It is aimed towards her unmarried female guests. Legend has it that the person who catches the bouquet will be the next one to marry. Another tradition still upheld in some places, although I have not personally witnessed this, is the groom removing one of the bride’s garters and tossing it over his shoulder towards the group of his unmarried male guests.  These are just two of the many traditions practiced during and after the wedding ceremony.

One of the more important traditions at any wedding is the wedding flowers.  Most brides choose flowers because they hold romantic connotations for them.  Traditionally, however, certain flowers were intended to mean something.  The Victorians were particularly well-versed in the language of flowers and used this language as much as possible.  As an example, Calla Lily, which is available during the spring and summer, is symbolic of magnificent beauty. Tulips, widely available in the spring, are symbolic of love as are roses which still retain their unique place as the most popular flowers for weddings.  Carnations have different meanings according to their colour, with red symbolising love, white stands for ability and pink represents daring.  The little white flowers that are often seen to fill wedding bouquets, called Baby’s Breath, represent innocence.

It is hoped that everyone has a great time at the wedding reception despite the many different styles of reception. Some couples aim for tradition and others for contemporary but, regardless what the style is, it needs to be planned to prevent everything crumbling at the last minute.  You do need a timetable which needs to be kept to – no matter how demanding the photographer is. If the reception starts late, you will carry on running behind and never quite catch up. If you are having a day-time reception followed by an evening ‘do’ running late will cause absolute havoc with your carefully laid plans. Weddings should be about romance and, for your wedding to be an event to be remembered, it is on romance that a wedding reception needs to be focused.

My youngest son’s wedding in August last year was certainly no expensive affair but it did have the factor that made his wedding memorable – romance.  He was in his regiment’s full dress uniform which is quite spectacular in its own right.  During the speeches, however, our son took the microphone over himself and thanked all the guests for making his day special. He then thanked both sets of parents for all the assistance given to him and his bride, then finished off his speech by toasting his bride and thanking her for agreeing to be his wife and acknowledging that he understood how difficult it would be for her to be the wife of a soldier. The bride responded by bursting into tears!

Making your own flower seed wedding favor items has many benefits, including saving cost and having a lot of fun. Let’s see how you can do that.

A wedding is an expensive affair to say the least. On the other hand, it is also your very special day that you want to be absolutely perfect. You probably want people to remember your day for many years to come.

One of the decisions you need to make is what to give to your wedding guest as favors.

You could buy pre-made favors, which will save some time but will also cost more money.

Making your own wedding favors enables you to give your wedding guests exactly what you want. By giving them a packet of flower seed you give them something that they can use. Something edible as wedding favor seems to be the norm. However, once consumed the wedding favor is forgotten.

With flower seeds, when the flowers bloom your wedding guests can admire them and remember that they received the packet of flower seed from you at your wedding. One can say that the beautiful flowers will remind friends and family of the blooming love between you and your spouse.

Pick the flower seed to be of flowers that can be planted during the next planting season following your wedding. It’s of little use if you give your wedding guests a packet of flower seed during summer that can only be planted the next spring.

Give them flower seed as a wedding favor that can be planted in fall if your wedding is in summer, and flower seed for planting in spring if your wedding is during the winter.

To make your own flower seed wedding favors, the first thing you will need to buy is bulk flower seed.

Do not buy the small individual packets. It will be far more expensive than buying in bulk.

Secondly, you will need cards for the personalized message to your wedding guests and small containers to hold the flower seeds.

For containers you can consider tiny wedding favor buckets, small rectangular or triangular boxes, teeny-tiny shopping bags or beach bags, or any other suitable container that will fit your wedding theme.

Make sure that you buy the cards and containers from a wedding favor store, so that your wedding favors look professional and not like something picked up from a dollar store.

By involving friends and family in assembling your flower seed wedding favors, you can have a lot of fun.

You can even turn the “manufacturing task” into a series of social events where you can chat about the upcoming wedding while making your own flower seed wedding favors.

