Here Comes the Blog

Archive for December, 2009

When I think winter wedding, I think “Walking in a Winter Wonderland”. Icy blue, white, silver, and a snowflake motif would be key elements in my ideal winter wedding. While searching for some inspiration at Polyvore, I found some amazing reception decoration ideas that you can see in the montage of photos below. You don’t have to be outside to create the feeling of a winter wonderland. The use of painted white trees uplit with blue lights along with pine trees covered in fake snow can set the scene perfectly. For tableware, I love silver chargers with white plates and then icy blue stemware. Of course, a snowflake adorned wedding cake with silvery glitter sugar is a must as well. When it comes to the wedding gown, I like a bodice with a bit of sparkle along with a faux fur stole or wrap. It also looks amazing when the bridesmaids where faux stoles around their shoulders as well. It tends to tie the entire look together. While winter isn’t the most popular time of the year to get married, it does afford you many advantages over a summer wedding. You can create a winter fantasy-land that your guests won’t soon forget and you can save money because you are getting married in the “off season”.

Winter Wedding Inspiration Board by WeddingBlogger on Polyvore.com

Items in this set:
winter-wedding-dress.bmp (BMP Image, 540×900 pixels)
Winter Weddings | | Brides.com
Winter Wonderland – Preston Bailey’s Designs – In Style Weddings
Wintry Sparkle – Winter Wonderland Sponsored by Godiva Liqueur – Stars…
Winter Wonderland Dessert Buffet
Snowflake Ornament Wedding Favors

In this economy, everyone is trying to save a buck anywhere that they can so in this post, I thought I’d share some of my favorite resources for bridal shower games.  If you are looking for fun, printable games that are totally free, check out these bridal shower games that you can just print and play.  They have 8 free games including Who Knows The Bride Best, the Purse Games, Bridal Shower Grid Game (like Scattergories), Bridal Shower Bingo and more.  You don’t have to purchase anything in their store and you can print the games and share them with friends as often as you’d like.

This cheap bridal shower games lens at Squidoo gives instructions for several bridal shower games including Don’t Say Wedding, Wear The Teddy and several more.  These games aren’t printable, but the instructions appear to be clear and easy to follow.  There are also detailed instructions for one of my favorite games – the Candy Bar Memory Game (kind of like wedding themed concentration).   Another site that gives instructions to tons of different games is Abbee.  The have four free game lists along with detailed instructions to each of the games on the lists.  They include sample trivia questions when necessary.

Finally if you are running short on time or want something quick and easy.  Consider buying some cheap printable games from Bridal Shower Games A to Z.   They have over 75 different bridal shower games that you can just print and play.  Games cost about $7 each or you can buy an unlimited number of game downloads (prints) for around $20.  Obviously if you are hosting several showers or you are planning to try 3 or 4 games, the unlimited games purchase is a much better value.

If you are getting married in the month of December, then chances are that you are considering a Christmas theme with a red and white color scheme.   Planning a Christmas inspired wedding can be great fun….plus you can save tons of money since it is considered “off-season” by most wedding retailers and venues.  Personally when I envision a December wedding, I think red and white with hints of green like pine branches covered in pine cones.  And I love the idea of the bride arriving in a horse drawn sleigh (or a horse drawn carriage if you get married where there isn’t much snow).  If you get married in a church, chances are that they will have the place decorated for Christmas with a tree and nativity scene.  For the reception, use white Christmas lights to add some sparkle.  I love the idea of using glass ornaments in the centerpieces and you can even give them to guests as wedding favors to take home at the end of the event.  For flowers, red roses are a traditional choice, but I also love the idea of using white/ivory and red poinsettias throughout the ceremony and reception areas.  Here are some inspiring photos that I found at Polyvore along with the resources where you can find the items.  Enjoy and have a Merry Christmas!

Christmas Wedding Inspiration Board by WeddingBlogger on Polyvore.com

Items in this set:
(Bridal Originals) Wedding Dress LD3DD :: Christmas Wedding Dress ::…, $180
Timeless red and white wedding dresses
Photos of Winter Wedding Flowers and Centerpieces
Real Weddings: Winter: Heidi & Michael in Indianapolis, IN from The…
Christmas Wedding Cake – Vox
Hot Cocoa Wedding Favors

Give your wedding cake a seasonal flair with some of these tips and be sure to use the photos below for inspiration.  They were some of my favorite Christmas Wedding Cakes that I found on Flickr.

When it comes to selecting a flavor for your wedding cake, try something different that ties in with the season.  A spice cake with rich caramel frosting or a delectable red velvet cake with buttercream frosting are great choices for the Christmas season.  If you do decide to go with white, you could consider adding a layer of raspberry, strawberry, or even cranberry preserves inside the cake.

