Photo Booths Create Forever Memories!

Many people remember the days when instant photo booths were everywhere. From carnivals to stores, movie theaters to sidewalks, those large boxes with the pull curtain and single seat produced strips of candid pictures that were later pinned to bulletin boards or tucked into wallets or scrapbooks. Today, those clever booths have entered the digital age and found a new life adding a fun and memories to wedding receptions.

Photo booths are available to rent from companies and independent entrepreneurs. The booth is brought to the reception and placed at the entrance or positioned in another easily accessible location. During its time of service, guests can use the booth to create a little extra wedding favor keepsake for themselves. And copies of all photos taken become an extraordinary treasure for the bride and groom.

Photo booths are a great way to entertain guests and capture priceless memories at your wedding reception. You'll get great pictures that will give you a cool behind-the-scenes look at your own wedding, or you can use the photos as favors that your guests can take home. You can either rent a photo booth from a rental company, hire a photographer to man one for you, or set up an easy DIY photo booth that your guests can operate themselves.

Fun reminders of a great day with friends and loved ones!

Remember a Loved One On Your Bouquet

Keep the memory of loved ones close by adding their photo to this pewter frame and attaching it to your bouquet. You may also add the frame to a vase holding an arrangement in your loved one's honor or to a memory candle. Frame holds a 2 1/2" x 2 1/4" photo and is engraved with "In Loving Memory." 3" x 3" frame. White ribbon included; colorful ribbon sold separately. Available for $18.00 at www.getmarried.com

Butterfly Bouquets!

This whimsical bouquet has been crafted from lots of fake brown and orange butterflies. I included all sizes and types. This is something a little different from the traditional bouquet. If you like butterflies or just want something different this bouquet is for you!! This bouquet of butterflies is hovering around a stem of ivory hydrangeas. It was tied off with a ivory bow.
The bouquet measures about 17” round and 12" tall. Available for $65.00 on etsy.com

How Sweet It Is! Building the Candy Buffet of Your Dreams!

So — you've caught the candy buffet bug. You're not alone. More and more brides want to see a tower of sweets at their reception. Motives differ: some like how buffets allow guests to hunt and pick according to their personal sweet tooth, others like the fairytale flavor.
Candyland, Babes in Toyland, Willy Wonka: some of our earliest dreams involve forests where gumdrops hang from trees, chocolate runs in rivers and pillars are peppermint sticks. But just as with Hansel and Gretel, there's a catch to the candy buffet. Namely? Pulling off a successful one involves a touch of magic.
And if that makes you nervous, rest assured you have company. A candy buffet isn't free. Like any other "wow" aspect of a wedding, it's part of your overall investment. And while the wait staff might pass the hors d'oeuvres and the venue lay out the linens, you could be on your own when it's time to design the candy buffet.
Tips:
* You choose the flowers because they're beautiful, the candy buffet should be too.

* You have to budget the candy buffet into your wedding expenses. It doesn't work well as an afterthought.

* When it comes to candy, the more the merrier. If you have a large table overflowing with candy, you have presence. The biggest disappointment I hear is that the candy buffet didn't look substantial.

* Have a focus. Focus can be anything. Candies you personally like, or a theme, or a texture. If you're having an all-white wedding, you'll want an all-white candy buffet. If you're having a destination wedding in an exotic location, you could choose dramatic, Caribbean types: Island Punch Jelly Belly beans.

When you think about it, it’s just a trend people are enjoying right now. But when you really dig down, it's not about the candy at all. It's about the nostalgia. In a lot of weddings, two people are taking a major step toward adulthood. The candy buffet lets them connect back to any fond memories they have of childhood. Candy is powerfully reminiscent, and oh how sweet our memories can be.

An Alternative to Guest Books

Wedding Wish Tree
Looking for something unique to display at your wedding reception? Consider a “wedding wish tree”!
I’ve coordinated a couple of weddings recently where the bride and groom decided to move away from the traditional guest book and mix it up a bit with a Wish Tree. The Wish Tree is a Dutch wedding custom where guests are given a piece of paper, either shaped like a leaf or made of card stock. The guests write their wishes to the bride and groom and then hang it on the tree. This creates a gorgeous centerpiece and the tree is placed at the entrance to the reception to wow your guest’s right when they walk in.

After the wedding you can create a scrapbook with the wish cards. You could even find pictures of the guests who wrote each one and place it next to their wish.

Helpful hint: give yourself plenty of time to assemble the Wish Tree. It must be done onsite and can’t be moved once it’s assembled. The one in these photos took about two hours to complete from wrapping the crystal garland inside each hurricane to laying out the wish cards for the guests to hang. It takes some time, but the wow factor is huge.

