Celtic Wedding Rings

A fairly new trend in wedding ring design has risen in popularity over the past few years and it’s based on something that is anything but new. Celtic wedding rings, wedding bands and engagement rings that are designed featuring classic Celtic knot work are adorning more and more matrimonial fingers than ever before, perhaps since the days of the Celts themselves.

At one time these rings could only be special ordered from specific companies and were very costly. Today, however, with the rise in popularity of ancient Celtic design, many jewelers are carrying Celtic wedding rings and jewelry of all kinds on a regular basis.

The best and most beautiful Celtic wedding rings still come from companies that design the jewelry and do all the work themselves. Special intricate designs can be custom ordered and there are companies that will work your initials into a unique Celtic design for your wedding band… Purchasing your wedding rings from one of these companies can result in your having a true one of a kind ring that is completely unique to you. If you love the Celtic look but want to spend a bit less, however, you can simply go to your closest jeweler and find a Celtic wedding ring that suits your tastes. The method you use is entirely up to you.

Celtic wedding rings take their laced designs from the patterns of the ancient Celts, European peoples in the areas of England and Ireland in the last few hundred years B.C. At one time the Celtic civilization stretched across most of Europe, but it is from Ireland that most of the Celtic traditions and designs have been gleaned. Celtic wedding rings incorporate the most recognizable of Celtic designs, the interwoven lacework of basic shapes, entwined and overlapping in a distinct pattern.

Celtic jewelry, including Celtic wedding rings, first gained popularity with followers of neo-pagan religions like Wicca, but are now worn by people of many faiths who simply like the look of the designs. Influences of Celtic design can be seen in many cultures, traditions, and religions of today, most notably in Roman Catholicism which has long since adopted the image of the Celtic Cross as one of their own. It seems only natural that the intricate, ornate, and beautiful designs of the Celts would once again find their way into popular culture. Celtic jewelry began appearing in mainstream America again about ten years ago, although it has been around in one form or another for ages before that.

Celtic wedding rings and other Celtic jewelry make a statement about the person who wears them to the rest of the world. Wearing it says that this is a unique and different person with their own style and a different perspective. Having a Celtic wedding ring on your finger will let you hear some things as well. Most common is the comment, “Oh my gosh, what a gorgeous ring! Where did you get that?”

Celtic Wedding Bands – 14k Gold Two Tone Celtic Knot Wedding Ring 8mm wide Celtic Wedding Bands – 14k Gold Two Tone Celtic Knot Wedding Ring 8mm wide Highly detailed Celtic Knot wedding Ring is made to order, for a perfect fit.

Wedding Flowers – How to Make Your Choice

Wedding flowers are one of the largest expenses for a wedding. Besides the bouquets and boutonnieres for the wedding party, brides usually want flowers to decorate the church, the reception hall, and for various members of their family. This expense can add up very quickly.

There are several important things to consider when choosing your wedding flowers. The first decision has to be whether you want fresh or fake- either paper or silk- flowers. Fresh flowers will generally cost more, especially if you choose flowers that are not in season. Fake flowers make not have the look and smell of fresh flowers, but are generally much cheaper. A good compromise may be fresh flowers for some items, such as reception centerpieces, and fake flowers for things people won’t be close to, such as bouquets and boutonnieres.

As a bride, you will also want to take into consideration any allergies that members of your bridal party may have. The last thing you want is an attendant sneezing all through the ceremony. No one will probably notice the red eyes- just write that off as emotions.

If you have already chosen your colors, this may dictate what kind of flowers you can choose for your wedding. If you are going with paper or silk flowers, you can choose any color you wish. However, fresh flowers only come in certain colors, unless you want to pay extra to dye their petals.

When choosing your wedding flowers, keep in mind the general style of your wedding (formal, theme, etc), and the colors of your attendants attire. Usually, attendant flowers are similar to the bride’s bouquet, which should make that choice fairly easy. However, you may wish coordinate flowers for the wedding party mothers, grandmothers, siblings, etc. with the color of their dresses.

To make sure no one has to figure out where all the flowers are going after the reception, you may want to mark a plate at each table as a winner. Whoever sits there gets the prize- the beautiful centerpiece!