The cake icing/fondant color and floral decor should coordinate with your wedding.  In this post, I’ve focused on a red, green, and white color scheme (see a post later in the week for a icy blue wedding cake inspiration).  Gum paste poinsettia flowers that cascade down the cake layers are a lovely choice for a Christmas wedding.  Or red sugarberries along with modeling chocolate or sugar holly leaves can also look fantastic.  For more casual weddings, consider gift box-shaped cakes that are decorated to look like presents beneath the Christmas tree.

Finally, you can also decorate the cake table with winter greenery such as red berry covered branches, pine branches, and pine cones for a stunning presentation of your beautiful wedding cake.

Cake Photo Resources:
1.The wedding cake, 2. christmas wedding present cake veiw #1, 3. Christmas Wedding, 4. Christmas cake, 5. Tier – with Giant Cupcake on top ~totcupcakes.com~, 6. Holiday, 7. Ivory and Gold Wedding Cake, 8. Christmas birthday, 9. CHRISTMAS WEDDING CAKE

Taking a simple 2″ x 2″ x 2″ white or ivory favor box and adding your own special touch enables you to create unique one-of-a-kind favors for your guests.  In the photo below (from the Wedding Star catalog), you can see four ways to transform a simple ivory favor box into something truly special.  These ideas are great for butterfly, Spring, green and destination weddings.

The top left favor was created by taking a white floral embossed gift box and embellishing it with a white hydrangea bloom and hand-painted butterfly.  This delicate and beautiful favor will look amazing on your garden party or spring/summer wedding reception tables.

Simple green bear grass is tied in a unique pattern around a cubed gift box to create the favor on the top right corner of the photo.  It takes a bit of practice to get a grass pattern that you like, but it is well worth the effort.  What a great favor idea for the guests at green or garden weddings.

Bring some urban sophistication to a modern wedding with the sculptural ribbon design like the one shown in the lower left hand corner.  A simple white favor box is first wrapped with double-sided brown/green ribbon and then the ribbon is cut and starched to create the center portion (which is pinned to the box).   Modern. Fresh. Unique.

Travel stamps are used to create the “return to sender” favor in the lower right corner of the photo.  You can find small travel stamps at your local craft store.  Stamp your honeymoon, wedding ceremony or destination wedding location all over the gift box.  Tie with simple package ribbon or yarn for a whimsical touch.  We recommend using plain favor boxes (non-embossed) so that you can get good contact with the ink stamp.

Sweep your guests up and carry them away to a Winter Wonderland with some of these inspiring ideas. My favorite winter wedding color scheme is simple – white, silver and ice blue. This simple and elegant color scheme can easily be carried through to all aspects of your wedding. In my winter wonderland inspiration board, I found some of my favorite wedding accessories, venues, and attire that I wanted to share with you today. Enjoy!

Image Resources:
Row 1 Left – Winter Wonderland Wedding Reception from The Knot
Row 1 Middle - Winter Wonderland Garter with icy blue square-cut rhinestone from Wedding Favors Unlimited 
Row 1 Right – Silver Snowflake Bookmark Favor with blue and white package that can be personalized
Row 2 Left – Winter Theme Wedding Receptioninside the state street building in Boston, Massachusettes
Row 2 Center – Silver & White Reception Decorfrom Flickr
Row 2 Right – Winter Wedding at Donovan Pavilion in Vail, Colorado
Row 3 Left – Blue & Silver Snowflake Invitations from Invitations By Dawn
Row 3 Center – Winter Wedding Cakes from Wedding Flowers & Reception Ideas
Row 3 Right – Winter Wedding Gown by Alfred Angelo

Buying standard 2″ x 2″ x 2″ cube favor boxes and adding embellishments is a great way to incorporate your style, theme, and color scheme into your guest party favors.  Below you can see three examples of how to take a blank canvas and turn it into a one-of-a-kind favor for your guests to enjoy (photo courtesy of the 2009 Wedding Star catalog).

The example in the upper right corner shows how you can mix and match favor boxes to create an elegant and unique look that ties in perfectly with your color scheme.  Best of all, this favor is affordable. The black and white favor boxes are embellished further with wedding words ribbon (faith, hope, joy, love and cherish) along with clear heart-shaped dazzler confetti pieces.  Simply use a hot glue gun to secure the embellishments in place after you’ve filled the boxes with your favorite edible candy or other small gift for your guests. 

The second DIY favor example in the lower left corner of the photograph shows a classic floral patterned favor box that is topped with the initials of the bride and groom.  You can create the initials by purchasing textured paper at your local craft store and using letter templates and an knife tool to cut out the letters.  Simply glue them to the favor box lid.  Be sure to take the favor boxes to the store with you when looking for matching textured paper.  Add a small piece of ribbon and heart dazzler for a bit of sparkle.

