The first thing that comes to mind when we think of weddings is the wedding invitations. When brides begin their search for wedding invitations, they generally prefer the pocket fold wedding invitations. The convenience of pocket wedding invitations is that they can hold different kinds of information under a single card. In addition to this, they also come in sleek and stylish designs that talk about elegance and sophistication.

Those of you who are on a tight budget can spend some time looking at the online websites that provide cheaper styles on wedding invitations. If you have the desired creativity skills, you can even purchase the DIY kits for creating unique and innovative pocket wedding invitations. These kits come with pre stationery items and colored envelopes.

A major trend in the wedding invitations is the bi fold, three fold and the jacket wedding invitations. A jacket invitation as the name itself suggest is designed in the shape of a jacket and consists of left and right folds that meet in the middle in the form of a gate. These folds can be locked together with the help of different accessories like seals, ribbons, laces or even buckles.

Pocket wedding invitations have a major advantage over the traditional wedding invitations. One of them is flexibility. Since they have different panels and pockets to hold different cards, you can easily slide extra cards in case you forget to include some important information in the main invitations. Moreover, it helps in the systematic arrangement of the wedding invitations since the main invitation will be placed in the middle and the cards like reply cards, accommodation cards etc can be placed in the side pockets.

The above are some of the convenience of pocket wedding invitations. These invitations can also be designed or purchased in the form of wedding themes and can be brought at affordable prices. These types of cards speak of beauty and elegance on the outside an reveal the wedding information to the guests on the inside.

The Unity Candle ceremony is a symbolic ritual that is centered around the unity of individuals. This ceremony can be performed by only the couple set to be married, and the ceremony can also include the mothers of both, or it can be a family ceremony which includes children family members. I’ve listed some helpful recommendations for Unity Candle Ceremonies, which I have taken from Unity Candle Ceremonies that I have been in:

1. The Bride and Groom: Marrying couples who would like to have a Unity Candle Ceremony need to ask themselves one question: how do you envision the meaning of this ceremony? Their answers normally fit in one of three categories. In the first category, couples want a Unity Candle Ceremony to symbolize how they are united by God’s love. They accomplish this by lighting the individual candles first and then lighting the large candle together.

In the second category, there are engaged couples who would prefer to light the large pillar candle first and then light their individual candles from it. They then let their three candles stay lit, which symbolizes God’s light and the individuality and unity that can be found within a good marriage.

In the third category, there are some couples who think of the central pillar not as a symbol of God, but as something else that is meaningful to them. As an example, a couple I know chose to see the central pillar as universal truth, and their individual candles as each person’s individual truths magnified throughout marriage.

2. The Bride, the groom, and their mothers: What most people often forget that marriage is not only about uniting two people in love, it is also about uniting two families. For this reason, some couples include their mothers in the ceremony.

I have witnessed this being accomplished in two different ways. The first way, before the processional and after the guests are seated, the mothers walk down the aisle towards the stand where the unlit candles are placed. There should be four small candles and one pillar candle. Each mother lights her own candle, and then together they light the central pillar candle. This symbolizes their approval of their children’s union, and their willingness to be united as one family. They then walk back to their seats, and the processional starts. The ritual that includes only the bride and groom start later in the wedding.

The second way that I have personally witnessed this ceremony performed is, the Officiant call the mothers up to the stand during the wedding. Then they start the ceremony. They go back to their seats just before the ceremony for the bride and groom starts.

3. Unity Candle Ceremony Performed With Children: Since the couple is uniting two families together, including children from both families is a great way to symbolize the bringing together of these families. In this way of performing the ceremony, each child has his or her own candle, and all of the people involved in the ceremony light their tapers first.

When that is done, the bride and groom talk to each child and recognize how their families are becoming one. The children can also talk about how this means for them. Finally, all of the participants in this ceremony light the central pillar, beautifully illustrating the formation of a new family.

The unity sand ceremony is very similar in meaning to the candle ceremony is growing in popularity.

When it comes to weddings, every  bride knows that the devil is in the details! And when it comes to the reception, every bride knows the cake is the main attraction. Not only does the cake have to be a reflection of the venue and the style of the celebration, it should also reflect the personalities of both the bride and her lucky groom. Wedding cake toppers are the proverbial icing on the cake – the centerpiece of the centerpiece. The wedding cake topper is the idea opportunity for the happy couple to express themselves and their love of life and each other.

