A Little Something Different

For the Bride & Groom: Check out DNA11 for an extremely unique gift idea for the happy couple! The company produces modern artwork with images of DNA sequences. For the bride and groom, DNA11 will produce a portrait of the combination of the two sets of genes. Talk about a conversation piece! DNA11 has artwork featured in the MoMA, so get a print made before these works become a collector item!

Give Back: Ask guests to purchase items from your registry off of Goodshop.com. Goodshop works with over 1,400 stores including Williams-Sonoma, Macy’s, Bloomingdales and Target, to give a percentage of each purchase made at participating stores to your favorite charity. Guests pay the same price as they would directly through the store, and they are able to buy gifts that the couple specifically wants, but at the same time a charity of the couple’s choice will receive a portion of the money spent!

One-of-a-kind Weddings

How about a little something different?

We thought our readers might enjoy some tips from recent brides and brides-to-be on how they made their own weddings creative and unique. What we found were several brides who went above and beyond to find innovative ways to celebrate their big days, and it sounds like their families and friends won’t soon forget it! Check out their creative wedding ideas:

The Venue: For Laura Bretz, a unique location was key. After considering over 100 wedding and reception venues, she found the perfect fit in Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo. “The zoo’s tram took [guests] around to the cocktail hour and guests loved getting to have cocktails with the animals… The balcony overlooking the zoo at the reception was great. We took [pictures] with the animals, inside exhibits, on the carousel and on the playground,” Bretz explained. What a fantastic idea, and talk about being able to save on décor! What better backdrop than live giraffes and gazelles roaming the savannah?

Guest Entertainment: Why not teach your guests something completely new? That is exactly what Melissa Miranda of Palo Alto, CA decided to do at her destination wedding in the Dominican Republic. Miranda arranged kiteboard lessons for guests (kiteboarding was a passion of the groom’s!) and twenty of their guests went home kiteboarders. This tropical bash sounds like a blast, and Miranda did an excellent job of arranging ways to keep her guests busy and entertained. No matter the location, teaching guests something new is a great idea! Family and friends will appreciate the opportunity to participate in more than just the traditional dancing (although you’ll want to include plenty of that too!)

The Ceremony: Desiree Modano of Quincy, MA is of Mexican descent on her mother’s side of the family. At her Newport, RI wedding, Modano wanted to include something special as a tribute to her Mexican relatives and had always wanted to have a mariachi band play a part in her wedding day. Her ceremony venue was a gothic cathedral that had organs tucked away up in its large balconies. Modano hid a mariachi band behind the organs before the start of the ceremony. Modano described the day: “We had typical piano music for the [procession.] When we were pronounced man and wife, we turned to the audience and the mariachis came out in front of the organs and began to play a celebratory song. Everyone was surprised… [My mother] started to cry and was absolutely thrilled!” Modano’s idea is great because it has that element of surprise, but it also pays tribute to a part of her life that is important, not only to her, but to many of her relatives as well.

Cake by Cake Rentals Confidential

The Cake: It is a tradition in Jane Davis’ family of NewYork, NY that her grandmother bakes the family wedding cakes. So it only made sense for Davis to ask her to make the wedding cake for her April 2010 celebration. But Davis' grandmother was worried that her cake decorating skills weren’t quite as good as they used to be, and was hesitant to make Davis’. After pricing several wedding cakes from NYC bakeries ($10 a slice!) Davis came across an alternative solution. Cakes Confidential is a company that rents fake wedding cakes (that look real) for a fraction of the cost of a real cake. Davis decided to rent a cake for display, but asked her grandmother to bake a sheet cake instead. “Once a cake is sliced it all looks the same,” Davis said. “Since my grandmother’s sheet cake was free, our total cost for 200 guests was just $250! The best part was that we took the $1,750 we saved and put it towards our honeymoon!” Talk about a creative and cost-effective alternative, and Davis’ guests never even knew the difference!

We received many other unique ideas which we will include in next week’s blog, so be sure to check back then for many other inventive and unusual wedding tips!

Danielle & Scott- Wentworth by the Sea Hotel, Newcastle, NH

Images Courtesy of Aphrodite Wedding Photography

Wentworth by the Sea Hotel Grand Ballroom

Congratulations again to Danielle and Scott!

Wedding Season Has Officially Begun!

