A Down East Wedding

October 30th, 2008

Whether you are a native of Maine, or have just fallen in love with its beauty on a vacation, Maine can be a great place to have a wedding. There are so many fun elements that you can use to celebrate Maine as you celebrate your marriage. A Down East wedding is sure to be a great time!

Maine is famous for many things, including lobsters, boating, blueberries, and its’ unspoiled forests and mountains. There are countless ways that you can incorporate the best of Maine into your wedding plans. All you have to do is to pick one or two motifs that you can incorporate throughout your wedding scheme.

A great place to start is with the famous Maine lobster. This makes a great motif that you can use in many ways. To set the tone, choose wedding invitations with lobsters on them. For an informal wedding, you could use stationary with a large red lobster; if your style is more formal, then an understated gold engraved lobster would be nice on the top of the invitation.

For attire, the men can wear navy blazers with khakis. Of course they will want to wear navy ties with tiny red lobsters on them! The bride should look for a simple and elegant gown to coordinate with the informal attire worn by the men. A strapless gown with pearl bridal jewelry would strike just the right note. Make sure that your bridesmaids are equally well-turned out by giving them gifts of pearl bridal jewelry to wear, as well.

Couples who want to go with a nautical Maine theme will find countless options. A sailboat motif is one great idea; another would be a nautical map or ship’s wheel motif. These graphic designs will work very well on everything from invitations and place cards to the favors and even the wedding cake. To really bring a nautical theme to life, look for a reception venue that is near the ocean. A yacht club or an outdoor setting near the water’s edge would both be good choices.

Whichever way you decide to express it, you can’t beat the charm of a Down East wedding. The great state of Maine has so much to offer. It is up to you to pick the perfect Maine theme to create a wedding that your guests will never forget.

Filed under Bridal Jewelry, Bridesmaid Gifts, Bridesmaid Jewelry, pearl bridal jewelry, Wedding Planning | Tags: , , , | Comment (0)

An All-Ivory Wedding

October 11th, 2008

One of the most elegant themes that you can choose for your wedding is all-ivory. Perfect for a formal affair, this look is very elegant. Decorating your wedding with shades of ivory is a wonderful, traditional wedding design.

If you decide on ivory gowns for your bridesmaids, it would be nice to let them choose their own style, just to add some variety and visual interest to the wedding party. Naturally, for an all-ivory wedding, you will want your attendants to wear pearl bridesmaid jewelry. Many women will already own some basic pearls, but you may want to choose a special piece of pearl bridesmaid jewelry that you can give them as a gift to wear for your wedding.

If you are a bride who loves the classics, it will be very easy for you to design an all-ivory wedding. Many beloved wedding flowers, such as roses, tulips, and lilies, will be available to you. When you are working with a monochromatic color scheme, you will want to add interest by using a variety of textures or subtle patterns. For instance, you could set the tables with ivory linens in a brocade design.

There are many ways to use an ivory color palette in a less traditional way, as well. One of the really fun accents that a bride can choose is feathers. Feathers can be used in the most remarkable way, and the classic ivory color will make sure that they read as texture, not as anything too over-the-top. An innovative florist can also do amazing things with feathers in the bouquets and centerpieces.

Another idea for an all-ivory wedding design is to focus on candles – lots and lots of candles. You can have flickering votives in glass holders suspended from branches as your centerpieces. Use lots of pillar candles in varying heights and textures on the tables around your centerpieces to add to the effect. All of that glowing candlelight would be ideal for an evening wedding.

An all-ivory wedding is one of the most elegant looks that you can choose. It will turn any reception site into a beautiful bridal wonderland. Best of all, the limited color palette will allow all of the attention to be focused on the bride – right where it belongs!

Filed under Bridesmaid Gifts, Bridesmaid Jewelry, Wedding Planning | Tags: , , , , | Comment (0)

Types of Bridesmaid Jewelry

October 6th, 2008

One of the most popular gifts that a bride can give to her bridesmaids is jewelry. It makes a great gift because it is timeless, and it is something that your bridesmaids can wear at your wedding. There are so many wonderful choices that it can be hard to know where to start!

