Jul 22, 2011
When it comes to florals, figuring out what type of bridal bouquet is the right fit for you can sometimes be confusing. Here are some of the most common wedding bouquet styles and even here, this is just a beginning! Size, color and composition are altered to make a custom bouquet that is unique just like you. Some are more traditional, some formal, some casual, some colorful – these days you can incorporate almost anything into your bouquet – fabric, feathers, branches, succulents, berries… Find which bouquet fits your wedding style!
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Biedermeier:
A Biedermeier is a small bouquet organized in alternating color hue rings, like a bulls eye. The rings can be composed of different types of flowers or the same type in two different hues.
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Cascade:
A cascade bouquet is the most formal and traditional choice. It has greenery and flowers that flow down from the top. The bouquet is very full at the top and some of the flowers hang down, to give a cascading effect. This style was very popular in the 1980’s and 1990’s, but has recently been revamped with a more modern style.
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Freeform:
The freeform bouquet does not have a specific shape or structure. Typically the freeform bouquet has both flowers and greenery and evokes a more natural feel. The freeform is usually hand tied with ribbon.
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Freeform, Modern:
Full of color, texture and tons of details, the modern freeform bouquet can fit many wedding styles. With multiple flower types and natural accents like succulents, this bouquet is fresh and modern yet stylish and natural.
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Lightship Basket:
A lightship basket is a bouquet of flowers and greenery that is carried in a basket. The lightship basket can be decorated with ribbon or just a natural basket. They are most commonly used on the east coast and carried by bridesmaids.
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Nosegay:
The nosegay is a round, uniform bouquet. It is typically tightly wrapped with ribbon comprised of densely packed similar blossoms and greenery. This elegant bouquet is very
popular with modern brides.
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Pomander:
The pomander is also commonly referred to as the kissing ball. A pomander is a ball shaped bouquet that is suspended from ribbon. It is typically carried by flower girls, junior bridesmaids, or is used as a ceremony decoration.
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Posy:
The posy bouquet is typically an all flower bouquet; they do not contain any greenery. The posy is the one of the more common choices of modern brides. The posy is most commonly hand-tied with ribbon.
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Jun 8, 2011
We thought this new bridesmaid dress website, Weddington Way, would be a perfect follow-up to our post on floral frocks. More often than not, when planning a destination wedding, your closest gals and BFF’s are not down the street or even in the same area code. This can make selecting bridesmaids dresses more of a logistical nightmare rather than one of the fun details of the wedding.
Weddington Way is a new web site that is dedicated to bringing together brides and their bridesmaids – no matter the distance. At Weddington Way, you and your bridesmaids can connect, shop and share the perfect dresses without complicated travel and multiple dress appointments.
This shopping site is the brainchild of a former buyer of Bloomingdales who noticed a need for better online resources for brides-to-be and their bridal parties. This will simplify the way brides shop for the bridesmaid dress. Anyone, a bride (or a bridesmaid) can register on the site for free and then invite the rest of the party to join her. Your personal bridal party page allows you to custom write messages to your bridal party through out the selection process.
Shop: There’s a hand-selected collection of dresses from top designers. You can filter your search by style, theme, color, price and more.
Compare: You can mark certain dresses as your favorites and share them with your bridal party. A drag and drop feature allows you to see your potential dress lineup.
Share: You can select styles and share opinions on the shared social page between your entire bridal party.
Track: As a bride, you can see how your bridesmaids rank different dresses and track their ordering activity. This way, it’s easy to stay on top of the process with very little direct communication.
Weddington Way also allows you to virtually see a chosen bridesmaid dress in different styles. If a bride was leaning towards one color but not sure the perfect cut for everyone, then this will allow each bridesmaid to select the style that flatters her the best. Or the bridesmaids can select the dresses that they like and would compliment their curves the best, and the bride can choose which style(s) she prefers. Genius!
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May 27, 2011
Are you in love with color, lots of color?, and can’t decide on just one shade for your bridesmaid dress? With a floral bridesmaid dress you can have it all. It is fresh and playful but can also be sophisticated depending on the colors and floral design you select. Add a carefully chosen bouquet and you have created a stunning and unforgettable look for your wedding party.
The floral design is ideal for garden weddings but with the right pattern, it is equally at home at an outdoor wedding on a vast lawn or with a tropical twist, a beach wedding. Nothing seems more cheery in the summertime!
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You can even carry the floral pattern over to the groomsmen with matching ties for a coordinated, polished look.
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How to accessorize? By pairing your bridesmaid dress with a monochromatic bouquet you have a winning look. Maybe you are drawn to patterns and like the look of a black and white design while color spotting your bouquet? Subtle flowers, vibrant flowers or a retro pattern – this is where your wedding style comes into play.
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Mix it up by selecting one floral pattern yet have different dress style/cut options which allows your bridesmaids to chose the style that flatters her the most. Project Runway competitor, Jesse LeNoir, designed these one-of-a-kind bridesmaid dresses for his wedding in March 2010. Each dress was designed to complement each bridesmaid’s body type and personal style.
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Personally, I love this look when pulled off correctly and even selected it for my own wedding. I chose a simple silk Tommy Bahama dress with a subtle tropical pattern – after all, we were in Maui! My gals carried green cymbidium orchids with callas which were slightly smaller than my own bouquet. One of my favorite getting ready pics below.
