Image Courtesy of Wedshare Daily

A very important decision when planning a wedding is deciding the date. Many couples find that February 14th is a very special day to celebrate such an occasion. Why not enhance this special day by incorporating a Valentines Day theme in to your wedding? Here are some ideas for decorating an exciting Valentines Day wedding.

Cake is the centerpiece of a wedding and a very memorable feature of the special day. If you have not already set your mind on a design for your cake, consider giving it a Valentines Day theme. Perhaps a heart shaped cake with red and white frosting is to your liking. Adding red rose petals, hearts, and pink or red writing can really bring out the romantic vibe. You can also have a solid white cake with a red velvet surprise on the inside. Try checking out some bakerys for ideas; many of them have large catalogs and binders full of holiday themed cakes for you to browse.

Let’s not forget the flowers! No Valentines Day wedding would be complete without big red, white, or pink flowers. You can go beyond red roses and try lillies or lotuses. If you’re going for a black and red color scheme instead of white and red, then black lotuses or black roses can look gorgeous, especially at an outdoor wedding. You may also consider red ribbon or streamers as decoration to add a little more color to the atmosphere. Try talking with local flourists and see what kind of recommendations they can provide.

Overall, the decor is going to set the atmosphere of your wedding. The colors and decorations are what is going to make you really feel the Valentines Day spirit. Having an outdoor wedding on a sunny day will also greatly enhance the mood and theme of your wedding. Some decorations to consider are table cloths and seat covers. If you’re on a budget, simple red table cloths or seat coveres will add lots of color to your reception area. A good alternative is solid white table cloths with red rose pedals sprinkled over the top. Look around! The best wedding ideas can be taken from other weddings.

If you want to go all out for your Valentines Day theme, there is no better way than with the dress. Consider a red dress or a white dress with red accessories. If the bride must have a solid white dress, then you can also consider having the bride’s maids wear red dresses and have the groom or groom’s men wear red boutineers or ties. The smallest touches can make the most impact.

The most exciting part of a wedding is the planning. Do lots of research and take a look at other weddings that have done similar things to get ideas for your own wedding. You don’t need a lot of extra money to have a themed wedding, most of the ideas come by simply changing the colors of existing ideas and decoration. Change your cake, flowers, clothing, and other decor to create a colorful and memorable wedding day and Valentines Day that nobody will ever forget!

So simple yet so lovely!

This would be gorgeous at a botanical garden venue.

I’m obsessed with this shot.

I’m thinking this would be awesome for a vineyard theme.

The doors for the entrance are brilliant.

This would be great for a late afternoon/early evening wedding – an area for people to wind down and “chill” before they head home!

I love this dance area

Happy Monday, y’all!

Image Courtesy of Outer Banks Event Rentals

It is 2012, and already some of the hottest ideas for wedding themes are already out. From dresses, to flowers to cake toppers it is going to be a great year to get married. The new dresses have already hit the runway and color combinations for this year are already being dreamed up. Hew are some of the themes that are going to be hot this year.

Victorian Weddings
One of the most popular themes for this year is an old theme that is making a major comeback. These weddings are elaborate and ornate focusing on the smallest details. A major detail about these weddings is the invitations. The Victorian era modeled polite society, so having invitations that show this is key. As far a venues go, outdoors is the most Victorian, since gardens were so important in the Victorian age. We must not forget about the dress. A long elaborate white dress with a long train will highlight your Victorian styling for a perfect wedding.

Beach Weddings
This year beach weddings are still a popular theme. These weddings feel fresh and spontaneous, even though months of planning go into them. Beach weddings can be simple or elaborate depending on what the bride wants. Invitations will have a fresh and sunny feel to them. The one thing that beach wedding should have in common is the wedding dress should be a shorter length. No matter if a walk-way is put down or not a shorter dress will work the best for a beach setting. Receptions are usually held at the host hotel instead of the beach. Many hotels offer wedding packages to make planning much easier.

