simple wedding ideas

simple wedding ideas

There are so many things to do when planning a wedding! Designing the centerpieces is one of the most important things, because they will really set the style for the wedding reception. Pretty centerpieces do not have to be elaborate, however. These are some great ideas for easy winter wedding centerpieces.

Christmas ornaments are a great design resource for holiday wedding centerpieces. A very simple idea is to gather a collection of beautiful round Christmas balls and place them in clear glass elegant footed vases. Make the look more wedding than holiday by choosing ornaments which are not in the very traditional red and green combination. Frosted metallic lime green with purple and silver balls would be gorgeous filling a clear footed vase or hurricane. Coordinate the napkins and stemware on the table to the colors in the ornaments to create a beautiful reception table design.

Sparkle is very popular for winter weddings, from beaded gowns to crystal bridal jewelry to the bride's bouquet. To bring some sparkle to your reception, try a crystal branch centerpiece. Tall white or silver painted branches can be artfully arranged in cylinders, vases, or painted ceramic pots. Using clear fishing line, suspend large crystals from the branches. Crystals with an "ab" finish will really capture the light and look dazzling. Hang small lanterns with candles from some of the other branches to help illuminate the crystals. It is a fabulous centerpiece for the bride who loves sparkly things like crystal bridal jewelry.

A very charming idea for a winter wedding centerpiece is gingerbread houses. The bride and her mom could make the houses themselves from kits or simply purchase them already made. The gingerbread houses can be decorated in the wedding colors, or could even be created to look like little gingerbread chapels, complete with gingerbread brides and grooms! This centerpiece makes a nice tie-in to the wedding favors. Gingerbread cookies in glassine bags with pretty bows would be perfect. Attach a small card with your favorite gingerbread recipe to the favor bags.

Certainly flowers are beautiful for centerpieces at any time of the year. An ultra easy idea for a winter wedding centerpiece is to buy pots of white poinsettias to use as table decorations. Remove the foil wrapping they come in and place the plants in white glazed ceramic pots. Surround the white poinsettias with crystal votive candle holders to add sparkle and light to the tables. The effect will be simply gorgeous for a winter white wedding, and as a bonus, the potted poinsettias will be far more cost effective than arrangements of cut flowers.

For a winter wedding with cozy homespun charm, create centerpiece vessels by neatly wrapping red yarn around cylinders to cover them. Fill with decorations such as branches of red berries, white flowers, and even whimsical touches such as little red cardinals made of feathers. Short fat pillar candles would be a nice accompaniment. These centerpieces would be truly charming for an informal winter wedding celebration.

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halloween wedding ideas

halloween wedding ideas

Halloween is a fabulous theme for cake decorating as it allows you to really let your imagination go wild. In fact, the scarier and more gruesome your Halloween cake decorations, the better!

Whether you are throwing a Halloween party or just want to liven up your children's tea, there is a bewitching array of edible and non-edible Halloween cake decorations and products available in the shops and online. These range from scary ghouls, witches and bats to pumpkins, spiders and realistic-looking eyeballs. Some of these even glow in the dark, allowing you to really vamp up your cakes, cookies or cupcakes!

Readymade options

If you're short on time or inspiration, you can get your Halloween cake decorating off to a flying start with some readymade items. Pop to the shops for some plain iced fairy cakes or cupcakes, and then customise them with one or more of the following decorations:

Shaped sugarcraft figures or plaques that make ideal cupcake toppersRe-useable plastic bats, spider rings or "Happy Halloween" greetings on sticks for inserting into the spongeEdible eyeballs: these really are the ultimate sweet treat and guaranteed to get a reaction!

Do-it-yourself

But, if time permits and you're feeling creative, why not have a go at making your own Halloween cake decorations from scratch? With the right products and a bit of imagination it is easy to achieve some fabulous results. You can even add to the fun - and the mess - by getting the children involved too!

Before you start, you will need to round up a selection of ingredients and equipment to help you with your DIY Halloween cake decorating. A few suggestions are:

Black, white or orange ready to roll sugar paste; just mix black and white if you want greyPlastic cutters in traditional Halloween shapes like bats, pumpkins, ghosts and cats. Try to find ones with comfort grips as these make cutting of cookie dough, icing or sugar paste safe and easy - even for little handsEdible black or silver lustre spray for covering individual cakes or one large spongeEasy-to-use, colourful sprinkle decorations such as glitter flakes, sugar strands or sugar balls for adding a touch of magic

Once you've finished rolling, cutting, sprinkling or spraying, don't forget to complete the look with Halloween themed baking cases, candles or ribbon. Then add the finishing touch to your Halloween festivities by scattering some bat or pumpkin confetti over the party table. Happy Halloween!

