from: http://www.weddingsbylilly.com/wedding-flowers/diy-succulent-wedding-favors/

Succulents are probably my favorite thing on the entire planet earth because of their unique beauty and incredible visual interest.

Due to their wide variety of options in color, size, texture and shape, you can create a personalized succulent wedding favor for each one of your wedding guests with a few simple steps. They can also double as a place card holder at your reception tables by writing the name of your guests on each one of the tags.

DIY Succulent Wedding Favors Tutorial:

1. Purchase small succulent plants from your local florist or hardware store. You might also have luck finding them at a local farmer’s market.

2. Choose your containers based on your wedding theme. This can be anything from a regular miniature clay pot to small tins, mason jars, or ever tea cups! I would even consider mixing them up a bit. You can choose a different themed container for every table.

3. Purchase card stock to secure your gift tags to. Wedding Paper Divas has a large selection of personalized gift tags to choose from. Be sure to leave room at the top of your tags for a hole punch.

4. Use twine, ribbon, or anything else of your choice that will slide through your hole punched tags and secure them around your succulent wedding favor containers. Another option is to glue your tags or place cards on a wooden stick and let them sit up right in the dirt. This idea actually works a little better if you’re planning on using them at your reception tables as place cards.

5. Now, just sit back and watch as everyone swoons over the impressive gifts that will surely be sitting in their kitchen windows for years to come. And, what an easy and fun diy project! Get the girls together and make an afternoon around it.

Interested in offering succulents at your wedding?
Read the rest of the article and see succulent inspiration here:
http://www.weddingsbylilly.com/wedding-flowers/diy-succulent-wedding-favors/

The month of February is often looked forward to by many the world over. This month besides ushering in the spring season, also brings in flowers and gifts for many.

As the valentine day approaches on the 14th of the month, there is love and radiance in the air. People plan out ways and means to express their feeling to their loved ones. Youngsters and the romantic at heart also consider this day very apt to plan ask their girlfriends for a lifetime companionship.

Though history puts forth the birth of this celebration from the Victorian era, the concept of cards and gifts too didn’t lag behind.

Valentines Day even in a technologically digital era, is represented by red roses, life sized cards and huge heart shaped balloons, besides a variety of Valentines gifts. This is one season of the year when the business men actually can earn a lot of profits. Youngsters in their attempt to charm their boyfriends or girlfriends into a longer relationship go out of their way to express their feeling.

Every city and town the world over gets painted in red. Surprisingly not very much is known why the red color, however, people consider it to be related to the blood that St. Valentine shed for his loved one.

The leading card designers’ prints cards for every Valentines Day as per the studies conducted on the choice of cards. This allows them to provide their customers enough variety of cards to choose from.

Further, with technological innovations, one can send in a card in electronic format or even browse online from the online shopping portals. After selection of cards come the time to shop for gifts.

Shopping for Valentines Day Gifts for the loved ones has to be the best valentine day gift for him or her. First and foremost before one reaches for a gift, one has to be clear about the individual’s choice of colors, hobby, liking, past-time activities and interests. Understanding all these factors of a person would help one to zero in on the unique valentines day gift.

The next step is to browse through a variety of stores to choose a gift which would suit the individual’s persona. However, in today’s techno savvy world, browsing through a number of stores has also become easy. With a number of stores having their footprints on the World Wide Web, one can browse and buy anything from the comfort of ones home.

Are you the one with the responsibility of writing an obituary for a recently departed loved one? If so, this article will put you on the right path to creating a memoir that will summarize well the life of the recently departed. Writing the obituary is a big responsibility but if you follow this guide, you will surely be successful.

On a blank piece of paper or on your computer write out the name of the deceased, the date and place of birth as well as the date and place of death. You then may or may not write out the cause of death; this is optional.

As you are filling out this essential information don`t worry too much about the flow of your obituary since you will be able to touch up the actual text at the end once you have on the important information on paper (or on screen).

Now comes time to honor the life of the deceased. Start by stating the name of the spouse as well as the date and place of marriage if applicable. The parents`names, siblings, schools attended and special friends come next. You may want to recount any childhood stories that are significant to the deceased. Follow up with education, college or universities attended as well as significant jobs, charitable projects, awards, achievements or other stories of life successes, trials or tribulations.