Garden Weddings
While this theme has something in common with Victorian weddings, it can be vastly different. Garden weddings can be the most simple and breathtaking weddings of them all. Garden weddings should invoke feelings of spring freshness for everyone involved. Many brides are planning on doing simple dresses. Another popular style in this theme is brides are letting their hair down and putting flowers in it. Some brides even go barefoot for a Garden wedding. The other extreme of this is to give the Garden wedding the feel of a Garden tea. Where the Bride has is styled in all the glamour and the garden is simply a backdrop to her.

Winter Wonderland Weddings
Where once winter and snows were something brides wanted to avoid, now winter is embraced by brides. This theme incorporates the beauty and magic of the snow and turns the bride into a winter queen. Silvers and dark blues are colors that work well with in this theme. Sparkling snowflakes decorate the setting, and instead of rose petals lining the aisle soft fake snow might be what the beautiful bride glides over. These theme are already being used this year, and while they will take a break, they will be back for those special December weddings.

This perhaps is the most fun theme this year. This wedding celebrates the everlasting love of the bride and groom by comparing it to diamonds. Everything about this wedding sparkles. The invitations should have some type of diamond glitz. The flowers even sparkle. Florists are starting to put crystals on their flowers for the bouquets. Even if the bride does not want sparkling flowers the ribbon that holds them together can easily sparkle. As for the bride herself, she can cover herself in diamonds, or crystals. Some of the hottest dresses this year embrace the sparkling diamonds theme. Even the guest enjoy the theme as all the table decorations sparkle like diamonds.

Image Courtesy of Brides.com (Dress: Alita Graham)

2012 Wedding dress trends include big layered vertical skirts with attractive details. Fabrics such as chiffon, organza, lace, batiste, crepe, and charmeuse silk, are the leading choice of designers for the 2012 wedding. Wedding dress designers offer something new for their clients every year. You can expect to wear a nice combination of various materials. The wedding day is special and every girl dreams of one since a young age. For most girls, a wedding is like a dream come true, and 2012 wedding dress designers understand, they want a wedding gown that is truly stunning.

Image courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings

There is a variety of new designs using a combination of elements to make the dress one-of-a-kind. Various shades of ivory, white and bone are available in a large selection of materials, including beaded and embroidered ones. Brides have a wider choice of colors this year with designers creating more silver, lilac, blush and pink dresses, to move ahead of the traditional white and ivory gown. Blush and pink have successfully debuted on the fashion runways and will be the choice of the modern bride.

Images Courtesy of Brides.com (Gown: Junko Yoshioka)

Delicate exclusive creations are great for romantic wedding ceremonies. These celebrate beauty and joy in an inspirational way. All wedding dresses are crafted to be lovely and make the bride look chic. 2012 is the year for illusion necklines. Designers have used see-through fabrics to create an illusion at the neckline in various styles to give the upper body an elegant look. Alongside gowns with illusion necklines, the two-tiered skirts are a popular choice this year. Designers are creating dresses with two layers of fabric to camouflage wider hips. The layers also add more creativity and versatility to the wedding dress. Matching embellishments make the gown unique and glamorous.

Image Courtesy of OffBeat Bride

2012 is also going to be the year of the themed wedding. A rustic wedding is the popular choice of couples who plan to marry in 2012. Brides and grooms will incorporate the country look by adding cowboy boots and hats to the bridal party. Western styled suits and wedding gowns are also available online in the latest styles by high end designers.

Image Courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings

All in all, 2012 wedding dress trends are different as compared to the past. Modern looks and themed weddings are a choice of couples who plan to marry in 2012.

Image Courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings

Believe it or not spring and summer are not the only seasons popular for weddings. Winter weddings can be fun and exciting, and brides have some interesting choices in wedding cakes. Winter wedding cakes have the hint of snowflakes, frost and wintry foliage.

There are many dazzling designed and delicious wedding cake ideas for winter weddings. The winter bride should think of three things when deciding on a wedding cake for winter: the cake’s flavor, the cake’s color, and the cake’s adornments.

