Rustic weddings

A rustic wedding may bring different images to your mind. No matter what image comes to your mind the word "rustic" almost always brings and an image of the simple things in life. Things that bring a comfort of home and a sense of nostalgia. A sense of using the beauty of nature to enhance your day. Finding a way to combine this comfort with the elegance of weddings is not as hard as you may think.

rustic wedding by aleximani

Venue

As with any wedding the venue is going to set the tone for the type of wedding that you are having. A fancy catering hall may not be your best option for a rustic wedding. Rustic weddings use items like wood, re-purpused furniture, lanterns, etc, that may not necessarily fit into a formal catering hall. Some areas of the country might lend broader options for rustic wedding than others, however if you look hard enough you can find the right location no matter where you are. Barns come to the forefront of my mind, but you can also consider vineyards, warehouses, and a local Bed and Breakfast and other old buildings.

Accessories

The accessories that you can use to make this day come to life are limitless. Wedding decor can include jars with candles, re-purposed wood, old suit cases, trunks thrift store finds, even garage sale finds may prove useful. Sometimes you could take new things and make age them so they give the appearance they have been here a long time. You could find may weathering and aging techniques online depending on the product you want to age. Great opportunity to use something old and special to you , maybe and item or two from grandma's house. There are even places that will allow you to rental vintage items, it doesn't get easier than that.


Food
Comfort foods come to mind when I think rustic, finding the right caterer will be important also to bring your theme alive through food. Serving in unusual containers and serving the non traditional could all play a part for your very rustic event

The important point is that you stay true to your theme and to yourselves as a couple, at the end of it all it is your wedding day and it is a reflection of you as a couple.

Vintage Rental Sites


Found

Ribbons and Rust

Adding Feathery touches to your Wedding Day

Feathers add a nice, whimsical touch to your day, picking the right accessories could bring a whimsical touch without looking overdone and childish.


Feather wedding centerpieces are a nice replacement of floral centerpieces, with the different colors available to you can go for a monochromatic color scheme or go for a touch of color. There are different wholesale and event supplies resources which can make feather centerpieces a cost effective DIY wedding project.






http://www.eventswholesale.com/




Feathered d'Orsay Sandal. Jen + Kim for Coloriffics.Style Swan davidsbridal.com




Jeweled & Feathered Wedding Flower



Peacock bouquet

Other event supplies resources

Save on crafts

How to select your bridal shoes

Brides concentrate on selecting the right wedding look, from head to toe. Knowing how to select each item so that it fits your personality, style and budget is important. More focus is being put on wedding shoes, brides are selecting shoes that fit their personality and that sometimes means moving away from the traditional white bridal shoe. Take a look at this video to help you select the right bridal shoes.

How to Pick Wedding Shoes

Save or Splurge on Wedding Shoes

Setting a budget for your wedding includes setting budgets for your wedding attire. As a planner I have seen brides who are willing to splurge on certaing "must have" items while saving on others. Brides "must haves" vary from bride to bride. I always like to offer various options before a bride selects a "must have" to keep her within her budget.

Here are a few Spend or Splurge options for shoes.


Splurge


Stuart Weitzman $395.00

Save

Nina $89.00 (current sale 68.56)


Save
Nina Blue Satin, $89.00

Splurge


Badgley Mischka Blue Satin

Top 5 ways to have a "Green" wedding

Having an eco-friendly or "green" wedding does not mean sacrificing on style. It just allows you to celebrate one of the most important days of your life with minimal impact to the environment.

Wedding dress

There are many designers who have made wedding style elegant and of course "green". There are so many products available that offer a "green" option with style. One such company is Jessica Charles formerly Jessica Iverson; her Collection from their Terra Amore line offers chic and elegant options for your wedding day. This Santa Barbara-based wedding dress designer Jessica Charles has set out to make eco-friendly gowns chic and even more luxurious and beautiful than traditional gowns. She has made "green" chic and elegant.



You should look for designers that are using sustainable fabrics such as organic cotton, bamboo, hemp, lyocell (made from wood pulp) and soy fabrics.

You could also consider options such as a pre-owned dress from a retailer, vintage shop or family member.


Wedding favors

The options for eco-friendly favors are limitless. Look for favors using sustainable materials, packaging and practices.



Eco-friendly flowers


The Cotton Candy Organza Button Bouquet by reallybadkitty on Etsy


When making eco-friendly decisions for your wedding you have to give extra thought to your selections. When making your flower selections consider buying from a local farmers market. Select a florists that uses organically grown flowers and utilizes "green" practices in their shop. Select flowers that are in season and will not require long distance transportation that will have a negative impact on the environment. Think about simple. Consider alternatives to flowers for bouquets and centerpieces. Things like candles (eco-friendly of course!), potted plants, feathers. Use your imagination and make it personal to your wedding.







