Let Them Eat Cupcakes

While wedding cakes are still one of the most beautiful features of your reception, cupcakes are holding their own as a popular trend in 2010.  If you were concerned they wouldn’t be elegant enough, look at  what some decorators are doing with them to enhance their beauty and make them fit your reception decor, including a cake at the top of the display for tradition.

I love the fact that they included a crystal monogram on the top of the cake and for added elegance, they have the crystal trim surrounding each layer.

Courtesy of cupcakecollection.com

Black and White is still a very popular color scheme for weddings, and this display of cupcakes looks gorgeous.  There are also black and white cupcake wrappers if you’re doing it yourself,  that will enhance even store bought cupcakes.

Courtesy of vanillabakeshop.com

Courtesy of The Cakery

The Cakery’s display, above, uses Filagree Cupcake wrappers on some of the tiers.  Notice they also have a cake at the top, which is a touch I really like.  Since the Filigree wrappers come in black and white, I can see alternating them on each tier for a black and white color scheme wedding.

These cupcakes by Blue Cupcake  represent a wonderful Summer or Springtime wedding.  A lovey cake at the top, and the cupcakes bring a smile to my face as they are still very elegant, yet suitable for an outside garden wedding.

Courtesy of bluecupcake.com

Courtesy of bluecupcake.com

If vivid colors (a big trend for 2010) is your fav, look at the above cupcakes by Blue Cupcake, for inspiration.

I enjoy the fact that you have so many options available to you to suit any budget.  You can have one of these wonderful bakeries do them for you.  You can bake your own and have fun decorating them yourself.  You can pick up cupcakes from your local bakery or even supermarket and use the gorgeous new cupcake wrappers that come in a wide variety of designs and colors to enhance them.  It’s great when there are so many choices.

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.

Prepare Yourself For Your Wedding Day

Every bride wants perfection on her wedding day.  After all, it’s what she has dreamed about since she saw her first “At Last I Found My Prince” movie.  However, there are some things you need to know  so you will be prepared for the unexpected, which I can almost guarantee will happen.

1- To save yourself a lot of grief,  recognize  there will be mishaps – don’t expect perfection, it will only lead to frustration.  Your cake might have something happen in delivery – perhaps it’s leaning.  Know that it’s your wedding day and you’re going to have a great time!  Even the most seasoned wedding planner might encounter last minute hitches in your wedding.

2- When thinking about your Limo  think about the season of your wedding.  If your wedding is in the high wedding season or holidays, you’ll have to book it way in advance.  As soon as you set your wedding date, book your transportation.  You might get a discount for booking early or take advantage of special packages they offer.  If you wait until 2 months before the wedding, you may be paying next year’s prices.

3- Expect the unexpected!  If you’re having an outdoor wedding, make sure you have a plan B.  Always choose decor that can be used indoor or out so if things have to be moved inside it will look as good inside as it does outside.  Think about having a tent for your outdoor reception to protect your decor from the elements in case of rain.

4- Think about insurance.  You have a lot of money invested in this day.  Since it’s one of the biggest expenses you’ll have in your life, it gives you peace of mind knowing you have insurance in case of any financial loss.

5- When choosing a wedding planner, be sure you feel comfortable with them, you’re trusting them with the most important day of your life.  Interview more than one planner and  find somebody that gets your vision, understands what you are doing and relates to you on every level.

Since I mentioned “At Last I Found My Prince” at the beginning of this post, I thought you’d enjoy seeing  some  popular fairytale favors.

Your Wedding Day Menu

Remember that incredible meal you had at your favorite restaurant or while on vacation?  This is why selecting your menu can be a major task.   You want to get it right because  your guests will remember  if the food was great at your reception or disappointing.

Your food as husband and wife should reflect your taste but always be mindful of others. Some things to consider are:

1- There may be vegetarians amongst your guests. (Having the caterer prepare a cheese ravioli dish, was the perfect solution at an event I did recently).  Using place cards helps the servers know who gets the vegetarian dinner.

2- If you’ve invited people who have  food allergies you need to take that into consideration.

3- As you’re planning, have a variety of dishes if you are doing a buffet, or choices if you’re having a sit down dinner.

