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Throwing A Bridal Shower With Style And Class

November 28, 2011 By Wendy Leave a Comment

Holding a bridal shower is easy. Holding one that has style and class is a different story. If you browse the internet, you’ll find plenty of tips, ideas and suggestions on how to make your best friend’s bridal shower successful but if you’re looking for something beyond that, something that will make the bride realize she’s the luckiest to have you as her best friend and that she made the right choice picking you as the maid of honor, then focus on these tips that would allow you to throw a bridal shower party that exudes with elegance.

Focus on the bride

Before anything else, you have to keep this rule of the thumb in mind: focus on the bride. It’s her day before the big day! The shower isn’t just about a group of friends and relatives getting together. It’s about them getting together to celebrate the bride as well as give her a bit of a chance to relax and unwind. When planning the shower, always think of her—what she would like to do, what she would prefer to eat, who she would want to invite, who she doesn’t want to see, you get the idea.

Incorporate a theme

There are lots of elegant themes out there that you can use for your friend’s bridal shower. But two that stand out are the gourmet shower and spa and beauty shower. If your friend is the kind of person who’s known for her impeccable taste, particularly on food, she’d definitely love a gourmet-themed bridal shower. It gives you a good excuse to pamper her taste buds. Go for wine, cheese, chocolates and other delectable foods. Gifts should center on glassware, bakeware, wine and gourmet food.

Now, if she’s the type who’s a spa fanatic but her always-busy schedule doesn’t allow her to get anywhere near the spa, this would give her the beauty rest she has always wanted. It’s also ideal since her wedding day is fast approaching. It can be done at the spa near your friend’s house or at her home. You’ll find that there are lots of facials as well as other beauty treatments that can be done at home. It’s also a good idea to hire a manicurist or massage therapist during the party at home.

Hold it in the garden

Unless you’re going for the beauty/spa theme, another elegant idea would be to hold the shower in the garden. As you know, there’s always something classy about garden events. Make sure that you decorate the garden venue with all things that speak of sophistication. Paper streamers, tea light candles, lace table cloths and orchid flower arrangements can turn any bland yard into a chic bridal shower venue.

Make personalized invitations

Customized invitations give a charming touch to any event. Use a computer editing program to design an elegant invitation for the bridal shower. You can round up the bridesmaids to add some elegant embellishments to the invites like some rhinestone stickers, lace or silk ribbon or pearl trinkets. It’s also a smart move to send out e-vites so you can invite everyone without having to print on a single paper.

Plan the food

When planning the menu for the party, you always need to consider what time you’re having it. If it’s for lunch or dinner, a catered buffet would be apt. If you’re holding it in the afternoon, which is the most common practice of bridal showers, bite-sized desserts are suitable. Make the dessert buffet centerpiece a rich chocolate fountain decorated with raspberries in goblets. As for the drinks, have cocktail drinks to complement the food. Add a coffee and tea bar to add even more elegance to the event.

Do something exciting

An elegant party doesn’t have to be boring. You can still engage in fun games and activities apart from the gift-opening aspect of the bridal shower. First, make a great icebreaker. This is important especially if the guests don’t know each other well. Then go on with games that focus on the bride. For example, a trivia game that finds out which of the guests know the bride the most. The questionnaire can include how the bride and groom met, where their honeymoon is going to be held, what the bride’s favorite food is, and so on.

These are just few of the countless ideas that you can incorporate into your friend’s bridal shower event.

Filed Under: Tips & Ideas Tagged With: bridal showers, class and style, Planning, throwing

10 Best Ideas for Wedding Table Centerpieces

May 7, 2010 By Wendy Leave a Comment

centerpiece ideas Wedding table centerpieces are going beyond the basic floral arrangements. Interested in stepping out of that box? Take inspiration from these decorating trends:

1. Go natural

Create a tabletop botanical garden. Hit the local nursery or go online to purchase small potted plants, or if there is time to spare, seedlings. If want to showcase flowers, consider Gerber daisies, tulips, daffodils or orchids in terracotta pots. You can also take the green route with herbs and ferns. Cacti would be perfect for a Mexican or cowboy theme wedding. Another popular option is wheatgrass grown in flat, shallow boxes. The plus side to all this? The plants can double as wedding favors. Just leave a sign next to the centerpiece asking guests to “Please pick one”. Or incorporate a “For you” label on every pot.

2. Dazzle with lights

Make each table shine with a light fixture centerpiece. Use a structural shaded lamp surrounded with flowers at the base (to hide the cords) or centerpiece ideas 2 studded with blooms around the stem for added visual interest. Place metal-framed lanterns to create a rustic appeal. Or go ultrachic with square paper lanterns. Want something more high-tech? LED lights in water-filled vessels will do the trick.

3. Cast a glow

If your venue is dimly lit, a “candlescape” can imbue drama and enchantment to any dinner reception. Combine votives, pillars and tapers on a single table. Consider mounting them on top of a round mirror for a reflective light effect. You can also float candles on stemmed glasses of varying shapes and heights.

4. Submerge them flowers

Aiming for a serene but stunning look? Push in calla lilies or orchids in a tall-enough glass vessel so they appear submerged underwater. For a beach wedding, create an aquarium-like centerpiece by using a rectangular or bowl-shaped container with corals nestled onto a sand base. Budget-wise, this kind of display will cost you less because it requires fewer stems.

5. Break container conventions

Arrange flowers in martini glasses or soup bowls instead of traditional vases. Coffee pot creamers, sugar holders and teacups would be great for country weddings. Pails dressed up as planters suit outdoor receptions. Mix and Square Vase Centerpiece match the containers for aesthetic appeal. You can buy them at thrift stores, flea markets or garage sales.

6. Be Zen-inspired

If you’re a minimalist at heart, go with Zen-inspired centerpieces. One option is a willow or cherry blossom branch display. Leave the stems as is or spray-paint them in silver or gold. Embellish with beads, ribbons, or handmade paper birds and blooms. You may even ask guests to hang tags on which they have written down their well wishes. You can also incorporate bonsai trees, battery-powered water fountains, bamboo, origami creations and mini sandboxes.

7. Pick fruits

Try using fruits as the focal point of your table centerpiece. Their rich colors will surely make for vibrant displays. Lemons, limes or clementines packed in a glass vessel are wonderful for summer outdoor receptions. Clusters of apples, pears and gourds would work with autumn weddings, and pomegranates or cranberries at winter celebrations. To add height to arrangements, leave the fruits on their vines or branches.

8. Satisfy sweet cravings

Sweet treats add a fun and light touch to your table décor. To give guests something to munch on throughout the evening, fill in glassware with your candy of choice. Or create an edible topiary using round chocolate pieces. Another trend is to have cupcakes or smaller versions of the wedding cake arranged on a multi-tier serving tray.

9. Pile up gift boxes

To add a surprising element to your centerpiece, stack up gift boxes atop cake stands. Make sure to pick out boxes of different sizes and have them dressed up with ribbons or flowers. Fill in each with candy, soap, candle or any other goodies you want to give away at your wedding.

10. Create an activity area

If you want to see interaction within each table, consider items that guests can play with. Take your pick from board games, glass chess sets or colorful checkerboards. Surround these with glitter or confetti for a decorative touch. You can also have decks of cards and puzzles personalized with you and your husband-to-be’s photo.

Play with the decorations as much as you want to. Remember you can turn your table centerpiece spectacular and memorable with just a little creativity, resourcefulness and imagination.

Filed Under: Decorations, Tips & Ideas Tagged With: Best Ideas, Wedding Table Centerpieces

Decoration Tips for your Orange Wedding Theme

September 28, 2009 By Wendy Leave a Comment

Orange Wedding Theme

The moment you have been waiting for has finally arrived. Your love of your life has asked your hand in marriage and even before you can say yes, your mind takes you to a whirlwind of images where you see yourself wearing a gorgeous white gown, walking down the aisle.

Just like most brides, you want this moment to be as perfect as possible. Aside from that, you want your wedding to have a unique appeal that would make it stand out among the other weddings that people have seen before.

You consider all sorts of wedding motif colors—blue, pink, green, and lavender. You find it hard to choose among these colors, not because you do not like any of them, but because you do not want your wedding to look like a replicate of the weddings you have attended in the past. You very well know that these colors have been used over and over and over before.

If you are looking for a color that is not a staple for weddings but can surely add flair and beauty to the event, consider using the dynamic shade of orange. Many people are not aware that orange makes a fantastic wedding color. In fact, it is so versatile you can use it in almost any occasion, even during spring, which is mainly dominated by pastel shades.

If you want to know more about how you can decorate your wedding with this color, here are some decoration pointers to consider.

Adorn Tables with Orange Centerpieces

Put lemons, oranges, and limes inside tall clear vases and top off this bright arrangement with a combination of orange shade flowers such as roses, gerbera, tulips, chrysanthemums, and daisies.
Use orange colored mason jars to hold yellow and white tulips and daisies. Wrap the mason jar with brown raffia. This is an economical and yet eye-catching idea for a centerpiece.
Collect a bunch of orange, yellow and red poppy flowers and place in a tall slender vase. This centerpiece idea can surely add visual interest to the tables in the reception.
Place orange-colored candles in a wide clear vase filled with water. Light up the candles for a gorgeous floating candle centerpiece.

