Favors for Your Outdoor or Garden Wedding

Ah, sweet springtime. Pick the best of the bunch for your outdoor wedding favors.

It’s spring…almost. And in honor of the season, everything’s coming up gorgeous at favorsbyserendipity.com.

We’re so pleased to be able to offer such a unique selection this spring, especially when it comes to outdoor and garden weddings. We feel this season’s selection of favors truly add that something special to your outdoor affair — and we know you will too.

Let’s take a sneak peek at what’s new for 2011. (Click on the pics for more info on each, or the image above of the bride and groom for a selection of our favorites.)

Lovebirds in the Window Ceramic Salt and Pepper Shakers: Give these to guests as favors or set them up on your wedding reception tables. Don’t you love them? The soft ivory white color will go with any decor, so your guests are sure to make use of this beautiful gift.

Butterfly Bookmark Favor: This is precious, and very elegant.  Stunning polished metal makes an impression. It’s all wrapped up in a pastel-colors box. Perfect for either wedding favors or gifts to the wedding party.

Meant to Bee Ceramic Honey Pot: These sweet ceramic creations can hold honey, jam or jelly and are perfect at your guests’ place settings as take-home favors.

Paisley Cupcake Wrappers: So many of our 2011 brides are loving the wedding cupcake trend that we just had to post these precious favorites. Yum! Pink paisley is ideal to accent an outdoor table, so this treat couples as decor.

Enjoy — and remember to send us pics of your wedding favors and how you used them to make your wedding extra-special.

Style Update: Spring Wedding Favors

Depending upon where you live (giving a shout out to the northeast — hello, my friends!), it may not seem like spring is coming…but it is.

Stylishly yours: daisy favor boxes.

And so is the annual influx of spring weddings.

And why not? Spring is gorgeous, and it’s about new beginnings. Can there really be a better time, both weather-wise and symbolically, to say “I do” with the person who will be walking life’s path with you?

Of course, you’ll want to stand out from the crowd. Make a big impact with these lovely spring favors that are truly you. Here are our favorite Spring 2011 wedding favor ideas.

Daisies. This adorable bloom is an emblem of springtime.

What a gorgeous idea. Guests can plant these at home.

Incorporate daisies into your wedding in a truly organic way with favors that contain seeds (see pic). We love this idea — not only will your guests be thrilled with the unique gift, but they’ll think of you and your spouse when the flowers bloom.

We adore these very special bouquet favor boxes, and so will your guests.

Also top favor boxes with spring daisies; there’s nothing like this sunny, sweet flower to accent any wedding gift.

Flowers native to your area. Naturally, daisies aren’t the only spring flower around. Find out what species grow in your area if you don’t already know, and find favors that match what you discover.

Spring colors — with flair. Bolder, “statement” colors are very on-trend for 2011. Look for vibrant versions of favorite spring colors, like hot pink, sunny yellow, mint green and sky blue with deep, rich navy to accent the hue.

Also incorporate spring colors into edible favors — especially buttery, delicious yellow or cream.

Please *do* eat the daisies: these brownie pops are a spring sunshine-yellow for visual as well as taste-bud appeal.

Organic choices. Go green for real with eco-friendly wedding favors. (We love the bamboo, by the way…check it out.) Match this choice with environmentally friendly materials for your wedding stationery, too.

Sunny home decor. Try a sun catcher or small spray of ornamental spring flowers that can be hung on the wall for gifts your guests will use and love.

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Proposals are usually at their peak in December — and that’s right around the corner. Use Save the Date magnets as soon as you set a date.

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The last leaves are falling, a chill is settling into the evenings and in many places, homes are battening down for the coming winter and for the season’s first fluffy white, postcard-perfect snows.

And you all know what THAT means. That’s right: It’s wedding proposal time! (Gotcha!) Across the U.S., more wedding proposals happen in December than in any other month.

If your beloved has been dropping a hint or two, be ready to grab up our Save the Date magnets. Shown at left in gorgeous Damask style, center right in Daisy and lower right in Tropical Flower, Save the Date magnets won’t get lost by friends and loved ones in a paper shuffle because they stick cleanly to refrigerators or other metal surfaces.

They’re orderable in multiples of 10 (minimum 10 magnets per order) for your convenience…and many styles can be complemented with matching wedding favors or bridesmaids’ gifts (look here for a Damask example, and be sure to check out our other Save the Date magnet styles).

Our brides-to-be love our Save the Date Magnets – they’re an inexpensive, beautiful and very practical way to remind wedding guests to mark their calendars for that very special day. As always, we’ve provided plenty of style options to showcase our brides- and grooms-to-be perfectly. So grab yours now! (Or, well…you might want to wait until he’s officially popped the question…)

Picturesque Beach Wedding

What can be more beautiful than a picturesque setting of the ocean with a beautiful sky as a backdrop as you walk down the aisle?   Few places are more romantic for a wedding than the beach.  Having your wedding on the beach is very relaxing and you can make it as casual as you like or as elegant as you want.

Doing your wedding at a hotel that has a beach front makes it comfortable for your guests to come in and enjoy the reception in one of the banquet halls.  Your theme is already set so your flowers and favors can be reflected in the design and makes it as stress free as possible.

