Place Setting Magic

For you upcoming wedding brunch, breakfast, or bridal shower, take your inspiration from a little fabric and a sheet of scrapbooking paper. This same idea can carry over for a special dinner date or fun party. Choose a 12 x12 piece of scrapbooking paper for your placemat. Put some fabric or a tablecloth under the placemat. If you would rather just use the paper placemat for your place setting then go for it.

Add some flowers, candles, goblets pulling your inspiration from the scrapbook paper placemat. Add some silverware, fancy folded napkin, and pretty plates. I added some whimsical pink fringe trim under the small plate. If you like, for fun added flair, put the menu on some other trendy paper and stand it in front of the goblet for your guests to view. Add your own spin on the place settings you want and you will be making your own table magic!

"Spring" Into Weddings!

Love the smell of Spring blossoms! With so many things starting to bloom in your yard and neighborhood, consider gathering blossoms of all colors and textures to incorporate into your wedding decor.

Cut some fruit tree blossom branches and tie together with a wide satin ribbon. Put them into a glass vase. White or purple alyssum ground cover would look great floating in a glass dish surrounding three to five slightly open roses carefully put in the center of the dish.

Look for ivy spilling over fences this time of year and cut some to put in table arrangements or your bridal bouquet. You can have your floral designer incorporate Spring blossoms into your wedding bouquet. If you choose a beautiful silk bouquet, there are many, many gorgeous blossom branches to choose from. A great variety of colors available too!

If by chance, you are planning an outdoor wedding, add some rustic or shabby chic looking birdhouses by the guest book or on your tables decorated with Spring blossoms! Put them around wedding photos displayed on a tree stumps or a table.

These are just a few ideas to get your creativity going so get your Spring on!

Tips For Choosing A Wedding Dress

Choosing a wedding dress for your special day should be a happy occasion. With a few simple tips you can save frustration, time and possibly money.

*Schedule a time to go when you can take your time! Don't go if you are in a hurry! You need plenty of time to try on dresses and find the one you want. So don't be rushed!

*Search styles online and in magazines to get an idea of what you like. Also identify your body type and what style will look best on you. That way when you can find a dress that will accent your shape the best! Some styles are slimming and some are not. Try and decide how you want to look and what will make you look your very best.

*Know your price range before you go. Shop around for the best price both online(after trying it on) and actual bridal stores. If you have enough time before you need your dress, you can watch for sales.

*If you want to take someone with you to model for, take your sister, mom, mother in law, friends, or sisters in law. They can give you some constructive advice but ultimately you are the one that gets to choose the dress! Go to lunch and make it a fun memorable day.

*If you are one that likes a challenge and you like vintage, you could buy a dress at the thrift or secondhand store and then remake it! Add on trim, lace, fabric flowers, feathers, or pair a jacket with it. Then get creative. You can design your own wedding gown without sewing the whole dress!

Your dress can be fancy, simple, elegant, formal, etc...most important is that you choose a dress that you like and that will make you feel like a million dollars on your wedding day without having to spend that much!

The Nest Centerpiece

With the advent of Spring, nests are a perfect decor accent for weddings! Nests are actually really hot in home decor right now so why not use them for wedding decor?

Craft stores, garden nurseries, and home decor stores offer a variety of nests to choose from. You can display them on branches that you have gathered from your yard or a neighbor's. I love to decorate with twigs and branches. This time of year many people are pruning their trees and bushes. So you should be able to find plenty of twigs to decorate wedding tables with.

Birdhouses and little artificial birds lend themselves to great decor accents as well. Use vintage plates bought at a second hand store to display a nest or nests nestled in a long branch of a tree sitting in the middle of your table. Spray the branch or twig white if you like. Au natural is fine too.

Battery operated candles or real candles can also add some romantic sparkle to your table display. Glass apothecary jars provide a beautiful way to display a nest. Put some green moss in the bottom, set a nest on top of the moss and tie a wide ribbon around the jar. (Add some artificial birds on the nest if you like.) Put twigs underneath the jar for added decor appeal.