The medieval era began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire around 400 A.D. and lasted throughout the 1300s. Medieval knights in shining armor, Camelot, the Canterbury Tales and the Crusades marked the medieval period. When planning for a medieval wedding theme, you will need to decide the following:

• Where will it be held? You should choose a location that will compliment your medieval theme.
• Do you want your wedding ceremony and reception held indoors, outdoors or both?
• Do you want your guests to wear medieval costumes? If yes, do you want a peasant-style wedding theme (where everyone, including the bride and groom and wedding party dress in simple medieval costumes) or do you want everyone to dress in grand, royal costumes, complete with medieval weapons or weaponry decorations? You could also have a combination where the guests dress like peasants and the bride and groom dress like royalty.
• What type of food will you serve? Will it be a sit-down or buffet dinner?

Over the next week, we will provide tips to help you answer these questions.

Read Parts:  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5

Medieval Wedding Ceremony and Reception Sites

One of the most difficult aspects of having a medieval wedding in our modern world is finding a suitable location. Look for old, gothic type churches, historical buildings, Tudor style homes or large open park areas or gardens. With some clever decorating, you can make almost any location have the look and feel of a medieval castle or garden, without actually having to be in one.

Here are several ideas on where to hold your medieval theme wedding and reception. Make sure to keep a list of sites you look at, taking note of their good and bad points and list ideas that you can incorporate into your medieval scheme:

• Churches - Many Victorian churches are built from stone and have a historical look and feel to them. A nice setting would be at a local country church in the area. You will need to speak to the clergy at several churches to see if they are willing to officiate at a medieval wedding. This could be a problem, however, as most will want to stick to a traditional type of wedding.
• Renaissance Festival or Fair - Many areas hold Medieval or Renaissance fairs, especially in the fall. Most conduct wedding ceremonies during the fair, or will allow you to arrange your wedding ceremony to take place at their fair. The only drawback to this is that it might not be a private ceremony. If you have it at a festival, they might insist that your wedding be part of the festival.
• Historical or Victorian Homes - Check your neighborhood or nearby town for historical homes in the gothic or Tudor style. Sometimes, you can rent out these historical homes in your community.
• Chalets and Inns - Consider having your wedding and reception at a Country Inn or Chalet in the mountains. Most will have a kitchen for catering and a dining room.
• Hotels - A popular spot for wedding receptions are local hotels. They have plenty of room, and your guests can stay right in the hotel. A draw back to this location is that in many cases the room you are reserving may be in use the night before and you won’t be able to get in to set up until early morning, the day of the wedding. Also, even if you can get in to set up the day before, you may be charged for booking the room for two days, instead of for one.
• Medieval Castles - If you live in an area with a castle in the vicinity, you are very lucky. Find out who owns it and see if they are willing to allow you to use their castle for your medieval wedding. If you are willing to travel, there are a number of castles in Europe who book out to wedding parties. If you dig deeply enough, you may be able to find replica type castles in the United States and Canada as well.
• Backyard - A backyard setting can be lovely for an outdoors medieval wedding, especially if it has a beautiful garden. Make sure the site has mature trees, lots of flowers, benches, and enough room to accommodate your guests.
• Local Wooded Park or Botanical Gardens - If you have park areas that are filled with trees and pathways, with some open field space; this would be a great location for a medieval wedding.

Use your imagination when searching for a location for your medieval theme wedding. You may be surprised as to what’s out there that you could use to capture the spirit of you theme.

Read Parts:  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5

Medieval Theme Wedding Favors and Decorations

Once you have decided upon a location, the style of wedding, what you and your guests will be wearing, and the menu has been planned, it is now time to turn your attention to decorating. How do you decorate that sparse reception room? What would be a great wedding favor gift for your guests? If you plan on having a peasant-style wedding, your decorations and color scheme should be simple and rustic. For example, choose colors like ecru, terra cotta, green and black. Decorations should include wildflowers, rustic style lanterns, earthen pottery, candles, bales of hay, etc. For a royalty-type wedding, your decorations will be more elaborate and rich looking. You should choose colors and decorations in rich jewel tones like royal blue, purple, emerald, burgundy, gold, and silver. Depending on the location and style of wedding you decide upon, you will need to look at different decorating options. This doesn’t mean you can not mix and match. If you find and idea that really appeals to you, use it no matter what the location. Wedding favors and decorations are only limited by your imagination, so mix and match, and have fun creating your own unique wedding favor ideas.

Wedding Flowers

The element that makes flowers of a medieval themed wedding distinct from other wedding themes is the prominent use of wildflowers and herbs. Rosemary, thyme, basil and garlic were often combined with wildflowers for bouquets and floral arrangements. This custom originated from what was then believed to be the mystical, even religious, significance of various herbs in both health and destiny. In keeping with styles of clothing, the flowers displayed should be rich, darker shades such as red, orange, purple, green, brown, and bright yellow. Suggested flowers include the Gloriosa lily (which has the appearance of crushed red velvet), ivy, red roses, amaryllis, birch twigs, holly branches, bittersweet, and parrot tulips. Wheat is another important choice for your floral arrangements. Wheat was symbolic of fertility and played a major role in medieval marriage ceremonies. Bouquets, especially the bride’s, should be large, overflowing, and hand-tied. Obviously, since this was long before the era of professional flower shops and Styrofoam used in fanciful centerpieces, all the flowers should appear as rustic and natural as possible.

Read Parts:  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5

The Wedding Dress and Costumes

A medieval wedding dress and groom’s attire are essential. Your attire will all depend on whether you are planning on a peasant style or royalty style (or in between) wedding.

For the royal look, women should wear Victorian style dresses and the men should wear doublets, breeches and hose. The fabric should be rich, have elaborate touches and be bold, rich jewel-tone colors.

