Author: Olga Pomeransky

Olga is manager at Best for Bride since 2005. Currently Best for Bride operates 4 bridal stores in Canada (Toronto, Etobicoke, Hamilton and Barrie). Best for Bride sells wedding, bridesmaids, mob dresses and more. https://www.bestforbride.com/
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Ways to Use Wedding Flowers in Wedding Decor

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Flowers are romantic, flagrant, and colorful. It’s no surprise they are featured in wedding decor in numerous ways. Couples may use flowers in wedding decor for the ceremony and the reception to add to the mood of love and romance. Flowers also can signify growth, beauty, an renewal. Here’s a look at the many ways couples can use wedding flowers.

The bouquet and centerpieces are the most common ways that flowers are used in weddings. These tend to get the most attention from the bride, while other wedding flowers are forgotten. A couple might hire a florist, discuss wedding colors, then forget about the wedding flowers completely. This can be a costly mistake. Not only could the florist choose expensive, out-of-season flowers which would leave the bride and groom with less flowers for their money, but the couple may regret not having more personal choice in the flowers used. The flower arrangements may lack the personal touch that comes from the couple being more involved in their design.

Wedding flowers can be used in new and exciting ways. Couples can explore these floral enhancements and discuss them with the florist in order to have more input about the flower selection. When the couple is more informed about option and involved in the planning, they are more likely to be happy with the end result.

Floral accessories can be used for the bridal party. While the bride’s bouquet often is central to the wedding party flowers, other floral accessories are the perfect way to unify the appearance of the wedding party. When bridesmaids have bouquets of the same flower and that flower is used in the groomsmen boutineers, the wedding party has an additional element of color, consistency, and style. The bride, bridesmaids, and flower girl also may wear hair accessories with flowers.

Flower arrangements at the ceremony can be placed at the ends of rows of seating and in key areas of the room. Couples may want to have flowers centrally placed at the front of the room. If the couple is having an outdoor wedding, any structure used like a gazebo or pergola can be decorated elegantly with flowers.

At the wedding reception, the floral centerpieces are a central placement of flowers on the tables. Another option is a floral table runner. A table runner of flowers is a string of flowers that flows down the center of the table. Some floral table runners extend over the edges of the tables and even cascading down to the floor.

The table runner can be a thin string of flowers, a bulky and thick trail of flowers, or something between the two. The table runner option can be used alone or in combination with centerpieces. Other possible uses of wedding flowers at the reception include small flower clusters or arrangements at the wedding cake, floral accents on lighting and chairs, and floral napkin rings.

Our blog at Best for Bride has more wedding decor tips and advice about wedding flowers. Please take a moment to browse our blog for wedding planning ideas and how to find the perfect wedding dress.

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Wedding Reception Lighting Ideas

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Standard lighting or uniform candle light throughout the room are common lighting practices. However, there are many options for highlighting certain objects or using colored lighting. Couples can get creative with lighting for the reception. The lighting should enhance the celebration. These wedding reception lighting ideas may provide inspiration for how to use lighting to improve the reception atmosphere.

Light can be used to draw attention to particular objects at the reception such as the wedding cake. Consider what areas of the reception venue that should be brighter than other areas. Lighting above the guest tables might be focused on the centerpiece. The wedding party table might be lit to be brighter than some other areas of the room.

Colored lighting is popular for wedding receptions. A color wash is the use of colored light throughout the room. For example, a blue color wash with candlelight on tables can create a cool, romantic environment. Keep in mind how color affects people. While many may find blue light to be relaxing, a red or orange color wash may be too intense for some guests. Green light tends to be less than flattering. A soft rose color wash may be ideal for dinner.

Unusual types of lights can add personality and flair to the room. Some couples have used a collection of mismatched lighting to add flair to the wedding reception decor. Various lights hung as an intentional collection of lights can make a unique chandelier. Paper lanterns in the wedding colors can be used to add color accents to the room.

Lighting can be incorporated into the centerpieces. Candlelight is romantic and traditional for centerpieces. Other options are available if the couple wishes to have a less traditional approach to wedding reception decor. A fun centerpiece is a glass vase filled with clear marbles and battery powered LED lights. The lights can be clear or colored to match the wedding reception decor.

Hanging candles over the tables can be used as creative centerpieces. Alone or with flowers, the hanging candles can be a great way to have elaborate centerpieces without taking up table space. For long tables, the candles can be hung along the length of the center of the tables.

Many people use string lights for receptions. Some couples may shy away from using string lights since they have been used so often. It is true that they may not be viewed as purely innovative due to their common use. However, string lights can still be used to create romantic lighting. One couple made a canopy of string lights for an outdoor wedding. The small lights resembled a starry sky. String lights can be wrapped around forms or chandeliers for a new look. String with colored bulbs can create a unique effect.

Gobos are stencils that are put over lights to cast an design. Wedding motifs are popular gobos for wedding reception lighting. For more ideas on how to create the perfect wedding reception, browse the Best for Bride blog.