Beach Theme Centerpiece

Flowers by Dellables

Beach Theme Centerpiece by Dellables

Do It Yourself Beach Theme Centerpiece

Using starfish, pearls, sandollars amidst orchids and other tropical fresh flowers can be incorporated in your chair decorations and on the aisle and arbor, as well as your wedding cake and centerpieces.

Your guests will not only enjoy sharing your special day in a beautiful setting, but may view it as a vacation and the fun begins as soon as they arrive.  Whether it’s an exotic beach your guest will travel to, or, if you’re fortunate to live in an area close to the ocean, and it’s a local wedding, either way your guests will feel like they’ve “been away” for the day.

Decor on the Beach

Your favors can tie in beautifully with your theme so your guests will have a wonderful rememberance of your wedding.

Sand Castle Favor

Informal Wedding Decorating Ideas

Summer is the perfect time for an informal wedding outdoors .  Another  popular trend is to have your wedding in a barn.  To keep the wedding elegant yet informal,  I have some beautiful pictures to help you see this can be achieved.

1)  First choose your colors.  What color makes you feel good?  Orange or yellow?  Pinks and lavender?  Red and white?  All these colors would work beautifully for a summer wedding.

2)   The flowers are also expressing your informal look.  You can achieve this by the style of container they are placed in and, in some cases, by the flowers themselves, such as Sunflowers, Daisies, and for a little more formality, Roses and Hydrangeas.  Clay pots filled with Hydrangeas make a wonderful summer centerpiece.  I’ve even spray painted the clay pots when I wanted to use them in white…you can make them any color you like to coordinate with your theme.

3)  Lots of twigs, branches and moss can add ambiance.  I’m also a big fan of the LED candles that are available now so you don’t have to worry about them blowing out if you’re outdoors.

Barn Wedding by Jennifer Whalquist

Flower Decorations

Country Centerpiece Idea

Garden Wedding Centerpiece

Buffet Tablescape

Your wedding favors should also express your informal country look.  Succulents are very popular in flower arrangements this time of year, and these succulent style candles are the perfect favor to tie in with your theme.

Candle in Clay Pot

Flower Inspirations For Your Wedding

Flowers are synonymous with weddings.  This is one time we can be a little extravagant.  They give your reception that  ahhh moment we all dream about.  There are many ways to decorate a wedding, but most will  agree flowers are the principal way.

Florists are no longer limited to what is growing seasonally in your region, but can buy flowers from all over the world. Of course, the cost will be higher for flowers that are not seasonal, but this is your chance to be luxurious if you see an arrangement you love with your favorite flowers.

A number of years ago I visited a very high end hotel in Las Vegas and was blown away by the flower arrangements there.  Very simple, yet a new, totally fresh approach and I could envision a bride and her “worker bees” able to capture this look if she was having a DIY wedding.  Recently, I found the floral designer who came up with the look, Jeff Lautham and thought you would want to see his incredible work.  Whether you call Jeff,  try this yourself, or give the pictures to your florist for inspiration, this will be a feast for your eyes.

1- Using lots of risers/pedestals  Jeff fills a room with pink hydrangeas, which are a perfect flower for lots of volume.  Notice he keeps it monochromatic for impact as well.

Image courtesy of Jeff Lautham

2- If you are using long banquet tables at your reception, this is a beautiful centerpiece idea.  You can use flower petals in abundance (as seen here) or you  can even use flowering plants if you’re flower arrangement challenged.  Lots of votives give the table a very romantic look.  Nowadays the battery operated votives are a life saver for reception halls that don’t allow open flames.  Again, notice the big splash of monochromatic color.

Image Courtesy of: Jeff Leatham

3- I think this is brilliant!  You can always have a round rose bowl with submerged flowers or an arrangement coming out from the top, but this is so interesting, isn’t it?  For safety sake, I would use a wax like product they use to hold candles in a candle holder, or that can be purchased in a home improvement center made for protecting items from falling off shelves in an earthquake (tell them what you need to do, they will figure it out) to temporarily secure the top bowl to the bottom.

Image Courtesy of Jeff Leatham

4- I guess what I love about Jeff’s work is that he thinks outside the box.  Making a “bouquet” of any kind of flower, keeping it monotone, and “leaning” it in a very tall container is his signature look.  It’s what first caught my eye at the hotel I mentioned at the beginning of this post.  Check out your local party rental store, or search online to see where you can rent containers like this.  Again, hydrangeas are an easy flower to work with and  because the heads are so large, you don’t need as many flowers,  Calla Lily’s work wonderfully as well, and they come in all colors.

Image: Jeff Leatham

Image: Jeff Leatham

Eco & Budget Friendly Weddings

More and more brides today are looking for environmentally friendly as well as budget friendly  options for their wedding decor.  There are so many ways to be eco friendly for your wedding.

1- Serve organic food

2- Wear a gown made from natural fabrics

3- Send invitations printed on recycled paper

Even though you’re going green, your wedding can still be ultra chic.  Just cutting down on the number of flowers you use can help.

