wedding decor

Bring The Outdoors In For Your Wedding

Having an outdoor wedding ceremony and reception is not something that’s always possible in Ireland. Of course, it is possible to do an outdoor ‘I do’ and have a portion of the drinks reception outside, but having all aspects of the wedding from start to finish outdoors is an unlikely scenario, especially if you’re having a winter wedding.

But that shouldn’t mean you still cannot imbue your day with a sense of the outdoors. In fact, now more than ever there are readily available props and items of décor that can turn your wedding into a secret garden in a flash.

From green trees, to blossom trees, to hanging floral installations, to bay trees, garlands and backdrops, there are a myriad of ways to make your guests feel as though they are sitting in a garden paradise indoors.

Here’s some ideas to get your thinking. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly if you wish to chat about any aspect of your wedding planning and décor.

Ceremony
When it comes to bringing a sense of the outdoors into your ceremony, there’s plenty of ways to channel the look. Why not go for tall tree style pew ends? Crisp white blossom trees or trees with a greenery feel will look stunning and add a sense of magic garden to proceedings. If the venue doesn’t allow for this, then think lower down with leaves lining the aisle intermixed with lanterns.

On the Table
If you want to make a big impression why not go for mini trees as your table centrepieces? Be they white or pink style blossom trees, or greenery, it will have an immediate visual impact on your room. If you want to take things down a notch, then why not consider garlands packed with leafy greens? These work especially well for long tables. Consider bare sticks in long vases interspersed with lower set florals. Of if you want to think differently why not have hanging greenery above your tables?

Around the Room
Dot trees around the room in different locations to create a sense of being inside a woodland or lush green garden. Intersperse them with fairly lights, or hanging tea lights for a really magical feel when the sun goes down. Hang greenery from chandeliers or lights. Make use of potted plants and if you’re budget won’t allow fresh flowers, then there are some stunning synthetic versions that will work equally well. Floral backdrops will look stunning in conjunction with these elements and can become a selfie wall for guests too.

 

The Cake
Why not have a floral or greenery style backdrop stationed behind your cake or dessert table? It will add a real focal point to the room and of course it can then be moved to another location after the cake has been cut. For the cake itself, think naked icing with greenery and wooden accents to really reinforce the outdoorsy feel.

Velvet Crush Wedding Theme

This year velvet is making a big impression on weddings. A beautiful fabric, full of rich texture and visual impact, there are dozens of ways to bring a touch of velvet into your wedding décor.

From pops of velvet in the bridal party’s attire, to delicate details on bouquets and to adding well placed elements in the reception itself, expect to see velvet popping up everywhere.

It’s a versatile fabric that can be used in plenty of ways, although it is probably best to stick with accents rather than having velvet overload. There’s a range of colours to choose from, but if you want to keep it classic think of rich tones of purples, sage, red and blush pink.

Ideal for weddings with a more vintage vibe or elegant theme to it, don’t be afraid to have fun and contrast the beautiful texture with sharper finishes such as cool metal or wood.

Here’s some ideas to get your thinking. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly if you wish to chat about any aspect of your wedding planning and décor.

 

Flowers

One of the best ways to include a touch of velvet into your big day is with your bouquet. Think velvet style ribbon detailing on the brides bouquet or indeed the bridesmaid flowers too. Go for a colour that compliments your chosen florals and ensure the ribbon becomes a feature in itself to enhance the elegance of the bouquet.

 

Clothing           

Expect to see lots of pretty velvet accents appearing in the bridal parties clothing this year. From velvet shoes to velvet bow ties or even grooms jackets, this is a trend that crosses all gender lines for the couple. If you want to go all out, why not have your bridesmaids in velvet dresses? Invest in a velvet bolero for the bride, or if you want to add detailing to your dress why not have a visually impactful velvet bow around the waist of the dress?

 

On the Table

There’s plenty of ways to add velvet accents to your wedding tables. Think about velvet style table runners, or velvet ribbons around the menus or place cards. Velvet sashes on chairs will make for a stunning counterpoint with draping for example. Play around with textures when it comes to velvet and have a mix of finishes on the table. Cool metal or wood work well as contrasting textures for velvet.

 

Around the Room  

There so many ways to have fun with velvet around your venue. From adding velvet ribbons to garlands, to going big with velvet style backdrop for photos or even some upcycled velvet couches for guests to chill out on and for use for some great wedding photos, don’t be afraid to get creative.

