How to Create a DIY Beach Wedding

Oh we do love a beach wedding.

The waves lapping in the background, the sand between your toes, and of course, the opportunity to indulge in lots of gorgeous, nautical, beachy decor.

So when we saw the new wedding collection from Avery of pretty printables, we thought it was the perfect time to delve into DIY inspiration on all things shells, starfish, sand and seahorses.

Styling by Lace In The Desert, Photo by Maria Sundin Photography via Bridal Musings

Avery wants your DIY big day to be ‘Your Wedding, Made By You‘. Because of that, they offer cool, creative (and cost-effective!) solutions for so many of the finishing touches to your wedding day.

In case you're not yet acquainted with Avery (and we think you should be!), they offer products and an online design and printing platform that allows brides, grooms (and anyone with a flair for the finer details) to add a personal touch to stationery, place cards, stickers, and favours.

And when it comes to giving a chic, seaside polish to your big day, the options are endless…

Photo via Avery

10 Ways to Create a Chic DIY Beach Wedding

Whether you're newly engaged and searching for inspiration, in the throws of planning and looking for a way to cut costs, or if you're a bridesmaid, family member or planner who wants to add a few finishing touches to surprise the newlyweds on their big day, the Avery website is loaded with clever ideas and creative inspiration.

With customisable templates, you can adorn your day with bespoke signage, sweet escort cards, and pretty paper goods to use for everything from welcome notes and table numbers, to programmes and gift tags.

Photo by Elaine Palladino Photography via Bridal Musings

Most ready-made printables are pretty restrictive and don't allow for any changes, what's so great about Avery is that their templates are fully customisable, so they can say exactly what you want, and tie in with the look of your wedding too.

All you have to do is pick a style (we're all about the seaside, can you tell?) then select the templates you like, and add your own text, play around with the colours (front and back) and print. Handy, right?

You can either print at home for free, (yes, free!) or have your items professionally printed for you using Avery WePrint.

After perusing the Avery website, and trying out their templates (which are so easy to work, it's unreal!) we came up with some pretty ways to bring a nautical twist to your celebration.

1. Shell Centrepieces

Photo via Avery

This idea is so smart (and super budget-friendly). If you're planning to tie the knot by the seaside, why not include some local touches into your decor?

Bring some vintage bottles or re-purposed jars to the beach and fill them up with shells, stones or sand. Attach an oval label (Avery SKU 22804) and as easy as that, you have yourself a unique table number or centrepiece adornment.

2. Beach Bake Off

Styling by Lace In The Desert, Photo by Maria Sundin Photography via Bridal Musings

We love the idea of featuring a nautical bake as the centrepiece of your seaside celebration, but if you're not such a great baker and tight on funds, there are ways to can add a DIY twist with a beachy bake off.

Why not choose a dessert table instead of a single bake, and have your guests bring along cakes and cookies that fall into the nautical theme. Mermaid Macaroons, Coconut Ices, Beached Brownies – we could keep going, but we'll stop.

Then make up out little escort cards on Avery (Avery SKU 8387) to let everyone know what islander treats are on offer and which talented guest/baker is behind each one.

3. Find Your Favours

Photo via Avery

Favours are often something couples don't think about until the last minute, and they can end up working out as a big expense.

We love the idea of salvaging something special from the beach as a memento for your guests. Starfish, conch shells, or a driftwood charm would all work really well, and will enhance your overall tablescape too.

Include a thank you note for each guest in their place setting, as an added thoughtful touch.

4. Barefoot Bash

Photo by Craig Bruce of Brilliant Studios via Bridal Musings

Why not make the dress code of your wedding, ‘barefoot chic'? Okay so this isn't quite a DIY detail, but it will add a cool, laid back, holiday vibe to your celebration.

Not only is it a fun, easy touch, but it will instantly relax your guests and create a unique talking point.

Print up some ‘Shed the Shoes' signs to dot around your beach bash so you're guests aren't shy about ditching their heels on the sand.

5. Preppy Palette

Photo by Alea Lovely Photography via Bridal Musings

Worried your beach wedding will be too laid back? A preppy palette adds instant elegance to any event, and is the perfect way to give casual affairs a chic polish.

Think blush and coral hues, paired with classic navy and white strips, for a look that's smart and romantic yet still fun and sporty.

With blues, greys and corals, the Avery designs will sit in beautifully.

6. Stay Cool

Photo via Avery

We always swoon when couples get creative with their ceremony programs, and fans have to be one of our favourite ways to shake up some standard paper. They're pretty and practical, especially for a summertime wedding.

Find a template on Avery, print out doubles, then pop an ice-lolly stick between the two sheets of printable postcards (Avery SKU 3263) and glue. It's too easy!

7. Distant Shores

Photo by Sweet Little Photographs via Bridal Musings

It's always so intimate and personal when a couple shares a little about their love story throughout their special day.

A really nice way to do it, is to pay ode to the places you've been together or destinations you plan to visit in the future. You could even make it extra beachy by including the most beautiful seaside settings you've ever been to.

Use your travels for your table names instead of numbers, or include the story of each destination at the table in a welcome note using printable notecards (Avery SKU 3268).

8. Borrow A Boat

Photo by Alea Lovely Photography via Bridal Musings

What says nautical wedding, more than a boat? So your wedding budget might not stretch to a super yacht, but you could always borrow a boat as a backdrop to your bash instead.

Head down to the local marina for your photographs, or see if you can use a local boat for your grand arrival or as a ceremony backdrop. We also adore it when couples fill old row boats with drinks and ice.

Even if you don't have your own boat to hand on your big day, be sure one will make a cameo in the pictures by printing up a photo checklist for your guests and asking them all to make sure they capture a nearby vessel at some point on the day – don't forget to include your wedding hashtag so you get to see the snaps.

9. Moody Blues

Styling by Lace In The Desert, Photo by Maria Sundin Photography via Bridal Musings

So we've already said we love bright, preppy wedding palettes, but we also love that the sunniest of backdrops can lend themselves to the moodiest of palettes too.

Why not take your lead from the tones from the collection and give them a darker spin with deep blues, luxe purples and touches of silver?

Understated luxury at the seaside.

10. A Sparkling Send-Off

Photo via Avery

If you frequent wedding blogs, you'll know all about sparkler send-offs, they're probably our favourite way to end a wedding day on a high (not to mention a gorgeous photo op!)

But just leaving sparkers in your place settings won't really let your guests know you want them to say farewell with a bang. To let your party know what time you're planning to say farewell, print off some mini square labels (Avery SKU 22805) with the directions, and then cut little holes in them and feed the sparklers though.

For even more polish, make up some DIY matchbooks, so your guests can light up in style.

Photo via Avery

So, there you have it, so many pretty ideas for a beachy wedding, right? And all so easy to create – even if you're a complete DIY novice.

All you need to add custom touches to your wedding are the awesome templates by Avery.

Make a checklist of everything you'll need for your big day, from escort cards and table numbers, to info cards and matchbooks (and all the other stuff!), then take a look on Avery and see where they might be able to offer you an effortless solution.

Not only will it save you time (it's so much easier than handwriting 150 name cards!), it's also incredibly budget friendly, giving you the option to print at home for free or through Avery at really affordable prices.

And they're pretty too! Whether you're having a beach party, a 1920s soiree, a rustic destination wedding, or something utterly classic and simple, the designs from Avery are versatile, timeless and chic.