Gorgeous Fall Wedding Cakes

The design of your wedding cake should complement the overall style of your wedding. The rustic style is very popular for fall weddings. If you see yourself getting married in a barn wearing handcrafted bridal jewelry and carrying a casual bouquet of fall flowers, your cake should be equally rustic and full of country charm. A beautiful idea is a cake decorated with sunflowers. The cake itself would be lovely frosted in a cream colored buttercream frosting applied with a rough texture. Tie dark brown raffia around the base of each tier, and accent with several miniature sunflowers placed in clusters on each layer.

Another lovely idea for a fall wedding cake is a falling leaf theme. It can be done in a variety of ways, from an elegant monochromatic design to a colorful flurry of leaves to a minimalist metallic leaf pattern. Choose the style that best suits your wedding colors and theme. For instance, for a formal ballroom wedding, it would be very autumn chic to have a tall cake decorated with gilded gold leaves. Brides who prefer a more playful cake can opt for lots of different colors and shapes of sugar leaves scattered all over the cake in a random pattern. Real preserved leaves can be strewn about the cake table to continue the theme. A single color leaf made to resemble fiery red sugar maple leaves would be absolutely beautiful for any style of autumn wedding.

Your wedding cake can also be an opportunity to indulge your whimsical side. A very playful idea is to decorate the sides of the cake layers with flat cut out silhouettes made to look like your favorite forest animals. It would be just delightful to see a collection of woodland creatures like squirrels, foxes, and deer around the cake tiers. If you like, forest foliage and acorn shapes can also be added to the cake. Do it all in soft woodsy shades of pine green, mushroom, and brick red. This type of cake would be a natural choice for the bride who enjoys unique things which are handcrafted especially for her, such as one-of-a-kind letterpress invitations and custom bridal jewelry.

With nature being such a popular autumn theme, another fantastic option for a fall wedding cake is one made to look like tree bark. There are several approaches to this concept. The first is to frost a cake with dark chocolate icing that has been dragged with a tool to look like the bark of a tree. Decorate it with foresty accents, such as marzipan mushrooms and fern leaves made of gum paste. Another very cool tree inspired cake design is to frost the cake with a white chocolate ganache. When dusted with cocoa powder, it will look like the bark of a white birch tree. What a unique take on the white wedding cake!

City Wedding / Country Wedding

There are so many wonderful options for wedding venues! The only problem is that it can be hard to pick just one from among all of the beautiful choices. Chic urban loft? Charming country inn? Grand art museum? Rustic barn? These are some of the things to consider when deciding between having a city wedding or a country wedding.

Certainly, there are many fantastic things about getting married in a big city. The style and excitement are unmatched. The choices for venues are also marvelous. You could have an ultra-stylish cocktail party in a hip loft (so fun for your friends). Or rent a space in a grand venue, like the soaring atrium of a fine art museum after hours (perfect for a black tie wedding). Of course big cities also have spectacular venues overlooking sparkling skylines from high above, elegant hotels, private clubs, and unique gallery spaces. There is almost no limit, except of course, for your budget.

Country weddings have a much slower pace than city affairs. Some couples really like the laid-back vibe of a wedding out in the countryside “away from it all”. Obviously, there will be many more choices for outdoor weddings in natural settings once you head away from a big city. You could exchange your vows under an ancient oak tree, sip cocktails on the veranda of a charming country resort inn, or dance the night away in an old barn strung with white lights. Wear a charming lace or linen gown with special handcrafted bridal jewelry to complement the setting. Country weddings offer a lot of space and are generally very family friendly.

The budget can be one of the cons of a city wedding. While there are certainly affordable venues in any region, things do tend to cost more in major metropolitan areas. Also keep in mind that parking for a city wedding can be a big headache. Some of the cons to a country wedding can be that resources may be more limited. In a rural area, there may be only a handful of local florists, for instance. The city and the countryside both have a lot to offer. Each couple needs to weigh the pros and cons of each to come up with the place that will be perfect for them.

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.

