Church Wedding Decorations

Posts Tagged ‘wedding’

Tropical flowers are being used more and more in weeding related flower arrangements such as bridal bouquets and centre pieces. Thanks to green houses and rapid transportation, tropical wedding flowers can now be used in your wedding regardless of when in the year you get married. The trend in wedding flowers today is to use tropical flower to spice up and add something extra to traditional arrangements such as calla lily arrangements.

Below I will give you examples of some stunning popular tropical flowers.

Heliconia

Heliconia is a genus of roughly 150 flowering plant species native to tropical Americas and the islands of the Pacific Ocean. Perhaps you recognize common names such as lobster-claws, false bird-of-paradise and wild plantain?

Heliconia produces its flowers on long, erect or dropping panicles and all types can look stunning in wedding arrangements. The flower consists of coloured waxy bracts from which small flower peep out, it is usually the bracts we are referring to when we say flower..

Heliconia flowers do best if they allowed to tale centre stage. If you wish to use heliconias, make sure to give them the place in the limelight they deserve by not smouldering them in millions of other showy plants.

One of the main exporters of Heliconia is Costa Rica who sends heliconias to florists in Europe and North America year round.

Tropical orchids

Orchids are found all over the world but the greatest profusion of species is encountered in the tropics. The Cymbidium and Phalaenopsis genera are the most common in the trade but there are a lot of other options available and you should not hesitat to use less common alternatives such as Cattleya orchids.

Cymbidium orchids are quite easy to grow and that has caused them to become popular in bouquets as well as a potted plant. They might look sensetive but can survive several days in an arrangement without loosing its crisp beautiful look.

Calla lily

This is a classic but it is also a tropical flower so I will mention it here as it might be the most iconic of all wedding flowers. If you want to make a more personal statement, why don't combine the timeless calla lily with something more unexpected like ginger or tropical foliage? You can also choose non-white calla lilies, e.g. bright yellow, peach coloured or purplish black.

Tropical foliage
Tropical foliage is an excellent addition to tropical flowers as well as temperate species, depending on which effect your desire. An example of this is that palm and fern leaves make an ideal base for a wedding bouquet or centrepiece. Monstera deliciosa, also known as Mexican Breadfruit, is another alternative with its large and glossy, heart-shaped leaves. Monstera is a creeping vine native to the Central American rainforests.

Strelitzia
Strelitzia flowers are stunning additions to a wedding bouquet and an intereting piece of trivia about the genus is that it is namned after the duchy Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The flower is commonly known as Bird of paradise or parrot flower, the names is derived from the fact that the flowers look a little like a Bird of Paradise or a parrot. The genus contains five different species, all native to South Africa, and all five look truly stunning in floral arrangements. The flowers are very easy to identify due to their colors and the fact that they consist of a horizontal inflorescence that emerges from a stout spathe. In the wild, sunbirds will land on this spathe and sit on it while drinking nectar and Strelitzia flowers will therefore only release their pollen if their spathe is weighed down. The pollen than sticks to the feet of the birds who unknowingly transport pollen from flower to flower.

The leaves of the Strelitzia can be used to great affect in a bouquet or arrangement and is stunning when used in combination with the flowers.

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When trying to decide what type of transportation to use for your wedding day it is easy top get confused due to the many options available. To be able to make a good decision you should keep your needs and your budget in mind while researching this. For some couples, wedding transportation is essential and they happily spend money on luxury cars or a landau with footmen and outriders.

For others the transportation is of less concern and they therefore choose to spend their budget on other things.

Don't care about what others thinks, choose something that suits you and your budget. Many couples believe that they "have to" travel in a white limo when there are actually so many other options out there. As an example you can leave the wedding on a couple of Harleys if you like bikes? Another cheap but still charming options is to use an old-fashion romantic tandem bike to go from the church to the reception. It will be more romantic than any limo and can also yield some unusual and stunning wedding photos.

Another mistake that many couples do is to believe they have to rent a fancy vehicle for the entire day to transport them to the ceremony, to the reception, and finally to their wedding night. To keep your wedding within budget you can use cheap transportation (e.g. you can have a friend drive you) and you can still get a more fancy ride for the part of the day that is most important to you. Do you want your prince Charming to arrive at the church on a white stallion? Or perhaps you and your boyfriend just want to leave everything behind ina red sports car? Maybe what you actually would appreciate the most is to let a fully equipped limo pick you up after the reception filled with champagne, strawberries and exquisite chocolate pralines to give you that extra boost of energy after the big day? It can be a lot cheaper to rent the transportation by the hour than for a full day, however if you need it for many hours the opposit can be true.