For the peasant look, men should wear tights, breeches, tunics, laced vests and boots while the women should wear a dirndl (outfit consisting of a close fitting bodice combined with an apron in a different color) and a flared skirt. The bridal dress can be made of two layers, an overdress called a cote-hardie and an under dress called a bliaut. The bliaut can come with side, back or front lacing. The sleeves could be flared or have large draped sleeves. The neck could be either square, round, or a v-neck. If you are looking for a true medieval wedding dress, pass up that white frock! Blue was the symbol of purity, not white. You could also merge the two traditions and wear a white medieval wedding dress with blue trim.

But where do you find such clothing? There are many options available to you. There are several companies that sell sewing patterns. Check your local craft/sowing center for available patterns. If you don’t sew, or don’t know anyone who can sew for you, another option is to go to a costume shop or theater group and see what they have. Look for a Renaissance Festival near you. There should be vendors where you can purchase or special order your dream medieval wedding dress or ensemble. Also, search the internet. There are hundreds of companies specializing in Medieval clothing and many can make custom dresses and grooms outfits. For brides seeking a more traditional dress, ask your bridal shop for gowns that have princess lines and drop waists.

Read Parts:  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5

Medieval Wedding Invitations

The most appropriate type of invitation for a medieval wedding is one made of ivory or beige parchment paper, with the announcement handwritten or printed in black calligraphy ink. The paper can be rolled and tied with a ribbon, napkin-like ring, or sealed with a gold seal or hot wax. This type of invitation can be costly, not only in supplies, but also in mailing. If you need a more cost effective solution, The American Wedding Album offers several invitation card styles to fit in with your medieval theme wedding and still fit your wedding budget for postage.

Music and Medieval Entertainment

Do your research and find out what types of instruments were used during the medieval era. See if you can find a musical group that specializes in medieval music. Go to you local library to find out about what games were popular during this time period, consider having a tournament or other competition. While medieval knights participated in contests like the joust and held tournaments involving various medieval weapons, these are not recommended unless your participants are professionals. Another popular, less violent form of medieval entertainment was the medieval court jester. If you can find a professional or a family member to pose as a jester, they can be great fun and extremely fitting for your medieval wedding banquet.

Read Parts:  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5

If you are searching for a romantic, out-of-this-world wedding, consider a celestial theme. You can have a lot of fun with this theme and make your wedding a star-filled event. If you haven’t decided upon a wedding date, consider scheduling it on a night with a full moon.

Wedding Colors

Look to the heavens when deciding your color choices for your wedding. Consider black, navy blue, yellow, gold, white and silver.

Celestial or Star Wedding Invitations

Your wedding save the date cards and wedding invitations will be the first indication to your guests on what theme you have chosen for your wedding. Select save the date cards and wedding invitations featuring the moon and/or stars. If you can’t find cards to your liking, think about choosing a card in black or navy blue paper and having your wording printed in gold or silver ink. Sprinkle metallic confetti in shapes of stars, moons and planets inside the envelopes before mailing.

Wedding Attire

The wedding attire for the men in your wedding party can be accented with glittery star-patterned cummerbunds and bow ties, and the ladies could wear star-shaped hairpins or jewelry. Have the bodice on your bridal gown studded with crystals to achieve that starry, twinkling effect or choose a tiara with star shapes or pattern on it. Your flower girls could carry star tipped wands with streamers and the ring bearer could carry a star-shaped ring pillow.

Wedding Flower Ideas

Flower arrangements should match the color theme you have selected. Any type of flower will do, but choose those that will enhance your celestial theme. Ask the florist to add star and moon plant picks to your bouquets and flower arrangements, use silver or gold streamers to dangle from your bouquet.

Wedding Reception Decorations

Decorate the walls and ceiling of your reception locale with glittery tulle and white twinkle lights. Hang sparkly star cut-outs in varied sizes from the ceiling, making the stars fall at different lengths. Or you could have star-shaped balloons float above the dance floor. Cover your tables with navy blue or black tablecloths and sprinkle metallic confetti on top. Then place white, silver or gold glittery tulle on top of the tablecloth. Instead of having table numbers, name the tables after constellations or planets, and then write the name on a large star cut-out to place on the table. Small star cut-outs make excellent place cards as well. The cake table can be decorated similarly to the dinner tables, but using the reverse color scheme. Use a white, silver or gold tablecloth to cover the table and navy blue or black glittery tulle on top. Trim the edges of the cake table with white twinkle lights to give it that starry effect. Create beautiful celestial centerpieces from different sized pillar candles. Attach star-shaped pins, studs or stickers to the candles. Group the candles together on a mirror (round or star-shaped), and place glittery tulle around the grouping. Finish off the centerpiece with flat colored marbles, metallic confetti, or star garland around the tulle. Another great candle centerpiece can be made from a small fish bowl filled with water. Add a few drops of blue food coloring and add star-shaped floating candles. If you prefer floral centerpieces, purchase terra cotta pots, paint them navy blue or black and then paint on stars, moons and planets using metallic gold or silver paint. Fill the pots with fresh flowers, baby’s breath and star- shaped picks.

Wedding Accessories and Favors

Continue the celestial theme with your wedding favors. Purchase star-shaped floating candles, place two or three in a square of glittery tulle in one of your wedding colors. Tie it together with a gold or silver ribbon. Homemade star-shaped sugar cookies frosted in or sprinkled with one of your wedding colors and then gift packaged in a cellophane bag and tied with a sparkly ribbon also make a sweet wedding favor. Buy star shaped candy molds and use them to make either candy or soaps and wrap them in tulle and tie it with ribbon matching your wedding colors. Another idea is to wrap store bought chocolates or candies in celestial shapes in navy blue or black tulle and tie with silver and gold cording.

Wedding Reception Music

When selecting your wedding reception music, consider songs with the words ‘moon’ or ‘stars’ in the titles or lyrics. For example, Moon River (Henry Mancini), To the Moon and Back (Savage Garden), Starry, Starry Night (Josh Grobin), etc.