Follow up now by acknowledging the survivors. So you could say: ______is survived by: spouse, children in order of date of birth and their spouses, any grandchildren, parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters in order of birthdate, pets, friends and any other significant others such as nephews, nieces, cousins and in-laws. You may also wish to include who the departed is predeceased by such as spouse, children, pets and any other significant people in their life.

Now comes time in your obituary to announce where and when the visitations, funeral and burial will take place. If there are any other memorials, vigils or receptions taking place in honor of the newly deceased, now is the time to give details such as day, date, time and place. You can also mention the name of the officiant, pallbearers and of course the name of the funeral home in charge of arrangements along with address and phone number to call for more information.

In conclusion, you will want to include a statement about where and to which association memorial contributions can be sent if applicable. Many people will want to send flowers to offer their condolences in addition to donations to a charity of choice and the information in your obituary will be very helpful. You may wish to thank any people, groups or institutions that helped the loved one in his or her dying days or lifetime. If there was a quotation that meant a lot to the newly deceased, you may want to finish with this quote or else sum up the life of the deceased in one last sentence.

Now that you are done writing your obituary, go over the text carefully to edit your work. Make sure the sentences flow well together. If possible, get a second person to double-check your work and offer suggestions for improvement. Last but not least call the paper to schedule running your obituary in their paper and online edition for a few days before the memorial service.

If the memorial service is being held in Timmins, Ontario, you can find links to local funeral homes here:   Obituary Timmins

If you are the one responsible for planning the memorial flowers, you can find more information about how to select sympathy flowers here: Sympathy Flowers Timmins

Article Source:  Writing an Obituary: A Guide To Writing a Treasured Memoir

from: http://www.proflowers.com/guide/2011-christmas-decorating-trends-you-want-to-know

Here’s what you’ll be seeing in the stores this year that’s considered “new:”

• Christmas Sentiment: Less is more. Simplicity. With widespread economic uncertainty, more consumers are reporting that they will comparison shop, use more coupons and be more careful with money in general. That said, the National Retail Federation estimates that 2011 Christmas spending will rise 2.8% over last year’s figures–not a great boost, but better than 2008’s 4.4% drop. Shocked by unemployment and stock market gyrations, American consumers have developed a new-found interest in simplicity. The soon-to-be released felts and decorated tins with folkloric accents indicate a longing for a simpler, earlier time.
• Christmas Flowers:  Decorators have long been encouraging homeowners to try flowers other than the ubiquitous poinsettia. While no specific Christmas flower trends have emerged per se, lookfor deep red Calla lilies and red or white tulips on professional decorators’ Christmas mantles and tables this season.
• Christmas Color:  A subdued mix of frosty green and silver will appear in the Christmas windows of the biggest retailers this year. Any store window displaying bright reds and greens will suddenly seem dated. Think of two Christmas balls, one silver and one more of a metallic gray-green. Woody and other natural accents complement these shades beautifully. Again, these hues are less garish, reflecting the cautious attitude that’s struck most families.
• Christmas Metals:  In keeping with the subdued hues of silver and frosty green, this year’s metal accents stick more closely to tin, pewter and burnished bronze rather than sparkling golds. The trend toward simplicity emerges in metal mesh pieces coated with uneven paints which renders an earthy texture, as well as the folklore-themed felts and tins. Even the glitters (popular again this year) lend more color than shine. The more sophisticated “superfine” is again the glitter of the day, and it’s showing up in plastic gift wrap and home décor in swirl and plaid patterns.

from: http://www.mypersonalartist.com/blog/2010/01/27/2011-weddingcolor-trends-part…

If you found me quoted in a magazine regarding wedding color trends / combination, then you know I dedicate my ‘spare’ time researching wedding color trends a year in advance. Since 2001, I’ve been helping brides with their wedding color decisions by displaying color trend swatches and ideas on my website.

I was TRULY delighted with my findings this morning! The 2011 year in color will be BRIGHT and amazing! As shown above, tropical, fun and whimsical!

Apple green, mauve, lilac, hot pink, slate grey, celadon, aged gold, coral, red, violet purple, mocha / chocolate / brown, navy, emerald / pine green / dark cyan, clementine orange, and yellow.