For those who need arrange to transport for more people than just the bride and groom, hiring a bus or a stretch limo is two common options. The hummer limousine is becoming more and more popular due to the fact that it feels more festive than a bus and can seat a lot of people making it perfect for a rolling party. When booking a hummer limousine for wedding, always make sure the rental agency knows exactly how many wedding guests to pick up. This is to make sure you get a limo that is suitable for you needs, if they dont know you will share the limo with guest they might send one with just a few seat and a hot tub and sofa instead, which is ideal for two but not very good for a party.

Your wedding is a very improtant day and you should therefore make sure to get everything in writting including any special request, pick up time, make and model of the limo etc. Do not let the rental agency get away with just handing you a simple recipe stating that you've paid for the vehicle this is a day when you don't want anything to go wrong so make sure that all important details are clearly specified in writing. This is actually a good tip even if you arrange with a friend to transport you; give him or her a clear and concise note outlining everything from arrival and departure time to several emergency numbers where the wedding party can be reached in case something unexpected happens.

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Wedding chocolates undoubtedly make a wonderful gift for your wedding guests and it's a special way of thanking them for sharing your experience on your special day.

Wedding chocolates come in a wide variety of flavours, typically you can find the more traditional kinds such as chocolate truffles, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, rum and raisin, mint creme, caramel mousse, strawberry or raspberry mousse, orange truffle, hazelnut galore, fruity champagne, coconut creme, passion fruit, Irish cream mix and mocca coffee. Wedding chocolates generally come either in pre-designed boxes or they can be personalised to suit your tastes and packaging preference which would allow you to have more control on the overall presentation of your wedding chocolates including the types and flavours of chocolates to use, ribbons for decoration, chocolate wrappers to use, how they are presented and what material to use to hold them in.

There are now so many well-established online websites who are specialist wedding chocolate makers. They offer you a rich selection of exquisite chocolate flavours with delicious fillings and you can personalise the decorations by specifying the materials you want to use to package the wedding chocolates and how they are going to be presented. Some companies even take advantage of digital technology to scan in meaningful photographs of your choice and with this digital copy of the photographs, they can be reprinted onto the gift boxes and even onto each chocolate for a highly personalised finishing touch.

For those who are bursting with creativity, the internet is a great place to start in terms of getting a good idea of what is available out there and gathering options. This may also be a good exercise to compare prices so that you know you are getting the desired results at the best possible price. If you have a strict budget to stick to, it does not mean you have to compromise on the quality of the chocolates. You can choose to have organza bags that are filled with chocolates which are a cheaper alternative to having boxes to hold the wedding chocolates. These bags are just as elegant and dainty when tied up in beautiful ribbons or a smart bow and will look equally stunning in any setting. Boxes do come in different shapes and sizes depending on how many chocolates you want to store in each box. The most popular shape is the heart shaped box. Patterned, coloured and textured boxes cost more compared to a plain coloured box.

If customisation is required such as special message or a hand-picked photograph printed on the box, then this will add to the overall cost of the final product. Nowadays wedding chocolates can be presented according to different themes. For a more traditional look and feel, ivory, white and cream colours are popular choices but for a non-conventional look, bold colours such as black and red can be incorporated to suit your theme. For example if your theme is winter wonderland, neutral and white colours are used but if rock and roll or going gothic is the order of the day, much bolder colour combinations will be employed. All these can be reflected in the flavour of the chocolates, the decoration, the box and the outer packaging. There will be endless hours of fun in trying to create your own masterpiece that is truly unique and highly personalised.

You are also able to let the chocolate makers know of any food allergy in advance to ensure the chocolate ingredients are safe for consumption for all of your wedding guests. As you want to make sure the chocolates stay as fresh as possible and do not melt prematurely that will mar the presentation of the package on your wedding day, talk to your chocolate makers to address issues such as storage methods and delivery date. Back up plans need to be discussed should the weather turn very hot or wet and you need to know how the chocolates will be kept and transported safely to the wedding venue.