Reception Menu

Food is one of the most important features of any gathering. To continue your celestial theme, use star-shaped serving trays for anything from chips to candy. Serve everything you can in the shape of stars. Star cookie cutters come in many sizes and can be used to cut your sandwiches, hors d’oeuvres, cookies, etc. You can even purchase candy and cookie molds, cookie presses, as well as specialty spring form pans and cake pans in star shapes. These can be found at most craft stores in the cake decorating section. For your wedding cake, you might consider having a star shaped cake. An odd shaped cake might be a little expensive, so if you decide to go with a traditional round or square cake you can accent it with edible shimmer powder and sugar stars in navy and gold or silver,

The sky is the limit on what you can do for a Celestial themed wedding. So let your imagination soar! This is your special day, make it a special day for your guests too.

If you are searching for a romantic and whimsical wedding theme, consider a butterfly wedding. Here are a few ideas to incorporate the flight of the butterfly into your wedding.

Butterfly Wedding Colors

There are many kinds of butterflies, and you will need to decide if you prefer a colorful scheme or a simpler, monochromatic color scheme, for which you might just use white or pink butterflies, for instance.

Butterfly Wedding Invitations

Your save the date cards and wedding invitations are the first place to implement your butterfly theme. Choose an invitation printed or embossed with butterflies, wildflowers or a garden design. Think light and airy when it comes to paper selection; vellum and handmade paper work well. Be sure to use a delicate font. If you are feeling brave enough to create your own wedding invitations, you could have your invitation in the shape of a butterfly, perhaps mounted on a heavier piece of cardstock. Glitter applied to the tips of the wings would add an bit of magic to the invitations.

Colorful Wedding Flowers

Flower arrangements should match the color theme you have chosen. If you’re going with the monochromatic, white butterfly approach, consider white flowers such as white roses, sweet peas, lilies of the valley, gardenia and orchids. If a multi-color scheme is your idea, consider a bright bouquet made of wildflowers. Your florist can even add butterfly picks to any bouquet.

Wedding Attire

Attire can easily be transformed to suit your butterfly theme. Purchase a variety of butterfly appliqués at a fabric or craft store. These can easily be sewn onto everything from the bride’s dress, headdress and ribbons that can be tied around bouquets. The bride can wear a butterfly accented garter. The bride and her female attendants can wear jewelry with a butterfly on it (necklaces, earrings, hair pins, etc.). For the groom and groomsmen, butterfly cufflinks or lapel pins would be a nice touch. Your ring bearer could also carry a ring pillow with a butterfly appliqué on it.

Locations for your Butterfly Wedding

When it comes to choosing a location for your butterfly theme wedding, outdoor venues will fit the theme best. If you have a local zoo, it’s possible they have a butterfly sanctuary that would make the ideal location. A park with an elaborate garden would be the next best choice. If you’re staging the wedding in your backyard garden, plan ahead by planting flowers and plants that attract butterflies, such as lilac, honeysuckle, phlox, impatiens, aster and some daisies. Butterfly-attracting plants differ from region to region, so check with your local gardener for specifics.

Butterfly Wedding Decorations

• Purchase balloons with butterflies on them and create balloon bouquet centerpieces.
• Use fresh wildflower bouquet centerpieces with butterfly picks. Create butterfly confetti from scrap booking hole punchers and sprinkle the confetti on your reception tables.
• Buy place card holders in shapes of butterflies. You can even decorate your place cards with glitter or butterfly stickers.

Butterfly Wedding Favors

Here are just a few possibilities to get you started.

• Butterfly shaped sugar cookies placed in small bags or boxes.
• Purchase butterfly candy molds (available at most craft stores in the cake decorating section) and make candy or chocolates.
• Candy molds can also be used to make soap. Consider making butterfly-shaped soap, wrapping a few soaps and wildflower-scented lotion in tulle and tie with a colorful ribbon. This makes a wonderful gift for your female guests.
• Decorate little cake boxes with 3-D Butterfly Stickers and fill the boxes with a sweet treat (Jordan Almonds, chocolates, etc.).
• Use colorful butterfly-shaped plastic cookie cutters as napkin rings for your table settings. Write the bride and groom’s names and wedding date on the cookie cutters in gold or silver marker pen. Guests keep the cookie cutter as a memento of your wedding.
• Butterfly magnets
• Wrap a couple of votive candles in tulle and tie with a ribbon with a butterfly pattern. Some places even sell butterfly shaped candles, which would be a good idea also.

Butterfly Wedding Cake Decorations

For your wedding cake, have the baker decorate it with white or colored sugar butterflies. You could also use a butterfly decorated cake topper. If you are unable to find a pre-made one, you can easily make one yourself. Just purchase a plain gazebo or arch cake topper and decorate with silk flowers and glue small crafting butterflies on it.

Wedding Music

Choose music that has the word ‘butterfly’ in it. For example:

• Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle (a great song for a father/daughter dance)
• Butterfly by Mariah Carey
• Elusive Butterfly by Bob Lind

Other Butterfly Wedding Ideas

At your reception, instead of numbering your tables, name each table after a butterfly. If you expect your wedding day to be clear and the temperature higher than 60°F, consider having a life butterfly release instead of throwing rice or bird seed. Make sure your butterfly supplier only provides butterflies indigenous to your area. If foreign butterflies are released, they can become disoriented and die.

Travel back in time to when rock ‘n roll came alive, love-beads were fashionable, peace was the sign of the day and flower power ruled!

Wedding Colors

Pastel tie-dye colors: pinks, yellows, blues, greens, purples and oranges. Use the rainbow for inspiration when choosing your wedding colors; really anything goes in a retro theme.

Wedding Attire

Brides from this time period typically wore short, lacey wedding dresses, go-go boots, pill-box hats with face netting and gloves. The bride's bouquet was usually kept simple, since people were all about peace, love, harmony and protecting mother earth. Popular flowers were daisies and chrysanthemums. The groom could wear a velvet blazer, some sort of bell bottom pants, moccasins and a beaded head band. The bridesmaids could dress one of two ways, either in mini-skirts with go-go boots or in long flowing skirts with peasant blouses, crocheted vests and flower headbands. Have your bridesmaids carry wicker baskets filled with daisies and wildflowers instead of a bouquet of flowers. Groomsmen could wear tie-dyed T-shirts, bell-bottom pants, fringed vests, beaded headbands and moccasins. Try your local resale shops for vintage wedding dresses. Most have vintage clothes sections. You will probably be able to outfit your entire wedding party and save bundles of money!