 

 

Floral Installations

Flowers play a big role in how your wedding day will look. It can be easy to simply think of wedding flowers in terms of the bridal bouquets, the buttonholes and perhaps a few flowers for the ceremony or church, but in fact flowers are so much more integral to the wedding theme and overall décor than most couples can imagine.

While flowers will always be key to wedding décor, this year you can expect to see more and more impressive ‘floral installations, thanks in part to  the two British royal family weddings last year, which featured some very impressive floral arches and walls. So not surprisingly this year, we can expect to see this trend reflected in microcosm, with floral arches, floral moon gates, flower walls and hanging floral installations to add drama to the proceedings.

Here’s some ideas to get your thinking. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly if you wish to chat about any aspect of your wedding planning and décor.

 

Floral Wall

A good floral wall is a really savvy investment to make for your wedding day, because quite simply it is a multi-taskers dream! It can be used as a backdrop for your ceremony. You could use it as a selfie wall for your guests to take snaps. You could place it behind the top table, use it as a backdrop for your cake. The list is endless.

Ceremony Statements

This year it’s all about the big floral statements for your ceremony. Think chic floral moon gates and floral arches as either the backdrops for your ceremony or if that won’t work, try them on your church entrance. Use oversized greens and draping to make a big statement on your entrances or use blossom trees to line your aisles.

 

 

 

Hanging Florals

This year, it’s time to look up and think about ways to use the vertical space above your wedding! Hanging florals make an absolutely stunning visual impact on your wedding venue and can completely transform the look of your space in an instant. From floral chandeliers, to hoops covered with flowers, to long box style installations, there’s so many ways to utilise the vertical space. Don’t forget to play around with colour and greenery and use additions like hanging tea lights for an added romantic dimension once the sun goes down.

Garlands

While they might be seen as the more traditional cousin of modern floral installations, don’t underestimate the impact of a classic garland. Whether you use them on fireplaces, as table runners, on walls to create a backdrop or lining a great staircase, these type of statement florals are the ideal match for weddings.

 

 

 

Living Coral The Pantone Colour of The Year

 

The Pantone colour of the year for 2019 is ‘Living Coral,’ and we couldn’t be more excited about it.

According to the colour giant it’s; ‘an animating and life-affirming coral hue with a golden undertone that energizes and enlivens with a softer edge.’

Coral is a colour that has been consistently popular for weddings over the last number of years, but this year we’re going to see more than just pops of coral, this year we’re going to see a whole new vibrant and lush interpretation, thanks to the ‘Living’ element.

So think vibrancy and vividness, yet with mellow undertones alongside different shades of the main Pantone colour.  

Here’s some ideas to get your thinking. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly if you wish to chat about any aspect of your wedding planning and décor.

 

Flowers

All shades of coral work really well in wedding flowers. From subtle hints of pinks and oranges to full on vivid blooms, there’s something for all tastes here. Pairs really well with crisp whites and vibrant greens. And don’t forget to extend some of the colour beyond your bouquets and into your ceremony and reception too.

 

Bridesmaids Dresses

One of the best ways to bring coral into your wedding is with your bridesmaids dresses. Whether you want to keep it traditional with matching long gowns or you want to give things a modern twist with shorter lengths or indeed let each bridesmaid have her own personality shine through with mismatching dresses, coral is a colour that is going to work on lots of skin tones. It’s also a great colour to contrast to the white or ivory or the brides dress itself and you can play around with what shade of ‘Living Coral’ is going to suit best.

 

Around the room

Why not go for mood up-lighters in coral shades to set the tone for your venue? Coral draping or go for simple touches like coral inspired table cloths, napkins or table runners? Use lanterns filled with coral blooms for your centrepieces, living coral coloured pom poms hanging from the ceiling or coral candelabras as your table centrepieces? There’s no limit on the ways you can incorporate the colour into your décor.

 

Wedding Cake

While coral lends itself well to all things décor, it’s also a superb match for sweet things! So whether you’re going for a wedding cake, or cake pops, cupcakes, macaroons or other sweet treats, interpretations of ‘Living Coral’ are the perfect match. Naked cakes are still a big trend going forward and adding pops of coral is the ideal way to channel the trend with ease.

Six Wedding Trends for 2019

Another year sits before us and that means it’s time to look to all the new and exciting trends that are going to feature in terms of wedding décor this year.

