Using Animals in Your Wedding

Many, many brides and grooms are animal lovers, and including a live animal in your wedding might seem like a very special addition to your day. There are, however, some ways to include animals which usually go very smoothly, and others which are best avoided. This is what you should know about using animals in your wedding.

Probably the most common way that couples bring an animal into their wedding is when they include their dog. The dog might be an honored guest, it could be the ring bearer, or it could even walk the bride down the aisle (sorry, Dad!). Any of these ideas can work out beautifully, as long as you consider the location and the temperament of your pet. Certainly many indoor venues like churches are not going to allow any dogs in the building other than service animals. This means if you really want Fido with you during your wedding ceremony, you should check out the pet policy of any potential venue you are considering. Outdoor locations will tend to be the most accommodating.

Sometimes animals are used to create drama. This would certainly be the case when the bride rides into the ceremony on a white horse or the newlyweds arrive at the reception via elephant. Without a doubt, the elephant idea is pretty darn fabulous. It is a customary part of some Indian weddings, but a very fun tradition to borrow for other couples as well. Of course, a trained wedding elephant is not available in every town, nor will it fit into every budget. It would work best for an outdoor reception so that the guests could be surprised by your grand entrance on the pachyderm.

The other most common way that couples use animals in their weddings is to release doves or butterflies at the end of their ceremony. This is unequivocally a bad idea. While it sounds beautiful, the reality is that the birds and butterflies often die shortly after being released. Besides that, the release often does not go as planned; you open the box of butterflies and find them already dead or the birds refuse to take flight and soar. If you want butterflies at your wedding, wear Swarovski crystal butterfly motif bridal jewelry. Let the real creatures live their lives in freedom.

Pre-Wedding Beauty Secrets

Secret Number One: Have your eyebrows professionally shaped. A pair of perfectly polished brows will give you that absolutely flawless look in your wedding pictures. On the other hand, scraggly brows will detract from even the most artfully applied makeup. Waxing, in particular, can leave redness, so have your eyebrows shaped a couple of days before the wedding.

Secret Number Two: Wear makeup! Seriously, no matter how natural and low key your everyday style may be, you need to wear makeup on your wedding day. This is not to say that you need to look like you are wearing tons of makeup, just that it should be there. If you do nothing else, use a sheer foundation to even out your complexion, use waterproof mascara to define your eyes, and put on a pretty kiss-proof lipstick.

Secret Number Three: Do not attempt to do your own hair for the wedding. This means seeing a professional for a really good looking highlights if you color your hair and having a professional style your hair for the wedding itself. Be sure to have a trial run before your wedding to make sure you and the hair stylist are on the same page. Bring along any accessories you will be wearing like your headpiece and Swarovski crystal earrings so the stylist can design a hairstyle that works with the rest of your look. Besides, if you have selected a really fabulous pair of Swarovski crystal earrings, you want to be sure that they are not covered up by your hairdo.

Secret Number Four: Get a paraffin manicure the day before your ceremony. There is nothing quite like dipping your hands in hot wax to slough away dead skin and make them baby smooth. By the way, grooms can also benefit from a paraffin hand treatment and a no-polish manicure. The guys who may be least likely to seek such a service on their own are often the ones whose hands need the most TLC, so it may be up to the bride to drag her fiance to the spa kicking and screaming!

A Forest Theme Wedding

Imagine how beautiful it would be to have a forest theme wedding. The soothing natural colors, the charming woodland creatures, and the abundance of rich textures would all combine to make a truly delightful experience. These are some ideas and inspiration on how to design a forest theme wedding.

As with most weddings, the place to begin is by selecting your wedding colors. For a forest theme wedding, choose rich colors like chocolate brown, moss green, and touches of gold (either metallic or not). These colors will be equally at home in an actual forest clearing or in a more conventional indoor reception site. Chocolate, moss, and gold can also be used for any season; change the tone by fabric selection. For instance, in the autumn or winter, you could use sumptuous materials like velvet and shantung, whereas in the spring or summer, things can be lightened up a bit with organza or chiffon.

For the wedding attire, something a bit non-traditional would best suit a forest theme. Think romantic and soft, maybe a bit ethereal. The satin ballgown is definitely out. You could use a couple of different inspirations for a forest-y wedding gown. One would be the dreamy woodland fairy and another would be the more down-to-earth but romantic Robin Hood style. The bridesmaids’ dresses would be gorgeous in a moss green with chocolate colored accents. Topaz colored crystal bridesmaid jewelry would be a stunning accent or choose Swarovski crystal leaf pendants and earrings as the bridesmaid jewelry.

