Theme Weddings (Part 4)

Start with Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

HAWAII THEMES

Waikiki, pineapples, fire dancers and hula girls!

No matter where you are, it’s easy to bring Hawaii, or any beach, to your own back yard (or wedding venue!).  This will be for the casual and laid-back bride that wants an exotic, island feel to her wedding.

Suggestive music selection should consist of soothing, pleasing, and relaxing tunes during important parts of the ceremony and reception.

You’ll want to include loose, colorful orchid blossoms or plumeria flowers as apart of your decorations and/or favors.  Silk flowers are also another option, and these will last forever.  You can also float some of these loose orchids in a few punch bowls filled with guava and passion fruit juice placed around the venue.  Consider having a flower piece as a favor for your guests to bring home, along with a tasty treat such as chocolate covered macadamia nuts.  Floating coconut candles and seashells are decorative accents you can add in to the ambiance of the reception room.  Consider a Hawaii-style side dish like fresh pineapple, luau punch, lomi salmon and haupia (a Hawaiian coconut flavored jello dessert) to create an authentic feel to the food being served.
Acknowledging special guests is customary in Hawaii, so giving guests a lei will show acknowledgment towards their presence and importance.  You can get creative in customizing your own leis, and if you choose to make them out of shells, they will look intricate and will last forever as a memento of your wedding.

 

A Midsummer Night’s Dreamfor you brilliant, dark, literary, sexy Shakespearean lovers!  As dramatic as you wish, set a mysterious mist of an enchanted forest where fairy lights dance to an everlasting tune.  Lilly pads sprinkled with fairy dust floating on a pond amidst the exotic, blooming flowers, hanging vines, and & an entwinement of ribbons.

“I know a bank where the wild thyme grows” — William Shakespeare

 

Vintage …a wedding full of nostalgiaWalk down memory lane into choosing your own antique look.  With a bohemian feel, this can be a very relaxed atmosphere filled with its‘ own unconventional paradox: laid-back and upbeat…all at once.  Be outside the norm and use eclectic styles from an almost forgotten time in the past.  Change from your ceremony gown into a casual white sundress at the reception and let down your locks wearing a “modern day hippie”  headband made of beautiful flowers around your head.  Your wedding can be a field of free spirits under a candlelit night sky.

 

 DISNEY WEDDING THEME

For you Disney dreamers and princesses, having a Disney themed wedding would be the perfect fit for you.  There is SO much to choose from with these types of weddings.  Depending upon the characters you love, your favorite Disney location, and many more factors…you can personalize this fairytale wedding to where it syncs up with your own Cinderella wishes.

 

You can chose to have your Disney destination in Florida, California, Hawaii, or even on-board the Disney Cruise Line.  There are a variety of bridal collections available: The Escape, Wishes, Couture, & Memories Collection…All of which offer a distinctive vision that celebrates your heart’s desire and personal style.  From Cinderella’s Castle to underneath the stars and fireworks in the exotic Epcot’s setting, there are plenty of options, accommodations, and activities based upon your wedding preference.

 

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As you can see, there are SO many wedding themes to play around with!  And I only listed a few of them!…so get in-tune to your own personality and style and do some research as to what wedding theme is the match for YOU on your very special day.

 This article brought to you by www.aleanasbridal.com.  

 

 

Theme Weddings (Part 3)

Start reading Part 1 and Part 2

*  Beach Wedding: Beach Party, Elegant Beach Wedding, Under the Sea, Mermaid/Aquatic Wedding, etc.  You can be as creative as possible with scenery & favors with dolphins, fish, starfish, seashells, sea horses, sand dollars, flip flops, palm trees, lighthouses, sailboats, sunscreen, and so much more!  For a more romantic backdrop, imagine a string quartet and lilies…gentle waves and the sun setting…the soft sand caressing your feet as you approach your soul mate and pledge your eternal love on the scattered with petals aisle, under a white, billow canopy with delicate chiffon drapes.

*Manhattan Public Library…for you writers, authors, aspiring writers/editors/authors, teachers, etc.).  There’s just something magical about marrying in a setting that transports you to another time of one of those iconic places that exist in history books and give New York its’ color and intensity.  Dance under its’ glass and iron domed ceiling and make your invitations out to guests in the style of a book cover.  An authentic Big Apple Wedding, indeed.

