We have a winner!$250.00 shopping spree!!

Favors By Serendipity is offering a $250.00 Shopping Spree towards anything on their site – including Cake Jewelry, Bridesmaids Gifts, Bridal Shower Favors, Wedding and Party Favors, Candy Buffet Packaging and more…..

Imagine getting a free gift just for giving your opinion.

Post a comment here telling us which item from the Favors By Serendipity website you especially like or would love to get if you win.

Giveaway ends Thursday, August 13 at midnight, PST.

Winner is chosen randomly and will be notified Friday, August 14, and announced here as soon as they accept the prize.

Here are some ideas of what you can win:

DIY Wedding & Bridal Shower Decorating Ideas

Decorating a wedding or party can be great fun if you have a vision and pictures to help inspire you.  I love the challenge of  “decorating on a dime”, while at the same time having the event look like a million bucks.  For those of you who enjoy doing it yourself (or with your family and friends), these will be some helpful ideas.

Flowers usually take up a large part of the budget when decorating an event.  There are alternative centerpiece ideas that can be equally as elegant while bringing  in the color palette you desire to give your event that Wow! factor.

1- One way to accomplish this is with Pillar Candles. Finding candles in your color scheme, in various sizes and widths and grouping them together so you have a nice presentation on the table can look gorgeous.  Choose one color for all the candles.  Use a strong contrasting color in your color scheme in satin ribbon in two different widths, and wrap around the candle at two levels.  Depending on the size of your tables, I would suggest you use an odd number of candles per table ie.,  3, 5 or 7.

Duplicate the look with added flowers at base of candles and make the arrangement of the candles more horizontal for  the buffet table, escort card table or sign in table.  To keep the flowers fresh, use those little tubes that contain water and put the stems in them (the tube can be hidden from view)  If your site doesn’t allow open flames, simply use LED tea lights and embed them a little in the top of the candle.

Image: La Premier

2- Vases can be costly if you are having a large reception, so when I saw what Colin Cowie  did with glass vases, I immediately thought of an idea you can use for a fraction of the cost.  Now, stay with me here…don’t think this is too silly until you try it.

Start saving your milk cartons (orange juice cartons will work too).  Use both the quart size cartons as well as the 1/2 gallon size.  Rinse them out well and start stockpiling them.  You should figure on 5 per table if your tables are large round ones.  Since these cartons are obviously already used for  a liquid, you know they will  hold water for your arrangements.

Your objective is not only to have different width cartons, but you’ll want to cut them down so you have different heights.  Once your happy with the different heights, measure them and cut all of them the same way.

Practice on your different size cartons with inexpensive fabric so you can make patterns from a paper bag  for the fabric you will cut up.  Allow room at the top and bottom to iron a little “hem”  so the ends are finished on both ends.

Choose a beautiful fabric.   You can even be extravagant in your choice of fabric because it won’t take much, and most fabrics come in very wide widths. Once you’ve made your patterns you can figure out how much fabric you will need.

Simply wrap your gorgeous fabric around the container and hot glue the seam together (being careful to use the glue sparingly so it doesn’t seep out the edges when you press down.  When placing the vases on the table, make sure the seam side is facing inward so all the guests see are nicely wrapped containers.    Add a contrasting ribbon to top and bottom and fill with flowers that are easily arranged (see my tips on arranging flowers in a previous post).

If you feel your container needs more weight for the flowers you are using, place a glass of water in them to hold the flowers and this will give additional weight and support.  The containers pictured here  are filled with lots of roses, however, if you use a large bloom, you don’t need as many flowers.  Experiment with your flowers to determine how many you will need per container.  Make sure whatever flower you choose you do a “mound” design of them making sure the bouquet covers the top of the container  to make the arrangement look luxurious.

Fabric Covered Container With Ribbon

Fabric Covered Containers Grouping

Fabric Covered Containers With Colored Votives

A crystal rose favor, if you’re using roses, would be a perfect remembrance gift for your guests.

If you use this idea, I’d love to see your pictures.  Send them to eileen@yourweddingwhisperer.com and I’ll post them so everyone can see your creativity.

Wedding Color and Chocolate Too!

Brides are always looking for ways to add color to their reception.  The obvious ideas are flowers, linens, lighting.  Today I discovered a most unusual and wonderful way to not only add color,  but have the most awesome dessert table with a Colored Chocolate Fountain. You can rent the fountain or just purchase the chocolate or do both.  What a beautiful,  elegant yet whimsical and  colorful way to have dessert.  Here are some examples for you to feast your eyes on (talk about eye candy)!

Chocolate Fountain Buffet by Sir Chocolate

Chocolate Fountain Colors

Chocolate Fountain Colors

Candy Buffet Tips & Inspiration

A Candy Buffet has become a very trendy, popular way of offering sweet treats for your guests to take home.  You can choose a nice variety of candy in your colors and do a combination of colors, or you can do a variety of candy in different shades of one color.  Think  outside the box for containers.  Containers don’t have to be made for holding candy, you can  borrow glass vases  or containers  in different shapes and sizes for interest .  Isn’t this the perfect excuse for hitting your local garage sales and thrift stores?  Of course, your local craft store would have glass containers as well.  Or, if you’re doing a shower, engagement party or rehearsal dinner and want to use this kind of set up, you can be as creative as you want for the containers.  If you have a theme, tie your candy buffet in with your theme.  Look at planters, boxes, toys, etc. and repurpose them.  We have a shoe store chain that sells women’s shoes very inexpensively.  Sometimes they have an offer where you buy one pair and get the other free.  Why not use a cute shoe filled with candy? Get a variety of colors or styles.  How about purses?  They can be lined with plastic and filled up with candies.  Or just set little cello bags of candy in them.  Let your creativity shine through.

