Wedding Advice – Here Comes the Blog

Archive for the ‘Weddings By Theme’ Category

Guest blogger: Marisa Taylor Photography

I had the special opportunity of photographing the wedding of Jessica and Kyle on August 14, 2010.  Jessica and Kyle were married in a intimate ceremony at Canal Front Park located in Lewes, DE.  They were surrounded by their closest family and friends.  The decor was gorgeous. Lots of pinks, peaches, and blues with touches of the beach added in.  Jessica looked amazing in her wedding gown. After the ceremony, a boat passed by and all the sailors screamed their congratulations to the newly wedded couple, it was pretty awesome I must admit.

Wedding Images by Marisa Taylor Photography

The interesting part of the day was the time set aside for the formal pictures.  Myself, Jessica and Kyle headed to the beaches of Rehoboth for their formal pictures.  I, have actually never been to the beach before, so it was quite an experience.  Especially when I had to step into the water to get their shots.

The reception was a blast to shoot, I definitely felt like part of the family while there.  It was amazing seeing Jessica and Kyle together, they are very much in love and you can feel it.  The highlight of the evening was the slideshow produced by their parents that was shown at the reception.  At the end of the slideshow, there was not a dry eye in the house!

Congratulations once again to Jessica and Kyle!

Best,

Marisa

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Marisa Taylor is a professional wedding photographer located in the Newark, DE area. Her passion for beautiful photography shows in each and every photo she takes. Visit her website at www.MarisaTaylorPhotography.com to see more of her work.

Winter is known for it's beautiful white fields, snow covered trees, and warm crackling fires.  Having a winter wedding can incorporate items that traditionally would not be thought of for wedding decorations.

When decorating for a winter wedding, your colors might include white, purple, and blue, centerpieces might even include ice sculptures, ice like stones in clear, blue, and purple hues, or even heavy, soft fabrics such as faux furs incorporated as small table runners.  Candles of all shapes and sizes can also be used as centerpieces and are often more beautiful in winter than at any other time of year.

Pine

Pine trees are the one of the most recognizable symbols of winter.  Pine products can be brought in to incorporate winter wedding themes.  Pine boughs can be used as wall decorations, and pine scented candles, and pine potpourri packs can be used to adorn tables.  Burning pine logs in a fireplace can provide that same scent naturally, if that is a possibility at your location of choice.

You might, if this is a Christmastime wedding, even decorate an actual pine tree in typical Christmas garb.  Furthermore, mistletoe, poinsettias, and pine cones can decorate doorways and even centerpiece settings.  Stones of crystal and other clear material can be set with snowflake candle favors to give the winter wonderland effect.  Or, if you are not in a setting that provides a real fireplace, consider faux fire with flame-like strung lights.

Color and Texture

Colors that can accompany the centerpieces may include browns, maroons, velvet reds, and royal blues.  These colors bring warm feelings to their surroundings.  The faux fur mentioned before could even be used to create thrones for the bride and groom, or to ring the table cloths. Wall coverings could be almost medieval in design, with long drapery and flag like coverings.  All give the feel of warm, inviting, winter settings.

Ice sculpture

Before you look for ice sculptures, make sure the budget is there for these pieces of art.  Ice sculptures are beautiful and can certainly bring in the wow factor to any gathering, but they also tend to be quite pricey.  The nice part is that these one-time sculptures will also pick up the colors of the room and reflect them in a prism-like way, which will really add a sparkly element to the centerpiece.

Flowers of the Season

If you want a way to decorate the table for your winter wedding while pleasing the guests, then you might also consider potted plants of traditional winter flowers.  The obvious choice would be poinsettias, which most frequently come in whites, reds, and pinks.  However, there are other wintery options.  For instance, white roses give the feel of winter, but also have a glamorous appeal.  There is also a flower called the star of Bethlehem, which has fragile white petals and a unique style that can provide a touch of surprise to any centerpiece.