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The layout of the reception determines the entire tone of the setting. A number of factors need to be incorporated while determining the layout and setting of the wedding reception. The two most important factors, style and practicality, can sometimes prove to be contradictory in nature. What looks nice may not always be the most appropriate or comfortable for a setting and vice versa. The key guiding factor should be ensuring that all the elements of your layout sit in balance with one another. While a bare hall looks spacious, airy and full of never-ending decoration prospects, once full of hundreds of guests, furniture and decoration, it will hardly be so. Hence, keeping in mind factors like manoeuvrability, space, size and aesthetic appeal, choosing the layout can be quite a challenge.

The first step is to select a room or hall that is large enough to hold the wedding you have planned. This involves you to have an idea of the number of people attending the function, whether you want the dance floor or not, the scale of decorations and your budget. When furniture is added to a room, a lot of free space is lost. Add to this the wedding decorations like the arch and the ornaments and flower arrangements, even less space is left. And the number of people who can sit comfortably is thus affected. Hence it is important to choose a room that can incorporate all of the above.

An excellent idea is to hold an outdoor wedding, provided the season is appropriate. Outdoor weddings are not only more spacious and airy, but they also allow one to use the natural elements such as trees and wildflowers in an aesthetically pleasing way. The seating arrangements can be more scattered, the food banquet can be set up at a distance and the trees can be used to bear a number of decorations. Using the elements of nature to your purpose is an excellent option, often easier and more reasonable than renting a hall.

Dance floors need to be rented or installed and the same holds true for tents and canopies which are a must for all weddings. The placing of the dance floor has to be in accordance with availability of electric sockets for the music systems and speakers.

Seating arrangements have to be made in such a way that the tables and chairs are accessible but have enough space in between for the guests to stand around without having to manoeuvre their way through tight spaces.

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Decorating your wedding above all else requires an eye for detail and the ability to incorporate even the smallest decorative elements to create a grand wedding. While larger concepts such as the theme, the place, the season etc are all crucial to deciding the décor for the wedding, the finer points help to hold all of these together and hence it is fundamental to perfect the small details before moving on to the larger ones.

While the wedding is actually about the entwining of two lives and the bond of love, it cannot be contested that the decorations are actually as symbolic as the ceremony itself. A beautiful wedding is a wedding that will be remembered, and for the ceremony to have a special place in your memory it is necessary to make it as aesthetically pleasing as you can. Also the guests at your wedding will be affected by the décor and a beautifully done up setting sets a mood of gaiety, elation and enthusiasm.

The cake is one of the most important parts of the wedding and hence deserves a place of honour. The table holding the cake should be sturdy but not bulky so that it can support the weight of the cake without overpowering it or taking away from its grandeur. Since the cake cannot be the only thing on the table, the decorations need to be chosen carefully. They should compliment the cake and not take away from its beauty.

Receptions involve a lot of guests which means that a proper seating arrangement is required. While tables and chairs serve a functional purpose, they should also be nice to look at. The linen covering the tables and sometimes the chairs should be coordinated with the general colour scheme of the venue. It is better to use lighter tones so as to convey an airy and fresh feel.

For decorating the tables, fruits as the centrepieces are an excellent choice. Fruits are easily available, come in bright tones and add a dash of colour to the ceremony. While most fruits look festive enough, they should be chosen according to the colour scheme. Also, they should be bought a day prior to the wedding to ensure their freshness.

Flowers are an excellent choice as they add a natural, ethereal touch and are available in a riot of colours, shapes, sizes and styles and are also symbolic of emotions such as love, loyalty, faith, passion and commitment.

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Choosing a phrase to put onto the wedding invites involves much research and deliberation. The words should be in harmony with the traditions and sanctity of marriage but not generic and overused. It is important that the phrase(s) you use are special and speak of the bond that the ceremony is all about.

As the wedding invites have to go out to all family and friends, it is crucial for every aspect of the invite to be perfect. The style and design, the colours and patterns, the paper etc all play an important role in determining the look and feel of the invite. However, it is the phrase that is the most important aspect of the entire invite as it is the part that sums up the true emotions of the entire ceremony.