There’s very much return to opulence, with wedding cakes getting bigger and bolder. Expect to see flecks of velvet appear throughout the wedding day, as well as a sense of wanting to bring the outdoors in.

Wedding dresses will see a shift toward more simple lines, thanks to Meghan Markel’s choice of gown last year. And separates will continue to feature.

In terms of colour, there will be a delicious contrast to the dark elements of velvet, against the pantone colour of the year – Living Coral, full of vibrancy and vividness. 

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly if you wish to chat about any aspect of your wedding planning and décor.

 

Coral

It’s been a colour that’s remained popular, popping up in bridal florals, bridesmaids gowns and décor, but expect to see a lot more of this vibrant, lush colour as Pantone have announced ‘Living Coral’ as the colour of the year! According to the colour giant it’s; ‘an animating and life-affirming coral hue with a golden undertone that energizes and enlivens with a softer edge.’

 

Bring The Outdoors In

This is a really show stopping trend and one that’s really versatile. Think blossom trees for pew ends, foliage and branches on tables, lush greens and crisp white in trees and leaves interspersed around the venue and ceremony to give that unmistakable, whimsical feeling of a secret garden indoors.

 

Dried Flowers

As almost a counterpoint to the idea of the living, vibrant trees and foliage, dried flowers are a unique element that is set to have a renaissance this year. While brides might baulk at the idea of walking down the aisle with a dried bouquet, the trend is more about incorporating elements of dried flowers in with the vibrancy of fresh flowers for a stunning contrast. Dried flowers will also work really well for vintage style themes.

Rainbow Confetti

Thanks to the rise of the Instagram generation, rainbow confetti is going to be big this year. Think every vivid colour you can imagine, hoisted up into the air for that perfect picture. Think traditional size and shape to the more creative. The key here is big and bold and a camera at the ready to capture the moment.

 

Velvet

Lush and opulent, velvet has always evoked that luxury feeling. It’s set to become a popular choice this year, so don’t be surprised to see it popping up everywhere, from bow ties, to shoes, to napkins, table runners, ribbon, cake accents and more.

 

Floral Installations

The two royal weddings last year featured some very impressive floral arches and walls. So this year expect to see this in microcosm, with floral arches, floral moon gates, flower walls and hanging floral installations to add drama to the proceedings

 

 

Top Reasons to Hire A Wedding Planner

I’ve had the pleasure of being a wedding planner for over 15 years. I adore what I do and have been lucky enough to work the so many truly wonderful couples over the years as well as picking up some really special awards for my work along the way.

But no matter who I’ve worked with, be it an international couple wanting to get married in Ireland, to a big traditional family wedding in a country house, to a special blessing on a cliff top, to celebrities like Brian O’Driscoll and Amy Huberman, the one thing they all share is love and wanting to have their big day to be just as they dreamt it to be.

And that’s where a wedding planner like me comes in!

Think of me as a fairy godmother, who flies in and waves her magic wand to make your dreams come true. A good wedding planner can assist with as much or as little of your day as you wish and simply take all the stress out of your planning, leaving you to just show up and enjoy the best day of your life.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly if you wish to chat about any aspect of your wedding planning and décor, but for now here’s four top reasons why you should hire a wedding planner.

 

Less Stress More Fun

Planning your wedding, should not be stressful!  It should be full of excitement and be enjoyable. However, it is common for couples to get overwhelmed during their wedding planning and it’s not hard to understand why. A wedding is a huge event in their lives, it’s going to be something they will have dreamt about for ages, so naturally they’ll want it to go off without a hitch. That said, most couples have full time jobs and busy lives and wedding planning can be something they just do not have time for, or they feel it’s getting too much to take on themselves. If that happens, my advice is to stop. Take a breath, call me and let me take care of all the stressful parts of the planning so you can concentrate on enjoying the run up to the day

 

 

Brainstorming

Another really important aspect of talking with a wedding planner is for ideas! We’re busting with inspiration! We’re fonts of creativity and are packed with helpful ideas. We know all the latest wedding trends that are in vogue and how to bring them to life. We’ve got years of hands on experience and can help you come up with some superb suggestions you hadn’t even considered, to make your wedding day look stunning.

