Unique Wedding Ideas

Make Your Menu Unique

Mandee — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:00:46 +0000

Food is always a big part of a wedding. Everything from appetizers through a full meal, to cake and dessert, to sending guest home with a late night snack. Obviously, you don’t need to incorporate all the different meals and snacks. Just pick one or two that work with your celebration.

For a morning wedding, a brunch menu and champagne or mimosas with the cake is plenty. For an afternoon (after lunch but before dinner) ceremony and reception, you can serve heavy appetizers or a food truck type menu and maybe a dessert buffet. For a full evening event near a traditional dinner time, do a cocktail hour, dinner and then cake or a dessert buffet. After dancing and celebrating winds down, you can add a late night food truck if you like. It all really depends on how much you want to spend.

To make your celebration a bit more unique, insert something unexpected or unpredictable. Have a food truck serve the meal after a morning ceremony, or for an evening event, skip the traditional plate served 3 to 5 course meal and serve a buffet mixed with heavy appetizers and a few food stations where guests can mix and mingle before the dancing begins.

Try making your menu encompass favorite foods or ethnicities. Serve favorite Latino, Italian, Asian, Indian foods you love. If you have any sort of travel theme or “place” theme, have your reception host food stations representing the different cities or countries you are including.

These types of touches make your reception unique — memorable — and a stand out in the minds of your guests. Try to come up with something where the food or menu is concerned that will make your wedding different, unique. Good luck!

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Unique Wedding Party Coasters

Susan — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 20:07:59 +0000

When you want to do something more unusual at your wedding reception than just place cards for the wedding party, try coasters designed just for the members of the wedding party.

Coasters make useful favors for your wedding party as well as great place cards, too. What a perfect way to say this place is reserved for the mother of the bride, or the best man, even the flower girl can have her own coaster.

These coasters are all available from the talented artists at Zazzle. Most can be personalized with the wedding party’s names too. Or create you own designs. The fun of adding something special for each of your wedding party can be enhanced by making it personal.

Here are just a few of the choices you can find. Click through the picture and find just the right ones for your own wedding party.

Classic Mother of the Groom Coaster by weddingparty View more Wedding Coasters	Father of the Bride Champagne Toast Beverage Coasters by weddingparty View more Wedding Coasters	Flower Girl Drink Coasters by weddingparty Make personalized coasters from Zazzle.
2012 Black Junior Groomsman T-shirts and Gifts Beverage Coasters by weddingsareus Check out Groomsman Coasters online at zazzle	Black and White Rose wedding Coaster by Floralwedding View more Black and white rose wedding Coasters at zazzle.com	Names Initials Monograms Damask White Black Pink Beverage Coasters by sitnica Browse more Monograms Coasters at Zazzle

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wedding cake personalized coasters articles

Thank You Cards for Your Wedding Guests

Mandee — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 13:00:21 +0000

Brides and Grooms are always looking for unique cards to thank their guests for attending their wedding and/or for their gift. A thank you card is the perfect opportunity to show your uniqueness.

Photo cards are very popular and give you the opportunity to pick and choose a formal wedding portrait or a fun, impromptu shot of you and your new spouse. Some of our favorites include:

Black & White Classy Wedding Thank You Photo Cards by Pip_Gerard

Floral Black and White Wedding Thank You Photocard Photo Card by wasootch

SIMPLE WORDS CUSTOMIZED Wedding Thank You PHOTO CARD by rfraz20

Thank you cards don’t have to have a photo or even match the theme of your wedding. They can be a stand alone style that reflects your personality, honeymoon or hobby! As long as you thank your guests, you’re good.

Here are some fun, themed wedding thank you cards without the photos:

Tandem Bicycle Wedding Thank You Card by mistyqeweddings

Hawaiian Wedding Thank You Cards Hibiscus Red by WeddingShop88

Gold & Black Floral Scroll Elegant Thank You Card by TheInspiredEdge

You can make your own on your computer, design one and use a print-on-demand supplier or choose an existing style to customize and make your own.

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wedding thank you card to all guests

Non-Traditional Ceremony Seating | Unique Brides

Mandee — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 13:00:53 +0000

Let’s break away from the traditional ceremony seating and think outside the box for a minute.

