T+B’s rehearsal dinner at Hotel LBI in Ship Bottom, on Long Beach Island, NJ, was an absolute vision. Heaps of mauve candles, the dreamiest blue embroidered linens, and ocean-inspired florals married together to create an atmosphere both elegant and intimate for this warm welcome reception. Can a ballroom feel cozy? Hotel LBI, designed like the belly of grand wooden ship, proves it definitely can.
At Jessamine, we believe wedding florals should not only set the tone of an event but they should also reflect who you are and what matters to you. Not just what’s trendy on blogs and Instagram. So for this special evening, we brought the beauty and mystery of the ocean floor to the reception, inspired by the couples’ love for deep sea diving.
We scoured LBI shops for oyster shell garlands to accent the bars. We carefully chose floral varieties such as kibo clematis and knifeblade acacia that look like they were cut straight from ocean beds, with lots of funky texture. From a local garden center we individually sourced and hand-broke 75 lbs of the perfect purple colored rock to craft the feel of a jetty right on the dinner tables. When I gave it the old college try to break the quartzite down further with a sledge hammer, they did not want to do anything…..so Hunter had to step in and finish the job—turns out, I had picked the hardest rock commercially available. Sparks flew in the yard, but eventually we (he) got it done. The team carted it all to the venue early in the morning so we could individually sculpt each mini installation on site.
Once the flowers were placed, we built the sculptures out with larger pieces of quartzite. We filled in the nooks and crannies with river rock pebbles. We stacked, they fell, we stacked again. But instead of frustration, it felt almost meditative, such a rare feeling in the final hours before an event begins! Though honestly? I give Andy Goldsworthy a lot of credit for making rock arrangements look so easy. Tons of warm pillar and taper candlelight placed in and around the sculptures rounded out the design.
This welcome party will always hold a special place in my heart, and I couldn’t have done it without the amazing teamwork of Jenn and Kim, who stacked alongside me.
If this kind of thoughtful, story-driven floral design is an approach you and your sweetie are into, Jessamine is now accepting inquiries for 2025 + 2026 weddings, events, showers, and welcome parties. Inquire now, we’d love to help bring your unique love story to life!
Vendors:
Planner: @gildedlilyevents Event Photography: @idaliaphotography, images 1-7, 12 BTS photography: @jennifuhhh, images 8-11, 13 Floral design: @____jessamine HMUA: @aimeebeambrides @beautyonlocationnj Venue: @hotellbiweddings @hotellbi Linens: @bbjlatavola
