I always enjoy bringing new artists to your attention, and I’m sure you’ll agree, “getting your party started” with these gorgeous invitations will set the tone for your beautiful bridal shower.  Elaine Biss designed this invitation, and there are many more delightful designs to choose from.

Courtesy of Elaine Biss

Every girl needs their “Little Black Dress” and this would also be a perfect design for your Breakfast At Tiffany party.

Courtesy of Elaine Biss

If you’re known for having a pair of shoes and purse for every outfit,  this design would be perfect.  I think going to a thrift store, buying purses you love and using them as a “container” for your centerpieces would be fabulous.

Courtesy of Elaine Biss

Don’t forget to send your bridesmaid’s an invitation to be in your wedding party.  A perfect way of doing this would be a Tiffany blue box with a  diamond paperweight (how appropriate for a Tiffany theme).

Will You Be My Bridesmaid?

For other decorating ideas visit my bridal shower section and scroll down until you come to the article on Breakfast At Tiffany Bridal Showers.

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.

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

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.

http://www.ocregister.com/news/business-222694-favors-women.html

At first I was told it would appear in those stands that offer free newspapers.  Great, I thought, all the homeless people will see what is a very exciting event in my life.  However,  when I ran into friends who congratulated me (and I hadn’t had a chance to tell them about it yet), and had a woman at our local store ask for my autograph, I realized there was a lot more to this article being published than I realized.  Apparently it was an insert in the Orange County Register so everyone who got their Sunday paper saw it.  Now that’s really exciting!!  Yesterday I received an email telling me it was on their website, and I’ve been getting emails all day today.  Is this my 15 minutes?  I’m still waiting for Oprah to call….I’ve been saying that since Favors By Serendipity was born.

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 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.

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.

I would be apologizing for not posting for the past three weeks, however, I was on the Ruby Princess doing research for you on what it would be like to have a wedding on a cruise ship – oh well, someone’s got to do it, might as well be me …….

Frankly, it doesn’t get much better than this.

• The ships are just gorgeous and very elegant in themselves.
• I can vouch for the delicious food and beautiful presentation with every choice.
• What is more beautiful than a blue sky with billowy clouds and the ocean beneath you and as far as your eye can see?  Serenity at it’s best. Or,  a stop at a gorgeous location for your ceremony.
• Your wedding, reception and honeymoon would all be included to create an unforgettable event.
• There are experienced wedding coordinators that will design your wedding so that it’s extraordinary and it doesn’t matter if you have a small event or a grand,  large one.

There are different packages available.

• You can choose to get married at sea by the ship’s Captain.
• Have your ceremony on the ship harbor-side,  so even if some of your guests will not be sailing with you, they can still attend the wedding.
• You can get married ashore at one of the exotic locations.

All the details are spelled out for you on a down loadable brochure.  To find the information for a Princess Cruise wedding:

1 - Princess Cruises

2 – Click on “Learn about our cruise”

3 - Click on “On-board Experiences”

4 – Click on “Special Services”

Or, you can contact the “Tie the Knot” staff at (866) 444-8820 and speak with a wedding coordinator who will be happy to share their expertise, answer questions and offer helpful suggestions during your planning stage.

To coordinate with your cruise wedding, there are save the date magnets and wedding favors.