A Nautical Waterfront Wedding at the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort, North Carolina

Jane Chadwick (32 and a dentist) met Alex Gwaltney (32 and a sales representative) through mutual friends at the University of North Carolina. The proposal came after the pair moved to Texas, when Alex asked Jane if she wanted to start looking for a puppy. "I had already changed into my pajamas, opened a bottle of wine and settled in for the evening," says Jane. "I was ecstatic at the idea and then he gave me a cute book of pictures of us from the past seven years before getting down on one knee—he had me at the puppy!" Ten months later, Jane and Alex exchanged vows on a 45-foot catamaran sailboat in Beaufort, NC surrounded by only immediate family. "Our ceremony was held while under sail so we could just hear the water and wind against the sails," says Jane. Guests awaited the newlyweds as soon as they docked at the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort, North Carolina for a rustic celebration. The couple decorated with a simple ivory and green color palette to enhance the boat workshop's natural beauty. "We had sparse white paper lanterns hanging from the rafters to draw attention to the beautiful wood ceiling and windows," says Jane. "The reception space is the workshop where they restore boats for the museum and we kept all of the tools out to emphasize the workshop feel." Following the reception, Jane and Alex enjoyed a nighttime boat ride while sipping champagne before meeting up with friends and family at a local hangout spot where the party continued. "We decided to do this because we've been living outside of North Carolina for a few years and don't get home often to visit with everyone so we wanted to make the most out of it!" says Jane.