Using branches with some flowers and crystals can fill in a room with a tall ceiling or an outdoor event while limited the amount of flowers needed.

Branch Centerpiece - Photo Courtesy of On Occasions Of Atlanta

Hydrangeas are a wonderful flower because they have so much volume. Be creative with DIY centerpieces. Pick flowers from your garden. I once had a bride with a very limited budget for decorating. Fortunately her wedding was in a month when everyone’s hydrangeas were in full bloom. We found a neighborhood bursting with hydrangeas in the front yards. Three of us split up and with clippers in hand, knocked on doors , explained why we needed them, and all the neighbors were so willing to let us clip a few hydrangeas from their bushes. Many said “take as many as you want”. I was able to make centerpieces from “free” flowers for all the tables and it was beautiful.

Photo Courtesy of: On Occasions Of Atlanta

A lovely flower inspired favor for your wedding could be a Cherry Blossom Candle.

Five Things You Should Know When Planning Your Wedding

When planning your wedding most brides think first about what their guests will see, but you don’t need to spend a fortune on flowers and decor to create a big look.   Remember your guests will look at what draws their eye, so you don’t have to have something everywhere – just where you want them to look.

1- Having light near the floral arrangements brings the eyes there and is helpful if you want to distract from things in the space you’re not crazy about.  You can accomplish this with candlelight or  spot lights.  Using crystals in the flower arrangements can also bring more light as it reflects the candle light.

2- Be careful about using too much scent at the tables because it interferes with the taste of the food and makes your guests uncomfortable.  Don’t use scented candles at the reception – save that for home.

3- Even though they’re gorgeous, gardenias have a very strong scent so you’d want to use them sparingly, if at all, in your flower arrangements.

4- Choose food that reflects both of your personalities and culture and incorporate your ethnic food and upbringing.  If your wedding is being catered, often the caterer will make your mom’s or grandmother’s best recipe for you, even if it’s in a hotel.

5- As for the music, there are so many choices to reflect your taste and style.  Chamber music, a harpist or soft background music is lovely as guests arrive at the wedding site.  For your reception you need to choose not only the type of music you enjoy, but be watchful of the volume.  There’s nothing worse than trying to have a conversation and enjoying your dinner with music blasting so loud you can’t hear yourself think, much less what someone is saying to you.  As the evening progresses and the dancing begins, the volume can be raised to accentuate that it’s time to party.  However, be aware that there will be guests who still want to visit with each other, so the volume has to be monitored.

Now for some beautiful pictures to inspire you:

Colin Cowie Design

Image: Xquisite Events

Asiel Design

Falling in Love With A Fall Themed Wedding

There was a time when all brides thought the summer was the perfect time for their wedding.  However, Fall has become a very popular time of year and for many good reasons.

If you’re guests will be traveling to your wedding, the Fall season will be less expensive since, as we all know, the airlines and gas prices always go up in the summer.  Also, hotels and reception sites will be more readily available.  Since most tourists head home after the summer, hotels will welcome your business and this can be reflected in their banquet facilities as well as the rooms for your guests.

I love the Fall because of the beautiful colors of that season.  Think of your wedding pictures with the beautiful, rich fall colors as a backdrop.  If you’re doing the wedding yourself, decorating can be so much fun using gourds, fall leaves, pumpkins, apples, etc. and the warm glow of candles inserted into these items as candle holders are wonderful for your banquet table or centerpieces.

To make candle holders from apples, tiny pumpkins or gourds, simply make an indentation in the fruit deep enough to hold your votive, taper or battery operated candle.  Also, you can cut out pumpkins and gourds and use them for serving dips, soup, dessert, etc.

I hope you’ll enjoy these inspirations:

Fall Bouquet

Image La Partie Events

Image Jennifer Wahlquist

Image: Tapestry Flowers

Image: Skye-Blu-Photography

There are Fall Theme Save The Dates and lots of wonderful Fall Theme Favors that will tie in beautifully with your wedding.

Wedding Reception Decor Ideas & Tips

Whether you create your own  centerpieces, or have a florist do them for you, making sure  they fit your style will ensure your wedding to be one to remember.  Designing your reception decor is a wonderful opportunity to express yourself.

Start by creating the big picture then decide on the style that shows your personality.  Then add the details.

1-  What colors are you attracted to?

2- What season is your wedding?

3- Bring in different colors of candle holders to compliment your color scheme. Some may hang from the centerpiece, some on the table.

4- Whether simple or extravagant, consider the size of your reception space.  If your space has high ceilings, you need to bring in height to the centerpiece.  You don’t have to have all of them high, you can do high on one table and low on the other.  It brings more interest to the room.

Simple Centerpiece

High Centerpiece

Low Centerpieces

Image: Laura Davis Events

Image: Simply Blooms

5- Using  square vases is a way to do your centerpieces yourself with minimal flowers and a lot of elegance.

6- Always test your design ahead of time.  Especially if it’s a DIY.  If you are using a floral designer, ask that they make up a sample to be sure you are happy with the final results.  This way you don’t have to imagine what it’s going to be like, you can experience it.

Idea:  If you’re doing it yourself, keep it simple and elegant and bring in color with candles.