Wedding cake toppers can make or break the cakes they rest on. Experts say that too large of a cake topper can overwhelm a small, intimate cake, while too small of a wedding cake topper can easily get lost on a sizable wedding cake. Therefore, choosing the right size and style wedding cake toppers is one very important detail that many brides can often find a bit overwhelming.  After all, deciding on what’s the perfect focal point for the main attraction at a couple’s wedding reception is no easy feat.

Along with size, style selection is also a priority. Be sure to always keep the cake in mind when picking the topper. If the cake is elegant, traditional, contemporary or otherwise themed, then so too should be what is placed on top of it. For example, avoid comedic wedding cake toppers on a very traditional butter cream frosted 5 tier wedding cake because a cake like that deserves to be topped with a piece that will enhance it rather than draw attention away from it. Also, if receptions are being held on church or other religious venue properties, it may be wise to refrain from purchasing suggestive or “sexy” wedding cake toppers. The basic rule of thumb when it comes to wedding cake topper styles is to stick to the overall theme and feeling of the entire celebration. Formal begets formal. With informal or even casual wedding celebrations, the envelope may be pushed a bit further.

Weddings are the most personal days of couples’ lives. With that said, they’re also a day that is shared with so many loved ones and therefore, should be both personalized as well as geared towards giving everyone in attendance a feeling that they’re special, thought of and their presences is appreciated. Having to sweat the small stuff, like flowers, favors and wedding cake toppers may seem to some, like an unnecessary responsibility. But in the end, paying attention to the little details is what will make the day as grand and as fabulous as the love shared by bride, the groom and their special guests.

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Having cupcakes rather than cake is becoming a very popular trend at weddings, and there aren’t many ways to display them than with a cupcakes stand.  Many people assume that renting these is the only way to get them at affordable prices, but this very untrue!  Renting a cupcake stand is great in some circumstances, but buying them will usually save you a lot of money.  In this post I want to show you when renting is best, and all of the other times that you should just buy wedding cupcake stands instead.

Renting your stands makes perfect sense when you need a lot of them.  When your wedding needs more than 200 cupcakes, you need to start breaking them up into separate stands.  In this case, it’s going to make more sense to rent them since you aren’t going to want to have a bunch of huge cupcake stands laying around your garage for years to come!  You can either rent these from the bakery that’s baking your cupcakes, or from your linen company.  Either way, expect to pay in the range of $50 to rent each one for your wedding.  It’s pretty steep, but it prevents you from having to figure out what to do with them later.

In all other cases it makes much more sense to just buy them.  The average cupcake stand will cost around $30-$50 and be able to be used for all occasions going forward.  If you really want something that you will be able to get a lot of use out of, get one that has flat tiers that can be used to hold different amounts of cupcakes.  Wire stands hold a specific number of cupcakes, so these aren’t the best choice for reusability.

For those that are having a huge wedding, rent your cupcake stands.  This way you don’t have to worry about storing them later, or having to set up something that large.  In all other cases, buy it and reuse it.  You’ll save money on your wedding, and parties later on!

Just to get your ideas going, this is a list of 10 things you can put in a vase besides flower bouquets:

1. Sticks. This may sound dirty, but it can actually be stunning look. Sticks can be spray-painted any color to match the color scheme of the reception. Additionally, large stick arrangements can be adorned with crystals, fabric etc if you want to jazz them up a little.
2. Stones. Little glass stones come in every color imaginable and are cheap as dirt. A few colored stones in the bottom of a vase of water can have a dramatic effect as the colors are reflected through the water.
3. Fruit. Fruit comes in a large variety of shapes and colors. You can have slices of fruit or whole fruit. Or you can have fruit dipped in chocolate that your guests can eat!
4. Petals. Filling a vase with fresh flower petals or even dried flower petals will give you a little more bang for your buck if you are going to pay for flowers.
5. Water. This may seem like a simple idea, but water is a beautiful decoration. Light is reflected and the reflection can dance on the table as the water moves. Do not discount the organic beauty of this natural element.
6. Fish. Obviously this would have to be combined with item 6 to get the right effect! Adding life to a decoration is always a winning idea.
7. Candles. You can get floating candles in every shape and size! You can get scented candles, candles shaped like butterflies, pillar candles etc. So no matter what size vase you are using, you are sure to find a candle to fit.
8. Shells. Another natural thing that can add a lot of beauty to a wedding reception.
9. Lights. Placing small colored LED lights at the bottom of a vase is a very dramatic look.
10. Candy. Candy can be very pretty and delicious too!

