A Laid-Back Beach Wedding at Wild Horse at Swan Island Estates in Corolla, North Carolina

Taylor Raney (26 and a nutritional assistant) and James (Jay) Jennings Jr. (35 and head of maintenance for a public school system) used natural sea life and muted blues to adorn their rustic beach theme and waterfront venue.

“Jay and I always knew we wanted to be married at the beach,” Taylor says. The couple picked Wild Horse—a sprawling 23-bedroom estate on the Outer Banks—not only for their nuptials, but to house their family and close friends for the week leading up to their seaside wedding. “It was the perfect amount of everything,” Taylor says.

Taylor and Jay exchanged vows on the beach beneath a ceremony arch Jay built himself.

Sea glass, pieces of driftwood, succulents and shells were scattered throughout the reception space.