Spring is a great time for new beginnings, especially for starting a new life with someone special. What better way to celebrate than to incorporate a spring theme into your
wedding decorating! A few simple touches are all it takes to have a big impact. After a dull winter, your guests will appreciate a bright and happy occasion.
Popular colors for a
sping wedding are pastels, so keep this in mind when shopping for your
bridal party and for your decorations. If you want a darker color for your
bridesmaid dresses, try using the same color in a lighter shade for the
wedding flowers and centerpieces.
The contrast will add freshness to your big day while making everything look smart and well coordinated. Try not to use too many different pastel colors together unless you're planning an Easter wedding.
Some great color choices are: pink or rose, light blue, yellow, lavender, and a soft green. Some good color combinations include rose and lavender, lavender and light blue, or yellow and soft green. Using colors that are close to each other on the color scale will give a softer look to your day, while using opposites will create bolder combinations.
Other than color, some easy ways to add spring to your wedding are:
- Use potted bulbs in your decorations. They can be used to decorate your ceremony, as centerpieces at your reception, and on the gift and cake tables. Just make sure to choose bulbs whose flowers aren't heavily scented in case any of your guests have allergies. A lot of scent in a closed in room can have people looking for fresh air very quickly. Daffodils and tulips are great choices and are available in a variety of colors. You don't need to have the same flower at every table, and using a variety can make your decorating more interesting for your guests.
- Other
seasonal flowers that can be used as cut flowers are lilacs, pansies, and freesias, but again be careful with heavy scents. Lilacs smell beautiful, but some are more scented than others.
- Spring is the time when many people start thinking about planting their gardens. Consider giving away flower or tree seeds in decorative seed packets as a wedding favor. The seeds can be for your favorite plant, or for one that has significance to your family. If I were planning a spring wedding, I would give away apricot tree seeds as a subtle reminder of my grandmother and the apricot tree on her farm that used to always be in bloom for her birthday in May.
- Small trees can also be used as centerpieces or used as favors. Choose ones that are about a foot high so they don't block out everything at your wedding. If using them as centerpieces, plant them in decorative pots and include some planting instructions. For favors, they can be placed on a side table so they aren't in the way during dinner. An announcement can be made after the speeches that they are for the guests to take home. Tie a note of thanks around their base with some raffia as an added touch.
Using color and seasonal flowers you can give your wedding a spring-time feeling without going to a lot of extra time or expense. Think spring and have fun decorating for your wedding!
Easter is a
celebration of love, life, birth & rebirth, so it is a natural favorite for a wedding. A
springtime wedding decked out in shades of pastel pink, lilac & yellow makes for a romantic & bright setting.
If you are having an
Easter wedding, here are some great
wedding favor ideas for you to consider.
Mini Easter Baskets. You can find miniature baskets at crafts or dollar stores. White ones look best but if you can’t find these, buy natural ones & spray them. For your contents choose miniature chocolate eggs or rabbits or colorful candies like jellybeans or M & M’s. Tie you baskets with big bows in your wedding colors.
Marshmallow PEEPS.™ These adorable chicks & bunnies are available in shades of yellow, pink, lavender, blue & white. They also come in egg & heart shapes. Another option for your wedding favors is a giant bunny in yellow, pink & lavender.
PEEPS™ Place Marker Favor: Paint & decorate some mini terracotta pots or simply write your guests names on them. Fill these pots with jellybeans & insert a Popsicle stick into a PEEPS™ chick or bunny, & plant it in the pot of jellybeans.
Stuffed Easter Toys. Miniature Easter toys make great wedding favors. Buy a selection of bunnies & chicks then create your own personalized thank you tags, tied on with ribbon bows round the toy’s neck.
Blooming Paper Whites. Create a beautiful favor by purchasing some paper white narcissus bulbs & planting them in small terracotta pots. Store them in a cool, dark place until two weeks before your wedding.
At this point, repot them into moist compost & place them back in to a cool, dark place until the roots are set (about a week). After the roots have appeared (gently tug them, if there is some resistance, then they have rooted), place them in a bright room. Make sure you keep them moist, but not overly so. Don’t water in the 2 days leading up to the wedding.
Flower Bulbs. Choose spring bulbs like Dahlias or Begonias which come in a variety of colors which you can coordinate with your wedding colors or theme.
Give each guest one, three or five bulbs, depending on size, in burlap envelopes. Make sure you include a card with the planting & care instructions on. You could personalize these on your own computer.
Engraved Plant Markers. Choose from zinc or copper plant markers & engrave them, with an engraver, with your names & wedding date.