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wedding centerpieces ideas

wedding centerpieces ideas

Create a beautiful ambiance for your wedding with a candle centerpiece. They are romantic, affordable, and impressive. Many of candle centerpieces are also easy enough for the DIY bride to make herself with minimal time and effort. These are some pretty candle centerpiece ideas for weddings.

A simple way to make a candle centerpiece design feel more unique is to float candles in tinted water. What an easy way to create table decorations in your signature wedding colors! Can't find the right shade of blue flowers for your centerpiece? No problem - simply use food coloring to tint water the perfect shade and float some white candles in it. Add more interest by using a trio of vessels in different heights or using one very large round bowl and floating lots of candles in it. This idea can be enhanced further by filling the bottom of the clear vessels with something interesting. Add smooth river rocks for a Zen garden style, sparkling crystals to complement your crystal bridal jewelry, or marbles in a contrasting hue for a pop of color.

Lanterns are a terrific way to display candles for your wedding centerpieces. The great thing about lanterns is that they come in a very wide variety, so you can find ones which will suit any style of reception. White antiqued lanterns are beautiful for garden weddings, iron lanterns are perfect for rustic receptions, and hurricane lanterns are ideal for beach or classic weddings. Plan to add some additional decorative elements around your lanterns which tie in with your wedding theme. For a beach wedding, it looks wonderful to nestle a hurricane lantern in a pile of sand. Arrange starfish and sea shells around the base of the lantern for a great effect. If you are using more elaborate lanterns for a garden wedding, twine vines and a few fresh flowers around the base. For a rustic wedding, succulents or wildflowers will make great accents.

Candle centerpieces can also be beautiful for very formal weddings. A fantastic way to add height and drama to the reception tables is to design centerpieces around tall candelabras. Formal cut crystal or silver candelabras will look very impressive when topped with elegant taper candles. Complete the design by wrapping roses and other traditional flowers around the candle bases. Dripping crystal teardrops are a gorgeous addition when the bride is wearing crystal bridal jewelry. Another idea is to weave strands of faux pearls in amongst the blossoms. These tall centerpieces are ideal for very formal or grand weddings, yet are much more affordable than creating equally large tall centerpieces entirely out of fresh cut flowers.

A unique way to use candles for your centerpieces is to suspend them in large numbers over the tables, rather than resting them on the tables. This is a fantastic idea for a modern wedding, and it also works beautifully for a romantic evening wedding. Take tons of small clear glass globes and fill them will votive candles. Suspend them using clear wire at different heights over the reception tables. When guests enter your wedding reception, it will appear as if hundreds of tiny candles are floating in the air around the room. The effect of this candle centerpiece will be absolutely breathtaking, and is sure to create a wonderfully romantic ambiance for your wedding reception.

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fall wedding decorating ideas

fall wedding decorating ideas

Fall is a time of lovely colors and the bounty of the harvest. You can bring these things into your wedding decor and set a tone of warmth and welcoming. Your guests will be enthralled with the decorations when you use nature's own earth tones.

Pumpkins

There are so many things you can do to add gorgeous pumpkins to your wedding decor. You can start with a trailer filled with hay and pumpkins parked outside your reception hall. Line the walkway into the church or reception with carved out pumpkins lit with votive candles. The shapes can be anything from bells to doves to hearts. Enlist the help of friends and family to carve small sugar pumpkins of relatively the same size so that the walkway will look uniform.

Pumpkins can also be used as centerpieces inside the wedding reception. One large pumpkin per table, either carved and candle lit or whole, will look stunning. Surround it with silk or real leaves in varying colors and sizes. Add acorns and other fall nuts like hazelnuts. You can also carve off the top of the pumpkin and fill each one with flowers-real or silk. Just be sure to include some sort of container to hold the water inside the pumpkin if you are using real flowers. Give each guest a tiny pumpkin to take home as a favor. While you don't want to go overboard with the pumpkin theme, you can make an elegant and festive decor with nicely placed pumpkins.