Vintage Wedding Invitations

Choose a classic wedding invitation printed or embossed with daisies, sunflowers, freesia or wildflowers. If you are brave and want to make your own invitations, design your invitation with images associated with the era: Tie-dye, record album covers, yellow happy faces or peace signs.

Wedding Flowers

Daisies. chrysanthemums. baby's breath, sunflowers and freesia were the flowers of choice. You can select one or two for your floral arrangements or use a variety of each. The arrangements shouldn’t look too arranged; they should be free spirited and fun looking.

Read Part 2

Reception Decorations

Hang posters of rock groups, movies, plays and actors from that decade. Hang old record jackets on the walls and hand the records from the ceiling. Again, check out your local resale shops. Most times you can purchase vintage records for a reasonable price. Rent a juke box and use it for music during dinner. Hang colorful fringed blankets on the wall or drape over chairs, create a wedding arch from hula hoops or cover a traditional wedding arch with love beads, daisies or wildflowers. Instead of tablecloths, cover tables with fringed or colorful blankets. Use floating daisy candles in pottery bowls, use battery operated lava lamps as centerpieces on each table, use a large pillar candle as a center piece and drape love beads, daisies or wildflowers around the base of the candle.

Wedding Favors

For the men, give them vintage model cars. Mustangs, Camaros, Chargers, Coupe de Villes, Volkswagen Beetles or Volkswagen buses are a few good choices. For the ladies you could give beaded headbands, happy face pins, love beads, tie-dyed t-shirts or scarves.

Reception Menu

Since this wedding theme is rather casual, the food should he casual as well. You might consider serving hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, chips and dip, root beer floats and wine coolers. If your reception is being held outdoors or on the beach, don’t  forget a bonfire for roasting marshmallows!

Wedding Entertainment

Have your DJ play music from the era: Rolling Stones, The Beetles, The Doors, The Monkees, Janis Joplin, Simon and Garfunkel, etc. Hold a hula hoop and dance contest at your retro reception. Have them do the twist, pony, hand jive, mashed potato and for the finale, everyone form a train and do the locomotion.

Other Retro Wedding Ideas

To get a better idea of what was worn and how things were done, try watching some movies depicting the era: Dirty Dancing, West Side Story. or Grease. Remember they are not just oldies but goodies. Have your guests come in funky, retro clothing or costumes.

Have a groovy time planning your retro theme wedding!

Read Part 1

If you want your wedding to be a little different and not the traditional wedding with the long white gown, tuxes, the church, etc., you might consider having a theme wedding. You can personalize your wedding with a theme and really have your personalities come through. Here are a few themes to consider:

Historical Wedding Theme

If there is a particular era in history that you and your fiancé enjoy, consider a wedding set in your favorite period from history. Some of the most popular eras to choose from are Medieval, Renaissance, Roman & Greek, and Victorian.

Celestial Wedding Theme

Reach for the moon, sun and stars; take a trip through our galaxy with this out-of-this world wedding.

Holiday/Seasonal Wedding Theme

Valentines Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween, Christmas are some of the most popular holidays to base your theme on.

Country and Western Wedding Theme

For all the cowboys and cowgirls who enjoy the Wild West or their little corner of the country, a western theme might be the perfect fit.

Beach Theme Wedding

Tropical themes, ocean or seaside themes and nautical themes are fairly popular with destination weddings and those getting married on a beach.

Fairy Tale Wedding / Fantasy Theme Wedding

Your wedding would be all about fairy tales and fantasy. Decorations and favors would spotlight mythical or supernatural creatures, such as fairies, dragons, wizards and angels.

Cultural and Heritage Wedding Theme

Asian/oriental, Irish, African, Hawaiian etc. are a few of the most common cultural and heritage wedding themes.

No matter what theme you decide on, let your imaginations soar. Go all out and have fun with it. Incorporate your theme into every part of the wedding, from the wedding invitations, to the dresses, decorations and even the cups and napkins. Remember this is your big day; make your theme wedding a day that your guests will remember for years to come!

Scheduling your winter wedding during the Christmas holiday can be a beautiful, romantic affair. It can also save you a tone of money on decorations, especially if you begin planning your wedding a year in advance, which will allow you to take advantage of the after holiday sales. Be sure to shop the sales and stock up on white lights, greenery, ribbons and bows and much more. This will help you save a bundle on your decorating budget. Also, keep in mind that since most churches and venues are already decorated for the holiday, you can also save money by incorporating their decorations in with your wedding theme.

Christmas Wedding Colors

When choosing your wedding colors, look to the traditional colors of the season - Christmas red, burgundy, shades of white (winter white, off-white, etc.), greens (emerald, forest, Christmas, etc.), ivory, champagne, gold and silver. Or choose royal blue or rich purple and pair it with silver or gold for a more contemporary Christmas look.

Christmas Wedding Invitations

Your save the date cards and/or wedding invitations will be the first indications to your guests on what theme you have chosen for your wedding. Select save the date cards and invitations featuring bells, angels, pine trees, hails. snowflakes or other Christmas themes

If you can’t find cards to your liking, think about choosing a plain card in white or ecru and accent it with a colorful ribbon or bow. You can also choose a festive ink color like red, green, gold or silver. If you are having a small, intimate wedding (since larger numbers would become costly), send your invitations disguised as Christmas gifts. Buy colored Christmas balls, permanent silver or gold metallic marker pens, gold or silver gel pens, small gift tags and gold or silver elastic cording. Using the metallic marker, print the bride and groom’s first names and wedding date on each ornament. With the gel pen, write your wedding invitation wording on each gift card. Attach the gift cards to the ornaments using the elastic cording. Then pack each one in a small box to be mailed. This makes a wonderful holiday keepsake for your guests.