Decorating the ceremony and reception sites for a forest theme wedding will be really fun! Gather natural materials such as pinecones, moss, and branches as your primary materials. You can go with a very rustic feeling or take the theme in a more elegant direction by adding touches of metallic gold. Of course the ideal place for a forest theme wedding would be a clearing in an actual forest, but you can also transform an indoor setting by bringing in all of the natural elements. Gobo lights projecting tree shadows onto the walls of a tent or ballroom would be a wonderful detail.

Fantastic Fall Wedding Ideas

Welcome your guests to your wedding with the traditional flavors of fall. A hot apple cider station would be a wonderful addition to either the ceremony location or cocktail hour. The aroma of the mulling spices is a delicious scent, and the warm cider is the perfect way get cozy on a crisp cool afternoon. You could really make a fun display with a rustic looking wooden stand, barrels of apples, and of course the hot cider carafes. Have cinnamon sticks on hand for guests to place in their mugs of cider.

Many fall weddings have a rustic charm, so why not embrace that spirit with charming details? Instead of regular chairs, set up hay bales for the ceremony seating. Cover them with fabric to make them prettier and less scratchy. For the altar area, tall stalks of wheat, colorful dried corn, and grapevines would be spectacular decorations for an arbor or Chuppah poles. Bring in more color with orange Chinese lantern pods and baskets of autumnal mums at the base of the posts. You could line the borders of the ceremony aisle with colorful fall leaves instead of using flower petals or a fabric runner. Small lanterns with a dark goldenrod colored candles inside would be gorgeous decorations for the end of each aisle.

Handcrafted bridal jewelry in warm fall colors would be great for the bride and bridesmaids. Especially pretty is bridal jewelry which is handcrafted with Swarovski crystal leaves in rich shades. For the bridesmaids’ dresses, consider a textural fabric like a luxurious silk dupioni in colors like chocolate, caramel, or russet. If you are not crazy about the super traditional fall colors for your bridesmaid attire, a soft sage green in dupioni would be a lovely choice for the season. You might wish to add a wrap to cover sleeveless dresses; look for one with special details like amber colored crystals along the border or even an embroidered leaf design.

Your wedding favors are a great way to embrace the special nature of autumn. One trend is little mini pies in glass jars to take home. A mini apple pie would be the perfect choice for the season. Add your own customized tag or label to make it even more special. Another option for favors is frosted sugar cookies in the shape of autumn leaves. It is a simple favor, but with thoughtful presentation, it is a wonderful choice.

White Flowers for Winter Weddings

Winter white is always so elegant and stylish. When you are a bride, it makes perfect sense to use white flowers at any time of the year, and this is also true in the winter months. Whether you are planning a Winter Wonderland theme wedding, or a more classic all-white celebration, it will be made gorgeous by using these white flowers for winter weddings.

The funny thing about winter flowers is that many of the most classic blossoms are actually tropical. The tropical blossoms tend to be showy and dramatic; in other words, absolutely divine for a wedding! For a Christmas wedding, creamy white poinsettias would be perfect flowers for the altar, the entrance to the reception, and on buffet tables. Potted white poinsettias will give you a lot more bang for the buck than arrangements of cut flowers, especially because each blossom is so huge.

Amaryllis and lilies are some other marvelous choices for big showy winter white flowers. They would make spectacular bouquets for the bride in a formal cathedral wedding. Picture a bouquet of showy amaryllis dripping with strands of crystals to complement a beaded ballgown and crystal bridal jewelry. Or if you want something striking but more sleek, carry a large presentation bouquet (an arm bouquet) of elegant white or ivory calla lilies tied with a wide satin ribbon. Pair it with a vintage inspired silk charmeuse gown, dangling crystal bridal jewelry, and a white fur shrug for a look that has all the glamor of a 1930s Hollywood film star.

Tiny white jasmine flowers are another wonderful white winter wedding decoration. Though dainty, they are powerfully fragrant; jasmine is often a key note in perfume. The little star shaped blossoms lend themselves beautifully to a winter wedding design. Because they are petite, use them in combination with other floral elements, such as white roses and green pine bough garlands. The heavenly scent will add the often-overlooked element of fragrance to your wedding.

