Beach Wedding Hair Jewelry and Veils

Naturally the bride will want something fabulous to adorn her hair on her wedding day. As a beach wedding tends to be more relaxed, it is best to choose a headpiece which is not overly formal. Rather than a tall tiara, for instance, try a double headband beaded with crystals and pearls. The gems will make it beautiful enough for a wedding, but the headband style will look more appropriate on the beach. Select a headband which complements your bridal jewelry set. Another great thing about a headband is that if you opt to wear your hair down, it will keep the ocean breeze from blowing your hair in your face during the ceremony.

A beach theme hair ornament can be a wonderful accessory for a wedding by the ocean. A starfish pin in your hair makes a lovely alternative to a fresh flower, and as a bonus it will not wilt in the hot sun. Small starfish clips or pins would also be fun for the bridesmaids. They would make a nice add on to the bridesmaid jewelry sets that the bride gives as gifts. Tie a pretty starfish clip to the jewelry box with an organza ribbon for a nice addition to the bridesmaid gifts that will also make the box extra special.

Pearls are a natural choice by the ocean. A cluster of pearl hairpins would be an elegant addition to a simple updo. Low buns are very chic and are un-fussy enough for the beach. They are also a classic staple to have in your jewelry box for future special occasions after the wedding. Wear your pearl hairpins with pearl bridal jewelry, such as a drop pendant or a unique keshi pearl necklace. Add some coordinating earrings, and you will be ready to walk down the aisle in style.

A veil on the beach can be a bit tricky, but any bride who wants one should definitely wear one. For a wedding outdoors, the veil should always be shorter than floor length. The last thing you need is to have your delicate veil catch on a wooden boardwalk or deck and tear. Nor do you want to have a long veil dragging behind you on the sand picking up seaweed and other beach debris from the sand! A calf length veil gives the effect of a long veil with none of the potential perils. Fingertip veils also work well, but be careful about choosing a very short veil, as it will fly around your face with the slightest breeze; in fact, the shortest veils are actually called “flyaways”.

Beach weddings are always beautiful, and with the perfect accessories, you can be sure to look absolutely stunning. From headbands to pins to special veils, there is a combination of beach wedding accessories that will be perfect for any wedding and to match any bridal gown.

The Ins and Outs of Wedding Receiving Lines

The receiving line might seem like an antiquated or outdated tradition, but the truth is that they still have an important role to play in a wedding. For a celebration of any size, a simple receiving line is by far the easiest way to ensure that the host greets all of his or guests, which is a must. Conversely, it is also the simplest way for every guest to have a chance to extend best wishes and congratulations to the newlyweds, which is a must for guests. With the reasons to have a receiving line at your wedding clear, this is what you need to know about how to arrange one.

First of all, a receiving line should never be held inside a house of worship. That is because you cannot act as host inside God’s house. There are two very good options for the receiving line location. One is to have it at the reception venue as guests arrive. The other possibility is to receive your guests outside of the church immediately following the ceremony. This is often the easiest thing to do logistically, as so many couples will have photo sessions during the cocktail hour of the reception, making it hard to find a good time to arrange a receiving line at the reception site.

There is much uncertainty about who should participate in a receiving line. The people who absolutely must be there are the bride, the groom, and their mothers. The fathers of the happy couple will often stand in the line as well, but they may duck in and out to mingle if the line is long, especially if it is being done during the cocktail hour. If any of the parents of the newlyweds have remarried, their new spouses should absolutely be invited to participate in the receiving line. Deal with any animosity between the exes and the new spouses by separating them in the receiving line. Although customary, it is not absolutely necessary for the entire group of bridesmaids to participate; if you are trying to keep the line moving, it would be okay to ask only the maid of honor to stand in the line and set the other ladies free.

