Guest Book Ideas

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Face it, guest books are boring.

I ran across this very fun idea today that you might like.

This one was done by having the guests put their fingerprint on the tree and then add thier name. It kind of oooges me out to think of my guests having to be fingerprinted for my wedding.

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Here is another idea that I think I like better. Get a line drawing or painting of a tree with out leaves

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Then get either die cut leaves from some where like Paper Source , Hobby Lobby or Micheals or get a paper punch and make your own and have your guests sign them.

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You could get some pretty baskets or glass bowls to fill with leaves and a pen and use them as parts of your centerpieces. Put another on with the tree picture and a small sign explaining the idea.

Once the wedding is over, put the leaves on your tree. Frame it and you have a piece of art to treasure for ever.

Or you could just have a boring book you won’t ever look at again.

Filed Under: DIY Weddings, Finding Inspiration, guest books, Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

Picking Your Wedding Colors

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One of the thing that so many brides seem to find to be a speed bump in their wedding planning is picking the right colors.

My advice has always been to start by looking in your closet. Face it, don’t you buy the clothes that look best on you? Well it only seems right that the colors you look great in would be a great place to start with the colors you want to surround you on your wedding day. Savvy?

So, look to your closet then look to your venue. How can you make those two work together? Still stuck? Throw the season of your wedding into the mix.

Now that you have some foundation of the colors you look best in and the canvas you have to work with, get busy with some of the best tools on the internet.

These are great for providing inspiration.

Preston Bailey’s Color Picker

Bride’s Color Studio for Receptions

Panetone Wedding by the Dessy Group

Still stuck? Here are a few tools that you can pop in a picture and it will break out all the colors in it.

ColourLovers

Big Huge Lab Color Palette Generator

Kuler

Ok, got your colors? You can search Google images by color and collect some image that inspire you and you are ready to make your inspiration board. Here are tool really easy tools for that.

Picasa

Big Huge Labs Mosaic Maker

If you are anything like me, you have just spent an entire day playing with colors! I hope it helped you find the palette that makes your heart sing.

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Far From the Pale. Soft, Romatic Weddings

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There is something so romantic about pale, soft colors. ~sigh~

After the last few years of bright, bold, contemporary look in weddings, soft is making a come back.

Pale doesn’t mean colorless. This table decor has cream, yellow, silver, green and blue in a shabby chic look.

champagne table decor{source}

The soft off white lace blends beautifully with the soft peach chiffon bridesmaids dresses.

peach-bridesmaid-dresses

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Not only are the colors soft, but the flowers in this bouquet from The Martha are soft and fluffy.

MSW peach bouquet{source}

Even when the design is over the top, these colors add a certain romance. Don’t you think?
Preston Bailey aisle

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The colors, the flowers chosen and the very restrained use of black as an accent are what this look is all about.

Pale pink & green bouquet{source}

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Filed Under: Finding Inspiration, Flower Friday, Wedding decor Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Rustic Table Decor

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As weddings trend towards more casual affairs, it’s time to rethink your table decor. These rustic table are fun, pretty and certainly something you could consider DIYing.Rustic table decor

1. Blue gift bags hold sunflowers and roses and lemons make unique place cards. Burlap makes a casual table cloth. {source}

2. A feasting table makes the most of the narrow confines of this barn. The mismatched china and garden flowers in mason jars give it a shabby chic look. {source}

3. Blue chairs, stemless glassware and lanterns are brightened up by simple arrangements of sunflowers in milk glass vases. {source}

4. A collection of bright colorful cans are re-purposed as vases and fill with garden grown zinnias. {source}

5. This look is perfect for a wine country or summer field wedding. The color palette of white with pale sage and brown is fresh and summery. {source}

6. This tented wedding is a result of the use of the tanned golden browns of a late summer field. The chairs really make it. Shop the picture with the rental firms in your area to see what alternatives they can offer. {source}

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Filed Under: DIY Weddings, Finding Inspiration, Green Weddings, Wedding decor Tagged With: , , , ,

Pretty Aisle Decor

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One of the first things your guests see is the aisle decor. Whether you are saying I Do in a church, a ball room or a garden it is one of the things that set the tone for your entire event. It gives your guests a taste of things to come. It is also an important part of the backdrop for your ceremony pictures.

Aisle decor doesn’t have to be boring, or expensive. I hope these inspire you do something fun with your aisle.

Oh and remember, you can always reuse these as part of your reception decor.aisle decor collage 😉

1. I love these rose petal patterns. {source}

2. While this technically wasn’t used as aisle decor, it certainly could be. This was done by friend of the Dish, Branching Out Event Florist {source}

3. I know I have used this image before but it just makes me smile! {source}

4. This little baby has that shabby chic look. I would be perfect in a slightly wild garden. {source}

5. Easy look for fall. Rent the hurricanes, add a bag of silk fall leaves. Presto! {source}

6. Pretty pomanders. What sets these apart is the attention to the ribbon detail; high quality ribbon and nice bows make them special. {source}

7. Floating candles and orchids are set off by good lighting choices. This would look spectacular at a night wedding. {source}

8. Aisle decor doesn’t have to be floral. I love the creativity of this one. {source}

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Filed Under: Finding Inspiration, Flower Friday, Wedding decor Tagged With: , , ,

4 Tips for Keeping Your Wedding Decor Budget Inline

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Every bride wants a beautiful backdrop for her big day. When it comes to what you can spend on your floral and decor budget, the sky is the limit.

