1. Real Weddings

A Chic Beach Wedding at Private Residence in Naples, Florida

Talk about chic! Stephanie Dudasik (28 and a consultant) and Dallas Thomas (35 and a regulatory manager) put their own spin on beach weddings with a s

Talk about chic! Stephanie Dudasik (28 and a consultant) and Dallas Thomas (35 and a regulatory manager) put their own spin on beach weddings with a soft palette and real coral. “I didn’t want the theme to be too kitschy, so we wove coastal pieces into the design with a more updated look,” Stephanie says. Table 6 Productions helped them plan out every detail, from the mint chair sashes at the waterfront ceremony to the tented reception at a privately owned beach club. We still can’t get over the centerpieces! The 20-foot head table was lined with real white and neutral sea coral as well as floating candles, sea fans, blue sea glass and ranunculus from Isn't She Lovely Florals. “I’m so obsessed with how it turned out,” Stephanie says. Their menu also showed off some personality, including Dallas’s role as a foodie. On top of a seated dinner and an incredible coastal wedding cake, they brought out barbecue brisket sliders, flatbread pizza, mini cherry pie lollipops and more treats to represent their hometowns in Chicago and Tennessee. Catch all our favorite details below, expertly shot by Hunter Ryan Photo.

Wanting a soft and natural look, she worked with Tricia H. Gulikers Professional Hair & Makeup and picked out a side-swept ponytail. The wedding hairstyle was filled with casual, beachy waves that were made more elegant by her crystal-accented headband.
Since they were having a beach wedding, finding a comfortable, sand-friendly dress was key. So when Stephanie saw a stunning beaded gown by Hayley Paige, she knew it was the one. The sweetheart neckline and bodice were covered with intricate beading and crystal accents. A similar detail with added sequins even cascaded down the organza skirt in a shape that resembled sea coral. It was perfect for their waterfront nuptials. “What made it even better was that Hayley Paige was at Kleinfeld's that day, so I was able to say 'yes to the dress' with the newly engaged designer,” Stephanie says.
While the bouquet designs were left up to the pros at Isn’t She Lovely Florals, Stephanie and Dallas had a specific vision for the boutonniere: They wanted succulents. Each man in the wedding party wore a small arrangement of succulents, dusty miller and silver brunia on his lapel.
Guests were pointed to the outdoor ceremony with a sweet sign. The accent brought out their coral and mint wedding colors with a calligraphy “I do” and intricate mint arrow that resembled the waves on their stationery.
Guests enjoyed cocktail hour in two locations. A sign encouraged them to mingle outside, where they could take in the waterfront view. Anyone who wanted to stay out of the sun could go inside, where modern white lounge furniture added to the relaxing atmosphere.
Guests who wanted to stay away from the sand and sun were welcome to go inside for a refreshing drink during cocktail hour. Rows of white modern lounge furniture, couches and short square stools were set up for their family and friends.
To make their indoor space more personalized, Stephanie and Dallas also had a few custom pieces. Aside from an embroidered “Mr. & Mrs.” accent, they had a neutral pillow with their name, wedding year and new last name printed on the front.
Emmy Star Brown, a family friend and artist, made every table number for the Naples, Florida, reception. The white painted numbers were encased in a block of acrylic material, giving it a modern, clean look.
Since mint is Stephanie's favorite color, it was no surprise that it was the first thing guests saw when they entered the afternoon ceremony. The entire back row of white folding chairs was wrapped in mint sashes, which perfectly matched the bridesmaid dresses and groomsmen’s ties.
Tasha Rae Designs took care of all the custom stationery. From the invitation suite to the ceremony programs, every piece had a clean design, reminiscent of their contemporary, coastal inspiration. A modern wave pattern was used on almost every sheet, which contrasted the solid gray borders. We love how they added some other hues to the mix with a bold font in their wedding colors.