There are some standard things to say in a receiving line, and of course, you may personalize them if you wish. Always offer best wishes to the bride and congratulations to the groom. Tell the bride’s mother how beautiful the ceremony was and tell the groom’s father what a lucky man his son is to have found such a wonderful bride. It is always appropriate to tell any of the wedding party how pretty they look or to admire their wedding jewelry. When introducing yourself to a stranger, a few words about how you know the bride and groom would be nice. As for the people in the wedding party, they should thank all of the guests for joining them and express appreciation for their kind words. Other safe comments include telling a guest how pretty her dress and jewelry are or saying how perfect the weather is for a wedding. Don’t worry too much about being original, as long as you are pleasant and brief, the receiving line will be a success.

Polka Dots and Stripes in Wedding Design

Polka dots and stripes would be particularly great for a spring or summer wedding, as they are often created in color palettes which suit the season. The key to successfully combining the two patterns is to pick one color scheme to use for both. It could be pink and green, yellow and blue, or even orange, pink, and red. As long as you are consistent, it will look great! Dashes of a neutral like white or brown can help to keep your design from spinning out of control.

The bridesmaid dresses are a good place to begin using your polka dot and stripe theme. A very easy way to do it is to use one of the patterns for the bridesmaid dresses and the other as an accent ribbon on their bouquets. When the dresses have a busy print, keep the other details more simple. Single color bouquets will look very nice, and pearl bridesmaid jewelry will complement the colorful dresses.

All of your wedding stationery can carry through the stripe and polka dot pairing. Create stylish invitations by choosing an invitation with a polka dot border to use with envelopes lined in a stripe. Remember that as long as all of the colors match, it will look great together. For the table numbers, pick a coordinating paper with an overall polka dot pattern and print the numbers in a bold font right over the printed background. As long as the ink is dark, the numbers should be very easy to read, and it will be a cute detail.

Speaking of details, your centerpieces should always coordinate with your wedding design theme. There are so many ways to achieve this with stripes and polka dots. One trend right now is to cover boxes with a fabric instead of using standard glass vases. How about a striped fabric for your centerpiece vessels? Then fill with a cheerful arrangement of flowers. If you like, you can even play up the polka dot idea by creating “dots” of flowers. Use blossoms which can be packed together into a very tight ball, such as roses or carnations, and then add small flowers in a contrasting color at regular intervals. For instance, you could create a round arrangement of pink carnations and insert small lime green Kermit mums for the cutest and preppiest pink and green wedding centerpiece ever. It is so cute and original – your guests are sure to love it!

Jack and Jill Wedding Showers

A co-ed Jack and Jill shower has many things in common with a standard all-female shower. You will need invitations, food, decorations, and of course, presents. However, all of these things should be planned with a much less feminine flair than they would for a shower without the guys. Start with invitations; instead of something pink and frilly, choose a more gender neutral party invitation (it need not be specifically a bridal shower invitation, as those are likely to be very girly), such as one in green or blue instead of pink or purple. You don’t want the invitation to scare off the men you invite, after all!

Next, think about the decorations for your Jack and Jill party. Opt for a more modern and streamlined design than you might for a traditional shower. Pick a theme which is equally appealing to men and women; instead of the Victorian tea party, go for the backyard barbeque or cocktail party. Skip the lace tablecloths and wedding bells in favor of linens in an elegant dupioni (for a more formal party) or a casual print (for a very relaxed party). Create chic floral arrangements in shades of green and cream, versus pink, pink, and more pink. Attending a wedding shower will be a first time event for many of the men present, and you want to make sure that they do not feel like they accidentally stumbled into a “hen party”.

Many traditional bridal showers have games, such as making a “bridal gown” out of toilet paper or doing word scrambles with the names of kitchen tools. These games are frankly not appealing to many women, and they are certainly out of the question for a co-ed shower. A wedding party does not actually need games at all, but if you really want to include them, limit yourself to just one or two, and make them fun for everyone. The best choice is a questionnaire with questions about the bride and groom; whoever gets the most right answers wins a small prize. This is a fun game because it can spark a lot of funny answers and bring up a lot of silly old memories.

