The Mix and Match Wedding Trend

September 25th, 2010

Brides these days are moving away from the type of wedding where everything is perfectly coordinated. Instead, a natural and colorful trend is on the rise that is all about creating a festive and relaxed atmosphere. Get inspired by the mix and match wedding trend when planning your own celebration.

Bridesmaid dresses are one of the top things that are being mixed up lately.  Nowadays, even the color coordination is being tossed out, in favor of exuberant bridal parties full of lively colors. Kelly green, fuchsia, cobalt blue, you name it, the colors can be put together for the bridesmaids. The unifying theme is that all the colors are equally vibrant (or all equally pale and delicate, if you prefer). To give your group of bridesmaids a sense of cohesiveness, give them all similar bridesmaid jewelry gifts.

A really fun way to give your reception space a funky appeal is to mix and match chair colors.  For instance, a sorbet palette of pale watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew would be fabulous for a spring wedding. Or opt for sophisticated tones such as chocolate, moss green, and taupe for a fall celebration. The concept works equally well for slipcovered chairs, chairs with cushions, or even wood laminate seating in fun colors.

Centerpieces are another wonderful idea for mix and match wedding design. Who says that every table has to be decorated with the same flowers or even the same colors? You can absolutely have pink tulips on one table, deep red roses on the next one, and ivory peonies on the one next to that. The key is to have something about your centerpieces that is common for all of them. Choose similar vases, a general color family, or centerpieces with a similar fullness and height. The style of the blossoms should make sense together, especially in terms of formality. Gerbera daisies paired with orchids simply would not flow well, whereas Gerbera daisies and wildflowers would be charming together for mix and match centerpieces.

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Simple Ways to Make Your Wedding Unique

June 18th, 2010

Every bride wants her wedding to be beautiful and memorable. Most brides also want their wedding to stand apart from the crowd, even if their taste is fairly traditional. This is a look at some simple ways to make your wedding unique.

An Oval Wedding Cake. The round tiered cake is definitely expected. Square cakes are interesting, but may be a bit too contemporary for some weddings. A wonderful way to make your wedding cake distinctive is to use oval tiers rather than round. It is very elegant, appropriate for a traditional or formal reception, and yet is just unexpected enough to have a great wow factor. Be sure to play up the non-traditional oval shape by having a decorative border emphasizing the outline of each tier.

Mis-matched Bridesmaid Dresses. The perfectly matched set of bridesmaids no longer feels so fresh. A very easy way to make your wedding a little different is to let each attendant choose her own attire. Some brides will make it wide open and say, “Pick any pink dress with pearl bridesmaid jewelry”, while others might narrow it down to a specific color and fabric and request that each woman pick her favorite dress within one designer’s collection. When your bridesmaids feel their best, they will look their most beautiful.

High and Low Centerpieces. Who says that the centerpieces for each table at the reception must be uniform? A great trend is to create several different centerpiece designs in heights which range from high to low. As long as they are in similar colors and use at least some of the same flowers and elements, the varied centerpieces will maintain a cohesive style across the reception space. You can’t beat the visual interest created by mixing and matching your table arrangements. Like the oval wedding cake, this is an idea which works as well for formal weddings as it does for less traditional receptions.

Creative Escort Cards. Rather than using the standard white tent cards to let guests know their table number, try something a bit different. For a garden wedding, use die-cut bird cards and hang them from a tree with pretty ribbons. For a beach wedding, use lay out starfish in a tray of sand, and tie a tag with the name and table number of each guest to a starfish. Having a formal wedding? Paint pears gold and attach name tags to their stems. Arrange the gold pears in elegant lacquered boxes on tables for an eye-catching and stylish alternative to the basic white escort cards.

Let your creativity be your guide, and you are sure to find even more ways to add unique character to your wedding, whether it is traditional or informal.

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