Month: August 2016

Ways to Honour Lost Loved Ones At Your Wedding

Honouring a loved one or loved ones who have passed away is a really heartfelt and special thing to do on your wedding day. From remembering grandparents, parents, friends, or other loved ones who are no longer here, it adds a really personal touch to your wedding celebrations. Indeed it’s a day when family and friends who may not have seen each other in a long time, or perhaps even since the person in question has passed away, finally get together and it is only right that the person is remembered on this special day.

It can be emotional however! Especially as a wedding day is high on emotion at the best of times, so be prepared to shed a tear when you do see your tribute in the flesh. There’s lots of ways to honour someone and they don’t all have to be grand gestures. There’s plenty of ways to do it privately which indeed can be even more special. The thing to remember is that, there is no wrong way to remember someone and do whatever feels right for you both as a couple.

If you’d like to chat about this or any other aspect of your wedding day décor, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

 

Private Tribute
You don’t have to make a public tribute to your loved one. Instead something private can be even more meaningful and special. Think about wearing something of the deceased maybe earrings, a necklace or cufflinks or even the wedding bands themselves? Or what about putting a small photo of the loved one the bride’s bouquet or the grooms buttonhole? Speaking of the flowers why not incorporate the person’s favourite blooms into the bouquets?

 

Photos and Candles
Photos are of course one of the easiest ways to remember a loved one or loved ones. Setting up a photo or memory table at your reception is a lovely way to remember them. This can be photos on a table, or you could get creative and have a photo wall or board. Look for photos of them maybe on their wedding day and leave a note to guests to explain the significance. Also having some candles interspersed with the photos looks lovely too. And don’t forget a message or dedication. You could also have photos of the deceased on a chair or seat at the ceremony in their honour.

Make a Toast
This can be a little hard to do, especially as emotions are running high on the wedding day anyway, but if you think you can hold it together, then making a toast or small speech is a truly beautiful way to pay tribute to a loved one. You can talk about them as a person and the impact they had on your life and end with a small toast.

 

Favours
This gives you lots of scope to be creative. You might want to offer guests something that was a favourite of the person you’re trying to remember, such as a chocolate, a mini bottle of their favourite tipple, macaroons, jams, soaps, flowers, seeds etc and this can be kept private in that only you or your partner know, or you can have a little note to explain the meaning for each guest. If the person may have passed away after a battle with an illness, a lovely way to remember them is with a donation to a foundation that aids others with the same condition in lieu of an actual favour. Many charities do this and offer little notes to explain for each guest.

 

 

It’s a Sign – Wedding Signs to Love

From the basics of ushering your guests through to the correct part of the venue, to fun sayings and quotes, signs have become an integral part of a wedding day celebration. Today there are literally thousands of fantastically designed signs you can incorporate into your wedding day and indeed the DIY lover can have a ball with chalkboards, antique style signs, mirrors, bunting signs and so much more.

Rather than seeing signs as something perfunctory, try and see them as an addition to your décor. Look for signs with creative designs, fun embellishments and consider how they might fit in with your photos too.

And don’t forget the content of the signs themselves. Think about your favourite romantic quotes, or something to encourage people to get up on the dancefloor, or advice on free seating etc.

If you’d like to chat about this or any other aspect of your wedding day décor, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

 

For the Ceremony
Today many couples decide to do away with the traditional bride and grooms side of the church or ceremony venue and encourage guests to sit together, or wherever they choose. A sign is an ideal way to inform a guests for your intentions.

 

Order of Events
Often it’s nice to fill your guests in on how you want your wedding day to flow, especially if you’re going with something that’s a little different, for example if you’d like guests to gather for speeches before the meal, or get together for a sparkler send off or group photo, if you plan to have a food truck arrive later in the evening, etc, then a sign is the ideal way to make sure everyone is in on your plans.

 

Important Info
From instructions on how to sign a guestbook especially when it’s not traditional such as fingerprint trees, wishing jars, photo books etc, to any hashtags you might have for the wedding day, or directions to the bar, the sweet table, or the photobooth and how to use it. If you are having your ceremony and reception all in the one venue, then signs directing people to the different areas are also essential, so you don’t end up sending bridesmaids and groomsmen out to herd sheep.

 

The Wedding Photos
Signs can make fantastic props for your wedding photos. Get creative with the sort of signs you use and how you use them. For example why not have the bridesmaids or groomsmen hold up chalkboards with how you met them or are connected to them? Also your favourite sayings or quotes in signs would work really well.