A traditional ceremony has, more or less, a rectangle or square design, something like this:

Non-Traditional Ceremony Seating

There are a number of ways you can make the ceremony seating for your guests unique and out of the norm. A lot will depend on the ceremony venue. If you use a church, synagogue or other formal religious location that has permanent seating, your hands may be tied.

If your religious facility uses folding chairs, talk to the officiant of coordinator and see if they would be willing to let you change up the normal format.

If you are being married outdoors, in a large banquet or event room, you probably have a better chance of using a non-traditional ceremony seating setup.

Ceremony Seating Ideas

One setup that I love is “in the round” or circular. There are a couple of variations but all are definitely out of the norm.

Credit: Ben Godkin Photography via Style Me Pretty

I love the alter in the center. It makes a larger wedding seem more intimate as well.

Other ideas for non-traditional ceremony seating setup can include a half circle, a spiral, octagonal (with 4 aisles) or even a square with all guests face the center where the ceremony takes place.

Spiral Seating by fallenazn on Reddit

Whether you use a non-traditional seating arrangement or not, you can add some unique flair to your ceremony by using non-traditional seating. Hay bails, hassocks or footstools, lounge furniture like chaises or sofas or even benches made from cinder blocks and planks.

Find something that goes along with your theme for the day and play it up in the seating at your ceremony. Something different, unique, will stand out in the memories of your guests!

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Unique and Personal Bridesmaid Gifts

Susan — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 15:39:35 +0000

Dear Unique Wedding Ideas: I am looking for something very special for my bridesmaid. Each has been a huge help to me in planning my dream wedding. What I really picture for them is a personalized gift. Something that no one else will have. Do you have any suggestions for me? ~~Lydia

Dear Lydia,

Sounds like your bridesmaids extra special and it’s heart-warming that you want to give them something personal. And yes, we do have a suggestion for you. Something that is extra special and very personal. Beautiful name earrings would make a great bridesmaid gift. These earrings come in many different styles and finishes for you to choose from.

(Click on image to see more about name earrings and more great options)

If earrings aren’t exactly what you imagined, how about a monogram necklace? Available in many different looks and effects. You might even want to chose different finishes for each of your bridesmaids to make them truly unique for each one. Either way you go, you will certainly have a very special personalized gift to give your bridesmaids.

We wish you the best of luck on your upcoming wedding. Hope it’s a day that you remember with pleasure the rest of your life.

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Unique Picture Display for Reception or Rehearsal Dinner

Mandee — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 13:00:08 +0000

Umbra Fotofalls Metal Floor-Standing Photo/Memo Holder

I ran across a pretty cool product recently I just had to share. At many of the wedding receptions and/or rehearsal dinners I have decorated over the years, I always loved when they had an area for photos. Family, friends, the happy couple, childhood photos and more are always a great conversation starter. Aunt Martha loves to see photos from the old days too.

Something about a wedding makes people nostalgic. Photos are the perfect prop to feed the craving. I have seen easels with project boards and lots of photos mounted but it takes up a lot of room. I have also seen stacks of photo albums for guests to peruse but they don’t always see them sitting on a table over in the corner. And, I have seen a table so loaded with photo frames that it’s a mess.

However, I now know a great idea for displaying photos at your reception or rehearsal dinner that has style — is part of the decor. It’s a Fotofalls by Umbra.

They look like trees. The floor model stands 55″ tall and has 36 clips for photos. I can just see two of these marking an entrance, on either side of the escort card table, on either side of the cake table, and many more places that will give guests the opportunity to stroll down memory lane. I just love the Fotofalls and the possibilities for them when it comes to weddings.

What do you think? Good idea?

P.S. They have table top models too!

Umbra Fotofalls Metal 3-Tier Desktop Photo/Memo Holder

Umbra Fotofalls Metal Desktop Photo Holder

Umbra Petal Desktop Photo Holder

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Rehearsal Dinners that are Unique too!

Mandee — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 17:43:48 +0000

Unique Vintage Rehearsal Dinner Invitations by UniqueInvites

Unique weddings take a lot of work. Sometimes, you become so focused on the wedding and reception, other things slip through the cracks like rehearsal dinners.

Rehearsal dinners traditionally are a gathering of the wedding party with their significant others, immediate family and close friends and can even include out of town guests. It’s usually a fun, more casual event leading up to the wedding and reception. Through the years, I was honored to host a lot of rehearsal dinners at my facility. My favorites were themed rehearsal dinners.

