Sunshine, vibrant colors, and a love of all things festive. Latin countries are  known for celebrations of all kinds. And who could blame them? Good food, friends, and music make for unforgettable parties. In fact, the rest of the world is beginning to take notice of Latin America's knack for soirees and wondering how to bring it home. The good news is, it's quite simple!

Cinco de Mayo celebrations are popping up all over the U.S., and with them come the music, food, and culture that has enraptured the rest of the world. Strolling downtown in any city this time of year, visitors may see countless Papel Picados, or cutout paper flags, being hung across streets, between trees, or indoors over dance spaces.

These whimsical flags are a form of Mexican folk art that can be seen near any fiesta. Made of tissue paper and cut using dies and hammers, the flags are hung to commemorate special occasions, such as wedding, or religious holidays.

Many brides-to-be in the U.S. have caught on to the Mexican Wedding Flags' ability to transform a space. They are a low-cost decoration that can be hung over a ceremony, in a dance hall, or all over an outdoor space for a whimsical vibe. Some brides prefer to hang all-white flags, while others choose a rainbow of colors for a bright, cheery atmosphere. The magic of Papel Picados is evident when they dance around in the sun as a breeze blows through.

The flags can be ordered from Mexico or handcrafted in the U.S. Brides are also opting for eco-friendly flags made of fabric that can be given away or kept as a keepsake. A few brave brides are even choosing to make them on their own!

Papel Picado's trademark, creative designs can be added to a wedding invitation in the form of a print or cutout. And because they are so inexpensive, the flags can be incorporated into almost any aspect of a wedding: table decorations, cake icing, and gifts can all use a Papel Picado touch.

So, whether you are planning a wedding, or a party in honor of Cinco de Mayo, hang Papel Picado and remember: ¡Viva la Fiesta!

This post is sponsored by Atlanta, Idaho, wedding and party planners.

Photos courtesy of Sarah Parrott, Mel!ka, and linkogecko via Flickr Creative Commons.

I recently watched a children’s program with my toddler where a little boy asked why his mommy stripped all the leaves from the flowers his daddy gave her. He thought the leaves were the best part of the flower.

It made me think about fall leaves and how their colors are the best part of autumn. Nature offers such beauty—why not use it for wedding decorations? Using the natural hues (gold, russet, burgundy, and mocha) of fall leaves makes a gorgeous decorating theme. Think about it! With brown being the new black, mocha colored for bridesmaid dresses (especially in silk) set the stage for a rich earthy essence that can carry through to the wedding decorations.

Bridesmaids could carry flower bouquets in an array of fall colors tied with chocolate silk ribbon and a few fall leaves tucked in—how elegant! The pew flowers could be all one color—maybe chrysanthemums—with leaves and raffia ribbon. A lavish combination of rich fall-colored flowers with willow twigs could complete the altar flower decorations. Rather than the flower girl dropping petals, she could scatter fall leaves down the aisle before the bride’s entrance. The warm glow of candles (in fall colors) grouped in various sizes at the altar will create a stunning backdrop for pictures.

Using nature's hues and fall leaves is a theme easily incorporated into all aspects of your wedding from your wedding program to wedding reception decorations and wedding favors. It even lends itself to eco-friendly weddings where couples give seedling trees as favors so guests can take them home, plant them, and have a lasting memento of their wedding day.

So take a clue from nature and work fall hues into your wedding decorations.

I’ve been to many weddings where the wedding begins with an endless PowerPoint presentation depicting the lives of the bride and groom from infancy. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love a trip down memory lane, but it seems to start the wedding off on a "down" note.

I think it would be a great alternative to choose 10-20 photos of the bride and groom, frame them, and use them as a wedding decoration at the entrance to the wedding. It would accomplish the same purpose (without all the tissues!) by giving the wedding guests a pictorial trip down memory lane.

For a really clean, contemporary look, you could have all the photos copied in black and white. Then, frame them all in simple, silver frames. These could be different shapes and sizes, but the color would give them uniformity. They could all be placed on a long table covered in a crisp, white tablecloth, so that nothing detracts from the photos themselves. Depending on the style of the wedding, you could choose frames that fit that style for a cohesive look.

