Getting the best bloom for your buck

Some of the most expensive components to a wedding are flowers.  A bridal bouquet can run anywhere from $100 - $300.  Add ceremony alter and aisle pieces, reception centerpieces and you can find yourself well above your budget.  Although quite expensive, floral is a must at a wedding.  The type of floral can set a tone and overall feeling of a wedding.  Take lush orchids, their bold and beautiful colors are perfect for a beach side wedding.  Or black magic roses, their velvety and rich color just oozes romance for a formal, winter wedding.  I recently had the opportunity to sit down with a very talented floral designer, Clare from The English Rose, located in Ankeny, IA. Her knowledge of how flowers create that special feeling is second to none.  Clare walked through each and every arrangement as it were to be a piece of art.  Now that's passion!  She also talked about seasonal flowers and how that can be a huge savings. For example, my wedding will be around Memorial Day weekend, and peonies are in prime season.  Their cost is significantly lower at that time than any other time of year.  Hydrangeas are more available mainly in the winter months.  Here is a chart that shows flower seasons by color.  If you can use flowers that are in season, you may have a little cash in your pocket to splurge on other things.

 http://www.weddingflowersinmaleny.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=126&Itemid=113

March Madness? How about Pinterest Madness!

The last few days at my house have been filled with nothing but basketball.  My fiance, and I'm sure all of yours, have been hogging the TV with NCAA Championships.  My normal Sunday of Say Yes to the Dress and Lifetime Movie Network has been replaced by Iowa State vs Ohio State along with a plethora of other teams.  Now don't get me wrong - I enjoy my share of sports, and I've got a bracket myself.  I don't however feel it necessary to view each game in its entirety.  So what do I do while I'm on the couch - Pinterst of course!!!

I know that I've mentioned the impact that Pinterest has had on modern weddings before (Unlimited creativity and more of a DIY then ever before).  Pinterest is a collection of dreams right at our fingertips.  So...in the last few days, here some of my favorite recent pins:
Bridesmaid's gifts - "thanks for helping me tie the knot"

 Red Centerpieces

 Wedding Hair

 Cute Vintage Centerpiece

 At the bottom of the cake, hide whatever the groom likes... sports mascot, band logo, anything. Because it's just as much his day as it is yours.


What have you found lately? 

Cake vs. Cupcakes - may the best dessert win!

Red Velvet, Champagne, Wedding Cake White, Double Chocolate, and the all famous Almond - all traditional wedding cake flavors.  It makes my mouth water just thinking about.  I. Love. Cake.

The cutting of the wedding cake is symbolic with starting a new life together.  It's the social "breaking of the bread".  In ancient days of Rome, it was tradition that the Groom would smash a barley cake over the brides head and the guests would gather up the crumbs as good luck.  (I'm sure glad I'm not in ancient Rome).  In sixteenth century England, the color of pure white icing represented the virginity of the bride as well as alluded to the wealth of the family.  Today, although still very symbolic, we really just want our guests to have dessert! 

Like many things in today's bridal world, the bride looks for something different, something unique.  In that continual search for uniqueness came TLC's DC Cupcakes.  http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/dc-cupcakes Enter the phenomenon of wedding cupcakes.  This trend caught fire and is blazing HOT!  The show is about two sisters in DC that own Georgetown Cupcakes.  Before this, cupcakes were for 5 year old birthday parties.  I mean how on earth can a cupcake be elegant?  These two women showed us how, and I believe this is where we begin our quest for a winner - cake vs cupcakes!

In my opinion, the traditional tiered cake is timeless.  Now I'm not talking about the cakes from the 80's that had water features and staircases.  (Although we may look back one day and say the same thing about fondant.)  I am talking about a clean, beautiful construction of sugar.  It would say about a couple that they are a classy bunch of folk.  On the other hand, cupcakes are fun, and you would guess that this couple is too!  With cupcakes, guests can choose different flavors, there is no need for a cake cutting service (I can tell you first hand that cake cutting is a serious job - not for the new-bees), and hello - no fork necessary.

Cake, like everything else that goes into planning a wedding, has the couple's special finger print on it.  It says who they are and who they will be as a couple.  Me, I think I'll go for the traditional cake.

Fit for a Princess

Like any little girl growing up, I wanted to be a princess - you know, the Cinderella ballgown and sparkly tiara wearing, castle living, fairy godmother having princess.  And then we grow up, well we're supposed to anyways.  We are taught how to be an adult, get a job, pay rent, do your laundry, don't forget to change your oil, and conversations stem around 401K's! We are told that life isn't a fairytale, this is the real world hunny!