Spring is here and with this season of renewal comes a number of holidays and special events where gift giving opportunities abound. Beginning in March and lasting through June, you will have many chances to express to your friends and some very special loved ones that you care. The James Allen Gift Ideas section is the perfect place to begin your shopping, just the right place to find a broad selection of jewelry gifts available to fit any budget.

Spring Holidays and Special Events

Before we move forward you may want to take your calendar down and start circling some important dates, special events that will take place over the weeks and months ahead including:

• Easter and Passover are in the early part of spring and are two very important religious holidays for Christians and Jews respectively. You already know the gift giving customs which are acceptable for your recipients and, if jewelry is suitable for them, then James Allen has all of the rings, pendants, and bracelets for your consideration.

• Some Christians hold Holy (First) Communion and Confirmation ceremonies in the spring, with a diamond cross pendant being one gift that won’t soon be forgotten. Visit the James Allen Exclusive collection for stunning diamond cross pendants that come with matching, adjustable chains.

• Mother’s Day is always on the second Sunday of May, the perfect time to demonstrate to your mother how important that she is to you. A classic colored gemstone pendant, bezel set earrings, even a whimsical butterfly ring from Leon Popov are a few of the gifts that she will long cherish.

• Grads will be finishing up college in May and high school in June, so why not send her off with a gold necklace or a pair of Sara Blaine Fusion bead earrings? For the guys a class ring will do, offering just the type of remembrance he’ll be glad to display for many years.

• Warmer weather means weddings, and although the diamond engagement and wedding rings will be purchased by the happy couple, if you are the bride, then consider buying fashion heart pendant for each of your bridesmaids – a lasting gift to show your appreciation for members of the bridal party.

• Lest we forget dear dad, Father’s Day is always the third Sunday in June and if your father is traditionally-minded, then a pair of gold or silver cufflinks aren’t the type of gift that will be left in the gift box forgotten. Tie clasps and gold money clips are also nice ideas, but if your father isn’t someone who enjoys jewelry, then a new nine irons or tennis racket may do. For the ultra-modern dad, a single diamond stud earring might do!

Of course, many people celebrate their birthdays in the spring, giving you at least one more special occasion to remember each year. Aren’t you glad that you pulled down and marked up your calendar?

“Cherry Blossom” Wedding Theme

 The bloom of the cherry tree is a symbol of natural beauty. The cherry blossom has become a very popular wedding theme due to the emergence of spring and the colors inspired by the pink and white blossoms.

You can find great formal bridal dresses beautifully designed on the market. Elegant and attractive wedding blossom invitations, decorative cherry blossom cakes and blossom wedding favors are great to use for this theme.

The accessories are unlimited. The cherry blossom wedding theme is great for spring season weddings and symbolizes the start of a new relationship.

“Be Green” Wedding Theme

Do you want to “Be Green” and focus on the environment? You can use this as your wedding theme! Many natural and green items can be incorporated in a “green wedding theme” to encourage caring for the environment.

Flowers seeds or a nice little organic plant pot used as a favor for your guests can honor and start protecting our world.

Part of your wedding accessories could be to select a green apple or lime( color) for a cool , fresh and modern look. Select organic materials for tablecloths , napkins and maybe for the bridesmaid dresses.

Decorate the reception with plants, greenery and shrubs for a natural feeling on your special day. Remind everyone how important it is to partake in caring for the earth .

“Sea World” Wedding Theme

I recommend the “Sea World” wedding for couples who really love the beauty and inspirations of sea life. Maybe you will be inspired by starfish, seashells or the huge variety of ocean fish and corals .

You can find great favors like stoppers, candle holders, cake toppers and decorative dishes accented with shells, dolphins and starfish. A message in a bottle with a short poem inside is the perfect invitation to reflect your theme. And don’t forget that you can spread sand over the center of the tables to complement a unique centerpiece.

“Inspirational Garden” Wedding Theme

Do you love flowers? I think when we see a beautiful garden with wonderful and different colorful flowers, they give inspiration for paintings, photos or even wedding themes.

