Your Guide to Planning an Unforgettable Wedding Weekend

Here’s how to put together a fun-filled multi-day celebration.

2. Coastal Town
Think Cape Cod, Mystic, Newport…those breezy, quaint towns by the shore often hold sweet family memories of sand, salt and sun-filled vacations, sailing and watching sunsets over the ocean. If you’re hosting an intimate wedding, you might consider having guests stay together in a rented beach house or a more traditional bed and breakfast. Beyond the typical water-centric activities such as sailing, water-skiing and paddle boarding, landlubbers can partake in the likes of beach walks, antiquing and museum visits.

coastal wedding

Menu Ideas:
Serve lobsters, clams (quintessential clambake fare), or raise the gourmet level with Chef Sharp’s suggestions of “barbecued oysters, and mini crab rolls with avocado green goddess and salt-and-vinegar chips.”

Shots of clam chowder or lobster bisque warm up a cool evening, as does sitting around a bonfire on the beach or a fire pit on a restaurant or hotel terrace.

Welcome Basket Ideas:

  • Nautical-theme-printed drink cozies
  • Mini jars filled with decorative sea glass
  • Polished seashells
  • Frosted cookies in lobster, crab, seahorse, starfish, sailboat, anchor or other themed shapes
  • Authentic regional fudge or saltwater taffy
  • Container of regional seasonings, like Old Bay

Next: Winter wedding-themed ideas ►

Pages