I was chatting with friend of the Dish, event designer extraordinaire Vicki Sanders yesterday and these tips came up. They are just little things to keep in mind that will trim your decor budget without resorting to the dreaded rose bowl with a single floating candle.

Wedding centerpiece with Stargazer Lilies, coral peonies

1. Limit your seating. Huh? Look at this, unless you are serving a seated plated dinner you do not need seating for every guest. By eliminating 2 or 3 tables you are also eliminating 2 or 3 centerpieces. If you are doing mostly heavy finger foods you could use a bit of lounge furniture and some smallish cocktail tables. Smaller tables, smaller centerpieces.

2. Choose your flowers carefully. I know that you already know that if you choose in season flowers you will save, but there is more to it than that. The minute you get you heart set on a specific flower, you are setting yourself up to spend more than you need to achieve your look. Work with your floral designer to determine which flowers will achieve your look AT THE TIME OF YOUR WEDDING. Short story, a bride simply had to have coral peonies, sadly her wedding was 2 weeks before they became abundant. By using coral roses and white peonies the florist could have saved her a bundle and still gotten her color and the fluff of peonies. If you absolutely have to have a specific flower, limit it to your wedding bouquet and let the florist make suggestions for the rest of your wedding decor.

3. Rent your containers instead of buying them. Even if you are going to DIY your wedding flowers this can save you significantly. You will get higher quality containers, you won’t have to figure out what to do with them after your wedding and you won’t have spent days and days running all over town trying to find them.

4. Think about your labor cost. Your floral design teams time is not free. Every little thing adds time. A bride recently told my friend that she wanted her vases lined with lime slices. Beautiful look. When she was quoted the price to do this she just didn’t get it, so she asked how much if she bought the limes and brought them to the florist. Fail. What was expensive was the time it would take to uniformly slice a case of limes and then double vase to hold them in place in the arrangement.  What you are requesting may seem like a minor detail, but take a minute to think about the labor involved.

These tips and tricks are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the knowledge that true wedding professional bring to the table. DIY or hiring a novice may seem like a great idea at the time, but in the long run, the true pros earn their fees because of what they know.

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Filed Under: DIY Weddings, Finding Inspiration, Wedding decor Tagged With: , , , , ,

Spring Green Wedding Cakes

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Maybe it is because the leaves are starting to burst forth outside the treehouse window , but today I was just feelin’ green cakes. Here are a few of the prettiest I found. Enjoy!

Green Wedding Cakes For Spring1.The caning detail is what makes this cake. Be sure you choose a really great sugar artist for this one; getting that kind of precision piping is harder than it looks. {source}

2. Whimsical polka dots for the fun couple. I would have liked to see a different topper, but then I am picky about cakes. {source}

3. Spring Green hexagon cake with delicate sugar flowers. I love how the flowers get lighter as they go up. It helps the ‘weight ‘ the cake and gives it an hombre effect. {source}

4.Pale green stripes in a variety of hues keep this look light and airy. The sugar orchids are exquisite. Cake by Cheryl Kleinman {source}

5.This casual, fun cake brings in the lushness of chocolate to complete the look. The sides are Piroette cookies. Cake by my personal hero, Rose Levy Birnbaum.  {source}

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Tips & Tricks: Fresh Herb Centerpieces

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If you are looking for something to use as centerpieces for a more laid back garden or country wedding my personal favorite is to use potted herbs. They look great, they smell great and they are more earth friendly than cut flowers.Centerpieces-herbs

If this is something you are going to DIY now is the time to get busy.Get an idea of the arrangement you want and then figure out how many plants you will need per table.

Even if your wedding isn’t for months do your shopping now.The garden centers and farmer’s markets are packed to the rafters with an amazing variety of herbs in the early spring. Grab your sweetie on the next pretty day and head on out to the biggest market or garden center in your area.Garden Center in Chicago Grand Street Gardens Look for small (2″ or3″ pots) herbs in a variety of colors, heights and textures. Thymes are nice for a low plant, sage is a pretty color with a large leaf and rosemary will add height. Chives and lavender will flower, so will chamomile. Take some time to play around with a different mix to see what you like.small pots of herbs from the garden center

If you are using clay pots, I have found the best place to get the really small ones is at the craft store. The are inexpensive and plentiful. For the most impact, get a variety of sizes and remember to get the saucers to go with them.ClayPots-main_Full

Once you get home, you can paint the pots or put them outside to weather naturally. To get a really weathered look, go head and pot your new baby herbs and then sink the pots in your garden or surround them with mulch. The clay will start to get that weathered patina that you see here. Potted herb escort cards

If you are going the galvanized pail route, check out the either the craft stores or the paint department of you local home improvement big box store for deals.

herb centerpiece with ribbon detail

Yes I do realize that you will have to take care of these plant until your wedding. You never know, you may discover that you had a green thumb all along.

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