DIY Wedding Flowers – Save Money, Use Carnations

Carnations are much underrated flowers. These flowers have a reputation for being cheap and cheerful, ok for buttonholes, but unthinkable for the bridal bouquet!

During the 1940's, carnations were the traditional flowers used with asparagus fern in huge, trailing wedding bouquets.

It is time carnations made a comeback. Carnations are incredibly long-lasting, are available in almost every colour you can imagine and are undoubtedly one of the best ways to save money on your wedding flowers. If you have a limited budget for your wedding flowers then carnations should never be overlooked.

If you want to try your hand at DIY wedding flowers, but have no experience at all, carnations are the perfect flowers for you. You can buy them very reasonably from your local florist. They may offer a discount for a bulk order and offer advice regarding the variety you should have. Arrange to collect them about 10 days before the wedding. Make sure you buy them fresh and that the heads are tight. A week in some deep water will open them up so that they are ready to use.

TIP: Buy Dutch or Columbian carnations. Spanish ones will be cheaper but don't always open fully.

The shape of carnations, when fully open, is such that they 'fit' together really easily. This makes them perfect for DIY wedding flowers. They are tough to break, but you should bear in mind that they have weak spots in the stem called 'knuckles'. These are the places where they are most vulnerable, so handle the stems with care in these spots.

Tie about 12, fully opened carnations together with some string or ribbon, keeping the heads level. Bind down the stem with some fabric or ribbon to match your wedding themed colour. Leave the stems long, so that they can stand in water and not soak the fabric; you can trim them to size on the day of the wedding. Use the same method to tie smaller bunches for your bridesmaids. For the table centrepieces, use the same method, but use a thin, matching ribbon to tie them them together, as there is no need to bind down the stem. They will then be ready to pop into decorated tins or glass jars on the tables. You could place them in clusters of 3 or 5 for a larger centrepiece.

You can make all these up a day or two before the wedding, knowing that they will last in some vases of water. In fact they will probably do better if left for a couple of days, to allow them to open some more and fill in any little gaps you may have in the posies.

Get the girls round to help – open a bottle of wine, get creative and make a night of it!

Following this tip could save you couple of hundred pounds or more on your wedding flower arrangements. You will find it will be well worth the extra effort, you will save money and gain the satisfaction of knowing you have made them all yourself.

- © 2011 Vanessa Gill

2012 Peacock Hairstyling Trends

Here are some beautiful hair styling trends which are peacock-themed. You might need a professional to handle these hairstyle types for you, but you can have an idea of what you would like on your big day by going through these hair styles.

(Click Here to buy the peacock clip)

(Click Here to Buy The Hair Piece)

(Click Here to Buy This Black Peacock Hair Piece)

(Click Here To Buy This Piece)

Peacock Wall Decals

Not exactly wedding-oriented, but I am in love with the peacock wall decals displayed here. Have a look through them and see how they are able to change a boring looking room to a sophisticated, classy looking abode.

Have you ever considered having peacock wall decals before? Does a wall decal like the one shown below cater to your tastes?

If yes, then head over to Beautiful Peacock Wall Decals to get a glimpse of more.

For Peacock Wedding Flower Girls - 3 Items You'll Adore!

I have been shopping a lot at Etsy recently. I love how creative people get over there when it comes to designs of any category - clothing, jewelry etc. I found some gorgeous looking items which will look good on flower girls on your peacock themed wedding day. Team them up and see how it works for them.

1. Peacock Flower Girl Dress

I absolutely adore dress #2. The design is bright and lively. You can purchase Dress #1 or #2 from here. Price - $144.90.

2. Peacocks and Pansies Flower Girl Basket

This flower girl basket looks simple and easy to carry around. Perfect for your little flower girls. You can purchase this item from here. Price - $30.

3. Peacock Feather Wand

Use this peacock feather wand to complete your flower girls' attire. It is made-to-order only and you will have to notify the seller in advance. Here's the link. Price - $14.

Have an Earth-Friendly Wedding

A couple planning to get married may shy away from having an earth-friendly wedding because they think it means that they must hold their wedding in a meadow while barefoot and bedecked with flowers.

In reality, a wedding can be earth-friendly and still conform to your own personal style. The key is to make the right choices to reduce your ecological footprint while still remaining chic.

Wedding Dress

Most brides dream from the time that they are little girls about their wedding dress. If you open a bridal magazine, you will see that over half of the advertisements come from wedding dress manufacturers. However, a new wedding dress can seem wasteful. Not only is there spare fabric, but a bride will only use your dress once. If a bride’s mother has saved her dress to hand down, consider wearing it instead, or purchase a used dress from a resale shop.

Consider renting bridesmaid dresses and groomsmen’s tuxedos so that they can be re-used. Bridesmaid dresses may be different styles if they are in coordinating colors to match your wedding theme.

If the bride has her heart set on a new dress that is uniquely her, choose one made with sustainable fabrics like organic cotton or silk rather than synthetic material.

Venue

The venue is frequently the first major decision that a couple will make when planning their wedding. Some couples wait to set their date based on the availability of their desired location.

When it comes to ecological venues, outdoors is still the best choice. An indoor venue such as a country club, ballroom or a fancy resort will use electricity for air conditioning and lighting.

Stylish outdoor venues may include a tent set up on a special location such as the beach where you were engaged or a pavilion at a botanical garden. Alternately, a location such as a church with floor-to-ceiling windows can also provide natural light.