Beautiful Wedding Programs

Your wedding programs should fit the overall theme of your event, but they need not match the rest of the wedding stationery suite exactly (unless you want them to, of course). Spend the time to make your programs look really special by using a beautiful paper, a carefully selected font, and pretty embellishments such as ribbons or tassels. Naturally, you will want them to be done using your wedding colors, and they can coordinate with other aspects of your design as well. For instance, if you love the sparkle of your crystal wedding jewelry, add a small crystal tassel to the corner of each program to dress it up.

Some of the most fun programs are not even printed on standard paper. If you were having an outdoor summer wedding, you could print the ceremony details on a pretty paper fan. The special fan would not only let your guests know what music you used in the processional and who wrote the poem from your vows, but it can be used to keep cool on a hot afternoon. Pretty, unique, and practical – what’s not to love? The same idea can be adapted to suit weddings at other times of the year, as well.

For a wedding done in a modern style, think about creating programs in a non-traditional shape, such as circles. Be sure that the font you select reflects the overall style of your event. A bold sans-serif block print is ideal for a bride who loves contemporary design. Another way to play up an ultra modern style is to use a variety of font sizes in unexpected ways. The easy-to-read sans-serif font will ensure that the offbeat printing style is still extremely legible. Splashy color combinations like cherry and aqua or mango and lime look fantastic for this updated take on the wedding program.

There are many more great ways to make your programs unique and fun. You could create an old-fashioned scroll, a playbill fit for a Broadway show (let your inner diva shine!), or even a message in a bottle for a beach wedding. The most important thing is that the programs express your personality and enhance the theme of your event…oh, that and getting them done on time – always start making diy programs long before the wedding date!

Evening Wedding Themes

Evening weddings have a special appeal all their own. After dark, you can really pull out all the stops when it comes to glamor, sophistication, and even entertainment. These are some ideas for spectacular evening wedding themes.

Casino Night. If you want your wedding to have an emphasis on fun and glamor, consider a casino theme. Base your wedding design around the sophisticated style of an upscale casino in Monte Carlo or one of the palaces in Las Vegas, all with a bit of retro flair. Crystal chandeliers, gold chargers, and heavy cut crystal glasses are the order of the day. For the bride, a slinky beaded sheath dress with dramatic crystal chandelier earrings would be fabulous, and the bridesmaids can be equally glamorous in satin column dresses with crystal bridesmaid jewelry. Naturally, the high point of the reception will be the gaming; bring in professionals to run games like roulette and blackjack after dinner. Chances are that real gambling for money would be illegal, so let your guests play for chips and pride.

Starry Night. Picture a clear ceiling tent under a mass of twinkling stars for your wedding reception. This would create a spectacular place in which to celebrate your wedding. If you cannot conjure up real stars, drape midnight blue fabric over the ceiling of your venue and light it with thousands of tiny twinkling white lights. Play up the star theme in subtle ways throughout your wedding, such as using pierced votive candle holders which have tiny star shapes. A wedding cake painted to resemble Van Gogh’s famous “Starry Night” painting would be a real show stopper.

Masquerade. This is a particularly fun theme for a wedding on New Year’s Eve. Instead of standard wedding favors, give each guest a beautiful handmade mask to wear for dancing after the reception. You can take your inspiration from the lavish masks which are made in Venice, Italy or the flamboyant purple, gold, and green masks which are a huge part of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The perfect bridal gown for the masquerade theme would be a lavishly embroidered and beaded strapless ballgown, worn with opulent wedding jewelry, and of course, a custom white feather and crystal mask. One thing is for sure: you will get some fantastic wedding photos!

Wedding After-Party Ideas

If you can’t stand the thought of your wedding ending, why not keep the fun going into the wee hours of the morning? After the formal reception concludes, more and more couples are inviting their friends to keep celebrating with them in an after-party. Take a look at these great ideas for wedding after-parties.

The after-party should reflect your taste and also the tastes of your friends. For instance, if you and your friends love nature and being outside, this could be the inspiration for your post-reception celebration. After the reception officially ends, invite your friends to join you around a bonfire for singing, dancing, and even homemade s’mores. It is a fun way to kick back and relax with your close friends, especially if a lot of them will be coming in from out of town. Just be sure to note on the invitations that a bonfire will follow the reception and let guests know to bring a casual change of clothes so they can fully enjoy the experience.