Some flavors reflecting winter are rich chocolates, tangy cranberry, and peppermints. White cakes are traditional and popular and can represent the pristine whiteness of snow, but other choices can be a tasty caramel spice cake with a butter cream frosting. Other options for taste can be an orange chocolate cake with dark chocolate filling with flecks of orange. The white cake can have a cranberry butter cream frosting and filling.

The palette of winter are whites, icy blues, and reds. However greens with rusty hints of color mixed with brown can add some richer tones.

Some adornments can be snowflakes, pinecones, twigs, and roses made from chocolate, sugar or gum paste.

Some unique Winter Wedding Cake themes are: a Snowflake Wedding Cake with marzipan snowflakes, a Pine Trees in the Snow Wedding Cake decorated with tiny pine cones and foliage made out of icing, and sprinkled with coconut to represent fallen snow, a Snow Globe Wedding Cake topper with the bride and groom inside, and a Penguin Wedding Cake decorated with little penguins with coconut flakes as snow.

I was looking at Martha Stewart Weddings and came across this Peppermint Fantasy Cake. It is a great choice for a wedding scheduled around the holidays. This cake is made with colors of red, white, and pink, and looks very much like a fantasy cake that would dazzle any bride. It’s a five tier whimsical wonderland of white icing, peppermint candy, and Italian Meringue. It looks stunning, wintry, and very elegant.

Also some other ideas are to make a brown and white cake with strawberries circling the cake, or red roses cascading down a white cake, or Calla Lilies clustered on a white cake, and finally a classic white cake with an icing bow.

For a perfect winter wedding cake try the three tier white coconut cake dripping with orange fondant bows, small pine cones, green foliage, and coconut flakes sprinkled all over.

Winter brides who would like to match their cakes with their bridal bouquets should look at these delicious cakes. For an elegant and very tasty cake, try the three tier cake with white butter cream made to look like snow, strands of cascading pearls, and topped off with a flower bouquet to match the bridal bouquet. For an even more wintry wedding cake try a winter snowflake wedding cake. This one is sprinkled with chunks of coconut to look like snow, and then topped off with burnt orange red roses to match the bridal bouquet. Then there’s a tasty white marshmallow butter cream frosting cake with a rich chocolate mud cake for its center. It’s decorated with exotic purple flowers and on the top to match the brides bouquet.

If you are having your winter wedding at a ski chalet or winter retreat try for a more exotic touch with a rich winter chocolate cake that melts in your mouth served with hot coffee, cocoa and tea.

I hope this has given you some interesting and unique ideas on the kind of winter cake you would like to have for your wedding. As you can see winter weddings can be fun and exciting with so many ideas!

If you also want some cake topper ideas, check out here!

Image Courtesy of The Fairmont Chateau at Lake Louise

He popped the question, you have a sparkly ring on your finger and now it’s time to plan the wedding. Winter weddings in Canada can be stunningly beautiful, and with a wide range of options for a venue, your wedding will be the perfect event.

From snowy mountain tops to beautiful forest settings, Canada has so much to offer. Here, in no particular order, are the top five winter wedding locations in Canada.

1. Fairmont Chateau – Lake Louise, Alberta

This gorgeous wedding spot with amazing natural surroundings is located in the heart of Banff National Park in southern Alberta. With picturesque views of mountains, the lake and even glaciers, this is the ideal destination if you are looking for natural scenery.

The hotel offers wedding planning assistance to line you up with some of the best wedding vendors in the area. Ceremony rooms, a spa, beautiful guest rooms, and, of course, dining areas with views of the mountains for your reception and dinner, all top off this luxurious wedding destination.

2. Viamede Resort, Ontario

Another good choice for a wedding with natural beauty is Ontario’s Viamede Resort. Gorgeous lake views make this a great wedding location. Guests can enjoy snowshoeing, ice skating, tobogganing and even cross country skiing.

At the end of the day, you can relax at the resort’s spa or sit by a warm fire and enjoy visiting with your guests. The beautiful rooms in the resort will make your wedding feel like a dream, and your guests will be in awe of the natural surroundings.

