Archive for the ‘Weddings By Theme’ Category

Teal & Brown – Fall Wedding Inspiration Board

Autumn is right around the corner and that means that brides will be looking to the colors of a fall harvest for inspiration.  But why not add a twist to the traditional orange and browns of the season by adding a splash of teal to the mix?  Perhaps a bit of teal embroidery on the bridesmaid dresses or some teal in the ties the groomsmen wear. Or what about using some teal ribbon on the bridal bouquets and centerpiece arrangements for the reception hall.  Here  is a montage of inspiring photos that you could incorporate into your dream wedding.

teal-brown-wedding-inpsiration-board

If you are looking for that beautiful peacock teal blue taffeta neck tie shown in the collage above, visit Dessy.com where you can pick it up for about $20.  The perfect accessory for the men in your bridal party!  The cinnamon colored bridesmaid dresses are also available from Dessy.com in various styles including the tea-length strapless princess-line dress in iridescent taffeta that has a matching or contrasting sash so you can choose either cinnamon or a perfectly matching peacock teal blue if you are getting the taffeta neck ties for the men.

For the centerpieces and reception decorations, I like the idea of using the traditional things like gourds, pumpkins, sunflowers, twigs, berries and other fall themed items.  For the wedding favors, consider some leaf-shaped soaps or bottle openers that you personalize with a thank you hang tag.  And finally, for the cake, use flowers to match the rest of your wedding along with some teal accents to tie it all together.

Teal & Brown photo courtesy of k8et.

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Going Yellow With Your Wedding

Chances are, if you are planning a spring or summer wedding, yellow may have crossed your mind for your main colors. However, it’s sometimes tough to find a second color when it comes to yellow, because it’s such a bold color as it is. You may even be worried about the black tuxes making your yellow dresses look like a giant bumble-bee wedding. Well just like any colors, if you play your cards right, the color scheme will make your wedding party sparkle almost as much as you.

When it comes to yellow, you have two main options for yellow wedding cakes, dresses, flowers, decor and even wedding favors. There is the bright ‘mango’ or ‘daisy’ yellow or there is the subtle ’sunflower’ or ‘buttercup’ yellow. We’ve put together a couple different color scheme ideas for both yellows.

BRIGHT YELLOW
(Daisy)

Yellow color board
LIGHT YELLOW
(Sunflower)

Light yellow color scheme

As you can see, the options are endless. There are plenty of colors out there, so don’t think that these are all you can come up with!

Use your ideal flowers as your inspiration. Do you think that daisies would be a beautiful choice for your bouquets? Then maybe opt for the colors you see in a daisy to really make it all work together. This is where the different shades of green may be a great contribution to your color pallet. Sometimes a bright color mixed with another bright color can be a bit much, so make sure you are seeing the whole picture when putting together all of your wedding details.

Here’s an example of how you can make the colors play together  nicely:

Yellow Wedding Color - Inspiration Board

Overall, yellow is a gorgeous color for any seasoned wedding. When it comes to unique touches, all you need is a little creativity and a passion for making your wedding look great! There’s no doubt you can make it work, and love your photos for years to come.

Have you or a friend used yellow as a color in your/their wedding? How did you like it? Post your comments, we’d love to hear about it!

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Cinderella Themed Wedding Cakes

Last week, you may have seen my post featuring fairytale castle cakes which are perfect for a fantasy wedding.  This week I wanted to share some of my favorite Cinderella themed cakes.  Some of these cakes also incorporate castles, but on a less intricate scale.  However in my quest to find great Cinderella cakes, I focused primarily on finding wedding cakes that incorporated a pumpkin-shaped carriage, glass slippers, and prince charming with his princess.  Here are just a few of my favorite cakes from Flickr.  cinderella-wedding-cakes

wedding-coach-accessory-setThe cake in the lower left corner is one of the most interesting overall cake presentations that I found for a Cinderella wedding.  The actual tiered wedding cake was elegant, but the real “wow” factor was in the presentation of the cake which was surrounded by flower-covered arches and four “wheels” that formed a beautiful carriage around the cake.  Talk about a focal point at the reception!

Beyond the cake itself, another great way to incorporate the wedding coach theme into the reception is through the use of accessories.  I found this fun Wedding Coach Accessory Set online.  It features toasting flutes, a wedding cake serving set, a guest book and pen that all have a coach-shape in the design.  I love that the set is fully coordinated and it ties in perfectly with the Cinderella wedding theme.

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Teal & Champagne Wedding Colors

For an elegant spring or summer wedding, you might consider using teal and champagne as your main colors. The teal makes for a beautiful accent for the season, while the champagne really brings out the chic-factor. The colors blend together very well and really play off each other wonderfully.

For a spring wedding, you might choose the bridesmaid dresses with ruffly flowers on the side to play with the spring theme. Your bouquet is also another opportunity to pull out your colors. Opt for ivory-toned roses or lilies and use some teal ribbon to make them pop.

Teal and Champagne Inspiration Board
The placecards seen here are actually plantable wedding favors. When the fun is had and the party is over, your guests can bring them home as a souvenir and plant gorgeous wildflowers in your honor.

