A Nautical Garden Wedding at Three Village Inn in Stony Brook, New York

“Our style was what I like to call ‘garden party at the beach,’” Sarah says of their low-key gathering that featured plenty of personalized details. To create a nautical look reminiscent of summers spent in Montauk, Sarah and Matthew turned to a color scheme of blue, gray, green, gold and white. Mussel shell escort cards and miniature message-in-a-bottle favors lent sailor-infused flair to the inn’s ballroom.

Bridesmaids wore floor-length gowns in shades of blue as a nod to the ocean-inspired nuptials. Dressed in a crystal and pearl headpiece and her mother’s lace wedding dress, Sarah made her way down the aisle flanked by her parents on either side. “I hadn’t considered wearing my mother’s wedding dress until she showed it to me,” Sarah says of the gown, which originally featured long sleeves and a high collar. “But in the dress box was a handwritten letter addressed to her future daughter. In that moment, I knew I had to make that dress work.”

Sarah and Matthew sealed the deal with a wine ceremony that called for handwritten letters placed in a box with a bottle that the couple plans to open on their one-year anniversary. When it came time for dessert, partygoers dug into a confection filled with chocolate chips, buttercream frosting and cannoli cream.