Flower Shower

Flowers are super important in both the wedding and reception ceremonies. And I, personally, want a flower-full ceremony. However, flowers are usually a very expensive portion of the wedding budget, so to save money and add a personalized touch (I just love those!) I plan to make many of my own flowers, and grow many more.

First, here's a handy dandy guide to choosing your wedding flowers.

After you choose your flowers, you will want to know when to plant them and where. Here's another handy guide.

After you choose the flowers you want to plant, you can choose the flowers that you want to make, regardless of blooming season!

There are many materials that you can use to make flowers. These are some of my favorite flowers made of ribbon.

Fabric is perfect for some flowers

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Paper is a never ending flower material.

And tissue paper was made for flowers.

There is a host of other flower varieties that you can find instructions for. Also if you want to incorporate your favorite flower into the food, there are many different pictorial instructions for that as well. Wishing you a flowery ever after!



Ring Shots

There are so many artful ways to display the beauty of his and her rings. Other than showcasing them on fingers, photographers can capture their personalities and yours with a variety of props.

I love the natural look of rings with flowers, and this is a great way to arrange the shot.

You could also use sticks and other outdoorsy items as props.

For a beach themed wedding, there is an array of ocean props to use alongside your rings.

 

Photographers can also pose your ring with your shoes, and I really love that this is a silhouette shot.

Or you can incorporate other pieces of your wedding attire.

 

For other book lovers like me, you can capture your little beauties inside the pages of a favorite book

Or you can show your love of music by displaying your treasures with your favorite instrument.

 

What are some of your favorite items that you can photograph with your little beauties? May you have a snappily ever after!



Nifty Nails

To pull the look together, one should never forget the nails. While there is plenty respect in sticking with a simple, clean French manicure (as pictured below) there are many unique ways to add personality to your finger tips.

One of my favorite options is showcasing elaborate pictures on your tiny little finger canvases.

 

For less than a picture, but more than a basic manicure, you could spring (haha!) for one of these fun springy color options.

 

...Or two. You could choose one of these fun combos, or you could display a mix of your two favorite wedding color combinations.

Some other fun ways to add flare are with sparkles or a matte polish...or both.

Whichever option you choose, I know you will be a beautiful bride. Wishing you a happily ever after!



To Top It All Off

Cake toppers often enhance the look of the cake and also serve to add a pop of the couple's personality.

Some stay traditional with the well behaved bride and groom figurines.

Others like meaningful words written as for royalty.

I personally, like the pretty wire letters.



Or even better, little wire people.

And when you start looking at the animals there are a lot of cute options. I like the idea of love birds.

But his favorites, on the other hand, usually revolve around whales. Like these belugas.

Or these blue whales.

And he really likes these orcas (killer whales).

 

And as a side note. He also has a fetish for these painted dinos.

There are so many different cake toppers to choose from, giving every couple the opportunity to find the perfect set for them - to top it all off! Wishing you a whale of a good time!

Table Numbers and Decor

Table numbers are an important piece that cannot be left out of the decoration scheme. They are functional for direction purposes and can reinforce the wedding theme.

Personally, I like framed table numbers that add some elegance to the table.

Also, if you want to make them a little more personal, or connected to the theme, you can add fun backgrounds.

If frames aren't your forte, then you can go many different routes.

For a natural, or outdoors wedding, you can take out two birds with one stone by using the floral centerpiece as the table number.

Another option is having interactive tables numbers.

If none of these suit your fancy, then you can have stand alone letters which still get the job done.

Wishing you a happily ever after!



Harry Potter Shout Out

This would be a great engagement pic for a Harry Potter couple, and it showcases the ring! I plan to make my own wands, and will post the link to the instructions here once they are finished.

I really like this idea as a photo booth prop. Added bonus: this would be super simple to make out of poster board!

These would be great signs to hang on the backs of his and her chairs at the reception.

This is another subtle way to have Harry and the gang there on your special day.

Or you could have a somewhat hidden shout out on your shoe.

These are just a few fun ways to invite Harry Potter to make a subtle appearance at your wedding. May you have a happily ever after!

Venue

So I want to have an outdoor wedding. It's been one of those dreams that I've had since I was a little girl. My fiancé and I also enjoy walking our area's wonderful trails and visiting the local parks. On one of our trips we discovered a clearing at the top of a hill, completely surrounded by trees.

Here's a picture of it from above:

The clearing is located directly behind our town's ballpark so there is plenty of parking. There is also a utility road seen on the right hand side that leads directly to the clearing, so we may be able to have a shuttle system in place to get attendees to the top of the hill, as the trail is quite steep, windy, and narrow.

Due to wanting a Spring wedding it is my hope that the we will be able to keep the bugs at bay in the clearing, while still having a woodland wedding.

As this area is part of the city park, I will have to contact the Parks and Recreation to confirm that I will be able to have a ceremony here. There are a couple of other park sites in town that are available to rent for events, but our clearing does not happen to be one of them. To be permitted to use the clearing I will have to discuss the use of the utility road, the potential rental fee, as well as having a tent staked into the ground for the ceremony if there is a big potential of rain.

If we choose the park, then the reception will likely be held in a community building right across the creek from the ballpark. Go to your town's website to look for local parks and community buildings available to rent.

Another venue option is an outdoor location with an indoor reception venue not far from our area community college which we have both attended.

While the area is spacious, the price is high. You can go here for more information on Bullskin Creek.

Another local option is the historical Phelps House in Carthage, Missouri. For a decent price the first two floors and grounds can be yours. This venue would be perfect for an elegant, classy wedding.

There are also a couple of lovely glass chapels near our residence. They offer a chance to have an outdoor wedding inside, but the price is steep and time is limited. The Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel in Bella Vista, Arkansas is my favorite, and you can learn more about it here.

Another local venue is the George Washington Carver National Monument and Park. Though we can't reserve the indoor facility for a reception, guests could wait inside the building in the case of a Spring shower. There is a $50 non-refundable fee, and a detailed application that must be followed, due to being a historical site and national park. This being said, the grounds are gorgeous and this is definitely a consideration.

Do you prefer to have an outdoor or an indoor wedding? Wishing you a happily ever after!