Fairytale Wedding

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.

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.

Shortly after the proposal made by my fiance’ (and my excited, “yes!”) I began to browse catalogs and the Internet for ideas.  I imagine most engaged woman also go this route.  It’s exciting to look at the different style gowns, wedding favors and theme ideas.

You may notice many wedding companies create entire wedding collections from coordinating ring pillows and flower girl baskets to cake tops and unity candles.  If you fall in love with a certain collection it’s convenient to purchase all the items at one time and be ready for your special day.  Others enjoy handpicking each item individually.  Unity candles are a wedding accessory that has the most available styles and types.  White and ivory have always been the most neutral selections, but your unity candle can come in nearly any shade of color.  You can have it personalized or customized with initials or your ceremony program.  Accents include jewels, pearls, ribbons.  Traditionally, a round pillar candle is used, but a more modern twist is the square candle.  There are also variations to the unity candle available, such as memorial candles, vases and/or sand or colored water.

If you’re looking for unique unity ceremony presentation pieces that are truly personal, then why not make your own unity set?  Use cylinder vases or even square vases that you may already have at home.  A floating candle in colored water or a votive candle in colored sand (that match your wedding colors) paired with two taper candles (for the lighting portion of the ceremony).

One of my favorite items that turns any ordinary vase into a vibrant, personal peice without the price tag are the wedding clings pictured here.  Not only do these clings dress up your wedding ceremony decorations, they also make remarkable reception table centerpieces!

After deciding what type of unity ceremony to have at your wedding, you begin to search for the right style of unity candle and maybe a complimenting unity candle and tapers stand as well.  Did you think there would be so many options?

If you’re having trouble choosing your unity candle, finding a coordinating stand or matching the two with your wedding theme or ceremony decor, you are not alone!  I had seen an elegant set at a wedding I was at and thought that was exactly what I wanted for mine.  Well, I couldn’t find that set and I found myself just as in love with a more modern square shaped unity candle, which wouldn’t have fit in the candle stand I liked anyway!  Finally, I decided to browse the candles and stands with my church style and decor in mind.  It really helped a lot to be able to ask a specific question about my potential purchase every time that I saw a unity candle and set that I liked. “Will this set fit in with my ceremony surroundings?”

There is nothing more valuable to a bride then a good wedding planner.  Organized and detail oriented or the opposite, both types of brides-to-be will benefit from a good preparation checklist, to do list, day-of checklists and a budget planner.  This can be in the form of a book or a person! (Especially if you are not the do-it-yourself type, then you’ll want to contact a professional event planner.)

A good planner will walk you through every step of the planning process.  The plan won’t leave out any details, but won’t make you feel overwhelmed either.  Look for lists that include everything and don’t just generalize. (Even a person planner should have checklists and plans in writing!)  For instance, your budget shouldn’t say “wedding accessories” it should list them in their proper categories; unity candle and stand, guest book, aisle runner, flower girl baskets and ring bearer pillow, etc. under ceremony and wedding favors, cake topper and cake server sets for your reception, etc.

How many times have you heard, “it’s the small things”?  Well this expression can easily be applied to a wedding budget because it’s the “small things” or details of a wedding that will add up and before you know it – your budget is blown!

This is especially true of favors and wedding accessories such as your bridal garter, cake topper, flower girl baskets, ring bearer pillow and/or wedding guest book.  Because these items are often purchased closer to the big day, it’s easy to forget to budget or to under-budget what these items will cost you.  Now these items are of more importance to some brides then others, but keep in mind that each one of these accessories range in price and start at about 25.00 each.  So even if you wait to purchase these items until closer to your day, be sure to budget between 150 to 500.00 up front.

There is no more awesome concept this season then dressing up the white gown with just a touch of color!  From the wedding day pumps to the bridal garter or purse; any color is invited to attend.

The best part about these wedding accessories is there not just for the bold brides who want to make a statement as they walk down the aisle.  Pretty pastels and soft blushes make their own debut for brides who want to stand with a simple peice or two, but in a more modest, “traditional” way.

Perhaps you are a princess bride-to-be having a fairy tale theme wedding, or maybe you want to find a basket that fits the personality of your flower girl.  Most girls love to pretend they are a beautiful princess and the gift of a fairytale basket to carry down the aisle will help this fantasy come to life for her! 

Simple and elegant, either of these flower girl baskets will coordinate with nearly any color theme.  However, they are both part of an entire collection, so if you want all of your wedding accessories to spell out your “Happily Ever After”, then here are two options for you.  But best of all will be the gift that makes your flower girl feel like a little princess!