Category: Wedding Decor

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String Lights for Weddings

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A single strand of little white lights may not give the impression that it can be an amazing wedding lighting option. This affordable lighting can transform a wedding venue or reception in remarkable ways. You can achieve a variety of lighting effects by using string lights in different ways.

String lights can be used to create a wedding ceremony backdrop. A panel of string lights in gradually decreasing lengths forms a backdrop of cascading light. The cascading effect frequently is used on trees around outdoor weddings and the ceilings of tents and rooms used for receptions. For outdoor weddings, the lights are best used for evening or sunset weddings.

These lights are wonderful for complementing other lights. For a fun twist to the cascading string lights, hang them from chandeliers or lanterns. One couple had a backdrop of old-fashioned light bulbs strung together and hanging from the ceiling floor with string lights hanging between them.

Other types of ceremony backgrounds can be enhanced with twinkle lights. The lights can be used to cover the wall behind the couple or around a gazebo or pergola. Arches decorated in lights can be a great touch for an evening outdoor wedding.

Instead of a cascading line of lights or a covered panel, clusters of lights descending from the ceiling can have an interesting effect. Take a couple strands of lights and hang them from the ceiling so that they fall to the floor. Then, wrap the lights loosely in white tulle. This simple lighting has a unique effect. They could be used as part of the reception lighting or for the ceremony.

Random strands of lights across the ceiling can have the appearance of a starry night sky. Some couples use clear tents outdoors and string the lights across the ceiling for added nighttime sparkle. When used against white tents, the lights can be surprisingly elegant.

Twinkle lights can be used like lighted streamers. Consider hanging the ends of a group of string lights placed closely together at one end of the room. Hang the other ends farther apart on the other side of the room. The effect is a spreading, draped light.

The string lights can have practical applications as well. If the reception or areas of the building are dim, carefully placed string lights can help guide guests. For a darkened reception indoors, string lights have been used to show where guests can find coffee refills or lead them to the restrooms. A dimly lit stairwell may get a boost with string lights tied along the underside of the banister.

Some couples have added mason jars to their string lights. The lights might be hung with a portion of the lights hanging inside the mason jar. This gives the illusion that the jars are like light fixtures. String lights also can be used with table runners or centerpieces.

For more wedding lighting and wedding decor ideas, please visit the Best for Bride blog.

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How to hold on to your wedding bouquet by preserving it

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You invest a significant amount of money, time and effort in choosing your bridal bouquet. So, don’t you think it is sad that the blooms that played a huge part in transforming you into a bride, can wilt and be lost forever, after the day?

Fortunately, there are ways in which you can prevent this, and in fact save your wedding bouquet as a keepsake for the years to come. Here are the different ways you can do this.

Silica-drying

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You can have this done by a professional, or try your hand at it yourself. The technique involves brushing powdered silica gel all over your bouquet (sparing no inch of it), and placing it in an airtight container. The gaps in the container should then be filled with silica gel. It is then left to dry for a week to ten days. Once dried, the color is fixed using a fixing spray, and the bouquet can then be displayed in a glass box or flower vase in your home.

Freeze-drying

This is an expensive method, and one that has to be done by a professional. It can take up to three months to complete. The flowers are treated with starch and then freezer dried in the original bouquet style itself. The benefits of this method are that the bouquet looks pretty similar to how it did originally, but it is perhaps the most expensive of all the other methods.

Preserve it after drying

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All you have to do is to hang the flowers upside down in a safe area till they are fully dry. Although the flowers will lose the original look, it will still be a memorable keepsake of your milestone event.

Press and frame

Here, you basically remove the flowers from the bouquet and either save all, or a few. You can flatten the blooms by placing them beneath a heavy book or something similar. If you are good with your hands, you can then arrange them in a frame. The alternative is to have them professionally pressed and framed. Either way, you can transform your wedding flowers into a work of art that can be displayed in your new home.

Apart from these traditional bouquet preservation options, I found many more fantastic ideas at Pinterest. Let us take a look at some of the most brilliant ones.

Create a Christmas ornament

This idea by Wedding Party is ideal for those of you who are short on space and time. Just grab a few flowers from your bouquet, dry them and pack them into a transparent bauble. Close it off with the cork of a wine bottle used at your wedding, and add your wedding date to the glass ornament. You now have an ornament which you can fondly bring out and display on your Christmas tree every year.

Use it in a paperweight

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The Flower Preservation Workshop company suggests having your wedding flowers converted into a beautiful paperweight. Take a look at how the end result looks, and I am certain you will fall in love with it. Brilliant!

Now, tell us which of these will you be using? If you haven’t thought about it yet, it may be a good idea to do so now. For more wedding tips, advice and fun ideas like these, keep visiting us at Best for Bride.

