Merry Brides: Wedding Themes

Showing posts with label Wedding Themes. Show all posts

Winter Theme Weddings – 27 Ways to Tie in the Season

Winter theme weddings can be uber chic and ethereal – an absolute wonderland, if you will. Read on for tips, ideas, and inspiration on planning a winter wedding.

Invitations & Stationery

Add a wintery motif – such as a snowflake or holly branch – to your stationery suite
Go white on white – and create a snowy first impression.
Add metallics – jazz it up with a hint of silver or gold.

Location

Think intimate and cozy – bed and breakfasts or inns complete with roaring fires and plush décor create a warm and inviting atmosphere. Bonus points if you can score a view overlooking a scenic winterscape.
Think elegant and grand – a formal hotel ballroom overlooking the city evokes a celebratory mood to match the holiday spirit.
Think seasonal activities – a ski lodge or mountain chalet guarantees a true winter experience and a nice getaway for your guests

Décor elements

Color palette – 1) new-fallen snow – use whites and creams accented with silver or gold. 2) winter sparkle – ice blue or navy accented with silver. 3) black tie – black is especially suited for a winter wedding when paired with white, silver or gold.
Go glam – deck your halls with crystal detailing for a sparkling winter effect – adorning linens and chair covers or sprinkled over table tops. The result is deliciously glam and oh so fab.
Liberal use of candle light – the glow will add warmth and elegance.
Holiday theme – decorate with potted evergreens, pine branches, wreathes, poinsettias, ornaments, bells, or twinkling white lights.

Flowers

Seasonal blooms – white stephanotis, poinsettia, holly, amaryllis, camellias, roses.
Added interest and texture – incorporate holiday greenery or tiny crystals into your arrangements
Creative bouquets – instead of flowers, carry tea lights, votive candles or cascading bells Tossing alternative – have your flower girl throw silver glitter or sprinkle fake snow.

Menu

Hearty dishes – serve heartier fare in sophisticated, creative ways – such as colorful butternut squash puree or warm pumpkin soup in ramekins or shot glasses.
Wintery beverages – warm guests with eggnog, spiced wine or mixed coffee drinks.

Cake

White on white – adorn an all white cake with marzipan snowflakes or swiss dots, or top with fresh white poinsettias or stephanotis
Get rich – serve a decadent chocolate cake or cheese cake with raspberry sauce/filling, and decorate with chocolate covered cherries or strawberries.
Top it off – use a decorative snow globe or snowflake as a seasonal topper

Attire

Rich fabrics – warm up to velvet, satin, brocade, and heavy silk
Add a layer – if your wedding dress is sleeveless or strapless, add a wrap, shrug or cape in white or in one of your wedding colors
Winter white – dress the wedding party, flower girl and ring bearer in winter white for a chic, clean look.
Black tie – formal attire at an elegant winter wedding is always a classic

Favors

Sip it – give decorative tins or packets of hot cocoa mix
Let it snow – inside mini snow globes
Celebrate – with splits of champagne
Indulge a sweet tooth – decorate sugar cookies as snowflakes, bells, or another seasonal emblem

♥♥ Here are some cute Winter ideas I found online ♥♥

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The Bride Isn't Shy Anymore!

By Linda Ellison

Remember the phrase "blushing bride"? It was thought for centuries that brides were supposed to be demure, shy, quiet and reserved. This attitude was reflected in so many choices for her wedding – including the colors she chose for the bridesmaids' dresses, table linens, and everything else. Pastels were the norm, including soft pinks, pale blues, and mint greens. Everything, especially wedding colors, was subtle and seen as feminine.

Today's modern bride has redefined that word. She is probably someone that has worked, and worked hard. She juggles her own career ambitions while not giving up her desire for a home and family. A blushing bride she is not!

