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Simple Daisies for a Simply Elegant Wedding

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.

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Use Citrus Centerpieces for Fresh Appeal

I love citrus! Lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit, tangerines—they all say warm breezes, freshness and a fun way to decorate your wedding reception. Whether your reception is elegant and elaborate with large, lavish floral centerpieces or simple and modern with small, compact floral arrangements, this is a great idea to incorporate. Using one or several varieties of citrus—let’s say oranges and tangerines—place whole or sliced fruit in your centerpiece containers, depending on the size of the containers. Fill with water, then place your flowers, ribbon and other embellishments in the vases. The look is stunning!

I recently used this idea for a bridal shower where the young bride’s main wedding colors were tangerine and turquoise. I used small clear vases, added orange slices, orange Gerbera daisies, and turquoise ribbon. They looked fresh and youthful on the white tablecloths, and the votive candles on each side added a beautiful elegance to the arrangements. They also added a pleasant orange fragrance to the air.

This idea works well no matter what your color choices. The natural, organic beauty of the citrus fruit adds a unique twist to the floral arrangements that can be carried into the food trays, as well. Adding a slice or wedge of citrus on each tray, and adding slices of citrus to crystal pitchers of ice water helps to carry through the citrus theme at your wedding reception.

Citrus Floral Arrangement by Inspired Floral Design

A special thanks to Inspired Floral Design, a Bradford RI florist and Carolina MediaStar Photography, a Fayetteville NC photographer for sharing this wonderful example of a citrus floral arrangement.

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Create Your Own Paradise Wedding

Orchid Bouquet
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.

Tropical Wedding Fruit Platter
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.

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Wedding Cake Flavors: A Delicious Delight for Austin TX Brides

Wedding cakes from Austin TX bakeries come in many shapes and sizes. However, did you know that wedding cakes also come in many flavors? Now it's ok to save the plain white for the wedding dress and opt for more bold flavors with the wedding cake. Chocolate and white cakes are the standards but there are many other flavors that the modern bride in Austin may wish to choose.

  • "For Richer or Poorer" – The richer the better for some and chocolate wedding cakes are a huge hit with Austin brides because, let's be honest, who doesn't like chocolate cake?
  • "Forsaking All Others" – For the sake of yummy vanilla wedding cake. "Plain white" though it may seem, this decadent dessert is just as tasty as many others which is why it has remained a standard.
  • "To Have and To Hold" – Have your cake, eat it too, hold it in your hand and shove it in your groom's mouth. Marble which blends two or more flavors, spice, carrot, red velvet and other flavors are perfect for this standard part of Austin wedding receptions.
  • "In Sickness and In Health" – If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, why not try an apple wedding cake from a creative Austin TX wedding cake bakery?
  • "Til Death Do Us Part" – It's easy to feel this attached to popular wedding cake flavors such as banana, pumpkin, lemon, orange, and coconut.

Whichever favorite flavor the bride chooses, wedding cakes from local Austin TX bakeries are a huge part of every reception in Austin. Whether a standard like chocolate or a fresh idea like butter pecan, wedding cakes flavors help the bride savor another part of her wedding. When the first anniversary rolls around and it's time to revisit the top layer, the bride will be reconnected with special moments from the big day.

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Hobby-Related Wedding Favors

I think party favors at a wedding reception can make a huge statement to guests about the bride and groom, but they sometimes get overlooked as not being very important.

I recently saw an idea in the February 2009 issue of Better Homes and Gardens that sparked some other ideas for great wedding favors. If I had it to do over again (which, I'm glad I don't!), I would definitely consider using these ideas related specifically to my hobby: cooking.

There are websites such as BHG.com/tastebook that will help you design your own recipe booklet. You choose the cover design, title, add your photos and recipes and they create it for you. I think this would be a creative, usable wedding favor.

The other idea is to find mini kitchen utensils such as a whisk and spatula that can be tied together with ribbon and a tag with the poem, "Recipe for a Happy Home" (which you can find on the internet).
Either of these can be used as place cards if you're having a sit-down wedding reception. Or you can simply display them in a large stockpot or colander for your guests to pick up on their way out. With so many people into cooking these days, I thought these ideas would be great incorporated into a wedding reception.