Christmas Wedding Attire

The wedding attire for the bride and the female attendants should also reflect the season’s colors and textures. The bride can choose a pure white wedding gown and top it off with a long, velvet and faux-fur trimmed cape in a rich color, or wear a faux-fur coat to your transport rom the church to the reception site. Choose traditional Christmas fabrics like taffeta, heavy satin, brocade, velvet or plaid. Rich dark red or emerald velvet gowns will give the bridesmaids an elegant look for your holiday wedding. Have your female attendants wear a Renaissances-style circlet headpiece of greenery with dark red or white roses in the front. Instead of having your bridesmaids carry bouquets, consider having them carry decorated faux-fur muffs. The groom and male attendants can accent their formal attire with glittery waistcoats or cummerbunds in red, green, gold or silver. Use mistletoe for their boutonnieres. as they can be easily removed for stealing Christmas kisses!

Wedding Flower Ideas

Flower arrangements should match the color theme you have selected. White and dark red roses, poinsettias, sprigs of holly, ivy and pine will capture the warmth of the holiday. The bride’s bouquet can be made primarily of greenery with a few accent flowers. Use holly, trailing ivy, pine, spruce, poinsettias, baby’s breath, and mistletoe in your bouquets, flower arrangements and decorations. For addad color. use small Christmas ornaments, gold or silver bells amd ribbons. Small bells added on to the trailing ribbons of your bouquet make a delightful tinkle as you move down the aisle. Evergreen garlands accented with velvety bows will add to the festive feel of your event.

Christmas Wedding Favors

Keep the Christmas theme going with your favors. Purchase Christmas themed floating candles, place 2 or three in a square of glittery tulle in one of your wedding colors. Tie it together with a gold or silver ribbon. Homemade sugar cookies shaped like pine trees, bells, ornaments or snowflakes and frosted or sprinkled with one of your wedding colors and then gift packaged in a cellophane bag and tied with a sparkly ribbon. Wrap Christmas-shaped chocolates or candies in glittery tulle and tie with red or green (or another of your wedding colors) ribbon. Your could also have Christmas stockings personalized with the bride and groom's name and the wedding date filled with yummy chocolates or traditional Christmas candies. Christmas bells with the bride and groom's names and wedding date printed on them are another good idea. Instead of having your guests throw rice or blow bubbles as you leave, have them ring the bells. Use bright- colored plastic cookie cutters in fun Christmas themed shapes as napkin rings for your table settings. Write the bride and groom’s names and wedding date on the cookie cutters in gold or silver marker pen. Guests keep the cookie cutter as a memento of your holiday wedding. Fill baskets with tiny wrapped gifts that guests can take home. These could include a personalized ornament, festive candy or cookie. You can buy inexpensive ornaments and personalize them with your names and wedding date, then at the reception, have them hanging on a Christmas tree. Sometime during the reception, have your DJ announce to your guests that they may pick a Christmas ornament wedding favor from the free to take home as a memento.

Christmas Music & Entertainment

When selecting your wedding reception music, consider instrumental holiday favorites, have a local choir dressed in holiday apparel perform a few songs during the reception, or a harpist or string quartet for an elegant touch.

Wedding Reception Food & Refreshments

Indulge your guests with the rich flavors of the season, such as turkey, sliced ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry salad, hearty grain breads, etc. For dessert, place a variety of Christmas sugar cookies on the table with the wedding cake. For your reception refreshments, you could serve eggnog, Wassail, pink champagne or hot apple cider. Don’t forget the cinnamon sticks! Your wedding cake can be decorated with tiny sugared Christmas ornaments, and sugared or silk poinsettias or holly.

Ideas for a Christmas theme wedding are only limited by your imagination. Hopefully these ideas will inspire you to create the perfect Christmas wedding!

If you are planning your wedding for late October or November, consider having a fall or Harvest themed event. Imagine glowing candles, carved pumpkins, and dried flowers on a moonlit night! Here are some suggestions that incorporate elegance with pure seasonal fun.

Fall Wedding Colors

Autumn is all about bold, rich colors. Look to nature for your color pallet. Rich jewel- tones like purple, deep red, wine, and forest green make a bold statement. You can also include rich browns, creams, copper, gold and various shades of orange and yellow.

Fall Wedding Invitations

Set the tone for your wedding with your invitations. Consider a wedding invitation that includes a printed or embossed pattern of fall leaves, fruits or ivy. For a simpler look, select a plain cern or ivory wedding invitation and have it printed in wine/burgundy, forest green, brown or purple ink. Tie a bow with raffia and attach it to the top of the invitation. Or if you are going for the layered invitation look, tie the layers together with a raffia ribbon.

Wedding Attire

You can accent traditional wedding attire with jewel-tone colored accessories like bow ties, cummerbunds, wide ribbon (tied at the waist) on the bride’s and bridesmaids’ dresses, or on the bridesmaids’ hats.

Wedding Ceremony and Reception Site

A wonderful place to hold a harvest-themed ceremony and reception is at an actual farm. A converted barn would be an added bonus. If you know someone in your family who has a hobby farm, ask if they would be willing to let you have your ceremony and/or reception there. If you don’t have someone in the family, try looking in your areas for farms that can be rented for just such an occasion. If you can’t have your reception at a farm, choose a venue with a natural feel. A park, vineyard, or arboretum would also be great locations to remind you and your guests of harvest-time.