One thing I truly believed in was NOT trying to duplicate the planned reception at the rehearsal dinner. It should be completely different in theme and even formality. It’s an event that should keep things low key [no stress] so the bride and groom can enjoy the camaraderie with their family and close friends. Nerves are always on edge before a wedding so a relaxing get together with key players is a great way to keep nerves in check.

Of my favorite themed rehearsal dinners over the years — 3 really stand out. They were so much fun, no one wanted the evening to end. So, here are my 2 picks for best themed rehearsal dinners (though any theme can be fun):

Italian Sidewalk Cafe Theme – This was a great rehearsal dinner. We made a sprawling buffet filled with Italian foods like different pastas and sauces, meatballs, flat bread pizza and lots of Italian breads. The buffet table was covered in black cloths and skirting and then we added red and white gingham fabric swags to the front of the “V” shaped buffet table. At the point of the “V”, we had a “Leaning Tower of Pisa” as the centerpieces. Red geraniums were stuck in and around the buffet offerings.

Rehearsal Dinner Invitation | Italian Food by Plush_Paper

For the table centerpieces, we rounded up empty wine bottles and stuck drippy candles in them and named each table after a city in Italy. The dessert table was set up on a small, black, wrought iron cafe table with 2 chairs. We used cake stands as risers for the desserts – tiramisu, Italian creme cake and assorted cookies.

During dinner, we had Italian music and a bit of Dean Martin playing low in the background. Almost every single guests stopped me to tell me how great the whole effect was and that they had thoroughly enjoyed their evening. That’s the best!

Tropical Theme – I love a tropical theme and the couple were going to the Caribbean for their honeymoon so the parents thought a taste of the honeymoon prior to the wedding would be fun! We held it outside (summer wedding) and used white table clothes as a base for the guest tables and buffet tables. On top of the white, we used assorted bright cloth overlays (royal blue, lime, hot pink, sunny yellow).

For centerpieces, I made palm trees out of dyed ostrich feathers and tall (20 inches), thin vases. The centerpiece of the buffet was a palm tree fruit, veggie and cheese display. The rest of the menu was almost like heavy hors d’ oeurves and included: Caribbean jerked beef and seafood salad with assorted, small rolls and breads for making sandwiches, pot stickers, shrimp and cocktail sauce, bbq smokies, assorted crackers, steamed vegetables and pasta salad.

For the dessert table, the grooms parents had a tropical themed small layer cake as the centerpiece and we added bite sized and individual sweets. We played “island music” low in the background and greeted the guests at the entrance with leis. It was like we were all in the tropics for that evening. A lot of fun, for sure!

No matter who is hosting the rehearsal dinner, keep these few things in mind as you plan it:

A rehearsal dinner can be the calm before the storm. It should be fun, festive and relaxing for the everyone.
Don’t make the rehearsal dinner a miniature version of the reception. I suggest not using the wedding colors for the event either. It should be an event in its own right.
Let the guests know what the theme is for the dinner through custom invitations. They will start looking forward to it right away!
Don’t have a rigid schedule or itinerary. The reception already has a lot of “have-to’s”. The rehearsal dinner should be about togetherness, celebration and camaraderie. Go with the flow!

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Go Really Unique with a Mad Hatter Tea Party Reception

Susan — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 14:36:37 +0000

A Mad Hatter tea party wedding reception is a great way to go truly funky for your reception. And, yep, that’s what my daughter is talking about. She’s even thinking about making it a costume party. She wants to ask everyone to where a costume that comes from the Alice in Wonderland world.

Granted, Great Aunt Betty probably won’t dress for the occasion, but her friends are game for this. Her mother is game for this, too. I suggested I dress as the Queen of Hearts and knock around a few heads! I’m not sure that’s what my daughter has in mind. We’re still talking about it!

We have talked about using Alice in Wonderland teapots for the tea service as well as for centerpieces. We are looking at color schemes for the reception as well. The classic Disney version of Alice in Wonderland has a charming blue and white color scheme, since that’s Alice’s dress colors, but the newer Johnny Depp version brings in the deeper richer colors. My daughter has thought about a combination of maroon, black and white for that color scheme.