Locations such as an outdoor gazebo on the grounds of a hotel or a public park will have public facilities with modern conveniences such as running water so that your guests won’t feel like they are camping. At the same time you are allowing the sun to provide earth-friendly lighting.

If you feel that you must have your wedding at a resort, choose one that recycles and allows guests to re-use their towels to save on water and energy costs that come from washing linens.

Stationary

The invitation helps alert guests to the theme of your wedding while at the same time informs them of important details, such as the fact that a couple prefers donations to their favorite charity in lieu of gifts.

Some modern couples skip the invitations altogether and rely on the internet to invite their guests, either through eVites [double check that this is correct] or a wedding webpage. Avoid using email to announce your wedding. This form of everyday communication is not formal enough.

A few couples use the theme of their wedding to send unique gifts such as a tree seedling that guests can plant. If you choose a traditional invitation, choose recycled paper and opt for a single envelope rather than an interior and exterior envelope.

Favors

Although favors are considered a gift from the couple to their wedding party as a way of saying thank you for attending, most guests end up throwing their favors out. Edible favors with biodegradable packaging are one good way to ensure that favors don’t end up in landfills. Or you can skip the favor altogether and donate to a charity in your guest’s name.

Flowers

Exotic flowers are often grown using pesticides and shipped a long way to get to your wedding. Instead, choose locally grown flowers that are in season. Look for flowers that are VeriFlora-Certified. These flowers aren’t grown using harsh chemicals. Select potted plants for your centerpieces. Potted flowers can be replanted at a later date.

Food

Most wedding guests remember the food best from a wedding. Whether it is finger food or a four course meal, food is often the center of a reception. If your budget allows for it, you can choose pricier organic or vegan food. If your budget will not allow for this, you can select a locavore caterer. Locavores are people who use only ingredients produced locally. These ingredients use fewer resources to get from the source to your table, and may be fresher and better tasting.

If the idea of having a wedding that is completely earth-friendly seems too radical for you, you can still make one or two earth-friendly choices. Every little bit helps.

The Benefits of Hiring a Wedding Planner

At one time, wedding planners were used only by the wealthy, and by celebrities who wanted to create a lavish, memorable wedding. Today, wedding planners are often hired by ordinary couples who want help in creating their special day, on time and on budget. There are several reasons why hiring a wedding planner can be a good idea.

The main reason to hire a wedding planner is because co-ordinating all the details that go into a wedding can be extremely stressful. Most weddings require hundreds of hours of planning. It is not unusual for the bride and groom to be utterly exhausted by their wedding day. This keeps them from fully enjoying what should be one of the most special days of their lives. A wedding planner will take care of a lot of the most tedious details of planning, research, and negotiating, while leaving the couple free to enjoy themselves, knowing that everything is being expertly taken care of.

A good wedding planner can save you money as well as time. It can be confusing and exhausting contacting dozens of vendors and comparing price quotes on all the different details that go into making up a wedding. A professional who has already co-ordinated hundreds of weddings successfully will be far more experienced in handling negotiations with potential vendors to get you the best price. She can also keep you from being harassed by aggressive vendors who want your business. She will know which vendors, venues, and photographers have good reputations, and which ones you should avoid.

Wouldn`t you rather wake up on your wedding day feeling relaxed and confident, instead of worrying about some detail that you may have overlooked in all the preparations? A good wedding co-ordinator will know exactly how to help you achieve the wedding of your dreams, within the budget you have available. Thousands of couples have already discovered that hiring a wedding planner makes it much easier to enjoy their big day; maybe you should hire a wedding planner too?

If you have a wedding coming up soon, you may have wondered if you should do all the planning yourself, or if you should hire a wedding planner. A good wedding planner is a professional who knows how to take care of all the little details so you can have the wedding you have always wanted. Learn how hiring a wedding planner can save you time and money, leaving you free to enjoy your big day.

Color Trends for Bridal Dresses in 2012

Wedding dresses for 2012 are making quite the splash this season with a virtual kaleidoscope of stunning shades. While many brides still prefer to maintain tradition with a beautiful white or cream-colored bridal gown, wedding dress color trends are breaking with tradition this season and offering anxious brides an assortment of lovely hues ranging from bright and beautiful crimson to lovely and soft lavender. Take a look at the sensational bridal dress color trends for 2012.

Crimson Creations—Create a vision of bold and beautiful loveliness with a stunning crimson bridal gown. This season’s selection of deep and passionate colors offers a creative alternative for the bride who throws caution to the wind and wants to break away from the tradition of the white wedding dress.

Lovely Lavender—The bride who chooses to array herself in a lavender wedding dress will no doubt be a vision of sweet loveliness. Breaking slightly with tradition, soft pastel colors offer a sense of soft romance.

Seafoam Green—An ideal choice for a “green” or beach wedding, seafoam green bridal gowns are quite the hit this year. The bride who desires to stay close to nature will love this year’s selection of seafoam green bridal gowns.

Deep Violet—Another choice for the bride with a bold spirit, deep violet wedding gowns are taking center stage this year with a wide assortment of styles and materials.

Sky Blue Sensation—Brides who adorn themselves in the colors of the sky will create quite the sensation this year. Sky blue bridal gowns portray a natural and sophisticated spirit.

Buy Wedding Dresses 2012