One thing that is absolutely the same for any wedding shower is that the guest of honor must thank their host appropriately. A small gift and a heartfelt letter of thanks from the bride and groom would be lovely after the Jack and Jill shower. If the hosts are bridesmaids, remember that you should get them a separate thank you gift apart from the bridesmaid jewelry you give them to thank them for being in your wedding. While bridesmaid jewelry is a wonderfully personal gift from the bride to her attendants, the hostess gift which is a joint present from the bride and groom should be a little less personal, such as a fine bottle of wine with a personalized bottle opener or a pair of theater tickets. It is a very gracious way to show your appreciation for the Jack and Jill wedding shower.

Wedding Reception Basics

Just beginning the wedding planning process? This is the perfect time to learn all about organizing your wedding reception which follows the ceremony. Whether it is a large party or an intimate event, most wedding receptions will include these same basic elements.

Decorations: Decorations include centerpieces and other floral arrangements, candles, and tablecloths. If your wedding will be more formal or grand, you may well have additional types of adornments. These could include rented crystal chandeliers for a bride who loves the sparkle of crystal bridal jewelry and wants to bring that same kind of sparkle to her venue. Other types of decorations could be ice sculptures, fabric to drape ceilings or walls, and custom lighting.

Music: Virtually every wedding reception will feature some sort of musical accompaniment. This could range from a full orchestra, to a d.j., to an ipod, depending on your taste and the formality of your event. Even for short or small receptions which will not include dancing, it is nice to use background music to create ambiance. It could be as simple as recorded music played over the venue’s sound system, or you could splurge on a string quartet or harpist to play during dinner.

Food: What would a party be without food? At the very minimum, the hosts should treat their guests to cake and punch, although most weddings feature much more lavish spreads. Typically, the reception will kick off with a cocktail hour, during which assorted appetizers and drinks will be served, followed by a full dinner. At fancy weddings, there may also be a “Viennese hour” or dessert bar, and almost every reception will have some form of wedding cake.

Other: This category could include anything you need to rent to furnish your party, such as a tent, tables, chairs, and place settings, if not provided by the venue. It would also include wedding favors, place cards and escort cards, and the guest book. These details can range from extremely important (such as tables) to elements which are customary, but not mandatory, such as the guest book. A lot of it will depend on the reception venue and the style of your wedding.

Informal Centerpiece Ideas

Informal flowers are a wonderful place to begin when designing casual wedding centerpieces. There are many wonderful varieties, quite a few of which are also rather hardy. For a spring wedding, the sweet look of classic white daisies with yellow centers is always charming. Arrange them in lime green flowerpots for a fresh take on an informal garden wedding design. Or use the daisies in a more minimalist fashion by using clear “test tubes” in holders and placing a single blossom in each one. Arrange a row of the test tubes along the length of a long family style dinner table.

Mixed arrangements of wildflowers can make for lovely casual centerpieces. Take flowers such as asters, daisies, and dahlias in a range of colors and loosely arrange them in simple vases. Mixing colors will tend to give the centerpieces a more relaxed and fresh picked look. Very unique designs can be created by substituting containers other than standard vases in the centerpieces. You could use anything from baskets to rough hewn wooden boxes to pitchers, depending on the theme and style of your reception.

Some brides like casual weddings with a very handmade look in everything from their dress and jewelry to the decorations and cake. Bold colors and warm, fuzzy materials tend to work best to add the feeling of homespun charm to your wedding. Instead of using glass vases, cover tin cans with colorful felt or even yarn wrapped tightly around the can. Fill these handcrafted vessels with bright flowers in a single contrasting color. For instance, you could cover your vessels with yellow felt and fill them with clusters of bright red carnations or geraniums. Small button mums also work very well; lime green “Kermit” mums are especially popular. They would look great in a “vase” covered in a wooly red yarn or a red and white gingham check fabric.

