Here Comes the Blog

Destination Weddings: Sweet Escapes

Heidi — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:47:00 +0000

A romantic adventure! Whether you’re embarking on an adventure that takes you across the pond or one that takes you across the country, make sure you’re giving your guests plenty of time to plan for your destination wedding. Send Save the Dates ASAP and have your wedding website printed on them too. Your wedding website will be “command central” and a much needed resource in getting valuable planning info out to your guests.

Once the Save the Dates are sent begin brainstorming ideas for bringing the flavor of the destination into your wedding invitations. What is it that you love about your destination? Perhaps it’s the beauty of the area, the culture, the weather, the food… Incorporate that special design or motif that resonates with your style and the locale. Sprinkle it throughout your wedding stationery. From the Invites to the RSVP and Enclosure Cards, to your Favors and Thank Yous, your wedding look will be consistent and you’ll generate incredible excitement with your guests about traveling for your big day!

Enclosure Cards are your Friends! Use them to include pertinent info: currency, airport and shuttle, average temps, reception times, local attractions… What else?

Welcome Baskets help guests feel special and right at home! Have them waiting in the hotel rooms when your guests arrive. Here are a few ideas of what to include:

welcome note
a wedding itinerary
tickets to a local attraction
toiletries: lotion, cotton swabs, sunscreen, travel sewing kit, mini-mani set, clear nail polish
for the guys: shavers, shaving lotion, shoe polish
Mini champagne bottles
water bottles

What else?

Happy Planning

Destination Wedding Invitation

Image: wedding invitation design by MagnetStreet Weddings

Cherry Blossom Theme Wedding Cakes

DessertLover — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:12:18 +0000

Spring is just around the corner which means that it will soon be time for the cherry blossoms around the Washington D.C. tidal basin to be in full bloom. It just so happens that Spring is the season when brides choose cherry blossoms as the central theme for their wedding. These days brides incorporate cherry blossoms into the reception centerpieces, bridal bouquets, wedding favors and of course, the wedding cake. Traditionally, cherry blossom cakes feature brown stems with light pink to almost white blooms on the branches that meander gracefully up and down the cake tiers. Recently though, many brides are still using the cherry blossom motif, but they are incorporating other colors such as purple, teal green, light blue, and mauve into the color scheme for the cake. Below are just a few of my favorite cherry blossom cake designs (be sure to scroll to the bottom to find the resource link for each photo in the collage). If you are utilizing this theme at your wedding, be sure to check out this Cherry Blossom wedding idea lens at Squidoo for tons of great ideas for dresses, decorations, cherry blossom wedding favors, and more!

Image Resources:
1. Asian Inspired Cherry Blossom Wedding Cake, 2. Red Cherry Blossoms Wedding Cake, 3. Purple Cherry Blossom wedding Cake, 4. Stacey’s Cherry Blossom Wedding Cake, 5. Cherry Blossom Wedding cake, 6. white cherry blossom wedding cake, 7. Cherry Blossom Cake, 8. Wedding – 4-tier cherry blossom, 9. Cherry Blossoms and Pears Wedding Cake, 10. Cherry blossom wedding cake, 11. cherry blossom wedding cake, 12. Blue Cherry Blossom Wedding Cake, 13. Cherry Blossom Wedding Cake 2

Save the Date… or Not

Heidi — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:04:23 +0000

Save the Date… or Not

It’s up to you!

I once read an extremely funny blog post whereby the author blamed ‘Save the Dates’ for guilt-ing the guests into attendance… because they’re sent early enough for people to adjust their schedules. So, he expounded on their inherent evils and selfish imposition on people’s time.

Hilarious post. Ridiculous reason. {I’m quite sure that people still have free wills and attend events because they want to}

I’ve also read that Save the Dates aren’t needed stationery items.

If like we need air to breathe… then no, Save the Dates aren’t needed. But then I really don’t need mascara or earrings~ yet I’m always wearing them.

It’s up to you!

Save the Dates are Helpful Planning Tools! If your wedding is on or near a holiday… during the busy summer months… OR perhaps if you’re planning a really cool destination wedding in the Bahamas… then your guests may need ample time and info to adjust their schedules and make the necessary travel arrangements. In this case, Save the Dates are a courtesy that can easily include: your wedding website, travel, hotel and any other info you deem important.

Save the Dates are FUN! There are virtually no rules to follow. Yay! Since they’re sent anywhere from 6-12 months ahead of the wedding date, colors and styles are often times still being explored. So, unless you know your colors and want to start setting the tone with your Save the Date, you have free creative reign! So go ahead, show off that personality of yours! Have fun with it! I always recommend using a Save the Date design that has room for 1-3 photos. That way, you can introduce your fiancé to those out of town guests.