Scott & Danielle's May 8th Wedding in Newcastle, NH

This week we thought it would be fun to share some behind-the-scenes images of the reception setup from our wedding this past weekend at Wentworth by the Sea Hotel. Scott and Danielle chose a beautiful color palette of navy and light blue with magenta and bright pink accents. In honor of her father, they personalized their table number cards with various images of antique cars that he used to own, and their flowers were a combination of tall and short arrangements of tropical and native flowers by Cymbidium Floral in Exeter, NH. The result was a unique and elegant dining area within the Wentworth's original ballroom, which was accented by the room's beautiful crystal chandeliers. Here are some shots we snapped from start to finish of the ballroom being set up:

Arrival

Katie & Leslie hard at work

DS monogram

Personalized table markers

Escort cards.

Wedding cake by Jacques Pastries.

Ta daa!

The head table.

Congratulations Scott and Danielle, and thank you for allowing us to take part in your day!! Stay tuned next week for professional images of a lot more of Scott and Danielle's fabulous wedding!

The Groom's Cake: A Wavering Tradition

Image Courtesy of Sweet Ideas by Wendy

Nowadays many couples serve a "groom's cake" at their wedding, often as a second flavor option or in the event that there is a short supply of wedding cake. But the history of the groom's cake is so much more intricate than this. It is an old tradition that has origins dating back to the Victorian era, and has evolved over time in many ways.

The groom's cake has always been a gift from the bride to the groom. In the 17th century, the groom's cake was a homemade fruitcake, which was soaked in liquor. Because of this adornment, the cakes became known for their extensive shelf life, and it became a tradition to eat the groom's cake at the one-year wedding anniversary, rather than the day of the wedding. Some couples still follow this tradition today.

At the end of the nineteenth century, southern brides began a new tradition. Their wedding cakes were served to guests at the reception, and the groom's cake was sliced and packaged as favors for guests to bring home in individual boxes or wrapping. Female guests were instructed to sleep with a piece of the cake under their pillow for sweet dreams about their future husband. This tradition is alive and well in the deep southern US today.

By the mid-twentieth century, the groom's cake tradition seemed to disappear from most weddings, and it wasn't until the late twentieth century that the groom's cake was rediscovered, even then being served only at the most elegant wedding receptions.

Image Courtesy of CraftZine

In recent years, the traditional fruitcake began to see some variation, as chocolate and devil's food cake became more popular flavors. Modern variations retain traditional simplicity, and are not meant to overshadow the wedding cake, so they are typically limited to one or two layers tall. Today the groom's cake is often tailored to express a personal interest of the groom's or a symbol of significance to the bridal couple. It can be any flavor, shape or color, and is often served as a second dessert at the wedding reception, or at the rehearsal dinner.

No matter your take on its complex origins, the groom's cake is a wonderful way to add some variation and personality to your wedding festivities! If nothing more, perhaps this little history lesson can convince each of your bridesmaids to sleep with chocolate cake in her bed for a night! Ooh, now this is getting to be too fun!

The Shower

It’s the question of the hour at this time of year! What do I give as a gift at the bridal shower? We’ve heard this question more times than we can count, so to help everyone out, we’ve compiled a list of some favorite, unique gift ideas. Sure, you could always check out the couple’s registry to be safe. Giving a gift that both the bride and groom will love never hurts. But this is the bridal shower, so consider spoiling the bride a little bit on this day, and check out the registry when it comes wedding time (YES, you need to bring a gift to the wedding too!)

A Luxurious Mani/Pedi Gift Certificate

The bride is likely going to be getting one anyway, so it may as well be on you! This is a great gift because it will help the bride to feel extra pampered in the weeks leading up to the big day, and keep her looking polished (no pun intended) through the many wedding-related appearances she will likely be making. The same could be said for a massage or other spa treatment. Choose a local spa for an ultra-luxury experience, or if you’re unfamiliar with the area purchase a gift card from SpaFinder and she can choose the spa on her own!

Glass Photo Vase

You could personalize this item yourself with pictures of the engaged couple, or the bride and her girlfriends, before giving it to her, or let her personalize it herself with photos from the wedding. Either way this modern keepsake will be sure to remind her of special times and serves the dual purpose of a vase. Check out the photo vase pictured here at Beau-Coup.

Monogrammed Travel Pillow

Start the honeymoon off right with a luxurious satin travel-size pillow from Beau-Coup. Airplane pillows are gross, and we want to make sure the bride is well rested for her five days in Bora Bora! This pillow can be monogrammed with the bride’s name, and is available in many different colors (so you could even personalize those if you know her wedding colors or her favorites.)

Wedding Time Capsule

What a fun idea from Personalization Mall! This time capsule will store all sorts of memorabilia from the bride and groom’s big day, and imagine how fun it will be for them to open it at their anniversary several years later! Help them relive one of the most romantic days of their lives with this fun gift.

