Wedding Reception Centerpieces and Ideas to Fit Your Style

Whether your wedding style is classic chic, hopelessly romantic, or uber modern, we've put together some of our favorite wedding reception centerpiece ideas to fit your individual taste.  When it comes to your table displays, take your time deciding on the perfect arrangement(s). Your wedding centerpieces will help set the overall tone of your event and help give that important first impression.  After all, it's every bride's mission to have their guests ooh and ahh over the gorgeous wedding details they've spent countless months planning and preparing.  Your wedding centerpieces will go a long way in making this vision become a reality.

#1) The Romantic Bride - For romantic brides, it's all in the details.  Create an elegant, breathtaking display of flowers that will lend to your romantic nature.  Romantic centerpieces can be simple or elaborate...monochromatic or full of color.  Mix in berries, nuts, and even pearls to add texture and visual interest to your displays.  When creating fresh floral arrangements, it is important to take into account the time of year you are getting married and check with your florist to see if those flowers will be readily available.

(photo credits: peonies, tall roses, orange roses, blue flowers)

#2) The Rustic Bride - For those with a country or woodland aesthetic, give your centerpieces a rustic touch to lend to your earthy style.  Wooden details, natural accents, and earthy color schemes are ideal for rustic looks.  Consider items like simple mason jars filled with wildflowers  and bare tree branches placed lengthwise across each table or placed in tall cylinders.  Wooden planter boxes and potted herbs do double duty as wedding favors.  Just let guests know to take one with them when they head home either through word of mouth or by placing a cute sign on each table.

(photo credits: mason jars, bare branches, window planter boxes, potted herb tutorial)

#3) The Modern Bride - Like clean lines and monochromatic schemes?  A modern, simple, or eclectic look may be perfect for you.  To pull off modern centerpieces, simple is usually better.  Clean lines and fresh color schemes like pure white with pops of bold color are ideal.  For modern styling, don't be afraid to play with shapes.  Square vases, tall cylinders, and opaque ceramic holders work great for holding your arrangements.  Simple centerpiece arrangements are also the perfect opportunity to get away with bold and/or patterned tablecloths so one does not fight against the other.

(photo credits: terrarium, daffodils, assorted cylinders, bare branches)

#4) The Classic Bride - Who doesn't love the classic look of candlelight glow.  For more traditional brides, you can't go wrong with the classic styling of candle centerpieces.  To add visual interest and dimension, consider adding candles of varying height to your tables, smaller votives filled with monochromatic flower buds, and/or flower petals to your table.  For a touch of sparkle, place candles in glass candlesticks or hang a sparkling chandelier above your tables.  Don't be afraid to mix candle wedding centerpieces in with any of the other wedding styles too.  To split up an event visually, consider mixing taller floral arrangements with shorter candle arrangements.

(photo credits: votives, candelabra, pillar candles)

Poppies & Sunshine - A Wedding Color Story

Almost eerily beautiful, the poppy flower has deep rooted symbolism and meaning behind it. While the Wicked Witch of the West used the poppy's powers of sleep against Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, the flower has a more cheerful orientation to it as well. The poppy has associations with beauty, magic and fertility. These delicate wildflowers come in a variety of types and colors. The California Poppy takes center stage in our Poppies and Sunshine Color Inspiration Board. Perfect for a spring or summer wedding, the California Poppy's colors range from yellow to light and dark orange. Pair these cheerful blooms with shades of sunshine yellow, sky blue and shadowy gray for a charming wedding color scheme.

Add pops of color to your wedding day attire with poppy orange bridesmaid dresses, cool blue ties and floral hair pins, belts and boutonnieres.  Cheery and fun, get inspired by this laid back wedding color scheme  for your spring or summer wedding!

Photo Credits: Single poppy bloom, Poppy Field, Paper flowers, Wedding party by the pool by Heather Kinkaid Photographer, Yellow poppy belt, Blue tie groom by Orchard Grove Photography

Things We Love - Custom Napkins for Your Wedding Reception

Every bride knows, it's all in the details when planning a memorable wedding and that means that something as simple as a napkin can make a big impact on the look and feel of your wedding reception. Of course napkins are, first and foremost, useful. Yet, these functional squares of soft paper can serve a bigger purpose when you factor in color and creative custom printing. Here are a few of our favorite ways to use your custom printed napkins to accent your wedding reception decor.

 

Your napkins have the biggest impact as a punch of color on your reception tables, cake table, or dessert display. They can be artfully arranged at each place setting or stacked next to the food stations for blocks of color that speaks to your signature style. Your napkins are best displayed against table linens off a contrasting, but coordinating color. The images above show how the napkins create the punch of color that sets the entire mood of the each place setting as well as the tables as a whole.





Beyond color, the napkins at your wedding reception are the perfect way to send a message to each guest through custom printing. Custom printed napkins allow you to take the blank canvas of a useful paper napkin and turn it into a work of art that helps set the stage for whatever look and feel you are creating at your reception.  An elegant monogram printed on your napkin gives the impression of class and sophistication while a cheeky phrase or graphic sets the mood for a fun, casual evening. You can also use your napkins to help carry out a specific theme by having them printed with a design or phrase that you are using throughout your wedding. Your napkins are the perfect place to showcase your custom monogram or the logo from your wedding invitations. This brings a unity to your wedding decor, making it look and feel professionally planned.

