Fairytale Wedding

Perhaps not all Princess Brides are like me, but I just love learning about the history and origins of different wedding traditions!  I have learned many things and one of them is that the wedding cake is one of the oldest traditions of a wedding.

What I found interesting though, was the origin of wedding cake toppers.  I read that it can be traced back to the 1840 marriage of Queen Victoria of England to Prince Albert, where figures of the royal couple were placed on their cake!  In the 1800′s and early 1900′s is when using cake tops on wedding cakes really became popular in America.  They may have began as traditional couple figurines, but now, the skies the limit of cake top figurines!

As a Princess Bride planning a fantasy fairytale wedding, you will go all out!  Meaning lavish, with an undertone of elegant or glamorous.  A luxerious fairytale theme wedding doesn’t have to be more expensive than any other fantasy wedding, but when you’re combining royalty and romance, it needs to look the part!

Holding your fairy tale wedding theme in a real castle may be ideal, but a grand ballroom in a magnificant hotel will suit the concept just as well.  You may need to dress it up a bit more, but high ceilings, beautiful chandeliers, and marble floors will be an excellent start!  Be sure your wedding decorations are vibrant or busturous, no matter what colors you choose.  Gossamer ceilings, cloth linens and a romantic sweetheart table are ideal.  Also, tons of roses are never over-the-top at a fairy tale event!

Before deciding on the type of wedding guest book that’s right for you, ask yourself what you want long-term from your wedding guest registry.  First of all, do you even want a guest “book”? Would a signature vase, platter or photo matt that you can display in your home after the big day suit your personality or lifestyle better?

Obviously, wedding guests books aren’t just “books” anymore!  There are ”well-wisher” cards and instant photo scrapbooks, where the guests are encouraged to give their blessings and/or advice.  So think about what you will do with your wedding registry list after the big event and let that help you decide what the right wedding guest book is for you!

In order to help keep you from loosing your sanity during the wedding planning process, many brides find checklists most helpful.  Wedding accessories is a very broad term that covers many essential wedding day items.  You want to make sure you don’t forget to purchase any of them, you want them to coordinate with your wedding colors, style and theme, and you don’t want to forget to bring them to the event itself!  (What bride wants to be walking down the aisle only to remember she forgot the tossing bridal garter?)

You’ll want to discuss organization of wedding accessories with your bridal consultant (or place someone in charge of them, such as a bridesmaid or your mother).  We’ll organize wedding accessories in two groups: Ceremony and Reception.  Your ceremony accessories include the ring bearer pillow, flower girl basket(s), bridal jewelry, bridesmaid(s) jewelry and the bouquets/boutineirs for each wedding party member.  Lastly, the unity candle or unity ceremony accessories if you are having one.  Reception accessories include the bridal garter and tossing garter, the cake top and knife server set, the money bag for the dollar dance (if you are having one) and the tossing bridal bouquet.  Also, don’t forget any special toasting flutes, wedding favors or place card holders.

There are so many lovely, elegant and humerous wedding cake toppers available for purchase now adays.  And if it’s not available for purchase then a good ckae baker is sure to be able to create something perfect to sit a top your wedding-dream-worthy cake.

But if your searching for fairy tale wedding cake toppers for a royal event then a tiara or crown cake top (like the one pictured here) will make your cake.  The crown cake top pictures is a Lillian Rose creation.  Standing 5.5 inches tall, the metallic caketop is decorated with rhinestones and pearls, making nearly any size cake look more majestic!  The metal can be bent and adjusted to your liking and the base is a simple white resin, for easy coordinating.

From DIY to modern, embossed and “dressed-up” for a grand affair, invitations tell guests what kind of an event your wedding will be, showcased on just a piece of paper!  If you already know the theme of your wedding, your invitations can convey it, but they don’t have to.

Seal and send wedding invitations come in traditional, bold, modern, fanciful or just plain fun designs, they’re simple for you to put together and can make your guest feel like their opening a present.  Best of all, you can make a great impression with your invitations at an affordable cost.

If your fantasy wedding is a fairy tale theme, but Cinderella isn’t your storybook story of choice, then you may be thrilled to learn that there are other options readily available.  The reason I say readily, is because we all know that our fantasy wedding themes are only limited by our imagination, but after awhile of planning, months of time and hard work and limited budgets, we brides want finishing touches that are “readily” available.  For instance, wedding decorations, accessories and favors that we’ll love and that will fit our theme perfectly.

Fairy tale wedding ideas outside of the Cinderella pumpkin coach concept may still include these elements; your dreams have come true, you’ve met your prince and the two of you will ride away together on his brilliant stead to your new home, a castle in the sky.  Some of my absolute favorite wedding accessories are neutral enough to go with any wedding theme colors but simply state, “And they lived happily ever after…” What’s more fairy tale romance then that?  Also, in wedding favors there are frog prince candles, castle bookmarks or crown key rings.  But it doesn’t end there, you can find many complimentary accessories and decorations.  Such as whimsical fairies, butterflies, angels or cherubs, roses, daisies, calla lily or other floral designs.  A horse and carriage or carousel horse, candles with “Happily Ever After” imprinted on them, a crown made of wire and beaded, or a resin castle centerpiece for each table or as a cake top is the perfect addition.Fluer di Lis symbols, hearts or scroll patterned guest books and gossamer tie in lovely, especially for a vintage tale, or one set in the Renaissance period or Victorian era.

It may not be for every bride, but for some, renting their wedding cake is ideal.  There are plenty of options in styles and colors with “faux” or fake wedding cakes and they tend to be “more for less”.  Meaning, get twice the cake for half of what you would pay for a traditional wedding cake. Rent or purchase a fake wedding cake and serve your guests less expensive sheet cakes!  Of course, options and prices do vary depending on where you get your cake.

Finishing touches?  The wedding cake topper of choice along with the perfect table decor and set up will help make the rented cake uniquely yours and none of your guests will be the wiser!

The moment I read about an idea for a wedding guest registry table, I knew I wanted to put my own spin on it for my wedding.  The bridal portrait had been taken with the bride wearing her grandmother’s wedding dress.  The picture was in a large, old-fashioned frame and set on an easel beside the guest book table.  On the table next to the guest book was her grandmother and grandfather’s wedding portrait.  

I wanted my wedding guest book and table decor to match this concept. I wanted something more modern but elegant and nothing plain or old-fashion looking (since that’s not me!). Plus, both my mother and fiance’s mother had bridal portraits taken in more modern (for the time) gowns, so I’ve decided I’ll display all three portraits in large, modern frames behind my guest book on a round table.  (I’m very close to my fiance’s mother, so this feels like a nice way to include her.)  I will use several brighter colors (that compliment my wedding colors) for the fabric on the table.   My guest book table will be in the entry of a long hallway to the ceremony, so it gives me the ability to have a sort-of “stand-alone” display.  I’m very excited about this idea!

In many cases, the wedding planning process is not a democracy – it’s a dictatorship. Needless to say, the bride wields most of the power in these matters. Since the entire process culminates in the most memorable day of a woman’s life, it’s only logical that she should have a heavy hand in the preparations. Getting ready for a wedding can be time-consuming and complicated, so it’s best to sit down at the outset and hash out each of the tasks that must be performed.

After settling on a theme, venue and guest list, it’s time to come up with some invitation ideas. Brides-to-be basically have two options: make your own wedding invitations or customize a pre-existing design with your own unique text. Creative types often choose to go with their own design, especially if they have left plenty of time before the wedding. Remember that the earlier you start to address these issues, the more time you’ll have to brainstorm and test bold ideas.