Fall Wedding Flowers

A fall wedding offers a bountiful choice when it comes to flowers, berries and greenery. Roses are popular no matter what the season. Roses come in a wide-range of colors just right for fall, including chocolate brown, burnt orange, coral, deep burgundy, tangerine, red/orange, tomato red, purple, and apricot. Gloriosa Lilies have bright crimson red petals edged in gold. Their glossy leaves add to this dramatic flower that will bring a sense of the tropics or festivity to any bouquet or floral arrangement. These lovely flowers combine well with roses, calla lilies and freesias. Orange Gerbera Daisies; apricot or cream colored Lilies; rust, burgundy. royal purple or red Hydrangeas; yellow, orange, or brick red Montbretia; Chrysanthemums in yellow, bronze, purple, salmon, and deep burgundy red; and deep red Boston Ivy make excellent choices for your floral arrangements. Hypericum berries (also known as St. John’s Wort) come naturally in raisin brown, as well as some newer hybrid varieties in shades of yellow, green, red, orange and salmon pink Sprigs of colorful autumn leaves, dried wheat and rye add texture to bouquets and centerpieces. Instead of having your flower girl drop petals down the aisle, she could drop colorful autumn leaves (real or silk).

Wedding Decoration Ideas

Decorate using nature’s bounty. Create lovely centerpieces from cornucopias of gourds, dried corn and stalks, acorns, white or orange pumpkins, squash, dried cranberries, bittersweet wreaths, leaf garlands, dried flowers, herbs and leaves. Why not fill baskets or pedestal bowls with apples and cinnamon sticks, or small gourds and pumpkins? Or set a pillar candle in a hurricane lamp and fill around the candle with cranberries or bittersweet berries. Carved pumpkins with tea lights inside also make wonderful harvest centerpieces. Floral arrangements in jewel-tones and accented with gilded fruits, berries, acorns will also highlight nature’s bounty. String fairy lights for an even more romantic look. Use wired ribbons in your wedding colors to add decorative accents to your arrangements and to make bows to accent doorways, tables, pews, and the aisle. You can also put candles in terra cotta pots and fill around them with fall items.

Autumn Wedding Favors

Harvest themed favors are bountiful. Here are just a few suggestions:

• Miniature pumpkins with your names written in gold paint
• A small cornucopia with marzipan fruits and vegetables
• Small bottles of wine with silk rusted giape leaves wrapped around the neck
• A canning jar filled with nuts, dried fruits or candy corn. Finish of the jar by wrapping it in tulle and tie with a ribbon that matches your wedding colors.
• Wreath ornaments with the wedding details inscribed upon a ribbon
• Votive holder shaped like a leaf or pumpkin placed at each place setting
• Small sachets filled with autumn-scented potpourri

Reception Menu
Keep your theme going in the menu. Turkey and all the trimmings, cranberry salad, pumpkin soup, candied yams, buttered corn, mashed potatoes and gravy, glazed carrots, corn bread, yeasty rolls, pumpkin and pecan pies, and apple cider. Your wedding cake can be decorated with fruit-shaped marzipan, fall colored flowers, fall colored sugar leaves or white chocolate leaves.

Ideas for a fall or harvest themed wedding are as bountiful as the season. Hopefully these ideas will inspire you to create the perfect atmosphere for your wedding.

If you are planning your wedding for late October, consider having a Halloween themed event. Imagine glowing candles, carved jack-o-lanterns, dried cornstalks and flowers on a moonlit night. Most people can easily turn a Halloween party into a wedding; however, consider adding some polish to this special night. Here are some suggestions that incorporate elegance with pure holiday fun.

Choosing Wedding Colors:

The best colors for a Halloween themed wedding are orange and black. You can also include rich browns, creams, copper, gold and various shades of yellow.

Halloween Invitations:

Set the tone for your wedding with your save the date cards and themed wedding invitations. For the Halloween look, why not an orange and black invitation with stamped images or cut out of pumpkins, ghosts and bats on the border? Or an invitation shaped like a pumpkin or cornucopia? For a more elegant look, select an ivory or cern invitation with brown or gold ink. Tie a bow of black or orange chiffon, or just plain raffia, and attach it to the top of the invitation. Or if you are going for the layered invitation look, tie the layers together with a chiffon or raffia ribbon.

Halloween Wedding Attire:

If you want your guests to arrive in Halloween costumes, be sure to say so. Enclose a small card with your invitation letting your guests know that Halloween costumes are required for your wedding and give them some Halloween costume ideas or guidelines to follow so things don’t get out of hand. The last thing you want is to have someone show up in a bloody, gory outfit that will scare or offend someone else. For the bndal party, finding children’s or toddler Halloween costumes is easy enough, but to find some unique adult Halloween costumes, you may need to visit a local costume shop.

Wedding Ceremony and Reception Sites:

If your having a Halloween themed wedding, why not have your wedding and/or reception at a spooky mansion? Another wonderful place to hold your ceremony and/or reception is in a converted barn. If you know someone in your family who has a hobby farm, ask if they would be willing to let you have your ceremony and/or reception there.If you don't have someone in the family, try looking in your areas for farms or mansions that can be rented for just such an occasion. If you can’t have your reception at a farm, choose a venue with a natural feel.

Wedding Floral Arrangements: 

A Halloween wedding offers a lot of choices when it comes to flowers, berries and greenery. Roses are popular no matter what the season and come in a wide range of colors that would be perfect for a Halloween wedding such as chocolate brown, burnt orange, tangerine, red/orange, tomato red and apricot. You could even have the florists order black roses if you want. Orange Gerbera Daisies; apricot or cream colored Lilies; rust colored Hydrangeas; and yellow or orange Montbretia make excellent choices for your floral arrangements. Hypericum berries (also known as St. John’s Wort) come naturally in raisin brown, as well as some newer hybrid varieties in shades of yellow.

