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The Outdoor Wedding Planning Guide

The Outdoor Wedding Planning Guide

Ah, to be in the great outdoors is a wonderful thing, especially when celebrating a special event such as a wedding. When one thinks of an outdoor wedding, a couple of things may spring to mind – a soft breeze, blue sky, natural odors of shrubbery and perhaps even the open sea. However romantic that sounds, the reality can be considerably different as a lot can happen when celebrating in the open air.

Detailing everything from the development of a rain strategy plan to making sure that your location is really the best option for you, the following is a quick outdoor wedding planning guide.

Consider the pros and cons of your chosen location

Whether you’ve chosen to celebrate your nuptial in Heaton House Farm in the English countryside or on a private island in the Caribbean, you must explore the pros and cons of your decision. Each outdoor wedding choice will have its own upsides and downsides, but let’s take a beach wedding as an example of what to look out for when doing this.

Pros of a beach wedding – When planned correctly and executed without a hiccup, a beach wedding can be picture perfect. Just close your eyes and imagine the sound of gently lapping waves crawling up the white sandy beach. Feel the warm breeze in your hair and the rays of the sun on your back; need we say more about the pros of a beach wedding? I think not.

Cons – Anything more than a gentle sea breeze will mean that you’ll have to go to great lengths to secure all fixtures of your ceremony, from the chairs and the candles to the tent and perhaps even your veil. Even though it plays a determining role in the success of an event in all outdoor venues, it seems to be that little bit more crucial when it comes to beach weddings. Imagine your guests getting soaked to the skin, the blustery air turning your hair into a birds nest and your wedding flowers ending up in the ocean…I think you get the idea of how important these consideration are.

Keep extra costs in mind

Just because you’re having your wedding outside, it does not mean that everything will be free. To stay on budget and ensure that all your expenses are accounted for, ask yourself the following:

• Is there a fee to use the location for a wedding celebration? Perhaps you’ll be required to give a donation?
• How remote is your chosen location? Will you have to pay a lot for the delivery of all your wedding supplies to the area?
• Will you need to have a valet parking service available on the day? If the nearest parking lot is miles away, you might have no other option.

Have a Plan B as backup

The last think that you’ll want to do when planning a wedding is to…well, plan two weddings. However, when organising an event that vastly depends on the mood of Mother Nature, a backup plan is essential. When formulating this plan, be sure to think of the ‘worst case scenario’ kind of things and consider what would be the best course of action should these occur. And, as is the case with planning an outdoor wedding in any location – whether that be a farmyard, lakeside, on the beach or in a cave – the earlier you formulate this backup strategy, the better.

Stylish Wedding Can Be Yours With This Little Guide

When you're planning your wedding you want to make sure it’s going to be stylish and that your guests are going to be impressed. If you want your wedding to be stylish, it’s not hard to do. You just have to take the right steps in the planning stages and I think I know where most brides are going to want to start.

The Dress

Choosing your wedding dress is a crucial decision if you want a stylish ceremony. You should not be considering, even for a moment, buying off the rack. Instead, you should look into getting your dress professionally designed. This will cost extra but it will be worth it when you walk down the aisle looking and feeling like a princess. When you go dress shopping, it’s important to take someone that you know you can count on for an honest opinion. This will either be your best friend or your mom. Under no circumstances should you take the groom.

Also, remember to pick out stylish bridesmaid dresses as well. Many brides forget about the bridesmaids and then wonder why their wedding photographs look awful.

The Venue

You might have your perfect venue in mind. Or, you might be on the precipice of going hunting for one. Either way, you should make sure your venue offers everything you need. Think about space and how many guests you will be inviting. Also look out for places that have the perfect spot for photographs. This might be a beautiful grass verge just outside the building. You should also be looking at access if you want to arrive at the ceremony in a horse-drawn carriage.

The Services

Remember, that your wedding is going to be judged on three things by the guest. They’ll be looking at how beautiful the ceremony is, how much fun they had and the services available. For instance, at the reception, you are going to have to make sure your guests are catered for. You will need to hire waiters, caterers and perhaps even a band. These services might sound expensive, but you can save on costs by not booking a venue for the reception. Instead, throw a stylish garden party in your home. That way, you’ll have more money to spend on the ceremony.

The Stylist

It usually takes a couple of hours to get a bride ready for the wedding. But, you will need the help of a stylist to get the end result you want. Remember, you want to look like a princess and only a professional stylist can grant this wish. You should think of your stylist as your fairy godmother, transforming you into the belle of the ball.

The Music

Finally, a wedding is nothing without good music, and I’m not just talking about the reception. When thinking about walking down the aisle, you should consider hiring a band to play the music. This will give your wedding a unique feel and make it stand out from the other ceremonies guests will be attending after yours.

Tips For Planning A Beautiful Vintage Wedding

If you have chosen to have a vintage themed wedding, you are probably brimming with fantastic ideas. From having a vintage-style wedding dress to hiring a vintage ice cream bike, there are so many cute things that you could do.

The good news about planning a vintage wedding is that you can do it how you like. However, having said that, when it comes to a vintage wedding, knowing where to start is the hardest part.

