Easy Being Green

In honor of Earth Day, here are a few tips to make your wedding beautifully green and environmentally responsible!

1. Donations - Instead of registering for gifts (or only for gifts), you can register for donations to your favorite nature-based charity or environmental organization. Or, give a small donation for each of your guests, and print up a pretty note in a frame as a favor.

2. Plantable invitations - Print your invitations (or menus, or programs, or escort cards) on paper with seeds imbedded inside. Guests can take them home and plant them for a lasting memento of your wedding!

3. Hemp clothing - Even wedding dresses can be made of natural hemp fiber: http://www.threadheadcreations.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=bridal

4. Local goodies - Try giving honey from a small local farm for favors, using bouquets of locally grown flowers from an organic farm, or hiring a catering company that uses local farm produce and then donating the leftover food.

5. Growing centerpieces - Potted plants or baby trees make beautiful centerpieces and decorations, and they won't die and go to waste the next day!

Day-of Coordinator = Fun Reception!

We saw a great article on The Knot a few days ago, so we thought we'd share it with everyone. It's called "10 Secrets to a Fun Wedding Reception." And guess what was the number one secret? That's right: hire a day-of coordinator! We couldn't have said it better ourselves! :)

http://wedding.theknot.com/wedding-planning/wedding-reception-planning/articles/10-secrets-to-a-fun-wedding-reception.aspx?MsdVisit=1

There are also a lot of other awesome tips for making your wedding less stuffy and cookie-cutter. We especially like the idea of having a belly dancer do a short, surprise show in the middle of the reception - if anyone wants to do this, we have plenty of dancer recommendations!

New Wedding Trend: Picnic Chic!

Every year brings new wedding trends and themes, and 2010 is no exception. One of the very hottest trends for this summer is called "Picnic Chic," and it is expected to make appearances at several upcoming celebrity weddings (including, it is rumored, the wedding of True Blood stars Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer).

Picnic Chic is a new reaction against the traditional, elegant, lace-and-satin style of wedding. Here are a few of the major aspects of this theme:

1. Attire. Out with fussy dresses and long white trains. Picnic Chic brides are focusing on gingham and cotton in red-and-white napkin patterns for their gowns. Some are even adding BBQ-stained aprons with funny slogans like "Kiss the Cook" or "Mistress of the Grill." Mosquito netting serves for a beautiful veil, and instead of expensive flowers, Picnic Chic brides carry handfuls of dandelions and onion grass. Bridesmaids can ditch their satin dresses for Daisy Duke shorts and country blouses, and groomsmen can have a blast with dressing up in ant costumes and carrying away food on giant plates.

2. Food. To be truly Picnic Chic, you need to serve the messiest ribs and fried chicken, all slathered in sauce. The wedding cake should be made of Little Debbies or deep-fried Twinkies (or both!). Paper plates and plastic forks complete the look, and don't forget can cozies with off-color slogans to keep everything cold!

3. Seating. Forget chivari chairs and round tables. This year's trend is all about weathered picnic tables with peeling paint and rusty screws. Brides can borrow them from a nearby park or even rent them from new vendors such as Bucky's Backyard Bridal (www.BuckysBackyardBridal.com). Decorate with some checkerboard paper tablecovers and a few dandelions stuffed into beer cans for a classic look.

4. Entertainment. This is a case where the louder and less talented your band is, the better it fits! Ask around town for the high-school garage band with the biggest speakers and coolest name, and you're set. Alternately, pipe some old country music over half-broken outdoor speakers for some ear-splitting fun.

Wedding trends may come and go, but Picnic Chic is here to stay. At least until April 2nd, anyway.

Scintillating Centerpieces!

Whether you go with understated elegance or extravagant opulence, decorations are a big part of the look, feel, and mood of your reception. Centerpieces for your tables are the most front-and-center of these decorations, since you and your guests will literally surround them for hours while you eat, drink, and talk. Here are a few ideas to make your centerpieces really shine.

1. Prop centerpieces. Who says you have to use all flowers, or even any flowers at all? Raise a few pretty and/or meaningful items on cake stands or glass platforms: memorabilia from shared interests, souvenirs from vacations you've taken together, family mementos, or location-themed items.

2. Same color, different shapes. Not all of your centerpieces have to be exactly the same. Try similarly-colored bottles or vases of different sizes and shapes or flowers in the same color family but different heights.

3. Natural accents. Even if you use some flowers, try throwing in some unique natural touches. If it's a winter wedding, use pinecones and pretty reaching branches. If it's a beach wedding, try seashells, sea glass, starfish, and sand dollars. Or add in unusual plants like succulents, fresh herbs, or even cacti!

4. Potted plants. For a more rustic, natural look, use potted plants instead of cut flowers. Send them home with your guests, so they can plant them in their own yards as a lasting reminder of your wedding.

Not only will interesting centerpieces add mood and excitement to your decor, but they give you one more way to express who you are as a couple. And isn't that truly the centerpiece of your wedding day?