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Beautiful DIY Wedding Reception Centerpieces

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More and more couples are creating their own centerpieces. Some buy vases, candleholders, or glass bowls and transform them into fantastic centerpieces. Others create unique centerpieces that are like unexpected surprises for the guests. Whether you want a classic centerpiece or something unusual, these ideas for beautiful DIY wedding reception centerpieces may inspire you.

A gorgeous wedding reception centerpiece can be created with large, shallow glass bowls that hold water with flower blossoms and floating candles on the surface. Some people add stones or colored glass to the bottoms of the bowls. While this is a easy DIY reception centerpiece, the design is very common. If you want something new and exciting, you may want to consider other ideas.

Hanging centerpieces can be incredibly innovative and unique. While some people take the typical hanging flower pot and place them over the center of the table, some approach the hanging centerpiece in a whole new way. Tying flowers and twigs with ribbons so they hang from the ceiling along with hanging candleholders create a romantic fantasy atmosphere.

Upcycled bottles are a popular choice for DIY centerpieces. The bottles can be painted, tinted with food coloring, or etched with the couple’s names or “LOVE.” Each bottle in the centerpiece can hold a single flower or small bouquet. Tissue boxes can be upcycled centerpieces by covering them using decoupage glue and newspaper or scrapbook papers. If you add printed photos of the couple, spray them with a fixative like Mod Podge spray so that the decoupage glue doesn’t smear the ink. Add plastic or styrofoam cups inside the tissue boxes to hold small flowers.

A vase decorated with black and white photos of the couple can be part of an interesting and fun centerpiece. The vase can be decorated with ribbon or craft embellishments as well. The vase can hold flowers in the wedding colors, white flowers, or a combination of both along with twigs or foliage.

How about a centerpiece floating in the air above each table? Large helium balloons can be tied to a vase or champagne bucket in the center of the table. The string can hold table numbers or light decorations like a cluster of smaller helium balloons. Use balloons in white to reflect colored lighting or the wedding colors.

A bowl of fruit is an easy and unique centerpiece for wedding receptions. If there is in-season fruit that is the same color as the wedding colors, that would be the perfect choice. The bowl can be metallic or contrast with the color of the fruit. A bowl that matches the wedding colors and a fruit that contrasts well with that color can be used if fruit in the wedding colors cannot be found. A small cluster of leaves with a flower blossom can be a great little accent for the bowl of fruit.

The DIY wedding reception centerpieces can be recreated as described or personalized by adding objects that reflect the wedding colors or theme. The internet is a wonderful resource for finding DIY wedding decor tips. Browse our blog at Best for Bride for more sensational DIY wedding ideas.

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Master the Art of Elegance: A Step-by-Step Guide to Bustling Your Wedding Dress!


A bustle brings the back of a wedding dress off the floor so the bride is not hampered by the train during the wedding reception. Bustles are very common. Different styles of bustles can be used. The bustle may require the addition of hook and eye or ties to the wedding dress.

The bustle is created during alterations. Since bustles are so common, brides may wonder why wedding dresses do not have bustle attachments in place. The bustle requires that the hem of the dress be brought up to a height that keeps it off the floor. The back of the skirt is typically raised so that it is just above the floor. Therefore, the person doing bridal dress alterations can adjust the bustle to account for the preferred bustle style, the bride’s height, and shoes so that the bustle is the correct length.

For an over-bustle, the train is brought up on the outside of the skirt and attached to the waist of the dress with a hook and eye or button and loop. A covered button may be added to the back of the wedding dress with a small loop attached under the train. A long train may require additional hook and eye attachments. These can be camouflaged with lace appliqués or other subtle embellishments.

An under-bustle is tucking the length of the train under the wedding gown. The under-bustle sometimes is called the French or Victorian bustle. Ribbons are sewn on the inside of the dress. Different colours of ribbons often are used. After the ceremony, the bride may need assistance to tie the ribbons to make the bustle.

The bride and her assistant need to tie the matching ribbons together to draw the gown up in the bustle. A one-point French bustle uses only one pair of ribbons while the three-point bustle uses three pairs that will need to be tied. Three-point bustles are best for long trains.

An Austrian bustle uses a system of loops. The bride pulls the string in the loops, and the train is gathered upwards. Instead of folds like the other bustles, this is a gathering of the fabric. A royal bustle uses multiple ties. The fabric is gathered up at each of these points. So, it’s somewhat like an Austrian bustle with three or more points. A bubble hem is a folding up of the length of the dress at the hem. This method may require numerous bustle points for a long train.

The cost of a bustle can vary by type and the number of points needed to be added to the dress to create the bustle. The bride will want to go to a room away from her guests to bust up the dress, especially for the bustles that require her to lift her dress to access the underside. Some wedding dress seamstresses recommend the bride have two or three women ready to help her bustle her dress after the ceremony.

A wedding dress is a crucial way to express yourself during your special day. Our blog at Best for Bride contains many helpful wedding dress advice, like choosing the style and learning about modern trends.