4- The season also plays a roll in what you will want to serve.  In the Fall, you may want to carve out mini pumpkins or squash and use them for soup bowls.

soup in "pumpkin bowls"

5- In the summer, fresh fruit abounds.  Serve a nice assortment and keep the meal on the lighter side, and use fresh fruit in your decor.  There are so many fruits that can be used this way, simply coordinate it with your color scheme.

Fruit Decor

6- If you have a morning wedding, a brunch type meal would be lovely.  For drinks offer Bloody Mary’s or Mimosas so they are more in tune with an earlier event.

7- Traditionally you will want to offer a soup or salad, an entree then dessert.

8- Make sure to do a taste test with the caterer or banquet facility (or your friends and family).

9- If you’re having a DIY reception, make sure all the offers are cohesive. Decide on a theme for the food, i.e., Italian, Mexican, Beef, Chicken, and don’t offer a combination of all these selections.  You don’t want it to feel like a picnic, but a lovely, thought out delicious and harmonious meal.

10- For variety,  you can offer a few different chicken dishes if you’re going with chicken.  The same with beef, etc.

Rice Krispie treats make a wonderful addition to your Dessert Buffet for any season.

$200.00 Free Favor Offer

Favors By Serendipity is offering a $200.00 Shopping Spree towards anything on their site – including Cake Jewelry, Bridesmaids Gifts, Bridal Shower Favors, Wedding and Party Favors, Candy Buffet Packaging and more…..just for giving your opinion.

With Winter approaching, they want to know if you will be using winter theme favors or what your favorite favor is and would love to win.  Visit Favors By Serendipity and then post a comment here and be entered into the drawing.

Giveaway ends November 20 at midnight PST.

Winner is chosen randomly and will be notified Monday, November 21st  and announced here as soon as they accept the prize.

DIY Wedding Invitations & Clipart Help

These days so many brides love to have a hand in creating their own custom designed invitations and programs as well as all kinds of fun things to make their wedding stand out from the rest.  Today I found a wonderful site, WeddingDNA,  which I had to share with you because it has all the tools to help you accomplish creating an elegant professional look, made with your own hands.

If you’re artistic like I am, you love finding beautiful clip art to enhance whatever project you’re working on.  This site will become your source over and over again.  They even have some gorgeous free clip art you can play with…what’s better than that?

Sample Inviation: Wedding DNA

Aisle Style – Decorating Ideas For Your Wedding

The first thing your guests will see as they arrive is where they will sit, the decorations on the arbor, and your aisle.  Whether it’s traditional or exceptional, this is the first time your guests will witness your wedding day style.

View your aisle as your runway and when you walk down it all eyes will be focused on you so it should look fabulous.  Here are some ideas:

1- Decorate the chairs down the aisle.

2- Typically rose petals are used and sprinkled down the aisle.  Why not be creative and instead of sprinkling them straight down the aisle, how about doing something more creative?  Could a diamond shape of petals be created every few feet?  A wavy “S” design of petals?   For something unique, if you’re having your wedding at a home or where there’s a lawn, consider mowing a design into the grass.

3- If you’re wedding is on a beach, sprinkle flowers to give the sand some color.

4- If you’re wedding is in a garden, you can use potted flowering plants creating a colorful visual landscape down the aisle alongside the chairs.

5- Monogrammed  aisle runners are also a growing trend.

Make sure you check with your venue to make sure it doesn’t have restrictions regarding an aisle runner or decorations on the chairs.  Safety is always a concern and they want to make sure you, your bridal party or your guests don’t slip on something.  Taping or weighing  the aisle runner down will avoid a lot of problems.

Image: Wedding Jeanie

Aisle Planters: Frank Events

Chairs With Orchids & Starfish Wedding Jeannie

Image: Enchanted Florist

Martha Stewart Fall Wreaths for Chairs

Favors By Serendipity Best of San Clemente Award

We’re proud to announce that Favors By Serendipity has won an award in recognition of our excellent customer service and fine product selections. The selection was made as follows:

“Each year, the US Commerce Association (USCA) identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.”

Best Of San Clemente 2009 Award

We appreciate being recognized for achieving  what we feel is one of the most important aspects of our business, namely, excellent customer service.

We look forward to continue being of service to our customers, helping them to achieve a wow factor with our beautiful favors at all their special occasions.

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