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Category Archives: Wedding Themes, Looks and Color Stories
Kissing Fish designs for your destination wedding!
When it was time for our Customize Your Wedding Bride Contest winner, Whitney, to choose her wedding ensemble, she came to us with a challenge. She wanted something that said “destination”…“fun”…“beach”…and lots of romance.
So we didn’t just recommend a design for her – we CREATED a whole new one for her! We designed coordinating accessories to complete the look of her entire day. Check out the results…
Kissing Fish! The bright colors of the fish, the heart bubbles, the blue background – all speak of a fun and romantic destination wedding on the beach in Florida. And Whitney loved the look for her entire wedding.
Want the look yourself? Start with the Kissing Fish Invitation and get guests smiling and ready to celebrate at the beach with you. Accent with Kissing Fish enclosure cards and also with matching note cards to say “thank you” when the day is over. At the wedding, provide Kissing Fish Program Fans to help guests keep cool and make them feel included in your wedding. Matching Water Bottle Labels help you make your refreshments personal and fun. And the perfect favors? Kissing Fish Luggage Tags!
Enjoy the kisses!
A real wedding in Sweden
I’m ending my “world tour of weddings” this week with some gorgeous images and ideas from a real wedding in Sweden! My colleague Nicole is a childhood friend of the beautiful bride, Isabel, and was honored when she and her husband were invited. Nicole came back from Sweden with romantic stories, great photos and lots of Scandinavian wedding inspiration!
1. Isabel, the bride, and her dashing new husband, who wore his military uniform to the wedding ceremony. Isabel’s gorgeous gown, with its lace-up bodice and separate skirt, draws on traditional Swedish dress styles. Isabel changed into a modern party dress for the reception and dance.
2. The stone church where the wedding was held in central Sweden. It dates from the seventh century and was filled with history and romance. Guests walked from the ceremony site to the reception site in a traditional Swedish wedding procession.
3. Guests were greeted by Swedish fiddlers in traditional dress as they entered the church for the wedding ceremony. Folk music permeated the entire event, from ceremony to dancing.
4. The reception location was in a small community center nestled in the woods near this picturesque lake.
After the ceremony, guests gathered for a wedding dinner filled with a variety of homemade regional foods and desserts, and the multiple courses were served buffet style. The centerpiece of the evening’s meal was a traditional layered Swedish wedding cake.
Another Swedish wedding tradition Nicole enjoyed was the seating of guest couples at separate tables for dinner to encourage mingling and fun. Try it at your wedding and watch your guests make new friends!
Thanks for sharing your photos and ideas from this wedding, Nicole! And congratulations to Isabel and her husband on a beautiful wedding.
Enjoy the Swedish wedding inspiration!
Posted in Wedding Themes, Looks and Color Stories
Tagged real wedding, wedding customs
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Wedding Style Customs from Around the World – Part II
Personalize your wedding look by paying tribute to meaningful cultural traditions and rituals. Whatever your background, incorporate your favorites into your wedding for a special touch!
Add some herbs
Sweet scented herbs were often carried by brides in Elizabethan times to bring luck and ward off evil spirits. Greek brides also carried bouquets of herbs. Swedish brides thought strong smelling herbs would frighten away trolls. A Czech tradition was to wear a wreath of rosemary for wisdom, love, and loyalty. Ask your florist about adding fragrant—and meaningful—herbs into your bridal bouquet and reception table centerpieces.
Grow some ivy
Queen Victoria is believed to have started the tradition of including ivy in the bridal bouquet. Afterwards, the sprigs can be carefully rooted and planted as a living reminder of your bouquet. Green thumbs in Victoria’s day would nurture the ivy, with plans to include cuttings from it in their daughters’ wedding bouquets.
Wear green
Italian and Irish brides might wear green for luck, but it first symbolized fertility in very ancient times. Wear emeralds (faux or the real deal) earrings or shop for a gown trimmed with a green sash or beaded accents. Then dress your wedding party in green for abundant luck on your special day!
Start seeing red
Red is the color of joy in China and romance in North America—a wonderful coincidence for American brides. Wear a red velvet cape for a striking winter-wedding look, or choose a bouquet of luxurious red roses.
Enjoy the “weddings around the world” inspiration!
P.S. Check out yesterday’s post for more great ideas!
Winter Wonders at Your Wedding – Part 2
Welcome back to our study of Winter Wonders! Yesterday we presented some fabulous ideas for making your winter wedding unique and memorable. Here’s a few more that will help you create a unique winter wonderland for your guests!