Instead of giving out favors at the wedding, Stephanie and Dallas gave their guests large welcome bags before the celebration. Each one reflected their professions at Southwest Airlines with suitcase-inspired tins of mints and peanuts. Their beach theme was also incorporated with blue sea glass candy.
Using photos as inspiration, Stephanie worked with the pros at Isn’t She Lovely Florals and came out with a bouquet that was exactly what she envisioned. The blush ribbon-tied arrangement was filled with peach and white peonies, coral and pink ranunculus, blush garden roses, pink and white astilbes, succulents and dusty miller. Now that's one unexpected combination!
While she didn’t have a specific flower preference, Stephanie knew she wanted citrus-inspired colors for the bridesmaid bouquets. Each arrangement was a smaller version of Stephanie's, with a mix of orange ranunculus, peach peonies, pink astilbes, succulents, dusty miller, white peonies and pink astilbes. The cute combination had a soft nod to their theme while still maintaining a chic palette.
Instead of wearing mint to match the bridesmaids, the flower girl was ready to celebrate in a sweet ivory dress with a tulle overlay along the skirt. To stand out even more, Stephanie's cousin also wore a custom gold belt and a matching headband.
Guests who stayed outside for cocktail hour were greeted with all-coral decor. Draping the tables were coral linens, and each accent was topped with real coral in a matching hue. How cool is that?
Their wedding cake brought the theme to another level. The bakers at Kakes by Karen made every round tier with a different flavor, including vanilla, coconut, chocolate and marble, separated by Key lime, raspberry, vanilla buttercream or nutella filling. Yum! “We wanted a ‘Florida flavor’ with the coconut and Key lime, and then a mix of something that everyone could enjoy,” Stephanie says. After the tiers were covered in fondant, the pros decorated it with mint sea coral-inspired details, ruffles and gold piping. The cake topper, however, really caught out attention. It was shaped like a ball with a gold starfish on the front and a coral-inspired pattern covering every inch.
Their taller centerpieces were gorgeous! Each had this white manzanita branch with hanging glass orbs at the center of a pastel, spring arrangement. Pink tulips, white hydrangeas, pink delphiniums, white roses, and peach garden roses overflowed from its short cylinder vase.
Their 20-foot head table was filled with tokens from the sea. “I’m so obsessed with how it turned out,” Stephanie says. Centerpieces of actual sea coral in white and neutral tones, as well as sea fans and blue sea glass, formed the tablescape. It didn’t stop there. Guests' napkins were placed on sea fans for an unexpected twist.
Wanting to highlight the beach club’s natural beauty, they kept all ceremony decor to a minimum. Only two sets of modern white and silver lanterns marked the ceremony space so everyone had an unobstructed waterfront view. Isn't She Lovely Florals made the accents pop with coral and pink ranunculus, peach and blush garden roses, as well as ivory roses.
Of course, they also brought Stephanie’s favorite color into the reception. The newlyweds' gold chiavari chairs were wrapped in mint sashes and stood out at the head of their wedding party’s table.
To offset the classic white and neutral decor throughout their tented reception, Stephanie and Dallas chose a few metallic accents. We love that they went with gold and ivory chiavari chairs for a subtle yet chic contrast.
Her bridesmaids were ready for the beach (and Florida’s heat) in short mint Jim Hjelm dresses. Each had a chiffon skirt that flowed from the empire waist and ruching along its bodice. The women paired their looks with the same gold necklaces and updo hairstyles. To match them, the groomsmen wore gray suits from Men’s Wearhouse with mint ties.
Dallas and his groomsmen matched to a T with light gray tuxedos from Men’s Wearhouse. For some color, they added mint ties to match the bridesmaid dresses and natural succulent boutonnieres wrapped in white ribbon. Their white shirts, however, had a personalized accent. “Dallas bought each of the groomsmen, ushers and dads custom cuff links from England,” Stephanie says. “One cuff link had a map of where the guy was from and the other had a map of Naples, Florida.”