My Favorite Winter Wedding Theme with Snowflakes

Cold weather is here! Since the weather in many places shows snow, I thought, why not have a snow themed wedding! Imagine a venue all decorated with faux snow, floating lights, and a winter-inspired pine tree decorated with touches of Christmas. You can also put a twist to the scene with a theme or motif inspired by a dreamy, fairytale scene. Here are my "LOVE-IT'S" for such as winter theme:

The Cake Has to be White via Earlene's Cakes


The Flower Bouquet - An all porcelain-made bouquet via Porcelainroses.com



The Favors for Guests - Whimsical eggs with a chocolate truffle via Bellenza

Winter Stoles for Weddings

It's a looking like winter baby! I've really fallen in love with the notion of a white winter wedding. Picture this: snow, peppermint candy, champagne, and a white chocolate wedding cake! But, one of my favorite aspects is wearing a lovely stole or cape! The look is just so romantic and elegant.

Some of these styles are so unique that you gotta love getting married in the middle of winter:

Bolero style from Pierotucci S.r.l.



Cape in cream from Julie Fleming



Faux fur from WonderfulWraps.com - my favorite!

Seeing Orange Wedding Cakes

It's almost Thanksgiving and I am seeing orange wedding cakes everywhere!



from left top: Laurie Lucov Wedding Cakes ; Cupcake Fairy; Edible Artistry; Traceys Cakes

DIY Wedding Invitations - Cool Ones

I was really happy to stumble upon these diy wedding invitations. Since times are not the best, it's a great way to save on invitations. At Uniquity Invitations, these guys offer some of the coolest templates. The price is also quite friendly as they are offering a complete invitation collection for $79 that consists of all of these goodies: matching place cards, favor tags, menus cards, programs and table numbers, along with the invitation and rsvp card! Here is just a sample of one of my favorites:

Winter Weddings

I found this beautiful inspiration board from finstationery. I'm thinking of winter colors in white, silver, and blue with this stunning board. Also, you can put ivory as another hue of white. Pretty indeed!

Cupcake Pansies

I couldn't help but smile when I saw the cutest cupcakes from Fancyflours.com. I must say that they are just the thing you need for a winter time bridal shower. Plus. those pansies are so elegant and colorful. They're also not that hard to find. You can even make them as part of a lovely dessert or tea party table. As for that little picket fence wrapper, so cute!

At home for a Thanksgiving wedding party

With the times being so bad, I thought that a Thanksgiving wedding party at home would be great! Now, I am talking about a really low-key, intimate, but fun party here. As a way of getting things started, you can try out some of these ideas:



The invitations - how about going paperless? These are so easy to send out and you can keep track of things quite conveniently! Plus, less paper means less trash on our planet.

The cake - do something different and make them with cookies in the shape of Turkies. Put a fun twist to them by making bride and groom ones. These puppies look so unique!



The favors - double them up as table decorations and even centerpieces

The food - get these ideas from Food Network

In fact, many of the ideas above are not even related to weddings at all because you can gather that this kind of celebration calls for some real creativity!

Quirky Cake Toppers

Oh! These were just too cute to pass up and not share! As a cake topper this Halloween, I think this one wins.

Orange

With Halloween just 3 days away, I'm definitely loving the color orange. It's actually a color that you can use at any time of the year. Check out this slideshow from bhg.com:

Wedding Color Trends: Be Bold with Orange

Romantic cap veils

Back in the 1920s, cap veils were considered de rigeur. They have a certain romance to them that just can't compare with those you see today. Maybe it's the fancy lace and embroidery or the classic appeal they hold. But most of all, it was the style that Grace Kelly wore for her royal wedding. The nice thing about this kind of look is that you don't have to worry about wearing a tiara. Not to say that I'm not into tiaras because they're also quite elegant! That's for another post.

groom's cakes

Let's have fun with groom's cakes! I actually find them to be more interesting than wedding cakes because you can have so much imagination and creativity with them. My personal favorites are:

R2D2



Wii-Cake



TIVO

Regifting for a Wedding Gift

While cleaning out my closet this afternoon, I found an old wedding gift from a friend. Duh, so what? The amazing part of this find was that I realized that the gift was a "REGIFT!" It was a box of Lenox china consisting of a dinner plate, salad plate, a dessert plate, and a saucer. Why didn't I notice the green marking on the back of these porcelain plates? I don't know. Call it blind, maybe? I can't say this enough that the regifting is an art. You've got to know how to do it gracefully and without insulting the recipient. To the friend whom I plan to not contact anymore, please read this book called aptly The Art of Regifting. Please, if you are going to be a guest at a wedding, do your groundwork and please put some care into the packaging. Lastly, include a more personal note with the gift!