Mini Butterfly Wedding Decorations

Having a spring wedding? Or maybe an “Alice in Wonderland” themed wedding?

The Butterfly Grove specializes in nylon butterfly decor for all your decorating needs. These beautiful butterflies are perfect for spring weddings – indoors or outdoors. The Butterfly Grove also offer nylon flowers, dragonflies, bees, and ladybugs, to complete the spring garden (or Alice in Wonderland) look.

The butterflies shown are 3″, however, butterflies are also available in 5″ and larger sizes.

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“Just Married” Beach Wedding Cake Topper

Beach weddings are very popular. This cute cake topper would be perfect for beach wedding, or an ocean-themed wedding.

From the manufacturer:

Made of hand-painted resin, this beach couple figurine measures 7″ tall. The widest point is 5″ and the base measures 3.75″ wide. The groom lovingly carries his bride in the sand, which has been decorated with a heart and the words “Just Married.” A bit of ocean blue and a scattering of seashells also decorate the base. Also available in African-American and Hispanic.

Click here to purchase this wedding cake topper

Gazebo Wedding Decorations

You’ve chosen the setting for your wedding ceremony – a beautiful gazebo with a lovely pond behind it. The decision you need to make now is whether to use the wedding gazebo as is, or enhance the setting with some nice decorations. If you are at a loss as to how to decorate this structure, here are some great tips for gazebo wedding decorations.

It will be easier to decide on decorations if you have your color palette and theme (if any) picked out before you begin. Keep color swatches with you when you shop for your gazebo decorations, so you can easily match or blend colors. You may also want to tuck a small inspiration photo album in your purse. You can then pull these pictures out in the stores to help you find just the right gazebo wedding decorations.

You may also want to ask the wedding gazebo owner about the types and colors of any flowers and plants that are planted close to the structure, and if these flowers will be blooming at the time of your wedding. If so, think about utilizing these built-in wedding decorations – perhaps choose the same flowers and complimentary colors for your wedding decorations. You could save a lot of money on flower arrangements by incorporating existing live plants!

A very classic and traditional way to decorate a gazebo for a wedding is to use tulle. This can be an inexpensive decorating tool, that will add a touch of romance and fantasy if hung right. Shop around for just the right color and try to buy entire bolts of tulle on sale. If you purchase too much for the gazebo, you can always use the leftover tulle to decorate tables, aisles, and other wedding receptions elements.

You don’t have to wrap tulle around the wedding gazebo. A prettier use might be to attach it to the inside top of the gazebo and let it hang down – like a romantic canopy over the bridal couple. You can also swag the tulle around the banister of the gazebo. Get creative in attaching the tulle – use flowers to hide the attachment areas.

Instead of tulle, you may want to use flowers and flower garlands. You can usually purchase these at craft stores, or in bulk online from stores like Oriental Trading Co. You could also use fresh flowers – though creating the garlands would be expensive and time-consuming. Flower petal strewn around the steps and floor of the gazebo add a nice romantic touch.

If the gazebo owner does not want you to use glue, nails, or staples to attach your decorations, you will probably need to buy some ribbon to tie the flowers and garlands in place. You could also use tulle cut into strips, either alone or mixed with ribbon, to use as ties. Ribbons come in such a variety of colors and styles that you are sure to find the right look.

Another idea for gazebo wedding decoration is to use strand of lights. You can wrap the lights around the pillar of the gazebo, or intertwine the lights with the flower or tulle garlands. Of course, the lights will only provide a romantic, fairy-tale effect if you can see them, so this idea would probably work better for evening or night weddings.

When you decorate the gazebo, consider extending the decorations out to where your guests will be sitting. Use the same tulle, ribbon, or flowers to decorate chairs and aisles. Make your guests feel they are part of the wedding ceremony, rather than just spectators looking at a stage.

Be creative when choosing your gazebo wedding decorations. You are really only limited by any restrictions the owners of the gazebo have. There are an infinite number of ways to decorate your chosen gazebo – tulle, ribbon, flowers, lights, crystals – even hanging butterflies – be creative in your wedding decoration ideas and your ceremony is sure to be one you and your guests will remember for a lifetime!

