Tickled Pink

July 4th Weddings?

    Some couples opt to tie the knot on a holiday...Think Valentines, New Year's Eve, even Christmas...but Independence Day?  While I personally don't favor red, white, and blue for a wedding theme, it seems that plenty of couples across the nation choose the 4th of July as their wedding date.  Their friends and family are already off work and willing to travel for a long weekend, and hey--you get fireworks at the end of the reception!  For you stars and stripes fans out there, here are some tasteful ideas for putting together a star-spangled wedding.

Get guests ready to celebrate their country and your big day with this patriotic invitation paper:

Send your bridesmaids out in style with these red chiffon dresses by Thread:

Most likely, there will be traditional fireworks going off all over town.  Light up the sky your own way with Japanese floating lanterns:

At the end of the evening, send your friends home with boxes of red, white, and blue decorated cookies:

Happy Independence Day!

Using Fabric for Wedding Customization

   

    On E-Events' Friday Chic Style Sheet, Lisa gave us the inspirational idea of using fabric to spice up the cake/cupcake table, envelope box, or to create a portrait station to complement your guest registry album (cheap and easy DIY project!). 

    At my own wedding, we commissioned a friend to build a pipe-and-drape stand using funky black and white fabric, and used it as a backdrop for a Polaroid guest book station.  Guests had a blast using the old-fashioned camera to shoot photos of each other, then affixed the photos to guest book pages using double-sided tape for acid-free paper (available at any craft store).  They signed the guest book next to their photos, leaving us with a memorable--and very funny--album to look back on later.

    Here is Lisa's fabric post--we'd love to hear how you used fabric to stylize your own celebration.

With all of the marvelous customization that is now at our fingertips via couture invitations, personalized embellishments and even cake design, what better way to further define your specific style than with fabric...

Some ways to use fabric stylishly is to wrap a sturdy wooden box and have that serve as your cake stand or envelope box, create fabric back-drop for formals and casual portraiture for your family and friends. Create table linen for you family or sweetheart table or maybe just napkins to enhance and customize the look of your rental linens. Make large memory boards and tuck escort cards between the ribbon. Your only limit is your own imagination!

Fabric is so incredibly personal, versatile and best yet an be affordable when buying large quantities by the yard.

Have you used fabric to personalize your soirée? I'd love to see photos!

Posted by Lisa Konecny-E Events Design
Fabric available online at Hancock's of Paducah

The best eco-wedding trends

     When trying to incorporate "green" into your wedding, which methods should you choose?  There are so many options today for brides who want to add environmentally-friendly twists to their big day, but the multitude of ideas may seem daunting.  Which will make the biggest difference?  How can you cut back without skimping on style? 

Here are a few of my favorite eco-conscious wedding ideas that are easy, inexpensive, and will keep your party style in tact:

1.   Send seed-infused invitations or Save The Date cards that guests can easily plant at home.  Botanical Paperworks sells printed wedding invites, and CustomPaper.com sells plain, seeded paper that you can print at home.

2.   Use live plants as centerpieces and wedding decor.  Cut flowers go to waste when the wedding is over, and florists' practices of shipping flowers in from around the world leaves a dent in your wallet and the environment.  Find plants at local nurseries and offer them to guests to take home at the end of the night.

3.   Serve organic and/or locally grown food and wine.  Buying local bumps up your city's economy, reduces emissions used in food shipment, and fresh, organic food just tastes better! 

4.   Recycle a wedding gown.  Vintage gowns can be found in local couture consignment shops or online.  Have a seamstress re-design a family gown, or buy from a salon's sample sale to cut production and materials used in a new gown.  Encore Bridal sells gently worn samples and pre-owned gowns.  I've worked with them before and can vouch for their quality and service.

5.   Offset your carbon footprint.  In general, hosting a large party costs the environment in terms of emissions from guest travel, food preparation, lighting for your event, and heating or cooling the room.  Find out what kind of damage you've done using carbon calculators at terrapass.com or carbonfund.org.

Not Your Average Wedding

      Gone are the days of the traditional wedding.  Today, weddings are custom designed to highlight the style and personalities of the happy couple.  As the bridal industry continues to grow, brides and planners find bigger and better ways to stretch their imaginations.  These lavish events take inspiration, an open mind, and an eagerness to entertain...Click here to view the rest of the article.

    Orlando Style's Bi-Annual Bridal Issue is on shelves now!  My recently published article, Not Your Average Wedding, covers some of the interesting and outrageous new wedding ideas being used in the Central Florida area by Orlando's top planners.  Brides are hiring planes to fly banners over ceremonies, they are pumping in scents of champagne and wedding cake to the reception, and they are entertaining guests with live statues, snake charmers, or Cirque du Soleil-style performers. 