"Watch Our Love Grow" Favors. Miniature watering cans make whimsical favors & are inexpensive from favor stores or craft shops. Place a packet of seeds inside such as annuals which are easy to grow. Attach a thank you tag with ribbon or raffia or a note which reads "Love Grows Best with the Care of Family and Friends" or "Our Love Grows Stronger Every Day."
Customized M&M's in Easter Eggs. Visit a craft store for plastic egg shaped containers which you can fill with chocolates or M & M’s. The latter can be personalized with your names at the M & M’s brand store. Tie a ribbon bow around them & arrange them in a large white basket. You could ask your flower girls to distribute them at the reception.
Porcelain Keepsake Eggs. These are available for under $2 from good favor or craft stores. Fill them with your choice of confectionary.
A
wedding ceremony is something that could be connected with fashion. Just as the ramp updates its yearly collection, so does
wedding trends. You might be interested about what's in and out of the wedding aisle and venue for 2009.
The line-up of creations and recommendations might help you get an idea for the next in-thing in preparing for your
wedding day.
There are different beliefs and practices when it comes to planning for a wedding ceremony. Lifestyle magazines, fashion designers and even wedding reception experts and planners have fused their ideas together to come up with something new for 2009.
Wedding favors the 2009 way
Gone were the days when you have to give wedding favors just to express gratitude for the presence of your intimate friends. On a more practical note, 2009's personalized gifts have taken things a notch higher. Your giveaway already serves two purposes: one for your occasion to be remembered; and two for your guests to make use of your practical gifts.
A lot of ideas have already struck the minds of the bride and the groom when it comes to giving wedding favors. Traditional wedding bells and "couple" figurines no longer come to mind. The modern way of saying thank you to your visitors include delectable desserts with recipes in it or even plants in small pots.
2009 wedding reception
Some choose to have their wedding celebrated outdoors. Many will choose to have the wedding ceremony in a church and the reception somewhere else. Others may opt to have the wedding ceremony and reception held in one location. This is very helpful because the guests do not have to spend time when traveling from one place to another.
For 2009, an environmental concept is integrated in the celebration. Aside from incorporating biologically and ecologically-friendly materials in the fabrics worn by the bride and the groom, garden weddings are always regarded. One may choose to give plants as gifts to their guests.
The role of the internet in 2009 weddings
Social networking is already a part of everybody's lives. Many of us spend hours surfing the internet for several purposes. And yes, you could do the same thing for planning your wedding day. Your web browsers could definitely contribute a lot when it comes to your wedding plans. From the proposal to consultation, seeking opinions from friends can be done through your computers. Besides this, you have a lot of online wedding shops which could give you a handful of help for wedding favors and other wedding-related materials.
More than coming up with creativity for bridal gowns and groom's outfits, 2009 wedding trends covers a lot of other aspects. You could always base your choices for your wedding ceremony from the above list. Never fail to add a touch of your own ideas. After all, the day is still yours to celebrate.
Sorry Wedding CakesWedding disasters do happen. After ensuring that every piece of the wedding collage is in its proper place disaster strikes and of all things, it happens to wedding cakes! When this happens, you can do nothing but watch the cake in horror as it slowly slides to the table and onto the floor. Blame the bakers, the cats and dogs, and yourself.
First, the bakers advertise themselves as the best when it comes to wedding cakes; or Aunt Thelma was being kind and suggested you can save more money if she does the cake with her outdated baking technology, or that you were not informed by that top baker that fondant can taste like paper and there were too much half-eaten cakes. Whatever the disaster, you still have a little contribution to the tragedy.
Sometimes the cakes bombed in-transit. The carefully constructed and painfully art crafted wedding cake is smashed beyond recognition. Only an experienced and deft cake artist can do an on-site SOS and save the day. The three-tiered cake is now a single layer cake topped with fresh blooms and emergency ribbons - for photo ops. Guests can only wonder why they couldn't eat cake.
How to Avoid Wedding Cake Disasters
During baking, en route to the reception, or sitting magnificently on a table just for it, wedding cakes invite disaster. Outdoors, wedding cakes invite ants and other insects lured by its delicious scent and birds might take a swipe at it! Indoors, ants can march to the cake, your dogs and cats might try it, and little children might be tempted to find out what's inside all that beautiful flowers and ribbons.
Those who had the misfortune with wrecked cakes during their weddings can tell you these:
- Ask friends where they ordered their beautiful cakes
- Ask the baker to show his portfolio
- Ask the baker to give you a cake taste test
- Order from a baker who lives near the area
- Inquire if they freeze their cakes
- At the reception, make sure no pets are on the grounds
- Outdoors, place the cake in a tent or under a patio umbrella
- Get a professional not a DIY to do your wedding cake
One more important thing, don't make the mistake of thinking that your wedding cake won't get into any trouble. Stay alert to the safeguards you have read or heard from friends. Better yet, assign your sister to take care of the cake until the countdown to the ceremonial cake slicing.