You’re probably wondering how to figure out how much candy you will need.  I would suggest about 4 oz. per person.  There are 16 oz. to a pound .

1) How many guests do you expect?

2) How many varieties of candy will you be offering?  This will determine how many containers you will want.

3) You need to  figure out the total capacity of all your containers.  Then the number of containers times the ounces  per container  (16 oz in a pound)  and this would give you a rough idea of the  amount of candy to buy.  Keep in mind you can subtract several pounds to account for the non-takers.

4) Try to find different heights and shapes of your containers and if you can elevate some of them, it makes the buffet table more attractive.

5) You can create a cute slogan to put on the candy buffet.  Two suggestions are:

Sweet Memories

How Sweet It Is……

Sweet Remembrance

I welcome any other suggestions that you’ve found for bulk candy or slogans.

www.metrocandy.com ,www.candywharehouse.com ,are  good sources  for bulk candy.  Favors By Serendipity  has wonderful candy coated chocolate covered sunflower seeds in all the popular colors.   Bags for your candy buffet can be varied and fun.  And there are many  boxes and labels you can use.

Now for the inspiration:

Candy Buffet

candy buffet variety

Candy Buffet Monochromatic

Candy Buffet Different Levels

Breakfast at Tiffany Bridal Shower Decorating Ideas

Image: Cake Girls

 

Tiffany Box With Flowers

Tiffany Cake Table

Tiffany Centerpiece

Tiffany Cupcakes With Diamond Rings

Diamond Paperweights on Tables

Diamond Rings in Cupcakes

Tiffany Box Cake

Image: Just Cupcakes

All White Centerpiece

For decorating  ideas you can:

(1)Use Tiffany colored boxes wrapped in white ribbon stacked on tables for centerpieces – filled with diamond paperweights that can be given as prizes for games played.

(2) Hat boxes for decorations. You could put a stack of different sizes arranged on the buffet table. You could have the top one open and fake pearls hanging out of it, etc.

(3) Collect  silver pieces from second hand stores, family and friends to use as decorations. A candelabra, a square silver tray for the “Tiffany box” cake, boxes overflowing with pearls.  Wrap packages to look like the “Tiffany Box” and put pearls inside and use them for the centerpieces.

(4) Use plastic martini glasses, stacked on top of each other (in a pyramid) with crystals glued to the base.  Have a signature “Blue” colored drink served.

(5) Spray paint branches white, add fine opalescent glitter when wet.  Put branches into a crystal vase. Hang crystals from branches with tiffany blue ribbons for buffet table.

(6) If you want fresh flowers for the centerpieces, spray paint or wrap the bottom of the box to look like half of a Tiffany box.  Use white ribbon to make it look like it’s wrapped with ribbon and fill the box with all white flowers.  If possible, insert a small crystal into the openings of some of the flowers, such as roses.

(7)  White cupcakes or cupcakes decorated with blue frosting on silver tray stands with a faux diamond ring in each cupcake and sprinkle the diamond rings on the tables.

(8) Cover top of cake table or buffet table with bunched tulle.  Use a Diamond Ring napkin holder and pull parts of the tulle through the napkin ring.  Use Diamond Paperweights in different sizes on the table top or cake table.

(9) Give Diamond Ring keychains as your favors.

Tips for a Summer Bridal Shower

Your bridal shower during the summer months can be a wonderful, festive, outdoor event.  This is the perfect time to choose bright colors in your flowers, tableware and linens.  Want to make it fun and simple?  How about a  festive  look with Mexican food you can bring in from your favorite local Mexican restaurant?  Set the tables by alternating the colors of your linens, i.e. pink napkins on an orange table cloth, and visa versa on every other table.  Step back and make sure the color combos look balanced in the space.  Spice it up with some maracas  tucked into the napkins with ribbons to hold it in place.  Fun plastic margarita glasses add to the festivities.  I’ve found wonderful large paper flowers that we’ve strung on  the trees or from a ceiling which come in beautiful colors that would coordinate with your flowers and linens.  If you’re fortunate enough to live near San Diego (which I do), you can visit Old Town and find a wealth of  cheerful  items that are very festive, yet not tacky looking. 

Image: Martha Stewart Weddings

Image: Oriental Trading

Image: Oriental Trading

For the favors  send your guests home with a personalized Margarita Mix.

Of course, your event wouldn’t be the same without some Pinata’s placed on the food tables for decoration, or they too can be hanging from the trees or ceiling.

 To keep it fun and lively find Sombreros which can be tied to the backs of  the chairs to add to your decor and can be used for The Mexican Hat Dance.   I promise you everyone will be laughing and having a great time !!!!  (especially if you keep those Margaritas flowing).