Halloween Decorations:

It is not hard to find Halloween decorations. Every store should carry sort assortment during the month of October. For a less commercialized atmosphere, you might prefer Halloween decorations from nature’s bounty. Create lovely centerpieces from pumpkins, dried flowers, and leaves. Or set an orange or black pillar candle in a hurricane lamp and fill around the candle with cranberries, bittersweet berries, or dried Indian corn. Carved pumpkins with tea lights inside also make wonderful Halloween centerpieces. Large pumpkins, carved and not carved, and cornstalks can be arranged throughout your reception area. Jack-o-lanterns can become your central decorating attraction. Use wired ribbons in your wedding colors to add decorative accents to your arrangements and to make bows to accent doorways, tables, pews, and the aisle. Don;t forget to decorate with ghosts, witches and goblins, but be sure to keep in mind that not everyone likes these kinds of things. The last thing you want to do is frighten a child or offend a guest with your choice of decorations. Consider having a spice or pumpkin wedding cake and serve hot, spiced cider to your guests. For a bit of entertainment, you might plan a traditional Halloween game of bobbing for apples.

Halloween Party Favors:

Halloween themed favors are also available in a vast array of shapes and sizes. Here are just a few Halloween party ideas that might be a bit more personalized:

• Miniature pumpkins with your names written in gold paint
• Small Trick-or-Treat bags filled with candy corn, or other Halloween candy and tied with a black or orange ribbon.
• A canning jar filled with nuts, dried fruits, candy corn, or other Halloween candy. Finish off the jar by wrapping it in tulle and tie with a ribbon matching your wedding colors
• Votive holder shaped in fun Halloween shapes and placed at each place setting
• Small sachets filled with autumn-scented potpourri
• Use bright-colored plastic cookie cutters in fun Halloween shapes as napkin rings for your table settings. Write the bride and groom’s names and wedding date on the cookie cutters in gold or silver marker pen. Guests keep the cookie cutter as a memento of your wedding.

Ideas for a Halloween themed wedding are only limited by your imagination. Hopefully these Halloween wedding theme ideas will inspire you to create the perfect atmosphere for your wedding.

Themed weddings are very popular and it makes sense since weddings are extremely personal. It’s no surprise that whatever you are passionate about will make an appearance at your wedding. With that said, something that has become more and more popular lately is Rock 'n' Roll weddings!  Here is some information on these weddings.

Invitations:

Use old school font for that funky rock ‘n’ roll style like our C64 or D52 (view all typestyles). Or combo typestyles like E72, are a new way to add a bit of flair to the wedding invitation. Using a lot of color would be a good way to convey a punk or punk pop look! Something a little more cutting edge would be an ultra modern black and white invitation like our AV 1034. For a rock and roll wedding keep your invitation wording more casual. This would be an great time to use some favorite song lyrics.

Clothing:

Dresses are popping up in an array of different colors. From white with subtle hints of pink, to red and even black! Colored crinolines are making there way under traditional white gowns. Girls are trading in their strappy silver high heels for hot pink Chuck Taylor’s. For guys, we see Chucks too, and exposed suspenders over dress shirts without suit jackets.

Hair and Makeup:

Does your man have a Mohawk? Do you have a rainbow of hair colors? Do you just love the idea of pin-up hair? Have fun with your hair and make up, be you! A rock ‘n’ roll wedding means overly done prom-type updo’s are not necessary, and neither is a short clean shave. Let him rock that goatee!

Music:

Live music definitely says rock n roll so, see if your fiance’s best friend’s band can play at the wedding or the reception. That’ll get some publicity for them, ensure you that the music will rock, and could serve as their gift to you. Everybody wins! You can use song lyrics as part of your vows. A rockstar like you, could totally get away with walking down the aisle to something other than the traditional wedding march, maybe your song as a couple or even your personal anthem.

Decorations:

The idea of stringing up old vinyl is pretty cool and just about every party supply store sells large musical notes that you could hang up. Look for skulls and sparrows to replace doves and roses on napkins and place settings.

Favors:

Make your own temporary tattoos! You can either make your own by purchasing temporary tattoo paper or there are websites that will make them for you. You pretty much just have to upload your design and go from there. There are also places that will make personalized guitar picks, names and date is an awesome choice. Or do something like John ‘picked’ Sarah!

Don’t feel pressured to do the same old thing. This is going to be the most important party you two throw!

As children, we all have attended weddings of couples that were friends or co-workers of our parents. Here is the story on one such Christmas wedding:

The announcement arrived just a few days before Thanksgiving, inviting the entire family, all six of us,  to attend a wedding and reception. My mother read the invitation and said, "Who would even think of getting married on Christmas Eve?" But she sent the response card accepting the invitation for herself and her two oldest daughters.

At 5:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve, we headed for the church. A light snow had fallen over Northwest Indiana that day, and the setting sun reflecting off of it, cast a warm glow all around. We arrived at the church to find hundreds of white luminaries lining all the walkways leading to the building. Once inside we found the sanctuary decorated in evergreens, red poinsettias and candles.

The bridesmaids, all six of them, were dressed in deep red velvet halter dresses with matching capes trimmed with white fur, including the hem. They looked like they were floating up the aisle! In lieu of bouquets they carried white muffs with a small sprig of holly attached to the front. The groomsmen wore black tuxedos and wore sprigs of holly for boutonnieres.

The reception was held at a nearby country club, and again, the banquet hall was decorated and ready for Christmas. The centerpieces were very simple branches of fresh evergreen boughs with sprigs of holly arranged in clusters around a trio of red pillar candles. There was a huge Christmas tree in the lobby of the clubhouse as well as a fireplace which only added more ambiance.

The crowning jewel to this event was the bride. Her gown was absolutely gorgeous. It was white with a very full skirt, and not one pearl or sequin. The light played off the satin like it had all been planned. Her veil was shoulder length, with just a hint of glitter peppered throughout to give the illusion of snow. She carried a bouquet that was made with deep, red, roses trimmed, with a thin border of white fur. The bride was truly a vision of loveliness. That wedding made a lasting impression on one little girl.

Here is a story from one of our local writers while attending a wedding over the summer:

After spending a lovely weekend in beautiful North Carolina, I feel the need to write and reflect on the wedding I attended. The ceremony was held outdoors on a gorgeous carpet of green grass next to a well manicured golf course. The guests were shuttled to the ceremony site via golf carts while a violinist played Pachelbel’s Canon in D major.

