Pirate Wedding: Treasures in a Hidden Cove

"Har you maties! We're having a pirate wedding and we've found two volunteers to walk the plank together! So, are you ready to set sail to our hidden cove full of joyful trinkets and treasures?"

How many of us played at being pirates as children? Let's incorporate the fun and excitement of a childhood fantasy into this fabulous wedding theme idea.

Wedding Invitations:

It's not so easy finding an invitation suitable for a pirate wedding that you can order online. Most of you will have to settle for invitations that feature a beach theme or perhaps a sailboat on the sea type of design. If you are interested in creating your own, then check out this article on how to make your own pirate wedding invitations.

Navigating the Sea of Decor:

Nautical and pirate wedding decorations should be fairly easy to locate. If you're having any trouble finding what you need or if you would just like some additional ideas, then a good place to check out is BuyCostumes.com. They carry a decent selection of pirate costumes (which could be used by the wedding party or guests), accessories, party supplies, and favors.

• Buy or make old captain's ship wheels and lean them against the walls. You could make this by blowing up a photocopy of a ship's wheel, then tracing the design on cardboard that's been covered in a wood-grain paper (such as contact paper, shelf paper, or wallpaper). Cut out carefully between the spokes.
  
  
• Fill a large old wooden chest half way with crumpled newspapers. Lay a flat board on top of the papers. Fill the top half of the chest up with fake gems, plastic "gold" coins, cheap jewelry, fake pearl necklaces, and "gold/silver" trimmed items (goblets, trinkets, etc.) You can also spray paint "bumpy" rocks with gold paint and place in the chest as "gold" nuggets. Put the "pirate's chest" near the entrance to the reception hall or by the gift table.
  
  
• If your wedding is outdoors, line a large wooden chest with several pieces of thick plastic or place foam coolers inside. Fill with ice and use it to hold drinks such as sodas, fruit juices, etc.
  
  
• Hang old-world nautical maps on the walls, as well as special "treasure" maps that you've created. You can purchase old world antique map posters here.
  
  
• Using iron on transfers, photocopy nautical maps and flags on to the transfer paper. Iron the pictures on to beige colored tablecloths or runners to decorate the tabletops.
  
  
• Hang a distressed wooden sign over the bar that says Captain Hook's Private Stash or come up with something similar.
  
  
• Decorate the room with black, red and gold balloons with matching streamers.
  
  
• Don't forget to place a few "Polly the Parrot" stuffed animals or balloons here and there.
  
  
• Some centerpiece ideas that fit the pirate wedding theme are:
  
  
• A sailboat or schooner model would make an ideal centerpiece.
  
  
• Give your party that tropical touch by using small fake palm trees as your centerpieces. Spread sand on the table under the palm trees and place an X cut from cardboard under the tree.
  
  
• Purchase small wooden chests and fill with gold chocolate coins, fake pearls, gold nuggets (small rocks spray painted in gold), and fake jewels. Spread some sand around the chest and add some small seashells for an added touch.
  
  
• Fill red, black and gold balloons with helium and attach streamers of matching thin ribbon. Secure one color of each balloon at varying lengths to a large stone that's been painted in gold spray paint. Place in the center of the table.
  
  
• Decorate the DJ's area as a beachcomber's hut or a pirate's treasure cave entrance.
  
  
• Place tall fake palm trees around the room to enhance the pirate's beach cove ambience.
  
  
• Hang fish netting around tables and on walls.
  
  

• Purchase nautical votive candles, and/or tea lights and holders to suit a pirate wedding idea (example: skull and cross bone design, pirate flag, schooner ship, etc.)
  
  
• Chocolate coins in gold foil paper. Place them in small, velvet-sewn bags.
  
  
• Hand out pirate hats that have personalized with your names and wedding date.
  
  
• Make or buy pirate bandanas as favors.
  
  
• The "wenches" may enjoy receiving some pirate style earrings or fake pearl necklaces.
  
  
• Present your "crew" with novelty telescopes or kaleidoscopes so they can locate their own "treasure trove".
  
  
• A pirate is never without his rum. Place small single serving rum bottles at each table setting (the type that you see at the check out counters at liquor stores).
  
  
• With the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies being so popular, there are dozens of places that sell party supplies and favors that would be suitable to use for a pirate wedding. One favor idea I saw was pirate flag pens and pencils, which you could either purchase, or make yourself using small flags and black floral tape.
  
  
• Novelty stores often sell interesting necklaces. See if you can pick up a black bead necklace with a skull and crossbones medallion to use as favors.
  
  
• Pick up some "Pirates of the Caribbean" incense packs.
  
  
• Here's a totally novel, unique, yet very useful guest favor for your pirate wedding theme: pirate adhesive bandages for those "sword and knife wounds".
  
  
• For men's favors, hand out shot glasses.
  
  
• Print out your own pirate labels and stick them on small, plain bubble bottles.
  
  
• Make your own pirate candy bar wrappers to use on chocolate bars.