Saturday, December 28, 2013

Fall Leaves (Red) Wedding

Fall weddings may be one of the simplest things to plan because of how many choices there are to go with. Even with only selecting the leaves and colours of fall as a theme there are so many beautiful things that could mix and match together. That being said in certain categories there will be a number of examples and options to look at. They are all beautiful and would all be great choice. 

Fall Calla Lily Bouquet

Flowers:
The colours of fall are red, yellow, orange and a little green. Any combination of those colours would work great as a bouquet.

The Dress:
This is where options come in, with the dress there is never a reason to match the theme. The dress is about what the bride likes and what makes her look perfect for her big day. Some great options dress wise would be an Alfred Angelo dress. If the bride wants to add a bit of colour to her look, they have a wide range of colours and they match almost anything, even fall colours. Another great option would be a dress that flows great at the bottom and can mimic the falling of leaves from the trees.




The Shoes:
The shoes should match the dress at least in colour. If the wedding dress is white, the best option would be white shoes, it the dress is cream or pearl the same thing would apply. For a fall wedding, shoes are probably better than sandals because of the cold and because rain may cause a problem. For the same reason it may be better to stay away from high heels or too high of a heel in case the ground should be wet and soft in places.

The Groom:
Tuxedos can come either in a set or can be individually assembled. Either way Nordstroms has a number of options to choose from. And it can easily match ties and vests for any suit. The perfect boutonniere would be something that matches the bride's bouquet. In this case if the theme colour follows the burnt orange more, a nice calla lily would work great.

Invitations:
Any out of town/state/country guests would really appreciated a Save the Date card, especially if the couple really wants certain people there, it gives the guests time to make arrangements like flight plans, house sitters, booking days of work, etc so that they can make it to the wedding. After the Save the Date cards, a formal invitation should be sent to all the guests (even the ones that already got the Save the Date card). A great option for invitations would be the A Falling of Leaves set.


The Rings:
MinterandRichterDes is a ring shop that will help custom make wedding rings. They use unusual matterials like wood, and stone to make their rings unique. This may be the only real way to get a orange wedding ring or fall themed at all. Of course the rings don't have to match the theme by any means and the couple can always go for something more traditional. The Meet You in the Middle (left) band is beautiful and the Molten Love (right) band would also go great with this theme.


The Reception:
An amazing idea for an unique guest book for a fall wedding would be a wishing tree. Simply finding a fake or real tree with no leaves, just branches. Cutting or printing out the shape of leaves in which ever colours the couple wants and punching holes in them at the top and adding ribbon is all that is needed. The guests sign their names and write anything they wish to say on the leaf and then tie it to the tree. 



Food:
A good option for any wedding is a buffet style meal. This way all the guests get just what they want and they don't have to worry about dealing with things they don't like. Everyone has their little food habits, some people can't have their food touching some people like everything mixed together it's just a simpler way to keep everyone pleased. A few options are always a good thing especially when having a buffet, small servings are a good thing too because some people want to try a little of everything. Chicken is always a safe bet and a stuffed chicken breast would be enjoyed by most, another option would be a roast of pork. Great side options would be mashed sweet potatoes, carrots, and/or squash possibly macaroni and cheese for the chicken. For the pork garlic roasted potatoes, with root vegetables would be a perfect combo.


Having a veriaty of desserts on a buffet is normal and some great options are Sugar Leaf Cookies, Fall Muffins, Pumpkin Spice Cookies, and Pumpkin Spice Doughnut Holes.

The Cake:
For a fall themed wedding what better cake or cupcakes to have then ones inspired by fall flavours. Great cupcakes for a fall wedding would be The Everything Fall Cupcake, the Apple Pecan Cinnamon Cupcake, and the Carrot Cake Cupcake. The serving set and champagne flutes to make the theme can be found here and here
Guest Favours:
Guest favours don't have to always be something that matches the theme perfectly. Anything with a leaf on it would work just fine for this wedding there's no need to be crazy with it and give rakes because the theme is fall and leaves. Perfect examples of great gifts would be a leaf bookmark or leaf themed coasters. 