I showed her a page made by our friend Sylvestermouse: How to Make a Mad Hatter Hat. Se was so thrilled with this, that she has decided no matter what kind of reception they have, she and her fiance will wear these hats just for fun! But, of course, this will work great for a Mad Hatter tea party reception.

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Coming Up with Unique Wedding Themes

Mandee — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 12:00:48 +0000

Every bride wants her wedding and reception to be memorable — not only for her and her spouse but for the guests as well. It is becoming harder and harder to stand out from the crowd. If you can think of a theme, it has mostly likely been done already.

So, how can you make sure your wedding will stand out?

A theme is one of the best ways. Guests tend to remember themes more so than just a wedding color scheme or feel. Your theme should be something you are passionate about. No matter what the focus is, it always comes out better if you are totally in love with or crazy about whatever the subject of your theme.

These are just a few themes that are becoming more and more popular. The way to make them more unique is to come at the theme from many different directions. First, brainstorm — write down what it is about the theme or subject that you love. Break it down or make it more “niche” than just a general theme. Get to the bottom of why you love it and then highlight that in your wedding planning.

For instance: instead of just “vintage”, ask yourself to what era, style or decade you are most drawn. Once you know the answer, break it down farther. Why are you drawn to it? Is it the attire, architecture, decor style, traditions, or what that you love.

When finished with your brainstorming, you will have a better idea of what you really love and why — as well as some awesome ideas you can incorporate into your wedding. It will be unique because it will be all about you and your likes and passions. Step out of the box and into your own unique style.

A word of caution — don’t let a planner, coordinator or florist try to turn your day into something from their dreams or steer you in a direction you don’t want to go because it’s easier. It’s one day — your day — and it’s worth any trouble it takes to make it a dream come true.

Color Trends for Spring 2013 – Pantone

Mandee — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 12:00:13 +0000

I realize (and applaud) that unique brides don’t chose colors based on a trend report. However, fashion designers and the whole of the wedding industry do pay attention to these forecasts. That translates into Unique brides being handicapped in their color choices if they purchase from bridal salons and others in the industry.

One way to put a unique bride spin on this is put 2 or more of the 10 colors in the forecast together in an unexpected manner. And, of course, there are always staple colors that show up year after year that you can combine with the forecasted colors. Below are the Pantone Color Trends Forecast for Spring 2013 and few ways to put them together that might inspire you!

Spring 2013 Pantone Color Forecast

and my personal favorite combination:

There are literally hundreds of combinations of these colors — choose yours and you will be unique!

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Unique Winter Wedding Themes

Susan — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 16:23:24 +0000

I need your help. My daughter recently got engaged and she wants to do something different for a winter wedding. Can you offer her any suggestions with out taking us all out in the snow and cold? Thanks, Agnes.

Agnes, first congratulations on your daughter’s engagement. As the mother of an engaged daughter, too, I understand how much you want to help your daughter plan out her perfect wedding. There are wonderful ways to create a unique winter wedding indoors. Traditionally, pale blue and white are considered the winter colors, but take that a step further. Dark blues like royal or navy can add a unique twist to a winter wedding. Dark greens work great, too. Think pine trees for this one.

Another great color scheme to work with is red and white for winter weddings. The rich purples make great colors for winter weddings. Lighter colors tend to go well for warm weather weddings, but cold weather weddings can be stunning with dark colors.

If you daughter and her intended enjoy outdoor winter activities, consider a theme that brings that activity indoors. Skiing, for example, can be an indoor wedding theme. Use miniature skis as part of the center pieces and decorations. Even setting up the reception area like a ski lodge will bring the theme to the wedding.

Then consider appropriate winter foods and drinks to serve. Hot toddy and hot cocoa are some examples.

Lots of other themes work as well. Look at things like a carnival theme, even in the winter. Carnival in the Snow, with fake snow as part of the decorations can work great. This is a time to let your and your daughter’s imaginations loose. And have fun in the planning!

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Ceremony & Reception in the Same Room

Mandee — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 12:00:20 +0000

We need to have the ceremony and reception in the same room. The venue has a foyer, ante room but it’s not big enough to hold all the guests for a cocktail hour to have the room changed over. We will have a dance floor in the middle and were trying to figure out the best way to seat people comfortable without having to move a lot of chairs and tables around. Any ideas? – Heather T. (bride)

Hi Heather and welcome to Unique Wedding Ideas. Yes, actually I do have an idea. I had a unique bride a few years back with almost the same dilemma. The venue she rented did have another room they could have used for cocktails but it just wasn’t in their budget. They didn’t want to give up something else for just an hour to change over the banquet room from ceremony set up (theater style seating) to tables and chairs for their dinner and dance.