Wedding Cakes

A wedding cake is the main focal point of the reception, after the bride of course . Wedding cakes are as individual as the bride and groom, ranging from simple homemade cakes to extravagant works of at costing thousands of dollars.

When creating a wedding budget, be sure allow for the expensive of a wedding cake. More complicated and intricate decorations tend to drive up the price of the cake. Once a budget is in place, look for wedding cakes that fit into that budget.

Many people feel that an expensive cake is a waste of money that could be spent elsewhere in the wedding. Others may just prefer a basic cake, or even an alternative to cake, such as cupcakes or individual desserts with special meaning to the wedding couple.

The most common wedding cake seen at weddings is done in a traditional style. This cake usually consists of several layers that are decorated according to the theme and colors of the wedding.

To save money on a wedding cake, chose a smaller size wedding cake for the cake table, with simple decorations. Have sheet cakes ready to be served to guests. They are cheaper and taste just as good!

Using real flowers to decorate a cake is a popular choice. It doesn’t take many flowers to decorate the top of a wedding cake. The bridal bouquet, or a bridesmaid bouquet, can be used as well. Real flowers, rather than icing decorations, are often a more cost-effective way to stay within the wedding cake budget.

Keep in mind that if you insist on going over your budget on an elaborate wedding cake, you will either have to cut costs elsewhere or be prepared to spend more overall.

Research several wedding cake designers, and don’t forget to ask friends and family for recommendations. You may be able to find someone with talent that isn’t necessarily professional. These wedding cake hobbiest often produce elegant wedding cakes at a much lower cost.

Before signing on the dotted line for your wedding cake, be sure to see samples of their work, and taste samples if possible. If you aren’t satisfied with the samples, you undoubtedly won’t be happy with the final product. Don’t feel obligated to order from them, just because they provided samples.

Summer Weddings – What is the Best Dress

A big question of many brides’ minds is what type of wedding dress should they choose for a summer wedding. Most traditional wedding dresses are made with heavy material, such as satin, and have multi-layered petticoats under them to poof up the skirt. Needless to say, this sort stiff, heavy dress isn’t well suited to most summer weather. The last thing a bride wants perspiration marks under their arm and down their backs. So, what type of wedding dress is best to help you stay cool?

Fortunately, traditional wedding dress colors – white or pale colors – are perfect for hot weather. These colors reflect the heat, rather than absorbing it like dark colors do. Try to keep this in mind when choosing bridesmaid dresses too!

Summer brides can wear white easily, but may want to choose a lighter fabric. Whatever your fabric choice, remember that a good lining in an absorbent material will help soak up any perspiration and will help keep marks from showing on your dress. Look for a dress with a natural fabric lining, if possible.

Fortunately, bride’s have a wide choice in dress styles. Popular styles include lightweight, flowing fabric that are perfect for hot weather. When you try on the dress, make sure to leave it on for a few minutes to see if you heat up right away or not.

Of course, if you are having a more informal summer wedding, you may choose to go with a nice sun dress or even a prom dress, rather than a formal wedding dress. Choosing a more informal dress may open up a larger range of styles, colors, and fabrics. It may also be easier to choose complimenting bridesmaid dresses that won’t give you attendants heat stroke!

Choosing an informal dress has another advantage over traditional wedding dresses in that it is usually less expensive, even if it is custom made. This will free up your wedding budget for other areas, perhaps flowers or the cake.

Summertime is also the perfect time for a beach wedding. Sand can wreak havoc on traditional length dresses, so a beach bride may want to opt for a slightly shorter dress. But keep in mind that beaches are also often windy- you don’t want to show that garter until the reception!

If you live in an area where the weather is sometimes hot and sometimes cold in the summer, you may want to look for a sleeveless wedding dress, but keep a shawl or wrap handy in case the weather turns.

10 Wedding Party Gift Ideas

It is traditional for the bride to give the groom a gift on the wedding day.  Although the wedding rings that the couple exchanges can be considered gifts, many brides choose to honor their groom with an additional gift that suits his personality.