All of the men in the wedding party wore khaki dress slacks and light aqua shirts with small yellow flowers. They looked very cool and tropical. The shirts were not the typical Hawaiian fare. The fabric was crisp and the pattern very subtle. The bride’s attendants wore aqua sleeveless, street length dresses accented by yellow sashes around the waist. They carried long stemmed, gathered bouquets with splashes of yellow and orange daisies.

The bride was, and I mean this, absolutely radiant! She wore a long, white satin, strapless gown with a vertically, pleated bodice that flowed out to a full skirt. Her veil was simply white netting gathered near the crown of her head that billowed down her back. Her pearl necklace, bracelet and earrings were the perfect accessories.

Instead of the traditional receiving line the bride and groom had their pictures taken with each and every guest as they made their way to the buffet table. This was done table by table, with 8 to 10 guests seated at each table.

The reception hall was decorated with an international flair. Every guest had a place card resembling a luggage tag. Under the guests’ name was a name of a country. Each table had a centerpiece consisting of globes, passports, flowers and a particular country’s flag. Once you matched your place card to a country you found your seat. Each passport held information of the country and the significance of that country to the newlyweds. Most of them were countries they have live in or visited, but a few were countries they hope to visit in the future. The center pages of the passports were left blank for guests to write best wishes or advice for the bride and groom.

The wedding was a moving and memorable ceremony and the reception was pure celebration - just as every wedding day should be!

Simple design and a not so stuffy feel are just a few of the reasons people seem drawn to western weddings. Possibly you grew up in the west or maybe just dreaming that you had. Theme weddings are all about small individual things that coming together to complete your whole look.  We will be posting articles the rest of this week on ideas for a western themed wedding.  Here are some ideas in regards to the wedding invitations, clothing, and hair and makeup.

Invitations:

Because wedding invitations are the first things your guests see they set the tone or in this case theme of your wedding. Be sure to incorporate colors that make us think of the West. Such as: golds, browns, reds, denims, and copper and bronze.

Have fun with your invitation wording. Start things off with phrases such as: "Please join the round-up of friends and kin to celebrate the day our new life will begin." or, "The woo’in and the courtin’s done Our life together has begun."

Play around with kitschy verbiage on your response card as well. Instead of the same old will accept and will not accept, try something like: "Yee-ha! We’ll be there with our boots on" and "Aw, shoot! We can’t make it"

Clothing:

The sky really is the limit when dealing with the vast amount of western attire offered to us. The men could wear vests over plain dress shirts with wrangler jeans.

Your maids could wear sundresses or the increasingly popular apron dress. Of course cowboy boots are a terrific choice for footwear and will be much more comfortable if you are out on the range where heels would be difficult to maneuver

Hair and Makeup:

Keep your hair and all of the ladies hair natural and soft. A loose up do with a few ringlets. A side-swept pony tail with a few romantic curls. Or if you want the look of just having jumped off the saddle, a tightly secured braid.

Of course there is always the option of putting a hat on. This is one time ladies and gentleman you can wear hats at a formal event! Many places sell cowgirl hats with veils attached.

Favors:

• Small bottles of hot sauce: Tie on a string of twine or gingham ribbon and attach a small tag with your names and the wedding date. These favors are sure to say that you are one hot couple.
  
   
• Small cacti in a terra cotta pot: Make labels to put on the pots with your names and wedding date. This is a favor that guests can actually take home and enjoy for time to come.
  
   
• Small jars of honey or homemade apple butter:  Again with a small tag attached. You can either buy these or have people help you make them. Hand making these could be a great money saver as well.
  
   
• Small plastic cowboy hats filled with candies: You can find small favor cowboy hats at almost any craft or hobby store. Pile them high with candy covered sunflower kernels.
  
   
• Cowboy boot glass: Fill them with popcorn kernels or a mixed nut assortment. The glasses will serve as a small vase or a drinking glass long after the treats are gone.

Chow:

Think backyard barbeque with hamburgers and hotdogs. Maybe you’d rather go with a little ribs dining by choosing steaks and ribs? Or some whole chicken breasts and pork chops? If all the different selections of meat are just too much for you, consider having a whole hog roast. That cuts down on the decision making for you and everyone else. Or make large pots of chili with cornbread muffins.

Don’t forget to offer a vegetarian option or at the very least enough side dishes to fill those up who aren’t carnivores. If you do choose to have a hog roast keep in mind that you should serve a few different breads, i.e. rolls and buns for sandwiches and sopping.

Potato salad, macaroni salad, corn on the cob, and baked beans would all be terrific accompaniments. Also, serve a variety of potato chips with some different dips. Add a nice size vegetable platter and a large bowl of fresh fruit to tie it all together.

Serve drinks out of large glass jars such as iced tea and lemonade. Buy large washtubs fill them with ice and some bottles of old fashioned root beer and cream soda.

Last but not least do not forget all of your condiments including a variety of funky inexpensive hot sauces and barbeque sauces. Theme weddings are a way to show your guests a world they may not already know.

Flowers:

A single Sunflower would add a bright splash of color without having to carry a large bouquet. It’s easy to recognize the beauty of this large flower when it stands alone.

Dahlias are flowers that are known to grow in the west. They come in a wide variety of colors and petal shapes.

Small bunches of wildflowers tied with ribbon to represent the fields of wildflowers often found in western countryside.

Decoration:

Your color palette can vary depending on how you want to incorporate the western feel.

A few different ideas include:

• Use checkerboard or gingham table cloths in shades of red and blue. Place small votive candles inside mason jars and set them out on tables.
  
  
• Use bandanas for a million different things! Try them as napkins, placemats, or tie them into bows on the back of chairs.
  
  
• Signs tacked on to large bales of hay directing guests where to go serve as very easy to spot direction signs.
  
  
• Don’t forget to pick up some medium size galvanized pails. Fill them with flowers, small plants or sweet treats. If you choose to place food in the pails check to see if they are food safe. Many are not and if you would like to fill them with any type of vittles make sure they are wrapped.