Do you love glitter, jewelry and other shiny things? You can also choose some beautiful jewelry (or hair jewelry) as seen above to add a little bling. There are so many options to pull these two beautiful colors together to make your wedding theme one to remember.
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Fairytale Castle Wedding Cakes

Every bride should feel like a Princess on her big day!  And if you are a bride that wants the full-on royal treatment, then you are likely going with a fairytale or Cinderella themed wedding.   If you’ve found your Prince Charming, then a “Happily Ever After” or “Dreams Do Come True” wedding where your dressed in a voluminous white ball gown and you arrive at the ceremony in a horse-drawn carriage may be the vision you have for an ideal wedding.  Of course, no fairytale wedding is complete without the castle so why not incorporate that component directly into the wedding cake.  You can make it the focal point of the reception.  Below you’ll find some of my favorite castle themed cakes from Flickr.

fairytale-castle-wedding-cakes

These AMAZING cake creations definitely take the castle theme to the fantasy level!  Many of these cakes likely were constructed over a few days as fondant was rolled and faux bricks were made with a rolling tool. fairytale-castle-cake-topperCastle towers can be sculpted from things like rice krispie treats wrapped around pipes or they can be made from non-edible components that are just wrapped in fondant.  Prince charming and princess figurines can be constructed from marzipan, fondant or even modeling chocolate.  

The intricate details of these cakes can make them quite expensive.  That said, a more affordable option would be for the designer to create an elegant tiered cake fit for a princess and then use a beautiful fairytale castle cake topper like the one shown to the right from Wedding Favors Unlimited.  The glazed porcelain castle makes a great wedding day keepsake and it says “And They Lived Happily Ever After” along the base.

And don’t forget to use a castle themed cake serving set and guest book.  You can get a fully coordinated fairytale castle bridal set that includes the toasting flutes, cake server, guest book and pen set from Wedding Favors Unlimited as well.

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Thoughts From A Summer Bride

In three weeks, I’m changing my name. I’m going to work hard to walk without tripping over my yards of muslin, recite my favourite love poem from memory, and agree to be taken care of and take care of my boyfriend. In three weeks, my life is going to change. It’s an exciting prospect, but right now, my head is crammed with lists, seating charts, menus and a missing band. In short, I am a textbook case of a bride-to-be.

My fiancé and I wanted a romantic summer wedding and are trying to pull it off with just six months of planning. It shouldn’t be exceptionally challenging, but we’re both media professionals with erratic work hours. We do have an arsenal of family members to help us along, but last night, as our band cancelled, our menu changed (for the sixteenth time) and our guest list threatened to expand even more, we realised that sometimes even help in numbers isn’t necessarily a good thing. In an unexpected gesture of good faith, and hoping the resulting karma will bring us a swing band in time for the big day, I’ve decided to list the ten great ways this wedding has come together. Perhaps it will help a bride tomorrow, and hopefully by the time I finish, the menu will have finally been fixed.

  1. Beach weddings in the summer are a bit passé, so we’ve decided to add something special – ours is themed around driftwood. It’s quirky, environmentally friendly and surprisingly easy to set up. Our marquee stands on driftwood poles, we’ve hired driftwood furniture, and the ocean provides a great backdrop for the simple combination of weathered wood and crisp white linen.
    Beach Wedding
  2. Our food follows the oceanic theme – we’ve kept the tone informal with lots of locally and responsibly sourced seafood. Always remember to keep an alternative for guests who might be allergic or not like seafood.
  3. We’ve got torches, tea lights and string lanterns for lighting – save energy and create a romantic evening!
  4. Silk would be disastrous with salt water in the vicinity, and I’ve kept my dress muslin – yards and yards of soft linen that I don’t mind getting sandy and crushed.
    Wedding Dress
  5. I found a miracle worker online, The Smart Bride – it’s the best software for brides-to-be. The guest worksheet is my favourite, estimating and calculating people on my ‘must-have’ list and updating my ‘back-up’ list. There’s even a budget planner and of course a fantastic ‘to-do’ list compiler.
  6. I’m giving little baskets of homemade bath salts as wedding favours. I made it my nieces’ summer project, and they found incredible recipes online using some essential oils, sea salt, epsom salt, adult supervision and a few afternoons.
    Bath Salts
  7. Choosing a beach wedding has meant that my fiancé and I have decided against a beach honeymoon, as tempting as it might be. We’re looking at different steam train journeys, keeping our carbon footprint in mind and keeping it old-school romantic.
  8. My bachelorette night is actually inspired by one of my 30th birthday ideas from last year – a day-long visit to the spa with my girlfriends.
  9. I’ve been wearing my wedding shoes for an hour every day, although I feel I might abandon them on D-day, just to feel the sand between my toes during my vows.
    Cupcakes
  10. I’m not ordering a wedding cake, instead our friends are baking their favourites and we’re going to include them in the buffet.
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Nautical Themed Wedding Cake Ideas