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Our Top Picks:
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BHLDN Bubble Floral Dress
Chiffon Orange/Pink Floral Pretty Bridesmaids.com
Chiffon Floral from Pretty Bridesmaids.com
Long Version of Chiffon Pretty Bridesmaids.com
BCBGMaxAzaria - Ivory Dress with Floral Adorned Rosettes
Poppy Galore by Tommy Bahama
Anemones Dress by Tommy Bahama
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May 13, 2011
Monograms have been the oldest form of identification in the world – always omnipresent for royalty, but now it seems everyone is taking pride in their initials or initials to be… How to show these off in ways that best suit you and your style of wedding?
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Ways To Rock Your Monogram
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Ideas are endless here.
In the Ceremony you can make your mark on your aisle/aisle runner, your program, bouquet wrap, altar decor, chair backs, ring bearer pillow, flower girl baskets…
In the Reception you can showcase your initials on pillows, your menu, your napkins, your cake topper, the dance floor, personalized signs, centerpiece vases, linen decor/runners, gift bags or actually create letters out of flowers or wood. These are just a few!
For your Attire, personalized jewelry is at the top as well as lounge wear for your wedding party, personalized hangers for you, tote bags or any garment – nothing is off limits!
A very popular look in Tahoe is the woodland look but we love to jazz this up (or down) depending on the taste of our bride. Softening the wood look with fabric and flowers is a sure hit but also unexpected elements also from nature like berries or gemstones work too. If gemstones aren’t in the budget, some great inexpensive crystals can give an unforgettable effect too. Some of our favorite woodland finds from Etsy artist BraggingBags:
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Some of our favorite monogram looks from our past Merrily Wed weddings:
Photos courtesy of: clockwise from top – Jay Reilly Photography, Catherine Hall Studios and Zorn Photography.
Photos courtesy of: Kendall Price Photography, Jennifer Baciocco Photography and Kendall Price Photography.
Express yourself! There are many websites that create custom wedding monograms and logos for you. If you are more of a DIY type, there is even a whole blog spot dedicated to helping you create your custom monogram. It gives you a step-by-step tutorial: weddingmonograms.blogspot.
Apr 14, 2011
Looking for a little organic inspiration to make your wedding a stand out? Whether aesthetically or symbolically, here are our top six herbs you might like to use.
For countless years herbs have had symbolic meanings ranging from healing powers to calming nerves to lifting one’s spirits. Brides have historically carried them in their bouquets and in their bridal crowns for many different reasons. Some for texture, some for smell and some for the meaning they will bestow.
Below are some of the most commonly used wedding herbs and the symbolism behind each. Incorporating an herb or two into your bouquet or centerpiece adds a textural element as well as a modern organic look. Other uses include accessorizing your appetizer platters, tablescape, signature drink… use your imagination!
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Some of our Favorites:
Rosemary
Rosemary is the herb of remembrance. This is why it is so commonly used at weddings, so every guest will remember the special day. Rosemary was used for weddings by Ancient Greek brides in their bridal crowns. Today rosemary can adorn a boutonniere, a place setting, be given as a guest favor or add texture to a floral arrangement.
Marjoram
Marjoram is the Greek symbol of joy and happiness. Marjoram also represents goodwill as the couple starts their new life. Marjoram was also used by Ancient Greek brides in their bridal crowns. This green herb can add subtle interest to many flower combinations and most wouldn’t even know what it is.
Lavender
Lavender is the herb of devotion. Lavender is used in wedding bouquets for symbol of devotion as well as the signature aroma of the herb. Lavender has a soothing smell that can help calm the bride’s nerves. Lavender is probably the most popular herb of today and has been used in countless weddings in many different ways.
Thyme
Thyme is the symbol of strength and courage. For courage brides tuck thyme into their bouquet and tie it with white ribbon. Thyme was also tucked into knights armor before battle to give them strength and courage. This herb makes a perfect accompaniment to amaranthus as a dangling addition to your florals.
Sage
Sage is the herb of long life, good health, and domestic sweetness. If sage and garlic are both carried by a bride it was believed to give her great wisdom as well as goodness. For the modern day, sage is a nice addition to centerpieces and serving platters. Depending on the variety, like prairie sage, there is a beautiful blue-green shade to use.
Dill
Dill is the herb of lust. It was believed that a bride would only lust for her husband if she carried dill in her bouquet. Dill was especially commonly used when the couple was to ‘consummate’ their marriage directly after (- that might be dating it a little!) Besides its meaning, dill can add a soft texture to your bouquet too. Not surprising that dill was named 2010 Herb of the Year by the International Herb Association.
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Maybe one or two of these herbs can add that organic and natural touch to your wedding!
Apr 7, 2011
This cream, light blue and blush colored vintage inspiration board created by our intern Alex, instills a very romantic feel with hints of Spring. We fell head over heels for the illustrous fantasy mood evoked by the hanging votive light bulbs, lounge area and wedding dress. The vintage Save the Date handkerchief makes an unforgettable stylish and lingering impression for guests in anticipation of the wedding day. Soft, feminine and most certainly lovely.
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Photo Credits:
Top row: Once Wed, WM Events and Ruffled
Second row: Style Me Pretty, Style Me Pretty, Ruffled, Jim Hjelm and Junebug Weddings
Bottom row: Ruffled, Pink Stilletos, Wedding Chicks and La Tavola Linen
Freeform, Modern:
