Wednesday, September 19, 2012

How to choose your wedding colors


The colors you choose for your wedding day set the style and tone for your entire event! What do you want your guests and you to remember?! You can use color in your bridesmaids' dresses, decorations, cake, favors, flowers, accessories, table linens and even the invitations! Choose colors you love, but also keep in mind:

·         Where is the wedding and reception? Choose colors that complement the setting if you can. Consider the carpeting, drapery and decor, etc.

·         What mood do you want to create? Vibrant colors add drama, while soft colors evoke a more romantic atmosphere.

·         What time of year will you marry? The season may influence your color scheme. Spring and summer colors tend to be lighter, while fall and winter colors are generally darker.

There has been a lot of research done on how colors affect our moods and emotions. Colors mean different things in different cultures, so avoid focusing too much on them, and choose the colors that you like. The following two tools can help you choose a coordinated color scheme.

·         Color Wheel - A color wheel helps you choose coordinating colors. There are three color-choosing strategies that will ensure you pick a well coordinated, beautiful color scheme.

o    "Complementary" colors means choosing colors that are opposite each other on the wheel, such as red and green. The contrast is usually has good visual appeal.

o    "Analogous" means the colors lie next to each other on the wheel, such as red, red-orange, and orange. Since they are so similar in tone, they will blend well.

o    "Monochromatic" means variations of the same tone, such as bright red, dark red, etc..

·         Color Palette Generator Tool - This handy (and fun!) tool allows you to upload your favorite photo and generate an instant color palette. You can then print and select your favorite colors from the chart

Tips: Try to limit your main colors to two or three so as not to look too jumbled and stay consistent with your colors throughout the wedding site. Use a few subdued colors for an elegant look.

2012 Wedding Color Trends

The table below includes popular wedding color choices for the upcoming seasons:

aqua
tangerine
lilac
mustard
antique blue
deep red
latte
lavender
charcoal
sage

 

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Do Me a Favor

Tired of getting the same old wedding favors? Your wedding guests deserve the cutest favors, from the cutest wedding! Here are some unconventional wedding favors that we know will be a hit.
We love the idea of doing favors that really mean something. If you have guests coming from near and far, how about sending them home with not only a favor, but also a souvenir? This Bride was from Georgia and sent everyone home with a jar of homemade peach preserves and the south's best kept breakfast secret: Grits! 

The perfect hangover kit for your guests the next morning 

Heartfelt favors are something everyone will enjoy and want to take home. This couple sent their guests home with a baseball cap, blackberry jam made by the bride, and coffee from the groom's hometown. 

"Mint to Be"

 These white orchids are beautiful. We've also seen Mint and Thyme favors. ("Mint to Be" "Thyme of our lives"etc.)  Gorgeous, elegant, adorable.  Something guests can enjoy for a long time. 

Sending your guests home with ready to make
chocolate chip cookies: um, YES PLEASE 


 
Goodie box full of herbal tea and shortbread cookies to compliment.



For more unique favor ideas, visit http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/

Happy Planning :) 

Thursday, September 6, 2012

To toss or not to toss?

If you are a bride who is interested in forging your own path, and you prefer to avoid the bouquet toss, there are many new alternatives that still engage your audience and will leave a lasting impression! That IS the whole point of throwing your expensive flowers at a group of rowdy girls, right?! ;)

Some brides think that tossing the bouquet comes across as silly and childish, so they'd prefer to do something else, which is totally acceptable. A very popular option is the anniversary dance, which is a very cute way to involve the audience and show the value of commitment! The DJ will ask all the married couples to join the bride and groom on the dance floor. They will play a romantic song (or fun- depending on the mood you're going for) and eliminate couples depending on the amount of time they've been married. The last couple remaining on the dance floor, the one married the longest, would then be presented with your bridal bouquet! Some girls feel much better about passing on their bouquet in this manner.

Another cute idea is to give your bouquet to someone who is extremely special to you, or someone who was a huge impact in your marriage...maybe even the person who set you up! Some brides want to spread the wealth, so they will chose to break up their bouquet into many smaller groups and give them to their bridesmaids or special wedding guests. This is something they will all remember and definitely cherish.

If you want to do something a little less traditional, and are going for a "fun" vibe, you could use a pinata and have all the single guests (or ALL of the guests if you prefer) take a whack at it! The inside can be filled with candy, the bouquet, the garter, party favors....etc, or all of the above! This will be talked about for years to come.

Have fun with it...it's all about engaging the guests and enjoying yourself, so find something that channels your personality and you can't go wrong!!!