Beach House Wedding

Hey ladies! Getting married this October at a beautiful ocean front event home in my home town in North Carolina. The ceremony will take place on the beach and the reception at the house. We can’t afford a wedding coordinator so I’m starting to think of the timeline, how to go about all the decorations and how to set up the back yard surrounding the pool for the reception. I live in Denver so I have to figure all this out from afar (and it’s giving me major anxiety). We’re doing an unconventional reception with several stations of heavy hor d’eurves in lieu of a formal, sit down meal. So while there will still be tables, there will not be enough for everyone to sit at one time. And god forbid, but there’s plenty of indoor and covered outdoor space if it rains.


Im curious if anyone else has done something similar. Any advice on things that have gone well or not gone well with a beach wedding? Small nuances that I may not have considered? And decoration tips/pictures!!! We’re planning on stringing bistro lights from the top deck across the back yard... but that’s as far as I’ve made it. Our theme is lavender and sage and I’d like decorations to include lots of greenery, terrariums, candles, etc.
I’ve included some photos of the house for reference. Looking forward to hearing any and all ideas. TIA!