 

Budget and Logistics

A wedding planner can both help you keep to your budget and can bring ideas to life! It can be all very well to have lofty ideas for how you want your wedding to look, but it can be hard to make it happen. A good wedding planner has the logistical knowhow and contacts to make your wish list a reality, while at the same time negotiating better rates with suppliers without a ballooning budget.

 

Totally Customisable

There are plenty of myths floating around about wedding planners. One of them is that couples can lose control or have to hand over every aspect to a wedding planner. Not true. In fact, my services are completely customisable. I can assist with as much or as little of your wedding plans as you wish. I can even help with on-the-day co-ordination too. The bottom line is, it’s always your day and I’m here to help bring your vision to life.

 

 

Wedding Decor – The New Neutrals

When you think of neutrals your mind generally goes immediately to a series of creams and whites. But today, the new neutrals have a much more subtle variety to them, all of which lend themselves extremely well to wedding décor.

The thing about neutrals is, they are a universal. They go with most themes, venues and seasons. You’ll also likely find an array of items more easily in neutral colours, than say if you were tracking down a more specific shade. But just because something is a classic, doesn’t mean it cannot be reinvented.

So for the new neutrals think a little wider with subtle hints of greys, taupe’s, dusty rose and accents of metallics. It’s still very much based around the tennets of creams and whites, but now there’s more inflection and depth in those creams.

With all of that in mind, here’s some visual inspiration for you to get the ideas flowing. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly if you wish to chat about any aspect of your wedding planning and décor.

 

Ceremony

Flowers will play a big role in the overall look of your ceremony be it in a church or another venue. But there are others ways to make a big impact with neutrals. Why not have white or cream blossom trees lining the aisle? Have a neutral aisle runner and don’t be afraid to use some draping in key places.

 

Table

Your wedding table centrepieces and overall décor will really set the tone of your reception and when it comes to making impact with the new neutrals, it’s all about subtle pops of colour. Think accents of pinks, greys, burlap and taupe with flashes of metallics. Be creative with it and use a range of pillar style candles in differing sizes on metallic stands, small lanterns, wooden slices, pink paper pom poms, gold cutlery or wine goblets. White table clothes with grey or taupe runners and sprinkling of glitter.

 

Room

Draping is one of your best allies when it comes to room décor. Draping interspersed with fairy lights in key locations, such as backdrops or on doorways will add a major wow factor. But think about placing other elements in the key colours, be it lanterns, vintage luggage or antique finds. Uplighters can work really well to set the tone as can hanging tea lights and Chinese lanterns or pom poms again in the key colour palettes.

 

Cake

Go for ‘naked cakes’ with a cascade of blush, cream and tope roses down the side. Or go for buttercream finished in an ombre effect with the same colour palette. Use little touches like blush or metallic macaroons or cakepops scattered with glitter for that extras bit of sparkle.

Wooden Wedding Decor

If you’re going for a rustic, vintage or enchanted forest feel for your wedding day décor, then wooden features and accents have got to be right up there on your list.

There’s so many ways to inject pops of wood into your décor, from using trees, to wooden slices, signage, logs and even pine cones.

Wood is a match made in heaven for burlap and lace so don’t be afraid to mix them up and of course they look stunning with lots of tea lights and lanterns too.

With all of that in mind, here’s some visual inspiration for you to get the ideas flowing. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly if you wish to chat about any aspect of your wedding planning and décor.

 

Around the Room

Trees might seem like an obvious choice when it comes to wooden décor ideas, but it’s amazing how versatile and stunning they can be. From bare sticks, to blossom trees they can bring that woodland feel to your ceremony and/or reception in a flash. Also why not have mini wooden ladders dotted around the room or used as your escort car holders. Think of wooden palettes or old doors which could work well for photo backdrops too.  Stacks of wooden logs with leaves and tea lights are another easy to do winner.

 

On The Table

For the table it’s got to be stacks of wooden slices topped with mason jars, tea lights and lanterns. Mix in some lace and burlap and gypsophila for that perfect rustic look. Keeping with the rustic theme, why not fill small wooden crates or boxes with succulents and blooms or even fruits? For the winter season, use pine cones as place names or favours.

 

Signs

Of course one of the easiest ways to have some wooden accents in your wedding décor is with signage. From signs saying Mr & Mrs/Mr&Mr/Mrs&Mrs, to signs directing guests to the days activities, to signs with favourite quotes or signs for your table numbers or names, it’s a simple, yet beautiful way to get that wooden theme across. Plus if you’re handy with a saw you can make some signs yourself as a DIY project.

