Unusual Places to Get Married

Most couples get married in a church, synagogue, hotel or park and even at home. However, if you are looking for an unusual place to get married you have many options available to consider.

A new trend in wedding planning is to choose a local museum as your venue. The type of museum couples most often get married at is an art museum. Yet city, natural history and other types of museums are increasingly seeing requests from couples to get married there. One reason that many couples choose a museum such as these is that they are ensured there will be interesting conversation pieces at their wedding. It is possible at many museums to arrange for guests to have access to the exhibits during the cocktail hour, allowing you to keep your guests entertained without being present to do so.

Buildings that have long been abandoned from their original purpose can often make for an unusual and unique place to get married. This includes buildings that used to be factories and warehouses as well as airport hangars not in use. A venue in one of these buildings is often ideal for a larger wedding. They are also easy to decorate according to your wedding theme, as there is likely no décor already in use. When having your wedding in this type of venue it is often helpful to work with a wedding coordinator and event designer on things such as acquiring the proper liquor license for the reception.

Botanical gardens can make for a breathtaking beautiful wedding venue. One of the biggest benefits of having a wedding at one is that you don’t have to spend extra money on flowers. In addition, you may find wedding décor that helps set the mood for the day, such as a beautiful fountain or even a tree-lined path for the bride to walk down.

Bookworms often love the idea of having their wedding at a historical library. These libraries tend to boast stunning architecture that you would have difficulty finding at a more traditional wedding venue. It also makes it easy to plan your theme, which would likely be literary minded anyway. You can even choose a book from the library and have a portion of it read during the wedding ceremony. This can be a great way for couples to connect with their guests meaningfully.

Antiquing is becoming an increasingly popular trend among younger people than it ever has been before. As a result, antique stores are also becoming a desirable wedding venue for couples who like to think outside the box. They require virtually no decoration, as any antique store will have its own décor. It is easy to mix and match when preparing for your wedding reception as you will have access to unique glassware and centerpieces.

Your wedding day should be whatever you want it to be, and there is no reason why you should get married at a traditional venue if you don’t want to.

Delicious Summer Wedding Dinner Ideas

The food that you serve at your wedding will be something your guests remember for years to come. In order to ensure they are only good memories, you have to know which dishes is the best choice for a summertime wedding as they call for a very different menu than a wintertime wedding would.

Whether your wedding is being held indoors or outdoors the meal should start with a caprese salad. The colors and flavors that are in this salad make it perfect for a summer wedding. Not only will it look appealing on your guests dinner plates, they will start the meal with fresh vegetables and cheese, making it a healthy choice as well. The main course should include a delicate fish such as halibut. This fish is often served at weddings because it is affordable for most couples.

When setting the menu for your summer wedding don’t rule out soup. If you choose an indoor wedding venue in the summer, the air conditioning will usually be set to a very low temperature and the warm soup might be a treat for your chilly and hungry guests. There are many recipes that call for serving the soup cold and this can be a refreshing treat for your guests on a hot day. Some examples of cold soups that will enhance your big day include melon, cucumber, avocado and even gazpacho soup.

Though formal sit down dinners have been the traditional choice for wedding receptions, an increasing number of couples are choosing to serve a buffet instead. This allows you to have much more creativity when planning your wedding day menu.

One of the most popular choices for a wedding buffet is stations where your guests can put together their own customized taco or other similar food. You can also set up a similar station with fruits and vegetables. A wedding buffet is often the best choice for a large guest list, especially if you are inviting picky eaters to your wedding.

Barbecue stations are also a popular choice for summertime weddings. You can offer a variety of fried chicken and ribs as well as complimentary side dishes such as macaroni and cheese or corn on the cob.

For a fancier buffet you can set up a seafood table where guests can pick and choose from delicacies such as mussels, shrimp, oysters, cold lobster salad and more. By providing sauces and dips for your guests to choose from you are decreasing the likelihood that the food you serve at your wedding will go to waste.