Wedding Color Palettes Inspired by Nature

Sunrise / Sunset: For bold sun-drenched wedding colors, use the sun itself as your inspiration. Shades of golden yellow, orange, and pinkish-red are just gorgeous together. If you like, you can balance out the warm colors with a little bit of sky blue. Sunset colors would be ideal for a summer wedding, especially one by the ocean. Choose one of the main colors for bridesmaid dresses, and then use the rest in combination for everything from flowers to linens to stationery. Your signature cocktail? Tequila sunrise, of course!

Woodsy: Nature loving couples will adore the shades found in forests and woodlands for their wedding colors. Think shades of green like moss and fern, mushroom brown, cream, and bark. The green shades would be lovely for bridesmaids, and the cream tones ideal for the wedding gown and flowers. The bride may wish to wear unique handcrafted bridal jewelry in warm tones to complement the color palette. If you like the idea of a little contrast, bring in accents in deep violet, as if you stumbled across a patch of violets in a shady forest.

Peacock: Of course, there is nothing to say that nature inspired hues need to be understated. If you really want to make a splash with your wedding design, take your cue from nature’s flashiest creature: the peacock. Peacock colors would be absolutely stunning for a New Year’s Eve wedding! Not only can you choose dresses, flowers, and linens in the fabulous color palette, you can incorporate real peacock feathers into the wedding. The colorful feathers would be amazing tucked into bouquets and centerpieces. The bride can even wear a special headband made from crystals and peacock feathers which lay flat against the head. Such a unique headpiece will call for equally special handcrafted bridal jewelry.

Icy Blue: For a winter wedding, try a color palette that looks like snow: brilliant white, icy blue, and touches of silver. It is the perfect color scheme for a wedding in the frosty winter months. By the way, if you love the colors but find the “Winter Wonderland” theme to be a bit too literal, instead of snowflakes, use the icy blue color group to create an Art Deco inspired celebration. The cool sophisticated colors would be just right, and the sleek lines and high design of Art Deco would make for an ultra-chic wedding.

Reception Ceiling Decorations

These days, decorating the dinner tables at a wedding reception is not quite enough. After all, everyone has centerpieces, right? If you really want to make a splash, add some visual interest above the tables and the dance floor. Take a look at these fantastic ideas for reception ceiling decorations.

Chandeliers have become very popular in recent years, and they are still very much in style. However, even a great idea can feel a little bit stale when everyone does it, so if you want to decorate your reception with chandeliers, choose unique ones. Chandeliers with a vintage girly curlique form take on a cool retro edge that can be a little bit goth when they are painted in a flat black color. Give them a French boudoir flair by dressing them up with strings of beads and pairing them with pink and black striped tablecloths. If you want to create a moody effect, combine the black chandeliers with centerpieces featuring Black Magic roses and black ostrich feathers in a distressed black vase with Victorian curves.

A terrific idea for an outdoor wedding or a garden wedding is to suspend an eclectic collection of birdcages over the dance floor or the dinner tables. For a daytime wedding, leave them open or twine flowers and vines around the frame of the birdcages. In the evening, line the bottom of each cage with clear Plexiglass (to catch the drips) and set flickering candles inside to create a wonderfully romantic ambiance. It would be especially great for a retro wedding  if you are using letterpress invitations with a bird motif, and lots of handcrafted elements like felt flower bouquets and handcrafted bridal jewelry.

There is no such thing as too many flowers at a wedding. After all, why should the tables have all the fun? A gorgeous effect can be created by suspending balls of flowers over the tables. This is an especially good idea for decorating the space over long reception tables for family style service. The suspended flowers will look fantastic in a long row. As a bonus, with so many flowers over the table, you can keep tabletop decorations minimal, which allows for an unobstructed view of the person across the table; keeping sight lines open is great for getting a lively conversation going at the wedding dinner.

Creative Wedding Placecards

A beach wedding offers many fun possibilities for creative name cards at the table. If you love the style of casual handcrafted bridal jewelry with a beachy vibe, why not carry that feeling into your placecards? A very easy diy project is to take sand dollars or starfish and use a small piece of blue ribbon to tie name tags to them. Set each one in the middle of the guest’s plate at the dinner table over a napkin in a coordinating color. You will have a great addition to your table décor, and as a bonus, the weight of the sand dollar or starfish will keep the napkins anchored in case there is an ocean breeze.

