Top Summer Wedding Trends for 2011

2011 summer weddings are packed full of personal accents and childhood nostalgia. This is a year for one-of-a-kind wedding themes and accents that can only be described as so you. To find out what the top summer wedding trends are going to be, we polled our brides to see what they have decided on. Read on to see all the great ideas they came up with.

1) Themes that tell a story - Our bride's number one pick for summer weddings are themes that tell a story or relate to your childhood. Did you and your FH meet in a library? Then incorporate stacks of books as your table centerpieces, use old checkout cards as place cards, and bookmarks as your wedding favors. Do you both love photography? Incorporate your interests by having a photo booth at your reception. Unique additions like these that tell a story about you and your fiance help bring a personal feel to your wedding and make it even more meaningful.

2) Country living - Summer weddings this year are all about getting back to the basics by bringing the 'at home' feeling of the country to your reception through outdoor venues and homemade accents. Think homemade reception signs, card boxes, wooden accents like birch tree centerpieces, and other rustic decor. Laid-back food selections and comfort food will be popular with items like mac n' cheese and fried chicken topping the list.   Homemade pies in lieu of large wedding cakes are a popular choice and really say 'made with love'. By opting for a smaller traditional wedding cake and including homemade pies made by family members, you will save money and have an effortless country accent to add to your reception.  Expect simple decor to also top the list.

 

3) Personalize it - Personalization is back with a bang and can be found on everything from monogrammed napkins to custom made wedding garters. To save costs, brides are adding their own stamp on their wedding through DIY crafts. Homemade monogram banners and invitations are hot right now with hand-stamped napkins and homemade wedding favors also topping the list. Embroidered wedding garters, engraved flutes, and personalized ring pillows are also popular ways to personalize your wedding accessories. File these great keepsakes away in your memory chest after your wedding and you have cherished mementos of your special day long after your wedding has passed.

4) Refreshing color palettes - Refreshing shades of pink, yellow, and green are the hot color picks for 2011. Combine yellow and lime green together for a mix that screams summer. Honeysuckle pink paired with pale yellow brings that feeling of summer while still keeping a feminine feel to your wedding day through the unique pink shade. For a unique summer twist, bold red paired with pale blue plays on the summery feeling of firecrackers and summer cook-outs while still being modern and fun.

5) Decor that makes a statement - 2011 summer weddings are all about what's unique and your wedding decor is no exception. Brides are pulling out all the stops when it comes to creating unique decorations for their venue. Using fruit as decoration is the most popular and easiest way to add a twist on traditional decor. Add lemons, limes, and other summer fruits to your table centerpieces, wedding cake, and even your wedding bouquets and boutonnieres.

6) Add vintage nostalgia - Brides in 2011 are all about vintage accents. Classic cars on display during your reception, vintage cake toppers, 1930's finger waves, and old-fashioned sundae buffets are a few additions that are increasing with popularity. It's all about what's old with this theme. When including a vintage flair, be sure to check thrifts stores and mom's attic for items like porcelain vases to use as centerpieces, retro lighting, vintage shoes, and grandma's brooch

7) Make guests feel important - Brides and grooms are paying close attention to their guests and are going out of their way to say a special thank you. In the summer heat, hand fans and personalized water bottles are popular choices to give guests to use during your ceremony. Lavish candy buffets are popping up all over reception with smaller wedding favors still being presented as guest table settings to say thank you.  To see other unique wedding favor ideas, check out our full selection of summer wedding favors.

Happy Planning!

Sources: Homemade apple pies via The Knot, Honeysuckle bridesmaids dresses via Cameron Kelly Studio

Make Her Mother's Day Memorable

Heads up ladies, Mother's Day is swiftly approaching! Take a mini break from your wedding planning to make your mom's day a special one. There are many ways to celebrate how wonderful your mother is, whether by giving her a gift, planning a special day together or making a homemade treasure that she will cherish! Some things to remember when you're planning for a memorable day or gift for your mom is to make it personal, make it relevant and make it relaxing!

Make it Personal

There is nothing more special than a homemade or personalized gift for your mom. Create a scrapbook filled with pictures and mementos. She will love to flip back through this keepsake over the years. Consider personalized picture frames or home decorations for a special present. If you're looking for a gift from the whole family, I love these Hand Print Canvas Kits, a great combined gift from you and your younger siblings. 

Images: Scrapbook page Laina Lamb, Family name vine key hanger, Mother picture frame, Hand print canvas kit

Make it Relevant

When choosing a gift for your mother make sure to take into account her interests and hobbies. If she loves to work out, consider getting her a new exercise mat or hand weights. Or sign the two of you up for a weekly exercise class, no doubt she will love to spend the extra time with you. If reading is more her thing locate that new book she's been wanting to read or even better splurge on a Nook or Kindle! And you can never go wrong with something for the kitchen or garden

Images: Yoga pose, Nook from Barnes and Noble, Mom's Garden Sign from Rooster's Perch, Kitchenaid appliances

Make It Relaxing

Spoil your mom with a gift certificate for a massage, facial, or pedicure at her favorite spa. There is nothing more relaxing than a day of pampering. If your mother wouldn't want you to splurge on a fancy spa day for her don't worry you can bring the spa to her. Plan a mother daughter spa day at home with relaxing home spa gifts and bath accessories. Give each other manicures and pedicures and have a light lunch together! Don't forget to start her day with breakfast served in bed!