 

* Arabian Nights…Belly Dancers and Buddha Bars, bamboo shots, sitting on sofas in colored tents relaxing & sipping flavored Hookahs and being served by waiters/waitresses in harem pants.  Bring back the splendor of a Thousand Nights and even the Disney classic, Alladin.  Take a flight of fancy on your magic carpet as you soak in the magical atmosphere reliving the charmed life of Princess Jasmine & Prince Alladin in a palace setting with minarets and towers, silks and flowers, and bejeweled thrones.  Make a wish into your magic lamp and make this magical experience a reality for you on your wedding day.

 

Go Retro wish you were in a different decade?  On your wedding night, you can be.  Pick a decade that you love…and surround yourself with mod pieces & pin-up styles…from polka dot shoes, red lipstick, poufy skirts, beehive hairdos to the flower power of peace signs or the rock-n-roll of the 80’s or the disco dancing era under a shiny disco ball.

Romantic/Whimsical WeddingRed, red Roses, pink ribbons, dancing the classic waltz, & beautiful candles.  Incorporate your favorite characters from novels, children’s books, movies, & televisions for a more whimsical aura.  (See Fairytale/Fantasy below for more whimsy filled ideas!)

 Fairytale/Fantasy…Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and all of the Disney princesses you wish to be.  Just imagine…you can have your own storybook wedding filled with glass slippers, tiaras & crowns, a white horse-drawn carriage, pixie dust, magic wands, and your very own Prince Charming waiting for you at the end of the aisle in your castle.  For a fairytale feel without the princess theme, think of the magical characters in other fantasy stories that you love, such as the gods & goddesses of mythology.  Click your heels & be Dorothy for the day…have an adornment of butterflies & fairies…and just be as creative and imaginative as you can be to bring your wedding to a place, or palace, of enchantment.

One more part to go …. Read Part 4

This article brought to you by www.aleanasbridal.com. A

 

Theme Weddings (Part 2)

Please read Part 1 first

*Napa Valley Winery…Ambiance, Cheeses, & you guessed it…WINE.  And lots of it!  Have a food and wine pairing for a celebration while dining under a canopy of a grape arbor and feel as if your in the middle of Napa Valley’s vineyard.  Wooden cheese boards can be used as appetizer plates and as a gift for guests to take home.

*Cinco de Mayo…for you “May wedding” Brides!  FIESTA TIME!  This can be a Mexican themed wedding with bright and fun colors…and of course, a Margarita bar.

*Monte Carlo Casino Night…for the gambling girl!  Casino Square, Grand Prix Racing Cars, Millionaires, Roulette Tables, Dice, Casino chips…cha-ching!  Create your ultimate JACKPOT wedding.

*Medieval Times….MI LADY & HER LORD: Have a rustic, Renaissance fair at a castle and play princess & prince for a day dressed in medieval garments with wine served in goblets.  There is no such thing as a royal pain on the path towards King Arthur’s court on your wedding day!

 

*Botanical Gardens : Japanese Tea, Victorian Garden Delight, etc.  Cherry blossoms, bamboo sticks, lucky elephants & fortune cookies (good luck & happiness symbols), incense, chopsticks, and teapots filled with flowers.  For just a simple Garden theme, bring back a simple time of elegant affairs when ladies wore their Sunday best and gentlemen stood to help a lady with her chair.  This theme will evoke that romantic sense and timeless beauty to life.

 

*Clam Bake…This can be formal, traditional clambake, a casual, messy on the beach type of feel, an old-fashioned New-England feel, or ocean-inspired.  Take yourself back to the days of early New England colonists and treat your guests to an evening of enjoyment over a steaming pile of lobsters and more delicious, fresh seafood seasoned with smoke house flavors.

 

*Carnival …A Ferris wheel, carousel, popcorn machine, cotton candy, and you can’t forget the Kissing Booth!  An outdoors celebration in the night time breeze will recreate the inner child in all attendees.  Keep the kid inside of you, as you’ll be working with a colorful, fun, summery atmosphere with lots of reds, pinks, whites, yellows, and golds to set the theme.

Looking for more great ideas please read Part 3

This article brought to you by Aleana’s Bridal.

 

 

Bride’s wish list (part 1)

 By Jaclyn Ianetti

 

“Honor, riches, marriage-blessing
Long continuance, and increasing,
Hourly joys be still upon you!”
– William Shakespeare

 

You found the man of your dreams…the dress of your dreams…had the wedding of your dreams.  Now what about the future of your dreams?

