Month: December 2015

A New Year’s Eve Wedding Celebration

What’s more romantic than ringing in the New Year as newlyweds? More and more couples are choosing to have their wedding on New Year’s Eve (after all, none of your guests will have to go to work the next day, which means they can let really loose and party!).Tying the knot on one of the most celebrated nights of the year is as special as it is unique. Endless strings of confetti, boundless amounts of glamour, and a New Year’s Eve kiss that will last a lifetime are just a few of the factors that make this special day one to remember! If you’re thinking about having a New Year’s Eve nuptials, here are some of our favorite wedding-day details guaranteed to turn your celebration into the biggest party of the year.

 

You’re guaranteed a New Year’s Eve kiss
What better way to ring in the new year than with your newly married spouse! After sealing the deal with a kiss at the altar, grab your new husband or wife and kiss the past year goodbye! Set up a photo booth to perfectly capture your countdown kiss and ensure a snapshot worthy of displaying all year!

 

You have a reason to party way after midnight
Not only do you get to ring in the new year with your closest family and friends, but after midnight, you get to spend the first day of the new year with your favorite squad! Plan for a later time slot when it comes to kicking off the festivities to ensure your cheerful party guests won’t burn out before the famous countdown begins.

 

Photo: Kristen Driscoll Photography

You will always remember your anniversary
New Years Eve is not only one of the most celebrated holidays worldwide, but it is an event that will be impossible to forget, much like your wedding day. Celebrating one of the biggest days of your life on one of the biggest days of the year will guarantee a free pass to any missed anniversary blunders down the road.

 

Photo: Garrett Hubbard Studios

Endless lights, sparklers, and cocktails are absolutely encouraged
Unlike most occasions, New Years Eve is meant to be overloaded with glitter, sparklers, glitz, and lots of bubbly beverages. Sparkly bridesmaid dresses, gold and black décor, cheerful champagne centerpieces, and festive décor are not only accepted on New Years Eve, but are absolutely necessary when throwing a proper celebration.

 

Photo: Tjuttke.com

It’s the perfect excuse to go all-out before the new year
Motivation to kick-off your New Year’s resolutions couldn’t come at a better time when hosting such an indulgent wedding. Throw your cares out the window when it comes to excessive selfie-stick use, too-many pours of champagne, and far too many plates worth of dark chocolate truffles. Use this powerful day full of love, joy, and celebration to remember all of the special moments that lead you to this ultimate celebration of what’s ahead.

 

new year's eve wedding ideas
Photo: Jade and Matthew Take Pictures 

 

Disco Ball Place Cards

Tuck guests’s place cards into sparkly mini disco balls and display them at each place setting (these are actually made using gold sequins!).

 

new year's eve wedding ideas

 

Top Hats

Stock your photo booth plenty of party hats and/or pass them out to guests on the dance floor.

 

new year's eve wedding ideas

 

Horns and Noisemakers

Tie escort cards to party horns to create a festive New Year’s Eve-themed display or have jars full of shiny noisemakers for guests to grab and blow!

 

Photo: Bridal Guide

 

New Year’s Resolutions

Instead of a traditional guest book, invite everyone to make a New Year’s resolution for you and your groom to accomplish during your first year of marriage.

 

new year's eve wedding ideas
Photo: via BuzzFeed

 

Champagne Tower

Bubbly is a must, obviously, so let it flow freely with a dramatic champagne tower(perfect for a midnight toast!).

 

new year's eve wedding ideas
Photo: Hetler Photography

Clock Cookies:

Sugar cookies iced to resemble clocks striking midnight make the perfect wedding favor.

 

new year's eve wedding ideas
 Photo: Ourweddingdayblog.com

 

Have A Wonderful New Years! 

Nebraska Wedding Details

Blog courtesy of: Brides.com

The Most Anticipated Wedding Trends of 2016

Most Anticipated Wedding Trends 2016

With 2016 quickly flooding our Instagram feeds and Twitter pages, it’s no doubt that the first cluster of weddings will soon make their way onto our Pinterest pages. These highly anticipated wedding trends will give you a sneak peak of the creativity that’s to come! These are the most anticipated wedding trends for 2016.

Wedding Cake Stand-ins
People are saying “no” to the traditional wedding cake, and using creative options to stretch their dollar when it comes to dishing out dessert. Tiered cheesecake, or an abundance of flavorful pies, serves as a less costly replacement for the usually lavish centerpiece.

 

Metallic Mania
The elevated version of sparkle and bling has brought numerous amounts of gold, silver, and metallic color palettes to every aspect of the embellishing process. Brides are using foil printing and stamped lettering to incorporate modern sparkle elements into their invitations and stationery. Rose gold and copper are already expected to be two of the most requested shades for 2016.

 

 

Over-the-Top Themes
People are often torn between attending an event, and taking an Instagram worthy picture of the themed décor. “Instagrammable” elements are being used more often in a wedding to put on an exaggerated display for their guests, and their followers. Theatrical food options, backdrops, and entertainment will definitely be on their A-game in the coming year.

 

 

Live Music Entertainment
DJ’s are slowly becoming a thing of the past thanks to the incorporation of live bands and entertainment. Everything from singers, pianists, percussionists, and orchestra’s can help amplify the ambiance of your special day.

 

Station and Cocktail Receptions
With weddings taking a major emphasis in the word “party” it’s no surprise that more and more couple’s are opting for less formal dinner options, like stations, to bring the feeling of cocktail hour throughout the entire night. Carts filled with customizable appetizers, desserts, salad bars, and gourmet cuisine, are all options that can be utilized with this modern movement.