Whatever way you choose to incorporate these elements, ultimately a winter wedding can be as beautiful, if not more so, than the more traditional summer weddings.  The textures, color palettes, and natural elements, like fire and ice, provide a feeling of romance that cannot always be achieved in the warmer months.

More Winter Wedding Advice:

• Winter Wedding Ideas
• Winter Wedding Favor Ideas
• Winter Wedding Color Ideas
• How to Create a Winter Wonderland For Your Wedding
• Winter Wedding Decorations
• Winter Wedding Invitations

There is no shortage of charming calla lily wedding favors. If you have chosen this classic flower as part of your wedding theme, you will have no trouble finding elegant favors to provide your guests.

Your best friend in searching for budget-friendly yet attractive calla lily favors is an online shop. The selection will be more extensive than a brick and mortar store and you can order easily any time of the day or night. Moreover, though, it makes for one less thing you have to run around and do is always a help.

Live Bulbs

A darling idea for a calla lily favor is a live bulb. You can order the bulbs in bulk online and wrap them in tulle and ribbon for each guest. When they plant the bulb and again when the flower blooms, they’ll think of you. This is a great eco-friendly idea that ensures no gift goes to waste. Plus, you’re beautifying the planet!

Wine Accessories

Hip brides are finding that wine accessories are a big hit with guests. You can find calla lily corkscrews, wine charms and wine bottle stopper favors. Each with a different calla lily design, they’ll fit right in with your décor and look great on your tables. And guests will be happy to have something they can use. You can also find wine glasses and champagne flutes with the lily etched or printed on them.

Bookmarks

There are a number of choices available in calla lily bookmark favors. Everyone loves a bookmark and again, giving something useful is always a good idea. Every time your guests see that darling bloom popping out above their page, they will think of the great time they had at your wedding.

Capodimonte Sculpture

Capodimonte is a type of porcelain sculpture highly prized for its beauty. The calla lily is an especially popular design for such exquisite handwork. You can offer each couple or each guest a single capodimonte calla lily stem and bloom in a special box or you can offer a trinket box with a sculpted calla lily on it.

Soaps

A nice touch is to offer calla lily blossom soaps. You can put some out in the ladies room at your reception and then have them wrapped in tulle as favors to take home at each place setting. There are petal-shaped soaps and also whole blossoms you can select from.

Place Card Holders

Set out a sea of calla lilies on the sign-in table where guests will look for their table numbers. There are a number of lovely choices when it comes to place card holders with calla lily designs. Each one is a treasure on its own and guests can bring them home at the end of the festivities.

Mini Cakes

Lately, the rage has been to offer guests mini wedding cakes to take home. The two-tier minis can be boxed in a calla lily-themed tin and the cakes themselves can be ordered with icing lilies. This is a charming way to let guests enjoy your theme at home.

Flowers for the Flower Girl

You’ll want to make sure to carry your theme out in a gift to your flower girl. She’ll love a special silk-wrapped basket she can take home that’s filled with calla lily shaped chocolates or real petals. And for the ring bearer, have him carry a pillow with your rings attached to a stem of a real or silk blossom. (Send him home with chocolates too!)

Don’t forget yourself!

In addition to the themed favors you can provide your guests, you can carry your theme into other areas of the wedding as well. You can have a unity candle for the head table with calla lilies on it, cake servers with calla lily handles, even a garter belt with a tiny embroidered lily. Your cake topper can be a porcelain calla lily or a couple holding calla lilies. There’s no limit to the details you can add.

