A beach is such a perfect location for a wedding. It’s nature at its finest. And the perfect backdrop for a simple and elegant ceremony. Michelle and Christopher’s wedding was held on a picture perfect day. Her dress and minimal decor were the perfect complement to the setting.
Michelle and Christopher | June 27th, 2009 Montauk, New York
How he proposed
On the beach in Montauk, NY just as the sun was setting. I was not expecting it at all, but I could tell he was nervous about something.
The ceremony
We had a small ceremony on the beach, it was a beautiful sunny day. We were very lucky because it had been raining nonstop in Long Island for the past few days, but when we woke up on the day of our wedding, we were blessed with blue skies. All of our best friends and family were there. The ceremony itself was short, we had my cousin Megan do a reading, and we did a sand ceremony together, where we mixed sand from the beach in with our own. At the end of the ceremony a plane flew overhead with a banner that read “Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Harrigan” – which was a surprise from my parents.
The moment Michelle will never forget
How nervous I was when I heard the brides processional start playing!
The reception
We had cocktail hour outside on the deck, there was a steel drum band playing, and we got to visit with all our friends and family and relax after being so nervous for the ceremony. Our ballroom for the reception overlooked the ocean, it was beautifully decorated in ocean blue. After the wedding party was introduced we had our first dance to “A Dream Is A Wish” sung by Bette Midler. My dad, sister, and our best man Hunter gave some amazing toasts, then we ate dinner. After dinner we danced for the rest of the night. Our DJ was great, everyone had fun and hardly left the dance floor.
The wedding theme
We had a beach theme since we got married on the beach. Our reoccuring symbol was a starfish, we used it on our invitations, I had a crystal starfish pendant on my bouquet, the place card holders were starfish frames, and our cake topper was a starfish. We also used ocean blue colors for flowers, decorations, bridesmaids dresses and groomsmans vests.
What made her wedding dress “The One”
I tried on 7 or 8 before I found the right one. As soon as I tried on my dress I knew it was perfect for me. I didnt even have to try on any more dresses. It was exactly what I was looking for….simple yet elegant.
Her advice for other brides
Don’t stress yourself out over the small stuff. Have fun with the planning, you only get to do this once. When you look back on your wedding day, you aren’t going to remember the small stuff that you stressed over, you are going to remember how much fun you had!