 

The Cake

Finally don’t forget the cake. Wooden accents are a great match for naked cakes, so think about having twigs or pine cones on your cake itself. Or why not present it on a wooden slice? And don’t forget the topper! Why not have one made of wood for that final flourish?

Autumn Wedding Colours

 

There’s something very special about autumn weddings. The colour of the foliage as it turns, the position of the sun in the sky, the light as it sets, pink clouds and twilight skies. All perfect for magic and romance.

Plus in terms of the weather, generally speaking it’s going to be crisp, rather than really cold and wet.

If you want to make the most of that special autumnal feeling, then there’s a very specific sort of colour palette you should think about tapping into for your wedding day decor.

From golds, to browns, to yellows, to accents of wood and event deep purples, it’s all about rich seasonal shades.

With all of that in mind, here’s some visual inspiration for you to get the ideas flowing. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly if you wish to chat about any aspect of your wedding planning and décor.

 

Flowers

When it comes to the bride’s bouquet, think about incorporating some pops of auburn and orange along with crisp whites and green foliage. A more rustic approach with ferns and bushy arrangements looks super too. But if you prefer something more tidy, then go for orange roses.  

 

Table

You can really have lots of fun with the table décor and centrepieces. Think of wooden accents and lanterns filled with lots of candles. Go for hanging tea lights from tall branches or mini trees with autumnal leaves. Speaking of leaves, these look great dotted around the table with some green moss too. Seasonal autumnal fruits and veg, such as plums or of course pumpkins and squash make for stand out centrepieces too.

 

 

Room

Try and think of bringing the autumnal forest into your reception and you’ve got it. Leaves, leaves and more leaves will look super along with wooden accents, or small logs, lanterns and pumpkins displayed around the room. You could even think of sourcing an autumnal style flower wall which would look stunning for the photos or could work as a top table backdrop.

Outdoors

Make the most of the outdoor space you have at your disposal. Look for trees that are turning in colour, climbers that have intense red leaves, bare trees and leaves on the ground. Get creative with your photographer in terms of throwing leaves or using nature to enhance the pictures.

 

Magenta and Lemon

Picking a colour or theme for your wedding day can be daunting at the start. You’ve got to work out something that will appeal to both parties and also something you can carry through from your ceremony to reception. Indeed you can even start with your save the dates and invitations.

Often, couples decide to go with classic colour combinations because they are reliable and they will look stunning no matter what the venue or season. And there is a lot to be said for sticking with something universally chic.

That said, if you’re willing to have a little fun and dip your toe into the colour wheel a little more, then consider a vivid combination like magenta and yellow.

Not for the faint of heart, this super vibrant colour palette is ideal for those who adore vivid colours and while it’s ideal for high summer, it’s also a combination you can call on to inject some brightness into a autumn or winter wedding too.

With all of that in mind, here’s some visual inspiration for you to get the ideas flowing. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly if you wish to chat about any aspect of your wedding planning and décor.

 

Bouquet

With most brides going for a white or ivory dress, the contrast of a brightly coloured bouquet will look simply stunning. You don’t have to go with exclusively magenta and yellow blooms. Consider popping in some greenery and shades of both colours.

 

On the table

Play around with different colour table cloths. Go for the full on bright of a magenta table cloth and accent it with yellow, or try something like a yellow and white chevron table runner and magenta napkins. Got for vivid and bold floral centrepieces and inject some citrus colour with lemons interspersed. Play around with shades of pink and yellow to so you have a spectrum of colours on display

 

Around the room

The mantra of this colour scheme is go bold or go home, so don’t be afraid to embrace it. Think of having some giant balloons, pom poms suspended on string. Have some backdrops made of ribbon or hang up some magenta and lemon Chinese lanterns. One of the most dramatic things you can do is get some draping in the shades of magenta and yellow as this will really give the venue an atmospheric feel. Accent with cushions, throws and soft furnishings to complete the look.

Cake

Finally don’t forget the cake. Again you can just go for pops of colour here on your cake, such as a white or naked cake with magenta and lemon style flowers or details. Or go full on with Ombré buttercream going from magenta to yellow or vice versa. Or why not have a sweet table set up in the colours of magenta and yellow of guests to help themselves.

 

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