We sat down and drew out the floor plan and starting playing. She decided guests would be very comfortable if they just sat at their tables during the ceremony. We arranged the tables around the center dance floor. The dance floor would be the “alter” were the ceremony would take place. We then added 3 rows of chairs on either side of the middle of the dance floor. This allowed aisle space for her to walk down as well as providing VIP seating for her/his immediate family. They got a birds eye view of the ceremony while the rest of the guests sat comfortably at their tables and enjoyed the ceremony.

After the recessional, the bar opened and the hand passed hors d’œuvres were immediately started. At the actual event, I heard several compliments on the set up. The guests seemed to enjoy the one location and not being herded from one room, building or location to another as well as being very comfortable at the tables.

This might work for you too. Here is a rough sketch of the layout with the arrows marking the processional and recessional.

With this type of set up, here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

Keep your centerpieces low. Everyone will want a nice line of sight towards the ceremony area. Large and/or tall centerpieces can cause a problem with this. Alternatively, you can bring out tall centerpieces after the ceremony is over as the hors d’œuvres are being served.
Make sure there is a clear aisle way so that guests won’t be in the way during the processional or recessional.
You won’t need escort cards. Have a seating chart or a list for the ushers to use when seating guests.
Don’t make one side of the room bride’s guests and the other side groom’s guests. In this case, it is different than a church or traditional ceremony set up. Mix them up so that throughout the evening the two families and groups of friends are getting to know one another.
Don’t forget to reserve tables for the family members that will be seated on the dance floor during the ceremony. On the plus side, these empty tables will make it easier for your other guests to see the ceremony.

Good luck and congratulations, Heather!

For more ideas about the Grand Bridal entrance at a venue with the ceremony and reception in the same room, see Have Your Ceremony and Reception in One Room and Still Make a Grand Bridal Entrance

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Wedding Reception Tea Party: Save the Date Cards

Susan — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 12:32:08 +0000

One of the first things you do when planning your wedding and reception is to set the date. Even before you have chosen your theme, you have a good idea of who your guests will be. This is the time to send out save-the-date cards.

If you know your theme, your save-the-date cards can be in the same theme. But, if you haven’t chosen your theme, you can pick out cards or save-the-date magnets that appeal to you. The point here is to alert your guests that your wedding is coming up.

We, at Unique Wedding Ideas, really like the convenience of ordering save-the-date cards or magnets through Zazzle. com. There are several reasons for this. The best is that every item can be customized just for you and your wedding. You can pick out a design you like, then change colors, fonts, wording until you have exactly what you want. Or you can start from scratch and create your own unique save-the-date card or magnet. There is never a minimum order, so you can get as few or as many as you like. The quality of each item is the best on the market and returns are so simple if necessary. So feel free to order your save-the-date cards through Zazzle with complete confidence.

Here are some of our favorite unique save-the-date cards. Just click on your choice to see more about it. If you want to send magnets instead, we have a fun selection right here.

Western Save the Date Cards by RanchLady More Country Cards	Elegant Ivy Wedding Suite Save the Date Greeting Cards by RainbowCards More Wedding suite Cards	Customize Save the Date Card by TrevorStar See other Save the date Cards
Pink & Chocolate Save The Date Card by twoheartsshoppe Create custom photo note cards at zazzle.com.	Hydrangeas for Your Wedding Day Card by daphne1024 You can sell greeting cards , invitations, stamps and more on Zazzle.com!	With this Ring, Romantic Vintage Wedding Love Greeting Card by KahunaLuna Look at more cards from Zazzle.

Wedding Reception Tea Party: Start with a Theme

Susan — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 11:45:14 +0000

If a wedding reception tea party makes sense for you, the way to get started is to pick a theme. Everything you do will then fall around your theme, from the decorations to the food choices. Your theme can be as fun and interesting as your own personality and that of your groom.

Because my daughter and her future hubby want to have pinball machines available at their reception, they are thinking about a theme called Pinball Wizard for their tea party reception. It’s just one of the ideas that they are tossing around, but we have talked about using wizard hats and magic wands for table centerpieces. The ceiling filled with glittering lights to imitate a night sky.