Another really fun idea for a wedding after-party is a karaoke party. Hire a d.j. and bring in the microphones and other equipment to encourage everyone to get up on stage and belt out their favorite tunes. The conclusion of a wedding is a great time for a karaoke party, because most people will already have a few shots of “liquid courage” in them to help them release their inner diva. The bride should be sure to have a sassy party dress to change into, along with big sparkly Swarovski crystal earrings to really get into the party spirit.

If most of your out of town guests will be staying in the same hotel, that could be a convenient location for a party after the reception. It could be as informal as an announcement that the newlyweds will be heading to the bar at such and such hotel, and they would love to see their friends there. If you want to be a little more organized about it, see if the hotel has a private room in their lounge or restaurant. Another option is to rent a suite in the hotel and stock it with drinks and snacks for a fun after-party. Any of these options are very appealing when the wedding is done by the early evening and guests will be looking for something to do for the rest of the night. Keeping the party going sure beats staring at the walls in your hotel room!

Wherever you decide to host your wedding after-party, spread the word in advance by email or by word of mouth, or just make an announcement at the end of the reception. There is nothing like keeping a great time going on all night!

Decorate Your Wedding Ceremony Entrance

When your guests first arrive at your wedding location, it is great if the outside of the building gives some hint as to the celebration taking place within. A classic decoration for church doors is to hang a wreath on the outside. Wreaths are great, because there are so many different styles in which you can make them. Use classic boxwood for an elegant and restrained wreath, perhaps adorned with a large silver bow. Or make a more flowery wreath, using a mixture of greens and your wedding flowers. Wreaths can get very fancy too; if you were having a Winter Wonderland theme wedding and wearing a lot of sparkly crystal jewelry, you could create a crystal studded wreath.

Another lovely way to decorate your ceremony entrance is with a garland over the door. This works beautifully for any shape or size of door, and can be used in addition to wreaths, or by itself. Garlands can take many forms. Most of us are familiar with the pine garlands used at Christmas, but there are also garland designs which would be perfect for a wedding outside of the holiday season. Pretty greens with flowers look lovely at any time of the year. For an evening wedding, wrap the garland with tiny white lights to illuminate the entrance. Large magnolia leaves make a dramatic garland with a Southern flair. Accent with pretty ribbons in your wedding colors.

Potted topiaries will add an elegant style to any wedding ceremony entry way. The classic round balls are very pretty for any formal wedding. Tie a bow under the first ball on the topiary to make it more festive. A great look can be created by combining a few different topiary forms, such as the round balls, cones, and tall twisted topiaries. As the style tends to be rather formal, topiaries look best when displayed in very balanced groups or even perfectly symmetrical pairs. This would be an excellent choice to adorn the entrance of a grand old stone mansion.

Don’t think that entrance decorations are only for churches or fancy mansions. A rustic barn wedding can be dressed up with the addition of natural elements like bundles of wheat standing on either side of the front door. (Wheat can also be used to create wreaths or garlands, if you wish.) As barn interiors can tend to be dark, another great idea is to suspend a mass of floating candles in tiny clear globes over the entryway. This is a wonderful addition that will sure to make your guests feel very welcome.

Geometric Motifs for Weddings

If you are looking for a wedding motif that is elegant and not too in-your-face, try selecting a geometric design. This guide will help to you see all the many ways you can design your wedding theme around a geometric motif.

A wonderful way to design your wedding around your favorite geometric design is to pick one that will tie in well with many of the wedding elements. In other words, let’s say that you fell in love with an Art Deco design, and have decided to use it on your wedding invitations. Perhaps you want to take it a step further and decorate your colors in the icy blue and silver tones which were prevalent in the Art Deco period. A sleek silky wedding gown with clear crystal bridal jewelry, a martini bar, and before you know it, you will have planned an entire fabulous wedding based on the inspiration of your geometric motif!

One geometric motif which is very easy to use for a wedding is the classic Greek Key design. A nice thing about this motif is that it is one which any groom would like, unlike many of the more flowery wedding themes. The simple shape would look excellent printed in gold around the border of a heavy cream invitation. It would be a very handsome design to have stitched around the border of simple white or ivory tablecloths for the reception tables. If you want to play up the “Greek” part of the Greek Key motif, consider serving delicious foods like spanakopita and baklava.

Whether you ultimately choose your geometric motif based on a Celtic knot, an art and design movement, or even a homespun sampler, be sure to really feature it throughout your wedding. One place you will definitely want to showcase your special design is on the wedding cake. Without a doubt, a wedding which is designed around a very special geometric motif is sure to be very sophisticated and stylish.