Wintery Color Palette & Centerpieces
Be inspired by the season around you! This does not mean you have to use only Christmas-y red and green.
For a unique take on Christmas ornaments, use entirely white ornaments in a vase, add white beads and feathers for interest. Then, add a few sparkles of silver and a textured white table covering. Voila! A spectacular centerpiece!
For a variation of the all-white centerpiece, incorporate a “pop” of color such as pink, yellow, or purple into the mix. Then repeat that color through your napkins. These bright hues will definitely add color to the wintery décor!
Sparkling Lighting
Make your winter event shine with white or blue lights. Lighting your a reception site with theatrical lighting, or using colored bulbs, creates the perfect ambiance for you and your guests. Scads of bright, white twinkle lights will create an airy, magical feel.
You can’t go wrong with candlelight! By placing candles in large globes throughout your reception venue this will add the perfect touch of romance. If you are looking for an additional wintery touch, place faux snow at the base of the globe. The more candles and lights the warmer the mood will be!
Wintery Favors
Ornament cards by Jean M are a wonderful keepsake for guests, especially if you’re being married around holiday time.
Or, warm up your guests with a favor of hot cocoa mix and homemade cookies. Make these sweet treats look as good as they taste by wrapping them up in pretty boxes accented with shimmering string to highlight your wedding color palette.
When friends and family snack on these sweet treats it will bring back warm memories of your special day.
Enjoy the warmth of winter!
Posted in Wedding Themes, Looks and Color Stories
Tagged seasonal wedding, winter wedding
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Wedding “flavor” – Orange!
When it comes to flavor inspiration, you’ll find it’s limitless with orange! There are so many options with this robust flavor and color! And, it works for a wedding during any season. Spring, summer and fall come to mind, but how about a soft sherbet orange for winter? Smashing, I’d say!
It will complement almost every color—think deep orange and navy, or orange with a dash of yellow and gray! So many choices, it will be hard to narrow them down.
To help you out, here’s a few ideas to consider as you’re planning an orange-themed wedding:
Invitations are the first place your guests see your wedding color scheme. How about starting it off with our Whimsical Floral Invitation in poppy orange? Don’t forget to add a coordinating rhinestone for that extra gleam of color and sparkle.
Want a deep rich orange? Our Ruffled Flowers Wedding Invitation in tango orange will send a colorful style message of romance.
For your rehearsal dinner, use our Mod Style rehearsal dinner invitation. It’s got twice the style, with a sophisticated design on the front and a striking pattern on the back. And don’t forget to order the personalized napkins for not only the rehearsal dinner, but the wedding too!
Favor boxes in orange will add the finishing touch to your wedding banquet. Tie it with a pretty bow or add a coordinating seal for extra charm. And, of course you’ll fill the favor box with delicious orange-flavored treats!
Last, but not least, bring in orange through the flowers in your bouquets and reception arrangements or an orange-flavored wedding cake. Plus, using actual oranges make an interesting addition incorporated into centerpieces or in a striking clear, glass vase. An orange makes a perfect backdrop to prop up a place card too!
Enjoy the sweetness!
Wedding “flavor” – Chocolate!
Love chocolate? Oh, I understand! And when you’re dreaming of a decadent, rich and elegant wedding, chocolate should most definitely be in consideration as the “flavor” of your wedding.
Take a look at all the chocolate wedding inspiration I’ve cooked up for you!
Rich shades of brown, accents of cream and white, layers and rhinestones – all these brown wedding invitation styles will be perfect for introducing your delectable chocolate wedding theme.
• Our Two-Tone Damask Background Invitation in Champagne with an espresso pocket is subtle and elegant – add a ribbon so it’s wrapped up like a gourmet box of chocolates!
• The layered look isn’t just for cakes anymore! Choose our Mocha Shimmer Layered Invitation and print it with a flourish design. Add rhinestones for the “icing!”
• Print our Ecru Shimmer Invitation Card with a brown damask filigree design and layer on a ribbon for decadence.
• Go for the elegance with our Layered Filigree Monogram Invitation in Champagne and set the tone for your stylish event.
Dress your bridesmaids in any shade of brown that fits your color craving – mocha, espresso, taupe – and make their flowers stand out in bright colors, pastels or creamy whites.