To put a new twist on the food served consider striking a deal with a local food truck for your wedding to offer a particular type of cuisine. Regardless of the type of cuisine you desire it is likely possible to find a food truck that serves it. This idea works best for outdoor weddings. You may even choose to have multiple food trucks at your wedding reception in order to feed everyone without anyone having to stand in line for too long.

You can and should be as creative as possible when it comes to choosing what you are going to serve your hungry wedding guests.

Should You Bring Your Dog to Your Wedding?

They say dog is a man’s best friend and if you want yours at your wedding you may be debating whether or not that is a good idea. The truth is that it depends on several things about your wedding day and those who will be sharing it with you.

The first thing to consider is that your wedding venue may not allow dogs on the premises. Even if your dog is well trained and you follow the practices of responsible dog ownership, it is best to contact your venue if you are thinking about bringing your dog so you can find out in advance whether or not they are welcome. If they are, be ready to discuss any rules or limitations with them pertaining to your dog being there. At the very least, most venues that do allow dogs insist you keep them on a leash the whole time they are on the property.

Another thing to consider is your dog’s personality. If he or she gets scared, skittish or dangerous when other people are around you will likely want to avoid including them in your wedding. Depending on the breed of dog you have an upset or scared dog can hurt your guests and may even hurt themselves.

You should also take into consideration the guests you are inviting to your wedding, as well as those who are members of the wedding party. If any of them has an allergy to dogs it is best to determine if that can be dealt with on your wedding day. While some people who are allergic to dogs can take an OTC medication and be fine, others may have a severe allergic reaction, putting a damper on your wedding for them as well as for you.

The flowers you have at your wedding are something else you need to think about if you want your dog to be there. Certain flowers such as poinsettias are poison to dogs, so if you are using this flower it is better to leave your dog out of the nuptials.

Having a dog at your wedding is a big responsibility, but having a dog at your wedding can be a big help, too. Someone has to commit to keeping the dog with them for the duration of the ceremony. While you may want your dog to walk down the aisle acting as an alternate ring bearer, someone will need to watch the dog for the remainder of the ceremony and then will need to take him or her home before arriving for the reception.

Small breeds of dogs and older dogs often have problems controlling their bladder or bowels. Consider what would happen if your dog makes a mess on the floor during your wedding or at any time while he or she is there. Unless you are sure they can and will hold it, you may want to nix the idea of including them in your wedding.

These are all the things that need to be taken into consideration before you decide if having your dog at your wedding is the right decision for you.

Best Types of Flowers for a Winter Wedding

There is nothing quite like choosing flowers for a winter wedding. While you may have fewer choices in the winter than you would in the spring, there are many beautiful flowers that are the perfect accompaniment to a wedding held during cold weather.

For an elegant touch of class, silver is a great accent color during the winter. This makes flowers such as cymbidium orchids a perfect choice, but you can also choose to pair roses with anemones and even add some pine cones to the mix. Anemones also pair well with ranunculuses and sweet hydrangeas to make a dark but winter friendly décor.

Since red roses are so common for winter weddings, if you want a unique look, consider using peach roses instead. When including them in your bouquets a touch of red berries adds that little something extra you are probably looking for on your wedding day. Any color rose can even be paired with pines for a warm cozy winter feeling.

Roses can also be paired with flowers such as Queen Anne’s lace and chrysanthemums to create a pastel look for your wedding, If you like things delicate and fancy these may be the most appealing to you.

Centerpieces and bouquets for a winter wedding can benefit from the inclusion of succulents. These flowers are easy to obtain in the winter and can withstand any temperature. Like other flowers, succulents can also be used with pine and pinecones to make your wedding look and feel like a winter wonderland.

If you can get them, white poppies are also a great choice for winter wedding flowers. They are very trendy these days and you can pair them with any other color to complete your wedding day style.

