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Archive for the ‘Weddings By Theme’ Category

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:

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!

More Cake Ideas:

• Black & White Wedding Cake Ideas
• Wedding Cupcake Ideas
• Calla Lily Wedding Cakes
• Wedding Cake Trends

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).

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 Indian wedding favors.  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

Find more Indian wedding inspiration.

Whether you are planning an actual Las Vegas wedding 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.

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 disappointing 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.

More Vegas Wedding Ideas:

• Ante Up: Vegas Wedding Guide
• Las Vegas Wedding Invitations
• Planning a Las Vegas Wedding
• Las Vegas Themed Wedding Favors

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.

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. Oh, and don't forget to choose some truly rustic wedding favors to top it all off.

Photo Credit: Big Sky Wedding by Angelise07

More Country Wedding Ideas:

• Country Western Wedding Cake Ideas
• Country Western Wedding Ideas
• Southwestern Burger Recipe

Yee-haw!  Get ready for an old-fashioned rustic country wedding.  If your vision for the perfect wedding includes an entrance on horses galloping across a hayfield, centerpieces constructed of galvanized pails filled with wildflowers, or a barn reception complete with hay bales, then these charming country western styled wedding cakes will be right up your alley! Photo below is from Flickr.

Above you'll see some of my favorite country themed wedding cakes from Flickr.  Creativity abounds on these cakes that would be a welcome addition to any western style event.  When it comes to the wedding cake, you can choose to have a tiered design like most of those shown above or you can go with a shaped cake such as a cowboy hat, a covered wagon or even a pair of cowboy boots.  Bakers have all kinds of tricks for incorporating a western theme into the tiers such as hay bales made using toasted coconut, red and white gingham, plastic or molded chocolate horseshoes, plus fence, rope, and raffia ribbon.   Country western figurines and wedding cake toppers can add the finishing touch to the top tier of a rustic wedding cake.  Here are a couple of fun wedding cake toppers that I found online.  The first topper depicts a bride in her cowboy boots having a rootin' tootin' good time dancing with her groom who is also wearing cowboy boots and also a cowboy hat.  The second cake topper features wooden lucky horseshoe along with a white and black cowboy hat that sit atop a base covered in white organza ribbon.  What a great way to finish off a Western Themed Wedding Cake!

More Country Wedding Ideas:

• Country Western Wedding Ideas
• Rustic Country Wedding Inspiration
• Country Wedding Favors

A few weeks ago I attended an amazing wedding at the Kiln Creek Country Club in Virginia.  The bride and groom were both avid golfers so they incorporated their love of golf in the wedding reception by utilizing personalized golf wedding favors, a golf ball shaped planter filled with flowers for the centerpieces, and a whimsical cake featuring a golf couple wedding cake topper sitting on the "green".

It was the first wedding that I had attended where golfing was a prevalent component in the reception decor.  Of course, curiosity got the best of me and I decided to poke around online to find interesting wedding cake designs that feature a golf theme.  You can see some of my favorite designs in the photo collage below:

What I found was an interesting combination of both cupcakes and cakes that utilized a green and blue color scheme.  Clever bakers incorporate a grass like green along with sand traps fashioned from brown sugar and water hazards.  A bride and groom in golf outfits with club in hand (made from marzipan or modeling chocolate) always look great atop these creations.

For a more upscale looking golf cake, consider using a blue, green and white argyle pattern around the cake tiers with a simple golf themed cake topper.  I love the cake topper shown to the right....the exasperated bride with her arms crossed standing next to her golf obsessed groom who has golf clubs in hand and golf shoes on his feet.  What a cute addition to any golf themed wedding!

Photo Credits:
Golf Wedding Cake Collage from DessertLover2010 at Flickr
Exasperated Bride & Golfer Groom Cake Topper from Wedding Favors Unlimited

More Golf Wedding Ideas:

• Golf Gift Ideas
• Bachelor Golfing

Planning the perfect wedding is like trying to make dreams come true – very difficult to pull off or just plain impossible. For many couples, the ideal wedding is in an exotic location – perhaps it’s somewhere you've been hankering to visit for ages and at last you have the excuse, or maybe it’s somewhere that played a key role in your relationship.  The pressure on this once-in-a-lifetime occasion coupled with the distant location can make the process of planning it very stressful.

Here are some handy hints to take the stress out of planning a long-distance wedding:

1. Research is the key: you think you finished hitting the books in school? Far from it! The key to a successful long-distance wedding is in the preparation. Start your search by asking around for referrals. These can be from local family or family members, the Chamber of Commerce, the phonebook or online references. You won't have easy access to potential wedding vendors, so it's essential to make the most of your time and use an appointment system.
2. Take care of the logistical details as early as possible. This includes choosing the location and date, local caterers, the reception venue, salons and a hotel for your out-of-town guests. An inexpensive (or free) hotel shuttle service is also a big advantage. It's essential to check with the city about local marriage requirements – there’s no greater dampener on wedding plans than delayed residency requirements and waiting periods.
3. Accept any offers of a helping hand. If it is at all possible, hire a wedding planner in your chosen destination. Their knowledge of the city will be invaluable, and they will be an indispensable resource for sourcing venues and vendors. When meeting local wedding planners for the first time, it's important to ascertain if they share your vision for the wedding. It's also helpful if you're able to get in contact with any of their previous long-distance clients.
4. Try and make at least two visits to your wedding destination in the lead up to the big day. Compile a schedule of wedding vendors, venues and planners to visit - as you won't have a minute to spare! Visiting the destination in advance will help keep the stress levels under control, and will also help make sure you're getting exactly what you want for your wedding.
5. Choose a place that is special for you and your partner. Don't plan a long-distance wedding to make friends or family happy! It's your big day, and yourchoice of dream location, whether it's the other side of the world or in your home town. With more and more couples meeting over the internet through online dating, picking a location for the wedding day can be even trickier, but ultimately it's a decision you will have to make together. There is always the option of having a second, informal reception on your return, which allows a compromise between cities or even countries.