Unique Groom’s Wedding “Gear Ring”

Most men are finicky when it comes to selecting their wedding ring. They want something masculine, that expresses their personality, yet also keeps the new misses happy that he's wearing a visible sign to the world that he's not available. Enter a unique alternative to the typical band: The Gear Ring

The Gear Ring is made from high quality matte stainless steel. It features six micro-precision gears that turn in unison when the outer rims are spun.
Gear Ring's creator, Glen Liberman, has always been fascinated and inspired by small mechanisms and their complementary movements. With this interest in mind, the concept was envisioned for the Gear Ring, a product “complex enough to play with, yet simple enough to wear.”

Now I know this ring looks a little bit odd but I also know that some of your men would just love it! This ring is made by Kinekt Designs and it actually moves! How fun! The Gear Ring is made from high quality matte stainless steel. It features six micro-precision gears that turn in unison when the outer rims are spun.
Check it out at www.kinektdesign.com

See it in action on YouTube

I Do! Take Two

Family Medallion Ceremony
If a parent gets remarried after a divorce or the death of their spouse, they may decide to have a family medallion ceremony. After the couple exchange wedding rings, their children join them at the altar. The bride and groom will then place a medal "medallion" around the neck of each child and pledge their love to them.

Family Medallions were created to assist with "family weddings" and to recognize a family commitment. The Family Medallion symbol includes three equally merged circles. Two circles represent the marriage union while the third symbolizes the importance of children within the family. All Family Medallions come with a copy of the "Celebrating The New Family" ceremony.
Visit www.lovenotesweddings.com

Cute Bride & Groom Favors

Whether you mix n' match or pair them up, these mini-brownie candy wedding favors are sure to be a guest favorite. They arrive wrapped in a cellophane bag with an organza bow (packaged either individually or as a pair).
Visit our website for a link to www.beau-coup.com

Signature Wedding Drinks

Signature drinks – That’s right, come up with your own concoction, preferably something both you and you’re future significant other like or have a bride drink and a groom drink. Hopefully, you pick something that most other people would like too! Give it a fancy name that personalizes it for you. You can post the name and ingredients at each bar.

Check out www.stirrings.com. On their site you can find drinks that match your wedding’s color scheme. They have resources to print labels to make custom stirrers and templates to print custom drink menus! Stirrings sells the mix for all the drinks they mention. You can coordinate with your caterer or banquet hall to order Stirrings mixers.

Idea: Instead of an open bar offer only beer, wine, champagne, and one signature drink that you name and tie into the theme of the wedding.

Non-Traditional Wedding Rings

Although classic wedding ring styles will always be prevalent, more couples are choosing non traditional wedding rings to symbolize their union than ever before. There are many reasons a couple may choose a non-traditional wedding ring over a more classic style. The appeal of contemporary rings is great, and many brides and grooms-to-be want a unique symbol of their love for one another.

Historically, wedding rings were simple round gold bands with no adornments whatsoever. Since then, the wedding ring business has opened up a host of opportunities to design the perfect ring to commemorate a marriage with a variety of gemstones, precious metals, settings and other design elements to choose from.

However, there are a variety of even more alternative styles that may suit the truly unique couple who do not want to spend a lot of money for a wedding ring and want something different from the norm, or even something different from more contemporary styles!

For something non-traditional and yet still gorgeous check out this wedding set of Alex and Chloe’s "Holding You Forever Wedding Ring for Her"

* 14k solid gold circle-meets-square bands
* Made in USA
* Three princess-cut inverted white diamonds; .70 carat.
* Each ring is custom-made when your order is placed.
* Rings can be ordered separately or as a set.

Visit www.revolveclothing.com

UNIQUE WEDDING CAKE TOPPERS, MADE FROM YOUR PHOTOS IN YOUR LIKENESS!

WEDDING CAKE TOPPERS THAT ARE ONE OF A KIND!

When the party is over and the cake is gone you can have a keepsake to treasure and display for the years to come. These cake toppers are works of art that are a lasting reminder of your very special day. You can have a cake topper that is uniquely yours, made from your photographs to not only resemble you but capture your uniqueness as a couple. Let it reflect your humor, hobbies, interests, and career. From comical to sophisticated, traditional to outrageous...

Each figurine is hand sculpted with great attention to detail from photos provided by the customer and can be customized for a topper that is truly one of a kind. Cake topper figurines will normally be about 7.5" tall and are made of polymer clay.

The figurines are made of colored clay though some items are painted such as the eyes, lips and some clothing details. Some embellishments are used that are not clay such as Swarovski rhinestones, antique pearls, and sheer cloth for the bridal veil. Figures are mounted on a wooden base and come with a beautiful glass display dome.
Visit www.thumbprintkids.com to view their impressive gallery.