Your own theme may lean more towards a Western theme, maybe even a carnival theme. You can also incorporate a steampunk theme for your wedding reception tea party. Literally, the sky is the limit for you.

If you would love to have a truly vintage-style formal tea party, you can find lots of information about how to plan it at Formal Afternoon Tea. It also includes recipes for some of the traditional high tea foods.

Going crazy with your theme may be appropriate for you and your groom, but put a little thought into your guests. Will Great Aunt Bertha be in attendance? Can you accommodate elderly Gramma Smith in her wheelchair? Toning things down just a touch to include those special family members may be a better option for you. Yes, it’s your special day and you want it to be just right, but make sure it’s special and memorable for you and your guests.

Next in the series on wedding reception tea parties, we’ll take a look at save-the-date options for you. So be sure to stay tuned.

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Unique Wedding Ideas for Bridal Bouquets

Mandee — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 11:00:37 +0000

Another area you can potentially have a unique look is with your bridal bouquet. You don’t have to use the standard hand tied flowers or traditionally cascading bouquet — unique brides think outside the box. Some want DIY wedding bouquet ideas and others just want a design they can take to the florist or decorator — either way — make it unique!

Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

Make ribbon flowers to use for your bouquet. Use different colors, textures and shapes of ribbons to create depth. This also allows you to keep your bouquet intact long after your special day. Here is a tutorial for making a ribbon bouquet – How to Make a Ribbon Bouquet.

If you are a beach, Hawaiian, or tropical themed bride, consider using seashells for your bouquet. You can DIY it or ask a florist or crafty friend to help you. It makes for a stunning and unique bouquet that can be preserved, as is. Here is a tutorial for a shell bouquet: How to Make a Shell Bouquet.

A vintage theme might use brooches for a bouquet. This is truly a unique statement because you choose each of the brooches used. You can use same color, a collection of objects like butterflies or just go eclectic with your brooches but no one else will have one exactly like yours. Here is a tutorial full of photos: How to Make a Bridal Brooch Bouquet.

via this.is.epic under the CC by 2.0 License

A Paper Flower Bouquet can be so gorgerous and look very real but still unique. With the colors, textures and types of paper available the possibilities are endless. Tissue Paper Flower bouquet tutorial: How to Make a Tissue Paper Flower Bouquet.

via golden_lily under the CC by 2.0 License

Remember, details and elements put the “unique” into your wedding!

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What is a Unique Bride?

Mandee — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 12:00:55 +0000

What is a Unique Bride? Aren’t all brides unique?

Yes, to some degree all brides are unique. After all, you are individuals. But, some brides picture duplicating all or some of the major elements from a wedding they’ve seen or attended. Or, they want the traditional floral arrangements, popular colors and conventional white dress. Nothing wrong with that. It’s your special day and it should be they picture you envision.

However, being a Unique Bride takes it a step further.

In our book, some of the things that make a unique bride include:

She is not caught up by conventional trappings
Understands and plans for her guest’s comfort while not necessarily following Miss Manners to the “T”
She sets trends instead of following
She embraces individuality and personality
She seeks opportunities to be different in many areas of her wedding (decor, food, attire, jewelry, ceremony, etc…) making her stand out from the crowd
She wants her wedding to be personal, custom, a reflection of herself and fiance

and many more little ways that make her different, funky, unusual and just plain unique from the masses of brides that get married each year.

A unique bride may want to have many DIY elements and be very active in the planning and doing of her wedding rather than hiring it out. She may have a distinct picture in her head and hire the right vendors to bring it to fruition.

The word “Unique” is defined as:

existing as the only one or as the sole example; single; solitary in type or characteristics
having no like or equal; unparalleled; incomparable
not typical; unusual

Does this describe you and what you want for your wedding and reception? Do you find elements from many different weddings you want to bring together for your unique event? Do you have a theme that is not mainstream or traditional?

If you can answer yes to any of these questions, then you are a Unique Bride.

We just want to say “Welcome”. Take a look around and get some inspiration from Unique Wedding Ideas. Check out our categories like

and more.

Have a question? Use the contact form and ask away! We’ll use our combined experience to come up with an answer for you. We hope we can inspire you for designing and planning your Unique Wedding!