3. Jasper National Park, Alberta

Nestled in the Canadian Rockies in Alberta, this wedding destination has it all: mountains, forests and clear lakes. Truly a winter wonderland, this park is ideal for a ceremony on a lake, in the woods or in one of several five-star hotels. As the largest park in the Canadian Rockies, Jasper offers dining, recreation, sightseeing and relaxation spots that can’t be beat.

4. Emerald Lake Lodge, British Columbia

For a more cozy, mountain-themed wedding, you’ll love Emerald Lake Lodge. Surrounded by forests with snow-covered pines, this location will bring a whole new feel to your wedding. Outside you can enjoy in the breath-taking mountain views and the gleaming winter snow.

Warm fires, comfy furniture and beautiful cabin decor greet you inside the lodge. You and your guests will find this scenic getaway perfect for your once-in-a-lifetime event.

5. Strathmere, Ottawa

Strathmere can give you a homey, country-style wedding. This retreat has more than 200 acres of beautiful wooded areas and farmland. You can choose to have your ceremony outdoors on the beautiful landscape, or indoors in a cozy setting. With an historic inn, a garden house and of course the lodge, there are plenty of options. Food, guest rooms, wedding coordination and even food styling can all be arranged for with the lodge.

At any of these five destinations, your Canadian winter wedding will be exquisite and a day to cherish. Take the next step in your wedding planning and reserve a beautiful wedding venue.

Image Courtesy of HighMountainWeddings.com

There is no more beautiful setting for a wedding to take place than at Lake Tahoe. It is an opportunity for photographs and videos that will complement your wedding with memories to last forever. During the winter months you have the glistening snow as a backdrop for all of those photographs and memories to treasure. First is deciding which of the many wonderful venues to use for your momentous occasion. Ceremony sites can be from going to the chapel to a mountain top experience.

Lake Tahoe offers a chapel that will take you right to the water’s edge; as well as many other chapels that have beautiful views of the lake and the mountains. Your wedding can be inspired by the panoramic view of the area. A chapel would offer you a venue inside from the cold winter weather found in Lake Tahoe. The setting would still be as beautiful as if you were outdoors in the middle of the snow.

If you prefer to have an outdoor wedding in the middle of winter, then you might check out some places that offer weddings in their garden gazebo. Some offers heating in the form of heat lamps to keep you warm during your ceremony. This type of ceremony will be lovely with the stars shining down at night on you while you exchange your vows. Add some soft romantic music and lights; and your wedding can be the dream wedding you have always wanted. These venues make an outdoor wedding in the middle of winter in Lake Tahoe possible.

Then, after your beautiful winter wedding at Lake Tahoe, you will be ready to have a reception to celebrate the joining together of two loves. Some of the reception rooms available will offer you the same great views of the mountains and the lake that inspired your wedding ceremony. Some of the venues will offer to do everything for you. They will provide the cake and the champagne as well as the other foods. You can choose a full buffet or just appetizers. Some venues will offer live music with a real DJ as well as ample room for dancing. What could be better than a romantic wedding ceremony at Lake Tahoe followed by an exciting and well organized reception?

Before or after the ceremony, you and your guest might enjoy working off some steam at a local ski resort. Winter in Lake Tahoe offers some of the best skiing. These resorts get plenty of snow, so you are sure to find a way to play while you are waiting for the big event. They have sledding and tubing and even ice skating for those who dare. But if you want to be a little bit safer and relaxed, you can always take a romantic sleigh ride through the snow. Or, why not stick around after the ceremony for a few days and enjoy a honeymoon at one of the local ski resorts. That way you can take part in all of these activities together as a married couple.

Whichever unique venue you choose to have for your wedding at Lake Tahoe, it is sure to be remembered by all that attends. With the beautiful lake and the magnificent mountains, there is no way to go wrong with a wedding at Lake Tahoe. So grab a few friends or even a lot of friends and family, and come to Lake Tahoe and celebrate with a gorgeous wedding and fun reception. And don’t forget to enjoy the slopes while you are there, or maybe the fabulous sleigh ride through the falling snow.