Create a Stunning Backdrop

For the couple’s place in the reception venue, you can decorate an arch with orange roses, orange tulle and orange raffia. Include a couple of cymbidium orchids to complete the look.
You can also adorn the couple’s gazebo with a combination of orange, yellow, and white balloons, as well as orange tulips or daisies in between.

Embellish the Bouquet

Gather orange and yellow dahlias and green gladiolus for a stunning bouquet. Adorn the bouquet with an orange plaid ribbon.
Add accents such as orange rhinestones, orange Swarovski crystals, and petite orange pearls to your beautiful bouquet of golden yellow and peach roses. Little accents can make the bouquet even more dazzling.

Add more Life with Orange

Tie orange satin ribbons on the chairs of the guests.
Cover the tables with bright orange tablecloth or use an orange table runner on a cream tablecloth.
Use a bright orange aisle runner to add dramatic beauty to the reception.
Scatter orange petals on the walkway of the couple.
Include orange table napkins or menu cards on the tables.
Add a hint of orange on the wedding favors. The favors do not necessarily have to be orange but they can come in orange boxes or be adorned with orange ribbons.
Light up orange scented candles and place all over the reception area.

Orange is fun, fresh, bright, and cheery, which is why it can be the perfect color to add that distinct touch to your wonderful wedding. Have fun planning!

Filed Under: My Theme, Reception & Ceremony Tagged With: colour, Decorations, orange wedding theme, weddings

Best Wedding Flowers for your Autumn Wedding

September 22, 2009 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

PINK ORCHID

The wedding season of autumn is best known for its rich colors and striking contrasts that are complementary to what the season generally looks like. It is the same thing for flowers. Golden yellow, orange, and deep red are just some of the major choices. Bold colored flowers such as gerberas and pinks are very popular.

If you are getting married this fall and you want to get to know your choices on the best wedding flowers, here are some to help you get started:

Gerbera

Perfect for dramatic and contemporary bouquets, gerbera is one of the most popular choices for autumn wedding flowers. With its wide array of over a hundred of shades and colors to choose from, it will not be difficult to decorate your wedding with this wonderful bloom.

DAHLIA

Dahlias

These flowers that come with multiple petals in vibrant yellow and red shades can be a wonderful addition to your wedding as table centerpieces or floral arrangements for the altar decoration.

Delphinium

The usual color of delphinium is blue but this flower also comes in pink and lilac. Delphiniums are brilliant to use during the wedding reception to add height to table arrangements and to create dramatic touch to the whole event.

Bird of Paradise

The bird of paradise is an exotic flower that has a green beak, orange and blue crest, and green leaves with a touch of silver. This flower is ideal to use for destination weddings, tropical themed weddings or for decorating contemporary tables.

Bouvardia

Bouvardias are loose clusters of starlet flowers that are tubular in shape and have a faint sweet scent. These flowers are mostly used for creating stylish buttonholes.

Pink

When you think of this flower, you would obviously think that it only comes in the color pink. However, pinks are also available in very light shades of pink to reddish hues. You can use these flowers for making beautiful round flower arrangements for the altar or for the bridal bouquet.

HYDRANGEA

Hydrangea

Another popular flower for the fall is the hydrangea, which has full blooms that come in gorgeous pastel shades such as soft white, pink, lilac and light blue. This is suitable for creating flower table centerpieces, pedestal floral arrangements or for the bridal bouquet.

Rose

This flower is not often associated with the season of autumn. However, roses in deep burgundy or yellowish hues can add grace and beauty to your fall wedding.

Chrysanthemums

These flowers are available all year round but they actually grow during the season of fall. Chrysanthemums, which come in a variety of sizes and colors, can be used as fillers for floral arrangements on table centerpieces, as decoration for wedding arch, and for the bouquet of the bride.

Orchid

The list of best wedding flowers will not be complete without the exotic and beautiful orchids that are a major staple in many weddings. Although a bit pricey, many couples prefer to add orchids to their wedding because of the exquisite touch it can provide the event. Orchids in either white or bright pink are stunning for modern table centerpieces, and bouquets of the autumn bride.

Picking the right flowers to decorate your wedding or to use in the bridal bouquet should take sufficient time since flowers are some of the most important aspects of the wedding decoration.

Filed Under: Tips & Ideas, Wedding Reception Themes Tagged With: autumn, Bird of Paradise, Bouvardia, Chrysanthemums, Dahlias, Delphinium, Gerbera, Hydrangea, wedding flowers

Real Florida Wedding: Courtney + Andrew, Part II

September 15, 2009 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

RSS wedding buzz, source: http://www.swsmag.net/blog/2009/9/11/real-florida-wedding-courtney-andrew-part-ii.html

I don’t think I’ve ever started a post by focusing on the wedding cake before, but there’s something about Courtney + Andrew’s three-tiered confection from Fatty Patty’s Cakes and Café that makes me smile. I just love how the bright, full blooms surrounding each tier perfectly match the bridesmaids’ Nouveau Flowers bouquets. Bold, colorful flags, bright serapi blankets and gold ceiling decorations transform the Seaside Lyceum into an ultra-festive venue perfect for the couple’s Cinco de Mayo-inspired reception. The cute chalkboard menu paired with the Dine by Design fixings round out this Florida fiesta. Now that we’re all in a festive mood of our own, it’s time to start looking towards the weekend! Happy Friday from all of us here at SW!

Describe your wedding flowers: The only flowers in the entire wedding were the flowers the girls carried, which were the same as the flowers on the cake. I wanted each bouquet to make its own individual color statement. Since they were going to be the only flowers in the church, they really needed to pop. We did rustic bouquets of apple green hydrangeas, purple stock, orange orchids and hot pink dahlias. In contrast my bridal bouquet was just a simple bouquet of ivory garden roses. We didn’t have any flowers at the reception, so decided to use simple candles and succulents on top of colored linen runners that matched the colors of the bridesmaids’ flowers). Since we had a family style dinner, we couldn’t have a huge floral arrangements on the table.
Describe your wedding cake: We had a Mexican Chocolate cake with Kaluah butter cream alternated with a layer of tres leches cake with key lime butter cream. The outside of the cake itself was a vanilla butter cream that was finished like an old-fashioned cake. The pop of color came from the flowers alternating between the layers. I loved that the flowers on the cake matched the bridesmaid’s flowers.
What was your favorite design element of your big day? I loved the lounge our designer created on the lawn. It was gorgeous with all the colored papel picalo and the lights. It quickly became the place everyone wanted to hang out in during the reception. I also loved all the candles used during the ceremony and later at the reception. They added a very romantic vibe that made it feel even more vintage Mexico.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: I loved the lanterns hanging from the ceiling of the dinner tent. We collected them all year and I loved that they all were unique and slightly different. I also loved our seating cards or, rather, tiles. We had everyone’s names and table number written on traditional Mexican tiles. When they were all put together on the table they created a fun, colorful pattern that made the table looked tiled!

Congratulations, Courtney + Andrew! We love hearing about the happy endings of college sweethearts!

Filed Under: Wedding Buzz Tagged With: real weddings

Purple Mixes The Hotness Of Red With The Coolness Of Blue

September 8, 2009 By Kyla Leave a Comment

purple Throughout history, purple has been considered a color of royalty, befitting special occasions and events including purple theme weddings . Kings and Queens often donned purple whenever they reviewed or accepted subjects.

In more recent times, purple is the color chosen by countries to confer honor on their Heads of State or other dignitaries. Purple still plays a major role in most backgrounds when two Heads of State meet for meetings or to sign treaties.

Purple mixes the hotness of red with the coolness of blue. The result is a customer that can be all things to all people and can merge well into any color scheme. Even colors normally difficult to match, like pink or certain greens, mix well with purple. Purple also brings out the best in other colors, making them seem more regal or vibrant.

A purple theme wedding allows you to set the stage for elegance and class and can add a rich flavor to any decoration scheme. It also allows you to inject a sense of quiet style if you use it sparingly, such as in flower arrangements, table settings or as trim around other colors.

The butterfly favor / place cards in deep orchid purple, sets a mood that is both light and serious, airy yet exuding sincerity. Personalized ribbons for bows on favor boxes allow you to add either a purple ribbon or purple script to your favors, giving your favor boxes a touch of class and reminding the guests of your special day. Decorative initial monogram stickers in purple allow you to personalize glasses or stationary.

Decorations also can be injected with various shades of purple, from light mauve to dark grape. Tablecloths in purple set a quiet yet elegant mood for receptions and shades of purple tulle tied with paper roses are perfect for aisle decorations and the backs of reception chairs.

White is the perfect backdrop color for a purple wedding theme, as the various hues of purple seem to come to life and leap off the white! Purple exudes a royal, fun and sincere elegance that can set a mood for an entire day. Cocktail regular napkins done in purple enhance any setting and provide a sense of royalty to food and drinks.

Purple is one of the few colors that enhance virtually everything it touches. Clothes, decorations, favors, collections, place cards, you name it, purple adds to the splendor of the event and dresses up even the most routine article. Purple theme weddings create a sense of royalty, elegance, and splendor as well as honor the special day without seeming pretentious. Purple enhances virtually everything and is right at home in any setting.

Filed Under: My Theme, Reception & Ceremony Tagged With: purple theme wedding

Add A Bold Dash Of Colour With Red Roses To A Black & White Theme

September 8, 2009 By Harmony Leave a Comment

silhouettesbloom Since the 40s, black and white wedding themes have been creating unforgettably elegant events for couples. Celebrate your special day with classic black and white themes to show off your sophisticated sense of Hollywood style.

The striking combination of black and white for your wedding can be offset by using touches of red. Simple red roses and accents won’t overpower your black and white wedding themes but add a bold dash of color. Metallic accessories are a perfect way to offset your black and white theme.

During the 40s, black and white wedding themes gained popularity along with jazz clubs and Hollywood starlets. The retro look is popular again featuring new levels of texture and depth such as satin, silver, gold and velvet.

The bride can choose a straight, classic white gown with bridesmaids in black with a touch of red. The groom and ushers wear black tuxedos with red cummerbunds to match the ladies. A Hollywood-inspired groom may even choose to wear a handsome top hat.

Flowers for black and white wedding themes are outstanding and unique. Consider combinations of black roses and black “Queen of the Night” tulips with white orchids, white roses and white tulips. The bride can include pretty white flowers in her bridal bouquet such as calla lily, gardenia and narcissus. Add a few red roses to the floral arrangements to match the rest of the wedding.

Often couples choose a ball room or large restaurant with a dance floor for elegant black and white wedding themes. Uncluttered decorations, white tablecloths and black napkins finish off the sophisticated look. For a dramatic Hollywood 40s flair, add diamond jewelry and ice sculptures.

Funky black and white wedding themes include patterned tablecloths or dotted black and white accessories. By using a refreshing combination of pattern, texture and starkness, you can create your own eclectic black and white wedding theme. Another exciting black and white wedding is a “goth” theme for modern couples. The bride and bridal party often wear black. Victorian accents create a truly Gothic feel.

Instead of a 40s black and white theme, you can go for the 50s and have a jukebox, milkshakes and cheeseburgers to include the kids. Use checkerboard black and white patterns with accents of red throughout your reception. Have silver utensils to create a 50s luncheonette atmosphere.

Asian weddings, which are popular for people from all backgrounds, traditionally use black, white, red and silver. Serve Oriental food on white tablecloths with brushed silver utensils. Have wedding favors for your guests in Asian takeout boxes wrapped with black and white ribbons.

Black and white wedding themes are anything but boring. Their timeless appeal will make your wedding elegantly memorable.

Filed Under: My Theme, Reception & Ceremony Tagged With: red roses, white and black theme

Wedding Planning EBook

September 7, 2009 By Harmony Leave a Comment

RSS wedding buzz, source: http://luckyorchidwedding.blogspot.com/2009/07/wedding-planning-ebook.html

Liene Stevens, owner of Splendid Communications, recently created and published this adorable wedding guide on her blog, Blue Orchid Wedding. It was created to help brides in the process of interviewing and hiring vendors from venue to caterer to wedding planner to photographer. The ebook includes important questions for every bride to ask potential vendors in order to get the best services for their wedding. I also love the book because Liene has thoughtfully included some of my favorite custom icons!

You can view and print this ebook and other planning guides by visiting Liene’s free wedding resource library. Happy planning!

Filed Under: Wedding Buzz Tagged With: wedding planning ebook

Real Wedding: Tamarindo, Costa Rica

September 7, 2009 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

RSS wedding buzz, source: http://luckyorchidwedding.blogspot.com/2009/08/real-wedding-tamarindo-costa-rica.html

We were more than delighted when Beth at Beth Helmstetter Events asked us to be involved in her clients’ Tamarindo, Costa Rica wedding! Take a look at the beautiful pictures from Julie at Comfort Studios.

After a gorgeous ceremony on the beach, the happy couple and their guests moved to the Cala Luna Hotel where they were greeted with the multi-colored fans and our casually chic signs with phrases such as “Bienvenidos” and “Stay Cool.”

The simple yet classy table included matching place cards and menus at each setting.

At the end of the evening, the couple bid their guests farewell and “Gracias” for sharing in the occasion – and we were happy to share in it as well!

Calligraphy Style is Ella in white on chocolate brown paper. See Beth Helmstetter’s blog for more information and pictures from this wedding!

Filed Under: Wedding Buzz Tagged With: Destination Weddings

Southern Bridal Portraits: Crystal’s Bridals

September 7, 2009 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

RSS wedding buzz, source: http://www.swsmag.net/blog/2009/9/2/southern-bridal-portraits-crystals-bridals.html

Seeing as how we’re still in a festive mood thanks to the impending change of seasons, we have an extra special surprise for you today, courtesy of Perez Photography! While we absolutely adore the weddings we get to sort through and gush over every week, we thought we’d share a unique (and often overlooked) part of the real Southern wedding process with you. When Crystal passed along her lovely bridal portraits taken at the rustic Penn Farms in Cedar Hill, Texas, we quickly fell in love with the idea of formal bridal portraits. What better way to preview (and get even more excited for!) one of the most important days in your life than with a pseudo dress rehearsal that allows you to experiment with your hair, make-up and accessories and even spend a few hours in your gorgeous gown? Crystal’s flowy wedding dress from Anna Maier / Ulla-Maija Couture is simply divine, but what I can’t get over is how flirty and fun her Phoebe Couture reception dress is, especially paired with those cotton-candy pink Valentino heels. A feminine bouquet of pretty pink roses and romantic orchids from A Stylish Soiree completes the bride-to-be’s picture perfect wedding day look. What would you do for your bridal portraits?

Why did you decide to have bridal portraits taken? It’s a Southern tradition! These are pictures I will keep forever and will be able to share with my children one day. A bride can see how the hair, make-up, dress, veil, etc. look on film. A bridal portrait is also the perfect opportunity to make any adjustments before the big day. What if you decide you hate your shoes or want to change up your hairstyle? It also gives the bride a bit more practice in front of the camera plus I won’t have to worry about getting a bunch of bridal shots the day of my wedding! I highly recommend that all brides have a bridal portrait session!

The weather on my portrait day was: Hot!! This was the first of many 100+ degree days in Dallas. In between shots, I used small hand-held fans to try and stay cool.

What was the design inspiration for your portrait? Rustic prairie love. I wanted a location that would be completely different that our wedding location and different from what everyone else does. Perez Photography does amazing shots with light and color so what better setting to capture these elements in?

Favorite design element of the shoot: The lighting, color and simple shots.

Are you wearing the same dress in the shoot as you’ll wear for the actual wedding? Most definitely!

How did you decide what to wear to the shoot? I knew I had to have pictures in my reception dress. It would be fun and give the photographer more flexibility. Also, the bridal salon recommended that I not dry clean my wedding dress before my wedding so I was a little nervous about getting it dirty during the bridal portraits. I ended up wearing my wedding dress at the end of the shoot.

Describe your flowers for the shoot: My bridal portrait bouquet was made up of soft pink roses, antique pink spray roses and pink orchids in varying sizes

My favorite detail of the shoot was:I loved the vintage cameras that my photographer used for the shoot

My favorite location of the shoot was: The wooded path and old fence.

Three adjectives that describe the day are:Hot, quick and fun.

What advice would you give to someone planning to have bridals taken? Do it! And when you do, bring two or three people to help assist.

Good luck on your upcoming wedding, Crystal! You are going to make a beautiful bride!

Filed Under: Wedding Buzz Tagged With: bridal portrais

How Do I Decorate My Wedding? – Ask The Expert Answer

August 31, 2009 By Angela Leave a Comment

Question from Rochelle:

Hi. I’m getting married in Dec 2009 and wanted your advice on what theme is best with fuschia and off white. We are thinking of having orchids. The groomsmen will wear white shirts with fuschia cravats and the bridesmaids will be in short fuschia dresses with a white border. Should I have silver instead of white? How do I dress the tables? I need ideas on what to have as a centerpiece? Thanks

Answer from Bridal Expert Angela:

Hi Rochelle, and congratuations on your upcoming wedding. Fushia and white sound like a great colour combination. You could go with silver, but many silver colours look like grey, so it would depend upon what silver you chose.

As for what theme, you could just have a colour theme of fushia and white. Your choice of theme is usually generic, or specific. Generic themes are like a colour theme, or you could also have an orchid theme. If you wanted to have a specific theme, usually couples choose a wedding theme that reflects their interests and personality.

Wedding table decorations are usually flowers, candles, sand, water, or food, in various combinations. A lot depends upon how formal a wedding you are having, and what feel you are going for. Tables can be dressed is lace overlays, table runners, table squares, etc. Have you asked your reception site what they have available? Most reception sites have a variety of choices for you to choose from, and for a cost, can bring in unique items based on your budget.

If you look at all the categories on your right as you scroll down, you will see many posts talking about this subject, where you can get more ideas. The shopping items at the top right also have lots of great ideas. Check them out. If you have further questions, feel free to ask.

Angela Fiebelkorn, Ask The Expert

Filed Under: Ask The Expert, Colours, Decorations, Reception, Themes

Church wedding decorations – what you need to know

March 25, 2009 By Nicole Leave a Comment

Churches, by themselves, are already beautiful buildings both inside and out. Old churches with architecture of historical value and excellent acoustics would have completed half the church wedding decorations effort needed for the ceremony. The most important thing to remember is, first and foremost, to obtain the permission of the vicar before contracting the services of a decorator (or buying the resources if you intend to do it yourself). As churches are places of worship, permission will usually be granted for minimal décor, with the exclusion of several sections like the altar, side chapel and areas around statues. Take note of these areas to be excluded from any form of ornamentation as you will have to explain them in detail to your decorator. In fact, upon exclusion of these sectors, you may find that it may be quite unnecessary to hire one, particularly if the church is not a big one.

The next thing to do is to "measure" the space that is available for decoration. This is where your wedding guest list comes into importance. By now, you should be able to have a rough idea of the attendees. The estimated number of guests will help you to decide just how many pews to decorate and which parts of the church you will wish to make accessible to them. Some couples prefer a cozy ceremony and thus, will block off the second half or up to two thirds of the church. Methods of blocking off the sections are varied. Some decorators use white or colored (depending on the theme of the wedding) bows may be used to indicate pews to be used to seat guests. Others make garlands of flowers or buy a delicate string of white or silver tinsel to tie along the aisle to block the entrance to blocked-off pews. Whatever you use to block off these sections, make sure they are not misleading to your guests so they will not have to bear the embarrassment of sitting in the "wrong" seats.

Marking the pews is optional but a good idea to do at your wedding – depending on how many VIPs you will be inviting. Decorating the pews with different colored bows, ribbons, lace or flowers is one way of ensuring that the correct guests are seated where they should be. Some groups of segregation are Family (immediate) and Close Friends (first few pews), followed by Relatives, Colleagues and Others with the optional VIP pew somewhere between Immediate Family and Relatives.

Having ushers to seat your guests would be ideal as long as they themselves are clear on the seating arrangements.

The choice of flowers used for decoration may be themed – some decorators use the same kind flowers that the bride and her entourage will be carrying, albeit in different colors (roses, carnations, orchids) while others use the same main color but in a myriad of flowers (yellow, red, pink). And even others will use just about every single flower there is available at the florist, creating a slightly looser, more bohemian look to the event.

Main areas for decoration are the entrance, mid way through the aisle and the altar. While the altar is usually an off-limits area, a floral arrangement adorned in lace is usually allowed. And as most of your wedding photographs and footage will include the altar, it will be wise to ensure that the altar boasts of a big floral arrangement that is as eye-catching as it is awesome. As for the entrance, an arch full of flowers, ribbons and balloons may be used with some decorators even inscribing phrases of love like "Me & You" or "Love" on it. Halfway up the aisle, a smaller arch can be erected similarly decorated but on a more muted scale. The number of arches to have along the aisle is your choice – just remember, more arches mean more decorations and a bigger budget.

If you are having flower girls carrying baskets of flower petals, be sure to have those baskets decorated with a little bow or lace matching to the rest of the materials used in the ceremony.

Other areas to decorate may include the registration table where the couple will be signing their marriage certificates. Some churches will do this after the ceremony in which case, decorations may not be necessary. Otherwise, a basket of "happy" flowers like lilies and daisies will suffice.

No matter what the décor, it is best to choose the type of décor that will match the church’s architecture and culture. An ultra-conservative congregation, for example, may find arches constructed along the aisle a little too overwhelming. Whichever your choice, remember that every décor works best when it blends in with its surroundings.

Filed Under: Ceremony, Decorations, Planning, Weddings Canada

Winter Wedding Decorations for a Glittering Day

August 5, 2008 By Nicole Leave a Comment

The glitter of the season is added to your special day with winter wedding decorations. Use a variety of winter wedding decorations to celebrate the essence of your love and the season.

Choose a location that brings winter to life, such as an inn with a fireplace or a manor with a ballroom and magnificent view. Your guests can relax by the fire or watch the snowfall from the indoor comfort of your luxurious wedding reception location.

Bring the snow indoors by choosing snowy winter wedding decorations. Include sparkling snowflakes in every aspect of your day from the ceremony to the reception. Give out wedding bulletins featuring winter wonderland snowflakes. Have accessories embellished with snowflakes. A winter wonderland or glazed porcelain snowflake cake topper adds wintry wonder to your cake cutting ceremony along with a snowflake embellished cake serving set.

Sprinkle snowy confetti on all your tables for a winter wonderland feeling. Hang glittering snowflakes from the ceiling. Wear a dazzling snowflake garter under your wedding gown for the garter throwing ceremony at the reception. Display a snowflake guest book with a matching pen for your guests to sign at your wedding reception.

Often white flowers are used at a winter wedding with touches of berry, ivy and pine branches. Excellent choices include calla lilies, orchids and white roses. Calla lilies are a traditional wedding theme for all seasons.

Add bold dashes of color or metallic to your winter wedding decorations for a holiday atmosphere. Red, green, gold and silver will work well with your white winter wedding flowers. Wrap white light garlands with tulle for a winter wonderland feeling on walls, ceilings and hallways. Decorate the tables with snowflake shaped candle holders and fragrant tea lights. Set a decorated snowflake place card by each guest’s seat.

Consider using traditional holiday accents as winter wedding decorations. Miniature Christmas trees and potted poinsettia plants are beautiful centerpieces on your wedding reception tables. You can even decorate outdoor Christmas trees at your wedding reception location to direct guests to the right place.

Because mints are cool and reminiscent of the holidays, they are often given out at winter weddings. Cute containers featuring your names filled with mints are a sentimental way to remember a cool winter wedding.

Winter wedding decorations aren’t complete without themed favors for your guests. Give out adorable snow globes, heart shaped hand warmers or a silver plated friendship as seasonal wedding keepsakes for all your guests.

Finally, when you leave your wedding reception don an elegant angora head that reads “Bride” to show off your new status. Winter wedding decorations celebrate your love and the season perfectly.

Filed Under: Decorations, Supplies, Themes, Wedding Reception Themes, Wedding Table Decorations, Winter Theme

A Calla Lily Wedding Theme Denotes Elegance and Grace

June 21, 2008 By Nicole Leave a Comment

Nothing says sophistication, refinement and `white wedding splendor` more than a calla lily wedding theme. Interestingly, the calla lily is not related to any of the true lily families; instead the calla is an arum. The botanical name for calla lily is Zantedeschia aethiopica, and is often referred to as the white or common arum lily by horticulturists.

The true meaning of the calla lily, according to the botanical experts, is sophistication and beauty. It has also been said that the shape of the blooms resemble trumpets heralding victory to the heavens. First imported to America from South Africa in the mid 19th Century, the calla lily features white waxy flowers and vibrant green leaves.

The most common colors of calla lilies include white, lavender, pink, orange, rosy red and green – and any of these are suitable as a wedding theme color, although by far the white calla lily wedding theme is the most popular. For floral arrangements, do not be afraid to mix your calla lilies with other garden flowers such as roses, freesia and tulips or tropical beauties such as bird of paradise and orchids.

Aside from the fresh flowers, there are many other ways to incorporate a calla lily wedding theme. Part of the Bridal Beauty Calla Lily Collection include a unity ceremony candles, cake serving set, bride’s garter, ring bearer pillow, a traditional guest book, bridal drawstring purse, and silver pen set. So many other wedding accessories and decorations are available with the calla lily motif. Calla lily wedding bulletins can be customized with your wedding program information, and handed out at the ceremony. Embossed calla lily seals can be used to reinforce your wedding theme on your mailed invitations. Tall wine glasses wrapped in calla lilies, elegant bride and groom toasting set, and a calla lily theme cake topper are beautiful additions to make your calla lily theme wedding perfect.

Wedding dresses, tiaras and bridal jewelry can all be purchased to complement a calla lily wedding theme. Since the white lily is the most popular, it makes everything else around it that much easier to match. The stem and leaves of calla lilies are a vivacious green, and so a rich emerald green color is the perfect accent color for a white calla lily wedding theme. Other colors that complement a white calla lily wedding flawlessly are butter yellow, burnt orange, midnight blue and ruby red.

Since a calla lily wedding theme denotes sophistication and grace, other complementary wedding and reception decorations include cut glass, crystal and polished silver. Great places to use these accents are on your reception dinner tables – polished silver place card holders, gleaming crystal candle holders and cut glass centerpiece vases.

It is no wonder that calla lilies are one of the most preferred flowers by brides around the world. Calla Lilies are one of the most preferred flowers of brides. If you choose a calla lily theme wedding, and will be using fresh calla lilies, remember a few things:

Before the wedding, be sure to place your calla lilies away from direct sunlight, heat vents, drafts or air conditioners – they can be very finicky when it comes to direct shots of hot or cold.
Never store them on top of the television or near any source of heat and electricity. This is true for any fresh floral arrangements.
If you are making your own table arrangements, make sure you use floral preservative to keep them looking lovely and fresh for a longer period of time.
Vase life is generally 7-10 days, so you may want to invite some of your guests to take the table arrangements home.
Calla lilies are great cut flowers and look exquisite in hand tied bouquets. Use natural satin ribbon for the best contrast of colors and textures.

You could not choose a more eloquent way to start your new married life than with a calla lily theme wedding. Whether you are getting married in a church, backyard or city hall, the presence of regal calla lilies will make the event that much more powerfully expressive and refined.

Filed Under: Calla Lily, Decorations, Place Card Holders, Themes

Personalized Wedding Candle Favors that Do Double Duty as Table Accessories

June 8, 2008 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

When you are planning a wedding, especially the reception that follows the ceremony, it can be expensive but personalized wedding candle favors can do double duty as décor and take home gifts for your wedding guests. The nice thing about candle wedding favors is that they offer soft light, elegance and ambiance to the table décor at your wedding Choosing personalized wedding candle favors is easy, and your choices are endless. If you have a certain theme for your wedding, there are candle wedding favors available that will match or coordinate with your wedding theme.

Wedding receptions can be very expensive, and closer to your wedding day, as you are buying the final items for your reception, you will be looking for ways to cut costs – trust me on that point! No matter how much you budget for your wedding, you will cut it close or go over budget. Even a little detail such as a table candleholder that doubles as a cute wedding candle favor for your wedding guests will save you money. Think about it like this – you are having 200 guests at your wedding reception and you are looking at glass candleholders for each table that costs $20 each – that is a total of $400 for 20 tables. If you forego the $20 glass candle holders, and place a single personalized wedding candle favor (at a cost of $1.98 each) at the place setting of each wedding guest, you will have saved hundreds of dollars by making your candle favors work twice as hard for you!

Felt daisies, stunning orchids, wooden deck chairs, love set glass, cute frogs, hugs and kisses, snowflakes, sea animals, frosted glass flowers and miniature Asian lanterns are just a few of the candleholders you can choose to personalize. For an added pop of color, select colored votive candles that match your wedding colors, and perhaps choose a lovely soft scent like rain, lavender or vanilla for a very special touch. If you want something really opulent, consider the diamond shaped candle holders or battery operated flickering tea lights.

By using wedding stickers or favor cards that have been personalized, you can give each wedding guest a lovely candle favor by simply attaching the sticker or tying the favor card to the candleholder with a personalized ribbon – it is the ultimate in thoughtful and personal gift giving for everyone attending your wedding. This is particularly appreciated at large weddings where the bride and groom may not get a chance to chat with everyone in attendance.

After dinner, when the lights are dimmed… the wedding speeches begin, toasts to the bride and groom are made and everyone settles in to dance and talk. At this time, it is a great décor tip to have the soft glow of candle at each table – whether you provide one candleholder for each guest that they can later take home; decide to use floating candles in glass vases; or have a single extravagant one for the whole table.

If you are looking specifically for personalized wedding candle favors that will be boxed or wrapped in ribbon and not used on the table, there are many cute theme candle sets available. For example, flip flop candles for a beach theme, peas in a pod theme for the perfect couple, Cinderella carriage candle, or country cows candles – all can be personalized with wedding stickers or favor tags to make them the perfect wedding accessory. In most cases, when these are given as candle wedding favors, they do not come with a glass or ceramic candleholder.

Choosing a favor for your wedding guests is a big deal. It is the little something special that your wedding guests will be leaving with – a small token of your appreciation and a snippet to remember your wedding day. Candles are always warmly received, and will be used by the majority of your guests.

When you are considering personalized wedding candle favors – specifically if they will double as table décor – be extra careful if you have a lot of young children at your wedding. Fire is dangerous and oftentimes very alluring to young minds that are bored and left at a table to amuse themselves. In such cases, flowers on a table and battery operated flickering “flameless” candles are the way to go. Also, votive candles are safest in the metal sleeve as opposed to the plastic version. If you have large taper candles or tall pillars for your reception tables, be mindful of where wax will be dripping.

Filed Under: Candle Favors, Wedding Favours Tagged With: personalized wedding candle favors

Salmon Colour Tablecloths? – Ask The Expert Answer

May 31, 2008 By Angela Leave a Comment

Question from Maria:

I am having an outside wedding reception for my son & his new bride at my friend’s house. Her new patio furniture has grays, salmon, brown/beige & yellow. I am not sure what color to get for the tablecloths. I orginally wanted cream colored tablecloths/napkins with white orchids as a centerpiece–but I realize I need a contrasting color (salmon? for a wedding?)

A previous event at the same place had brown tablecloths which I was told looked beautiful. But do I do brown on all tables except the bride and groom which will be white??? Do I do salmon-colored tablecloths??? I don’t want to clash with pre-exising colors. Thank you for your help.

Answer from Bridal Expert Angela:

Hi Maria. Without actually seeing how the colours are laid out, I will do my best to answer your question. Salmon is fine choice of colour for the tablecloths. It will give a splash of colour into the seating arrangements. If you feel salmon is too bold a colour, you might consider a nice crisp grey colour which goes well with any other colour, but looks elegant with white and black.

I suggest getting a few colour sample tablecloths from your supplier and try them out in that space. That will alleviate any doubts you have about the perfect choice for the special day. Good luck and enjoy the process.

Angela Fiebelkorn, Ask The Expert

Filed Under: Ask The Expert, Colour themed, Ideas, Reception

Example of Wedding Decorations at Receptions – Icing on the Cake

March 6, 2008 By Nicole Leave a Comment

After getting the rings, the gown, the caterers, the venue, the bridesmaids, the next important feature in any wedding is the decorations. The right décor and lighting can transform an ordinary room or canopy into a palace. And if you want to live that moment forever, then you should consider carefully how the wedding décor should be. Your wedding planner should be able to guide you to the types of décor that will match your chosen theme. Otherwise, scour the Internet; you will be spoiled for choice.

First let’s start off with the guest book. Add elegance to your wedding with a guest book covered in pearl white fabric with gold foil print. This should put a classy start to your wedding. Next, how about a pearlized-glass photo frame/place card holder for each guest’s name or a picture of you and your beau? It makes a great memento for your guests to take home.

As for wedding favors, the sky is the limit. You would probably get a migraine after you have gone through the thousands of wedding favors available on the market and on the Internet. They range from scalloped shell-shaped boxes, glazed porcelain saucers, to miniature scented soaps etc. It will be a good idea to get wedding favors that will be used by the guests long after the wedding. You could perhaps get salt and pepper shaker sets, napkins, personalized coasters, heart-shaped measuring spoons, measuring cups in velvety pouches, personalized lip butter, leather frame keychains, tea infusers, beautifully-designed bottle stoppers/openers, small photo albums, manicure sets, frosted glass votives, and lots more. The list is never-ending.

There are Internet sites which offer honey jars, chopsticks, mint tins, cosmetic bags, fortune cookies, cuff links, bracelets that can be personalized with custom text or monogram. And don’t forget personalized tags to go with the favors. The wide array of colors, shapes and designs is mind-boggling and most come pre-punched with holes with white cotton strings.

Here’s a great idea to make the simplest of wedding favors appear elegant by tying it up with ribbons, either in organdy, silk, velvet or personalized double-faced satin. You can have the ribbon printed with your names and wedding date which is then repeated throughout the entire roll. Apart from ribbons, favor boxes also play a part in adding that special touch to your gift for the guests. Embossed boxes are perfect to turn an otherwise simple memento into a stunning gift.

Another example of wedding decorations at receptions is the centerpiece, perhaps you’d like to try the candle craze. There are many different types of candles each with a different scent, color and design like cranberry orange, honeydew, coffee and cream, lavender, raspberry sorbet, pomegranate etc. In fact they sound good enough to eat! Imagine what effect that will have on your guests. You can even personalize these candles for your guests as wedding favors. How about an impressive centerpiece of floating candles with pretty flowers strewn around them?

And talking about flowers, how can you have a wedding sans these beautiful works of nature? Take your pick of orchids, roses, hydrangea, calla lilies, peonies, amaryllis, carnations, daffodils, dahlias, tulips, asters, daisies, peonies, or sunflowers and tastefully arrange these flowers as wedding decorations for the reception venue and tables. Match these flowers with your table linen. Table linen need not be in one solid color or in traditional white. There are many colors and designs to match your wedding theme. You can opt for lace or gingham table linen with color-coordinated plates and glassware. In fact, you may use any pattern, fabric for your table setting. The keyword here is coordination. Nothing is more unsettling to the eye than to find décor which neither matches nor complements each other.

Balloons can also add to the gaiety of a wedding. You can either have them in clusters or pairs of black and white, depending on your color theme, or they can be in various hues and colors. In fact balloons alone can be used as the main décor at a reception. Many have had such décor and the effect can be just as stunning. If you like, add some flowers to the whole ensemble.

Oh, and let’s not forget the icing on the cake – cake toppers. You can have porcelain bride and groom toppers, or toppers made of crystal or even hand-blown glass oil candle. These can be engraved with the names of the bride and groom in gold or silver leaf.

Finally, if you want your wedding reception to resemble a fairyland, then the clever use of lighting can do the trick. You can play with clear ‘Christmas’ lights, for example, or lighted candles, or even spotlights to create some interesting and romantic effects. How about getting lights that come in ceiling drapes. The effect is breathtaking. It’s like having a wedding in a mini castle. Great way to add that unique touch. In fact with the correct lighting, the rest of the decorations can be minimal but elegant.

Filed Under: Decorations, Wedding Favours Tagged With: Examples of Wedding Decorations

A Magnificent Winter Wedding with Winter Wedding Decorations

February 23, 2008 By Nicole Leave a Comment

A perfect place to have a winter wedding would be an inn with a fireplace, or a historic mansion, or a private club that will still have intimate warmth. You need carols for the music; the church can be decorated with ivy’s and berries. Popular all-white blooms include crisp white tulips, exotic orchids, hydrangeas full of dusty country romance, and dramatic foliage like seed eucalyptus in silver.

It can be finished off with a platinum-gray bouquet wrap with muscular jewel colours like burgundy or maroon, or even a simple nosegay of roses ranging from crimson to black magic, or a striking hand-tied bouquet of deep maroon callas. By using creative and beautiful decorations you can make the whole ceremony look good in the photographs which you will cherish for life.

Winter Wedding Favours from Kate Aspen

Red and green are natural colors for winter wedding decorations. It is likely that your church or reception area will already be decorated in red and green for other events and holiday parties. Don’t feel limited to this palate, though. You could incorporate silver and white, silver and light blue, burgundy, forest green, and gold, and gold with cream.

Flowers can be more expensive at this time of year. So, instead of going for flowers you can be creative and incorporate items that are easily available during winter. For simple but elegant look, put pots of poinsettia with a ribbon trim in the center of each table. A mirrored platter with pillar candles and sprigs of holly is both elegant and romantic. You could buy ornaments in bulk on-line, and create centerpieces of bowls or vases of ornaments or fill the room with light by arranging pillar candles on a bed of pine branches. Stringing strands of small white lights decorately round doorways, over table and on archways. Bright red cranberries in a bowl surrounding floating candles make an easy and inexpensive centerpiece. You could decorate the reception with miniature and life-size Christmas trees or commission an ice sculpture to decorate the reception hall.

Winter Wedding Collection from Weddingstar

Snowflake ornaments and evergreen boughs will also create a winter atmosphere. Pine branches with lights intertwined in them fit a snowy theme, as do white and blue tulle. You can make or purchase white and silver snowflakes. Spread them on the tables or hang them from the ceiling. Small flakes of gold and silver can be sprinkled on white tablecloths and in other arrangements. Use silver serving pieces, glass or crystal drink wear and winter white dishes. Create a luxurious and romantic mood with wedding jewel table decoration scattered across tables. These bejeweled table decorations look beautiful when used as a table confetti, but they’re also striking when used on anchor silk flowers in cylinder vases.

The wedding coaster sets can have a silver background with snowflakes in order to bring out the theme. Silver, white and gold balloons can be set around the reception area. You can also decorate each table with miniature ice sculptures or make your own centerpiece by pushing craft beads into white, three-wick candle and surrounding with an evergreen wreath. Dress the tables in lace and use plenty of white candles in your decorations. If you want a fairy like winter wedding decoration, you can get a professional to drape the ceiling and walls with tulle or organza. It’s best to avoid the brighter, beachier colours (big punches of aqua blue just looks oddly tropical in a winter setting)

Treat your guests to an edible centerpiece by making gingerbread houses for each table. To make the centerpiece larger, put the house on a cupboard square and with frosting and candy make a snow-filled “yard”.

You could get stretchy gloves and fill them with candy and tie close with ribbons. Tiny snow globes, tiny ice skates, snowflake shaped candy or miniature soaps would also be a unique favor idea. Porcelain bells, glittery snowflakes, or delicate doves here your guest can decorate their tree. Another memorable winter wedding favors is a homemade miniature Christmas holiday favor tree, personalized with your own ornaments. Silver bells decorated with ribbon, white party crackers used as place names and filled with white chocolate, or miniature glass snowstorm globes depicting a winter scene and decorated with the name of the bride and groom are excellent ideas for a winter wedding decoration.

Chocolate covered sunflower seeds or scented aroma bead are excellent as favors. Decorating it with simple items such as baubles to whimsical wooden reindeers. Hang them on the tree. For edible favors, bake cookies in the shape of snowmen and decorate with icing. You could either hang them up on the tree or present them in an organza favor bags with a Christmas motif such as ivy. You could also opt for an in expensive homemade favors in pretty tin such as spiced hot chocolate mix or hot cocoa mix with marshmallows.

Filed Under: Decorations, Decorations, Supplies, Wedding Favours, Winter Theme

Bridal Beauty Calla Lily Collection

November 19, 2007 By Nicole Leave a Comment

Flowers are always a part of a wedding reception, irregardless of race or culture. Choices may be different ranging from roses to carnations, to orchids to lilies and the choices wedding couples use may all vary but the pure essence of the flower beauty is what makes the use of it truly popular from courtship through to wedding.

One of the absolute favorite amongst many couples is the calla lilies. This particular lily comes in white, though at times, they may come in different colors. The use of the flower is favored as it represents purity, a symbolic presentation of beauty and femininity and above all, elegance. Hence the introduction of the “Bridal Beauty Calla Lily Collection” for your wedding reception needs.

Wedding supplies in this collection embraces the “Less is More” concept where the items such as guests book, ring pillow, candles and so on are all adorned with pure white tapestry with simple layered ribbons and pearls. A handcrafted porcelain calla lily is then tied to the article to create a simple yet elegant feel for the item. There is no need to go overboard with this particular wedding theme as simple can be absolutely stunning as well.

Click here if you wish to read more about wedding themes or wedding favours!

Spring Wedding Favors from Kate Aspen

Purchase these spring wedding favours here in Canada!

Filed Under: Calla Lily, Supplies, Themes, Wedding Theme Collections by Weddingstar, Weddings Canada

Orchids Are An Elegant Wedding Theme

October 20, 2007 By Maggie Leave a Comment

Always when planning a wedding, a bride needs a central theme. The theme does not have to suffocate all wedding planning and decorations. A wedding theme can be as simple as a mood, sound, flavor, smell, or flower.

One really beautiful idea I had (and might use for my wedding because I love it so much), is to focus on an orchid.

Orchid

Orchids are one of my favourite flowers. I have a beautiful pink and white one in my apartment on my dinning room table. I love how elegant and feminine they look.

This is how I envision an orchid inspired wedding. The bride should have at least one orchid in her bouquet and the groom and groomsmen should have the same kind of orchid on their tux. Then at the reception, an orchid should be the centerpiece of the table. You can put other flowers around it, but the center display should be the orchid. Also, you could have orchids on your wedding cake as well. My favourite design is when the flowers cascade down the front of the cake.

But, no-matter what theme you choose, you need to start incorporating your theme early. Your invitations could have an orchid on the front as well. Also, at the reception, you can use these pretty Meaning of Orchid Novelty Tags as place card holders or as nametags for the wedding favours. These cards show the meaning of the orchid and how it pertains to your wedding theme.

wedding invitations

This is just one idea for wedding decorations, but if any of you have ideas and tips of your own, please feel free to comment. I love hearing new ideas.

Filed Under: Themes

Make Your Reception Table Centerpiece Your Wedding Favour

September 12, 2007 By Maggie Leave a Comment

When planning your wedding and wedding reception, one of the big things a bride has to figure out is what kind of centerpiece your reception tables need. One idea is to combine the centerpiece idea with your Wedding Favors. This is perfect because it’s a great way to personalize your table centerpiece and your wedding favour all at once. Why not kill two birds with one stone.

One example that I really like is to have small potted flowers, perhaps orchids, as the centerpiece. But to let your guests know that this is not just a decoration, you can have name tags on each of the plants and a little message on them. This is a really creative way to decorate your reception as well as give your guests a gift they like.

Potted Orchid

Another great reason as to why this is such a good idea is because it helps in the clean up of your reception area. I know that some reception venues do not offer a clean-up crew and either expect you to find your own cleaning services or for you and your family to stay behind and pick up after everyone. Whatever the case may be, using the centerpieces as the wedding favours will help out whoever is cleaning after your wild reception.

I also like this idea because you are not wasting flowers in the process. See, most weddings have a bouquet of flowers on each table for a centerpiece. After the wedding, these perfectly good flowers go to waste. That’s why if you plant the flower and give it as a wedding favour, then you are being resourceful and making your table beautiful. Not to mention, that flowers are great wedding favours.

Filed Under: Personalized Favours, Reception Centerpiece Ideas, Wedding Favours, Wedding Table Decorations

Ideas for spring wedding themes with tiger lilies and all things flowers

August 31, 2007 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

Tiger Lillies.jpg New buds appearing on trees. Green grass springing up from the ground. Flowers blooming. A cascade of colours and smells assault our senses as Mother Nature works her magic. The air warm and fresh, whispering better times and hope with the best things to come. Such a magical time, creates a wondrous sense of renewal and freshness. It’s Mother Nature bestowing her blessings upon the world. So it’s not surprising that couples want to seal their love in matrimony choosing this season for their very special day.