Add a Moroccan flair to your favors by dressing them up with some beading and gold roping that you purchase at a local craft store.  The rich jewel tones add an elegant touch to the simple floral pattern favor box as shown in the bottom right corner of the photo.  Jewels like the ones shown can be somewhat expensive so look for craft store sales and coupons to save some money.

The long graceful lines, showy blooms, and wide array of colors available make the calla lily a popular flower choice amongst today’s brides.  These traits are also what make it a popular choice for florists, cake bakers, and wedding accessory designers.  Calla lilies now grace weddings appearing in everything from the bridal bouquet to the reception centerpieces to the wedding guest favors. 

In a future post, we’ll explore the many colors that calla lilies are available in, but today, for this inspiration board, we have focused on the traditional white or ivory calla lily.  And please bear in mind, that traditional doesn’t need to mean outdated….calla lilies can be arranged in up-to-date modern ways to create a contemporary flair. 

One of our favorite finds during our research was the wide array of calla lily themed postage stamps available at companies like Zazzle or Cafe Press.  The stamps are fully compliant with U.S. postal service guidelines and they feature just about every color of calla lilies you can think of.  They are a great way to dress up your RSVP or wedding invitation envelopes.  Besides stamps, our calla lily inspiration board has ideas for the wedding cake, attire, flowers, accessories and more. 

Items in this Inspiration Board:

Calla Lily Wedding Cake 1 – Calla Lily Centerpiece - Golden Calla Lily Cake 2
Bride with Calla Lily Bouquet – Calla Lily Coaster Favors – Calla Lily Wedding Invitations
Calla Lily Place Card Holder – Calla Lily Postage Stamp – Calla Lily Bridal Bouquet
Calla Lily Wedding Accessory Set – Calla Lily Unity Candle – Wedding Cake Topper – Calla Lily Guest Book
Calla Lily Boutenniers - Calla Lily Centerpiece – Bridesmaids with Bouquets

Many modern couples are choosing to do a sand ceremony at their wedding rather than lighting a traditional unity candle.  The sand ceremony creates a lasting keepsake that the couple can display in their home for years to come.   Like the traditional unity candle ceremony, the sand ceremony symbolizes the union of two becoming one.  During the actual pouring of the sand, the wedding officiant or pastor will have a customized reading that explains the symbolism and directs the bride/groom and others participating in the ceremony when and where to pour their sand.

Wedding Favors Unlimited sells the popular heart-shaped sand ceremony kit (shown in the photo) that can be engraved with the couples monogram and wedding date to make it extra special.

How It Works:

Below you can see a diagram representing the steps in a sand ceremony.  In this example, the vases are pre-filled (before the wedding ceremony) with 3 colors of sand.  Blue for the Bride, Green for the Groom, and regular white sand for the “symbol” vase.  Depending on the wedding participants and circumstances, some couples choose to fill the third vase with sand for the officiant or their children to pour during the sand ceremony. 

1) Before the wedding ceremony or at the beginning of the actual sand ceremony have the officiant, children or other designated person pour the sand from the third vase into the central vase.

2) Have the groom pour a portion (or all) of his green sand in the central vase.  We suggest having him pour 1/3 of his blue sand in the central vase.

3) Have the bride pour a portion (or all) of her blue sand into the central vase.

4) Repeat the process if you are layering the sand, having the groom pour some of his and then the bride pour some of hers.  For the last 1/3 of sand in each container, we suggest that you pour both colors of sand simultaneously as the co-mingling of sand represents the union of the bride and groom.

5) Place the bottle stopper in the central vase to secure the sand.  The 3 smaller heart-shaped vases can be used to display flowers or as keepsakes for the bride and groom.

Using brown combined with pink, Tiffany blue, or orange (for fall weddings) has been one of the hottest trends over the last few years.  Our designers searched the web for some of their favorite pink and brown wedding items to create this lovely board. 

Due to the popularity of this color scheme, it is fairly easy to find invitations, dresses and accessories that incorporate brown and pink.  We love the use of stargazer lilies and pink roses to add a splash of pink to both the bridal bouquet and reception centerpieces.  When in season, pink mop-head hydrangeas can also be a great flower for centerpieces.  They are stunning and the fill the vase with just a few stems making them quite affordable when they are in season.  Be on the lookout for more pink flower ideas in one of our future Here Come The Blog posts.

Items on this Inspiration Board:

Pink & Brown Wedding Reception Decor – Brown & Pink Camera Table Signs
Brown & Pink Chic Wedding Garter – Pink and Brown Favor Gift Boxes – Bridesmaid Tote Bag
Bride & Groom with Pink Cake – Bride with Pink Bridesmaid Dresses
Pink & Brown Wedding Cake Candle Favors – Wedding Invitation – Wedding Cake – Wedding Centerpiece