Fairytale Wedding

Diamonds are a girls best friend – and not just the ones in her engagement ring!  “Diamond” look candles, decorations such as faux diamond confetti, napkin rings and paper weight favors make great additions for your wedding reception!

Guests will appreciate the coordinating theme decor as well as the unique wedding favors that they can put to good use once home.  Of course there are many diamond favor options other than the paper weight, such as bottle stoppers, keychains, elegant pens, or napkin ring set.  Stylish and practical!

Although type and style of your wedding should remain the same at both your ceremony and reception, it is not necessary to decorate with the same theme at both.  Depending highly on where your wedding ceremony is – a church, a beach, an outdoor garden or on a mountainside – will also determine decor.

However, there is nothing wrong with adding a touch of your reception theme to your wedding ceremony decorations.  After all, it’s in the details!  For example your reception theme may be centered around a Cinderella fairy tale wedding, or maybe butterflies, doves, hearts, horses, or Calla Lilies (because they’re your favorite!)  Obviously your reception decorations will include your choice theme or colors, but  tucking coordinating items in the floral arrangements, hanging them from the pew bows (this horse charm pew bow brings the bride’s love of horses to the ceremony!) or setting them on the windowsills at the church of your wedding ceremony is a fun concept as well.

Gift card holders have really developed over the years.  Not only are they now available in many colors and styles, with their own unique, intricate designs, but many are now theme oriented!

I think card holders are one of the most functional wedding decoration ideas out there.  Take this carriage card holder design pictured.  Perfect for any fairy tale wedding, but also works for a winter wonderland or victorian wedding theme.

Going green or earth-friendly has become an increasingly popular trend in the United States.  Going green can be part of environmentalism, politics, ecology, or nature conservationism, feminism, or many other movements.  Many industries have been revolutionized by the green movement, including the wedding industry.

Green weddings are becoming more and more common, and do it yourself wedding invitations are the natural beginning of the whole process.  Printing invitations, RSVP cards, place cards, stationery, and thank-you notes on recycled paper stock is one easy way to make your wedding greener.

Simple, inexpensive elegance, easily describes candles at a wedding.  Whether it be at the ceremony or reception, indoor or outdoor, by day or at night.  Gather together two or three different size, white or ivory pillar candles with lace or unique ribbon and strategically place them throughout  your venue.   

Aside from your unity candle, subtle votive and/or pillar candles blend nicely within their surroundings (especially in a church) and will help complete your desired ambiance without your guests even realizing quite how.  Simply set them on a plain surface, a platter, a mirror, a doily, in a vase, or in candlebras of different heighths.  You can even add flowers, stones or sand if you’d like!

Finding the perfect ring bearer pillowthat not only coordinates with your fairy tale theme wedding but also captures the whimsy, romance and magic of your special day won’t be too difficult a task.  In fact, with so many to choose from, you mind find it tough to choose!

If a Cinderella theme suits your fancy, then choose Disney’s Cinderella inspired ring bearer pillows or the carriage charm design pillow by Lillian Rose.  If it’s the ”Happily Ever After” that you’re looking for, then choose any number of colors and designs such as the one pictured offering a simply stated ”And They Lived Happily Ever After . . .” stitched in a tricolor mix of pink, silver and orange thread.

The carriage, the castle or the slipper?  With the many options in fairy tale theme favors and decorations, the choice is usually made soley on preference.  Candles, bookmarks, keychains, bath soap and favor boxes are among the favorite available types of favor choices for a Cinderella theme wedding or bridal shower.

For the tables at your Cinderella event, you could decorate coach shaped white or silver metal centerpieces and add Cinderella slippers filled with mints, glimmering castle shaped bookmarks or sparkling castle design place card frames as party favors.  Place beautiful rose floral arrangements on tables paired with Cinderella carriage shaped favor boxes filled with goodies.  Alternate centerpieces or differnt color table linens on every other table.  Choose a glamorous slipper or shimmering castle for the cake top or cup cake table display.

In American culture, the tiered cake has become iconic of traditional wedding ceremonies. One of the most enjoyable aspects of planning a wedding is looking for the perfect cake to cap off your wedding day.  Deciding on a cake is not an easy decision, but the taste testing can be fun and enjoyable experience.

The other big decision when it comes to wedding cake is choosing a wedding cake topper and cake server sets. It is important to choose a cake topper that represents you as a couple, preferably one that you can keep as a memento of that special day you were joined together. And remember the serving sets and topper will be in some of your most cherished wedding photos.

You may have hired the best pastry artist in the world to design your wedding cake, but remember the presentation of the cake is almost as important as the cake itself.   Be sure to talk to your cake artist about who is responsible for what, such as delivering the cake vs. picking it up as well as for cake table presentation.

Gather your  desired wedding cake accessories and decorations.  Your favorite cake topper, desired knife and wedding cake server, along with any floral arrangements, flower petals, confetti or framed pictures to include with the display.  Appropriate table linens, gossamer or string lights always aid in creating a masterpiece presentation.

Bold wedding colors aren’t the only trends making themselves more and more known! Over the last couple of seasons, we’ve seen some pretty amazing, sugary detail in wedding cakes making their debut as well.  From replicas of stain glass windows to graphic motifs that rival their coordinating wedding invitations, your wedding cake creation is limited only by the imagination of the pastry artist and your wedding budget!

I’d say forget unforgettable cake toppers when the wedding cake stands alone, accept when I’m reminded that as beautiful as the cake may be, the only thing left will be the photographs and the memories of it.  A special cake topper can be kept for the years to come, re-used on anniversary cakes or just displayed as a centerpiece.  If you’re considering a wedding cake that wows, leave room for the cake top that will compliment it’s lavish decor!  Check out the March issue of BRIDES magazine for pictures of the 23 most creative wedding cakes. (Picture by elegantcheesecakes.com)  Lastly, remember that no matter how beautiful your wedding cake is, freshness and taste is just as important!