When it comes to a nautical themed wedding, I personally envision a stylish east coast preppy wedding.  Think the Kennedy’s sailing on their yacht near Hyannisport on Cape Cod.  The nautical motif usually incorporates things like sailboats, lighthouses, Adirondack chairs, anchors, and beach items such as starfish and sand dollars.  And when it comes to the color scheme, think blue, green and white with a hint of khaki mixed in here and there.   With all that in mind, I set out on a quest to find some of my favorite nautical themed cakes at Flickr.  You can see a collage of my favorites below:

nautical-themed-wedding-cakes

As you can see from all the photos above, I generally prefer a white fondant or buttercream base for the cake color.  That way, the designer can easily incorporate a wide range of blue hues into the color scheme.  I especially like a navy and red or navy and light blue striped pattern around at least one of the layers.   The middle cake is also one of my very favorites as I love the nautical roping that encircles the cake tiers.  For the wedding cake topper, I prefer either a lovely sailboat or even a pair of white Adirondack chairs.

As always, I recommend finding some photos online of nautical themed cakes that you like and bring those to the bakery with you to show the designer.  Don’t forget to interview a few bakers and taste lots of cake because you deserve only the best on your big day!

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Indian Wedding Inspiration Board

Bright vivid colors are a staple in a traditional Indian wedding and this inspiration board shows how you can mesh all those colors together to obtain a picture perfect day (or the traditional week for that matter). 

indian-wedding-board

Beautiful and elegant are words often used to describe an Indian wedding, but understated is not a word that comes to mind for the function.  The red and gold traditional color palette is often complimented by other hues such as orange, purple, yellow and more.  The above photo montage is based on the Pantone color swatches in Claret, Sunrise, and Merlot.  If you want to use this color scheme for your wedding, you should consider picking up the Pantone color or fabric swatches at Dessy.com.  That way you can carry them with you when you are on the hunt for matching bridal party attire, reception decor, and wedding accessories.  Finally, for detailed ideas on cakes and decorations for an Indian wedding, visit our Indian themed wedding ideas page.

Indian Summer photos courtesy of mmm384

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Vegas Themed Wedding Cake Ideas

Whether you are planning an actual wedding reception in Las Vegas or you’ve just eloped and are having a big party back home, this collage has lots of fun ideas for incorporating the theme into your wedding cake.   Personally I associate Vegas with fun so all of these cakes are a bit whimsical.  If you are more of a traditional bride, rest assured that you can find elegant, upscale cakes for a Vegas wedding as well.

las-vegas-theme-wedding-cakes

Some fun decorations for a Vegas themed cake are the classic “Welcome To Las Vegas” sign, dice made from red or black fondant with white dots, playing cards (spade, heart, club, and diamond shapes), roulette wheels, and slot machines with lucky number 7’s displayed or coins spilling down the side of the cake.  Another really fun idea for a Vegas themed cake is to use round tiers with each layer decorated as a different colored casino chip.  You can customize the “chips” with the bride and groom’s names in place of the normal Casino name usually written on real gaming chips. 

I always recommend finding a great local baker to make your wedding cake so if you are getting married in Vegas, but don’t live in that area, contact a few popular Vegas bakeries like Freed’s Bakery or do a search on google for other cake bakers in Las Vegas.  In any case, you should ask them to send you cake samples.  You should ALWAYS taste your wedding cake flavor before you purchase it so that you don’t end up disappointed on your big day.  There is nothing more dissappointing than having a cake that looks great, but tastes terrible.  If you are planning the reception for your own town, you should follow the same advice.  Take photos of some Vegas cake designs that you like along to your cake bakery appointment so that the designer has a good idea about your preferences.  And be sure to set up a cake tasting appointment to so that you can find the perfect cake for you and your guests.

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Rustic Country Wedding Inspiration

Whether you are planning a wedding in the big sky country of Montana or in the shadow of the Appalachian mountains of Tennessee, look to this mood board for some true rustic country inspiration. Whether you choose an outdoor ranch with a large meadow or the interior of a local barn as your venue, you can utilize any of the ideas shown in the following board.

rustic-country-wedding-inspiration-board

Every country boy knows that you can’t leave home without a pair of Wrangler blue jeans so having the groom in a pair of these jeans with his cowboy boots and hat is a no brainer.  Many country brides choose to wear their boots and hat as well (although some also go for a casual hair-do for the ceremony and switch to the hat for the reception).  If you are having your wedding in an open meadow, then the groom arriving on a horse like Prince Charming is a fun addition to the ceremony.  Denim dresses and corduroy blazers are casual options for the bridesmaids and groomsmen.

Create a casual inviting atmosphere at your reception by utilizing hand-made quilts like the one shown in the upper left to cover the benches or haybales (you can do this at the ceremony as well).  White-washed picnic tables set in a long rows are a great way to set-up a casual reception area.  Utilizing glass canning jars for the table centerpieces can also be fun….just fill them with a small simple arrangement of local wildflowers.  Big jars of iced tea (sugar and no sugar) are always a big hit with Southerners.  Finally, although this isn’t shown in the board, I love the idea of using a “Wishing Tree” constructed from twigs with leaf-shaped wish cards rather than a traditional guest book at country style weddings. 

Photo Credit: Big Sky Wedding by Angelise07

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