Hopefully this will get you going on ideas. Do not discount anything that can be put in a vase and used as a wedding centerpiece!

Wedding cake toppers are a tradition that many brides and grooms like to keep. In the 1950’s, it was very popular to have a bride and groom on top of the cake to symbolize the special day. These days, cake toppers have evolved into a much more elaborate affair. If you choose to have a cake topper, I have some tips for you.

First and foremost, the cake topper needs to have a purpose. It should add to the style of the wedding or be symbolic of something significant to the couple. If not, it will just be a waste of time and money.

Most people want to have unique wedding cake toppers. This may include custom wedding cake toppers that are figurines made to look like the couple. Or it could be funny wedding cake toppers that display the couple’s personality.

Monograms have become a very popular choice as a wedding cake topper. They can be designed and customized to your liking. They can be decorated with paint and rhinestones. Then you have a personal touch to your wedding cake that matches the colors and style of the wedding.

The topper does not have to be a figurine or a monogram. Be creative when thinking about this. Think about how the reception is going to be decorated. Is there a way to include the theme of the wedding in your cake?

You may also want to think about the fact that you want to save your wedding cake topper. In my family, there are several generations of cake toppers that have been passed down. They are displayed in a glass china case. This is just something you may want to keep in mind while making your decision.

Of course, for some people the wedding cake is not that big of a deal. For others, it is second only to the bride. It is not a big deal at all if you choose not to have a cake topper at all for your wedding.

It is a myth that non-creative people cannot make their own wedding centerpieces. As a matter of fact, I think it is a myth that non-creative people exist! I think they may just be out of practice a little.

A great way to save money on a wedding is to make your wedding decorations yourself. This is especially true for smaller weddings. If you are having a large wedding, it could be more cost effective to use a designer that already has their own decorations and access to wholesale prices.

Getting married is just as much about planning the wedding as it is about having one! While it can be stressful for some, for others it is a great bonding experience to have with your loved ones who are helping you. It is also a great creative outlet for those who may not otherwise have one! Do not be fooled into thinking that it is more expensive to have homemade wedding centerpieces. It just takes a little bit of research and planning to be cost effective.

Finding things that play with light can make some cool effects on your tables. Mirrors reflect objects and colors in a very interesting way. Placing your centerpieces on top of a mirror can add a lot to the effect of the centerpiece.

Candles are an extremely cheap way to add a lot of ambience. They come in so many shapes and sizes. Mix and match and cluster large groups together.

Water is another great way to play with light. Light is bent and reflected in water in interested ways. Play with lights and candles shining into water for interesting effects.

Also keep in mind that just about anything can be painted to match your wedding colors. Finding objects in interested shapes and spray-painting them make for unique decorations. You can take things found in nature (such as sticks and leaves) and paint them as well.

Play with heights and textures to add dimension to your wedding centerpieces. Mix and match objects of various heights and sizes. These can be vases, candles, boxes etc.

View everything you see as potential for decoration. Think about what you may be able to add to the object to personalize it and make it match. Any common object can be painted or bedazzled to be glamorous!

Not everyone is so blessed to be able to have a Carrie wedding. Even some of those who may be able to afford that kind of wedding choose not to, if only for the sake of being a reasonable human being. So what is a reasonable amount to spend on your wedding centerpieces?

This is actually sort of a trick question. I will tell you now that there is not going to be an exact number or percentage in this post. However, I will pose some questions to you that will help you determine what the values of your centerpieces are to you and your wedding.

It is important to determine how important the centerpieces are to the wedding. In order to do this you need to evaluate how much of your decorations are dependent on the centerpieces, how prominent they are in the wedding, how much time will be spent looking at them, and if the centerpieces have a dual purpose.

So when determining how important the centerpieces are to your overall décor, you have to have a clear theme and decoration plan in mind. If you are going to have it be very dark in the room and laser lights for a “dance club” themed wedding then centerpieces are not important to getting that theme across. As a matter of fact, in this situation they are not important at all. However, if the theme of your wedding is travel and you intend on having every table represent a travel destination, then centerpieces may be your main decoration outlet.