And this is being reflected in her choices for wedding colors, in accessories and other items. Over the past few years, colors have become stronger and deeper. Mint green has been traded for hunter or forest shades. Pale blue has given way to navy or royal. Everything has become bolder, deeper, stronger – just like the bride herself. It's not unusual to see the once taboo wedding colors choice of black or fire engine red to be worked into a wedding décor, and sometimes even those two colors together.

The choices for colors at a wedding are no greater indication of a bride's personality, and this trend of the strong and independent woman isn't going to go away anytime soon, and neither is the choice for stronger and bolder wedding colors.

However, this isn't to say that today's bride is so strong that she's become unapproachable, or that she is choosing strong colors just for the sake of how strong they are. One of the hottest trends in wedding colors today is shades of warm brown and tan. Even for wedding dresses, the bride herself may choose a sash or bow of russet or auburn shades.

The brown family of colors is closely associated with warm, nurturing foods– think of coffee, cocoa, and chocolate. Brown is often seen in nature, another element of nurturing and caring. Even in the application of feng shui, it's encouraged to use shades of brown in rooms where you want to feel relaxed and comforted, such as the living room or bedroom. By selecting wedding colors of these darker shades, the bride may be expressing her nurturing, caring, warm side.

The same could be said of the many shades of green that are fast becoming available. No longer does the bride only have the choice of mint or pale green, but now bridesmaids' dresses and table linens are being offered in stronger shades of celery, jade, and emerald. Hunter and forest greens are also popular, and also may be seen as strong but nurturing. These are two shades also abundantly available in nature, and the term "mother earth" was coined for a reason. When we think of nature or use shades found in nature, these are seen as warm and caring.

Jewel tones of any color are also very popular wedding colors, especially when planning a winter or holiday wedding. When choosing colors that are of a jewel tone, a bride can even mix up the shades for her table linens – emerald green and ruby red for a December wedding, for instance. Adding some sapphire blue and shades of gold can break up the colors and still keep the venue looking festive.

Of course, those brides who still prefer the softer wedding colors of the pastel family have a wealth of options for them. Softer colors never go out of style, and are still seen as being romantic and even passionate. Additionally, by choosing softer colors, the bride knows that they will not overwhelm the setting or theme of the wedding. If you have a large number of bridesmaids and a huge banquet hall, choosing colors such as red and black as your accent can be too powerful, and can even cause the bride herself to get lost in the pictures! The larger the venue and number of attendants, the softer the color shades should be. Of course, these wedding colors can be mixed and matched as well. A bride may opt for her attendants to be in soft pink while the maid of honor is in a darker shade of rose red or light purple. If opting for soft wedding colors, you don't want to make the mistake of having your venue or dresses look washed out or faded. A bride needs to make sure that there are some stronger accent colors to tie everything together.

In the end of course wedding colors are going to be a bride's choice and will no doubt reflect not just her personality but the prevailing trend at the time. Whatever her preferences for the wedding colors – shy and sweet pastels, bold and strong reds and blues, nurturing browns and greens – she has a wealth of options available to her today, and no longer needs to be shy about expressing her true personality in her wedding party!

Weddings: Etiquette and Customs

(CL) - Wedding ceremonies may be civil or religious rites. The civil rite generally implies a simpler event, while the religious rite is governed by more traditional rules.

Precise traditions exist regarding the sharing of expenses. Of course, if Cinderella marries a member of the Rockefeller clan (or vice versa), the Rockefellers will no doubt undertake the higher share (if not the entire share) of expenses.

Bride's family expenses: The brides' family is responsible for paying for the wedding invitations, the bride's trousseau and dress, reception and ceremony expenses, the guest party favors, and the automobile and chauffeur (which does not necessarily need to be an expensive limousine service. he may just be an uncle driving his fancy car). If the wedding ceremony is a religious rite, the bride's family's expenses will also include church flowers and decorations, music, bridesmaid and flower girl dresses, ring bearer suits, and the fee for the minister or officiant of the ceremony.

Groom's family expenses: The groom's family is responsible for paying for the rings, the bride's bouquet, the honeymoon, and the future house furnishings.