Yes It Can Happen to You
A cake is just a cake you say. It's different with this cake. Your wedding cake, next to your wedding dress is the focal point of interest in your wedding. In the planning for your wedding cake, have safeguards for possible destruction. Think like a general when it comes to wedding cakes.
If disaster strikes, you can only grit your teeth. But when it's over, the whole thing becomes funny. Wedded couples have a fun slapping cake icing around and making the most of their first day together despite wedding cakes disasters.
You have decisive that you desire to use
orchids for all your decorating desires at your wedding, but how do you twitch? The answer is entirely austere. First, you must choose where you
orchid wedding will be detained.
If you idea to have your wedding in Hawaii, then you will be happy to know that you will find numerous single and
lovely orchids that can be worn for your wedding. Here you will be able to use a brand of colorful and magnificent Hawaiian
orchids for your decorations.
However, if you are available to have an iciness wedding in the US, you will have to quest for
artificial flora. Do not be alarmed. You can find many matchless and wonderful silk orchids that look as striking as the actual ones.
Now, that you know what plants you will use, real or silk, now is the time to think about decorating. Real plants will wilt, so they will not last while silk flora . Therefore, you may yearn to use both. This way you can construct many of the decorations preceding to the wedding with silk orchids.
An arch bejeweled with sultry orchids is a very admired accessory that is not only lovely but is romantic as well. Many couples dearest the idea of saying their own printed vows in a humid situation even if they cannot be in Hawaii. An arch adorned with rare and acute silk orchids can do the hoodwink.
All you have to do find an arch each metal or fake. You can use sallow gauge to protect up any of the metal that you do not want to be seen. The remainder is totally cool. Purchase silk orchids, silk babys breath, and silk tropical ferns. Now, you can do wonders with that plain arch. You can also use different dyed streamer to moreover tint coordinate with the orchids you have special or use contrasting ensign to carry out the incline of the orchids.
Along with your orchid arch, you can have your garland,
bridesmaids plants, and the flowers that the
flowergirl scatters, and even the support for the wedding rings matching the orchids. The possibilities are endless when it comes to decorate your wedding with acute and sole orchids. Use your imagination and coin a wedding that is your own and one that will last in the hearts of those that are nearby.
Of course we all know that a
wedding is the best time in a woman’s life and there are women who look forward to their wedding for years.
Decorating for wedding receptions whether your own or as a part time job can either be very hard work or very much fun depending upon many things.
Fortunately there are many
wedding reception decorating ideas online these days and one way to get more ideas for your wedding is to look at other people’s weddings. These websites have a few ideas with links to several weddings, and wedding receptions. Of course, the extent of decorating a wedding reception depends on the size of the wedding and if the wedding has a theme or not.
Wedding reception decorations also must be within the couple’s budget for the wedding. There may be many different wedding reception table decorations that they want, but just are not able to afford.
Wedding reception decorating ideasAs was stated earlier, the budget, the size of the wedding and possible themes all influence wedding reception decorations. Very simple and
inexpensive decorations that can be handled by the bride and groom alone as a way of cutting the cost of any wedding are very easy to make.
It can be just as simple as getting a few things from a craft store and putting them together;
flowers (real or imitation) can be placed in a vase with beautiful colored stones that are preferably the colors chosen for the wedding. These can be used as
centerpieces on the tables. Colored tablecloths are usually also available at either craft or department stores.
Another great idea for inexpensive weddings where there will be lots of children attending is to use white paper for tablecloths and provide guests with colored pens or pencils and crayons for any children attending and have the guest write or draw (as the case may be) notes to the bride and groom. This is not only a great decorating idea, but can be saved as a memorial of the happy day.
Even
themed weddings can be very simple and inexpensive. Some ideas might be a Christmas theme that emphasizes the colors red, white and green. Red tablecloths with mini decorated Christmas trees can be used to decorate the tables. There are also appropriately colored napkins and serving sets that can be used to decorate the reception. Soft, mellow Christmas carols make for wonderful background music, with small stockings or ornaments as favors.