A very popular type of bridesmaid jewelry is the Swarovski crystal jewelry set. These glittering crystals are beloved world wide for their superior sparkle and crisp shine. They also have a nice weight, which means that pieces made with Swarovski crystals will hang very well.

Another reason that many brides love to give crystal bridesmaid jewelry is that you can have it handmade to match your wedding colors. The crystals are available in every color imaginable, from the pure look of the clear ones, to pastel blue to bold red, and everything in between. This makes it very easy to coordinate your gift to the dresses that your attendants will be wearing.

Crystals are by no means the only option for bridesmaid jewelry. Pearls are another extremely popular choice. Pearl jewelry has a timeless elegance that is unmatched by any other gem. There is a softness and feminine quality to pearls that makes them perfectly suited to weddings.

Personalized silver jewelry is an especially nice gift for your bridesmaids. Having a bracelet or necklace engraved with their monogram will make the piece very special to them. It also shows that you took the time to select a piece of jewelry just for them, which is always appreciated.

There are other types of bridesmaid jewelry available that are great for special types of weddings. For your destination wedding, you can choose from jewelry such as silver dolphin bracelets, monogrammed shell necklaces, and casual but stylish earrings made from coin or keshi pearls. Many of those same pieces are also great for the bride, so don’t forget about yourself!

The bridesmaid jewelry that you give to your attendants will be something that they will have forever. Fortunately, there are so many terrific options that your biggest challenge will probably be how to narrow it down to just one choice!

Filed under Bridesmaid Gifts, Bridesmaid Jewelry | Tags: , , , , | Comment (0)

Shopping for Bridesmaid Dresses

August 5th, 2008

Sometimes choosing dresses for the bridesmaids is more stressful than finding a wedding gown. At least the wedding gown only has to look great on one person – the bride! When it comes to your attendants, though, you will be looking for one style or color that works for a lot of different ladies. For the best luck, you may wish to start by deciding which type of store will suit your needs the best.

The traditional place to buy bridesmaid dresses is at a bridal salon, often the same one where you got your wedding gown. The main advantage to this type of store is that they will have the biggest selection of dresses, and can order them in virtually any size. A little perk is that if you buy your bridesmaid dresses in the same store as your gown, they may offer you a discount on them (usually 10%).

The biggest disadvantage to a bridal store is likely to be the cost. Traditional bridesmaid gowns are going to be the most expensive choice. This can be tough if your attendants are paying for their own dresses. A bride who selects a pricey dress for her attendants can take some of the sting out if by giving her bridesmaids their shoes, wraps, and pearl bridesmaid jewelry as a gift.

A lot of brides these days like to pick out a dress at a national retailer, such as J Crew or Ann Taylor. This can be a terrific choice for a bride whose attendants are scattered all around the country. It allows them to go down to the store in their local mall and try on the dress in person, which is great. (Returns, if needed, are usually very easy, too.)

Wherever you decide to purchase your bridesmaid dresses, make sure that you will be comfortable working with the retailer over a period of time. Online, catalog, or brick-and-mortar, be sure that the store has a good reputation. You want to know that if you have any special requests or issues that they will provide the outstanding customer service that every bride deserves.

Filed under Bridesmaid Gifts, Bridesmaid Jewelry, Wedding Planning | Tags: , , | Comment (0)

Are You Ready to Get Married?

June 23rd, 2008

Marriage is a very special thing, but it is not something that should be jumped into blindly. It is all too easy to get swept up in the romance of it all and get married either to the wrong person, or to the right person before you are ready.

Consider waiting if:

  • You are too young to drink at your wedding.
  • You think that butterfly tattoos make awesome bridesmaid gifts (they don’t – stick to something that won’t look ridiculous in ten years, like classic pearl jewelry).
  • Your mom has to tell you to take the gum out of your mouth before walking down the aisle.
  • You are getting married to escape your parents’ house.
  • You think that your marriage will be as perfect as the ones in the movies.

Marriage is wonderful if both people have an understanding of its meaning. The commitment to your relationship will deepen your love and strengthen your bond with your spouse. There is also a feeling of security that comes with marriage, as well as the pleasure of becoming part of a new family (hopefully you get along well with your in-laws!).

Filed under pearl bridal jewelry, Uncategorized | Tags: , , | Comment (0)
Next Entries »