Amazing Invitations

Invitations set the tone for your entire wedding. Does that mean that everyone wants to spend a fortune - of course not. But if you want to make the entire experience memorable, and start getting people to anticipate your special day, the invitations below from Red Bliss are the way to go. Even if you can't send amazing packages to everyone on your guest list, consider sending out two versions and indulging the most special guests.

P.S. Red Bliss is one of the choice stationers of David Tutera.

Design That Caught My Eye This Week

Images that I have collected this week. They all caught my eye in a different way and you can take this inspiration and use it for your special day!

Want to capture all of the drama of the Grammy Awards? Lighting design and crystal chandeliers up the elegance factor. You can take the same idea and hang a rented chandelier over your dance floor. Accent it with draped luxurious fabric (try red for maximum drama).

This small centerpiece is inexpensive and has big band for a reception with a chic lounge feel. This also works well for a pool-side rehearsal dinner or after party. A glass cube is lined with slices of lime (incredibly inexpensive!), LED ice cubes (which you can also use in drinks for your guests) glow in the center, and a few gerbera daisies sit in the center. You can also fill the cubes with acrylic rocks and place water-resistant LED lights in them if fresh fruit won't work with your design.

Pulling off this look in its entirety might be a bit too much for your wedding (posing flower-decked model...not so much), however I love the idea of creating a table beneath a table. Clear plexi or custom-cut glass tops sit over the regular table top. You can fill the bottom portion with flowers, apples, glitter, anything really! The hanging orchids on the branches is also another wonderful trick. Try this if the ceilings of the room will be very high. To minimize cost, you might construct this try as your escort table and hang escort cards from the branches and/or orchid strings.

Chandelier of branches with hanging votive candles. Something that can be dressed to fit any wedding theme. This one looks very rustic and would work well with a vineyard-themed wedding. This is great if you have high ceilings. It creates all the drama without loosing the site lines at your table. I recommend asking a professional to handle this, as they know how to best construct the apparatus (and will make sure that it doesn't fall apart on your guests heads!). Ask your florist to look into manzaneeta branches - available from growers for about $20 for a large branch.

This is a gold place setting used for an India-inspired event. This showcases how using one color and layering it on top of itself can be very dramatic.

One of my favorite pictures from this week. This Moroccan-inspired lantern is turned into a topiary with a bed of moss and brightly-colored flower stems. You can lower the cost by doing this in a smaller scale. Change the color of the lantern. Add candles or one small votive. You can even look into placing live butterflies or birds inside the cages (make sure to look into environmental requirements for butterflies and line up homes for the birds before hand). The best things about this look is you can dress it to fit so many themes!

Damask and black & white - two things that are very hot right now. The ghost chairs at this setting really allow you to look right to the tables. The lamp shades double as candelabra - creating a unique look without using a lot of flowers. The tall centerpieces can be overwhelming if you have a lot of tables, but they also ensure that site-lines are open for guests.

Clear acrylic is very hot right now in more modern settings. You can change this look slightly by using an acrylic candelabra (they come in a variety of colors). You can also change it up to include only beads or crystals and not flowers, or to take off the shade entirely and use candles (votives or tapers).

Black & white is shown here with incredible elegance. The modern look of the two colors isn't overwhelming, with the simple burst of color from the roses in the centerpiece. The black stemware is very understated, but still elegant. The black chiavari chairs tie everything together.

I absolutely love this look. Again, we're seeing a different take on centerpieces, moving towards the lamp look. This one is constructed with orchids in water. You can find a way to create this with a standard vase, plate at the top holding a candle, and a lamp shade (just make sure that the shade and candle don't cause a fire!).

A very simple look, but still fun. If you are looking for a very different centerpiece consider using mirror balls. This look works especially well for New year's Eve weddings, receptions with a lounge feel, or after parties with a club atmosphere. This doesn't have to be the centerpiece of the dinner table, it can be on cocktail tables and high boys. Just make sure to not only invest in the mirror balls, but in the lighting. You will have to have the tables pin spotted so that the light reflects off the mirror balls. The fantastic dots floating all over the room and your guests will really be worth it!

Pictures can be found at www.bizbash.com or www.bbjlinen.com

How to use a Family Gown

I saw this idea when I was browsing on Portovert and thought is was spectacular! Mom or Grandma's gown may have a tone of sentimental meaning, but that doesn't mean you want to forgo the Vera Wang for it. Personally, my mother weighed 97 pounds when she got married and I can't even get her dress over my thighs....

But how to include that special garment in your own wedding. Create a chuppah using the fabric. You can even blend fabrics from Mom, Grandma, your Mother-in-law-to-be. The possibilities are endless! Not Jewish - come on, everyone can create a little altar cover!

Who knows, you could start a family trend. Each woman could add a piece of her gown, adding to the happiness of the family as your tree grows. Momentous thought huh?