For an autumn wedding, there are some great ideas for unique placecards. One of the loveliest is to paint pears a soft gold and tie a name tag to the stem. So simple, yet they will add a gracious look to the place settings. If your wedding is more casual, you could use a metallic calligraphy pen to write the name of each guest on a colorful autumn leaf. Use the preserved leaves so they will not crack or crumble. Mix up the colors of the leaves at each table for a great autumnal look.

One of the sweetest ways to display name cards is to place them on the edge of a wine glass at each seat. For a whimsical spring wedding, die cut bluebirds would be darling perched on the edge of each glass. Or use a pretty spring green leaf shape for a fresh look (almost like a garnish on the glass). Other nice motifs would be butterflies or slices of “fruit”. You can source the cut out cards in the scrapbooking section of a craft shop.

Another creative placecard idea is to set small cupcakes at each place and insert a banner on a stick with the name of the guest written on it. Not only will it look festive and fun, but your guests will be delighted to eat the sweet treat when they find their seats. This is a name card idea that will definitely add to your guests’ enjoyment of your wedding reception!

2010 Wedding Trend: Bridal Accessories with Color

The top bridal designers have just shown their latest collections in New York for 2010 brides. When it comes to accessories, one clear trend has emerged: color. Bridal accessories with color will be all the rage for 2010 weddings. Here are some ideas on how to capture this great trend for your own special day.

There are some wonderful ways in which bridal jewelry can be handcrafted with colorful accents while still maintaining that special character that makes it perfect for a wedding. One idea is to choose a handcrafted bridal jewelry set which is created from clear or AB crystals. Add a dash of color by having the designer switch out a few of the clear crystals for ones in your wedding color. This is a great idea, as you can use as much or as little color as you like. Keep the effect subtle with a pastel crystal (pink is especially popular) or go bold and use a stronger color like red.

Another idea for a bridal accessory with color is your wedding hair jewelry. Headbands have been very hot for brides the last few seasons, and they lend themselves to customization. A simple fabric headband can be embroidered with a lovely floral or vine motif in your favorite color. For a bit more pizazz, choose a fabric headpiece and have it beaded with glittering crystals or feminine pearls in a soft rosy color or a rich neutral like bronze. A fantastic alternative is a non-fabric headband made from a wire frame which is adorned with crystals and pearls. A combination of white pearls with colored and clear crystals is modern and fresh. This looks especially stunning when it is a double headband.

When you are thinking about wedding accessories, of course your shoes will be important. Even the most traditional bride can have fun with a pair of baby blue silk sandals peeking out from her conservative white wedding gown. Colorful shoes are also a fabulous accent for the ballerina length and hi-low hemlines that will be hot for 2010. Your accessories are a fantastic place to express your individuality and style, so have fun adding colorful accents that will make your bridal ensemble one-of-a-kind.

Secret Wedding Ceremonies

Fans of “The Office” got to watch Pam and Jim have two marriage ceremonies: the “official” one for family and friends, which was preceded by a secret one for just the two of them. Secret wedding ceremonies are not just for television characters; this is something that people actually do in real life. This is what you should know about secret wedding ceremonies, from the why to the when to the how.

Let’s start with the reason why an engaged couple might decide to have a secret wedding ceremony. The most common one is for the same reasons why Pam and Jim had their private vows on “The Office”: you feel as though the wedding day is becoming all about everyone else. So many couples get roped into having the wedding of someone else’s dreams that it increasingly feels like the real reason for the entire day gets lost in the hoopla. Having a private ceremony with just the two of you can be a way to recapture the idea that the whole point of having a wedding is to celebrate the love of the bride and groom as they pledge to spend their lives together.

When having a private exchange of vows, there are several key things to keep in mind. The most important one is that if you truly intend to keep it a secret and let everyone assume that they are watching you tie the knot at the big wedding, the secret must be held very closely. The reality is that “the bride and groom are already married” is way too big a secret for anyone to keep, so your best bet is to share the news with no one. Imagine how offended your immediate family would be to learn that you got married without telling them or inviting them.