Anything goes these days, but you'll only need one or two special touches to make your wedding memorable.  Look for inspiration from parties you've attended, shows you've seen and loved, or even imaginative childhood fairy tales.

Photo by Damon Tucci

Wedding Chandeliers

    Have you noticed the chandeliers showing up in weddings lately?  The chandelier is a symbol of elegance and glamor, and can be used as a wedding accent to create an almost Marie Antoinette-vibe.  Starting with a chandelier icon printed on invitations, a sense of an upscale but very hip party is already in the minds of your guests.  Use a chandelier motif on your cake, wear them in your ears, and by all means, hang one from the ceiling.  For a more rustic-glam feel, speak with your florist about creating a wood or iron chandelier draped with flowers. 

Custom Invitations by Pearl Beach

    Last night at a bridal show at the Ritz Carlton Orlando, I had the pleasure of eating dinner with Darcy Sang of Pearl Beach Paperie.  Pearl Beach is a custom invitation and stationary company.  Darcy uses various styles of printing to achieve so many beautiful looks that can fit absolutely any wedding or special occasion. To fit customers' personalities, Darcy customizes invitations either from a "look book" or from scratch.  Visit Darcy's site to learn more about the printing processes and to see more fabulous invitation styles.

DIY Wedding Month

March is DIY Wedding Month and is being celebrated all over the web.  Visit Portovert to enter the DIY Wedding Challenge, which ends March 31, 2008.  If you had a DIY wedding within the past year and have projects you'd like to share, enter the contest for a chance of winning Organic pampering and spa products, an eco-friendly table setting, or a DIY library with five home-project inspired books. 

Indie Wedding Month is also in full swing, and Vintage Indie is a good place to start if you are looking for ideas to create your own indie wedding, or simply looking for inspiration for everyday style and living.

   
Finally, Etsy is hosting the Handmade Wedding Series, featuring eco-conscious bloggers and the best handmade products out there.   You can find everything from invitations to custom wedding gowns.  If you have not yet visited etsy, prepare to shop.  Once you're there, it's hard to leave!

Oak name tags, $0.75; Ribbon rose boutonnier, $40; Silk poppy tie, $40.  All are available on etsy.com

Pink Party Ideas

Pink is no longer just for girly-girls!  A vibrant or soft pink color palette sets a fresh, fun tone for spring and summer.  I have seen pink used with gold accents for Hollywood glamour, light and bright pink blended together, and pink with navy for a more preppy look.  This spring, the pink and green trend is back.  For weddings or parties carry out this look using fresh fruit and bright hydrangea, roses, or peonies.  An apple-filled apothecary jar with flowers on top will do the trick.  Host a pink-themed tea party for your girl friends, and make simple centerpieces out of water-filled mason jars with one large bloom floating.  For a pink themed party, no matter the occasion, look below for inspiration.

Top row: pink DIY picnic set by Matthew Mead;  centerpiece at Real Simple by Theirry Chantrel; Social Couture table runner  Second Row: personalized pink stamp favors at Martha Stewart; J. Crew peep toe pumps; pink inspiration pack Third Row: Pink Salty Dog; luminary jar by Matthew Mead; watermelon margarita

DIY Favor Contest

                                                                                                                               

If you have yet to visit Charming Sam, now is the time!  Prepare to be inspired, and spend some time in the jewelry section.  You'll find completely appropriate pieces for bridal parties, or to simply add to your collection.  In honor of Indie Wedding Month, Charming Sam is holding a contest.  Your entry must be a recycled wedding favor--something you'd be happy to give guests as a thank-you from the bride and groom.  This favor can be vintage, refurbished, or antique--or you may actually use any used object that was once used for another purpose.  Entries are due by March 19th, and must be scanned or photographed and sent with a brief description of materials used to  information@charmingsam.com.  See Charming Sam for further details.

Green Favors from Portovert

For up to the minute trends and ideas on all things green+wedding, Portovert.com features ideas to keep your carbon emissions low, your pocketbook full, and your style sharp.  Named the "#1 Green Wedding Site" by Martha Stewart, Portovert is full of ideas from gowns to food to favors to make your wedding unique.  The Portovert blog also features DIY projects and fun ideas like vintage wedding wreath making and melting coins into wedding bands.  How clever! 

Here are some simple gifts guests are sure to favor.  (Yes, pun intended.)

clockwise from top left: Organic Vere chocolate; bloem box favor box; teacakes from local ingredients; Suzanne Felsen recycled gold cufflinks; rosemary sea salt; Matchstick Garden seedling matchsticks