Message in a Bottle...

The Nicholas Sparks book Message in a Bottle made into a movie several years ago is still one of my absolute favorites. The beach scenes were set here on the Outer Banks, so whenever I return to the beach it always reminds me of the characters and their incredible love story.

I love the idea of using a "Message in a Bottle" design for wedding save the dates and invitations for a beach wedding. I think it is a great way to share a piece of the beach with guests to get them excited about all that is to come.

DIY Message in a Bottle Invitation:

Start with the parchment. This is what you'll use to print out your specifics: the who, what, when and where. Tip: before you get all fancy with your design, cut up a piece or two of plain old paper into different sizes, so you know exactly what dimensions roll up easily in your bottles.

Once designed and printed, you'll want make the parchment inserts simple for your guests to pull out. Step one is to attach some kind of pull mechanism to the center of your invite ... a cord or a ribbon, say. Glue it, or punch a hole and thread it through. Step two is to roll up your invitation and tie it tight, so it won't expand inside the bottle and become irretrievable.

Of course, you can also add your own custom touches. For example, you might include a map with torn, charred edges (like the pirate maps of old). Or instead of just tying your invites closed with a cord, you could use a satin ribbon and a wax seal.

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