Garden Theme Wedding Favor
If you're not the creative type, there are some great vendors on Wedding and Party Network who have fantastic wedding favors. In fact, many of them have awesome and creative ideas for ready-made party favors related to hobbies that will fit your interests. Any hobby can be a great wedding favor theme. I found this interesting garden theme wedding favor at Claudia's Mementos. This would be a fantastic idea for couples who love to garden.

So if you're not a cook like I am, think about the things you could use as wedding favors that are related to your hobby. If you love it, they will too.

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Summer Destination Weddings- Smooth Sailin’

With summer right around the corner, it’s hard for me not to daydream about the romantic possibilities that the quixotic destination wedding holds. It almost seems as if a movie is taking place around your life; a movie that is embedded in your mind for the rest of your life. Destination weddings have become even more popular over the past few years. Which has in turn resulted in a demand for more destination wedding options from travel providers and wedding coordinators.

A popular option for destination weddings are Cruise Weddings. (And no, I don’t mean you have to get married on the cruise ship.) Many couples are taking the cruise opportunity as a means of transportation to their favorite island. While the boat is docked, they take this time to exchange vows and celebrate on the beach, or a venue on the island. When the day is done, everyone heads back to the boat to enjoy more all-inclusive meals and drinks. This is a great way to minimize costs to guests, keep things simple, and have a good time in the process.

With any destination wedding, legal documents can be a bit of a hassle. Make sure that if you are getting married out of country you have all of the correct paperwork and certificates required or you might not be legally wed when you return home. Most travel agencies or cruise lines can help you with this paper work if you let them know your plans. Travel agents are very useful in this type of situation also. If you have a travel agent helping you plan your destination wedding, they can help you get your marriage documents together to ensure a smooth process.

Be sure to look into making your destination wedding and honeymoon smooth sailin’ this summer with a destination wedding cruise. Whether just the bride and groom or the entire family, destination wedding cruises have something for all ages to enjoy. Your guests will be thrilled!

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Using Your Bridal Bouquet As A Way to Honor Loved Ones

I was watching a TLC show recently called “A Blooming Business” about a floral designer in Dallas who was creating floral wedding decorations for a particular wedding in which the bride wanted to honor family members who had passed away. I’m all about honoring people who have impacted our lives, so my ears perked up when the designer shared this idea that she used.

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.

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Go Outdoors for a Rustic Wedding Reception

You might not think "rustic" and "wedding reception" go together, but getting back to nature is especially trendy—and beautiful—when it comes to wedding reception decorations and venues. Whether you live in Boston, Seattle or Dallas, having your wedding reception outdoors in a rustic barn, pavilion or just a spacious backyard can be an especially festive setting.

Functional Outdoor Wedding Reception Decorations

Bring out the galvanized steel tubs to use for everything from iced-down beverages to party favors. Tin buckets and planters look revived as centerpiece containers with fresh cut flowers from the garden. Checkered and vintage tablecloths and napkins set a beautiful table and lend an air of casual elegance to the reception. Old, weathered pieces of wood can be used as signage to direct guests, while outdoor string lights and mismatched candleholders light their way. Decorating can be as simple as draping sheer white fabric along the walls and ceiling and accenting with dried grapevine for a lovely, rustic touch.

Rustic Reception Food With Elegance
Just because your reception may be outdoors doesn’t mean you have to fire up the grill and serve burgers and hot dogs. Beef tenderloin, in-season roasted garden vegetables and a spring mix salad with nuts, fresh fruit and a fresh herb vinaigrette served on mismatched china only reinforces the feel of casual elegance. You can also serve locally made wine with the meal. Use your imagination to transform any rustic outdoor setting into an elegant reception venue that you’ll always remember.

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Gift Ideas That Will Excite Your Bridesmaids

It's about that time to throw a bachelorette party. All of your girls are lining up dates and times so that you can enjoy a fun night together. This is one of the most fun occasions before the wedding. It is also one of the most memorable.

A really good way to celebrate the chicas in your life is to give them gifts at the bachelorette party. If you want that night to be all about you, consider throwing a bridesmaids party. Not only does this say "thank you" for all the times that they've stuck by you, it gives you a chance to remind them that you'll always be there for them also.

Need some gift ideas for the ladies in your life? Consider the type of woman that she is. This will help tremendously when purchasing bridesmaids gifts. Here are some examples:

The Night Owl: Rarely in bed early, loves going out, seems to watch a lot of infomercials.