Alas a ring is placed on the girl's finger and those stuffed down princess dreams can arise from the depths of her inner most being - a wedding that would make even David Tutera swoon!

There are many things that come with a princess wedding:

• The Dress - No question about it, this must be a ballgown, and the bigger the better.  More tulle > less tulle.
• Flowers - Roses, duh.
• Transportation - you guessed it, a horse drawn carriage, and bonus points if the carriage is shaped like a pumpkin
• Guest attire - black tie
• Signature drink - champagne
• Ideal location - Disney World.  I know your heart literally just stopped.

Take a look at a few of my fav photos:

  

                                                                   

2013 Bridal Forum

ATTENTION! ATTENTION!  All of the Bride-to-Bes, Maid of Honor-to-Bes, and Sister's of the Brides - this Sunday, January 6th is the Your Wedding Iowa Bridal Forum.  Now, unless you've been hiding under a rock during this amazing time, you know all about the importance of going to a Bridal Show.  No where else can you find all of those vendors that you've been Googling right at your fingertips.  Cakeries, dress shops, DJ's, photographers, caterers, event designers, and florists - all together in one fantastic location.  Taste the cakes and caterer samples, see the photos, and meet with the people that you could possibly working with on the most special day of your life.  And did I forget to mention the discount?!  Many, if not all vendors, offer special discounts and offers just for coming to visit their booth.  Ladies - this event is a must do!

Your Wedding Iowa Bridal Forum

Sheraton West Des Moines

Sunday, January 6

10:30am - 3:30pm      www.yourweddingiowa.com

Were you a good girl this year?

Well it's that time of year again, and no, I am not talking about the Holidays.  I am talking about engagement season!  Between Thanksgivning and New Years is the time that a third of engagements happen.  Perhaps it is a great time for families to share in the glory of love, or perhaps it's an opportunity to kill two birds with one - ahem - "stone."  Either way, that means that January becomes the beginning of wedding planning.  You'll see the Bridal Shows begin to pop up everywhere.  (I guess now would be the appropriate time to remind you all of the Bridal Forum that happens the first Sunday of January here at the Sheraton West Des Moines.  It's put on by Your Wedding Iowa, and it is not to be missed. http://www.yourweddingiowa.com/iowa-brides-plan-at-bridal-forum.php ) You'll see those bridal magazines flying off of the shelves and hours spent on The Knot.com.  And of course let's not forget the subtle commercial reminders that jewelers give to those guys during the football games - classic! 

I know a lot of women (yes, some of them are my friends) who are hoping that Santa turns her piece of coal into a big fat diamond this year, and for thier guy's sake, I hope thier right.  My advice to those ladies who are crossing fingers and toes for a holiday engagement would be to say it out right - that is if you haven't already made it obvious (you know who you are).  Be honest, but not pushy.  Your guy knows when it's right.  So I leave you with wishes of a happy holiday season - may you get all that you asked for!

Las Vegas - not just for drive-thu weddings

I recently got back from Las Vegas, and it got me thinking about how many people get married in Vegas each year.  The answer - 120,000 marriage certificates are granted each year.  Now I can't say how many of those are legitimately from A Little White Wedding Chapel or the dozen other wedding on the fly kind of venues, but to put it in perspective, that is less than the entire state of Illinois - including all of Chicago.  I saw more than one bride in a white gown walking down the strip.  Yep, right there among the drink-in-hand tourists with dollar signs in their eyes.  But this is not the point that I want to make.  In fact it's quite the opposite.

There are the most amazing hotels with the most amazing places to hold a reception, not to mention that the caliber of culinary geniuses that would be creating your food and drink is bar none.  I think that Las Vegas gets a bad rap on weddings because of the old school thinking and the easy humor that Hollywood  creates with these Vegas weddings.  I mean, I dint think anyone thinks that the Hangover wedding was a classy affair, but it absolutely can be.  These incredible dare I even say hotels have the most modern and up to date facilities and hotel rooms.  Intimate ceremony sites and brilliantly unique reception places.  What I most love about having a wedding in Las Vegas is that your guests can actually have a good time during the time that their not at your reception.  Traveling for a wedding is so often a pain in the you know what, but why cant we make a little weekend of it.  Weddings are about good times and celebration with your friends and family.  The view is really a bonus!