Additionally it is important to be aware of how much time will be spent at the tables. Recently, I decorated for a wedding that was having a sit-down dinner. However, once dinner was over the entire reception moved to a completely different floor at the venue. Once the reception moved, this is where the bar, dance floor, cake table etc were located. So in this situation the centerpieces were not that important because they would only even be seen for about 25% of the reception time.

Lastly, if your wedding centerpieces are also serving as wedding favors then you may want to allot more of your budget to them. You can save money by combining these two wedding items; however, they still need to be done in a tactful way.

If you can answer all these questions then you can determine how valuable wedding centerpieces are to your wedding. After this you will be prepared to allot the appropriate amount for the centerpieces in your budget.

Traditionally, the bride and groom give out wedding favors to all of their guests. While you do not have to do this (obviously, as you do not have to do anything) it is polite and many times expected.

So why would a bride and groom choose not to give out wedding favors? I doubt that it is because of laziness. More often than not, budget is always an issue at weddings. However, the purpose of your wedding day is to share a special moment with your family and friends. So, while it may be 95% about the bride and 4% about the groom, there is that 1% that involves your friends and family.

So if you are on a budget, the best way to save money is to incorporate the favors into your decoration some how. Subsequently, the best way to incorporate favors into your decorations is in your wedding centerpieces. There are some things you should keep in mind when picking out wedding centerpieces that will double as favors for your guests.

First of all, make them personal. If you hand out a tiny heart box covered in lace, chances are it will not last. If the bride and groom’s names are not even on the item, a couple years (maybe even months for some!) down the road they will not remember where the thing came from and it will end up at their next garage sale. So do not give out random trinkets, no one has room for that kind of stuff in their houses. Make it personal and sentimental.

Second of all, consider making them non-perishable. Candy and flowers are a great option. Especially because they will look nice when used as a wedding centerpiece but they will be forgotten within a week.

Lastly, make it something you would actually want to have yourself. As mentioned before, a tiny heart-shaped box is a useless gift. However, champagne glasses are something that will be pulled off the shelf once in a while. Picture frames can be used and admired for many years. Giving a gift that is useful is always great because whenever it is used your guests will fondly remember your wedding.

Finding a party favor that will look good as a wedding centerpiece, that is personal, non-perishable, and useful is not an easy task. However, if you do find something like this that fits it will be clear to your guests that you put thought into the favor and that you appreciate them sharing your special day with you.

Okay, so no doubt wedding centerpieces are one of the many hundreds of small details that will make your wedding unique. Here are some basics to help get you started when picking out your centerpieces.

1. How many will you need? Typically, there is only one centerpiece per table at the reception. So how many tables do you have?
2. Do you want the same centerpiece at every table? Maybe you want to mix up the color and size of the centerpieces to add variety. Or maybe you want special tables to have special centerpieces (ie for immediate family or the wedding party)
3. What is the theme of wedding? Are flowers appropriate? Are your other decorations modern or traditional? What color do you want to be the highlight of your reception?
4. What is the venue? Obviously, if your centerpieces are going to be outside you may not want to have tall, skinny candles on your tables.
5. What is your budget?

The answers to these questions will serve as a starting point for picking out your centerpieces. Now that you have your guideline, you can start narrowing down the specifics. You will need to decide things like how big the centerpiece will be.

Remember that if the main purpose of the table is to sit down and eat a meal, you will not want to have a centerpiece that is too large and distracting. You want your wedding guests to be able to talk to each other and have a good time, which will be difficult if the cannot even see each other across the table. However, if there will just be a few tables around the edge of the room that are there mostly to hold drinks, you can get away with larger centerpieces.

After the wedding, the bride’s friends and families are usually left to clean everything up. While the bride and groom are rushed off to enjoy their romantic wedding night, others must help clean up after the reception. Many times, the centerpieces will be taken home by friends and family of the bride as mementos of the wedding. So, if possible, it would be nice to pick a centerpiece that your friends and family may be able to use the in the future (pretty vase, nice candles etc).

So we all know that wedding centerpieces are very important to the décor of the wedding reception. With a little research and effort, you can design the perfect centerpiece that will be an amazing detail for your wedding.