Over the years many have come to us to do their weddings, receptions, showers and parties. We have helped several, including one at the White House during the Carter Administration for Mrs. Carter. We have found we can not handle such large occasions, but we do offer ideas and the products to produce your own special event. We have a large selection of shells and products to choose from, but because of the large numbers and low prices we do not list them all on the internet.

Suggested Items in Quantity to Use

Here is the list to find the items listed below. Don't forget to go to the links.

25 baking shells can be washed in dishwasher 3"-5" - $38.00
1 cup assorted tiny shells, natural or dyed (approx 25 teas.) - $12.50
25 live air plants 2"-3" - $50.00
25 live air plants 4"-6" - $125.00
25 assorted shells 2"-3"
25 2.5"-3" sand dollars
25 3"-4" sand dollars
25 Mexican or Irish Flat - $15.00
25 3"-4" starfish - $50.00
25 4"-6" starfish - $75.00
25 Jacob Scallops 2"-3"
10 Shell Candles - $70.00
10 Sand Castles - $80.00
25 air plant magnets, assorted shells - $75.00
25 potpourri in a shell, assorted pastel colors - $125.00

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Invitations

1. Send a bottle with a note/invitation in the bottle. You can burn the edges of the paper if its a very nautical theme. Also a good favor or way to do seat assignments for your wedding. The bottles could also be your thank you notes after the wedding.

2. You can send a flat shell and write the minumum information on it; as space is limited. A Mexican Flat or Irish Flat works wonderful for this.

3. If you want something more formal add to your inside envelopes a 1/4 teaspoon of tiny shells and some sand. That will be special, different and they'll remember.

Hint: Use Sharpie Permanent Markers for all writing on all shells, bottles and sand dollars.

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Favors

1. Sand dollars can be written on with your special day on the back and your name or your guests name on the front or just even the date. They can be strung with a matching theme color ribbon and later used as a Christmas ornament for your guests tree.

Hint: Sand dollars can be hardened by dipping them in 1/2 water, 1/2 Elmer's glue and hanging them to dry. This makes a very hard surface. If you do not like the smell, add a little peppermint flavoring or mint. It works.

2. Starfish can also be used. You can add a piece of ribbon at the top with a little note attached with your special information. Glue ribbon on with hot glue. It to can be hung on a tree and if the guest wants he has the choice to live the information, on or off the ornament. You can glitter the starfish with an opal white fine glitter to add sparkle. Use a clear lacquer spray and then quickly sprinkle on the fine glitter.

3. Shells work in this same way. You'll need to purchase caps to go with the shells that need to be glued on or stick the ribbon loop inside the shell opening with lots of hot glue. You can buy our assortment that will probably contain two or three kinds or you can buy the shell mix in the catalog and have a large assorment of shells.

4. You could also use a shell as a place card marking for each guest.

5. Air plant magnets make a lovely departing gift and can be written on.

6. Old Salt Sea Men can really add ambience to your table or as gifts.

Hint: Hang the shells on a tree branch you've sprayed gold or your theme color. Support it with Plaster or Paris from any large home improvement or hardware store. Guests can take their ornament off the tree as they leave.

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Center Pieces

1. Large ornament shells work wonderful and are probably cheaper than a $25 or $30 plus flower arrangement. You can add your own hand picked fresh flowers in small quantities for the hole opening. Most shells hold water. You can add fish net around and on the shells for added decoration.

2. You can also use a piece of coral for the center piece. Add little fake fish sitting on the coral or shells, or air plants.

3. Fishing glass ball floats also make an added accent or buoys all laid just right in the center.

4. If you want to get really fancy use round glass bowls and add fish in the center. Give them away at the end of the night.

5. Sand is another useful addition. Just a little around your arrangement with a few shells and maybe a starfish add to the theme. You can get natural sand in hardware stores called play sand, if you do not live near an ocean.

6. For the head table put together a row of several different large shells along with fish net. It is low enough and yet very exotic. Adding tropical plants can add color and palm fronds fill in space.

7. Sand Castles with a little sand & fish net around the base add great ambiance.

8. Shell Candles can carry out your theme keeping in the romantic mood. Be sure to set around sand, fish net or live tropicals.

9. Old Salts also make great center pieces, be sure to add fish net.

Hint: Add a few exotic tropical plants or flowers here and there for color.  Look for air plants. In season we can purchase air plants for you in quantity. Though small they really add to a display tucked in corners. Air plants also make a great parting gift, sitting in a shell, for your guest.

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Bridal Flowers and Bouquet

One beautiful way to carry the theme is to carry as your bouquet a shell with flowers coming out of the shell. You can take the shells to your florist for the added theme color flowers. This makes a different and very dramatic entrance to your special wedding. Your bridesmaids too can cary a different shell with a little different flower. If you have money to burn, use exotic flowers like Bird of Paradise, Ginger Flower, Freesia, to name a few. Green live Palm fronds also make a great added decor and can be purchased from a florist. They are large and take up a great deal of the space you might be covering.

More money to burn, add Palm trees. Often grocery stores have indoor plant types for cheaper and or plant stores. Florists will be expensive as that is not their usual thing unless they also have a greenhouse.

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Guest and/or Wedding party gifts

1. Search our site. We have many appropriate gifts, pictures, lighthouses, large shells, clocks, ships, lamps, coasters to name a few. All would be special and different and many are actually useful.

2. Departing guests could also receive that special note of thank you in a bottle, Potpourri in a shell covered with netting, assorted small shells in a little jar with your date on the jar, candy almonds in a shell, sand in a jar with your date on the jar, shell soap in netting, and the list goes on.

3. Murex filled with potpourri already made is an easy gift to give that lasts for years and is really usable.

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Decorating

I will not go into specific detail because your choices are endless. Search our site for ships, lighthouses, netting, lobster traps, pilings, shells, real buoys, harpoons, and much more. You can really add to the mystique and make it a special affair.

Remember Palm Fronds, exotic flowers, coral, and large shells, will start you out on the right track.

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Wedding Cakes and Theme Cakes

1. You can decorate your cake with a beautiful ornamental shell on top such as the Chambered Nautilus Mother of Pearl and fill it with exotic flowers. You can also decorate your cake sides and edging with shells, just boil them first or wash in dishwasher. They will stick very nicely into icing. One idea is to frost your cake in a very light beige and sprinkle big grain light brown natural sugar over it to resemble sand. It really is striking.

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Candy Dishes and Serving Dishes

1. You can use Jacob Scallops as little individual serving dishes or candy dishes to take home. Also there are baking dishes you could serve your food in or use as a fruit or hors d'oeuvre dish that they could take home.

Other Hints: Here are a few items you can possibly look for and incorporate in your theme. Rope, a beacon light like lighthouse in corner, giant clam shell for serving food, baking shells for food or treats, Caribbean or Hawaiian or even Beach Boys music. Also possible maybe some versions of Jimmy Buffet music. Hire live steel drum Musicians or even just the music. Add orchids, banana trees because of the big leaves, arecca palms because they are very full. If your event is not real formal then, beach towels, beach balls and umbrellas can add a lot to a beach theme along with beach pails. You can also use beach pails to fill for departing gifts your guests or even as table centerpeices with sand inside and shells on top. Coconut shells, Morther of Pearl plates and spoons are a few more items you can incorporate and I am sure you'll think of many other ideas.

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