Wedding invitations: Wedding invitations should be sent approximately one month before the wedding. The bride and groom, with their respective families, should prepare the guest list. In general, the standard layout is as follows: on the left the bride's parents announce their daughter's wedding, while on the right the groom's parents announce their son's wedding. In addition, envelopes should be handwritten.

If the bride and groom are not that young, they can announce their wedding themselves.

Ceremony: The groom's family sits to the right, and the bride's family to the left. Friends may sit wherever they like. The groom should arrive at least 20 minutes before the ceremony begins, and should await the arrival of his bride next to the officiant (minister, justice of the peace, etc.). The groom's attendants stand to the left, and the bride's attendants stand to the right. The bride arrives accompanied by her father and sits to the groom's right.

What the bride and groom should wear: If the wedding ceremony takes place in a church, tradition demands that the bride be dressed in white and the groom in a classic tight. If the ceremony is not formal, he may wear a dark suit. If the groom is in the military, he may wear his uniform. The bride may choose a romantic, practical, or sophisticated style, but whatever the style, if she does not wear a veil, she must at least have an elegant hairstyle, with flowers or some other sort of special embellishment.

What the guests should wear: Men should ware a dark suit. Women should wear something according to the season, either a fine dress or an elegant tailleur. There are no specific rules regarding guest attire. The best advice is to stay within the bounds of good taste and common sense. Of course, female guests should avoid wearing white in order not to compete with the traditional bride. Hats are allowed, but it is advisable not to overdo jewelry (in other words, you do not want to look like a Christmas tree). In addition, it is best to avoid provocative cleavage, even if the wedding is held in the afternoon.

Reception: A wedding reception celebrated in a country house after a ceremony held in the town's church is charming and romantic, but not always possible. In general, the reception takes place in a hotel reception room or at a restaurant. The reception can also take place at the bride's home if it can accommodate all the guests. Depending on the hour of the reception, breakfast or lunch should be offered. These days, the breakfast-lunch combination-or brunch-is also very trendy. Afternoon and evening weddings are generally more formal and are followed by receptions held at more elegant venues, with a sophisticated menu. Food selection is purely subjective. But regardless of the wedding hour or style, the champagne and the wedding cake should not be left out.

Unforeseen events: It sometimes happens that, after sending out all the invitations, the bride and groom decide not to get married after all or decide to change the date of the ceremony. In either event, if the invitation has been sent only to a few close friends, they may be notified by phone. The mother or a friend can be very helpful with this task. If, however, the guest list is extensive, a note or an e-mail message should be sent immediately. If the wedding is cancelled indefinitely, any gifts already received should be immediately returned to the guests. However, the bride and groom are not obliged to give an explanation for their decision or to justify their actions. People's fantasy will take care of looking for a reason.

Wedding Planning Resources:

Create the custom wedding invitations of your dreams. Personalize your invitation online, view the preview, and order it on the spot!

Wedding Placecard Holders and Placecard Frames

Wedding Supplies and Favors

Wedding Articles: http://funweddings.blogspot.com http://merrybrides.blogspot.com

Chocolate Fountains Add Sweetness to Wedding Receptions

By Benjamin Cohen

There's so much that goes in to planning a wedding reception. Choosing the venue, the menu, the music, the cake...it's all enough to make a bride-to-be go crazy.

If you've been toying around with ideas for food but haven't gotten anywhere, why not consider having a Chocolate fountain at your reception? Chocolate fountains have grown in popularity over the past few years, and they're showing up at all kinds of events from bridal showers and wedding receptions to corporate events. It's an attractive addition to just about any special event.

With a spread of fruit and other dipping foods to go with it, it would be a place for your guests to gather other than the bar, and it would be a nice contrast to other finger foods. When they're running, chocolate fountains look like liquid chocolate sculptures, which make them like edible centerpieces. Plus, they're fun, relatively easy, and will be a hit with kids and adults alike.

If you like the idea of having a chocolate fountain at your reception, here are a few ideas of what you can do with it.

