inspiration in the super cute (though sometimes overpriced) souvenir shops up and down the Cape. There are all types of stores — from tourist traps that sell cheap tchotchkes, to those that sell very fine home furnishings and can make a significant dent in the checkbook. It just so happens we found some fun things on both ends of the spectrum and in between — everything from shell-tipped toothpicks to oversized shell-shaped ceramic planters that would look incredible with flowers flanking our “alter” by the sea.

The only decision we made during the course of the week is that in lieu of a traditional guest book, we would like to find a glossy coffee table book about shells and ask each guest to sign a different page. This way, the book will serve more than one purpose and be something that brings us twice the pleasure each time we look at it long after our wedding day.

And, we might spring for those toothpicks with the shells on the end for our cocktail hour, too!

Where have you searched for inspiration for your wedding?  Have you gotten great ideas from unusual places?  Did you do any planning when you were on vacation, or did you take time off to relax?

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