Apples

Much like the pumpkin, apples are one of the symbols of harvest. You can bring in cornucopia baskets or apple picking buckets and fill them with a rainbow of fall apples. Place them as centerpieces. Offer caramel apples as favors. Hollow out apples with a votive cutter and place votive candles in an apple at each place setting. Apple scented candles will make the reception smell like mom's fresh baked pie. Place an array of apples around a hurricane vase with a tall pillar candle in it. Tie cinnamon sticks to cloth napkins with jute twine to carry through the theme. Serve apple cider from a punch bowl.

Maple

You can do a lot with additions of maple shapes into your fall wedding decor. Scatter fresh or silk maple leaves imprinted with your names and date at each table. Have maple-shaped place cards or place card holders. Offer maple shaped cookies and cookie cutters as favors. Or, have leaf-shaped bottles of maple syrup as favors. Handmade maple candies as favors are also a lovely idea. You can even float maple shaped candles in low bowls of water with acorns at the bottom.

The Site

If you have access to a cider mill, an apple orchard or a barn, you might want to stage your wedding there. You can drape yards of cream colored fabric at the entrance and on the walls to give an outdoor building a cozy feel. Set rustic wooden tables with twig-themed serving wear and pottery bowls and dishes. Use jelly jars for drinks. Have branches with berries in big urns to greet guests. Offer hot cider and rustic props like baskets and old tools. Have dried wheat stalks in bunches and wreaths made of nuts or twigs to add to the ambiance. Bushels of apples and pumpkins can be spread around in clusters. Your photos will look lovely taken in front of your site. Give guests pumpkin or apple scented candles to take home as favors. Invite casual attire so guests can feel comfortable in an outdoor setting.

The Cake

Instead of a stark white cake, carry the fall theme over by adding acorns, nuts, autumn colored roses and deep colored calla lilies to the cake. Place the cake on a rustic pedestal made of metal or wood. Have your baker spin brown sugar around the cake for a warm candied feel that looks like it's wrapped in fall. Offer take-home cupcakes with frosting in shades of autumn. Cupcake boxes in browns or oranges will allow your cupcakes to travel well.

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country wedding ideas

country wedding ideas

There are many options when choosing a summer wedding theme. Summer is a popular time to get married, and there are some really great themes that you can choose to make your wedding day unique.

Since the weather is typically warm outside, tented weddings usually work well. However, if you live in a very hot climate you may want to keep it indoors or have your wedding in the evening when it is cooler.

Regardless of where the location is, almost any wedding theme can work for a summer wedding. From conservative to over the top, there is a theme for every style that will meet your expectations for your big day.

Listed below are 3 theme ideas for your summer wedding to get you started.

Traditional: Garden or Flower Theme

A country Inn or bed and breakfast is the perfect location for a garden wedding. Have your ceremony in the garden surrounded by beautiful summer blooms, and follow it up with a reception under the stars.

There are many flowers that can be used for your theme. Daisies, roses, zinnia and snapdragons are always favorites, and sunflowers work well for late summer weddings.

Work with your florist to come up with unique summer flower combinations that fit your ceremony and reception locations.

Colorful: Choose Your Favorite Summer Color

Summer brings bright colors to mind like pink, light blue and green. Try matching your favorite summer color with an earth tone, like pink and chocolate for example.

Once you have your summer color chosen use it in all aspects of your wedding. This includes flowers, bridesmaid dresses and decorations.

Again, work with your florist and wedding planner to come up with flower and color combinations that you can use throughout your wedding day.

Creative: Big Top Wedding

If you are looking for something totally unique, consider a circus or carnival wedding theme. Complete with fire eaters, cotton candy and carnival games, this wedding theme is sure to keep your guest's attention.

Have your reception under a tent to complete the theme or in a unique location that is fitting of a circus. Think of all the fun you can have with your reception decorations and favors!

These are just three ideas for a summer wedding, and the sky is the limit when it comes to choosing a theme to use for your wedding. Be creative and have some fun with the colors, flowers and location of your summer wedding.

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wedding bell favors

wedding bell favors

Cling...cling...cling. Cling...cling...cling. That's the sound of a wedding tradition that has been practiced for many decades. The clinging of glasses at a wedding reception is an open invitation for the bride and groom to steal a kiss from each other. The guests simultaneously make clinging noises with their glasses by lightly tapping a fork, spoon, or knife against the outside of their drinking glass. In agreement with the tradition, the bride and groom usually consent to showcase their affection by stopping whatever they are doing at the moment to kiss each other.