So, whether you've been dating in your home town and wish to sample more exotic climates for your special occasion, or you've maintained a long-distance relationship where you've been separated by borders and just want to simplify the whole thing by finally getting hitched to start your life together, or if you're an international couple that have met and been dating in Bristol, Boston, Berlin and want to take it that one step further - a long-distance wedding could be on the cards. Just get planning soon!

Having a butterfly themed wedding?  Incorporating your theme with not only butterfly wedding favors, but also into your wedding cake design can yield a delicate and beautiful effect that is sure to wow your wedding guests.  Many brides choose to incorporate butterflies throughout their wedding because they symbolize the ending of a previous phase of life and the new beginning.  The many natural species of butterflies offer a wide range of color choices making them a great option no matter what you wedding color scheme.

Cake bakers can do amazing things on cakes these days.  Feast your eyes on some of the stunning cake creations in the montage below that incorporate butterflies.  From handmade gum paste butterflies that seem to float up the cake to silk butterflies that are paired with flowers to hand-sculpted butterflies decorated with pearls, the options are endless.  I personally love these types of cakes for spring and summer weddings as well as garden parties or events.  Butterflies are almost always paired with beautiful flowers on the cake design.

Prefer to have butterfly themed cupcakes instead of a large tiered wedding cake?  Then check out my previous butterfly cupcake post where I show some of my favorite cupcake displays.

More on Butterfly Themed Weddings:

• Beautiful Butterfly Wedding Cakes
• Butterfly Wedding Favors
• Decorating for a Butterfly Themed Wedding
• Butterfly Wedding Invitations
• Choosing a Butterfly Wedding Theme

Spring has sprung in most of the U.S. which means that the butterflies and birds are returning.  Why not incorporate a touch of Spring into your wedding or bridal shower by using a butterfly theme on your cupcakes?  Not sure if cupcakes (versus a classic layer cake) are the right choice for your wedding?  Check out this Squidoo lens which covers the pros and cons of using cupcakes and has a wide range of fantastic wedding cupcake ideas!  If cupcakes aren't your thing, be sure to check out my post featuring butterfly cakes in the very near future.

Once you've decided cupcakes are for you, then choosing the theme is the first step.  As you can see in the montage of photos below, you can incorporate silk butterflies on flowers or gum paste and royal icing butterflies in various colors that will fit in perfectly with your wedding or bridal shower color scheme....blues, purples, pinks, yellows....they all look great!

Presentation is everything (besides taste of course)!  When it comes to using cupcakes at a wedding, present them on a tiered cupcake stand to create an elegant effect.  As you can see in the above photos, many brides incorporate a small cake on the top tier that can be used for the cake cutting ceremony or frozen to eat on the 1st wedding anniversary.  The other great thing about having a top tier is that you can use a wedding cake topper. Prior to the wedding, be sure to spend some time planning out exactly how you will display your butterfly cupcakes on your big day.  Even expertly decorated cupcakes can end up looking cheap if they are not presented properly.  Of course, this is less important for a bridal shower, but even in a casual environment, I suggest using a tiered cupcake stand.

Photos are courtesy of Flickr.

More Cupcake Ideas:

Do It Yourself Flower Cupcakes - http://www.baby-gifts-gift-baskets.com/blog/2010/06/15/do-it-yourself-flower-cupcakes/

Create a Wedding Cupcake Tower - http://www.weddingfavorsunlimited.com/bridal_blog/2010/07/03/create-a-wedding-cupcake-tower/

Wondering what to do with a hexagon-shaped box? Wonder no more....hexagonal boxes can be used to create elegant wedding favors for just about any wedding theme or color scheme.  In the photo below, simple diamond patterned quilt favor boxes in a hexagon shape are used to create some fabulous looking personalized favors.

The upper right photo in the collage shows an affordable way to personalize your hexagonal shaped favor boxes.  Simply purchase custom printed ribbon in a color that goes with your color scheme.  Normally the ribbon can be imprinted with the bride and groom's name along with the wedding date.  Also purchase some simple favor hang tags that say something like "Thank You for Sharing in Our Special Day".  You can usually get about 25 of these classic thank you tags for under $5.  Tie the tag onto the box using the ribbon and consider using a little dot of hot glue to keep the ribbon in place on the box.

If you are having an autumn wedding, bring the fall colors into your favors through the use of ribbon and organic elements.  For the look in the photo, twigs from a local craft store (you could use ones from your yard too) were used along with a brown satin ribbon and gold organza ribbon.  Leaf-shaped paper cards were cut-out of green cardstock and hand-written with the word "Thank You".  You can also find personalized leaf-shaped cards at Wedding Favors Unlimited.  They come in 4 different colors including brown, green, and red making them a great choice for fall-themed wedding favors.   You can personalized them with your names and date or your monogram.

Finally if you are looking to add a little glitz and glamour to your wedding favors, you can use crystal dazzlers, mongrams and a flashy bow like the ones shown in the photo on the lower right corner.  Kevin and Amber used their initials on the box for a personal touch that wowed their guests.  These do-it-yourself favors are a more expensive, but highly elegant option.

Photo courtesy of the Weddingstar Catalog.

More favor box ideas:

• Personalized Wedding Favor Ideas
• Unique Bridal Shower Favor Ideas
• Affordable DIY Favor Box Ideas
• Treasure Chest Favor Ideas
• Think Outside The Box - DIY Wedding Favor Ideas