A Boho-Chic Beach Wedding in Ocean City, New Jersey, With Sleek Black Accents

For their beach wedding in Ocean City, New Jersey, Lindsey and John expertly blended a boho-chic aesthetic with a sleek-and-moody color palette. The end result, which came together in under six weeks because of the pandemic, was stunning and on-trend, yet totally unique and personalized. "Our dream wedding took place in the backyard of our new home. We decided it would be the perfect memory and location for a night under the stars with 30 close family and friends," shares Lindsey. "The ceremony was on 58th Street in Ocean City which was perfect since we live by the beach outside of Philly and spend our days there in the summer. The inspiration was a modern bohemian theme filled with dried florals, textures, neutrals with a pop of terracotta, and some fun design elements. We wanted it to feel effortless but true to our style vibe. We wanted the day and night to just feel like us. Our modern bohemian dream was with lots of love, good food and drinks, and the music we listen to daily."

Utilizing texture was key to pulling off the bohemian vibe Lindsey and John wanted for their beach wedding in Ocean City, New Jersey. "We had bohemian rugs lining the beach as a walkway and dried florals around the homemade wooden arch which was the backdrop for our wedding," says Lindsey. For the reception, "a clear tent was rented with lights that hung from above seats and dried florals of mixed textures. The tables were overflowing with gorgeous preserved and dried botanicals. I could not take my eyes off them. A children's table was created as a lounge feel in which our nieces and nephews could draw and color while sitting on pillows outside the adult table. Children's placemats were designed with our wedding logo and other fun elements to keep them entertained. You could also draw on the table since it was like a chalkboard. All elements were focused on mixing textures, dried florals, neutral shades, neutral furniture, and pops of black to add a modern element." The generous use of texture extended into the wedding's floral designs as well. "We used a mix of preserved and dried botanicals like pampas grass, lunaria and palm leaves. Paired with the dried elements we included fresh flowers like quicksand and toffee roses and brought in the interest with some dried and painted products like the cool two-tone anthurium, terracotta carnations, leather leaf spray shades of ivory, blush and copper, and incredible peach phalaenopsis orchids. The florals and design elements were everything to making our backyard and the beach become more than our wildest dreams," recalls Lindsey. 

Beyond being a celebration of their marriage, Lindsey and John's wedding day was also a celebration of them beginning their journey toward building a family. "John and I ended up finding out I was pregnant the Monday before our wedding," says Lindsey. "We could not think of a better time to tell our whole family and friends. So after my dad made his toast, John and I stood up to follow that toast and let everyone know we did the trifecta of 2020. House, wedding, and now a baby. Everyone's screams of excitement and tears were the best surprise in the world. Even though I had a miscarriage a month later I will never forget that special moment where we had our baby with us on our wedding day. The love we felt that moment I will always cherish and keep with me. Our wedding cake was also a modern rainbow design which will forever now be a sign for our rainbow baby."

Looking back on the wedding, Lindsey encourages current to-be-weds to "focus on the two of you. What do you both want? For us, we just wanted for our ceremony and wedding to represent exactly who we are and where we love to be. Having a small group of guests in our new backyard and on the beach for our wedding just made sense to us. We did a first look and I loved having that time together before the ceremony. We couldn't have asked for a better day and a better team to help our dreams come true as well. My advice is to have a wedding team that truly gets to know you and your partner's vision. Ones that make you feel like you would be friends outside this wedding world. All of ours just put us at such ease on our wedding day. As a free spirit, it was so nice to know that everything was under control the whole day and my vendors were such an important part to truly just allowing me to enjoy and soak up every minute of the day."