Hollywood Theme — Unique Centerpiece Ideas

Mandee — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 12:00:10 +0000

Hollywood Wedding Invitation | Large | Blonde by vintageweddinginvite

My fiance’ and I love movies — old, new and everything in-between. Our wedding will incorporate a lot of elements from Hollywood and the movies.

I’m stuck on centerpieces. I don’t want just flowers or candles. I want the centerpieces to tie into the theme. Do you have any ideas for fun and unique Hollywood themed centerpieces?

– Darlena & Mike (bride and groom)

First of all, I love a Hollywood theme for a wedding or any event! I also love that you don’t want to do what everyone else is doing with this theme — you are unique.

I have some resource articles I will point you to but let me start with suggestions to get your creative juices flowing.

They are a myriad of directions you can go with this theme. You didn’t mention what decor you are incorporating already so here are a few ideas from different veins you could follow:

Premier or Awards theme
A theme centered around a particular movie
Old Hollywood movies — black and white, romances,
Elements from Wedding movies — Father of the Bride (old or remake), My Big Fat Greek Wedding, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Runaway Bride, etc…

With movies, you can go anywhere you want. One of my favorite ways to make unique and different centerpieces is to create groupings of items that convey a theme.

With the awards angle of the theme, you could name your tables after “Best Picture” winners throughout the years. Each table’s grouping would feature items that remind you of the movie featured. More explicit ideas (and photos) are in this article, Old Hollywood Wedding, but here’s the “Titanic” themed table to give you an idea:

We made the iceberg (12″) out of wire and paper mache’ and then painted it white and used gray for shading. The ship is a replica kit we bought and put together. The necklace on the iceberg is a replica of “The Heart of the Ocean”. The table cloth was black but we added a blue stain overlay in sort of a puddle in the middle.

The rest of the tables were named for other “Best Picture” winners throughout the years and we used items that conveyed the movie as the centerpieces.

Thinking outside the box — beyond flowers and candles (though you can add them as an element to the grouping) — is a lot of fun and one way to ensure your wedding centerpieces will be unique. And, unique is memorable!

Shop at thrift and antique or vintage malls, flea markets, yard sales, your home, grandma’s house. You will still need to buy some new items that aren’t available 2nd hand (like the Titanic kit we used), but you could save a lot of money.

I used containers labeled for the name of each table and shopped for about 6 months. Each time I found an item that would work for a certain table, the item went in the box. Think in odd numbers (at least for the main elements) when creating groupings — they are more pleasing to the eye.

Here are a few more Hollywood Theme Ideas – Resources:

Movie Theme Ideas

Hollywood Cocktail Area Decor Ideas

Hollywood Entrance Decor

Hopefully, you are brimming with ideas now. Congratulations and best wishes Darlena and Mike!

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Wedding Reception Tea Party

Susan — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 19:13:31 +0000

My daughter is thinking about an afternoon wedding, where the reception wouldn’t be for dinner. One of the options she likes is to have a tea party for the reception. Reception tea parties work to solve many different issues that face brides and grooms these days. An afternoon reception is just one of them.

What if you don’t want to serve alcohol at your reception? A tea party is a great alternative. It can also be an inexpensive way to have a nice reception if you’re on a tight budget.

You don’t have to be thinking about a formal afternoon tea party, unless that peaks your interest. The range of options for themes and types of tea parties is nearly unlimited. If you want, you can go with a crazy Mad Hatter type of tea party reception. You can go with just about any type of theme you want to. Matching the menu and decor to the theme is a matter of fun ideas. But, we’ll go beyond that and match tea choices as well.

This is the beginning of a series as my daughter and I explore themes, menu options, decor and much more surrounding a wedding reception tea party. She’s quite torn between the idea of truly formal afternoon tea and a wild, or crazy tea party. So, we will put many options out there for her to choose from. Join us on this fun tour of wedding reception tea parties. Maybe you will find the solution for your own reception.

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Room Layout Suggestions with Rectangle (or Mixed) Tables

Mandee — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 12:00:05 +0000

The venue I fell in love with only has 8 ft rectangle tables. The room is also rectangle shaped with a dance floor at one end. How can I set this up so it doesn’t look like a cafeteria? — Meghan the bride

Great question. Sometimes we fall in love with the look of a venue — the decor, feel or ambiance is exactly what we pictured. Then the dream is shattered when we find out a detail like table shape is not at all what we pictured. Have no fear! You can set the room layout to make it chic and unique without looking “cafeteria”.