Guess what: you can do it yourself

You may be looking at your wedding budget and wincing at the cost of hiring a chocolate fountain company for your reception. Fear not. Like most things with weddings, you can save yourself a lot of money if you do it yourself instead of farming it out.

You can find chocolate fondue fountains for sale online at sites like Liquidationexpress.com, and you can find the chocolate to melt inside them the same way. Look for chocolate with a minimum of 34 percent cocoa butter to make sure that it will run smoothly in the fountain.

If you're worried about spills and such, ask a friend to watch the fountain for you. That way you'll have somebody you trust over there, and you'll be able to enjoy your receptions without worries.

Appetizer or dessert?

Chocolate fountains can work as an appetizer or a dessert, so your decision on when to do it depends on what kind of food you're having at your reception. If you have lots of heavy hors d'oeuvres at the beginning of your reception, you might want to save the fountain for the end. If you've got relatively light finger foods, then you can use your fountain at the same time.

What to dip?

The wonderful thing about chocolate is that you can dip just about anything in it. Well, you may want to avoid tortilla chips, but anything that typically tastes good with chocolate, you can serve with your chocolate fountain.

Fruits like strawberries, bananas, pineapples and kiwi, or snacks like cookies, pretzels and marshmallows are all good ideas. Steer clear of juicy fruits like watermelon, or soft things like cake, which may crumble when dipped and ruin the flow of the fountain.

Get thee to a chocolate fountain!

You don't have to break the bank to have an elegant, tasty chocolate fountain at your wedding reception. With a little planning ahead, you can do it yourself and have that little extra sweetness on your special day. No doubt, friends and family will be gushing over it for months and years afterward.

Recommended Products

LET THE FUN BEGIN

Everything you need to create your very own scrumptious Chocolate Fountain

The Chocolate Fountain Headquarters

Additional Wedding Advice

http://merryweddings.livejournal.com
http://windsor.weddingwindow.com
http://funweddings.blogspot.com
http://merrybrides.blogspot.com

About the AuthorBenjamin Cohen is the president of LiquidationConnect.com, which provides consumers with fun, unique, affordable gift items. If you want a chocolate fountain at your reception, we have a wide selection to fit just what you need. To see our complete line of chocolate fondue fountains, visit http://www.LiquidationConnect.com today.

Golf Themed Wedding Favors

By Sarah Freeland

If you are planning a golf themed wedding then there are a lot of simple touches that you can add to your wedding’s design to tie in the golf theme. Using golf themed guest favors, golf themed decorations, and golf themed wedding party gifts can really add a unique touch your wedding event. While adding golf themed items to your weddings design is important, you want to make sure that you don’t over do it.

The first thing that you think about when planning your golf themed wedding is what wedding decorations you need. Golf themed centerpieces can be a great touch to add to each of the tables at your reception. For example use a glass bowl filled with personalized golf balls with the bride and groom’s names on them and their wedding date. After the reception is over your guests can take these balls home as a souvenir of the day. Or use personalized golf balls as place holders.

Guest favors are another element of your wedding that you can give a golf twist. You may want to replace the traditional candy coated almonds in pretty bags with a netted bag with personalized golf balls and tees. Golf themed candy is another guest favor that you can hand out. Think white chocolate golf balls and dark chocolate putters.

In addition to creating a golf theme for your guest favors you also can create a golf theme for the gifts that you hand out to your wedding party. For your groomsmen gifts think about golf themed cuff links or a pass for a round of golf at a local golf course. For the bridesmaids think about golf themed cookie bouquets or a pass for a round of golf at a local golf course.

As you continue to plan for your wedding, don’t forget about your spouse-to-be. You already know that you each love the game of golf, otherwise why would you be planning a golf themed wedding, so why not give your significant other unique golf themed wedding gifts. Here you don’t want to be cheap. Think about buying your spouse-to-be the golf set of their dreams, or surprise them with a honeymoon to an exclusive golfing destination.

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