Wedding Reception Flowers With Crystals

If your wedding is in the evening, candlelight reflected off the crystals will set an elegant and romantic glow anywhere you use them—on the guest book table, on pews, at the altar. But even a daytime wedding will seem more romantic when surrounded by crystals. That extra sparkle when the sun catches the crystals will make a magical setting.

If you are planning a winter wedding, crystals can be especially useful in creating a “winter wonderland” theme. You can hang them from an archway with silver “icicles” to create a shimmery look. But this idea works well for warm weather weddings, too. The addition of crystal strands to hanging ferns at an outdoor wedding, for example, would add a touch of drama to an otherwise simple decoration.

Anywhere you can think of to add a crystal or two would be a little extra touch of elegance to your wedding day decorations.

This wedding decoration idea was brought to you by WeddingandPartyNetwork.com.  A special thanks goes to Trias Flowers, Antiques & Gifts, a Miami Wedding Florist who graciously let us use their photo.

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 know a great couple who both absolutely love Mickey Mouse. He was an illustrator and she was a school teacher. They both were very young at heart, so when it came time to decorate for their wedding, they couldn’t resist including their favorite character in the decorations.

Their arch was decorated with flowers and in the center, the flowers were in the shape of Mickey Mouse. They had theme stickers subtly hidden on candelabras, in flower arrangements and other decorations. Their bridesmaids and groomsmen had Mickey Mouse stickers included in their bouquets and boutonnieres.  Mickey was every where. It worked for this couple’s wedding. I think it’s an idea that would work for others, who share a love of the same hobby, sports team, etc.

Making Your Common Interest Theme Work For Your Wedding

Let’s say you and your hubby-to-be are St. Louis Cardinal fans. You could incorporate a small red cardinal bird (that you can find at craft stores) in flower arrangements, pew bows, arches, on candelabras, on the flower girl’s basket—anywhere! It can be done in a very tasteful way. Being subtle is the key.

If you wanted to have some fun with it, you could tell your guests (maybe through the wedding program) how many birds representing your love of the Cardinals are in the decorations. See who can find the most. At the wedding reception, you could poll everyone to see who found the most and give a nice gift to that guest. No matter what the common interest, you can use it to reflect your unique style through your wedding decorations.

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.

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.

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.

Tropical Wedding Fruit Platter

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.

When she created the bridal bouquet made from creamy peach peonies, she used strands of ivory satin ribbon to attach several antique gold lockets to the bouquet. Inside the lockets were photos of the bride’s loved ones she wanted to honor and remember on her wedding day. The photos had been scanned on the computer, printed, and cut to fit into the lockets for a really beautiful addition to the bride’s bouquet.

A note was included in the wedding program that the lockets were part of the bridal bouquet to honor those loved ones.

I think you could go a step further and include the loved ones’ photos in the program with the note of explanation, or even display their larger photos in the foyer on a small table with the explanation written on a larger sign. This would add to the wedding decorations as guests enter the ceremony site.

There are many traditional ways of honoring people through the wedding decorations—candles, pew flowers, wedding reception centerpieces—but I think this one is very unique and is a lasting keepsake for the bride.

I love flowers, especially unique wedding flowers that give you a glimpse into the personality of the bride. I think that is why these two approaches caught my interest. The first came from a discussion I had with Scott Darhower, a florist from Tampa Florida (he owns Apple Blossoms Floral Design). Scott and I were discussing creative container ideas for floral arrangements when he mentioned vintage glass containers.

Wedding Flowers Using Decor From Past Generations
Not long ago, he created some lovely flower arrangements for one of his brides. Scott really pays attention to the personalities of the brides he works with. This bride was particularly fond of the her grandmother's antique china. In fact, she uses it often when entertaining.

So when time came for Scott to design floral arrangements for her cocktail reception, he knew exactly what the bride needed. He and the bride canvassed second-hand stores and flea markets until they found a few vintage glass pieces.

Wedding Flowers In Vintage Glass

Scott then created soft romantic flower arrangements using the vintage glass and an array of creamy white flowers. Later the bride displayed these vintage glass pieces in her china cabinet along side her grandmothers antique china. What a fabulous idea! Using vintage or sentimental containers as part of your wedding flower decorations is a fantastic way to honor the romance of the past generations. The best part is you will forever have an elegant wedding keepsake.

Wedding Flowers In Vintage Glass

Pictures And Perfect Wedding Flowers

The second cool wedding flower decoration involved photos. No, not picture taking. Rather a display of pictures of the bride and groom. This awesome wedding decoration came from Markita Brewster, a Fort Campbell KY wedding consultant. She owns Beautiful Weddings On a Budget. At the wedding reception of one of her brides, the wedding flowers were arranged in a photo cube.

Photo Cube Wedding Flowers

What a clever idea! The Casablanca lilies gave the photo cubes an elegant look and the photos were a great way for guests to recall memories of the bride and groom. You could even include pictures of the guests with the bride or groom and place them on the table where they will be seated. This is also a creative way to have a unique flower arrangement and still stay within your budget.

Now that I've shared my unique wedding flower decoration ideas, I hope you will share yours. I can't wait to see them.

My parents had been married 52 years and my fiance’s parents had been married 48 years when we got married. To thank them for the example they had been to us, we used 100 white candles of various shapes and sizes as a backdrop to our wedding ceremony. We used crisp white tablecloths on tables that would accommodate that number of candles, and we explained what the candles represented in our wedding program.

It was very meaningful to us, especially during the ceremony, as we spoke our vows and committed ourselves to one another. We found encouragement that those before us had made the same commitments and had honored those over time. And we were able to show gratitude to our parents for their commitments to one another. This would also be a great way to honor a family member or friend who has passed away. Instead of letting that person’s absence sadden you, having a tangible way of remembering and honoring them as part of the ceremony is a great way to keep focused on the joy of your wedding day.

When you have a custom aisle runner made, you have so many options in creating making the runner exactly what you want. When designing the runner the bride and groom get to choose the fabric or multiple fabrics, the embroidery, the length and any details you might want added. Keep in mind that every wedding venue is different and you will need to determine what length will work for your venue.

Many couples chose to have their initials embroidered at the beginning of the runner which is beautiful when pictures are being taken from the back of the chapel. Others chose simpler styles with no embroidery; just detailed fabric that complimented the colors of the wedding décor. Depending on the design of the custom runner, embellishments can be added along each side of the runner adding to the elegance. Using a decorative and luxurious aisle runners adds to the beauty of other wedding decorations as well.

When the ceremony is over, you don’t have to box it up in the attic never to see again. Many new couples frame the piece of the runner containing initials to make a marvelous keepsake. Another great way to make this aisle runner a keepsake is to simply hang it as a tapestry in the couples new home.

Remember this wonderful decoration is a fantastic way to personalize your wedding venue.