5 Ways To Make Your Wedding Unique

Tired of the "cookie cutter" wedding?  Do you want to take your wedding from drag to fab?  Below we share 5 tips to add some spice in your wedding day!

1) A fabulous way to make a wedding unique is to incorporate the cultures of the bride and groom. Whether you feature a traditional Chinese tea ceremony, the breaking of the glass, jumping of the broom or traditional foods, I think incorporating one’s culture is a beautiful way to add depth and uniqueness to your wedding.

{Jumping the broom by Annie Lee}

2) Another way to add dimension to your wedding is to entertain and “wow” the guests with creative interactive experiences. Some examples might be adding a photo booth, a dessert buffet of your favorite desserts, a cigar roller, or a port and cheese tasting. All are non-traditional items that you wouldn’t find at weddings past and also provide an interactive element to your wedding that your guests will enjoy and best of all remember for years to come.

3) Think outside the box when it comes to your wedding décor, more specifically your table centerpieces. Instead of using traditional flowers, try something a bit different. Some ideas might be incorporating a few stunning vintage bird cages, elegant crystal chandeliers, or even miniature wedding cakes as centerpieces.

{weddingbee.com}

 

4) Make your wedding special and different (not to mention “wow” your guest) plan to include over the wedding weekend some different activities for your guests to participate in. Plan a mini tennis/golf tournament; a Clam bake for all your guests; a morning hike; a luau or a Sunday brunch, just to name a few. Adding some creative activities for your guests really helps add a whole new unique aspect to your wedding.

5) However the most important part of making a wedding unique is to incorporate the passions and personalities of the bride and groom. For example, if the couple is really into wine, use that theme and infuse it throughout the wedding. You could have the tables named after vineyards you love, set place cards in wine corks, use deep reds and browns as your color scheme, and bring in wine barrels to add additional décor to the room. Bringing in who you are as a couple is very important in making your wedding special and unique!

 {Flickr photo: camillestyles}

Springtime Entertaining Tips

Spring, hands down, is my FAVORITE season.  With this season, the weather starts to get a little warmer and the days become longer.  Spring/summer is the easiest season for entertaining too.  Parties are expected to be causal, seasonal foods are plentiful and  reasonably priced, and mother nature has taken care of all of your decorating needs.  With Memorial Day right around the corner, we have come up with some easy summer entertaining tips that are guaranteed to make your next fete a success!

1.       Lighten Up Your Menu

When planning your next outdoor soiree try to use as many fresh, seasonal ingredients in your menu as possible. As the weather gets warmer appetites for heavy recipes start to shrink. Go for salads, fresh fruits and grilled food in place of stews and casseroles. You will find it’s much quicker and cooler to prepare these items in the warmer weather and your guests will welcome the seasonal change.

2.       Make Sure You Have Plenty of Ice

Never underestimate how much ice will be used during a warm weather event. Even if the party is inside, guests are still feeling the heat of the spring/summer days and will want lots of ice in their drinks to help cool them down.

3.      Don’t Underestimate How Many Beverages You Will Need

You can best believe that there are never enough drinks available in the spring/summer!  From soda to bear to mixed drinks, there never seems to be enough.  Whether your guests are simply mingling outside and chatting, or playing a vigorous game of volleyball, you can rest assure they will work up a thirst now that the weather is warmer.  When determining your beverages for your next warm weather gathering, make sure to include plenty of bottled water in your beverage arsenal. Sometimes nothing does the trick like a nice icy glass of water.  Event Diva Tip: Place a bucket of fruit filled ice cubes on the side to add a little extra pizzazz. Your guest will LOVE them!

4.       Keep Your Décor Colorful and Casual

There's no need to lug your expensive place settings and décor outside for your next BBQ. Take the advantage of the casual atmosphere the warm weather brings to use inexpensive melamine and other plastic materials at your next outdoor bash. If you don't own any, it pays over the long haul to invest in a sturdy set of summer dinnerware. Colorful dishes help to create a festive mood, it's better for the environment (think green) and it's cheaper than buying disposables (trust me it will pay for itself in the end).

5.      Provide Shelter

If you're hosting your outdoors party during the daytime make sure to provide your guests with options for escaping from the sun. Whether you rent a tent, place groups of chairs under a shady tree, or set up tables with umbrellas, your guests will appreciate a place to escape from the heat. Event Diva Tip: When planning events outdoors, always have a plan B in the event Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate with your vision of sunny skies and delivers some unwelcome rain. 

Happy Planning!

7 Tips For Planning a “Signature Wedding” on a Small Budget

There is no direct correlation between your budget size and having a fabulous and stunning wedding.  Truth be told, many a brides have managed to plan the most beautiful weddings on small budgets with no one being the wiser.  The key to pulling off this feat is lots of planning, research and planning.  Below I have provided some tips you can use to make your budget (no matter what the size) work for you!

Tip #1 – Request quotes from a few florists and price compare. There are florists out there at various price points, and it is good to see what is out there and which florists are willing to work with you.

Tip #2 - Choose flowers that are in season because that will help reduce extra costs.

Tip #3 - Hire a planner! Wedding Planners have longstanding relationships with vendors and venues, and can really assist in bringing down the costs.   A good planner will ultimately pay for him/herself in the end.

Tip #4 -If the venue has their own white linens, use them, and accent them with great napkins and flowers. If you can afford to rent linens from an outside vendor, make sure you request quotes from a few companies.  Just like florists, there are varying levels of price and it is important to see what is out there so you can make the best choice for your wedding.

Tip #5 -Try skip using flowers all together and invest in something more creative for a centerpiece.  Think vintage chandeliers (which you can buy from a flea market), or a few hurricane candles or vases filled with unique items. You can also try reworking the tables to form long tables instead of traditional rounds, possibly reducing the number of centerpieces you actually even need.

Tips # 6 -Integrate your personality and style into the small details which really define a “Signature Wedding” such as place cards, table numbers, ceremony details, etc. It is in the details where your style really comes out and you can add this feel with little touches.

Tip # 7 -Instead of having a large cake to feed all your guests, opt in favor of having a fabulous but smaller cake, and using a sheet cake to feed your guests. This will save you a substantial amount of money and your cake will still be the stunning one you want.