Centerpiece:
Centerpieces don't always have to be a big thing in the middle of the table. Sometimes simply a table number sign and little table decorations around it work just as well. To make the table more festive and themed, Beau-Coup sells personalized Fall Leaf petals and that would just add a little something more to a plain white table cloth.Also a great option for the table would be candy trays in the shape of leaves. They can easily be filled with candies for the season like Sweet Crunchy NutsCinnamon Walnut Brittle,or Cinnamon Sugar Candy Nuts. A great addition to the table would be candles but these can be fire hazards so some thought should go into whether they are a good idea or not. Another option would be filling small glass bowls with water and placing floating candles in them or tall enough candles just on the table in their own holders (tea lights aren't the best choice for this because of how small they are). Place cards are a great option for a wedding that include a meal. It is less confusing and easier to work with. Place cards can be just plain pieces of card with a theme matching holder like the ones below.



Thank You Cards:
Thank You Cards don't always have to match the theme of the wedding, some couples choose to send a card with a picture of themselves, or from their wedding day. It all depends on the couple, some chose to send a picture in the card. Either way a couple can never go wrong with a beautiful card, so if it matches the theme or colour scheme doesn't really matter in the end.



Fall Leaves (Orange) Wedding

Fall weddings may be one of the simplest things to plan because of how many choices there are to go with. Even with only selecting the leaves and colours of fall as a theme there are so many beautiful things that could mix and match together. That being said in certain categories there will be a number of examples and options to look at. They are all beautiful and would all be great choice. 



Flowers:
The colours of fall are red, yellow, orange and a little green. Any combination of those colours would work great as a bouquet. However if the couple wants to focus on one of the colours it would be best to stick with that colour. Like the bouquet above completely in orange.

The Dress:
This is where options come in, with the dress there is never a reason to match the theme. The dress is about what the bride likes and what makes her look perfect for her big day. Some great options dress wise would be an Alfred Angelo dress. If the bride wants to add a bit of colour to her look, they have a wide range of colours and they match almost anything, even fall colours. Another great option would be a dress that flows great at the bottom and can mimic the falling of leaves from the trees.




The Shoes:
The shoes should match the dress at least in colour. If the wedding dress is white, the best option would be white shoes, it the dress is cream or pearl the same thing would apply. For a fall wedding, shoes are probably better than sandals because of the cold and because rain may cause a problem. For the same reason it may be better to stay away from high heels or too high of a heel in case the ground should be wet and soft in places.

The Groom:
Tuxedos can come either in a set or can be individually assembled. Either way Nordstroms has a number of options to choose from. And it can easily match ties and vests for any suit. The perfect boutonniere would be something that matches the bride's bouquet. In this case if the theme colour follows the burnt orange more, a nice calla lily would work great.

The Invitations:
Any out of town/state/country guests would really appreciated a Save the Date card, especially if the couple really wants certain people there, it gives the guests time to make arrangements like flight plans, house sitters, booking days of work, etc so that they can make it to the wedding. After the Save the Date cards, a formal invitation should be sent to all the guests (even the ones that already got the Save the Date card). A great option for invitations would be the Autumn's Palette set or the Autumn Themed set.


The Rings:
MinterandRichterDes is a ring shop that will help custom make wedding rings. They use unusual matterials like wood, and stone to make their rings unique. This may be the only real way to get a orange wedding ring or fall themed at all. Of course the rings don't have to match the theme by any means and the couple can always go for something more traditional. The Meet You in the Middle (left) band is beautiful and the Molten Love (right) band would also go great with this theme.





The Reception:
An amazing idea for an unique guest book for a fall wedding would be a wishing tree. Simply finding a fake or real tree with no leaves, just branches. Cutting or printing out the shape of leaves in which ever colours the couple wants and punching holes in them at the top and adding ribbon is all that is needed. The guests sign their names and write anything they wish to say on the leaf and then tie it to the tree. 



