Known fact: we always have a little prep in our step here at Jubilee Events! We set out to create some inspiration for a preppy, nautical Connecticut wedding. Cue all the stripes, dark navy, bold red and a sprinkle of glitter (because we love to glam up our nautical looks!).
This photoshoot originally appeared in The Connecticut Bride a few moons ago, but we recently created more content for it, as it was suppose to be in our new book, The White Dress: Destinations. Sadly, this chapter didn’t make it into our book because there just wasn’t enough room!
There is something nostalgic about summers in New England— perhaps that’s because we grew up there, spending our summers chasing the very last bit of warmth before we prepared for Fall and Winter.
When we think of summer in New England, we think of lobster rolls, sail boats, Sperry shoes and quaint coastal beach towns. Our inspiration was anchors, stripes, bows, pennant flags and all things wonderfully preppy. We peppered this shoot with a hint of sparkle in the fashion, invitations, cake, and tablescape, coining the term “nautical glamour.” Add in a little romance and a sailboat named Valentine, and you have a classic wedding that even Jackie Kennedy would approve of.
Grab your set of pearls and a blue blazer, and let’s see what New England has to offer.
Get the Look: Preppy & Nautical Connecticut Wedding
The key to achieving this look is to keep your color counts to a minimum. We chose navy blue, bright red, and yellow as our primary colors with hints of gold. We color blocked these bold colors where we could, which makes them pop but doesn’t feel overwhelming.
When I think of New England—one of the first things that comes to mind is preppy patterns! We mixed a yellow chevron with a blue polka dot and a navy and white striped ribbon. Since nautical glamour inspired us, we added in a touch of sparkle with this gold sequin linen. Mixing patterns can be challenging, but by keep the colors complementary, this style works effortlessly.
Preppy & Nautical Connecticut Wedding: The Details
Nichole Michel, our paper designer, created a preppy suite after my own heart! Make your paper fun and don’t be afraid to present a traditional invitation in a unique way. Here, Nichole created a sleeve for our invitation and embellished it with a yellow anchor and a gold glitter detail. The website card is my favorite detail in this suite; red glittery stock + a pennant flag tag makes sure your guests remember where to look up the deets about your wedding weekend!
Our brass compasses make a clever favor for our guests– and keeps with our nautical theme. Favors for your wedding are very subjective, and you can look to the following places for ideas: your overall theme or style or something that you love that you want to your guests to experience.
Our table design was rich with different details and a lot of color. We kept to our navy, red, yellow, gold and white palette and infused those colors into the flowers, linens and containers. I love the sprinkling of gold glitter, a nod to our nauti glam inspiration, and the fun nautical rope.
The backs of chairs are a great place to add a finishing touch or little detail. We added a clutch of poppies with a nautical knot, and some striped and sequin linen to our center chairs. For our two end chairs, a simple but impactful gold sequin chair cover elevated the look! If you don’t have the budget to decorate every chair, consider designing an element for every other chair or just the head table / sweetheart table chairs.
Preppy & Nautical Connecticut Wedding; The Fashion
Stylist Beth Chapman from The White Dress by the shore wanted to show versatility in fashion for this look, so she styled a variety of wedding looks that compliment our theme. From a short lace dress with red kate spade wedges, to a more classic long gown with clean lines– her eye proves that this theme is as versatile as they come.
We kept hair and makeup classic; up-dos with soft makeup and a bold red and pink lip.
Want to see more preppy & nautical Connecticut weddings? Hit up more on our archives!
CREDIT REEL
Photography: Carla Ten Eyck
Table Design: Jubilee Events
Fashion Styling: Beth Chapman Styling
Beauty: Dana Bartone & Co
Gowns: The White Dress by the shore
Cake: A Little Imagination Cakes
Floral Design: Green Dahlia
Paper Story: Coral Pheasant Stationery + Design
Rentals: Party Rental Ltd.
Location: The Florence Griswold Museum, The Griswold Inn, Dreamscapes Design Group