Not all centerpieces have to be based around flowers, either. Fruit can be a wonderful choice for a casual centerpiece. Large clear cylinders filled with whole lemons or limes adds a great splash of color to the receptions tables. In the autumn, handpainted bowls filled with bright red apples make a seasonal and edible centerpiece. Creativity is key, and when designing informal centerpieces, there are really no rules.

Types of Wedding Bouquets

The nosegay is one of the most popular types of bouquets. This is the perfectly round arrangement of flowers, and is especially favored by brides who like roses. Nosegays can be comprised of a single variety of blossom or they can have a combination of blooms, as long as they work well together to create the signature round form of this very popular bouquet. Nosegays are sometimes embellished with ornaments to match the bridal and bridesmaid jewelry, such as pearl pins in flower centers or crystal brooches pinned to the handle wraps.

Handtied bouquets are another very popular option. They are often similar in size to nosegays, but will have a more natural form, rather than the perfectly symmetrical dome shape of the nosegay bouquet. They work beautifully with flowers ranging from traditional peonies, roses, and hydrangeas to casual wildflowers such as daisies and asters. The stems of handtied bouquets are left exposed, instead of being covered in an elaborate bouquet wrap. A simple bow made of a luxurious ribbon makes for a lovely embellishment on the flower stems.

Cascade bouquets fell out of favor for several years, but now they are back and better than ever. They got a bad reputation in the 1980s, when they were very structured and stiff looking, but modern cascade bouquets have all of the drama with none of the contrived look. The best cascade bouquets have a natural dripping effect, and are often made with large dramatic flowers like orchids and lilies. These bouquets are ideal for formal weddings and work wonderfully with both large ballgowns and dramatic, slinky sheath gowns. Trailing ribbons and flower streamers can be added to make the cascade look even longer and more fabulous.

A sweet alternative to a handheld bouquet is the pomander. This is a round ball of flowers which hangs from a ribbon. Pomanders are particularly popular for bridesmaids and flower girls, and should be made in proportion to the person carrying them. Red roses on wide white satin ribbons look stunning for holiday weddings. For a springtime wedding, small spray roses make sweet pomanders for attendants wearing pink dresses and pearl bridesmaid jewelry. For a more modern take on the pomander, try carnations in bright colors.

Mixing and Matching Patterns in Wedding Design

So many weddings are done in white or pastel color palettes. While lovely, they can lack a unique character or that personal stamp that makes a wedding unforgettable. When you really want to create a wedding design that has style and personality, consider mixing and matching patterns. This is how to do it with ease.

Three patterns is a good number when you are trying to spice up your wedding design without overdoing it. A good rule of thumb is to mix a stripe, a large pattern, and a small pattern, along with color coordinated solids as needed. A plaid or check could be substituted for the stripe, but be wary of using plaids and stripes together.

The color palette should make sense with the patterns chosen. For instance, let’s say you were planning a nautical theme wedding by the ocean. Blue, yellow, and white would be an excellent color palette, perhaps with accents of Nantucket red. For your patterns, you could use a blue, yellow, and white variegated vertical stripe for tablecloths at the reception. A small scale blue on white or red on white anchor motif could be one of your accent patterns, and a medium sized geometric design could be the final print. Use the secondary patterns for things like side tables, pillows in the lounge area, and as a motif to print on the invitations and menus.

Another approach to mixing patterns is a French country style. Using a color palette of sage green, brick, and cream, combine a large scale toile with a woven check and a small sprig print. For a more luxe French design, try a beautiful burgundy and gold stripe, with a coordinating bee or fleur-de-lis print. A semi-abstract sprig or vine design will round out your wedding design. Use the patterns liberally for decorations, again be more restrained when it comes to your bridesmaid attire. Silk dupioni dresses in one of your signature colors with elegant bridesmaid jewelry sets will make your bridal party an attractive part of your overall wedding design, without making them match the tablecloths too closely. For more creative ideas on how to mix and match patterns, check out your favorite design magazines and home furnishing catalogs. Any style that catches your fancy can easily be made into a gorgeous and unique wedding design.