Serve up (what else?) gourmet chocolates in personalized, lidded favor boxes in mocha and ivory. Mix and match lids for a double-dipped look and tie with ribbon for a finishing touch.
And then serve up all the chocolate goodness your heart desires at your reception! Cake pops, hot chocolate, mini tarts, a gourmet chocolate tasting bar, chocolate-flavored cocktails will fit your theme and satisfy every sweet tooth.
Enjoy the sweetness!
Wedding “flavor” – Lemon!
Have you always been a “make lemonade out of lemons” kind of girl? Love the sweet-sour goodness and the sunny brightness you can only get from that lovely yellow fruit?
Then your wedding “flavor” may indeed be lemon! Look at all the ideas I’ve found to help you create a fresh and lemony wedding style…
Your wedding color will, obviously, be yellow. But that doesn’t mean you can’t add in accent colors like silvery grey, navy blue, brown, orange or other shades to make the lemon “pop”.
Be sure to set a bright tone for your special day with an invitation that introduces your color scheme. Our Chevron Style Invitation in Marigold is energetic and fun. Or go for a sweet, floral look with our Daisy Daisy Wedding Invitation or our Whimsical Floral Invitation in Canary.
Bring in unexpected touches of lemon yellow to your bouquets, your wedding cake and even the men’s attire. Your day will be sunny all around.
Don’t forget to decorate with the obvious – lemons! Add the yellow fruit to your centerpieces, arrange them in vases, use them to hold place cards.
And then serve up lots of lemony goodness. Offer up lemonade instead of punch, create a candy buffet from yellow and lemon-flavored candies, serve lemon meringue pie for dessert, opt for a lemon-flavored wedding cake frosted in yellow.
Enjoy the sweetness!
P.S. If your wedding “flavor” is strawberry, read here for great ideas!
Fall centerpiece ideas from Jean M
Can you believe it’s already August? But instead of being sad at the fading summer, I’ve been spending some time getting inspired for fall!
I love fall weddings. The cool, crisp air…the return to rich colors…the way nature decorates itself with bounty. All this makes it easy to create a beautiful and unique look for your wedding centerpieces.
Take a look at these ideas I found!
Don’t you love the combination of candles and natural elements like nuts, berries and fruits and vegetables? The mix of romance and rustic will set such a warm tone for your event. Add seasonal fruits like apples and grapes to your floral centerpieces, too, for texture and style.
Those colors! I’ll never get tired of the rusty oranges accented with all shades of green, from artichoke to lime shades.
Take advantage of late-season flowers like lilies, hydrangeas and mums to fill out your centerpieces. The depth of color of fall flowers will add drama.
Now – get inspired to create your own fall wedding centerpieces! And don’t forget to share your ideas and creations with us.
Enjoy the changing seasons!
Ask Jean: Finding wedding inspiration
Q: I’ve just started planning my wedding and I’m in desperate need of inspiration! What are your favorite sources for ideas, tips and unique ways to add personal touches?
A: Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! You’re in a fun stage of planning right now, where you’re gathering ideas and determining the look of your event. And you’re lucky to be planning right now, because I’ve just come across a brand new wedding site that will give you ideas, ideas, ideas! It’s called GetMarried.com and it’s a place you’ll find fresh, thoughtful and inspired ideas for your wedding, plus the best advice for creating a celebration that’s all about what you want it to be.
Enjoy GetMarried.com!
Get inspired by vintage floral patterns!
Longing for a vintage look that’s bright, fun and fabulous? Forget sepia tones, say “au revoir” to rustic – and embrace romantic florals!
Vintage Floral Inspiration
The rosy red background pattern on our Vintage Flowers Invitation looks sentimental and sassy, all at once. It reminds us of grandma’s bedroom wallpaper, but with a bright kick! You get to add the accent color of your choice — and we recommend blue for it. The pairing of red and blue, especially in aqua or turquoise tones, is fresh and pretty, and it will definitely set an energetic tone for your special day.
Red napkins printed with a blue flower design will accent your reception tables perfectly. Be sure to tie in plenty of blue ribbon — your bouquets, flower arrangements, favors, decorations and more will look great with the added touch of color.
And don’t forget to make your favors colorful, too! Even white lidded favor boxes get a pop of vintage style with a blue flower design and red candies inside.
Layers of red and blue linens, placemats, plates and napkins at your reception tables — with centerpieces of bright red roses — will definitely pull your entire red and blue vintage look together!
Enjoy!