 

Quotes and Sayings
From ‘all you need is love’, to ‘the best day ever,’ and everything in between, incorporating some of your favourite or all time classic romantic quotes, really adds something special to your wedding day. Plus they can look great in your wedding photos too!

 

Pretty Pearls Wedding Decor

There’s something very classic and elegant about pearls. Maybe it’s the whole Breakfast at Tiffany’s feel, or perhaps it’s the simple beauty of a pearl necklace, but whichever it is, their natural elegance makes them an ideal choice for wedding day décor. Aside from having pearls in the brides dress or jewellery selections, pearls can work incredibly well in a variety of ways on your big day. Pearls are the perfect partner to lace too, so consider that when you’re thinking about how you want your décor to look.

You don’t have to go over the top with the pearl detail either for it to look well. Indeed something as simple as a sprinkling of pearls on each table or some small accents on the chairs can be enough to make a subtle yet elegant impression. And don’t forget to add some colour in there too. Not all pearl style décor has to be white or cream. In fact accents of blush or blues can work really well.

If you’d like to chat about this or any other aspect of your wedding day décor and planning, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.

 

Bouquets/Buttonholes
Pearls wound around the base of the bride’s bouquet can look extremely elegant and classic and will be a subtle yet beautiful detail to add into your wedding day photos. Adding a few pearls to the grooms buttonhole is another really nice touch. If you want to kick it up a notch, why not add pearls into the bouquet itself or indeed have a boutique made entirely of different sized pearls for a really stunning effect?

 

Chairs
Pearls are a wonderful alternative to traditional chair covers and sashes. They also work well with almost all types of chairs, but are especially suited to Chiavari chairs. For a simple look, drape some pearls over the back of the chairs or from the sides. If you prefer something a little more ornate, then why not combine the pearls with ribbon and flowers for something really stunning.

 

Centrepieces and Table Décor
Pearls work incredibly well as part of your centrepieces and general table décor. Why not drape over and in birdcages and branches? Wind some around mason jars or tea lights? Filling vases with pearls and topping with candles is such a simple yet effective way to add some instant elegance to the table. Speaking of simple, a sprinkle on the table itself looks great too. Why not have pearls cascading from oversized martini style glasses for a real Gatsby-esque feel. Pearl pomanders are easy to source and look stunning on the tables and around the room too.
Table decor

 

Cakes
Finally don’t forget your cake! Pearls make a great addition to your wedding cake, or indeed cupcakes if you’re having some of those. Add simple accents of pearls, or go for the full Marie Antoinette style feel with tiers of pearl details; it’s entirely up to you!

 

 

How to include Initials in Your Wedding Day

Having your initials included in your wedding day can really make the whole day feel more special and unique. It gives proceedings a very personal touch and that’s so important when it comes to your wedding day décor. Whether you decide to go all out and get a monogram designed, or you want

a subtle touch, there’s plenty of ways to have fun with your initials.
If you are getting a special monogram designed then make the most of it, and use it on your invites, your orders of service, an aisle runner maybe, lighting in your décor and even your centrepieces.

Of course you don’t have to go into quite so much detail, oversized light up letters for example are a super popular way of using your initials and it also looks stunning in your photos. Smaller touches are very heartfelt too, for example initials stitched into the underside of the brides dress or the grooms tie are a very personal way to honour your wedding day that’s almost a secret for the couple alone to enjoy.

If you’d like to chat about this or any aspect of your wedding day décor or planning, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.

 

A Big Impact
Why not go big with your initials? Think about everything from oversized letters, to light up letters, banners, initials bunting or hanging initials, big initial balloons or even large initials covered in florals? They all make a great impact and will double up as fantastic props for your wedding photos as well!

 

Let there be light
GOBO lighting, literally stands for Go Before Optics and essentially allows you to project your initials, or indeed anything, onto your wedding venues walls, floors and backdrops in lights. It works incredibly well for initials and looks truly stunning in your venue.

 

Around the room
You don’t have to go with something big to make an impact when it comes to initials. Think about using small chalkboards with your initials as your table centrepieces, smaller bookend size initials on your guestbook table, your monogram or initials on top of or incorporated into the cake and don’t forget initials on the back of the couples wedding chairs too!

 

Small Touches
Sometimes, keeping things small and simple makes the biggest of impacts, so think about having your initials on items such as the grooms’ cufflinks, or secret stitching on the back of the grooms tie on the underside of the brides dress for a little treat only the two of you are in on – these also look great in the photos. Also think about initials on the bride’s bouquet and on the ring pillow or box.