The style and theme of the wedding are to be reflected in the invitation and hence you need to decide on the kind of tone you want the invitation to possess. The format in which the names of the bride and the groom are to be introduced along with who it is who sends the invitation determines how the phrase should be styled. If it is the parents of the bride then the phrase should read ‘From the Bride’s Parents’, however if both sets of parents are jointly sending the invite, then a more appropriate phrase would be ‘Bride and Groom’s Parents Invite You’. While these elements may not seem too crucial, they actually help to define the mood and setting of the wedding as they intimate the guests to your frame of mind.

Even though there is no defined format for writing out the invitation phrases, there are some basic steps to follow. The first step is to spell out your reason behind requesting the presence of the people you are sending the invite too. This is a chance for you to tell them how special they are to you and how important it is for you that they be there with you to partake in the celebrations. In the second line, mention the names of the bride and the groom. The third line should include the time and date of the ceremony. The last line should include the location of the ceremony though you can also provide a destination map overleaf the wedding invitation card.

The aforementioned guidelines should be followed especially when the invitation is a formal one. It is always best to make it personal yet formal.

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To be able to have a truly special and one of a kind wedding, it is important for the bride to be wearing a dress that is at once different and exceptional while being graceful, attractive and tasteful at the same time. If you are opting for something other than the conventional white wedding, your wedding dress will have to be chosen keeping the unique theme intact.

As the form of weddings in the last few years has changed drastically, and sometimes surprisingly, the wedding dress too has seen some variations. As wedding ceremonies on the beach have become popular, many a bride has been seen to choose a stunning bikini outfit and a sarong in place of the conventional lacey white gown and a long train.

In this article, we help you to consider and choose from a number of interesting ideas for wedding dresses. The idea is to find an outfit that is a true representation of your unique personality and is in sync with your wedding ceremony.

The most popular and tasteful of all wedding outfits is a pantsuit combination. Of late, formal pantsuits in shades of pure white, ivory, cream, peach and pearl white have become extremely popular as wedding outfits. The pants should skim the ankle and to complement the outfit, the bride should wear some heavy pumps. A white tank top under the blazer will be appropriate with the pantsuit, regardless of the color. A simple set of pearl earrings and a necklace as the accessories is a tasteful and elegant combination.

For those who like to wear dresses but don’t want to wear the traditional fancy white gowns, there is always room for experimentation. You can wear any kind of dress, in any style, form, color, cut etc. as unconventionality is the key factor, the color of your dress need not be white. Blues, pinks and greens make for lovely pastel tones. Even deeper colors like navy, khaki or purple can look very flattering.

For those who are getting married on the beach, wedding gown is not the kind of dress which will blend perfectly with the surroundings. Instead, a striking top combined with denim shorts or a skirt will definitely look just right. If your beach wedding has a Caribbean theme to it, then matching a bikini top with a long, colorful and fluttery wrap-around skirt is one of the best available options. Both kinds of outfit are best accompanied by sandals in nude tones. Also, fixing flowers in your hair will facilitate to add a playful touch to the entire ensemble.

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Decorating the Wedding Arch

The wedding arch receives a significant amount of attention throughout the entire wedding ceremony and hence needs to be perfectly adorned. While conventional arches serve the purpose just fine, the trick to having a wedding worth remembering and talking about lies in incorporating unique details and personal touches into every aspect. And decorating the wedding arch may seem like an easy task, but once faced with the bare structure many families are known to face troubles as to how to go about decorating it and creating a masterpiece.

In this article, we share some tips for ensuring that your wedding arch is dramatic, attractive and one of a kind.

The most used and most popular style is definitely that of the classic arch. Time- honoured and always in style, the classic arch is elegant, tasteful and beautiful. To make your wedding arch in this style, buy a basic arch frame and cover the metal framework of the arch by twisting and draping layers of a gossamer-like material on it. Materials like organza and tulle which have a sheer, gauzy appearance and feel are ideal for this purpose. Another trick is to hang grape vines or ivy garlands in silk across the frame to give it a more ethereal look. To top of the arch you need an attractive piece. Silk bows are the most popular though using a pomander ball made of entwined real flowers of silk roses too is a good idea.

The next popular idea is that of the floral arch. The floral arch, as the name suggests, is made by winding layers of flowers and vines and other greenery all over the arch, giving an effect of blooms and leaves dripping off the arch. The effect created is airy and delicate as the flowers appear to glide in the air above the bride and the groom. Floral arches generally use roses and the entire set up can prove to be rather expensive but definitely worth the effect.

