The best part of Wedding Planning is the Bridal Shower. However, it isn’t necessary to give bridal showers at your event but it stands out to be a pleasing gesture for all. Bridal shower is a sort of small celebration where you enjoy time with your close friends and family members, where you all get to know each other. Exchanging presents and having tasty bites are common events in this small celebration. Edible Treats are our favorite Bridal shower favor ideas, more over when customized or added with a funny note. Edible treats are not just the necessary or important ideas but they can also be mini beauty products, lovely small boxes filled with sweets or anything mixed in. To know about best of the Bridal shower favor ideas, keep on reading

If you’re looking for what to write on a wedding favor tag, we’ve got you!.

Dessert Jars

Offer your guests a tiny adorable jar filled with sweet desserts. These are are easy to carry on and will surely satisfy your Bridal shower event guests.

Sugar Scrubs

Sugar Scrubs are great for a long shower or bath and this will showcase as self care product. You can select from a no. of flavors like vanilla, grapefruit, lavender, etc. and even customize their jars with colored ribbons and more.

Photo Frames

Click some Polaroid pictures during your shower, present your guests with photo frames so that they could easily display these photos and save them as beautiful memories.

Colored Glass Vase

Source

A Colored Glass Vase would be a great pretty classic gift for your guests. It would look great either you make it stand-alone or you fill it with lovely flowers.

Bud Vases

Bud Vases could be great descent Bridal shower favors for both summer and spring, depends on what flowers you decorate them with.

Bracelets

A multi colored bracelet made of Tassel-Adorned jewelry on your guests wrist would leave a great and unique impact on them.

Champagne Splits

Champagne splits are awesome Bridal shower favors to make your guests more happier. Get these from a local store and decorate them with labels or quotes.

Mini Bottles

Arrange mini bottles of either Champagne or Rose or even both of them for all sorts of guests. Personalize them with labels defining your Event, event date, event time or any sort of your initials.

Pineapple Boxes

If you want your even to be Tropical themed, then these Pineapple boxes will add a touch to your Bridal shower favors. You can fill these boxes with Chocolates or edibles, nail polishes or any sort of fun loving item.

Nail Polish with Pun

A Nail Polish and a Pun is the perfect combo. Use various Tags held up on nail polish bottle fronts that you can customize with colored glitters. Write Puns over tags. You can also write beautiful quotes instead of puns.

Tote Bag

Want to help your guests by offering a favor that is useful to all? Believe us or not a Tote bag is the best you can offer. It can be used for a number of works such as for a trip to a Beach, Shopping and many more.

Tea Bags

The above set consists of a Canvas pouch filled with five Tea Bags. This will lets your guests keep herbal beverages on the go.

Candle

A Candle is a lovely gift that you can serve as Bridal shower Favor. Select candles that spread fruity scent all around when lit up and this will remind your guests of your wedding event.

Cactus Straw

If you arrange your Bridal Shower event on a beach or at poolside, then this Copper Cactus with a Straw at top is the best way to enjoy drinks.

Popcorn Packets

Popcorns in vintage style box is enough to impress everyone. Plus its a snack loved by all. You can replace popcorns with Candies, Treats, Sweets or any other fun snack.

Scented Soaps

Present all your guests with a small bag filled with a scented soap bar. This is the best favor synced for your Bridal Shower Event.

Insulated Wine Glass

An Insulated Wine Glass is something that will keep your drink cool for about 24 Hours. This Bridal shower favor will surely be loved y wine lovers or adventure loving guests also.

Hand Lotion

Hand Lotion can be easily used by all your guests of all ages. Choose from a variety of Scented smelling Lotions and let your event flood with scents.

Canvas Pouch

Arrange a Canvas Pouch filled with various Self Care Products such as Shower gel, Lip Balm, Body Lotion, etc. This will help your guests to stay ready with all items necessary for Bridal Shower Event.

Necklace

If you are arranging a smaller Bridal Shower event than usual, then impress your guests with a small Necklace printed with their or your initials.

Cheeky Planter

Cheeky Planter are a great sort of decoration for tables at your event. A cheeky Planter will impress your guests and make the plant more cute if the planter is of a specified shape such as of a rabbit or a unicorn.

Squeeze Bottles

Such Squeeze Bottles are good for carrying Lotion, Hand Sanitizer, etc. and are easy to carry along with.

Tea Candles

Get a pack of Tea Candles from any local store and arrange them with a match box. Customize the match boxes with some quotes, lovely phrases or even your initials.

Pie Ingredient Jars

This one could be a useful favor for the ones who love cooking or just simply love Pies. Offer your guests a Jar full of Pie Ingredients and it may remind your guests of your Bridal shower event whenever they use this jar.