The gift of the bride and groom exchanging gifts is beginning to fade as many couples who spend a great deal of money on their wedding or honeymoon may decide that there is no need to exchange gifts in addition to the wedding and honeymoon.  If you do decide to honor your groom with a gift on your wedding day, it is more important to choose an item that he is sure to enjoy than it is to spend a great deal of money on the gift.

A photo album complete with a picture of you and the bridesmaid or the entire wedding party can be another unique gift idea for the bridesmaids.  You could purchase photo albums with the date of your wedding engraved on the front cover and start the photo album with a picture of you and the bridesmaid.  This is a wonderful gift idea because the bridesmaid can place her photos from the wedding day in the album and will always have a precious souvenir from your wedding day.

Gift certificates to a spa or a salon also make unique gift ideas for your bridesmaids.  Your bridesmaids most likely spent a great deal of time and energy in helping you to plan your wedding.  The week prior to your wedding was also probably especially hectic with a great deal of last minute details to attend to and errands to run.  While you will have your honeymoon to relax and renew your energy your bridesmaids do not have this luxury so by honoring them by presenting them with a gift certificate to a spa or salon you are giving them the gift or being pampered and the gift of relaxation.

A few more unique gift ideas for your bridesmaids’ gifts include handcrafted or homemade gifts.  For example you could put together a CD of some of your bridesmaids’ favorite songs.  You could make the CDs different for each bridesmaid and include a photo of the two of you on the cover and include a heartfelt poem on the inside of the CD cover.  You could also create a scrapbook for each of your bridesmaids.  You could either make the scrapbook a memory of your entire friendship together and include photos and other items from your various adventures throughout the years or if you plan ahead and take many photos documenting your wedding preparations, you could create scrapbooks as a remembrance of the wedding planning that you shared.

Any item that relates to a specific hobby that the groom enjoys is a great idea for a wedding gift for the bride to give to the groom.  This is a popular choice because giving a gift that relates to one of his hobbies demonstrates that you understand his likes and that you want him to continue to engage in activities that he enjoys.

Another unique gift idea for a bride to give to her bridesmaids is a gift certificate to a local restaurant.  Assisting in your wedding preparations was probably extremely stressful and time consuming for the bridesmaids and they certainly deserve a night on the town and the opportunity to not have to cook for a night.  This simple gift lets your bridesmaids know that you appreciate their efforts and that you want to thank them for all that they have done to support you.

Unique gift ideas for the bridesmaids can also stem from the wedding theme.  For example if you are having a beach themed wedding you might want to give your bridesmaids a gift of a tote bag, a beach towel and a novel to enjoy on the beach.  This unique gift idea ensures that your bridesmaids will remember your wedding fondly the next time they are at the beach.

Although the tradition of the bride and groom exchanging gifts on their wedding day is beginning to fade, many couples still wish to honor this tradition.  Many couples spend so much money on their wedding and reception that they feel as though they cannot afford the additional expense of buying gifts for each other.  While it may be true that the couple cannot afford one more extravagant gift it is also true that a truly thoughtful gift for the groom does not have to be overly expensive.  If the couple is partaking in this tradition it is advisable that they exchange gifts that truly reflect the personality of their spouse.

Personalized Wedding Favor Tags

Tag your wedding favors with something personal! Add an extra touch that your wedding guests will love.

These sturdy cardstock tags feature your choice of 75 new designs to coordinate with your reception.Choose a Round, Diamond, or Rectangle tag and personalize with your names and wedding date.

Available from The Knot Wedding Shop in a variety of colors and designs. Tags are sold in packs of 30.

Shown with Shimmer Favor Bags.

Rose Topiary Wedding Centerpieces

Romance is in bloom! These beautiful bouquets of ivory roses make perfect centerpieces or aisle markers. Not only will this serve as a centerpiece or an accent to embellish your wedding reception, but this will be a keepsake that will always stay fresh and never fade.

Fabric roses with terra-cotta pot. Pot 3 1/2″ diameter x 11 1/2″ high. Set of 8.

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