Food:
A great option for this wedding is simple comforting sit down meal. A great soup to start with would be a cream of squash soup, its hearty and its very seasonal. For a main course a roast of lamb with roasted potatoes and root vegetables would be a perfect pairing with the soup and the whole theme. For dessert a nice idea would be Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches, specially if it's more of a casual setting.



The Cake:
For a fall themed wedding what better cake to have then one inspired by fall flavours. A great cake would be an Apple Cobbler Cake with Pumpkin Pie Frosting.The serving set and champagne flutes to make the theme can be found here and here
Apple Cobbler Cake
Ingredients
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 C unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 C brown sugar
1/4 C sugar
2 eggs
1/2 C sour cream
1/4 tsp lemon extract
2 1/2 C apples, roughly chopped and loosely packed 

Instructions
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and ginger.
Beat butter and sugars in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs, sour cream, and lemon extract until blended.
Mix in flour mixture.
Fold in apples.
Divide batter evenly among 12 cupcake liners (they will be filled almost all the way to the top).
Bake at 350 F for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the cupcake clean.

Pumpkin Pie Frosting
3/4 C sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 large eggs
15 oz canned pumpkin (pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)
12 oz evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 425 F.
In a large bowl, beat eggs.
Stir in sugar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
Mix in pumpkin.
Mix in evaporated milk.
Pour into 9" pie plate (no crust needed).
Bake for 15 minutes.
Reduce heat to 350 F and bake for another 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out dry.
Remove from oven and leave on counter for two hours before use.


Guest Favours:
Guest favours don't have to always be something that matches the theme perfectly. Anything with a leaf on it would work just fine for this wedding there's no need to be crazy with it and give rakes because the theme is fall and leaves. Perfect examples of great gifts would be an orange leaf key chain or a bookmark. 




Centerpiece:
Centerpieces don't always have to be a big thing in the middle of the table. Sometimes simply a table number sign and little table decorations around it work just as well. To make the table more festive and themed, Beau-Coup sells personalized Fall Leaf petals and that would just add a little something more to a plain white table cloth. Also a great option for the table would be candy trays in the shape of leaves. They can easily be filled with candies for the season like Sweet Crunchy Nuts, Cinnamon Walnut Brittle,or Cinnamon Sugar Candy Nuts. A great addition to the table would be candles but these can be fire hazards so some thought should go into whether they are a good idea or not. Another option would be filling small glass bowls with water and placing floating candles in them or tall enough candles just on the table in their own holders (tea lights aren't the best choice for this because of how small they are).Place cards are a great option for a wedding that include a meal. It is less confusing and easier to work with. Place cards can be just plain pieces of card with a theme matching holder like the ones below.







Thank You Cards:
Thank You Cards don't always have to match the theme of the wedding, some couples choose to send a card with a picture of themselves, or from their wedding day. It all depends on the couple, some chose to send a picture in the card. Either way a couple can never go wrong with a beautiful card, so if it matches the theme or colour scheme doesn't really matter in the end.


Backyard Summer (Yellow) Wedding

A backyard wedding doesn't have to be plain and just family Barbecue style, it can be very elegant with white tents and tables a dance floor and lighting to make it all work together. It all depends on the backyard, what the bride and groom wants and the budget. A great colour theme for a Summer Wedding has to be yellow, the colour of the sun!

Outside Wedding
The Flowers:
A beautiful flower is the Frangipani flower. In it's yellow shade it is soft and has white tips more often than not. It is a quiet flower that doesn't call too much attention to itself but it is just as beautiful.


Yellow Frangipani

The Bride and Groom:
This beautiful A-line Ankle Length Gown is a great option for a Summer Wedding. It is strapless and light so the bride doesn't overheat and it is gorgeous. If the bride is going traditional, the groom has to also. A tuxedo with a shirt and a yellow tie would be what the groom should wear to match his bride and their wedding theme.
A-Line Ankle Length Dress

The Shoes:
Flip Flops are always the best idea for any Summer wedding. They are open and breeze and easy to walk in. With flip flops the bride doesn't have to worry about sore feet, dancing all night or tripping in heels.