A unique flower you may not have heard of, but one that fits any wedding perfectly, is the Bells of Ireland. The flowers got their name from the fact that they look like white bells. These long lasting flowers are bright and beautiful enough to make any winter wedding feel more elegant.

One of the most common flowers to use for a winter wedding is carnations and there is a good reason for that. They are available in many colors, including pale yellow, white, purple, salmon pink, and standard pink. The popularity of this flower at winter weddings may also be due to the fact that it is the official flower for the month of January.

Another common type of flower seen at winter weddings is the poinsettia. In addition to bright red, poinsettias can also be orange, purple and even marble. You can combine more than one color of poinsettias for an eye-catching winter wedding.

Last but not least, though it may seem a bit unconventional, it is not unusual to see winter brides use mistletoe as their wedding flowers. As long as you pair the mistletoe with bright whites and reds you’ll find that it’s the perfect way to complement a winter wedding.

Should You Have A Spring Wedding?

When choosing your wedding date, how likely are you to choose one in the spring? Many couples prefer getting married during this season than during any other. There are some questions you can ask yourself to determine whether or not you would like to get married in the spring. Your answers to these questions will point you in the right direction.

How do you feel about pastel colored bridesmaid dresses? While some brides think they are too plain others know that their bridesmaids may prefer pastel colors to harsher colors. When your bridesmaids were pastel, each can choose her own color and the wedding party will still look coordinated. While pastel colors are frowned upon for summer, winter and fall weddings, they are popular for spring weddings.

Do you believe in the idea of re-birth? If you do, spring is the ideal season for you to get married in. The season is traditionally associated with renewals and re-births and for many couples it feels like the perfect time to make the transition from engaged to married.

Is an outdoor wedding venue something that appeals to you? Outdoor weddings are usually the most comfortable for your attendants and guests because the temperatures tend to avoid one extreme or the other. No couple wants their guests to be overheated or freezing cold during their wedding.

How do you feel about having flowers included in your celebration? Many types of flowers are in bloom during spring, making them more affordable and easier to obtain than they are the rest of the year. One popular choice among spring brides is cherry blossoms.

Do your friends and family have summer or winter vacations planned? Jet setting friends and family may find them traveling during these seasons and unable to attend your wedding as a result. Fewer people make plans for travel during the spring and with very few holidays you will have your choice of convenient dates.

Are you and your partner culinary superstars? If so, or even if you simply want to support local grocers and farmers, a spring time wedding provides you with the perfect excuse to incorporate the freshest, most healthy selection of fruits and vegetables to use when serving your guests. Farmers markets can be an excellent source of local produce.

Do you have your heart set on a popular wedding venue for your spring wedding? Summer is the most common season to get married in, so if you are eye a particular venue for your wedding chances are it may already be booked solid through the summer months. The rush to get married is usually slower in the spring, making it the ideal time to get married for your choice of venues.

These are the questions to ask yourself if you are contemplating whether or not you want to get married in the spring. In most cases, the more of these questions you answer yes to the more likely it is that a spring time wedding is ideal.

Eco Friendly Alternatives to Traditional Wedding Items

Since so many traditional wedding items use up the world’s resources you may be looking for eco-friendly alternatives. There are many items that you include in your wedding while helping preserve natural resources.

One of the biggest resource wasters associated with a wedding are the invitations, save-the-date and RSVP cards. You can avoid this by purchasing invitations and cards that are made from recycled paper. Look for items that can be printed using soy based ink. Alternatively, if you don’t have your heart set on paper invitations or wedding announcements you can send them out digitally.

Flowers may be a staple at most couples’ weddings, but this can become wasteful when the flowers are simply thrown away at the end of the day. If you use flowers in your centerpieces you can offer to let a few of your guests take home the flowers from the table. As far as the baskets of flowers that make up your wedding day décor, it can be a nice gesture, and an environmentally friendly one, to donate those wedding flowers to a hospital or nursing home once your wedding is over. For your own bouquet you can have the flowers preserved and keep them as a cherished memento.