Something flashy is probably a safe bet for this woman. A set of colorful cosmetics makes the clubbing makeup more fun. This may be your bridesmaid who is very sedate but likes staying up late at night. If this is the case, try something fun like her favorite movie that no one will watch with her. This time, opt in for the popcorn and film noir.

The Working Mom: Bounces between children and career, the ultimate soccer mom.

A bath set of to calm and relax this busy lady will be appreciated more than words can express. There isn't much left for self after a long day of juggling children, work and husband. Give this mom a reason to put the kids in bed early by giving her a bath kit complete with luxurious bath oils, a loofah, balt salts and perhaps a CD of calming music.

The Girly Girl: Loves shopping, beauty, and is often particular about appearance.

This is the girl for whom manicures and pedicures were invented. Why stray from the tried and true? A girls-day-out at the beauty salon would do this woman's heart good. Join her for a fun getaway after the married life begins. Also consider jewelry or a cute purse that she can carry during the wedding. If your favorite ladies are carrying bridesmaids purses instead of bouquets, give hers some extra attention. This is especially beneficial if she's the maid or matron of honor.

The Contemporary: She would make the perfect city girl, if she isn't already.

The contemporary bridesmaid is familiar with modern styles of decor, fashion, art, cooking and similar things. Technology serves this woman well. She probably has a pda and other gadgets so go one step further with a new mp3 player, digital camera, or earrings that match the color of the ear buds that she rarely removes.

This is the woman that would also benefit from a home decor piece such as bookends, unique candles and candleholders. If this seems like a boring gift, try something like tickets to the theater or the opening of an art show. A very special treat is if you make plans to spend this evening with her.

The Intellectual: Spends time reading, seems to know a little bit about everything.

Go a little bit more in depth than books on tape for this bridesmaid. Gifts for the intellectual bridesmaid should reflect her love of learning and culture. Consider a bottle of wine and a set of barware accessories. If she's not a drinker consider a book with a compilation of photographs by a talented digital photographer such as Margaret Bourke-White. MP3 players and techy gizmos are also perfect for this woman.

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Using Your Guests Book As A Wedding Decoration

Having guests sign a guest book upon arriving at your ceremony or reception is a traditional way of recording who attended your wedding. But even the best tradition deserves some updating. Consider these ideas for a fresh way to record who attends your wedding while making it part of your wedding decorations:

Purchase a picture frame mat and several good quality black ink pens. A 16’ x 20’ mat is a good size and will hold an 11’ x 14’ photograph. Consider using an engagement photo or any photo of the bride and groom. Display the matted photo on an easel with a sign directing guests to sign their names and include a brief note, if they wish. Using the picture mat as a wedding decoration that welcomes your guests and as a guest book is a great way to set the tone for your wedding.

Purchase or make 3’ x 5’ cards on white or colored cardstock. Lay stacks of cards out on a table, along with an empty container that coordinates with your wedding decorations—a basket, a crystal bowl, etc.—along with good quality black ink pens. Have your guest table attendant (or a simple sign) encourage guests to write a brief wish and sign their names to a piece of cardstock. When they finish, they drop the card in the empty container. You can decorate the table along the theme of your wedding for a cohesive wedding decoration. You can arrange these cards in your wedding album as special reminders of those who attended and their well wishes.

Something Old, or Something New?

Is the return to “timeless, chic, and nostalgic” just a trend in and of itself? Is this turning back of the clock and attention to traditional sophistication really timeless or just another aesthetic?…

What if it rains on my wedding day?

There’s nothing more romantic than a wedding day—except maybe a wedding day with a soft drizzle and a sky full of drama (hello, moody photos!). But let’s be honest, most couples don’t dream of rain when they picture their big day. That’s why having a solid rain plan and the right mindset can turn unexpected weather into part of the magic!

The Hottest Bachelorette Themes for 2025

Planning the bachelorette parties can be just as much fun as the party itself! Bachelorette celebrations have come a long way from simple weekend trips and nights out. Now, it's all about crafting a dreamy experience that compliments the bride-to-be's personality. Check out our favorite themes for 2025 and find a perfect bachelorette theme to celebrate her last fling before the ring!