What is your favorite color in this palette?

2011 Color Trends Palette Part Two now available to view …

January 27th, 2010 | Category: brown, gray, honeysuckle pink, inspiration boards, lilac / lavender, orange, pink, red, spring colors, summer colors, wedding colors, wedding ideas, yellow

from: http://weddings.about.com/od/traditionscolorsthemes/a/winterwedding.htm

In the movies, everyone seems to get married in June. But a winter wedding can be terribly glamorous, cinematic and magical.

With the right elements, your winter wedding will be a wonderland. Attire for Your Winter Wedding Think about you and your sweetie in the elegant look of old Hollywood; the groom in tails, and the bride in a white long silk dress with a white fur or faux fur wrap.

Evoke the season with “ice” –diamond or diamond-like jewelry. 90% of wedding dresses are strapless or sleeveless, but that’s not so practical for a bride who wants to take pictures outside, or needs to walk any distance.

Look for wraps, shrugs, and capes, or dramatic coats. I’ve always loved the look of a bride in a white dress and a large red shawl, huddled against her groom who has a red boutonnière. And don’t forget your bridesmaids! An attractive wrap to wear on the day of your wedding and beyond makes a great bridesmaid present.

Where to Have a Winter Wedding

Look for an inn with a fireplace for an intimate winter wedding. For a larger affair, you may be able to use a historic mansion or private club that will still have intimate warmth. Unless you’re getting married in a state that will have guaranteed snow during your wedding date, avoid a room that has a large picture window.

You may imagine drifts of beautiful snow, and end up with a grey rainy day. Be sure to ask what seasonal decorations they use – you’ll save money as many sites are already heavily decorated. Also, check to make sure your site will be adequately heated during the winter months; old churches can be especially drafty.

Planning the Menu

You can have all of your favorite food but add some winter touches like a squash dish, or warm pumpkin soup. Consider serving eggnog, spiced wine, or hot chocolate (alcoholic or non-) as special treats. Look for an all-white cake, decorated with snowflake patterns, silver embellishments, or sugar sculptures. Ask your caterer about using a decorative snow globe as a cake topper

Winter Wedding Flowers

Decide whether you want to go for a silver and white elegant look, or celebrate the season with reds and greens. For those who like silver, look for dusty miller, silver-dollar eucalyptus, and baby blue eucalyptus, mixed with white flowers such as roses, football mums, crocus, lilies and stephanotis.

If you’re looking for a brighter bouquet, consider red roses with holly and pine-tree greenery. In season flowers such as tulips, roses, and ornamental berries generally will be less expensive choices. (Talk to your florist, as your region may have different availability)

The Décor for Your Winter Wedding

Decorate your tables with simple and inexpensive white poinsettias, or fill the room with light by arranging pillar candles on a bed of pine branches At the after-Christmas sales, stock up on strands of small white lights, then string them decoratively around doorways, over tables and on archways.

Bright red cranberries in a bowl surrounding floating candles make an easy and inexpensive centerpiece. Look at this article for other simple holiday centerpieces.. Or, decorate a pre-made gingerbread house for each table, and center it on a bed of greenery with candles around it.

Favors

If you and most of your guests celebrate Christmas, an ornament makes a perfect favor. An inexpensive homemade favor is a pretty tin of spiced hot chocolate mix or hot cocoa mix with marshmallows. Also consider a snow globe, with a bride and groom inside, or a holiday cookie cutter with a cookie recipe attached that says your names, wedding date, and “truly cut out for each other”.

Special touches

Have the bride and groom travel by horse and carriage to the reception, complete with a fur throw to keep them warm of course!
Decorate the reception with miniature and life-size Christmas trees. Commission an ice sculpture to decorate the reception hall Use a crystal bouquet for that extra wintery feel. As a bonus, you’ll get to keep your your bouquet forever.

Greet your guests with warm coffee or hot chocolate as soon as they come in the ceremony or reception site.

from: http://m.retail-jeweler .com/5030027.article

When the now Duke and Duchess of Cambridge tied the knot at Westminster Abbey surrounded by trees, including field maples and horn beams, and with Kate Middleton brandishing a bouquet made of the equally seasonal lily of the valley, bridezillas nationwide were taking note.

