Pearls Make the Best Gift for a Bride or her Bridesmaids

Since ancient times, the pearl has been a symbol of unblemished perfection. It is the oldest known gem, and for centuries it was considered the most valuable. The gift of pearls is an ideal wedding gift because they symbolize purity and innocence.

Pearls, according to Indian mythology, were dewdrops from heaven that fell into the sea. They were caught by shellfish under the first rays of the rising sun, during a period of full moon. During the Crusades, gallant knights returning from the Holly Lands would bestow pearls to their fair maidens for their wedding day. From Queen Elizabeth I to our modern Queen Elizabeth II, the tradition of wearing pearls on the wedding day has continued. At the beginning of the 20th century, pearls were as much a nuptial gem in the United States as diamonds are today.

The tradition of bestowing pearls upon the bride continues. Often the father of the bride or the groom gives the gift of pearls. Many brides also give their bridesmaids pearl necklaces, bracelets or earrings too. Giving your bridesmaid the gift of pearls is the classic gift that can be worn for years to come. Pearls never go out of style.

Carrie

Photo Booth Fun

Who doesn't love the look of black and white photo strips? There is just something about that curtained off compartment that brings out the fun side in anyone. If you are planning a wedding or event, I'm sure you have come across the Photo Booth Trend that is sweeping across the special event scene. It is just too adorable not to discuss, just on the off chance someone has yet to view some of the wacky photos produced by giddy guests and crazy props. 

There are a couple ways to pull this off. If you have the money, but little manpower, the easiest thing to do is to rent a photo booth. Places like  http://www.rentphotobooths.com/ can bring the booth to you. All you have to do is provide the guests... and possibly the alcohol. These photo booths can produce the vintage looking photo strips we all love or the more modern photo collages we have come to expect when we come across a photo booth at a mall or amusement park.

(image courtesy of greenweddingshoes.com)

If you have more imagination, but less of a budget, you can set up your own photo booth. It can either be manned by a friend and a good digital camera on a tripod, or by your fabulous wedding photographer. Backdrops can be as simple as a brick or solid painted wall. You can also provide a few different backdrops in the form of patterned sheets (crisply pressed, of course).

A great way to encourage guests to take a fun photo is to provide a prop box and hand out favor bags with an assortment of props inside. Some of the most popular props are  mustaches and lips on sticks in the style of traditional masquerade masks. These props can be found at numerous places, including MaroDesigns on Etsy.com. They can also be easily made by the more crafty brides and party planners. Other fun props are oversized frames, huge sunglasses, and wigs. This would be a good time to head to a local consignment shop or ask friends to donate their old halloween costumes for the night. Chalkboards and dry erase boards allow guests to write funny or heart felt messages to you in their photo.

These photos will be your favorites of the day. They will capture your friends and family as you know, love, and tolerate them. If you keep the digital file of the photos you can also have them printed and sent to guests as Thank You's for as little as $0.30 a print at local photo centers.

Happy Memory Making!

Jenna

Wedding Color Matching 101

I'm sure most of you remember (or at least slightly recall) color theory and the color wheel from grade school.  Now that it's time to put that knowledge towards picking your wedding colors, you may be trying to feverishly recollect what it was Mrs. Ames from 5th grade said about ROY-G-BIV.  Don't fret.  With this short color matching 101, you'll learn how to find you perfect wedding day palette in just a few quick steps.

A circle of color.  This is what we know today to be a traditional color wheel.  It is made of 3 main colors (or primary colors as they are also known); red, yellow, and blue.  All other colors are just mixes of those three main colors.  But how do you figure out what complements what?  First you must become familiar with these 3 types of color schemes:

1) Monochromatic: One of the easiest color schemes to get right.  Monochromatic palettes are shades (darks) and tints (lights) of the same color.  Example: Different colors of blue.  This palette is considered by most to have a relaxing and soothing effect.

2) Analogous: These colors are side-by-side on the color wheel and are considered pleasing to the eye.  This color scheme is a great opportunity to use one main color with multiple accent colors.  Example: Yellow paired with yellow-green and green or Blue paired with bluish-violet and violet.

3) Complementary: These colors are directly opposite each other on the color wheel and give off an energetic and dramatic feel.  Example: Blue with orange or Purple with yellow.  To be sure your palette isn't overwhelming, consider using one of the colors as an accent.  One example of this would be navy blue and cobalt blue accented by pops of yellow or orange.

When on the hunt for the perfect wedding day color palette, do your research.  Visit your local paint store and your local cosmetic store.  Paint swatches are free and are already put together in a monochromatic palette.  (If this is the type of color scheme you are going for then your work is already done for you.)  Eyeshadow sets are another great resource for seeing how certain colors go together and are also already paired in complementary color schemes.  A great website to help in the hunt for the perfect palette is allmyinvites.com.  Their color tool lets you mix your own colors and immediately shows you what colors will work best together.  Check it out here.  Once you've decided on a color scheme, look for pictures and inspirational photos that include the colors you are using.  Set your photos next to each other to create a collage.  Creating your own collage is the final step in finalizing your wedding day colors and will really help you see how your wedding vision will play out on your big day.

Happy Planning!

Allie

Personalized Photo Napkins To Make Your Event Picture Perfect

'Picture Perfect' personalized photo napkins are simply fabulous.  So inventive and unique, we love, love, loooove these napkins and had to share our excitement.  They make a wonderful keepsake idea for your scrapbook, they double as favors, and they are a super easy way to showcase your guest(s) of honor.  Not to mention they are a great way to make your event picture perfect (hee...hee...).

Have an engagement photo, graduation picture, or a candid birthday shot printed with your own special message.  (The perfect opportunity to embarrass the birthday boy or girl!).  Check out these before and after shots to see personalized photo napkins in action.

Happy Planning!

Allie

Four Fabulous Wedding Favor Ideas

As most of the readers know by now my daughter is getting married and I am planning the wedding. Favors are the topic of discussion this week and I have to say with all the great ideas out there it is definately hard to choose. Here are my top four favorite wedding favor ideas.

1. Votive Candle Holders  - I love candles as I think most people do. Not only can the votive holders be a great favor to send home with your guest but most of your guest will use the favor again at home. Votive candle holders can also be economical if you shop around.

2. Eco-Friendly - Everyone is going green these days and so are favors. I have found many great eco-friendly favors from note pads to coasters.  I also love the ideas of flower seeds. A friend of mine gave flower seeds as the favor at her wedding with a lovely card that read; Love in Blossom.

3. Donations - Many people are decided these days to give to their favorite charity in stead of spending the money for favors and I love this idea. In the past few years my daughter and I have lost a few loved ones to cancer and I think making a donation to the American Cancer Society may be a wonderful way to honor them.

4. Seasonal - I also love the idea of going with the seasons. Giving ornaments for winter themed weddings or fall leaf cookie cutter for a fall themed wedding. My daughters wedding will be a summer wedding and I have been thinking of raspberry ice tea mixes as the favor.

So many chooses but some many great ideas to choose from. Whatever favor you decide on should be something that fits in with the theme of your wedding. Make it fun and make it creative!! Good luck brides and mothers of the bride.

Carrie