 

 image

Emphasis on Intimate
With the absence of formal dinners, comes the absence of large wedding parties. Couples are continuously being drawn to specialty venues like rustic barns, intimate chateaus, and industrial lofts to limit the amount of guests during their nuptials. If you, and your spouse, are expected to foot the bill yourself, this is definitely a viable option.

Photo: DHGate.com 

Feather Fascination
Making a statement with your bridal gown will be easier than ever thanks to the growing trend of feathers. Designers have started incorporating feathers into traditional gown elements like, covering ball-gown skirts with fun feathers for an added surprise, or using feathers to add unconventional elements to your dress making it easily transitional to wear again.

 

 

 

Naked Cakes

If the thought of letting go of the traditional wedding cake is just too much, then this modern day decorating trend (or lack there of) will continue to make its way to receptions well into the new year. Known for having unfrosted sides, and fresh flower adornments, this modern design transcends any cake design you’ve ever seen before.

 

 

Shareable Highlights
Short clips documenting your big day’s most memorable moments, like that first married kiss, are being offered in “instant gratification” packages that allow you to share your big day with those that couldn’t make it. Same day edits provide couples with a short highlight reel of the days festivities creating a unique way to relive the celebrations greatest moments.

 

Post courtesy of Brides.com

Think beyond drinks and snacks — your guests will have a blast getting to know each other doing these cool activities.

Instead of asking yourselves how to keep the kids occupied during the cocktail hour or reception, think about your entire guest list. Adding a few games or ice-breakers is the best way to get people mixing and mingling before they sit down to dinner. Creative ideas below!

Croquet on the Lawn

 

A Giant Jenga Set 

Cocktail Table Tic-Tac-Toe

Tic Tac Toe tables at wedding reception

 

Customized Cornhole

A Mini Petting Zoo

A Game of I-Spy

Roasting Marshmallows

Reception bonfire with guests roasting s'mores

A Caricature Artist

A Game of Checkers

Rustic hay bale checkers at wedding reception

A Custom Piñata

Bride and cowboy boot pinata
 Courtesy of: Crazy Forus

We all know that the more often we do something, the better we get. But when it comes to planning a wedding, you only get one shot to get it right. A wedding is a once in a lifetime event, afterall! After the dust has settled from the big day, we want every bride to walk away saying “that was everything I dreamed of” and have no regrets. Here are 8 things we think every bride should know.

Weddingstar Classic Wedding Groom in Black Tuxedo

1. Who does what?

Your fiancé might not be as involved as you would like him to be. BUT, that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t care as much about the wedding or that he isn’t as excited as you are to be married. It just means that floral choices and backdrops are not his top priority. The important thing is not to stress about it. Find out which parts of the wedding are most important to him. Chances are that if he is a foodie or loves music, he will show much more interest in planning the dinner or creating the perfect wedding playlist. Don’t be afraid to ask him what he is looking forward to the most. His answer might just surprise you!

 

From: life&stylemag

2. Recruit a coordinator

Even if you DIY your entire wedding up to the day, having a day-of coordinator might be worth it. Having someone to handle the running around and setting up for you is much less stressful. It still allows you to coordinate every detail while being able to enjoy all your hard work on the day of. It is also less costly than hiring a wedding planner!

 

3. Schedule some alone time

Remember to set some time aside. Even if it is just a few minutes to be alone with your sweetie on your wedding day. The day will come and go by so fast. It is important to cherish a moment (or two) with each other and remember why this is all happening in the first place. Some good times to do this are often between photos and cocktails, or after the speeches are over.

 

4. Have a plan B.

This one might be a given, but it is often overlooked. We often dream of our wedding day being sunny and beautiful. But we all know that Mother Nature isn’t always kind. If you are planning to have your ceremony outside and there is a torrential downpour, a backup plan will prevent stress, worry and chaos. Make sure that your parents, wedding planner/coordinator and bridal party are all aware of the plan if the weather turns. Also, remember to pick a few indoor photo shoot locations.

 

5. Acquire proper permits

If you are planning to have alcohol at your wedding, it is important to educate yourself on rules and permits. Often different venues will have their own set of rules in regards to alcohol. Make sure you speak with your venue and are clear on what their guidelines are. Is the bar included in your venue rental? Does this include a bartender? Is the permit a part of the package? When are we required to stop serving drinks? Are we able to purchase and serve our own wine or do we need to use your bottle service? These are all very important questions to ask when booking your venue.

 

From: the knot

6. Make your guest list first

Picking a venue is one of the very first things you will do when planning your wedding. BUT, there is one more very important step you need to take before signing that contract. Make a rough guest list. This in no way needs to be finalized, but it is so important to have a rough idea of numbers before you book. The last thing you want is to book a venue that only holds 100 and find out that your guest list is actually 150.

 

7. Consider extra costs beyond the dress

Remember to budget for alterations when picking your wedding dress. Lace applique, beading and other details can often be costly to alter. Before saying “yes” to the dress, talk to your bridal consultant about an alteration estimate.

 

8. Maximize your photographer’s time (and your budget!)

Photographers and videographers are so important to a wedding, but they can also be very hard on your wedding budget. If your budget does not allow for a full day wedding package, there is still a way to capture all the important moments. Don’t be afraid to play with the traditional reception program. Who said that the bouquet toss and cake cutting have to be at the end of the night? Kick off your reception with the first dance, cut the cake after dinner, and then toss the bouquet. This will allow you to shave a few hours from your photography package while still capturing all those big moments.

 

 

 

 

Courtesy of: The Wedding Star – Morgan Emmess | Cover Photo From: Wedding Star

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