“Following the royal wedding, soft and subtle [flower] arrangements will prove popular, with many brides focusing on the meaning of the flowers they choose just as much as how they look,” explains Rayner.

With lily of the valley apparently holding hopeful connotations, such as return of happiness and purity of heart, the British bloom is likely to prove popular.

“For spring 2012 the English country garden will be a key inspiration for British brides, with lily of the valley chosen for its delicate, bell-shaped blooms,” says Rayner. With that in mind, it’s hard not to immediately envisage the aptness of Shaun Leane’s white gold, pearl and diamond Maybell Collection – the perfect pairing for delicate flower arrangements.

Intricate will definitely be key to wedding flowers, agrees Polly Atkinson, lifestyle editor of Condé Nast Brides, who predicts a “move away from big domes”.

“Shades of ivory whites and cream will continue to be popular, classic and unbeatable. Flowers in these shades never distract from the bride and her dress, which should be the focus,” she adds. Shaun Leane’s Maybell Collection

While lily of the valley will certainly feature in floral arrangements for 2012, it is best for a wedding in May, when the English variety is in season. According to the experts, home-grown will be the fleurs de jour for spring/summer 2012 “with quirky mismatches and sentimental finds replacing anything too coiffed and formal,” says Juliet Hutton-Squire, co-founder of trend forecast website Adorn Insight.

“Delicate meadow and garden flowers, for example, will become a strong design influence, with elegant styling replacing anything OTT.”

Bridesmaid beauties
Formality is also being given more of a wide berth when it comes to bridesmaid ensembles. While in the past bridesmaids were likely to be matching from their satin shoes to their drop pearl earrings, individuality down the aisle is no longer shunned.

“The bride may decide on a colour and theme but the bridesmaid trend is moving away from anything that hints of matchy matchy,” explains Hutton-Squire. “The fabric might be the same, for example, but the dresses might be cut in different styles to suit the individual personalities.

As a result of this shift, accessories are becoming less coordinated and more personalised.” According to Rayner, colours too are becoming more adventurous, with many brides moving away from classic ivory jewellery to softer tones of blush pink, subtle golds and pretty champagnes. “These shades will also translate into bridesmaid dresses,” she says. Think Breil’s latest offering – the Duplicity collection of bracelets, necklaces, earrings and rings made from stainless steel and featuring mother of pearl inserts.

As well as prevalence for what Rayner describes as ‘Cadbury’s purple’ weddings, other alternative colours are also making it onto the canvas. “A vibrant palette of mouth watering hues from jade green and fuchsia to subtle shades of mint and sorbet pink take us into spring/summer 2012,” says Hutton-Squire.

For those embracing the rich hug of purples, amethyst may be the stone of suggestion, demonstrated beautifully in So Jewellery’s Heart Amethyst earrings and pendant. For those seeking something a bit bolder, the Lola Rose grey agate and peacock quartzite or blue sandstone and dumortierite Isidora bracelets will add that blast of colour.

How do I go about deciding what type of centerpiece would look good at my wedding reception?

When you start to think about wedding centerpiece ideas you’ll want to keep two things in mind. First,think of the mood or style you are going for and this will decide a lot about your wedding centerpieces.
Second, it is important to know what kind of tables you’ll have.

Will the guests be seated at small round tables or large long communal tables?

Also, notice if there are any strong colors at the hall as in the chairs or counters or floor that you need to match with your table settings. These factors will all impact your decision. If you have decided on a theme for your wedding reception it can be easy to find a perfect matching wedding centerpiece idea. Examples of themes would be a beach theme with lots of shells and sand; a tropical theme with lots of bright colors and exotic flowers like orchids, anthuriums and birds of paradise or simply a color theme such as butter yellow with navy blue. Finally, if you are going with a country wedding theme, you could use a pottery or earthen container.

What vase height is good for centerpieces?

The centerpieces need to be designed in a way that allows eye contact with the person sitting across from each guest. This allows an unobstructed fl ow of conversation. You don’t want your centerpieces to annoy the guests to the point where they want to tuck them away somewhere just to get them out of the way. You have two choices in creating centerpieces that can be enjoyed by all.

The first option includes selecting a vase or container that is short (less than 14 inches-35cm) such as a low vase, bowl or dish.