Wedding Day Survival Kit

We just so happen to have this fantastic bridal shower gift available through The Wedding Belle! This kit includes EVERYTHING the bridal party could need in case of emergency on the wedding day: safety pins, Altoids, band-aids, needle-and-thread, etc. Don’t leave the bride with anything to stress over. If she has this kit handy, she will have everything covered!

Chic and Luxurious Bathrobe

Another wonderful honeymoon accessory: Every bride wants to feel beautiful on her honeymoon, but wouldn’t it be nice for her to slip on a bathrobe and still feel sexy? With this designer bathrobe by Jonquil available at Bloomingdales, she will look and feel fabulous while relaxing in style. It’s light enough for even the most tropical of destinations!

Roses and Lilies and Orchids, Oh My!

The first step in planning the flower arrangements for your wedding is to find a type of arrangement that appeals to you. Do you prefer a clean, modern, chic and minimalist look? Flowers like tulips, orchids or calla lilies are paired with simple, architectural containers to create this style of arrangement (see left, by Style Hive.)

Or perhaps you’re interested in a more traditional English garden style? This style can work for more casual weddings as well as elegant affairs. Flowers that work to create these arrangements are typically in various colors and may include roses or hyacinth.

You could aim for a more formal, romantic style with fluffy, delicate arrangements of peonies or hydrangeas to add to the days’ fairytale.

A fun, modern option would be to use gerbera daisies or zinnias for a pop of color and playfulness.

Maybe you’re interested in creating a warm, inviting space for you and your guests? Consider an earthy, warm arrangement that includes shades of yellow, orange and deep reds in the forms of sunflowers, orchids, poppies and berries. Place this arrangement in a terracotta container amongst a breadbasket and pillar candles on a wood table and you’ve got a tranquil and elegant atmosphere.

If you just can’t decide which style you love the most, consider your venue. A tented wedding can be transformed to suit absolutely any style so if your wedding is tented this may not help to narrow down the choices. But, if you’re wedding is on Cape Cod you may consider arrangements that are more free flowing, like the ocean, and less architectural and modern. Your arrangement might include ornamental grass in conjunction with white hyacinth to remind your guests of the ocean breeze and natural beauty. If you are celebrating at a loft in Manhattan, the chic, contemporary and simplistic look is probably your best bet.

Perhaps the best deciding factor when it comes to your flowers is the time of year at which are getting married. The seasons quite often dictate how difficult it is to find certain flowers and therefore the cost associated with using those flowers for décor can vary greatly from season to season. Ordering flowers that are in season can keep cost down, and it may help you to finally decide what it is that you actually want to use. Some flowers are available year-round. These include Asiatic lilies, Baby’s breath, Bachelor’s button, Bells of Ireland, Calla lilies, Carnations, Gardenias, Iris, Orchids, Roses, and Stephanotis. Here is a list of seasonal flowers broken down by the seasons they are most available:

SPRING:

Daffodil

Hyacinth**

Hydrangea**

Lilac

Lily of the Valley

Peony**

Poppy

Tulip**

Violet

SUMMER:

Calla lily**

Dahlia** Romantic centerpiece by My Wedding Flowers

Daisy

Rose**

Gerbera Daisy

Hydrangea**

Lavender

Marigold

Sunflower**

Stephanotis**

FALL:

Calla lily**

Chrysanthemum

Dahlia

Hydrangea**

Marigold

Snowberry**

Sunflower Fun, flirty gerbera daisies.

Winterberry

Zinnia

WINTER:

Amaryllis

Camellia

Freesia

Heather

Holly

Lisianthus

Narcissus

Ranunculus**

Stephanotis**

Tulip**

Violets

Kaitlynn's personal favorite.

(Flowers by FloraLatte. Wedding by The Wedding Belle.)

Perhaps, like the majority of people, you are not a floral design expert and the idea of choosing which flowers to use is overwhelming to you. Fear not! If you have one favorite kind of flower, tell your florist. He or she will be able to come up with a design highlighting the flower of your choice, and you won’t have to worry about deciding on the filler flowers. Don’t be afraid that a flower you love won’t work with the location of your wedding. Orchids can fit into a traditional bouquet of flowers just as easily has hydrangea can, and roses can create a minimalist, modern arrangement as easily as calla lilies.

Finally, if you are still having difficulty deciding, speak with a florist or your wedding planner both of whom may have some unique ideas that you’ll really love! Most important: Have fun! Your arrangements will be beautiful no matter what you choose to do, so don’t stress over the fun details, just envision how lovely the final product will be come the big day and enjoy the process!