Mouth Watering Summer Wedding Cocktails

The heat is almost here and it's time to cool off with a mouthwatering cocktail at your summer wedding! Lovely lemonades, sinful strawberry drinks and grown-up root beers will have guests coming back for more. These tasty summer cocktails are not only wedding appropriate but can be used at any wedding related summer bash. Bridal showers, bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinners and morning after brunches are perfect places to showcase these delightful drinks as well! Take a look at our selection of summery cocktail recipes and prepare to get thirsty! You should probably make each of these recipes ahead of time to find your favorite. Have the girls over for a cocktail party, I'm sure they won't mind helping you out!

Strawberry Sparkler
This lovely cocktail is not only scrumptious but also a sight for the eyes! It's pretty pink color and fruity garnish make for a beautiful display. Consider serving this drink as the bride's cocktail at your reception or as a girly treat at your bachelorette party or bridal shower.

Recipe: (For one cocktail)
- 2 ounces of strawberry infused vodka
- 2 ounces of simple syrup
- 2 ounces of fresh lemon juice
- Top with sparkling wine and garnish with strawberries and mint

Peach Lemonade
Here is a summer treat that even the kids can enjoy. Fresh peaches and lemons pair up in this sunny drink and pack a punch everyone will love. This cocktail can be served with or without alcohol. How perfect would this drink be served in mason jars at your backyard wedding reception or rehearsal dinner?

Recipe: (For 4 cocktails)
- 2 to 3 fresh peaches or nectarines
- The juice from 5 lemons
- 4-5 tsp. sugar (to taste)
- Water
- Crushed ice
Squeeze the lemons and set aside the juice. Peel peaches, remove pit and roughly chop. Puree peaches in a food processor with the sugar until smooth. Mix the lemon juice with this mixture. Add water and ice to your taste. More sugar can be added for sweetness as well.

Voot Beer
This playful cocktail offers the taste of a childhood favorite with a grown-up twist! The classic root beer recipe gets a pick-me-up with vanilla flavored vodka. This quick and easy thirst-quencher will be a crowd pleaser!

Recipe:(For one cocktail)
- 2 ounces vanilla flavored vodka
- 5 ounces root beer
- Whip cream for garish
- Maraschino cherry for garnish

Serve with a straw in an ice cold mug

Drink up more delicious summer wedding cocktail ideas on our Signature Drinks Pinterest page!

Photo and recipe credits: Main cocktail image, Strawberry Sparkler image and recipe from Valley and Co. Lifestyle Blog, Peach Lemonade image and recipe from the Mirch Masala Blog, Vootbe from 303 Distillery, found on Creative Culinary.com

Pretty Patterned Bridesmaid Dresses

Patterned bridesmaid dresses have been making an appearance at warm weather weddings these last few years, and this wedding season is no different! Brides are donning their maids in  dresses covered in the prettiest of patterns. Whether the pattern you choose is subtle or striking, it is a fun and flirty option for spring and summer weddings. When choosing patterned bridesmaid dresses make sure that you choose a print that will be flattering to all of your girls. Smaller printed patterns seem to be more flattering than large bold designs. If you decide to mix and match patterns, make sure that all the prints are cohesive with each other and don't clash. Not only are patterned dresses unique and fun, another great reason to choose them is when all the bridesmaids are wearing patterned dresses you will notice that the bride stands out even more in her solid white gown! Take a look at several different ways to do patterns for your bridesmaid dresses. From romantic to vintage or even geometric, there is a style for every wedding! 

Image Credits: Pretty Patterns Main Image,  Romantic Dresses-1 (photo by Anna Hardy), Romantic Dresses-2 by Maggie Heinzel-Neel Photographyc, Bold Dresses (Photo by zadesignz), Flirty Dresses, Retro-Chic Dresses (photo by Nathan Wu Photography), Vintage Dresses 1, Vintage Dresses 2, Geometric Dresses 1, Geometric Dresses 2

DIY Keepsakes Featuring Your Wedding Song

The first dance at your wedding is a special part of your big day. Whether it was picked out days before your wedding or early on in your relationship, this song is significant. Whenever you hear your song played on the radio or you find yourself humming the lyrics, you will think back to that romantic first dance on your wedding day. This song holds a special place in most couple's hearts and there are ways for you to create a memorable keepsake that showcases it.

After the wedding day you can make a soundtrack to your wedding that includes your first dance song. While this is always nice, it's not exactly original and there are only so many times that you will listen to it. Why not take your wedding song and turn it into a piece of art or decoration that you can use in your home and look at every day!

