A Simple, Nautical Wedding at South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston, South Carolina

Andrea Psimer (32 and in active duty with the military) and Avery Weston (27 and in active duty with the military) created their nautical-inspired wedding day at the South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston, South Carolina, where they combined navy and yellow colors with the natural aquarium setting. Riverland Studios captured the special day from the outdoor ceremony overlooking the Cooper River to the indoor reception surrounded by aquarium tanks. Andrea wanted her wedding dress to be simple and comfortable and opted for the San Patrick Azuaga wedding dress with its strapless, fitted style. Avery designed shoes through an Etsy store, Artsy Ashley, incorporating the nautical theme by having the words, "In low tide or high tide, I'll be by your side," painted on them. "We still wear the shoes daily, and the shoes are a constant reminder of our special day," Andrea says. Andrea and Avery wanted their wedding day to be relaxed and casual, choosing to have simple decor paired with the aquarium tanks. Dining tables were dressed in blue tablecloths with centerpieces of yellow roses, white stock and craspedia created by the wedding's florist, Tiger Lily Weddings. Throughout the planning of their wedding, Andrea was stationed in Hawaii while Avery was stationed in Texas. So when it came to choosing decor, they wanted to add an element reflective of this time in their relationship, when they had to overcome a great distance. Andrea had Hawaiian leis shipped overnight for the wedding, where they were worn by the wedding party, draped over dining tables and given to guests as wedding favors. Andrea and Avery admit that their guests were what made their wedding most personal to them. "The love that each guest had for us was exemplified by the distance traveled and the memories shared," Andrea says.