Rhinestone Bridal Sandals

The Invitations:
When having a wedding in the backyard it is so important to know how many guests to expect. The number effects how many places need to be set up for the meal and if the ceremony is taking place in the same area how many chairs need to be set up. This is why RSVP Cards are so important when sending out invitations. The invitation below would be a great option for this wedding, the invitations are white with yellow accents just like the flowers and they match the theme well.
Bright Modern Wedding Invitations

The Rings:
The yellow diamond is a beautiful gem and is rarely used in wedding rings, but it is a perfectly good option especially for a yellow themed wedding. Of course wedding rings never have to match the theme of the wedding, any ring will do.

Yellow Diamond Wedding Ring

Yellow Diamond
The Reception:
When deciding to have a wedding in a backyard, usually the couple assumes they aren't having a big wedding. If the guest list is short then a great alternative to a guest book is a picture guest book. The guests sign the white area around the picture and it makes a great way to display not only a wedding picture but the guests that were there. A box for cards is always a good thing to have just in case, but it isn't always needed.

Personalized Signature Frame

The Food:
Having a wedding in the backyard seems simple but it is far from it, especially when it comes to food. No bride or groom wants to be cooking on their big day and as much their family loves them, none of them want to be doing it either. Having someone cater is always best because they are professionals and know what to do and the bride and groom can worry less about how the food will turn out and no one has to miss the wedding because of it.


A nice way to start the meal would be a Broccoli Salad, it's light with classic flavours and a healthy option without having to be traditional. For a main course, Ribs and Wings scream Summer time and would be a great option for a backyard wedding. Ribs and wings can be heavy and filling so if the couple decides to serve both to their guests a smaller number of ribs and wings would be a good idea and a light salad on the side (coleslaw possibly or a type of potato) would be a good idea.



An amazing desert for a Summer Wedding would have to be Deep Fried Ice Cream. It's easy to make and being in the backyard, the ice cream won't have time to melt.

The Cake:
Cupcake Tower

A great option for a Summer Wedding when it comes to cupcakes would be lemonade cupcakes. There is a pink version and it can easily be adapted to a regular lemonade version also. There are pink lemonade cake mixes out there which would work perfectly fine, or a white cake mix with 2Tbsp of a lemonade powder mix would be just as delicious. And there is a simple Lemonade Icing to go with the cupcakes.

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes


Lemonade Icing:

3/4 cup of butter, softened

3 1/2 cup powdered sugar

3-4 TB milk

1/2 tsp lemon extract

2 TB powdered lemonade (Yellow or Pink)

1-2 drops of food coloring (Red or Yellow)

Centerpieces:
A great way to add colour to any centerpiece is by adding small fruits like lemons and limes, small oranges. Their size work well in even small centerpieces and they are bright natural colour.
Lemon and orchid arrangements

Guest Favours:
Mason Jar Drinking Glasses are a perfect guest favour for a Summer Wedding. They are cute and they scream summer time especially if the couple chooses to fill them with lemonade for their guests to enjoyAnd Engraved versions of the same thing would be a perfect gift for the wedding party and the parents of the bride and groom.
Engraved Old Fashioned Drinking Jars

Thank You Cards:
Thank You Cards don't always have to match the theme of the wedding, some couples choose to send a card with a picture of themselves, or from their wedding day. It all depends on the couple, some chose to send a picture in the card. Either way a couple can never go wrong with a beautiful card, so if it matches the theme or colour scheme doesn't really matter in the end.
Yellow and Gray Thank You Cards

Beach Summer Wedding

A Summer Beach Wedding is more of a laid back kind of wedding and there is nothing wrong with that. Simply BBQing and enjoying the sun on the beach near the water with family all around is an amazing way to spend a special day and it is cheap and more intimate in ways too. Usually it isn't hard to get married on most public beaches, and just going through the right people to get permission is the only thing the couple would have to worry about.

Beach Wedding
The Flowers:
Flowers are always optional. Traditionally, at least the bride has a bouquet. But the bride doesn't have to have one. If the bride chooses not to have flowers that's perfectly fine and it may even be more convenient at the beach. 