The Twilight Bride

Black Wedding Dress – Why Not?
You Don't Have To Be Goth To Get Married in Black:
The idea of a black wedding dress might make some women cringe, but to an unconventional bride-to-be, a black wedding gown could be "the one." Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be Goth to look and feel great in a darker dress on the big day – but it is easy to go overboard. Here are some great tips and suggestions on how to totally rock your black wedding dress without going over the top.
* Mix it with white. The best way to incorporate black in a wedding dress is to pair it with a classic white or even ivory. You can have more black than white or vice versa, but this way you’ll look more "black tie" than Morticia Adams.
* Nix the dark makeup. Sure, you want smoky eyes. Who doesn’t? If you’re looking into wearing a black wedding dress, however, dark eyeliner can make you look like something out of the graveyard. Go easy on the makeup for a fresh-faced, dewy look instead.
* Avoid heavy fabrics. Black velvet simply screams Gothic teenager. If you’re going dark, go with thinly layered chiffon or light satin instead of thick, heavy garments.
* Consider a tighter fit. Drenching yourself in layer upon layer of black fabric will only make you look like a Gothic prom queen in your black wedding dress. Look for something with a streamlined fit or a tighter bodice with a flowing skirt. Try going for a blend between cocktail dress and traditional wedding gown.
* Don’t wear long sleeves. Enough said.
* Wear minimal jewelry. If you were planning on wearing a huge Victorian-style necklace with your black wedding dress, you’re better off with a simple pair of drop earrings. The focus is on your dress and you don’t want to look cluttered. That actually goes for any dress with strong colors or a lot of detail.
As you search for the perfect black wedding dress, you may be surprised at the variety of styles that fall under the term gothic. A gothic wedding dress is similar to a Renaissance dress and it may be closer to the dark style of the underworld.

Romantic black bouquets complement twilight nuptuals:
Whether you looking for a pretty black bridal bouquet or beautiful contemporary black wedding flowers there are 100's of inspirational wedding bouquet ideas and designs to choose from. Black wedding flowers for brides are interesting and a different side of style and statement. There are many flowers with black colors or tints.
This bouquet is made up of Black Calla Lilies, Chocolate Cosmos and Peacock feather make a sassy, chic bouquet. Visit www.soulflowersf.com

Twilight and Vampire Wine are both love at first bite!
Vampire Merlot was harvested from cool-climate, coastal vineyards at the southern end of the Central Coast’s Paso Robles viticultural district. At this site, sunny summer days are tempered by daily afternoon fog rolling in off the nearby Morro Bay and Pacific Ocean. Cost: $10.95 For more information visit www.wickedwinesonline.com

Wedding Cake Charms

Cake charms can be used for many different reasons. One of the most popular is for cake pulls. What are those? Well, you simply have your baker attach each charm to a length of ribbon and insert them in between the layers of your cake with the ribbon extending out beyond the edge of the cake. Then at the reception you have each of your bridesmaids pull out a charm for good luck

In the Victorian Era, a Bride would place wedding cake charms into the bottom layers of her wedding cake. Each bridesmaid would pull a ribbon from the wedding cake and discover the cake charm dangling from the other end of the ribbon, revealing her fortune.

Today, wedding cake charms are used at the Bridesmaid Luncheons, where each bridesmaid pulls one ribbon from the center of a bundt cake to find her cake charm and reveal her fortune.

The wedding cake charms are also used at the wedding reception before the cake cutting ceremony. The individual cake pulls are nestled in the icing of the bottom layer of the wedding cake and each bridesmaid pulls a ribbon from the cake to reveal her destiny.
However you choose to use them they are a unique and fun surprise sure to add a special touch to your event. Visit www.favorsnbridal.com for a unique selection.

Convertible Gowns: Going From Your Ceremony to Reception in Style

Face it, going straight from a wedding ceremony to the bash of your life is a radical transition few brides can carry off without making some changes to her attire. The most typical adjustments are to head and hemline. Following the ceremony, a bride usually takes off the longest layer of veil or removes it entirely leaving only the headpiece. A train that looked spectacular during the walk down the aisle gets bustled up for dancing and moving around. Some brides even take time out between ceremony and reception, changing into an entirely different dress—usually something "cocktailish" that’s chic in addition to comfortable.

Enter the Convertible Wedding Gown. A convertible wedding dress transforms from a glamorous mermaid style complete with chapel train to a fashionable cocktail length gown. The secret is in the invisible zipper cleverly tucked under one of the ruffled tiers. The halter strap is also removable for the ultimate transformation. The aisle will feel like a runway as you make your grand entrance in this unique creation. Your guests will be amazed when you re-emerge in the more practical yet still fabulous knee-length version.