Images: Spa facial, Therapeutic lavender neck wrap gift set, Weekend retreat lavender gift set, Breakfast in bed

Have a Happy Mother's Day!

Image: Mother and Daughter image

Fresh and Fun Tulip Themed Wedding

Seeing tulips spring up is one of the first signs that spring is here and winter is on its way out. I love seeing tulips at spring weddings, where they provide splashes of vibrant color. Their classic shape makes them fit easily into elegant and modern affairs alike. I would love to see this sturdy flower become the focus of a wedding theme.

Tulip themed dresses and accessories are surprisingly easy to find. This tulip jewelry would look gorgeous paired with an elegant and understated strapless wedding down. You can dress your bridesmaids in bright tulip inspired pinks, yellows and oranges. Trendy dresses with tulip shaped skirts will tie in your theme in a lovely way. Your groomsman can sport brightly colored ties that coordinate with your bridesmaid dresses or tulip boutonnieres that look dashing against neutral colored suits in black, gray, or tan.

It's simple to add tulips to your reception tables. They look gorgeous in simple bouquets that can be placed in a variety of vases to coordinate with your wedding style. Mason jars are perfect for that country or shabby chic look. I also love the look of submerged tulips in tall square or cylindrical vases.

You can give your guest a unique favor in the form of a tulip bulb for guests to plant when they get home. You can package it in a cute mini burlap sack or box with a gift tag printed with planting instructions. Other fun favor ideas include tulip shaped sugar cookies,  You can also use brightly colored hand fans to tie in your spring colors without going overboard with your theme.

~ Jenna 

Photo Credit: Tulip Invite, Tulip Necklace, Pink Stiletto, Vogue Dress, Tulip Bulb Favors

Selecting the Perfect Garter for Your Wedding Day

The garter toss is considered one of the oldest wedding traditions to date. The tradition began when it use to be customary for the relatives and guest to accompany the bride and groom to their marriage bed. Thank goodness this is no longer the case and it is now considered a fun part of the wedding reception. Here are a few ideas to keep in mind when you are selecting a garter for your big day.

Choose a garter that matches your style. If you are having a traditional wedding you will want a traditional white and lace garter to match your dress. If you are a bride that likes bling then look for a garter with lots of sparkle and crystals.

Don’t forget the dress. If your dress is a tighter dress choose a garter that will not show a bump on your leg. It is important to also try on a garter as well as your dress to see how it will look under the dress. If you are wearing a larger ball gown styled dress the garter should not be a problem.

Color, color and more color. You can also select your garter to match your wedding colors or wedding theme. If you are having a military wedding, consider a military wedding garter. If your wedding colors are fuchsia and orange then you can add a splash of color by getting a fuchsia and orange garter. Something blue is another thing to think about. A garter is a great way to add that something blue to your wedding day.

If you select a personalized wedding garter you will forever have a keepsake from you wedding day. When selecting a garter that is personalized you can usually select from many thread options which will be another way to add some color.

The most important thing to remember is to have fun when selecting the garter. Choose a garter that means something to you and your day. Most garters today come with a throw away garter so that you can keep one for yourself. Good Luck and keep it fun!

Is Free Shipping Really Free?

During these tough economical times, brides are looking for great deals to extend their wedding budget. One enticing offer made by online wedding stores is free shipping. But when taking a closer look at this popular promotion, one question is raised - “is free shipping really free?”

As a bride planning your wedding and shopping for your wedding supplies online, you’ve surely seen free shipping’ promotions like ‘Free Shipping on Orders over $150.00’. While these deals are designed to catch your attention - and your patronage - you may not be getting the best deal possible.

When companies offer free shipping, they are still paying the fees necessary to ship your order. In order to do this and still make money, most companies need to sell their products in large volume, i.e. 200 favors or more, or increase the average per-piece price of the products they offer.

Another way companies can ‘make up the shipping costs’ is to charge higher than normal shipping prices on all their products, every day so when they do offer free shipping promotions, their average shipping revenues will make up for their promotion losses.

So how do you know if you are getting the best deal with free shipping? This answer to this is simple. Once you have decided what favors, decorations, or accessories you want to order, find several websites that offer the same products. Add your products to the shopping cart at each website you are interested in doing business with. Many websites allow you to calculate your shipping and handling costs without actually having to enter any of your personal information. Your shopping cart total is what you want to look at when making your decision. You may find that your total price on a website offering ‘free shipping’ is actually more than your total price on a website that does not offer free shipping.

Wedding accessories superstores like My Wedding Reception Ideas want your business and work hard to earn your trust and loyalty in their products and services. Take a few extra minutes and do your homework. The savings you make with a little extra effort will go a long way to extending your wedding budget.