Eco-friendly invitations

When looking at eco-friendly invitations you should look at materials and practices. Look for companies that use environmental papers, either tree-free or a high recycled content and soy inks. 100% cotton paper made from reclaimed fibers is used for their invitations and envelope liners are made from 30% recycled paper.They also support various environmental causes, they donate 1% of sales to environmental organizations.
Botanical Paperworks




























Eco-friendly gifts

Involve your guest in your ecp-friendly endeavors. Requests that they make donations to one of your favorite "green" organizations. Remind guest of your desire to have an eco-friendly wedding and they may remember your wishes when purchasing a gift.

Sally Shields: Successful and Healthy weightloss for brides

Every bride wants to look great on her wedding day..and every bride should. Brides work on many aspects of themselves to achieve desired results but one main aspect is weight loss. As a planner I have seen brides work on their weight just for their wedding but not as a long term life change. The result serious weight gain after the wedding when brides get back to they normal eating habits. If you must make a weight loss change I would advice brides to make healthy changes in eating and exercises habits for long term success.

I have a genuine desire to share information with my readers that will help them plan a successful wedding day and hopefully tips beyond their wedding day. My friend Sally Shields has been on a similar to quest to look fabulous not for a wedding but for life. She has shared her journey in her new book "Is She Naturally Thin, or Disciplined?" . Here is what she had to say about her journey and how brides could benefit from her book, available today on Amazon.


1. So Sally, why did you write this book?

It started as a personal journey, since I desperately wanted to lose weight. I set out to uncover some answers and to offer inspiration to those in need of a weight loss strategy. Inside the book you will find many insider secrets to shedding those unwanted pounds once and for all, so that you can get healthy, feel fabulous, and get back into your favorite jeans.

2. How can brides to be use the tips in this book to prepare for their weddings and beyond?


That's a great question, and actually one that's very close to my heart, because my friend Dr. Dunkley, who wrote the foreword to the book was just about to get married when she made her contribution to Is She Naturally Thin, or Disciplined? She had discovered the secret to balancing her insulin and therefore was able to stabilize her blood sugar by avoiding sugar and lost 20 pounds in order to look absolutely PERFECT on her wedding day!


Basically, we found out through out collective research that it is those crazy cravings that prevent pe ople from sticking to a healthy diet! Brides will love the information in this bookbecause there are tips to battling those cravings naturally and lots of encouragement and stories about how women, even though they don't necessarily love to exercise, find that it's the quickest and most effective way to get, and stay, in shape!

Be Inspired to look great today!

Learn more about her in her new book available today on amazon.

Bridal Emergency Kit: New Items to add

A Bridal emergency kit is as crucial to a wedding as a regular emergency kit is to your home. It has all of those essentials that can save the day. As a planner this is something that is a standard with all wedding packages, as a matter of fact the last bride that I worked with took my kit home after the wedding. You will be amazed how those hairpins or safety pins come in handy when the bridal party is getting ready to walk down the aisle.

I am always looking around for new items to add to my kit. I found these items and thought they would a great addition to any wedding emergency kit.



Portable Flats
Manufacturer Sidekicks, gold, folding, convenient and portable ballet flat solid construction and thick, supportive fit heels Small sizes 5 to 6.5, medium 7-8, large 8.5 to 9.5 and the size XL 11/10. Includes matching clutch. These were found on amazon under "portable flats" but the first of these types of flats I saw were from Dr. Scholl's and I saw them at the mall. Whatever brand you decide on, it will definitely be a must when those beautiful bridal shoes start feeling a size to small. You might even want to make up a small kit for your bridesmaids and include these in the kit.

Shoe Cushions





I know from personal experience how much of a lifesaver this product is. Shoe cushions are offered by different manufacturers, however after trying a few my favorites are from Tip Toes. They come in various shapes to accommodate your trouble spots like your heels, the ball of your foot or even your whole foot. They work well with strappy sandals and they stay put.

For more information on how to build your wedding emergency kit see my previous post.

DIY inspirationration from Martha Stewart

As I was reading through Martha Stewart's Living June 2011 I came cross an ad for craft stickers. I thought they would be an awesome addition to thank you cards, "Will you be my bridesmaids cards", and possibly wedding invites (if you are up for taken on such a huge task). You could pick them up to decorate place cards for any of your pre or post wedding parties. If you are into scrapbooking these are great for all of your wedding pictures. Starting at $1.99 you can't go wrong adding a personal touch to your wedding . You could find these at Michael's and some varieties on marthastewart.com.

There are many different styles to chose from, be inspired!!