The second option is selecting a clear and tall vase that is high enough to allow a clear view of the people on the other side of the table such as Eiffel Tower vases or other thin, long clear vase so that the part of the vase that is interfering with the view is see through and only 1-2″ thick. Elevated centerpieces are an impressive focal point that can be seen from the dance floor and from every angle in the hall. You can rent these from select decor shops or you can buy them.

How do I know what type and size of centerpiece bowl I should use?

Glass containers are most popular since they are elegant and classy. The size and shape of your table should guide your decision in the size and shape of the centerpiece dish you choose. Your container of choice could be a 4-6″ (10-15cm) rose bowl if your tables are the long tables all in rows.

However, if you have round dining room tables that sit 8, you’ll want your container to be at least 6-8″ (15-20cm), 10″ (25cm), even 12″ (30cm) wide. Another option is to choose a smaller dish or very tall vase and use a sprinkling accent of rose petals, seashells, fall leaves or confetti in your theme to extend the centerpiece out and to obtain a substantial focal point at the center of each table.

If your table is long and rectangle, long low bowls would look great with river rocks at the bottom and floating flowers or candles. Table runners down the center of the tables with multiple blooms in different low clear bowls can also look stunning. Try alternating one small bouquet in a square vase, one floating bloom in a round bowl, then a candle votive and this, all the way down the table. Use flowers all in the same colors to creative unity.

If you want more ideas and want to learn how to make centerpieces the easy, cheap and right way, get my book called: Unleash Your Inner Florist: How to Make Wedding & Special Event Flowers. http://www.howtoweddingflowers.com

This easy to follow guidebook will save you hundreds of dollars on your wedding flowers. You can get the paper copy for only $24.99 or order it as an ebook for $19.99 and be reading it in just a few minutes. Be surrounded by flowers on your wedding day…the guests don`t have to know how much you saved!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sophia_Rodriguez

by Sophia Rodriguez

If you are wondering how to decorate your gift table, bar and buffet table, this article will help you get started in planning so that all the important areas at your wedding reception are carefully laid out.

Gift Table Accents
For your gift table, usually, it is located close to the entrance. Many people have an extra table close to the guest registry table or as a continuation of it for the presents to be displayed on.

A card holder on this table is a widespread tradition that can take many forms. From birdcages to mailboxes to treasure chests to wells to heart boxes to hot air balloons, many options exist as an area for your guests to deposit their cards to you. Just make sure that you have someone trustworthy to keep a close eye on the card holder since it will usually contain checks and cash in the cards.

Make sure this table is dressed up with a tablecloth and table skirt. Other than that you might also want an embellishment like rose petals or fall leaves but that’s all you need on this table.

Bar or Buffet Table
A nice touch that shows how well you have organized your event is to have extra bouquets for areas that are very visible and in a high traffic area. Perfect examples of this are bar bouquets on one or either side of the bar.

Also, Buffet Tables are a prime area to showcase a beautiful fresh bouquet. Topiary bouquets are beautiful for this purpose since they are tall enough to attract attention and showcase your focal flowers in style.

Bouquets in vases are long lasting, showy and add style and color to a reception. Make a large bouquet for the buffet table and small ones for the bar. If you have a buffet table, you might want to scatter silk rose petals or other embellishment on it to blend it in with your theme.

You can do this before the caterer’s setup with no problem. Another idea is to create a higher platform at the center of the table perhaps with a sturdy cardboard or wooden box, cover it with material in your feature color and use this platform as a display area for a fresh floral bouquet. It could be a topiary bouquet or a fresh flower bouquet in a vase or in floral foam. Make sure your platform is very stable though since you would not want it to spill onto the guests as they are helping themselves to food.

If you had large bouquets at the church or ceremony, make sure to make the most of these bouquets and display them at your reception. You can then offer them as a gift to someone who helped you out in planning your wedding. If you decide you can handle making your own centerpieces and flowers especially at such an incredible savings to you, you should get my book which will make your life so much easier.

It will get you all organized and will give you the confidence and the instructions you need to achieve all your floral dreams for your big day. Unleash Your Inner Florist: How To Make Wedding And Special Event Flowers http://www.howtoweddingflowers.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sophia_Rodriguez