From the Wit and Whistle Blog comes this uniquely adorable idea for a decorative pillow that features song lyrics or a special quote. We suggest highlighting some of the most important words from your wedding song on this quaint and comfortable piece. Read through the words to your song and pick the chorus or certain lines from the song that mean the most to you and your honey. This project is totally DIY and quite inexpensive to execute. All you need is a premade pillowcase (or you can easily make your own). Grab a ruler, pencil, letter stencil and fabric marker and you are all set to create this one of a kind piece. You can use the ruler to lightly pencil straight lines across your pillow (make sure to test a scrap of fabric first to see if pencil will erase on it). Then use your stencil to pencil in the lyrics. Remove the stencil and use the fabric marker to fill in the letter outlines. Choose any color you like for the wording but black is always a safe choice and really gives off a crisp professional look. Check out the step by step instructions for this pillow project at the Wit and Whistle Blog.

Our second keepsake idea comes from The Scout & Nimble Blog. While our first keepsake showcased the lyrics to your wedding song, this stunning piece displays the musical notation. There is something about the way that musical notes float across a page that make them a work of art all in themselves. This majestic piece will look lovely displayed in your home and makes for a great conversation piece when guests are over. For this easy project all you will need to do is locate the sheet music for your song. If you don't already have it you can order it online or even print the sheet music form certain websites at home. Follow the instructions at Scout & Nimble for directions on how to piece your music sheets together to form a piece large enough to frame. You can also take your sheet music to a printer and have them enlarge it to the desired size you want. You can distress the printed sheet to give it an aged or antique look if desired. Then find the perfect frame and you are finished! This sentimental work of art will hang in your home for many years to come!

These wonderful keepsake ideas would make the perfect wedding anniversary gift for your spouse (and yourself).

Six Ways to Make the Most of Your Honeymoon

Planning your honeymoon? We've come up with a list of  six small ways to make the most of your honeymoon.

Try Something New. What better way to start your new life together than by going on an adventure? Trying new things together is also a great way to cement your bond, creating unforgetable moments that only the two of you share.

Do Nothing for A Day. Set aside part of your honeymoon to just relax. Order breakfast and stay in bed watching a favorite movie. After that, you can head to the beach to sunbathe or to the nearest spa for a couples massage. You deserve some R&R after all the stress of planning a wedding. This down time also allows you to focus purely on your new spouse without any distractions.

Keep Everything. Bring along little plastic bags and envelopes or a small keepsake box to tuck in little mementos from each day. These could be small things like a cocktail napkin from a restaurant, the ticket stubs to a show, or even a bar of soap from your hotel. Later these small things will bring all the memories of your honeymoon rushing back. You will be so glad you took the time to create these keepsakes.

Don't Answer Your Phone. Unless you are a parent, there is no reason why you need to keep tabs on anyone back at home. Work, friends, and family can all wait. It is a good idea to keep your phone with you in case of emergency, but just let calls roll to voicemail and save texts to be answered later. This one little act lets your significant other know that you are willing to put them first. There is also something refreshing about being alone together in a new place, with no connection to the outside world.

Take A Lot of Photos. Take pictures everywhere you go on your honeymoon. Don't be too shy to ask strangers to snap a photo of the two of you as well. You will treasure these honeymoon photos for the rest of your lives. You may take other vacations together, but you only have one honeymoon!

Get Organized. While you want to relax and let go of all your stress during your honeymoon, you also have to get all your ducks in a row in order to do this. Make sure you have all your passports, tickets, maps, and reservations easily accessible. Also make sure you bring along enough money and budget it wisely during your stay. If you button down these details beforehand, it will be smooth sailing for the rest of your trip!

Happy Honeymooning!

Backyard Wedding Ideas Inspiration Board

Most people think that the best thing about a backyard wedding is the price. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The best things about a backyard wedding are; the intimacy, the gorgeous decorations, the fun and the food. When planning your backyard wedding consider using rustic decoration and signs to greet your family and friends as they arrive. Use the outdoors to create your backdrop for the ceremony. What is more beautiful than Mother Nature herself? Fill mason jars or vintage watering cans with wild flowers or loose bouquets to create stunning center pieces for your reception tables. Serve a buffet style meal with all the fixings and fresh lemonade and ice tea to cool your guest down on a hot summer day. Of course don't forget about dessert. Homemade cakes and cupcakes would make the perfect dessert for your guest and be the most fitting for your fabulous backyard wedding.

 Photo Credits: The Wedding of my Dream Blog, marthastewartweddings.com, modern keepsake and The Natural Wedding Company.