Feeding everyone is a huge part of any wedding, but there is often food leftover. Sending your guests home with the leftovers can be a great way to send them a little extra thank you and will avoid food being thrown away. If you prefer, give the leftover food to a local homeless shelter or soup kitchen.

To combine your wedding cake and your guest favors without having any waste, consider using a tower of decorated cupcakes in place of the traditional wedding cake. Not only does this save you money on favors, a tower of cupcakes will likely cost much less than a wedding cake would. Ask the bakery you order from if your cupcakes will arrive in boxes made from recycled cardboard. If you have your heart set on a wedding cake, you can still make it eco-friendly by requesting that the cake topper be edible flowers made from sugar or fruit.

Guest favors don’t have to be wasteful and they don’t have to be wedding cupcakes if that is not something that interests you. Other eco-friendly ideas for your guest favors include candied apples, homemade treats or even your own signature soda.

Confetti is a very popular item found at most weddings, but if it’s made from plastic or foil it can be terrible for the environment. Instead, choose alternatives to confetti that are safe for the environment like birdseed or rice to have all the benefits of confetti without any of the factors that can harm Mother Earth.

To leave your wedding in style, without harming the earth, you can have your guests’ toss 100% biodegradable fake snow. It looks like real snow but will immediately dissolve the first time it rains after your wedding day. Biodegradable rice is also an item commonly tossed at eco-friendly weddings. Birdseed also works well because your guests will have fun sending you off and when everyone is gone, the birds will swoop down and have a feast.

With the rising cost of most items associated with the typical wedding, more couples are choosing eco-friendly alternatives.

Choosing a Conflict-Free Wedding Diamond

Shopping for your wedding ring is something many women dream of. Today most brides are choosing a conflict free diamond ring. Choosing this type of ring is easier to do the more you know about it.

Being able to identify your stone is the first step in choosing a conflict free diamond. These diamonds always come with a Kimberly Process certificate. The store you buy the diamond from should have a certificate to give you if the diamond truly is conflict free. Any legitimate jeweler will have the System of Warranties statement, which you can also ask to see when making your purchase.

One of the easiest ways to choose a conflict free diamond for your wedding ring is to give your business to a retailer that specializes in them. The most famous example of a jewelry retailer that sells conflict free diamonds is Tiffany & Co.

The countries that produce conflict free diamonds include Canada, Australia and Russia, among others. These countries are participants in the Kimberly Process mentioned above and have seen their revenue greatly increase as a result. The increased revenue benefits those living in each of these countries.

The initiative for the Kimberly Process was completed by both the gemstone industry and the United Nations. Its purpose is to ensure that conflict diamonds are no longer sold because in the past the sale of diamonds was a way to pay for brutal wars. Since the Kimberly Process was started 98% of diamond distributors worldwide adhere to its guidelines. It is now law in 74 different countries that any diamonds sold must be conflict free. In 2003 the Clean Diamond Trade Act was passed in order to provide legislature for the Kimberly Process. Those who are members of the process trade conflict free diamonds with each other and hold each other accountable for having their facilities pass inspection to prove their diamonds are conflict free.

During the period of time between 2010 and 2014 millions of carets worth of diamonds were mined under conditions that many people objected to on a moral level. The resulting idea was that going forward the definition of a conflict diamond became a rough diamond that was one that was mined specifically to pay for military actions rebelling against government.

Be aware of the fact that purchasing a conflict free diamond should be no more expensive than purchasing one that is not conflict free. Do your homework when shopping and you will be sure that you aren’t paying more for your diamond than you need to.

To go in a completely different direction consider purchasing a vintage stone wedding ring. If it is a vintage stone, you can be sure that it is considered conflict free. You will be purchasing a beautiful ring that is eco-friendly as well as produced ethically.

Choosing a conflict free wedding diamond is an important decision that every bride must make, either on her own or with the help of her fiancé.