Vintage wedding dresses

I'm absolutely addicated to these vintage wedding dresses. Their timeless appeal is what makes it truly romantic. Materails such as lace and tulle are given the most beautiful forms. You may find that these dresses are little more form fitting than usual because of their cut, however, this design is actually what makes vintage dresses so distinct and classy!

Some favs:

Vintageous Cream Lace & Tulle 1950's Wedding Dress



Candy Anthony Couture Bridal Gown



1950's Woolfe Brothers Cream Lace Dress



And if at this point, you still can't enough of vintage? Then, check out this fantastic board from Flickr:

Giant Cupcakes

I'm just hooked on the idea of giant cupcakes! If you're already a fanatic of cupcakes, then these giant ones just made things a whole lot more fun. You can actually get giant cupcake pans at Target, too! They're great as a whimsical groom's cake or as a wedding cake with a fun look. The great part is that they can be made with fillings inside as well.



Check out these sites, too:

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/detail.jsp?select=C1036&byCategory=C1038&id=5875

http://www.mariannescreativecakes.com.au/index-1.html

http://blogs.hgtv.com/hgtv/etips/kids/

http://housewares.about.com/b/2008/01/12/bake-a-cool-birthday-cake.htm

Pingg Invitations

Want to leave one less carbon footprint on the planet? I just love these online invitations from Pingg. They've got loads of stylish designs and their great when planning a party such as bachelorette party or even wedding. Plus, it's so convenient! Your cyber friends will understand and you're doing the environment some good, too.

My favorites:







Would you send an invitation such as these for your wedding? Or, do you find them a bit informal?

Perfect Wedding, KIIS-FM

Last but not late. Today is the last day to enter the contest in one of LA's most popular radio stations. The contest is a chance to win an all expense paid wedding. How's that! If you've got 30 minutes to spare before 12nn today, it's still possible to enter.

A Disney Concert Hall Wedding

I've always been drawn to this beautiful building, but never realized how much more stunning it is inside! Yes, this place is one of those wedding venues where you can definitely take on some great wedding pics and have all the grandness as well. A friend of mine who had gotten married there said that the greatest aspect of the wedding planning process was that the catering was absolutely superb at Patina. She saved a lot of time since she was able to have the ceremony and reception all in the same place. Because of its popularity, book well in advance!

I'm Seeing a Blue Wedding

Blue is one of those wedding colors that have so many possibilities. One of my favorite is blue topaz or anything near this elegant hue.

Blue Wedding by classybridetobe

Fall Colors

From the previous post...

With such colors, you don't have to have every element display a shot of red, orange, and brown all at once. It's best to disperse these colors all throughout the wedding. The bridesmaids' dresses, for example, can have a nice tinge of orange on a silk taffeta fabric. The backdrop for the scene can be an outdoor location overlooking a garden whose leaves have only begun to change color. I also see some hues of yellow in the scene to addd that pop of color. A splash of brilliant gold can also resonate the tables as flowers in rich red or burgundy are displayed in ornamental vases or even as flat arrangements. The most definite part of the wedding, though, is chocolate. For the bride and groom who love chocolate, a wedding cake decked out in chocolate but with a statement will definitely make the day extra special and of course, memorable!

Some Cool Fall Wedding Ideas

Here we are now. The middle of August and Fall seems to be closer and closer. I'm beginning to see a lot of fall colors out there and put together this color-inspired board for a wedding party that has touches of dark red, a little orange, and brown. All these lovely hues are simply evocative of the dynamics of the season.



1) The Bouquet - colorful dahlias and deep red roses - Luv the dahlias!

2) The Table Decor and Favors - a scene of red roses, fall fruits, and multiple fall hues. So vibrant!

3) The Cake - an unusual chocolate creation - I've never seen this; these are individual chocolate cakes filled with a grand marnier ganache and wrapped with a chocolate crust! How cool!

4) The Stamps - These are so cute!