Bridal Gown Colors

In the world of bridal gowns, there is white, and then there is…white. Diamond white, silk white, and natural white are just a few variations on the classic white wedding gown. A pure silk gown will never be bright white, because that is not the natural color of the fiber, even when bleached. The slightly softer shade of silk white is much gentler on most skin tones than the bright white with a bluish undertone that is often seen in polyester gowns. Whatever shade of white is available in a wedding dress, it will tend to look best on brides with darker or olive skin tones, or women with dark hair and pale skin.

Ivory is the next most popular color for wedding gowns after white. Nearly every gown will be available in a shade of ivory or cream, unless it has a special feature which would make it impossible. Some lace trims, for instance, are only created in white, so a gown with that embellishment would only be made using white fabric to match the lace. Ivory tends to have a slightly yellow undertone and looks wonderful on blondes and most redheads. The yellow undertones of ivory can, however, bring out sallow tones in olive skinned women, so they should stick with white or choose a deeper color like champagne. Always see a fabric swatch before ordering a gown in ivory; while most fabrics look lovely in that shade, some will be far too yellow. Also take care that if you are looking at pearl bridal jewelry sets that you select one which is similar in tone to your gown, rather than a strong white.

Champagne is another option for many wedding gowns. The deeper color is particularly nice for evening or winter weddings, although it might look out of place at a summer afternoon wedding. The rich color pairs especially well with luxurious fabrics like silk satin and silk shantung, which will play up the luster of the color. Champagne usually has a slightly brownish or pinkish undertone, rather than the yellowish tones found in ivory. As a result, it is a flattering color for women who find that ivory makes them look sallow. This sophisticated color is also very popular with second time brides who want a gown in a color other than pure white which still has a very “bridal” feel to it.

Last, but not least, consider the season when selecting a color for your wedding gown. The white which washes you out in the dead of winter might look fresh and crisp with a light tan in the summer. Warmer colors are often preferred for cold weather weddings, although the right shade of white is perfect for a sparkling Winter Wonderland theme wedding.

Wedding Cakes Inspired by Nature

One of the most special parts of any wedding reception is the cake. Always a showpiece, your cake is the perfect opportunity to express something about yourself or your wedding theme. What could be more lovely for a cake than decorations which mimic the beauty of the great outdoors? These are some wonderful ideas for gorgeous wedding cakes inspired by nature.

Cascades of flowers, either fresh or sugar, are gorgeous when you want to create a more natural design for your wedding cake. The blossoms can be dainty and simple, such as pink rosebuds, or dramatic and elegant, as in handcrafted sugar orchids. Very colorful blossoms are a fantastic way to bring some bright color into your wedding reception in a way that is “safe”. Think multi-colored cascades of pinks, purples, and fuchsias or a sophisticated palette of greens and browns. This is a wonderful way to brighten up your reception while getting your inspiration from nature.

Butterflies are a gorgeous idea for a wedding cake decoration. Their fluttery grace and inherent beauty make them the ideal accent for a bridal cake. You can opt for an understated design with a few yellow butterflies perched daintily on each tier, or go wild with an over-the-top flurry of butterflies in every hue of the rainbow covering the cake. Take your color palette from the rest of your wedding, everything from the flowers to the tablecloths to special handmade wedding jewelry can inform the hues you choose for your butterfly cake. This design works equally well for a wedding with a butterfly theme or one with a special color palette but no particular signature motif.

Forests and trees can also be a wonderful place to get inspired for your wedding cake. Deeper colors in a natural palette work best. This is a good motif for an earthy wedding where the bride wears a non-traditional gown and unique handmade wedding jewelry. A deep rich chocolate cake dragged with a utensil to create a “tree bark” effect would be marvelous for a woodland reception. You can decorate it with fresh flowers in deep colors like purple, or whimsical decorations such as marzipan mushrooms and even tiny fairies. A different approach to a forest inspired cake would be to have the baker handpaint a graceful tree growing up the tiers of the cake. This is an elegant take on the woodsy theme.