Your Wedding Budget Breakdown

Unsure how to budget your wedding needs? Click the chart below for a wedding budget guide. Every wedding is different, but this will help you start.

Non-Flower Centerpieces!

Get creative with your centerpieces! Flowers are traditional and can be manipulated into stunning works of art, but that is not your only options.

Moss has an unappreciated beauty. Paired with succulents and birch wood you can keep the elegance without the flowers.

Strung lights make an outdoor wedding picture-ready.

Candles, candles and more candles! Not only are these great lighting options for evening receptions, but they are also an inexpensive alternative to floral centerpieces. Use pillars of different heights, candelabras and lanterns to make this look complete.

We eat with our eyes, so you can be sure that your guests can appreciate the beauty of a fruit centerpiece.

Keeping Cool During An Outdoor Ceremony

Many bride and grooms look forward to the Summer season for their perfect outdoor wedding. Like any outdoor wedding, you risk unpredictable weather. Most worry about the rain, but the heat is just as bad. Here are my 3 favorite ways to help your guests stay cool during your nuptials.

Juice and water stations allow guests to get a refreshing drink before they take their seats. You can also provide bottled water at each seat.
Picture: Elizabeth Anne Designs

Parasols are a great decor touch and helps to keep the sun of the faces of your guests.
Picture: VPONSALE Wedding

Fans are the most common option, that usually doubles as a wedding program.
Picture: London Downtown

He or She? Baby Reveal Ideas

A popular twist on the traditional baby shower, a baby reveal party always ends in a big surprise for the new parents and guests.

I love the theme and the color scheme

A great theme that inspires a delicious snack 

Don't want to use blue or pink? Have a "What Will It Bee?" theme

Make the party interactive and have the guests place votes. 

A great twist on a childhood favorite and fun idea to have everyone take a bite at the same time.

Who doesn't love balloons?

A great alternative to these cute favors, are to have them on straws

I do not own any of these pictures

Creative Escort Card Ideas

Add some creativity to your escort card display. Whether guests pick up their cards before the ceremony or during cocktail hour, personalizing your card display adds to your decor. Here are some creative ideas.

This is a great chance to incorporate the ombre trend as well

A key to the magical night ahead

A great way to incorporate mirror into your decor. Simply elegant idea to etch the names on the glass

Hollywood inspired? Use a movie reel to show guests to their seats

One of my favorite ideas is the escort tree. With or without flowers, thick or thin trunks, this decor piece is a show-stopper!

None of these pictures are my own

Bridal Shower Brunch

The traditional bachelorette party is fun and exciting: A night on the town with your favorite girls, good food, and most likely drinks. Although fun, that kind of party can really limit who you would like to invite. A great idea that is appropriate for all ages is a bridal shower brunch. Brunch allows for you to share your special moment as a bride with all of the females that are important to you. This doesn't mean that you can't have fun! Have the brunch and then allow the males to come at the end for dessert and an Afternoon dance party. Let your creativity take over and have a themed brunch. It may sound childish at first, but a Tuscan affair with a Persecco bar is perfect for brunch or a dinner party or an ode to the classic movie, Pretty in Pink. Here are some great examples of bridal shower brunch done right!

Planning Tips: The Reception Dinner

The reception is a huge portion of the wedding budget, mostly due to the cost of food and beverage. Choosing how to use your money is not as simple as couples imagined when they begin their planning process. The hardest decision may be choosing how to serve the meal to your guests. There are three styles that are most popular: Buffet Style, Seated Dinner and Dinner Stations. There are different reasons to choose each and here are some details and tips to help you decide.

Buffet

Although a buffet has the rep of being the most cost-effective option, that is actually misleading. A buffet gives the guests multiple options to choose from, but the caterer cannot account for the size of the portion each guest will take. Caterers typically make more to accommodate, resulting in a bigger price tag. 

When considering a buffet also remember that a line will be unavoidable unless you have a small guest count. As a planner, lines are my event peeves and aesthetically unappealing. One way to shorten the line is to have a duplicate buffet station with all the same options. You should also make the stations double-sided: guests can form lines on both sides of the buffet and two people can help themselves at once.

Seated Dinner

A seated dinner is an option that eliminates the lines and is more formal. The trade-off is that the guests get a limited choice for their meal. 

An option that is becoming more popular for seated dinners are to have them served family-style. Whether the whole meal or just the sides, it is a compromise to giving the guests some options for their meal and encourages interaction between the guests at their tables.

Dinner Stations

This is one of my favorite options. Dinner stations allow for you to get creative with your food choices, and provides your guests with multiple choices and usually the opportunity to customize their meal options. Have fun with your station choices: Chinese lo mien station, Sushi station, Macaroni station,  Satay/Kabob station and a few carving stations. Have 4-5 different food choices. Make sure to have 2 of each station to avoid lines.

This can be a bit costly, so you may consider doing 3 stations for cocktail hour. 

Wedding Websites

In the age of technology, it is no surprise that a newly engaged couple would want to use technology in their wedding planning. The use of a wedding website provides convenience and easy access to information for the couple and their guests.

Provide all wedding logistics on your website: date,  location, wedding registry, and travel information. The wedding website provides access to information for your guests to never lose. Some websites also allow you to put an RSVP option on your page.

But, the wedding website is not only for logistics; It is a chance to share your wedding story! Customize the page to your preference. Include your engagement pictures, as well as the happy times through the years. 

Don't forget to share the information! You don't need all of the details on the page to share it with guests. Start the website and make sure to put the website link on your save the dates or invitations. 

Here are some sources that offer the option to design your FREE personal wedding website: weddingwire.com, mywedding.com, theknot.com

Throw Back Thursday: Welcome Bags

Here was one of my favorite posts I have written so far. Not only are welcome bags a great treat for wedding guests, but they also allow for the couple to add a personal touch to the festivities. These bags can be used to share something with the guests that is personal to the special couple and their wedding day.

Check out the post here for more on the how to create the perfect welcome bag for your special occasion.

How to Determine The Size Of The Dancefloor?

In a previous blog post (here) I provide tips on how to choose your perfect venue. One important tip I provide for couples is to remember that your dancefloor will take up some of the space on that special night. Need some help figuring the size of your dancefloor? Here is a chart to help you figure out which dimensions are perfect so your guests can party the night away.

                                                                    50 guests: 12' x 12'

                                                                   100 guests: 12' x 20'

                                                                   150 guests: 14' x 14'
                                                                   200 guests: 16' x 28'
                                                                   300 guests: 26' x 26'

                                                                   400 guests: 30' x 30'

                                                                   550 guests:  36' x 36'

* Remember, approximately half of the guests will be on the dance floor at the time. This chart gives you an approximation of the dimensions needed for dancing. Choose the dimension closest to your guest count.

Modern Weddings

Every bride and groom has a wedding style that best suits their personality.

Here are some contemporary styles for the modern bride and groom. From geometric shapes, to gold glitter, here are some of my contemporary favorites. Enough said. Enjoy!

1. The color combination of black and white is a classic look, and always modern. Adding gold can only make it better.

2. Cakes with an interesting, yet simple, designs  in cool colors are perfect for the bride who doesn't want a traditional white cake.

3. Simplistic decor with pops of color don't overwhelm guests but brings focus to important details.

4. Table runners are a perfect way to add color and print to your reception.

5. Lounges have become extremely popular; Creating spaces where guests can take a break from dancing, relax and socialize.

6. Geometric shapes should be applied in small doses because that is all it takes for the design to make a large impact.

7. Square, rectangular or any place setting not circular is the new look. Add a napkin in a cool print for the final touch!

8. Skip the round tables and go for estate seating instead. The picture says enough!

9. Mixing colors and prints creates picture-perfect decor. Chevron, Greek Tree, Trellis or a Moroccan Wall print are just a few modern prints to consider.

10. DIY backdrops for the ceremony or reception are that personal touch that you will always remember.

Spring Flower Bouquets

I purposely left out pictures of bouquets in my last post, because bridal bouquets need a post of their own! Here are bouquets composed of wonderful spring flowers.

These tulips in Radiant Orchid are perfect for the warm spring season

Tulips also come in white; Classic and romantic

Perfect arrangement of sorbet tones

Lilac grows wild, and because of that, they give a wonderful fullness to the bouquet without using too much

A tight bouquet of roses and peonies

Less roses and peonies, but they have been opened for a natural garden feeling

Lady slippers are unique in shape, adding to its beauty.

An entire bouquet of viburnum: just gorgeous