The detachable skirt zips off for convenience. Wear the short dress for another occasion: for the reception, an after party, on your way to the honeymoon or even for a special first anniversary party! The dress shown is available from www.davidtuterabyfaviana.com

Five Steps to a Greener Wedding

1. Give guests green favors. There are several attractive, unique favors creating lasting memories while reducing your carbon footprint. Eco-friendly favors can be reasonably priced and beautifully packaged. Most favors include complete growing instructions to help your guests create amazing gardens and landscapes. Visit www.beau-coup.com or click on their link on our website.

2. Give guests gifts and favors in eco-gift boxes made of 100% recycled paper.
These gift boxes are made from 100% recycled fibers with a subtle water based stripe design or no finish. Some boxes are available adorned with either an organic color grown cotton/hemp or organic cotton low impact rainbow/hemp cord handle.
Each handle has a recycled glass bead detail. Visit www.ecobutterfly.com

3. Have an eco-friendly guest book. Beautiful handmade guest books can enhance a wedding reception with their elegance and originality. A double layer of Twisted Limb’s handmade 100% recycled paper held together with a zig zag stitched border create the covers of this simple yet pretty book. A stitched double layered sidebar of handmade paper is wrapped around the left edge for decoration and then the book is bound Japanese style with raffia or ribbon OR bound with raffia and a twig.
Visit www.twistedlimbpaper.com

4. Present guests with seed place cards. Customize these place cards by printing or writing your guests’ names on them. Add ribbon to match your wedding theme. Here’s another idea - outside the reception area, hang your place cards on a small tree with invisible thread. This creates a fun opportunity for guests to find their names on the place cards. For seed place card ideas visit www.beau-coup.com or click on their link on our website.

5. Place tree centerpieces on tables. Grow your own or visit a local nursery for a 3-4 year old mini-evergreen tree in a decorative pot. What a socially conscious way to support local business and to celebrate the outdoors.

“Break Away” From Traditional Toss Bouquets

THE LATEST BRIDAL BOUQUET IDEAS:

Breakaway Bridal Bouquet Design:
A fresh and clever idea in wedding flowers, breakaway bouquets are gaining in popularity for creative brides. Made up of any type of flower, breakaway bouquets appear to be one large bouquet, but are actually composed of three separate smaller bouquets. The bride will carry the large combined bouquet down the aisle and then she'll break the three bouquets apart and they'll be used as other wedding flowers. Of the three bouquets, one is usually used for the bouquet toss, another is for the bride to keep and the third is for the bride to give as a special gift to a friend or loved one. Breakaway bouquets add a unique touch to traditional wedding flowers.

Another alternative is when you have your bouquet tossing, simply untie the bouquet and throw it as one unit, so that it breaks away and more than one very eager girl gets a piece of the bridal bouquet.
It’s also a good way to keep the gals from getting into a cat fight (but oh how we love to watch them scramble!).

Paper Wedding Cake Toppers!

These wedding cake toppers are handmade from paper- yes, paper! -
By Concarta of Los Angeles. Each one can be custom made for you, with specific flower colors, suit colors, or dress styles. I personally love simplicity of the all-white one, but be sure to visit her shop to see all of the options! How would you look as a couple translated into paper?

Custom paper sculpture cake toppers start at $100. Prices vary according to level of detail and complexity. Wedding dresses can be copied. Skin and hair can be monochrome or made to match a variety of skin and hair colors.
Visit www.etsy.com/shop/concarta

FOR ALWAYS Bridal Bouquet Text Tiles

I saw these in Get Married Magazine & thought they were so cute!
The Bridal Bouquet Text Tile is handcrafted of white porcelain clay and features a sun burst design, with the text FOR ALWAYS 2010. The tiny treasure (measuring 1" wide to 2 1/2" long) arrives with a long length of silky blue cord for securing to the flower stems- either at the bottom, or nestled in amongst the blossoms. After the wedding, the piece can be displayed as a decorative ornament on the holiday tree or alongside the couples’ wedding portrait.
Price: $18.00 Available at www.palomasnest.com

Something Old, Something New

Brides need look no further for something old and something new with a gorgeous brooch bouquet.
These would be great for a bride looking for an alternative to traditional flowers. It would also be a great way to incorporate all those amazing vintage brooches you can find out there.
What a wonderful way for the whole family to contribute vintage, antique and heirloom pieces to your special day. A beautiful keepsake and a family treasure.
These exquisite creations are a work of art that any bride would want to have in her wedding. Fabulous!

Damask! Everything Old is New Again!

Damask patterns in wedding invitation design and wedding decor are still very strong trends for 2010!
There is something about damask that exudes a tasteful elegance and a nostalgia for vintage and things of past. At the same time it is also very modern, making this the perfect choice for wedding invitations.

This beautiful wedding set is the perfect addition to your Damask theme and is available on Etsy.com at Creative Bridal Solutions page.

How about a damask design for the "Icing on the Cake"? Damask can be the perfect accent for any wedding and I’m sure we’ll be seeing even more of it in the future!