Fairytale Wedding

One thing I find a lot of bride’s don’t consider when choosing a flower girl basket is the flower girl that will be carrying out down the aisle.  Sure, it’s just for a short period down the aisle, but don’t forget about the time spent the rest of the day and especially the time and comfort of the wedding day photos.

A flower girl basket worth holding on to…shouldn’t be too large or awkward for the little girl that it is intended for.  One of the worst type of baskets I’ve seen are the type with flowers or prickly decorations going all around the handle.  Where is your poor flower girl suppose to put her hands?  And how can a four to eight year old be held responsible for holding onto something heavy or awkward for most of a day taht she should be having fun?

There are probably hundreds of theme-inspired wedding accessories and even more theme ideas.  If you are creating a unique theme for your wedding day, (for instance, a “Vintage” or “Fairy Tale” theme) don’t become dissapointed if you can’t find a collection that includes everything you’ll need on your wedding day.

Look for your primary pieces.  The items that will really showcase your theme.  Then choose simple, subtle or neutral items that will not seem out of place for your theme.  Remember to stick to the same color scheme.  For instance a lovely creme and lacy flower girl basket would coordinate quite well with the above pictured “Vintage” bride.

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!

If you read the last few posts, you’ll know the discussions of late are about trends of 2010.  As featured in BRIDES magazine, mango and turquoise is a bold pick, perfect for a beach party or tropical wedding.  Other combinations include tangerine and colbolt blue or red and teal.

Flower girl dresses are nearly any color combination but white, however that satin white or ivory flower girl basket full of brightly colored orange roses, orchids or tropical colored flowers, petals or ribbon is still an elegant addition to your wedding ceremony prelude.

While it’s no secret that the bride is the star of the show at any wedding, the ceremony just wouldn’t be the same without its supporting cast. The groom has a speaking part, but few people pay attention to his performance. The groom’s wardrobe is intentionally non-descript. The other members of the wedding procession bring a bit more variety to the festivities.

The ring bearer – typically a young male relative of the happy couple – is all done up in a tiny tuxedo and eager to hoist his pillow, presenting the rings to the bride and groom. Then there’s the flower girl, very young in her own right, who skips merrily down the aisle to sprinkle flowers in her wake. Flower girl baskets are just one of many accessories that make weddings special and complete.

A winter wedding delight in ice blue and white! Scarlet red and classic black, a stylish choice for wedding colors!  Both combinations are rumored to be this seasons hottest picks for brides who would like to make a bold statement with their wedding.

Imagine a soft metallic silver to compliment the ice blue and white wedding colors.  Your bridesmaids and wedding accessories will be the definition of sleek and the groomsmen will look handsome and sharp in gray suits.  Your flower girl will compliment your chic choice of red and black wedding colors as she walks down the aisle in her red and black plaid dress toting a flower girl basket in iridescent black and silver…

One of my friends recently got married.  My friend, Sam is a real “attention to detail” type.  Her wedding was full of fun little ideas.  She opted to wrap their wedding favors with personalized ribbon.  She had her fiance and her name and their wedding date.  Most of her wedding accessories and decorations were personalized, customized or had a monogram on it.  She also gave personalized gifts to her attendees, wedding party and guests!

She had 6 flower girls in her ceremony and all of their flower girl baskets were identical accept for one thing.  She braided, wrapped and draped  organza ribbon and the personalized ribbon in her wedding colors around the top of each plain white basket.  The difference between each basket was that each flower girl had gotten to pick their own charm to hang on the front.  Sam added a personalized ribbon bow to attach each charm.  The personalized ribbon had each girl’s name on it and she let the girls keep their flower girl baskets.  I thought this was a really sweet detail for her to think of her girls like that in the midst of all her own wedding things-to-do!

While planning our wedding, many of us may not consider our accessories as part of the wedding decor.  Even though mix and match is doable, it should be within the scope of the wedding theme or style.  I know I find myself overwhelmed by the many options of wedding accessories and I love so many styles! Everything from sassy and unique to sophisticated and elegant.

I began planning my wedding with the hopes of having a fairy tale wedding theme.  I was very excited to find so many wedding accessories that were embroidered with “Happily Ever After…” such as ring bearer pillows and even unique wedding guest books. But I recently found myself in a pickle trying to coordinate everything.  After contimplating my colors for awhile, it came down to ivory and gold or red and turquoise, based on the availability of coordinating items out there.  Most of the wedding accessories that I like are white.  I was lucky enough to see the ”Happily Ever After” Collection I was going to purchase at a bridal show and I noticed that the accessories are all embroidered with orange and silver thread.  Right now, I’m really just happy I decided to give myself plenty of time to browse before the final wedding plans must be made!

Paying close attention to the smallest details of planning your wedding may or may not appeal to you.   But if you’re like me, you like to reflect the creative, unique person that you are and a great way to do that is with your wedding accessories.  Although right now, I am talking about sprucing up a wedding accessory that’s menat for the little princess of your big day!

Dressing up your flower girl basket to coordinate with any theme isn’t that difficult and it can be lots of fun!  There are a large variety of charms in many shapes and styles. Craft supply stores carry them as well as many bridal shops or even thrift shops.  You can use wine or cake charms, as well as old brooches or broken jewelry pieces.  (The charms pictured here are in the shape of a horse drawn carriage.  Ideal for a fairytale or Cinderella theme wedding.)  All you need is a hot glue gun and some inspiration to turn a plain wedding accessory into a unique piece for your adorable little flower girl.

Making your own flower girl baskets is a great opportunity to save some money.  It’s also an opportunity to ensure coordination between wedding accessories and decorations.  An outdoor or garden theme wedding is the ideal setting for wicker baskets and decorations.

Of course, you can always buy pre-made flower girl baskets if you don’t wish to create your own.  However, for a bride with the resources and a little creativity, designing your own can be a meaningful project with unique results.  Wicker baskets aren’t that hard to come by and they aren’t that expensive. You’ll find plain wicker baskets in craft stores and most thrift shops.  If you have multiple flower girls, consider different styles of wicker baskets and unite them by painting them all white (or a color that goes with your other accessories, gowns and/or decor) For a dramatic or different look, consider an eggshell pastel, off-white or even a deep gold.  Don’t forget the ribbon and lace!  FYI: keep your basket (s) simple.  If you’re placing an arrangement in it, don’t make something that will be too heavy or too large for a small child to handle.  Most of all, have fun!