Custom printed napkins also double as a scrap book keepsake as they are often printed with the bride and grooms names and wedding date. Knowing this, a lot of couples get creative with the art they choose to have printed on their napkins by either purchasing or creating their own custom art. Others choose to use their printed wedding napkins as an avenue to communicate with and entertain their guests. One of our favorite napkins trends is the printing of fun facts about the bride and groom on each napkin. Along these same lines, couples can print "icebreakers" on the napkins that draw guests into conversation. Word searches and scavengar hunts printed on your napkins also provide entertainment for your guests as they wait to be served.

Looking for custom printed napkins your own wedding? Find a variety of colors and styles here.

 

Image Credits: Yellow Table Setting from Yellow Weddings, Pink and White Table from Country Living, Blue Table Setting from Unknown Source, Tied the Knot napkins from Style Me Pretty, Did You Know Napkins from My Wedding Reception Ideas. 

Decorating Your Wedding Dance Floor Made Easy

Your wedding reception dance floor is where the magic happens. It is the place where you will appear in front of your guest, family and friends for the first dance, the garter toss, the father and daughter dance and so on. You are going to want to make your dance floor stand out to your guests just as much as every other aspect of your wedding. We have listed some tips and photos below to give you inspiration and the edge on decorating ideas.

Simple strands of twinkle lights can make your dance floor unforgettable. Just remember when it comes to lights, more is more. The more lights you can tack up on the ceiling like the photo above the better and the more sparkle you dance floor will appear to have. The best thing about this idea is the price.

Be creative when it comes to lighting. Almost anything can be made in to a light with just a little ingenuity and time. If you love anything DIY then consider the photo to the right. The bird cage lights are so beautiful and whimsical, they become the perfect touch to an outdoor wedding reception dance floor. 

Another fun and creative idea is to use parasols for your wedding lighting. Parasols can be purchased for a good price and normally come in a large range of colors and styles. I love the photo to the left and how they used several different colors and styles to create a dance floor that is truly unique.

A new trend for decorating your wedding dance floor is special lighting created for you especially. In the photo to the right you will see the bride and grooms names illuminated across the dance floor. This is extremely beautiful and personal. Most larger DJ companies have the equipment and the pricing to do this kind of lightning for your reception dance floor.

Another trendy dance floor decoration is the dance floor decal. The dance floor decals can be personalized with your names, monogram, wedding date, last name etc. The decals also come in a large variety of colors and styles to suit most brides. This is another very affordable alternative for decorating and the clings can be used again at a later anniversary party.

One of our favorite dance floor decorations are the paper lanterns. Paper lanterns can be found in several different colors and shapes to create a look that is all your own. Go all out with fuchsia, lime and orange lanterns or create a simple and subtle atmosphere with a lovely mix of ivory and soft yellows as the photo to the right.

Of course when it comes to decorating your wedding reception dance floor you are going to find that anything that you can possible do yourself will be the cheapest route if you are on a tight budget. Whatever you decide, make it fun and personal to you and your dance floor will be one of a kind. Good Luck!

Photo Credits: Twinkle Light Ceiling by Craig Mitchelldyer Photography, Bird Cage Lights by somethinggreenevents.blogspot.com, Parasol Ceiling by 100 Layer Cake,  Personalized Lighting by artthedj.com and Paper Lanterns by intimateweddings.com.

Exquisite Ideas for Engagement Photographs – A Collection of Inspiration Boards

Now that you and your man are engaged, you will have the wonderfully exciting task of planning a wedding.  One of the first things you will want to consider is having engagement photos taken, which is where these ideas for exciting engagement photographs come in.  Your engagement photos will give you a chance to show off your love for your fiancé, and of course your ring.  You will likely want to look back on your photos someday and see a reflection of your life as a couple.

You will probably want to have several different themes and concepts in mind when heading to your photography session.  Some of our favorite engagement photos show the couple simply having fun together.  Consider bringing funny props that represent things that one or both of you enjoy.  Using a ball from your favorite sport, a bicycle, or even bubble gum can bring joy to both you and your photographs.

Another type of photographs that is sure to impress is a simple shot of you and your soon-to-be husband sharing a quiet moment together.  Share a sweet story or simply say something touching to your fiancé to bring out a loving gesture to be captured by your photographer.  Your genuine love for each other will shine through into your pictures and will be a priceless keepsake for the rest of your lives together.

Great locations also help your photographer to capture great photos.  Think about places near your home where the landscapes are breathtaking.  The combination of the view, and you and your future hubby looking incredible together will make for a gorgeous photograph.  It may take some creative thinking, but it will be worth the stunning photographs you will be left with!

Remember to express your personalities and have as much fun as possible with your engagement session!  For more helpful ideas, tips and tricks, check out Amanda's article on engagement photography here.

Image Credits: Sitting on Barn Floor, Tender Moment, Snowy Night, Porch Swing, Fly a Kite, Bubble Fight, Blowing Bubbles, Riding a Bike, Soccer, At the Ocean, Bright Sun, Castle and a Stormy Sky, Lighthouse