What are your thoughts on Save the Dates?

I say go for it!

~Heidi

Save The Dates from MagnetStreet Weddings

Creating Your Signature Style

Heidi — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:34:51 +0000

Everyone wants their wedding to have a unique look and feel to it~ something that is truly special and memorable. Sounds good right… but how? The key…is to create a signature style~ a look that’s all your own. It’s achieved by personalizing your wedding in such a way that it leaves an indelible impression on your guests. Let’s start at the beginning.

Lead with your wedding colors! A palette of 2-4 colors will be the tie that binds your wedding look. Then, incorporate design and accent elements that support the look and feel you’re going for. Sprinkle them throughout your wedding~ from the Save the Dates, to your wedding website and Invitations, to your attire and decor. Your goal is to create a look that is consistent and cohesive and that melds with your personal style.

Consider the mood you want to create… For instance, a vintage feel is enhanced by wearing an heirloom gown and decorating the venue to resemble a different era or perhaps a love of roses would be the perfect theme to center a whimsical garden wedding around. In other words, marry the mood you want to achieve with stylish elements specific to your wedding theme. Carry those elements throughout each aspect of your wedding. Your thoughtful and consistent attention to the details will communicate your style and leave an experience for your guests! {I get inspired just thinking about the possibilities and know that each wedding can truly be unique.}

Cheers to Creating Your Signature Style!

~Heidi

Chocolate & Pink Wedding Dresses

WeddingBlogger — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 16:20:23 +0000

If you are planning a chocolate brown and pretty pink wedding, I hope that you find some of these dress ideas useful. Let’s start with the wedding gown itself. Personally, I like to think outside the box so the thought of a wedding gown with a tinge of pink is quite appealing to me. In the photo collage below, you can see two gown selections that have a blush pink tone which is subtle. I’m not a fan of true pink wedding dresses….I suggest reserving those for the bridesmaids. Another wedding gown and flower girl dress option is to choose a classic white or ivory gown that is accented with a chocolate sash or a touch of pink on the train or bodice. Choose something that compliments the color of your bridesmaid dresses.

And speaking of dresses for the bridesmaids, I personally like the main dress color to be brown with accents of pink. The reason I like brown dresses is because brown comes in a wide variety of hues and tints so you can easily find a color that you like. Brown also looks good on just about any skin tone while shades like pink can look horrible on some people (personally I have very fair skin and pink washes me out even more). If you choose brown dresses, you can bring pink into the color scheme by using pink accents such as flowers, hair pieces, jewelry, or sashes/lace/piping on the dress itself. You can see some of my favorite brown bridesmaid dresses in the montage below. Be sure to click through on the links below the photo to see the resources for any dress that you like.

Pink Brown Wedding Dresses by WeddingBlogger

Black & White Wedding Cakes

DessertLover — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:57:22 +0000

Many brides and grooms think that a purely black and white monochrome wedding cake design might be boring, but I’m here to tell you that is definitely not the case. There are so many design variations available that you can have a unique and extraordinary black and white cake that has an air of sophistication too. In the photo collage below, you can see some of my favorite black and white wedding cakes. I’ve tried to choose a good cross-section of different designs so that you can see all the great options, patterns, and themes. Consider a white fondant or icing base with black accents such as swirls, polka dots, black ribbon, a silhouette of the bride and groom, stripes and even silver/black/faux diamond jewels. If you want some whimsy or drama, how about zebra stripes or large black feathers? The options are really endless.

And don’t forget that black and white pairs perfectly with red, pink, lime green or yellow so if you plan to use one of these accent colors in your other wedding accessories, you should carry it through to the cake as well. In future posts, I will have collages that show black and white cakes with each one of these colors. Be sure to check back in the next few weeks!

Welcome To Heidi from Truly Engaging

admin — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:28:58 +0000

Just wanted to send out a big welcome to Heidi who is one of our new contributors at Here Comes The Blog. She is the author of Truly Engaging, the wedding blog from Magnet Street Weddings. Heidi will be contributing to Here Comes the Blog on a weekly basis and sharing all things wedding stationery~ from etiquette and styles to wording, color and design~ all while keeping it real along the way. We are very excited that Heidi has agreed to share her expertise with all of our readers and if you need even more stationery inspiration, be sure to check out Magnet Street Weddings.

A family-owned company, MagnetStreet Weddings designs and prints customizable wedding stationery~ they are best known for their fun Save the Dates and stylish wedding Invitation suites. One of their main goals is to design wedding stationery that is flexible… they want their couples to be able to showcase their style~ whether it’s classic, modern, destination or non-traditional. That said, wedding couples can use the Magnet Street Design Studio to easily upload photos, change colors, text and fonts to create wedding stationery that ultimately reflects their personality.