Among the common things a couple has to decide and choose are the wedding themes, the wedding attire, venue, food, entertainment and even the favors. However, that can usually be more daunting to decide on is the decoration. Or rather, decorations one would choose to grace the wedding ceremony and reception. It’s not like you do this every day or every week. So it can be slightly overwhelming to try and match your wedding attire to the decorations. Alas, all is not lost.

The first thing you have to do, excluding sending out the invitation cards, is to decide on the theme for your wedding. For spring wedding themes, there are a few you can consider. Once your have chosen on a theme for your spring wedding, you are well on your way to coordinate the decorations to grace your big day. So, to give you a helping hand, have a peep at the following humble ideas. Hopefully you will not only decide on your unique spring wedding decorations, but also enjoy the process. It is after all a once in life time event.

Calla Lilies Theme

This flower have long symbolised beauty, femininity, elegance and purity. Though white is the common choice for wedding, it is actually available in a rainbow of colours. Its elegance come from its cone shaped and open lipped flowers. As their heart-shaped leaves range from 20 to 36 inches, they make ideal bouquets for the bride. A creative manipulation of this flower can create a sense of sophistication and classic timelessness. It is also an excellent choice for floral arrangements and boutonnieres. A spring wedding theme incorporating this theme can also go as far as using serving sets which bear sculptures of this unique flower.

Click here for the BRIDAL BEAUTY CALLA LILY COLLECTION!

Here is another natural gift from Mother Nature. Tiger Lilies, also known as Alstromeria Lilies have cute & small lily like blooms. They grow in a rainbow of different colors and are very popular flowers because of the unique tiger stripe markings.

Being wild and readily available does not demean the beauty and elegance of this flower. Similar to calla lilies, this flower can also be creatively incorporated to your wedding decorations. The more famous species of this group is led by the old orange wild lily. However, there is another idea to consider – tiger lilies sculptures. By simply keying-in the phrase tiger lilies, you will find a multitude of sites promoting products bearing tiger lilies sculptures. They include sculptural white tiger lilies wedding set, a traditional guest book, pen set, cake serving set, sculptured white tiger lilies toasting flutes and even a sculptured white tiger lily lucky horseshoe.

Click here to see the SCULPTURAL WHITE TIGER LILIES COLLECTION!

Floral/Spring flowers Theme

On the other hand, if you are a fan of flowers, you can combine various types of flowers instead on choosing one. You can even combine these flowers depending on colour. If it is a colourful theme, you can consider tulips, freesia, various types of lilies, roses and also lisianthus. If you want a traditional white theme, you can choose stephanotis, white roses, orchids and lilies of the valley. Whatever you decide on, nature have an abundance of ready choices for you. All you need is a dash of creativity.

Click here for the FLORAL FANTASY COLLECTION!

Butterfly Theme

Incorporating the butterfly as a wedding theme is a simple of bringing in a sense of purity and innocence. As the butterfly is usually associated with change, and endless possibilities it is a great idea for a spring wedding theme. A successful manipulation of this theme will make for a very memorable wedding. Its simple beauty and elegance is just another gift from Mother Nature.

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These are just the tip of the iceberg. A bit of creativity and thinking will reward you with various ideas that will help you to decide and organise you very own unique wedding theme. A little help from the Internet can further furnish you with decoration ideas and even the wedding collection sets. Possibilities are endless. Just be adventurous. You’ll never know what you can do till you try. Good luck.

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Filed Under: Calla Lily, Colour themed, Spring Weddings, Supplies, Themes, Unique Wedding Reception Themes, Wedding Favours, Wedding Reception Themes

Beach wedding theme – A romantic setting for an ocean of love

August 13, 2007 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

For couples that are more liberated and enjoy being free as well as unique, beach wedding themes would be a very intriguing idea.

Not meant for those who go strictly by the rule of traditional wedding book, a beach wedding allows the couple to express their appreciation and love for nature and more specifically, the ocean.

It is certainly one of the most romantic settings for any weddings. A place of plain serenity, beauty and impeccable surrounding nature, it is already a divine stage of its own. Because of the natural beauty, there is minimal work that needs to be done in decorating.

A beach wedding would usually be a wonderful and ideal thought, especially if the party was meant for an intimate and private moment of a wedding amongst the couple’s trusted and closest friends and relatives. The sunrise or sunset atmosphere will definitely provide a picture perfect and spectacular background for your wedding rituals. The beautiful setting would certainly produce snapshots that are worth more than a thousand words.

In order to get the wedding to really happen once the date had been set, there are a few more important details that need to be taken into consideration. For most municipals, there are certain rules and guidelines that one needs to abide regarding the use of public beaches.

Moreover as it is a public beach, the couple would not have the moment of intimacy that they are looking for. They would also encounter difficulties in figuring out where their guests would be sitting and eating. Unless you have the privilege to use a private beach for the wedding ceremony, another brilliant idea is to go to a resort.

Having a beach wedding reception at a resort means that everything from planning to execution of the day will be done by the hotelier. It is also advisable to have your beach wedding organized by hoteliers, as they would also have the necessary items for the occasion. Realistically in order for the event to take place, the couple will need to have chairs and tables ready for their guests. If the wedding is done during sunsets, a bonfire will give an extra mysterious and romantic gesture to the wedding.

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Doing it together with the hotelier would give the couple a sense of freedom and less burden, as all will be taken care by the hotel. From wedding menu to settings and decoration, they would normally have the expertise and tools to arrange for the event to go as smoothly as planned. That way, everybody would be able to enjoy the pure beauty of the whole occasion. Not only that, the couple can also enjoy their honeymoon right after their wedding ceremony. Hotels would usually be very generous in upgrading the couples room and service especially if the couple just had their wedding at the hotel.

A beach wedding theme is more relaxed and informal. As it would clearly involve sand and water, traditional wedding dress is a strict no-no. instead an exquisite sarong or a low cut sundress would liven up the spirit of the wedding. The bride can even dress herself as mermaid with classic seashell bikini top. The groom can even join the fun by dressing up as captain of a ship or go Hawaiian with print shirts with muumuus. The guests could even take part and join the dress up party with the bride and bridegroom. Being creative and fun is the key to a successful beach wedding.

Although there is no real need to decorate the venue, to add to the beauty of the nature and to further insinuate the theme of a beach wedding, the ocean and seashells collection is something that should be included in the must-have list. Placing the ocean and seashells collection creatively on the guests tables or creating a centerpiece out of seashells, dried star fishes, corals and sea horses with colorful orchids or wildflowers would bring a zing to the occasion. If the wedding is done in the evening, lanterns and candles can light up the place into a more sensual event.

The beach themed wedding is clearly a very romantic setting for those who love to be informal and fun. It is definitely an unforgettable moment that depicts the start of a very exciting a new journey for newlyweds.

Filed Under: Beach Weddings, Themes Tagged With: Beach Wedding Theme, Favors

The Banquet – A Western Theme Wedding

June 22, 2007 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

The banquet hall was glowing in amber and gold. The lighting shifted to blue, then to red, then orange. Ambience is a many splendor thing. It creates the right mood for that special occasion.

Everywhere, there were balloons, candles, ribbons, flowers and more flowers. Dramatic floral arrangements suspended from the ceiling caught my eyes. Lush greenery with vibrant blooms made a stunning centerpiece. Scattered arrangements and cheerful mixture of exotic flowers graced every table and created an enchanting warm glow. Bountiful fruits and flowers added a gorgeous touch to the decoration. Pink roses and orange orchids were accented by raspberries, lady apples, acorns, rosemary and eucalyptus. Amber-hued glass stones inside the vase add golden shine to the centerpieces.

The bride herself carried an elegant bouquet that combined white Cattleya orchids with roses and jasmine hand-tied with pink and orange satin ribbon. She was wearing a stunning strapless satin gown that hugged and accentuates her trimmed figure. The dress was heavily embroidered on the top, with lovely laces, glittering crystals, beadings and pearls. The bridegroom was equally debonair too. He wore an impressive and stylish tuxedo in a warm chocolate shade. The bridesmaids looked adorable in their delicate strapless silk gowns with big satin pink ribbons tied at the waistline. The groomsmen were appealing in their classic coffee-colored tuxedos.

Table cards mounted on burlap were adorned with beautiful logos and pink satin ribbons. The menus were decorated with gold and silver glitters, and pink ribbons. I was aware that pink and gold are the bride’s favorite colors while the bridegroom favors orange and silver. The feast included fire-grilled spice chicken with ginger-peanut sauce, lobsters and shrimps, roasted sweet potatoes, cucumber with red pepper and tomato-garlic basil spread, arrays of local vegetables and fruits. There were also comfort foods such as tomato soup and grilled cheese, mini pizzas, shrimp balls, sea scallops with polenta. Delicious dessert like Tiramisu was served in a stylish shot glass with an adorable tiny silver spoon.

Dinnerware was a flamboyant mixture of shimmering copper, silver and gold-toned look. There were also champagne flutes, highball glasses and demitasse cups used to display food. Cocktails were served in tiny aperitif glasses. Guests enjoyed their meals with a sip of peach vodka, fresh limejuice, almond syrup and ginger beer.