I'm Seeing Pink Wedding Dress

I don't think I ever outgrew the color pink. These gorgeous pink dresses just say "feminine" to the max. Just think, a color palette so girly that you can have so much fun with it. And if you have a pink engagement ring for starters, this is the way to go!

See more of the Pink Wedding Gowns list by CarrollCanal at ThisNext.

Post Wedding Party Foods

The party after the wedding? Say, what??? When I wrote about the White Castle Wedding, it really hit that a fun way to "extend" a wedding with comfort food that you would feel a bit weird serving as part of a more formal dinner menu. For example, it can be pizza from your fiance's favorite place, donuts made special from that favorite childhood bakery, or some Southern fried chicken. It can span across all cultures just as long as it is food that you call food without the fuss and all the fun. The idea can even be for such diner foods as pancakes and omelettes. Great when the party starts running through 1am. How about you? What are favorite foods if you had a chance to throw a post-wedding party?

A White Castle Wedding (Post)

Believe it or not, but a friend of mine who got married last year did this. After having the reception which ended at around 10:30pm, she and her fiance together with some of their closest friends and family decided to go to White Castle. It kind of reminds of those days when going to Denny's after the prom seemed so much fun. But anyways, it seemed like this post-wedding dinner at White Castle ended up being a real hit as everyone was still talking about how much fun the whole wedding went. This got me thinking now. How about other places like a diner or pizza joint?

Taj Lake Palace

Lately, I just feel like going places. Even if you can't head out to Udaipur, Rajasthan in India, the Taj Lake Palace is simply breathtaking. There was actually a wedding that was featured here in the recent magazine of Grace Ormond. If money were indeed no object or if you are looking for something inspirational to plan your wedding, this palace has no limits. It is a great place to head out for that luxurious honeymoon as rooms start at around $250. This article from Time.com talks more about it.

In the Air and in the Water - Wedding Locations

On the subject of a wacky wedding venue, I realized that if there is something available in the air, then there's got to be other crazier places and off beat places to get married if you absolutely want to break tradition and skip the church altogether. For example:

Underwater
It's at the Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa (now Conrad Maldives Rangali Island) where you will find the Ithaa underwater restaurant - the world's first aquarium-style undersea restaurant. You can also have the ceremony underwater. Hmm, you can also go snorkeling and ties the knot this way, but you'd have to get wet, so not good. How's that for a destination wedding? Check em' out:



In a Cave
Located in Camdneton, MO. This place is actually called the "bridal cave" - an intricate array of caverns located in the Ozarks area. The only cavern I've been to was in Luray Caverns located in Virginia, which was thoroughly amazing. It may be a bit strange to have a wedding ceremony amidst stalactites and stalagmites, but it' still interesting and certainly very odd. Visit the site:



A Roller Roaster Wedding
Now, this is something that not everyone will be thrilled to do. I'm not a roller coaster type of person myself. However, some people love roller coasters and maybe their relationship was somewhat of a rollercoaster, so getting married in one would be natural. Also, another option is to get married in Six Flags, which incidentally had a theme called "Thrilled Ever After" back in 7/7/07 to commemorate that lucky day. It actually did happen last year.

Wacky Wedding Venue

Wacky, unusual, and certainly unique! We've seen them all when it comes to wedding venues, but how about those that are truly off the wall. If you're daring and adventurous enough and have absolutely no fear of heights, then this is probably the venue for you - about 180 ft up in the sky. It's called "Dinner in the Sky".



You can view more spectacular photos at:
http://www.dinnerinthesky.com/pictures.php

And if you have to go to the toilet? Yes, everyone has to be lowered down.

2008 Fall Colors - Blues and Purple

I'm so delighted to hear that this coming fall, the traditional colors typically associated with this season have taken a respite. According to the color experts at Pantone, fashion designers are looking to colors such as blues, purples, and even greens. I think it's really a fresh take on the whole fall palette that we normally see. While you do still see warm shades, it's great that blue and especially purple have taken center stage. For the full Pantone report, go here.



I gather that there should a slew of elegant, new bridesmaid dresses and fun color palettes to work with this coming fall.