Candles are one decoration that can be used in almost any wedding no matter how inexpensive or elaborate the wedding. Candles are especially nice if it is an evening wedding and the reception hall is dimly lit. This can make for a very beautiful and romantic atmosphere. Add beautifully decorated satin tablecloths and some greenery and you have a very, very romantic setting. This is especially beautiful if the hall is large and there are many guests. If this is the case and if there will be dancing then setting aside the portion of the room that will be used for dancing by small poles draped either with satin ribbons or garlands of greenery makes a very beautiful scene. Add soft background music and you have a wonderful wedding reception area.
Weddings with themes are also great for getting decorating ideas as in the Christmas theme above. Fall is another nice theme that can be either informal or as formal as you would like. Color combinations such as burgundy and hunter, or wine and navy are just a couple of the many color choices for more formal fall weddings. There are also several red, orange, and yellow flowers to go with this theme such as marigolds, apricot lilies, rust and burgundy hydrangeas. Once again, candles either colored orange or hand painted are a magnificent centerpiece, arranged with a small amount of greenery.
Of course there are other themes that are great for weddings, medieval feasts, ethnic weddings, some of which are absolutely beautiful to behold such as the Japanese and S. Korean style weddings, others are Romeo and Juliet themed weddings or an amazing under the sea themed wedding.
Other decorations that can make wedding receptions beautiful are rose petals either as table decorations or floating on a pool of water.
Decorating for a wedding reception can be simple or fancy, expensive or inexpensive all according to the needs and the taste of the bride and groom. It can be quite easy and done by the couple or friends of the bride and groom or can it can be done professionally, but either way with just a few good ideas decorating can be fun and seem elegant when finished. Either way decorating for a wedding reception or other wedding related function does not need to be stressful or difficult.
As traditions change it’s hard to keep track of who does what and when. But don’t stress yet: basic
wedding party etiquette has actually remained the same. Make your life easy and refresh your memory on some of the different roles and responsibilities of your
wedding-day entourage.
Mother of the Bride:
- Hosts/co-hosts an engagement party.
- Helps the bride shop for her gown and change into it at the ceremony.
- Compiles a list of ideas for the entire wedding.
- Keeps track of wedding gifts.
- Helps compose a guest list.
- Dances with the groom at the reception.
Father of the Bride:
- Hosts/co-hosts an engagement party.
- Pays for all or part of the wedding expenses.
- Walks down the aisle with the bride and gives her away.
- Offers a toast during the reception.
- Dances with the bride at the reception.
Tip: The bride’s mother may serve as her matron of honour, and the groom’s father may serve as his best man.
Groom’s Parents:
- Arrange a meeting with the bride’s parents soon after the couple’s engagement.
- Pay for some ceremony expenses.
- Pay for some reception and honeymoon expenses (optional).
- Help compose a guest list.
- Plan, co-host and pay for the rehearsal dinner.
- Father dances with the bride, mother dances with the groom.
Maid/Matron of Honour:
- Helps the bride in any way she can throughout the wedding planning process.
- Plans and hosts the bridal shower.
- Helps the bride shop for bridal accessories and bridesmaid dresses.
- Keeps the groom’s ring safe until the ceremony.
- Adjusts the bride’s veil and train when she reaches the altar and holds her bouquet during the ceremony.
Best Man:
- Plans the bachelor party.
- Makes sure the groom has everything he needs for the honeymoon.
- Picks up anything the groom has ordered.
- Is responsible for the marriage licence and its delivery to the officiant.
- Decorates the getaway vehicle.
- Keeps the bride’s ring safe until the ceremony.
- Gets the groom and groomsmen to the wedding on time.
- Offers the first toast at the reception and can serve as the master of ceremonies.
Bridesmaids:
- Help maid/matron of honour plan and host the bridal shower.
- Run small errands for the bride.
- Attend the bridal luncheon.
- Shop for a joint wedding gift with maid/matron of honour.
Groomsmen:
- Help the best man with his pre/post-wedding responsibilities.
- Clean up the ceremony site before leaving for the reception.
- Dance with the bride, both mothers and every bridesmaid.
Tip: Groomsmen often double as ushers by seating wedding guests and “releasing” them after the recessional by walking down the aisle. Providing directions to the reception and handing out programs are also common responsibilities.
Flower girl:
- Precedes the bride down the aisle.
- Carries a basket of flowers and can sprinkle petals in the bride’s path.
- Can walk beside the ring bearer.
Ring Bearer
- Precedes the flower girl down the aisle or can walk beside her.
- Carries a pillow or a tray with symbolic rings for show.
Tip: Flower girls and ring bearers should be between four and eight years old.
Spring is a great time for new beginnings, especially for starting a new life with someone special. What better way to celebrate than to incorporate a spring theme into your wedding decorating! A few simple touches are all it takes to have a big impact. After a dull winter, your guests will appreciate a bright and happy occasion.