For a unique arch with natural effects, using branches from a willow tree or an apple tree is a great idea. These young branches should be strong and should have simple structural lines. The branches need to be affixed to the side frames of the arch. Ferns and tiny flowers can be used in place of the cloth to cover the arch. This way, an effect reminiscent of the magical effect of the woods is created.

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Planning Flowers for a Summer Wedding

Summers are perhaps the best time to get married, due to the numerous possibilities for decoration, open seating etc. that the warm weather offers you. No wedding is complete without its flower arrangements and the summer weddings are especially enjoyable because this is the season in which a plethora of flowers come into bloom and you can choose from a vibrant variety of such blooms. Summers are the natural blooming season for a majority of flower varieties and for a summer wedding, finding the right flowers is an easy and enjoyable task. One can choose from elaborate flower arrangements with thick, long stalks or small, slight and infinitely elegant blossoms.

Most ‘brides- to- be’ choose to decorate their wedding receptions using the traditional summer flowers such as irises, delphiniums and stocks that are known to be ever- popular. Delphiniums are extremely popular owing to their gorgeous blue colour, which combined with their ling stalks make them very useful in creating elaborate flower arrangements. Gladioli are also popular for the same reason.

Irises are often used along with Snapdragons, which are formally known as Antirrhinums, for summer weddings.

Stock flowers are one of the eternally favourite options when it comes to picking flowers for a summer wedding. The flowers come in shades of white and pink and also have a trademark perceptible fragrance. These flowers come into bloom during the end of spring months as well as the summers and owing to their enduring appeal, they continue to remain in style.

Roses are undoubtedly the most popular choice for flower arrangements for summer weddings. Roses have an eternal charm that never wanes, and their graceful beauty and distinctive scent add an ineffable aura to the wedding reception. Roses come out in full flourish during the summer season and are abundantly available at any florist, or even in one’s own home gardens. Roses can be purchased at any time of the year but the summer blooms are especially exquisite.

Calla Lilies are also extremely popular. They are shaped like funnel and come to flower from the spring to the summer season, lasting from the month of March to the month of June. The attraction of Calla Lilies lies in the wide range of colours they are available in be it shades of pure white, soft hues of pink, bright bursts of orange or even deep tones of magenta.

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Decorating the Wedding Cake

The cake at the wedding, along with the bride’s gown, is undoubtedly the highlight of the show, and hence, making it perfect is absolutely imperative. As all eyes is going to be trained on the wedding cake it has to not only be delicious, but also should be a treat for the eyes to feast upon. The established tradition, a three tiered cake is the norm. These cakes are normally adorned with layers of elaborate patterns in cream and icing. Also, a trademark feature of these cakes is the cake topper, normally showing both the groom and the bride under a wedding arch or a pair of wedding bands. The horseshoe and a pair of doves are also common designs used as cake toppers.

The practice of a many layered cake actually originates from ancient times. In the medieval era, the custom was for all of the guests at the wedding to carry a piece of cake with themselves to the wedding. At the ceremony, these individual pieces would be piled up together to build a tower of cake. As a symbolic gesture to salute their new lives together, the bride and the groom were expected to kiss while standing atop the cake pile.

With the passage of time, the structure of the cake evolved and instead of numerous smaller slices forming one big tower, a single, multi-tiered cake was built. According to many interpretations, this design form of the cake, the multi-tiered structure that is, is said to have derived its inspiration from the famous St. Bride’s church of London.

While choosing the cake toppers the first rule is to completely ignore toppers made in plastic. Many couples choose plastic cake toppers because they are inexpensive and help to maintain a controlled budget. While that is indeed helpful, the disadvantage of using plastic toppers is that they are commonplace and not special at all. Readily available at every confectionary and department retail store, these toppers lack the charm and splendor of an exclusively made cake topper. If you want your wedding cake to be remembered, order a topper made especially for your wedding.

The cake should reflect your creativity. Since it is YOUR day, every aspect of the wedding should echo of your personalized touches. Hence, it is advisable to design some styles on your own or ask the confectioners to come up with something unique and exceptional. Elaborating further on traditional designs is a good idea.

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