Image Courtesy of the Ruffled Blog

The winter months are an excellent time for holding a wedding ceremony. The weather can be picturesque and the gathering of wedding attendants helps create a warm, festive feeling for the special event. A wedding theme inspired by the sights and sensations associated with wintertime can be easy to create and follow without the need for extra expensive accessories and decorations. By choosing to make your own centerpieces for a winter wedding, you can save money as well as express your creativity as you prepare for the big day.

Flower arrangements make attractive centerpieces for any type of wedding, and can be customized to create a truly wintry feel. Choose large flowers with petals that spread wide to create a full, robust arrangement. Lilies, chrysanthemums and peonies are all good choices for centerpiece arrangements, but you can choose any flower you prefer. Pale or white colors of flowers work best with a winter theme. Poinsettias of any color are also highly appropriate for a winter theme. If you opt for silk flowers instead of visiting a florist for your centerpieces, make sure that they are of good quality and look professional. Once you have your flowers, arrange them in large, cylindrical, solid-colored vases so that the centerpiece appears to be full without any large gaps in the petals. As an added touch, you can cut white embossed wallpaper to fit around each vase and secure the paper in place with double-sided tape to increase your centerpieces’ elegance.

A relatively inexpensive option for designing your own winter wedding centerpieces is to use clear glass candle holders and long, tapering candlesticks to create a sophisticated array of light. Find glass candle holders at home design stores, thrift shops or in your own collection. The holders can either match uniformly or be a whimsical mix of different shapes and sizes. Then choose long candlesticks and fit them into their holders. White or silver candles evoke the frosty theme of snowy winter settings, but you can also choose a pastel shade of one of your wedding colors for the candlesticks. Arrange the centerpieces in the middle of your table so that they create an aesthetically pleasing visual effect, then light them once the ceremony is about to begin. Be sure that the lit candles are out of the way of any unwary guest that might accidentally bump into or brush up against them.

Filling clear glass bowls with natural elements that are commonly associated with the winter season is another way to create elegant, inexpensive centerpieces that will impress you guests. Place white pebbles, soft gray stones, artificial red berries or pomegranate seeds in the bottom of decorative glass bowls. Small clippings from pine trees, pine cones, holly or fancy plastic snowflakes can then be placed on top of the base materials, so that they slightly reach out of the top of the bowl. This centerpiece option has a lot of room for customization. You can combine the suggested materials or any other winter elements in a number of ways to create truly unique decorations. Once you have crafted centerpieces that fit your aesthetic tastes, you can position them on tables and surround them with a few tea light candles as an extra special touch.

When you are making DIY centerpieces for winter weddings, what you make is limited by your own creativity. Keep in mind the vision you have for your decorations and follow your aesthetic sensibilities to ensure that you create centerpieces that look good to both yourself and others. Doing this will ensure that your winter themed decor is truly memorable.

Image Courtesy of Hotel Kakslauttanen

Many people choose to stay in romantic tropical locations for their honeymoon. However, others like to make their honeymoon one they will never forget. Choosing a unique place to stay for your honeymoon provides you and your new spouse the opportunity to spend the night in a place that you would never think possible.
Under the Sea

Some people may have heard of Atlantis, the mystical city that disappeared beneath the ocean. The Poseidon Underwater Resort, located somewhere off the coast of Fiji, provides guests with a unique one-week experience. This hotel’s rooms are actually located 40 feet below the surface of the ocean. Guests descend to the rooms via elevator. Each room provides panoramic views of the ocean floor and the sea life that resides there. Space is extremely limited, and you must stay for one week.

An Icy Stay

Spending the night in an arctic location may not seem like a pleasant experience for newlyweds. However, there are a couple of ice hotels available where you can stay in comfort within the arctic circle for your honeymoon. ICEHOTEL, in Sweden, is rebuilt each winter to create a new experience for each guest. The hotel is only open between the months of December and April. After April, the walls begin to melt, making the hotel unsafe.