I like this idea because it forces the bride and groom to choose the best photos of their lives—the ones that really depict each stage of their lives, rather than just using all their photos to fill up space in a multimedia presentation.

If a PowerPoint presentation is something the bride and groom really want to include, this could be used at the wedding reception, where the atmosphere is more casual and relaxed.

Sometimes when women plan their wedding day they go for extravagance and glitz. But I think many times simple is more elegant, especially when it comes to wedding flowers. One of my favorite flowers is the daisy. It’s fresh, simple and clean. My mom always said about the daisy, “Daisies never tell.” They also remind me of the “He loves me; He loves me not” flower.

The simple white petals and bright yellow center just remind me of summer days and youth. But when made into a stylish flower arrangement or bouquet, they evoke a youthful elegance. And your wedding colors don’t have to be yellow and white to use daisies–they look great with any color: turquoise blue, fuchsia, lavender, black or navy blue just to name a few.

You can dress them up or down with the right containers for the wedding decorations—clear, tall glass vases for the modern, contemporary wedding; rustic planters for a more casual affair. You can carry the daisy flower through all the wedding decorations such as the flower arrangements at the altar, the pew decorations, bouquets and boutonnieres. And they work well at the wedding reception as table centerpieces and food table garnishes. Needless to say, daisies are a lot more affordable than lavish flower arrangements, but they can be a beautiful embellishment to any wedding with their simple style.

I know destination weddings are a big trend these days, but with the economy in the shape it’s in, it may not be affordable to have your wedding in a tropical location. So, I was thinking: why not stay at home and create your own destination wedding? With enough creativity and helpful wedding vendors, you could “design” your own tropical wedding without actually going there.

Whether it’s Hawaii, Jamaica, or the Bahamas, you could create the feel of a tropical paradise for your wedding day. For a more casual fell wear the same strapless wedding gown you would wear on the beach and let your groom wear an easy, open collar shirt and lightweight slacks. Even go barefoot for a beach-y feel.

Your wedding decorations could be large tropical plants and flower arrangements with birds of paradise, orchids, any flower you would find in a tropical locale. If a Hawaiian wedding is your dream, you could wear leis instead of carrying bouquets and wearing boutonnieres. Instead of traditional candelabras, use candles covered by glass lanterns or hurricane lamps. I think you could really come up with some great ways to decorate for your wedding using this idea, and save a lot of money, too.

Carry the tropical destination wedding theme over into your wedding reception.  Have your caterer serving tropical fruit platters, pulled pork, Hawaiian Chicken with rice, and pina coladas. Who says you have to spend a small fortune to get married on an island when you can create your own paradise right at home?

A special thanks goes to:

Blue Pagoda & Evolution Orchids LLC, an Englewood FL wedding bouquet florist, for their lovely Cymbidium orchid bouquet picture.

Ann's Bridal & Etcetera, a wedding caterer from Searcy AR, for their scrumptious looking fruit platter photo.

I had never heard of these, but they were brought to my attention while planning my wedding and I fell in love with this wedding decoration idea. Aisle runners are usually pretty standard and most brides usually rent one from a wedding supply vendor; which is perfectly fine. However, I wanted something more personalized … more unique. Little did I know you can have custom aisle runners made!

When you have a custom aisle runner made, you have so many options in creating making the runner Continue reading "Make it Personal with a Custom Aisle Runner" »

Looking for wedding decoration ideas that are considered outside the box? Consider a tropical wedding theme even if you live in the mid west. Tropical wedding party decorations can be used anytime of the year. But for winter brides, they offer unique wedding decoration ideas that remove the formality of traditional winter weddings.  Tropical wedding decorations include, but are not limited, to grass skirt material, tiki torches, and tropical plants and flowers.

Bird of Paradise plants lining the aisle next to the church pews or row seating are a great way to add  Continue reading "Tropical Wedding Party Decorations" »