A Map to Go with the Invitations

Getting a wedding invitation is a nice treat, but when it's different, then it's even better. Cool is the word I can describe for Invitation Maps, which are maps that are custom designed for your wedding invitations, including those save the date cards. They offer several packages consisting of your choice of font style and icon. The interesting aspect is that they offer a free matching website for the invitations. Check 'em out at: http://www.invitationmaps.com/index.htm

Spending on the Dress

How much would you be willing to spend on something that you're only going to use once? That all depends on the purpose I suppose! And if that reason is a wedding gown, then there's no rational way to deal with it because every bride is different. Some can spend a minimum of $800 on a dress, while others can go all the way to the moon (that is $10K or more). This interesting article should help you thing about what and how to spend your money when considering the dress. Another option, though, that the article didn't cover is what about custom-made gowns, how much do those cost to make?

Wearing a Wedding Hat Instead of a Veil

I've always loved wearing hats. So why not opt for a pretty hat as a headpiece instead of a veil. It's so vintage and so romantic! I searched the web for some vintage headpieces and so far, I found this place called That Hat! based in Wilmington, North Carolina, that makes custom hats. Just right for the bride who wants to have something custom-made. Wearing a hat is also a nice accompaniment to a dress when attending a bridal shower tea. Below is a picture of some her creations, look at the ivory one (3rd hat):

A Different Kind of Invitation

You see invitations and you see invitations, but these scrolled invitations are a different and stylish way to make that announcement. Supposedly, scrolled invitations are known as Farman - those that were used by Indian Kings. Colorfully designed, crafted with fine gold details, and finished with artistic artwork, these scrolled pieces come beautifully presented in their own box. How's that for sending something guests will keep as a memorable invitation. Find these at www.ScrollweddingInvitations.com.

Wedding shoes from Payless

A shoe fetish that can't be ignored. Yes, I shop at Payless now and was surprised to see some nice shoes. And with the economy doing so bad, I thought that these shoes are not bad at all for a wedding. Besides, when you think about buying white shoes to match with a white wedding dress, you gotta ask yourself, if you can still wear that same pair of shoes with other dresses in your closet. I mean do you ever wear your wedding shoes more than once after the wedding itself? Check these out and maybe you won't feel bad just wearing them once - c'mon, they're all under $20 bucks at least:


Live Dress Sandal


Candy Glam Sandal


Jinger Slide

That Gorgeous Navy Blue Suit

Am absolutely lovin' this navy blue suit on Christian Bale!
Gorgeous. Just gorgeous for a groom with lots of style.

Click to view the whole slideshow

I'm Seeing Red Weddings

I'm seeing red today! For a gorgeous and bold color scheme, red is just one of those colors that allows you to make a big statement about yourself. It's great when you simply apply a red and white combination because of the striking contrast of the two colors. Superb with gold, too. Enjoy these palettes below from Polyvore.

Fake Wedding Cakes - Trend?

When I first heard about fake wedding cakes, it was actually at a Chinese wedding of my former roommate in college. I kept wondering to myself how come they didn't serve any cake at the wedding. Later on, I asked my friend what happened to the cake. Was it that bad of a cake I asked her? No, it's a rental. Actually, it was made of styrofoam and make to look like a real cake. With that though, I realized that cake rentals are only now beginning to become more noticeable simply because of how many couples want to save on their weddings. And when you considering the current economy, the budget on some weddings just got tighter this year. I guess that makes two things now to rent: the groom' tux and the cake. So, what do you serve instead of cake? Ice cream? Just look at the pictures from cakerental.com and you won't believe that these cakes are not real. Would you ever consider this kind of cake? I don't think I would, but that's just me. I think you can still find cheaper cakes elsewhere even it means having a smaller one. I heard that Costco sells cakes, too. Would you try that?

Toilet Paper Wedding Dress

Have time really hit rock bottom or is toilet paper the new, chic material for wedding gowns? I saw this while browsing through the online headlines and couldn't help, but gasp when I saw this wedding dress made of Charmin. Yes, tp!

Donate That Bridesmaid Dress

While reading an article on CNN's iReporter about ugly bridesmaid dresses, somebody commented that it would be a good idea to donate your bridesmaid dress should it be less than attractive for a second-wearing. But, I say, this is not a bad idea at all especially with all the donation programs around the country for prom dresses. In fact, there are many girl around the country who may just adore that bridesmaid dress that you absolutely can't stand. You know what they say: one person's trash may be another person's treasure! Well, I don't think anyone would be mad at you, if you decided to donate that dress. And if it's a dress that actually looks fine, then maybe you might also have the heart to part it for a good cause! Three of the ones that come into mind:

The Princess Project



The Glass Slipper Project



Donatemydress.org