Before you start dreaming up future plans, first give out gratitude to the universe for bringing you the things that bring you love & happiness, right here in the “here and now.”  There is a measurable benefit to counting your blessings and looking on the bright side.  Doing this will be sure to bring you more of your wishes, hopes and dreams to be realized soon in the future! Studies have been done to prove that people are genuinely happier when showing gratitude.  So remember that a happy energy and positive outlook attracts positive outcomes!

Wedding day planning has brought you much stress, I’m sure, but give thanks for how wonderful it all turned out to be.  “Thank you power” can actually undo the effects of stress that has took its’ toll on you.  And aren’t you thankful for all the beauty the wedding day and the days that led up to it, like the first time you ever met your husband, has brought into your life?

Write down the moments that are good in your life and the ones you have recently experienced leading up to your wedding so that you can go back and reflect on them.  This can be your little treasure book that holds your happiness…something that you can stare dreamily at each time you visit.  It’s a golden repository of all the good stuff from your past that gives you the ability to recognize the small, everyday things that make you happy.  Happiness and “thank you power” aren’t about material objects, but rather the moments in your life that have made you feel that life is good.

 

Whispers of your Heart

Give thanks… to God, your angels, and the universe…for coming together to bring you love in the form of human love.  Whether you endured struggles and hardships along the way, a romantic relationship is what satisfies your heart.  Your heart received the affection of another person, and your heart is now complete.

Give thanks…for Free will.  Free will is the key ingredient to true love.  True love cannot exist without a choice: If you were forced to love a person, then love would disappear, and you would be under manipulation.  Your free will matched up perfectly with somebody else’s free will.  You & your husband have a will that crossed paths and shared its’ desires freely, locking at a center point of reciprocating love.

 Give thanks…for an intimate relationship that developed because of your choice and free will, in spite of all the other opportunities that you could have chosen that would have misled you down the wrong path to love.

 Give thanksfor a passionate romance Your channels are unblocked to allow love to flow freely in to enhance your life.  Your earthly relationship with your husband is the avenue of expressing and receiving love

 Give thanksfor the life of promise you are now living.  A promise of unconditional love and acceptance that you and your spouse share together, which is the ultimate treasure above all other things in life.

 Grace and remembrance be to you both.”
– William Shakespeare

Continue… please read Part 2

This article brought to you by Aleana’s Bridal.

Theme Weddings (Part 1)

By Jaclyn Ianetti

 Your wedding day is as special and unique as you are.  Everything about it should reflect your individuality, especially your ceremony and the reception.

First, plan your theme according to your ceremony and reception site.  Figure out what they both have to offer.  Does the hotel include ballrooms, bridal suite, and more?  Is there an outside party area?  Is it more of a casual, formal, or intimate setting?

 

*Ceremony site / Reception site

*Outside party area

*Bridal Suite

*Hotel

*Ballroom

*Country Club

*Water side

*Garden

*Castles/Mansion

*Yacht/Boat

 

Here’s a list of just a few ideas to engage with in choosing a theme for your own wedding…and you can always expand on the ideas to make one fit just for you.

*Double Wedding:  A single ceremony where two affiliated couples rendezvous for two separate weddings.  Are you one for sharing your ONE special day?  Be positive that all will be smooth if you do decide to book a double, and don’t let it turn into a scene from the movie “Bride Wars,” as Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson’s characters go from best friends to bride enemies at the same venue!…SCARY!

 

Weekend wedding A wedding in which couples and their guests celebrate over the course of a weekend.  Lodging is usually at the same facility as the wedding.

 

Military wedding: A ceremony conducted in a military chapel.

 

Civil wedding A ceremony presided over by a local civil authority, such as an elected or appointed judge, justice of the peace, or the mayor of a locality.

 

Let’s get creative with our list of fun & festive themes:

 

*Mardi Gras…for the PARTY bride!: beads, glow in the dark jewelry, Cajun food such as jambalaya & boiled shrimp…all spicy suggestions to serve in this New Orleans inspired theme.

 

*Masquerade Ball…for you costume lovers!  Decorated masks, jester dolls, and the primary colors of green, gold, & purple can be combined into this wedding.

 

*Winter Wonderland…Snow/Ice Queens!  Create a world of wondrous enchantment by using reflections of silver & gold…sparkle & shine…accented by a simple & sophisticated color scheme of pure white.

 

*Western Wedding…Grab your partner dosey-doe?  Cowboy hats and horseshoes…Add some country flair with an authentic cowboy atmosphere.

 

This article brought to you by Aleanas Bridal.