This practice is repeated at several intervals throughout the reception. There is no particular person assigned to introduce this task, however, there is usually one person in particular that may choose to be the ring leader (or shall we say the "cling" leader).Swoosh...swoosh...swoosh. Swoosh...swoosh...swoosh.

Rice throwing has been associated with joining a couple together in matrimony since Roman times. It later evolved into a wedding tradition in which guests showered the happy couple with rice to represent fertility. In more modern times, throwing rice at the bride and groom has been strongly discouraged due to some of the potential dangers. Rice becomes very slippery when wet, which poses a hazard to individuals walking along the sidewalk. Rumors have also been spread throughout the wedding industry which suggests that rice throwing is hazardous to birds' health.

Today, the traditions of clinging glasses and rice throwing are still recognized, but in different forms. As a substitute for clinging glasses, some brides have placed small silver-plated bell wedding party favors at each place setting at the reception. The guests can get the bride and groom's attention by ringing the bells in unison. At the pleasant sound of the ringing bells, the bride and groom will consent to kissing each other.

This alternative is both convenient and versatile because the bell wedding favors also serve as place card holders. Rice throwing is often substituted by blowing bubbles at the bride and groom. Blowing bubbles is not only safe, but it is fun too. Wedding favor bubbles come in many unique styles which will add a decorative touch to any reception.Although modern times have slightly altered years of tradition, the idea behind these ancient practices still exists.

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affordable wedding favors

affordable wedding favors

We don't like to use the word cheap - we prefer "inexpensive wedding favors" since cheap sounds like your wedding favors were just a last minute thought after you ran out of wedding planning money! What we like about today's brides is their creativity and inventiveness when it comes to stretching a wedding budget. Finding the perfect inexpensive wedding favor may be a challenge, but there really are so many inexpensive options to choose from once you have an idea.

Inexpensive or cheap wedding favors may be on your to do list for your reception but do you really want your wedding favors to look "cheap"? Probably not since the wedding favor is considered a thank you take along to remind your guests of spending your special day with you.

Let us give you some creative options for wedding favors if your budget is tight. Many ready to go wedding favors are available for $1 or less per favor - often much less expensive than buying everything separately as a bridesmaid craft project to be put together a few days before your wedding. Think of it, you need to buy the favor box, the trinkets or candies that go inside each box, the ribbon to tie up the box and then the thank you card. All these pieces and parts can easily add up to $2, $3 or more per favor!

A few ready to go wedding favors you might want to consider are those that are considered practical favors that can be used again by your guests. The first favor that pops to mind of course is a candle wedding favor your guest will use at home and there is quite a selection of candle favors that are in the $1 to $2 range. If you're looking for something different than candles, there are so many more practical favors that you may prefer. Let's take a look.

One of our favorite inexpensive wedding favors also does double duty as a place card holder. A brushed silver photo frame situated at each guest's designated seat will be a welcome take along thank you gift sure to remind them of the fun they had at your wedding. These photo frame place card holders can be picked up for less than $0.75 each! So if you are having 100 guests at your reception, you just picked up an elegant wedding favor for each guest for $75.00. Not bad, right?

Another inexpensive wedding favor idea is a heart cookie cutter in a transparent organza bag with a matching ribbon. Great for weddings right before the holidays as your guests can use them for making their special holiday cookies. An elegant but inexpensive favor idea is a crystal heart key chain that will surely put a smile on your guest's faces. They will think you spent quite a bit on this favor but you spent less than $1 each.

If you are able to spend about $2 per favor quite a few more options become available to you. Bookmarks that match your wedding theme such as a calla lily bookmark or maple leaf bookmark if your wedding is in the fall. Another guest pleasing wedding favor idea is a scented sachet pillow. Fond memories will be had each and every time they open their lingerie drawers or linen closets!

Glass coaster sets tied together with a ribbon are available in a wide arrange of designs and colors and can be picked up for about $2 per coaster set. A cherry blossom designed notebook in the white - which matches every color scheme - can also be purchased for about $2 each. What a great way for your guests to remember you!

We hope that this article has shown that you can gift your guests will elegant, yet inexpensive wedding favors that won't break the bank. Before you choose your favor, take a few moments to take a look at the array of inexpensive options available that will make a nice presentation at your wedding.

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