More Calla Lily Wedding Ideas:

• Calla Lily Centerpiece & Bouquet Ideas
• Calla Lily Themed Wedding Ideas
• Calla Lily Wedding Ideas
• Calla Lily Wedding Cakes
• Calla Lily Ceremony Accessories
• Calla Lily Color Schemes
• Calla Lily Wedding Inspiration Board

Who hasn't dreamt of getting married with her feet in warm, white sand with dazzling blue water forming the perfect backdrop? Seaside weddings are romantic, whimsical, and casual. Maybe the sound of the surf even helps calm brides' and grooms' nerves. A seaside blue color scheme provides a breath of fresh, seaside air whether or not your wedding is anywhere near the beach. Here are some ideas for bringing the ocean into your big day.

When choosing a seaside blue wedding, your accent color will be very, very important. A very trendy, refreshing combination is blue and orange. This isn't usually a combination we see, but for seaside weddings, it is light, airy, and incredibly fresh.

The colors are reminiscent of tropical skies and seas and luscious, juicy fruit. How does this look in a wedding? Imagine the bride wearing a sparkling white dress, tied with a brilliant blue sash. Her bridesmaids wear knee-length blue dresses with white sashes. White accents can also be added at the neckline and hemline for contrast. Bridesmaids could also wear a lovely orange-coral dress with blue sash. The flowers are tropical and lovely: the attendants carry bouquets of yellow, orange, and red flowers, while the bridal bouquet is a colorful combination of all of these gorgeous, vibrant tones.

The colors can be incorporated into your cake: a blue fondant cake with orange roses, delicate gold scrollwork, and white beading will look elegant and fun at the same time. A white cake can be decorated with bold Hawaiian style orchids and flowers or a lovely, sophisticated white eyelet cake can provide a nice contrast to the vibrant blues and oranges of other details.

A combination of seaside blue, yellow, and navy blue is also very elegant. The contrast can be dramatic in centerpieces, and yellow always imparts a very fresh feel. For instance, you can arrange a vase or box of bright daffodils adorned with a dark blue and white striped ribbon. The addition of fresh lemons makes the perfect table accessory. White and yellow daffodils look great tied with a seaside blue ribbon, and a dash of navy or light blue will add a fabulous touch of contrast to the bridal gown.

Seaside blue and green are another beautiful combination, and you can really play up the seaside theme with multiple shades of smooth sea glass in your centerpieces, floating candles in blue-tinted water, and ethereal paper lanterns. Tint your cake pale blue or green and adorn with sea grasses, starfish decorations, shells, or simply a classic strand of pearls. Perfect favors for your guests are small blue-green boxes of salt water taffy, bath favors or beach candles.

Images by Polyvore.com (featuring KarenWise.com)

To play up the casual feel of a beachside wedding, have wedding flip flops made for the bridal party, add a sash to a simple slip dress, put vases of white sand with starfish and seashell accessories on your tables, or simply use children's beach toys for a fun, playful feel. No matter what accent color you choose, pillar candles wrapped in raffia, hurricane lanterns, blue glass, shells, and other accessories will provide a breezy beach feel that you can dress up or down to suit your preferences.

Whether your beach wedding is on the sand or a thousand miles away from the coast, you can create a warm, inviting, and refreshing atmosphere that you and your guests will enjoy.

More Beach Wedding Ideas:

• Planning A Beach Wedding
• The Best Beach Wedding Locations
• Beach Wedding Bridal Accessory Tips
• Beach Wedding Favors
• Inspiration: Nautical & Sailor Style Wedding
• Beach Wedding Cake Ideas

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.

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 wedding 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.

More on Fall Weddings:

• Fall Themed Wedding Favors
• Autumn Wedding Ideas
• Fun Thanksgiving Craft Ideas for Kids
• Fall Wedding Ideas

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)

LIGHT YELLOW
(Sunflower)

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:

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!

More Yellow Wedding Ideas:

Black & Yellow - White Wedding Cakes

Wedding Inspiration: Lemon Yellow Color Scheme

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.

The 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 and fairytale favors.  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.

More on Fairytale Themes:

• Disney Princess Style Wedding
• Fairy Tale Wedding Theme
• Cinderella Wedding Favors

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.

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.

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. Castle 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.

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.