Dreaming of Color Schemes

Today we have a special guest article from one of our favorite invitation and stationery designers, Kelly Schwartz of Custom Invitations by Kelly. Visit her at http://www.custominvitationsbykelly.blogspot.com/ or give her a call at (732) 406-0758 for more information.

Kelly says:

"While working with some of my clients for 2010 Bridal season, I have noticed a few trends. Pink, in all shades from pastel, to magenta, and coral have been a common thread in many of the invitations I've been working on. The second color trend I've noticed this season is blue. And while I am not quite ready to share with you what I am currently working on, I would love to share with you one of my favorite "blue" weddings from this past year, Christina and Patrick.



"Christina and Patrick's wedding took place in September at the Dolce, Basking Ridge. The couple wanted to incorporate elements that reflected their personalities, clean, modern, and elegant. I created a custom invitation set, save the date cards, and a creative reception booklet placed at each setting. While, this set was simple, it definitely had an impact and is one of my personal favorites from 2009.

"For anyone who is not sure what color scheme to chose for their upcoming wedding or event, blue is a great choice, whether you chose cobalt, teal, navy, baby, or sapphire blue works for almost every season! Pair it with black like Christina and Patrick, for a modern twist.

"Other favorite blue combinations:
Navy Blue paired with Bright Pink
Sapphire Blue paired with Teal
Spa Blue paired with Chocolate Brown
Cobalt Blue paired with Yellow and Lime"

Thanks, Kelly! Be sure to visit her website or write her at kellyschwartz526@gmail.com for an appointment or samples.

2010 Bridal Trends We Love!

2010 is now in full swing, and already there are some cute, sassy, and fun wedding trends emerging. Here are a few that we're definitely in love with:

1. Wedding shoes in bold colors or prints. Whether it's hot pink, leopard print, or gingham, brides are letting a little personality peek through under the white skirts.

2. Birdcage veils. We love the retro, glamourous look of a delicate birdcage veil. Add in some pastel feathers or a vintage-look ornament to complete the look. It's timeless and yet so modern.



3. Useful favors. Couples today are eschewing the little bag of jordan almonds in favor of must-haves such as purse hooks, cute bottles of sunscreen, personalized water bottles, sewing kits, or even keyboard dusters! Finally, a wedding favor that your guests will keep for years.

4. The return of the "getaway dress." It's the end of the reception - time to change into a gorgeous new outfit for your "getaway"! This dress can be any color, not necessarily white, and adds a fun twist to the reception dress idea.

Sweets for Your Sweetie: Dessert Trends for 2010

Sure, the entrees and drinks at your celebration should be amazing, but don't forget about those scrumptious desserts! Wedding trends for the past few years have been all about incorporating more personality and escaping from the norm, and sweets are no exception. Here are a few ideas to give your desserts some pizzaz:

1. Add some variety. She wants cheesecake and apple pie, he wants tiramisu. Many couples are opting for many different desserts served beautifully on tiered stands. Or go for a pastry table and get a little bit of everything! This could be great for your budget, since it can be far cheaper than the usual elaborate wedding cake.

2. Rent-a-cake. Want a fancier cake than your budget allows? Want a daring cake with balanced tiers and impossible angles? Consider renting one! Rented cakes are made of styrofoam and plastic, so they won't melt, won't droop, and they'll look perfect all night long. A secret compartment in the back holds enough cake for the traditional cake-cutting ceremony, and once they wheel away your rented cake, your guests are served sheet cake in any flavor and filling you want. It's cheap, it's realistic, and you can even design your cake yourself.

3. Everybody loves cupcakes! Long ago, the traditional wedding cake was an arranged pile of small sweet cakes. So, why not revive this tradition and have cupcakes at your wedding? Whether you have a full-sized cake shaped like a giant cupcake, a host of cupcakes on decorated wire racks, or a custom tier stand for your little sweets, it will be memorable and beautiful.

4. Goodbye Stations. Giving your guests a nice little parting gift is one of this year's hottest trends, and for good reason. Set up a gorgeous self-serve candy station in your wedding colors, complete with pretty ribbon apothecary jars and flowers, or pick a treat that has special meaning for the season or your relationship. Put out some donuts in cute cellophane bags, festive candy apples, personalized lollipops, or for an October wedding, some of your favorite Halloween candy! Be creative, and your guests will love you for it.

5. Edible Favors. Instead of going the usual picture frame or candle route for your table favors, how about giving your guests something sweet? Chocolate is the obvious choice, but you can also pick a specific candy, cookie, or pastry that means something to you as a couple. Love Oreos? Set out some chocolate-covered cookies at each place! Having a beach wedding? How about Salt Water Taffy or sea salt chocolates? You can even have your menus or place cards made out of molded chocolate!

Whatever you decide to do, putting a little personality into your desserts can make a sweet day even sweeter.