We love the fact that they will send couple’s FREE SAMPLES! And, they have lots of free tools too… inspirational boards, wedding widgets, and even a visual planning guide to help you organize your wedding look. Check out this montage of great items available from Magnet Street Weddings….

Pink Wedding Flowers

WeddingBlogger — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 15:31:59 +0000

Brides can incorporate pink wedding flowers with so many fantastic color schemes so I thought I’d put together a collage of some of my favorite bridal bouquet and reception centerpiece selections. Whether you are having a pink and white; pink and chocolate; pink, black and white; or a pink-accented weddings, you have numerous choices when it comes to pink flowers. Pink is a classic, feminine flower choice that is known to signify love and romance so what better choice for a wedding?

You can see some of my favorite pink flower choices in the photo below. If you are on a budget like most brides, then you should consider the season when selecting your pink flowers. For instance, tulips are obviously much more affordable in the Spring, while hydrangea blooms are more affordable in mid to late summer. Other lovely choices include gerbera daisies, carnations, stargazer lilies (my favorite), peonies and of course roses. Pink flowers also work well in mixed bouquets when you want to incorporate a few other colors. Their versatility makes pink one of the most popular colors for bridal flowers today. And how appropriate that this is being posted on Valentine’s Day….the perfect day for pink!

For even more great pink wedding bouquet ideas, visit the Martha Stewart website.

Pink Wedding Flowers by WeddingBlogger on Polyvore.com

Black & White Reception Table Setting Idea

Kim — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:38:33 +0000

I was so impressed with this elegant black and white reception table setting that I saw in the Weddingstar catalog…I immediately thought that I needed to share it with our Here Comes The Blog readers. No color scheme is more elegant than classic black and white and you can see that upscale, elegant look in the photo below.

How is the look achieved?
A simple round table is draped in white satin fabric that is overlaid with an elegant black/silver table runner. Silver charger plates, silverware, and champagne flutes featuring a silver stem and engagement ring design, and black napkins with silver-plated diamond napkin rings provide the essentials for each of the dinner guests. A beautiful white floral bouquet constructed from white dahlias, white lilies and greenery provides a central focal point that sits directly below the black bead covered chandelier. The floral centerpiece is further accented with black love votive candles, white tall pillar candles in glass vases and a trio of glass diamond-shaped tealight candle holders. Guests can easily find their tables because a tall silver wire number holder along with the number card is also placed on each reception table. White tea/coffee cups and white heart-shaped salt/pepper shakers are also place on each table. Finally, the wedding favors are placed at each place setting. Favors include mini tux and wedding dress favor bags filled with candy and personalized black and white favor tags. The effect of all these components is simply stunning!

Valentine Wedding Inspiration Board

WeddingBlogger — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 15:28:43 +0000

If you’ve selected Valentine’s Day for your nuptials, then you are likely a true romantic at heart. Injecting that romance into the ceremony and reception can be accomplished in many ways. For example, choose a romantic location for your wedding such as a local bed and breakfast, castle or even a winery. When it comes to a color scheme, red is synonymous with Valentine’s Day and using it in all aspects of the wedding is a great way to infuse a bit of romance. As you can see in my inspiration board below, I like wedding dresses with red accents or red bridesmaid dresses at a minimum. A classic black tux with a modern red tie pairs perfectly with the color scheme. Red roses are the obvious choice for Valentine’s Day flowers, but there are plenty of other red flower choices if you are on a tight budget (we all know how outrageously expensive roses can be around Valentine’s Day). Be sure to use candles throughout the reception area to add some romantic ambiance. You can also see on my inspiration board that I love the idea of a classic white and red wedding cake covered in red scrollwork….why not choose red-velvet as the cake flavor? Creating a red or pink custom cocktail for your reception guests is a fun idea. I love pomegranate martinis! Finally if you want to give your guests a little thank you gift, consider small heart-shaped boxes of chocolate or white gift boxes filled with conversation hearts. Just add a red ribbon and a personalized custom hang tag and voila!, you’ve got the perfect wedding favor.

Valentine’s Day Wedding Inspiration Board by WeddingBlogger on Polyvore.com

Items in this set:
Timeless red and white wedding dresses
Real Weddings: A Romantic Red Wedding: Glowing Candlelight, $5.99
Wedding, Red, Bridesmaids – Photo by Bella Bridesmaid – Project…
Manassas Cakery – red scroll wedding cake – Wallpapers – Mobicious
Wedding Obsession – Your daily dose of all things wedding