Honeymooning on a Budget

The honeymoon is supposed to be the relaxing part of the wedding process, but it can be hard to relax when you are worried about the money you might be spending on a honeymoon.  This article from The Knot gives 15 great tips for saving money on your honeymoon so you can have the vacation of your dreams without spending the amount of money you have in your dreams.  Some of my favorite tips include making a "honeymoon registry" where your guests can help pay for your honeymoon as their wedding present to you, traveling during shoulder seasons (the season between off-season and peak-season), and mentioning to everyone that you are newlywed (some might offer you special treatment!).

Simple Wedding Decorations

From planters as centerpieces to tissue pomanders to add color to your ceremony chairs, there are plenty of simple, fun wedding decorations you can do yourself (and with friends!) for a stylish but stress-free wedding.  Pretty much anything can be recycled and turned into a classy wedding decoration for a low cost.  Vegetables can be used to hold table numbers (and you thought they were just for healthy eating) and things like surf boards can create a unique altar for a beach wedding.  Check out this article from the Wedding Channel with their top 15 simple ways to decorate your wedding!

Saving the Environment One Wedding at a Time

Technology is transforming everything about life as we knew it.  One of those transformations is being able to save paper and other resources by sending correspondence to people via the Internet rather than by paper through regular mail.  Weddings can include quite a bit of paper including the paper that is used to send out save the dates, wedding invitations and bridal shower invitations (just to name the big ones).  On top of the paper these are printed on, there are also the envelopes that go with each of these.  A formal wedding invitation normally contains at least three envelopes (inner, outer, reply).

A popular website to use for paperless invitations is Paperless Post.  This website gives you a variety of invitations and cards to choose from, traditional and nontraditional.  With Paperless Post, skip the paper and get your invitations and save the date cards to your guests as fast as they can check their email!

Barn Weddings: Not Just for the Animals

When I was first considering where to have my wedding, I looked at having it in a barn.  Barns can be transformed in any number of ways to fit the type of wedding you might desire.  A new barn can easily be transformed with lights and decorations to feel like a space that is far from a wooden building traditionally used for farm animals and hay bales.  An older barn can be used to create a more rustic, outdoorsy feel with wooden tables and chairs.  Barns can also be great spaces for a large amount of people.  With a barn, you eliminate the need for tents to hold everyone - instead the reception is contained within the wooden walls.  The high ceilings are fantastic for decorating; they can be used to create a night sky look with lights hung throughout or a vaulted ceiling feel with chandeliers and gossamer.

Not Your Average Wedding Centerpiece

Who said you had to have typical flower centerpieces?  Your wedding reception is the time to really let your unique flavor come out.  It can be as formal or traditional as you want or as unique or whimsical as your taste is.  Whether you want to mix flowers with another creative piece or do without them altogether, there are plenty of ideas for those special centerpieces for your special day. Below are some fun favorites of mine:

Pictures courtesy of The Knot

Twists on Wedding Traditions

Your wedding is your special day.  It's the one day that gets to be all about you!  That means you get to make it anything you want it to be and keep or toss any traditions based on whether or not you like them and they fit with the style you want for your wedding.  But just because you don't fully like the tradition doesn't mean you have to completely get rid of it - put a twist on it instead!  Check out this article from The Knot with ideas for twists on your typical wedding traditions and make your wedding day as you unique as you and your future spouse!

Trade the Wedding Cake for Cupcakes

A popular trend for weddings is to have custom-made cupcakes instead of a wedding cake.  Cupcakes are another way to make your wedding day special and unique.  And instead of cutting the cake, cupcakes can be distributed to guests mess-free!  Another plus to cupcakes is that you can have them made in a variety of flavors.  That way guests can take their pick of which flavor they want and you don't have to only pick one flavor! Here are some of my favorite cupcake designs (photos courtesy of Google Images):

Photo courtesy of Ali Broach Photography

If you like the idea of cupcakes, but still want to keep the tradition of cutting the cake, you can try something like these cupcake creations that have a wedding cake top.

Wedding Cakes as Unique as the Bride and Groom

Wedding cake designs are another aspect of your wedding that can be all about you.  Who ever said you had to go with a traditional white 3-or 4-tiered cake or even a tiered cake at all?  These cakes are creating new traditions and taking the idea of wedding cakes to new heights.  Whether you want to pay tribute to your heritage, tie significant parts of your love story to your cake, or just do something different, let these cakes inspire you to take on any kind of wedding cake your heart desires.  Don't forget: it's your day.  You can do whatever you want.

Then there's your groom's cake.  What groom really wants his cake to resemble any kind of tiered cake that might potentially be labeled as something that goes with a wedding?  Check out these fantastic uniquely crafted groom's cakes and give your groom ideas for what he can do to add his own flare to the wedding.  Or come up with an idea to surprise your groom on the big day.  What a great way to say "I love you!"

Oscars for Wedding Inspiration

One of the main reasons I watch the Oscars (or check out the highlights later) is for the dresses.  Amazingly, I have come to realize that this reason translates very well into wedding inspiration! Obviously red carpet dresses are much more expensive than most of us are willing to pay, but who says you can't find a similar style for your own bridal gown or even for your bridesmaids?  

Here are some of my personal favorite wedding inspiration dresses:

I love this stunning gown of Halle Berry's for it's shimmer and lace.  The lace gathered at the bottom is such a unique detail of this dress.  Ideal for anyone who loves their lace and but wants to do something different with it for their wedding dress.

Hilary Swank's gown has a fun combination of sparkle and feathers. A classy idea for the bride who wants unique materials for her gown.  The feathers add just enough to the gown without it seeming to be too outlandish.

A pregnant bride? Not a problem! I love the flattering style of Natalie Portman's dress for a wedding gown.  The gown glosses over her baby bump in a way that shows she is pregnant, but does not overly accentuate this part of her body.  I think the off-the-shoulder look is very classy and a practical idea for a pregnant bride.  The little bit of beading down the neckline draws attention up rather than at her stomach. This dress also has a short train, something to consider for a pregnant bride who might not want to worry about how long her dress is.

I love Hailee Steinfeld's dress for wedding inspiration because I feel like it is a very versatile piece, depending on who you put it on: a bride, a bridesmaid, or a flower girl.  And I love this dress for its ballerina style. It has a pretty embroidery coupled with some shimmer in the translucent top piece that can be a perfect style for anyone who likes the look of a strapless dress, but just isn't comfortable in it.  Tea length can be nice for a warmer wedding or for a bride who does not want to step on her dress.  The tulle at the bottom is fun for any bride who really wants her skirt to stand out.

Helen Mirren's dress is one I would absolutely consider putting my mom in for my own wedding.  Even though Mirren is 65, this dress does not make her look it.  The shape is flattering as are the puffed into fitted sleeves, giving the dress a nice wide neckline.  I even love this color for an evening wedding with more formal attire.

All photos are courtesy of Yahoo! Movies