The Bride and Groom:
In Summer, especially for an outside wedding, a short dress is always a good idea. With the heat and in this case the water at the beach, the bride doesn't have to worry about getting her dress wet or overheating. As for the groom what he wears is entirely up to the couple, formal or informal it doesn't really matter. He can get married in his swimming trucks if the couple wants, that's the nice thing about outside weddings in general the couple sets the style and gets to choose how formal the event should be.
Chiffon Summer Beach Dress
The Shoes:
Flip Flops are always the best idea for any beach wedding. They are open and breeze and easy to walk in especially in the sand. Any shoe with a heel could cause problems for the bride and the wedding party and expensive high heeled shoes aren't something you want to test in the wet sand or water even for that matter.

Daisy Flip Flops

The Invitations:
When there is no clear colour theme for a wedding, invitations can really be anything and in any colour. There are a lot of different beach themed invitations out there that would work perfectly fine. But there doesn't always have to be a matching theme, sometimes the theme is just the setting itself. The bride and groom can choose to just have plain invitations instead and it would be perfectly fine and work just as well.





        Contemporary Ribbons






The Rings:
Beautiful wedding rings are the Forever Love wedding bands. They come in both genders so the bride and groom can have matching rings and they aren't crazy expensive like some wedding rings can be. 



The Reception:
With the wedding and reception taking place at the beach, there is no need for big decorations or the normal things weddings need. When it is a small crowd, table numbers aren't needed and neither are place cards. With so few people this is a great time to go against tradition and get a guest book that's excepting and new because there won't be place for too many signatures. Something like the picture below would be perfect. It has room for a few signatures from the guest, it says the wedding date and there is place for the couple's wedding picture. With only a small number of guests, a wishing well or card holder isn't really needed the guests can just give their gifts or cards to the couple themselves, and any gift can always be left beside the guest book as well.



The Food:

For the main course a Pulled Pork Sandwich would be a great choice. It is easy to make and doesn't have to be served really hot so it can sit in the slow cooker for a while until dinner is ready and still be hot enough without the need of electricity. Served with a Zesty Slaw on the sandwich itself or on the side, it would be a perfect Summer themed meal and can be coupled with Potato Salad, or a Pasta salad. A perfect desert to end this meal would be a Caramel Apple Salad. It is light and would be a nice finish to a heavier meal.


Snickers Caramel Apple Salad



The Cake:
Black and White Wedding Cupcake Tower
Cupcake wedding cakes are becoming increasingly popular. It is a great way not to be stuck with so much cake and it is also less messy in the long run for children and some adults. A great beach cupcake option for the summer time would be a S'mores cupcake. It is a staple in what summer time is, camp fires and S'mores is classic and a must have for any Summer Themed Wedding.  


Chocolate S'mores Cupcakes

Guest Favours:
Sometimes the best guest favour is something that can be used in the moment. A good idea would be personalized bottles of sunscreen. A day at the beach is fun but in the hot sun it can also equal a lot of pain from a sunburn. With personalized sunscreen it can be a keepsake when the bottle is empty and very practical in the mean time. 



A perfect guest favour for the children would be a beach toy set, with buckets and shovels and all the other sand toys any dollar store offers during the summer months. It's something they can put to use in the moment and probably something they would enjoy more than a little keep sake that will sit and collect dust on a shelf.



Centerpieces:
A beach wedding, in this case, is a small wedding with close family and friends so the need for a lot of centerpieces isn't there. More than likely it will be two picnic tables pushed together and a kids table off to the side. In cases like that, it is fine and in the budget to go expensive on the centerpieces since there will only be one or two. A great option that matches the setting would be a Sand Castle Centerpiece, its beautiful and kid friendly also.



Thank You Cards:
Some couples choose to send a picture from their wedding with a personalized note or a post card showing where they honeymooned. When you have a wedding with no specific colour theme than this is a perfect option.
Beach Wedding Thank You Card