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Winter Wedding Flowers

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When planning a wedding, choosing flowers in season is a well-known strategy for saving money. What if you are having a winter wedding? Are there flowers in the season even when the ground is covered in snow? What are the options for winter wedding flowers? Should couples use trendy alternatives to flowers in order to save money when planning a winter wedding?

Winter wedding flowers can be economical or break the bank. If you have your heart set on having flowers that are not in season during the winter, your floral budget can suffer. You may have to pay more or have fewer flowers to accommodate the extra cost associated with off-season flowers.

Some flowers are available year-round at very reasonable prices. Roses, carnations, Gerbera daisies, and some types of lilies are a few of the flowers that are generally available at any time of year. Remember, if your wedding is close to Valentine’s Day, the price of roses may be much higher than usual. Narcissus is an economical winter flower.

When choosing the types of flowers that you want for your winter wedding, you could ask florists what flowers would be easiest on your budget. If you want a particular flower to be the highlight of your wedding flowers, you can call local florists and ask for pricing for what you want on the date of your wedding. You may find a florist who has your favorite flower for a significantly lower price than the others.

Many types of filler flowers in a variety of colors are available throughout the year. Don’t be discouraged if there aren’t any economical choices for flowers that would show off the wedding colors. White flower-like white roses or white lilies could be used along with filler flowers and accents that match the wedding colors. Dried flowers and eucalyptus are other options for bouquets and wedding flowers.

Winter brides often get creative with alternatives to flowers. They may have fewer flowers and supplement the wedding flowers with handmade accents. Paper and burlap flowers are a popular DIY wedding decoration. One couple made burlap roses for their groomsmen’s boutonnieres. Modern bouquets can be crafted from fabric, feathers, colorful buttons, beads, strings of pearls, vintage brooches, or photocopies of pages from the couple’s favorite book. Even white, black, and gray leather has been used to make a rose bouquet.

Embrace the white, snowy look. While one option is to go bold with red roses and other red flowers that are in season, consider echoing the pristine winter with your flowers. Some gorgeous wedding bouquets and arrangements have been made with white peonies and dusty miller for a white winter look. The dusty miller provides a silvery-gray accent. Within the context of winter, they can look as if they are ferns dusted with snow.

For more information about planning an incredible wedding at any time of year, please take a look at the Best for Bride blog.

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Rustic Wedding Chic

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Rustic wedding chic is the careful use of country accents combined with romantic decor. Imagine white lace over weathered wood or a white candle set on top of pond rocks. Rustic chic is the pairing of the elegant and refined with the simple, down home elements. Here are some tips for creating a rustic chic wedding.

The rustic chic wedding has to have that theme carried throughout the wedding. Adding one rustic chic element to a traditional classic wedding may look out of place. If the wedding has a country or rustic theme, the rustic chic elements should blend beautifully.

Rustic chic accents include organic props which are things found in nature as well as things associated with country living. Nostalgic accents like antiques are popular for rustic weddings.

Barn weddings and receptions are becoming increasingly popular. A barn wedding can be purely country if no elegant elements are added. The barn wedding can be rustic chic with the use of romantic and classical accents. One couple installed chandeliers in a barn and draped white fabric from the ceiling for their rustic chic wedding decor.

Wooden accents are a backbone to rustic chic decor. Worn wooden chairs, cross-sections of logs serving under plates of food, weathered wood walls and tables, and small wooden touches like wooden tags on the centerpieces are examples of ways that rustic wedding can incorporate wood throughout the decor.

Other natural materials like dried flowers, stone, and sand can be used in the rustic theme. Also, materials associated with country living like burlap and mason jars are often used in rustic weddings. People can have different ideas of what should be included as country decor. The choices can be personal such as items reminiscent of memories of living in the country.

You don’t have to go to the extreme of hanging chandeliers in a barn to have an incredible rustic chic wedding. Carry the rustic decor theme to the wedding reception lighting. You can use LED lights in mason jars hung for the ceiling for rustic wedding lighting that creates a romantic glow.

The photo booths at wedding receptions have been way overdone. Many couples are looking for fun alternatives. For a rustic chic wedding, consider creating a photo backdrop with an old fashioned arm chair and some antiques. You might use an antique desk or table to display some of the antiques.

A rustic reception can feature food and drink that reflects the theme. Iced tea and lemonade in glass pitchers may be the perfect drinks to serve. The meal might be something that would be associated with down home cooking rather than something elegant. A common trend among weddings of all styles is to offer milk and cookies towards the end of a lengthy reception. This practice would reflect the down home feel, especially if the glasses reflect country living rather than the champagne flutes used for milk at some weddings.

For more great tips about creating a wedding that suits your style, visit the Best for Bride blog.