Photo from Flickr

To help you plan the perfect vintage wedding, we have put together some simple tips, below:

Look out for vintage fashion brands

By choosing to go vintage with your wedding, you can save yourself a lot of money. Many vintage fashion stores do beautiful, affordable dresses that are ideal for bridesmaids. So make sure to have a look for a vintage fashion brand that you can use, as you will find that you can get your dresses much cheaper.

Make your own decorations

When it comes to planning a vintage-style wedding, it’s crucial that you make your own decorations. While there are lots of shops that sell vintage decorations, they are often expensive and lack authenticity. By choosing to make your decorations, you can cut costs and make your wedding more authentic.

Get your bridesmaids to come over and spend an evening or two helping you to make beautiful vintage-style decorations. If you get stuck for ideas, make sure to check out Pinterest, as the photo boards on there should give you lots of great ideas.

Use vintage furniture

Don’t hire wedding furniture, instead invest in pieces of vintage furniture. You could also have a look online, as you can often find great deals online when it comes to antique and vintage furniture. Have a look at the Love Antiques online store for a range of beautiful antique pieces - trust us, you won’t be disappointed.

Yes, it might be a little pricey, but it will add authenticity to your wedding. You could even tell your guests that all the furniture is for sale, so they can browse on your big day, to see if there is anything that takes their fancy.

Ask everyone to bring a cake

Instead of worrying about having lots of fancy desserts made by a caterer, ask each guest to bring a cake along. When you have lots of gorgeous cakes lined up on a table, your wedding will feel like the most authentic vintage event, ever.

Just make sure to tell all guests to avoid using nuts in the cakes, in case anyone is allergic to nuts. If you have any guests with a gluten, wheat or egg allergy, make sure to ask a guest to bring a cake that is suitable for them.

Choose a simple venue

For an amazing vintage wedding, a hotel venue is not necessary. Instead, opt for a venue that’s a little bit different - somewhere like an old barn would be ideal. Many weddings used to take place in village halls, so if you want a touch of authenticity, make sure to look into village halls for your reception.

Planning a beautiful vintage wedding isn’t as hard as you would think. Believe it or not, all it takes is some creativity and smart thinking, and you can plan a fantastic vintage inspired wedding.

 

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Bridal Fashion Week

Weddings have come a long way from the classic and traditional white wedding gowns. Bridal Fashion Bridal Fashion Week in NYC always does a fantastic job showcasing the wedding season’s upcoming trends, and this year was no different! Here is a glimpse of what to expect for wedding season 2015! The images were taken by the team at Weddington Way, an online boutique offering bridesmaid dresses that could compliment any of these amazing gowns.

• All white gowns are a thing of the past! This year it is all about colored dresses; from pale pinks to light blues and even floral prints. We even saw some two toned dresses hitting the runway!
• Pastel colors, muted tones, and neutrals not your style? How about a Rock n’ Roll inspired wedding dress? This season, boho favorite Claire Pettibone and acclaimed newcomer Houghton both showcased drop dead gorgeous styles in fun, cool, and (actually) wearable silhouettes.
• Have a bit of a daring side? Lace, tulle, and feathers are the fabrics to be on the lookout for! We saw some amazing dresses using multiple fabrics on one dress to create stunning looks. In addition to these newer trending fabrics, we saw recurring silhouettes like illusion sleeves, low backs and even deep V-necks.
• One trend making its comeback this year is long trains. Brides are making their statements this season by embracing the drama of a cathedral train, and we absolutely love it.
• Other brides are looking for that “bling”! Many dresses were inspired by Lupita’s epic (stolen & returned) Oscar dress and Kim Kardashian’s 15 carat engagement ring to really stand out among the crowd.
• Some of our favorite designers from Bridal Fashion Week were Alice Temperley, Watters, Monique Lhuillier, Claire Pettibone, Galia Lahav, and Lela Rose. Attached are some of the great exclusive images we were able to capture.

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Gorgeous Fall Inspired Wedding

Isn't this fall wedding shoot by Love Bird Style absolutely gorgeous? I love the tablescape and all the colors incorporated. This looks like the perfect fall wedding! This would be a beautiful Thanksgiving table as well.

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Watercolor Themed Event Ideas & DIYs

Here are 10 decorating ideas for a watercolor themed birthday party, baby shower or wedding.

1.  DIY Paper Cone Garland - Jacks & Kate  

2. Pastel Layered Cake - Eye Heart Pretty Things

 

3. DIY Watercolor Save the Date Postcards - Project Wedding

4. DIY Watercolor Gift Tags - eat drink chic

5. DIY Watercolor Party Streamers - dandee

6. DIY Watercolor Confetti (Invitations) - One Charming Party

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9. Watercolor Wine Glass Tags - stephmodo

10. Watercolor Cup Wrapper Printables - vixenMade

 

This post was inspired by this amazing watercolor themed birthday party by The Handmade Home:

For more party or event inspiration follow us on Pinterest, Instagram & like us on Facebook!

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Edible Flower Chart by Sugar and Charm

Edible Flower Angel Food Cake with Sour Cream Glaze Recipe from Good Housekeeping. This link also includes tips on finding and buying, cleaning and storing & how to use edible flowers.

Lillet Spring Rose Cocktail Recipe from Martha Stewart

Edible Flower Spring Roll Recipe from Once Upon a Plate

Edible Flower Ice Cubes, photo from Lucy Says I Do

Herb and Cheese Canapés w/ Edible Flowers Recipe from Vegetable Gardener

 

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