Of course, a private marriage ceremony is a monumental occasion, even when you plan to follow it with a large public wedding. It will likely be low-key, but you should still make the effort to make the event special. The bride should wear a pretty dress along with some delicate handcrafted bridal jewelry. The dress worn to the secret vow exchange will likely be much less formal than the main wedding gown, perhaps simply a lovely day dress in your favorite color. Certainly the bride should have a bouquet, and it would be nice to hold your ceremony in a location that is beautiful and meaningful to you, whether that is overlooking a gorgeous lake or right in your own living room.

Fantastic Wedding Reception Ceiling Decorations

Who doesn’t want their wedding reception to be fabulous all the way from the ceiling to the floor? Once overlooked, these days suspended decorations are becoming a mainstay of wedding décor. Read on for inspiration for fantastic wedding reception ceiling decorations!

One of the hottest trends in wedding décor over the last few years has been chandeliers. Your venue does not have them? No problem! You can rent them for the day, and they come in a huge variety of styles. There are classic opulent crystal chandeliers, which are actually very popular for sprucing up tented weddings. Then there are feminine floral chandeliers, such as you might find in an ultra-girly boudoir. And for the bride who likes the unique quality of handcrafted bridal jewelry, there are handcrafted chandeliers in every material from beads to bark. They would be ideal for everything from a rustic barn wedding to a quirky loft affair.

Large graphic elements are a great design element for a modern style wedding. Suspend huge silver balls from the ceiling at different heights for a striking effect that will wow your guests. For a pop art effect, go for large spheres in bold colors like red, lime green, and bright orange. They would look fantastic if you keep the rest of the décor sleek and minimalist, done mostly in stark white.

Ceiling decorations can also be very sweet and romantic. Paper parasols look lovely when suspended from a ceiling en masse. You can either choose one color, or use an array of different shades. The parasols would be an excellent device to camouflage an unattractive ceiling in a tent, or an acoustic tile ceiling in a reception hall. This would also be a nice detail for an Asian inspired wedding.

There are many other ideas for reception ceiling décor, ranging from the ultra-elegant strands of crystals to the so-tacky-it’s-cool mirrored disco ball. It is all a question of finding the ceiling décor that will give your reception that extra bit of oomph. You will find that decorating your reception venue from the top down will truly make your wedding look breathtaking.

Modern Wedding Bouquets

To design a wedding bouquet that feels fresh and contemporary, there are a variety of elements to play with. You can choose a classic flower, but take it up a notch by doing it in a bold color. Or you can select flowers with an updated feeling. Another idea is to incorporate non-floral elements into your handcrafted wedding bouquet, such as feathers or crystals to match your bridal jewelry.

The best modern wedding bouquets will tie in with the style of the wedding gown and the overall feel of the wedding. If you are having your wedding in an urban loft, and wearing a chic wedding gown with unique handcrafted bridal jewelry, a traditional nosegay of white flowers will detract from the vision that you are trying to bring to life. Your flowers should be as streamlined and hip as your venue. A bouquet of sultry dark red dendrobium orchids or hot orange calla lilies would fit the bill perfectly.

Unique elements are one of the trademarks of modern wedding flowers. Your bouquet does not have to be limited to just flowers; for that matter, it does not have to include any flowers at all. A fabulous statement making bouquet can be designed using all feathers. Choose either bleached white peacock feathers (marvelous for a Winter Wonderland wedding), or go for all out glamor with multicolored peacock feathers. If an all feather bouquet feels a bit too bold, try incorporating a few feathers into a floral bridal bouquet for a dash of flair.

There are many other intriguing natural elements that can be used to make a bouquet fresh and interesting. Think about using nontypical greens, such as bear grass or hosta leaves. Plants with a unique texture or form can also be layered in; great options include seed pods, fiddlehead ferns, kangaroo paw plants, and vines. You can also choose an unusual plant as your main flower, such as a succulent. Have some fun working with your florist to design a bouquet that is contemporary, unique, and above all, one that reflects your personal style.