 

 

Let them Eat Cake Marie Antoinette Wedding Theme

Whether or not Marie Antoinette actually said the now infamous words ‘let them eat cake,’ her name is now forever synonymous with extravagance and luxury. Think big hair, big colours like golds, pinks and creams, lots of opulence and of course incredible cakes and sweet treats.

It’s a really fabulous theme or inspiration for a wedding day because it allows you to have lots of fun and go big if you’ve always wanted too. While of course opulence is the key word, there are lots of ways to give the appearance of extravagance without actually going over your budget. Think false blooms, glitter, upcycled antiques and lots of gold spray paint.

If you’d like to chat about this or any aspect of your wedding planning or décor please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly.

 

At the table
Chiavari chairs were made for this theme, menus printed in the shape of old style mirrors or fans from the era with gold lettering are a must. Why not have mini Eiffel towers or crowns as your centrepieces? Lots of ornate and antique style china which you can use as your centrepieces work really well too. Have glitter sprinkled on the table or go for full on glitter table cloths. Gold coloured plates, glasses and cutlery and of course high candelabras with lots of blooms will top off the look.

 

Around the room
Antique ornate mirrors or frames within frames look stunning as your table plan. If you can get your hands on an old or antique chair that you fancy upcycling to look like something that could have been in Marie Antoinette’s court, then use it around the room for fantastic effect. It will also look great in your pictures too. Don’t forget the ‘Let Them Eat Cake’ signs, and old style birdcages for your wedding cards look stunning.
Around the room

 

Favours
Macaroons have to be one of the quintessentially French items we think of when we imagine Marie Antoinette and they make ideal favours, or have your guests name on each one so it works as an escort card too! Antique style mini snuff style boxes, French Fancies or decorated biscuits work really well also.  

 

Sweet Treats
When it comes to a Marie Antoinette style wedding cake, it’s got to be big and bold! Think lots of tiers, embellishments, decorations, colours and adornments. Also don’t forget to add a good helping of highly decorated mini cakes, French petit fours, opulently decorated biscuits and bubbles or drinks with glitter on the rim too!

 

Mason Jar Wedding Ideas

The humble Mason jar may have started off as a way to preserve fruits and foods, but they have now become a firm favourite as a stunning, yet inexpensive way to enhance wedding day décor across the board. These super versatile items can be used in practically all areas of your wedding day. From the church or ceremony venue, to the wedding venue itself, on the tables, as part of your food and drinks, favours and much more.

What’s great about mason jars is that they are easy to source in various colours and sizes, they are relatively inexpensive and are super versatile. Plus if you’re a DIY lover you can let your imagination go wild pre-wedding getting them ready to fit in with your theme in a variety of fun projects.

If you’d like to chat about this or any other aspect of your wedding day décor and planning, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly.

In the Church / Ceremony Venue
Mason jars make ideal pew ends and they are so adaptable they can go with practically any theme. Fill them with florals of your choosing, floating tealights, sand, pictures, quotes; you name it you can fill a mason jar with it! They look equally good either hanging or along the ground of each pew. Also they look fab dotted around the church or ceremony venue too, at the main door on welcome tables etc.

 

Centrepieces and Table Décor
Mason jars were made for centrepieces. They are so incredibly easy to dress up and as mentioned you can fill them with anything that you think looks good. Stack them with rustic pieces of wood, books, florals, on vintage cake stands, fill them with photos of you as a couple, your favourite love quotes, candles, fairylights, sand, shells, leaves, flowers and much more. Have one Mason jar or go for a large cluster. Also if you’ve got children coming to your wedding then make sure to fill some mason jars with crayons or pencils and leave them as favours at each child’s seat.

 

Around Your Venue
Hanging mason jars filled with tea lights or even battery operated fairy lights looks just stunning hung either indoor or outdoors depending on your venue. Also why not have some DIY fun and turn them into a mason jars style chandelier? They also look great on decorative mini wooden ladders along with some florals or initials. If you’re going for a rustic theme, arrange some on wooden barrels filled with gypsophelia for a never fail look. Arrange them on windowsills, your guest book table, mantelpieces and anywhere you feel like.

 

Food and Drinks
Serve your favourite cocktails in these retro style mason jars for great effect and have some ‘mocktails’ on standby for non-drinkers. Or allocate each guest their own mason jar for the proceedings and allow them to serve themselves from your drinks table that could be filled with alcoholic cocktails or lemonades. Milkshakes in mason jars are ideal for kids. And don’t forget desserts! These can work so well in mason jars too.