The bride had picked a cake designer to design a sophisticated six-tier cake that has a delicious flavor of pineapple cream and dark chocolate between layers of lemon cake. The color was warm white, decorated with sugar pearls and gleaming metallic. There were scattered beading, romantic sugar lace and ribbons. On top of it, stood regally a single letter ‘H’ in a gold mirror acrylic wedding cake topper with Swarovski crystal. It was beautiful.

I had a lot of questions in my mind. Why the letter H? The bride’s name is Judith, and her husband is Andre. Later I found out that it is the initial for both of their family names, which is Hadith and Hillman respectively. The letter ‘H’ is special to them because it is the symbol for hospital, a place they first met and attracted to each other. The initial ‘H’ also means happiness and honesty to them. Coincidently they bought a property in a housing estate called Happy Garden! I was not surprised when she mentioned to one of the guests that she planned to name her future children Hermes and Helen. Then she jokingly said that she could recycle and re-use the same monogram topper for the baby shower cake.

The bride had ordered the beautiful cake topper online. It took 3 days to arrive at her doorstep. She was truly happy with the results. She proclaimed that any wedding cake is perfect and complete with beautifully-matched cake jewelry.

Everyone in the reception marveled at the impressive décor and elegant atmosphere of the event donned with a western wedding theme. Glamorous lighting added spell-bounding effects; guests were mesmerized by the sight of elegant ensembles in the wedding hall.

At the end of the reception, guests leaving the hall were presented with a beautifully wrapped wedding favour and thank-you notes. The bride and the bridegroom had chosen scented soaps as appreciation gifts to their guests. The soaps were rich with the scents of roses and jasmine. For the bridesmaids and groomsmen, white chocolates were given as thank-you presents.

It was indeed a beautiful and memorable event for the newly-weds and their satisfied guests.

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Monogram Wedding Cake Toppers – Wedding Planning made Perfect!

June 20, 2007 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

The wedding ceremony went smoothly according to plan. The bride and her groom were beaming happily throughout the whole event. Many months of careful and detailed planning made the event flawless and satisfying for everyone. They took almost a year to make the necessary preparations for the big day. There wasn’t much stress as they calmly enjoyed the moments in planning and organizing the important event.

Wedding bands were purchased one year before the actual wedding date. After checking the requirements for their marriage registration, the couple announced their union. Guests’ list was completed and compiled. A wedding stationery specialist was chosen to design the invitation cards. They were unique and beautiful; gold-colored wordings printed on white cards decorated with a romantic picture of the couple and gold-colored ribbons, the effect created an excited buzz among its recipients.

The bride’s dresses and the bridegroom’s tuxedos were chosen nine months before, together with the bridesmaids’ attires, best man and groomsmen’ tuxedos, and flower girls’ ensembles. The bride made appointments with her hair stylist four months prior to the wedding day. Final fittings, hairdo and makeup practice were done two weeks before the event.

Gifts for the best man, groomsmen, bridesmaids and ushers were selected by the bride. She had chosen scented soaps and chocolates to express her sincere appreciation to them. Thank-you notes were written by the couple two months before the wedding. Accommodations for outstation guests were booked and confirmed, while transportation on the wedding day and seat arrangements were arranged. The couple appointed two individuals to handle last minute errands.

Wedding Planning The couple had their formal portraits done two months before the wedding. They had very good communication with their selected photographers and videographer; therefore they were able to create a style and shoots that the couple really enjoyed.

They booked and confirmed their honeymoon trip six months in advance. One week before their wedding, they already did their packing to avoid last minute rush and stress. The bride also signed up for a bridal spa package two months before her wedding day.

A month before the important date, the couple went to see the church minister to discuss the ceremony at the church. A choir of ten teenagers was chosen to deliver beautiful hymns, together with a pianist and guitarist. The bride loves flowers very much; she made sure that the appointed florist prepared plenty of roses, jasmine, orchids and other exotic flower arrangements and foliage. The couple exchanged their wedding vows in a very beautiful, romantic and magical ambiance.

Two weeks before the event, the couple finalized details with all the professional service providers to ensure that everything goes according to plans. Final count was given to food caterer, restaurant and hotel, and seat arrangements were planned. The bride had specifically requested for lots of flowers, romantic colored balloons and peach satin ribbons to adorn the church as well as the banquet hall. Her wishes were duly fulfilled by the dedicated florist and hotel management.

The couple’s parents assisted in choosing champagnes and wines for the reception. They had selected the Mumm Classique and Perrier Jouet Grand Brut. Elegant red bubbly like the Wyndham Estate Bin 555 and Cabernet Sauvignon from Etchart jazzed up the special occasion and went down well with the food servings. Guests enjoyed a delicious feast of red meats like beef, pork and chicken. There were pasta with red sauces, tomato soups, plenty of vegetables and fruits. Desserts were the wedding cake, chocolate, strawberry and lemon. The couple opted for a three tier wedding cake in a warm white shade; in the nostalgic flavor vanilla malt. There was a single heart-shaped silver topper adorned with Swarovski crystals on top of the cake. The cake was decorated with edible roses, laces and satin ribbons.

Monogram Wedding Cake Toppers.jpg

Dinner tables and chairs were skirted with exotic palm leaves while assortments of exotic flowers in pewter vases on the tables exuded cheerful vibes. White candles added a romantic glow to the decor. The cake was adorned with monogram wedding cake toppers, initials to the wedding couple’s name. On top of that, the cake is further embellished with jewelry adornment.

The couple had wisely chosen a quartet band to get the party started and hired a DJ to step in at the end of the night to spin latest groovy tunes to keep things alive. Guests were visibly entertained. It will be a day to remember.

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Wedding Tips On Making A Successful Affordable Wedding

June 11, 2007 By Harmony Leave a Comment

Yesterday was my brothers wedding and it was absolutely gorgeous. He had a beautiful wedding outside overlooking the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. What amazed me more than the wedding being so beautiful was how incredibly cheap it all was. He had family and friends help out in different ways and saved a ton of money. I highly suggest this. I’m sure your friends, and especially your family, would be more than happy to help make your day amazing.

So some of the jobs that he had us do were making centerpieces, flower arrangements, boutonnieres, wedding favors, invitations, sashes, bridal hair, makeup, nails and more. I know some of you are thinking that’s impossible and everything would come out horrible but that’s not true. I do have talented family and friends that were able to help out, but I’m sure you do too.

So first off, making centerpieces was one of the easiest jobs and came out the most beautiful. It was quite simple. We ordered Callie Lilies and Star Gazers from a wholesale flower company which ended up being fairly cheap. We than bought simple yet elegant vases, pink and white sheer ribbons and some white marbles. You could buy any color ribbons and marbles to match your theme and it’d definitely add to the décor.

What we did was put three Callie Lilies and two star gazers in a vase and filled it was water and marbles. We then tied beautiful ribbons around the stem of the flowers to keep them in place and adding elegance. They ended up looking so professional and gorgeous. Truly anyone can do this.

Then my cousins and I did flower arrangements and boutonnieres. We have some artists in the family so it made it pretty easy to do the arrangements. If you don’t know anyone that is artistic, than I would suggest buying the arrangements. From a whole sale flower store we ordered beautiful white Callie Lilies, fuchsia roses, Star Gazers, Orchids, baby’s breath and tree fern.

Boutonnieres were incredibly easy to make. You simply wrap green flower tape at the bottom of a mini Callie Lily and stick a pin through them. My brother, the groom, had a Callie Lilly with baby’s breath and an orchid. The flowers were gorgeous and cheap. You just have to make sure to do them within a couple days of the wedding and keep them in water so they don’t die.

A cute wedding favor that I highly suggest is baking cookies. Our friend baked a bunch of cookies and hand wrapped each of them in tulle and tied an adorable bow around them. This saved a huge amount of money and at the same time added a heartfelt touch to the wedding.

Something that could definitely be made on one’s own are sashes for the bridesmaids dresses. You just buy silk fabric or whatever fabric matches the dresses, cut, fold it over and sow them into long rectangular shapes. To make five sashes it literally took thirty minutes.

Last but not least is the pampering of the bride. I know we think if we go to someone professional than our makeup, hair and nails will turn out great. This however is not true. I had a really bad experience with a hairdresser doing my hair for the senior prom, but we won’t get into that. Anyway have a friend, who does her own makeup everyday, do your makeup.

My brothers wife had her makeup done by my cousin. It turned out amazing because she could tell her exactly what she wanted. Unlike some professional cosmetologists, my cousin listened to the bride and didn’t just do a style that she herself liked. She ended up being really happy with the look and spent zilch mullah.

The bride had her nails done by a friend’s mom who use to work at a nail salon. You may not have a hook up like she did but a lot of people can really do nails well. I had my nails professionally done for the wedding and they looked the same as when I do them.

The bride also had her hair done by another friend who did an amazing job. They had practiced many times and got it exactly how the bride wanted it. Sometimes when you go to a stylist, they’re so rushed that they don’t do what you would like. In the end you might regret going there, like in my case. Also getting your hair done professionally can be about seventy dollars.

If you add up all of what you would save from these tips I’m sure it would top a thousand bucks. I highly suggest getting a bunch of your friends and family together to help you out. Plus, it’s not just work but really a time where your friends and family can bond and show their appreciation to you by helping.

Filed Under: Tips & Advice, Weddings Canada