Don‘t think that by using all these colors your wedding will end up looking like a carnival. It all depends on how you pick the details and items to show off the colors in a sophisticated way. Select two or three colors from beautiful flowers that can be an inspiration for your wedding and mix those flowers into the reception and decorations. Wedding planners and magazines are a great help.

“Passion of Coffee” Wedding Theme

This theme was started because coffee is the number one favorite drink in the world. Very delectable and with an exquisite aroma it will be one of your favorite themes. Create centerpieces filled with the natural coffee beans and candles.

For favors buy gourmet coffee beans , coffee candles, or coffee chocolate candies. If your wedding is small you can serve coffee cocktail at your reception.

?

There are so many ideas to help the brides create an inspirational and beautiful wedding day.

There will always be many options for colors to use for your wedding invitations. It is important to think carefully about your color choices before you decide on colors, so that you can then choose a design that complements the colors and helps to create a beautiful and appropriate wedding invitation.

Theme and Wedding Colors

The first thing that you want to consider is whether or not you have already locked yourself into colors. Have you chosen the bridesmaid dresses and picked out the flower arrangements? If so, you probably already have wedding colors picked out. Most of the time, a bride and groom will choose two colors for their wedding, although sometimes they might choose three. These should be colors that complement each other, and go together well, like pink and brown, or blue and ivory. If you have already chosen colors for your wedding, then you probably already have a good idea of what colors you would like to use for your invitation.

However, you should keep in mind that you do not always have to go with the same colors on your invitation. You might decide that you would like to mix it up a little bit and use slightly different colors. However, you need to think about how important it is for you to have everything that matches. If you are the type of person who would not like your sheets clashing with your bedspread, you probably will not like to have wedding invitations that do not match the bridesmaid dresses. So, think about this first. It might be that you have already chosen colors for your wedding invitations, but you just don’t know it yet (if you have some favorite colors you absolutely love, they might be perfect for your wedding colors).

Season

Another way to choose colors for your wedding invitations is to look at the season and think about which colors are going to complement a wedding held at that time of year. This means that for a fall wedding, you will want to use warm colors like reds, browns, and oranges. For a winter wedding, whites and icy blues, purples, and greens can be beautiful. Many people choose pastels in the spring and bright vibrant colors in the summer. Again, you might also be thinking of main and accent colors for other elements of your wedding, so keep the seasons in mind. Although using reds and oranges in the spring might seem a little odd, in the end it is still going to be up to you, so if you are completely opposed to having your colors match the season, you can just go ahead and choose any colors you like.

Type of Wedding

It is also, in some circumstances, prudent to look at the type of wedding you are planning in order to decide which colors you should be using on the invitation. In fact, this is something that is very important because it is often the invitations that set the mood for the whole wedding. A fancy, formal, nighttime wedding should have colors that are also fancy and formal, like deep blues, purples, and blacks. A fun and breezy beach wedding, on the other hand, should have colors that complement the sand and sun – light browns and yellows, or pinks and blues. A simple afternoon wedding should have simple colors, while an elegant and formal wedding should have regal colors and royal hues.

Complimentary Colors

Also, when choosing wedding invitations, keep in mind which colors will complement each other. You might enjoy a bright red and a bright pink, but your guests will get a headache upon opening your invitation, and might not take your wedding seriously. Keep to colors that work well together, and colors that look nice side by side. This will help you make sure that you have chosen a color pallet that is soothing to the eyes, and not something that is difficult to read.

Likes and Dislikes

No matter the colors you have already used, the season, or the mood, it is important to also choose colors that you like. If you have a nighttime wedding, but cannot stand dark colors, try to do a more subtle tone with something bright thrown in. If you are getting married on the beach, but have always wanted to have dark purple bridesmaid dresses, you can pair that color with a light brown and use another brown shade to offset the dark purple as well. If you have colors that you simply adore, work with them a little bit to see if you can make them work with your mood, your theme, and your season. Chances are that just about any color can work for invitations to any wedding, as long as you plan accordingly.