Without knowing all the dimensions and other elements needed for your wedding, I have a bit of a handicap in answering. So, I am going to just give you some examples of different layouts using rectangle tables. Hopefully, it will give you some ideas for your reception.

Herringbone & “V” Layouts

A herringbone layout looks like a herringbone patterned necklace or a forward slash and backward slash ( / \). It allows you to point your tables toward one end of a long, rectangle room — the focal point like your dance floor. A “V” pattern is just the opposite, like a back slash and a forward slash (\/). See diagrams.

You can always push two or more of the tables together (end to end) to create long tables, too. This is a bit cafeteria-ish to me, though, unless you also create a larger shape out of the group.

For instance: you can create large or small squares in groupings, “U” shaped tables with seating on one or both sides, “V’s” with two or more tables and so on…

These are out of the ordinary floor plans and table set ups that will make an impression on your guests as they walk into your reception venue. Some of the set ups also allow the possibility of more creative table decor / centerpieces. For example: you set 7 tables in an open-ended square format but only seat guests on the outside of the square. You have now created a lot larger area for decor because you only need about 15″ in depth for each place setting. That leaves you another 15″ to decorate.

Some other shapes you can create with dimensions of overall shape (not including chairs) -

To come up with a feasible floor plan, you will need to know all the dimensions of the room, any immovable objects and natural traffic patterns to other areas (restrooms, foyer, cake, buffet, etc…). Then you can just play with some graph paper and pencil or a cad type software program. The standard dimensions of an 8 ft banquet table are 30″ (or 2½’) x 96″ (or 8 ft).

Remember, there are no hard and fast rules. If your venue has or you rent different shaped tables, you have immediately created visual interest in the design — something guests will notice and remember. Get creative!

Hope this helps, Meghan!

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Western Wedding | Chuckwagon for Appetizers or Dessert

Mandee — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 12:00:40 +0000

I was in charge of the decor for a western themed event. And, as usual, I wanted something unique, bold and memorable for the guests. I had a brainstorming session with my mom and we came up with a plan for a chuckwagon appetizer buffet during the cocktail hour. One thing led to another and we ended up re-creating the main street of an old west town for the cocktail area.

The chuckwagon was the “Pièce de résistance”, located smack in the middle of our little western town. The cocktail hour location was a room to itself, away from the main ballroom so it was perfect for our needs. Trying to think like Hollywood set designers and a little more 2 dimensional than 3, we got to work.

My brother-in-law had recently taken apart an old barn and had tons of re-claimed barn wood we used for the chuckwagon and the wooden sidewalk we decided to create. Very simply, we measured the length of the “u” shaped space at the venue that would be used for the faux Saloon, Sheriff’s Office, Mercantile and Livery. We built a simple frame from 2 x 4′s of treated lumber and nailed the barnwood across it to create the wooden sidewalks.

We used some wider pieces of re-claimed wood to for the sides of the chuckwagon in the exact dimensions of the 8 ft banquet table we used, screwing them together at the corners. We added braces to the side to keep it from sliding off the table. We made a bench from three pieces of wood that sat at the front of the chuckwagon (where a driver would be). Mom sewed a canopy we threaded over flexible pipe and secured to the sides of the chuckwagon.

The appetizers were placed on theme appropriate risers and boxes placed on the table. We added rope, faux barbed wire, bandanas, lanterns, a Cowboy statue and the like to decorate among the food.

The rest of the room had cactus, a split rail fence, John Wayne stand-up, horse trough, hitching posts and anything else that would go with the theme.

Another idea we had that took lots of time was making wanted posters for all the guests. We came up with silly things they were “wanted” for, a photo of them and hung them outside the Sheriff’s office. The guests got a huge kick out of reading them during the cocktail hour and even returned when they were ready to leave for the evening to take them home. It could prove to be a neat way to make escort cards for your guests as well…

A western theme is fun for guests and hosts alike. Put your thinking cap on — check out your venue — come up with some ideas you can use at your western wedding. Susan has a few more in her article: Old West Theme for a Unique Wedding. Most of all, have fun! Enjoy the photos and floor plan.