Another ice hotel option is Hotel Kakslauttanen in Finland. At this hotel, newlyweds can choose to stay in a log cabin or the special honeymoon turf chamber. If a couple seeks a different experience, they can choose to spend their time at the hotel in an igloo. The igloo provides guests with an AMAZING view of the Northern Lights.  For Destination Weddings, they have options for both summer and winter weddings.  They also have two options for chapels – including one completely sculpted out of ice and snow.

Turkish Caves

If Turkey is the honeymoon destination, the Gamirasu Cave Hotel provides a unique experience. This hotel was built in the same way the traditional cave dwellings in the area were built. In fact, it is actually a remodeled Byzantine monastic retreat. However, the remodel kept the hotel looking much as it originally had so it still fits in with the surrounding landscape. The hotel provides honeymooning couples with several packages that are tailored specifically for a newlywed couple.  If you click on the wedding section of their site, you can read about previous weddings at the caves.

Royal Accommodations

Those who travel to Scotland or Ireland for their honeymoon can take advantage of the royal treatment. Both countries offer the opportunity for newlywed couples to spend their honeymoon inside one of the many castles located throughout the area. These historic castles have been transformed into hotel accommodations for visitors to enjoy. A newlywed couple can relax away from their normal lives and pretend they are king and queen for the endurance of their honeymoon.

Scottish Honeymoons

In addition to staying in one of the castles in Scotland, honeymooners can choose from one of the other unique experiences available. A newlywed couple can choose to spend three or six days on a cruise, which uses an old wooden ship. This unique experience gives couples a taste of what it was like before the time of iron steamers. Other options in Scotland include staying in a lighthouse, at a secluded island hideaway or in an 18th century farmhouse.

Choosing a unique honeymoon destination gives you and your new spouse a chance to make memories that will last a life time. Everyone remembers their honeymoon, but many choose a destination that they have visited before or will visit again. Making your honeymoon a unique experience ensures that you will always remember this special time following your very special day.

Image Courtesy of Three Winks Studio and TheBrideandGroom.com Blog

Planning a wedding involves an assortment of decisions which need to be made to create the perfect day to suit your style and personal taste. You can create a them for your wedding simply by choosing just the right combination of colors for your special day. For winter weddings occurring between November and February, you can choose unique color schemes to create a distinctively unique wedding.
November weddings will most likely use combinations of fall colors to create a celebration of autumn foliage.  However, especially for y’all up north, some winter schemes can transition everyone into the winter season due to early snowfalls & dropping temperatures.  Deep green, burnt orange and dark red can be used throughout to highlight the changing of the leaves. One alternate option is to use the colors of fall mums as an inspiration for color pairing. Teaming deep red, dark purple, gold and bronze is a unique mixture of colors, all which complement one another.

December, typically centered around the holiday season, can be the basis of a wedding color scheme which is different and eye catching. One option is to pair a white bridal gown with jet black bridesmaid dresses and use bright red for accents such as flowers, boutonnieres, bow ties, sashes and pew decorations for a formal and modern style wedding. Alternately, pairing dark purple, lavender, silver and grey can create a lavish color scheme which is suitable for winter as the shades of purple are reminiscent of sugarplums.

January, when the New Year is being honored, can focus on icicle inspired colors for a truly winter theme wedding. Pairing dark blue, pale ice blue and white will create a winter wonderland theme for your special day. To make a winter wedding a bit out of the ordinary, and to move the color theme to the opposite end of the spectrum, pairing bright pink, sunny yellow, grass green and cool turquoise can give your winter wedding a bit of summer flair and levity.

February, which hosts one of the most romantic holidays of the year, can use Valentine’s Day as a theme. Bright red, pale pink and white work well together. You can also combine Plum, lavender, copper and camel to create a subtle color scheme which hints at the upcoming spring.

Regardless of the color combination used for your wedding, opt to add dashes of complimentary colors throughout the venue to create a look which is eye catching and completely distinctive when compared to traditional wedding color schemes. One of the best ways to find the right color theme for you is to pick your favorite color or hue and start seeing which variations match up well. Keep in mind to think outside of the box, and don’t discount any color as a good pairing until you have visually assessed how the colors work together. You may be surprised what works and what does not.