Bottle Opener

A Key shaped Bottle Opener is a very unique favor idea for your event. Customize this with a label printed or handwritten with your initials.

Coffee Mugs

These cute looking Coffee Mugs will be surely used by almost all of your guests and almost everyday. For and additional place a small bag of coffee beans and add a tag to it that reads your initials.

Drink Shaker

An effective Shaker would be liked by all. Plus this drink Shaker has recipes of few cocktails printed on its outer walls which could be a great help for many.

Sleep Mask

Gift your guests a Silk Sleep Mask and it will remind them of your Bridal Shower event whenever they put on this Sleep Mask while Traveling.

Deck of Cards

Who doesn’t need a deck of Cards. Everyone will love to have a customized deck of Cards and will be a great impression at game nights.

Chic Holder  

This Chic Holder will help you to keep your jewelry, especially necklaces,  safe from getting tangled.

Book 

This favor will surely make a very unique impression. Serve all with Girl-Power Book that explains the stories of 100 Woman as how they change the history.

Compact Mirrors

Compact mirror is a useful product for all. Compact mirrors comes in variety of designs and you can even customize their fronts with your guests initials.

The post 32 Cute Bridal Shower Favor Ideas appeared first on Inspired Bride.

All of us have spent a huge amount of time thinking about wedding dress, so another dress on which you must spend enough time thinking is your bridal shower dress. This is another look in which you will be photographed the most, you must choose a silhouette that may stick to your bridal style weather it means a casual lace dress, a floral print frock, or a fun color dress. The season is the other factor to keep in mind while selecting your dress. The perfect dress can be the one that fits both your bridal look and the hot summer look.

Feminine silhouettes like puffed shoulders, voluminous sleeves, square necklines, and bustier and corset-style silhouettes are on trend and are perfect for a fashion bridal shower look. If you want your dress to be romantic as well as pretty then select lace dresses of bridal colors like white, nude, pale pink or yellow, plus such a dress will also throw a classy look. You can also match your bridal color with your wedding nails.

A floral print dress or a trendy tie-dye pattern is a mix of white and other colors that shows, it’s never necessary to wear only white on your bridal shower. A cotton sundress is perfect for a casual look but for a special fun look go for a style with more detailing or choose a playful silhouette. From classic dresses to fashion-forwards, cheap styles to designer versions, you will find everything in below 29 options for you.

Zara Lace Dress

H&M Lace Dress

Eloquii Button Front Puff Sleeve Dress

Wilfred Alba Dress Long Sleeveless Dress

Lenon Asymmetrical Eyelet Dress

Silk Laundry 90s Silk Slip Dress Chinese Tie Dye

Reformation Emmie Dress

Anthropologie Garden Party Dress

Jill Jill Stuart Sarah Dress

Ganni Floral Print Mesh Dress

Rhode Emi Dress

Saylor Cole Dress

La Vie Catrine Ruched Dress

Shona Joy Sophia Dot-Print Plunged V-Neck Ruffle Mini Peplum Dress

Rixo London Stare Floral Dress

Les Reveries One Shoulder Ruffle Mini Dress

Kisuii Luna Tie Shoulder Maxi Dress

Tory Burch Linen Ruffle Dress

Sézane Magalie Dress

Merlette Paradis Dress

Mara Hoffman Paulina Dress

See By Chloé Cotton Maxi Dress

Self-Portrait Crescent Print Maxi

Allen Schwartz Raine Bustier Dress

Sea Naomie Dress

Zimmermann Scallop Dress

LoveShackFancy Angie Floral Maxi Dress

Tanya Taylor Inez Dress

The post 29 Attractive Bridal Shower Dresses for Summer Brides appeared first on Inspired Bride.

We’re All About the Details!

A lot of the elements of this shower were DIY. The table numbers, the vases, all of the flower arrangements were done by family members and the bride. Her sisters and sister-in-law were at the center of helping with putting this vision of “Let Love Grow” together, down to stringing roses to hang from the moss boards. The moss boards alone were an amazing DIY project. They really were the main aspect that created the space. They enclosed the area of the shower and each board had a different purpose (i.e. food and drinks, gifts, photobooth wall, etc.).

Take this Advice

Nothing will ever be perfect. It’s important to understand that the details matter when you’re planning the wedding, however, the day-of, things will always go wrong and you have to be able to brush them off or you’ll sacrifice having a good time. Take time for yourself before you leave for your ceremony. Take 5 minutes to just enjoy a moment to yourself with your dress (or tux) on because the whole day could be a bit overwhelming.. especially if you have a lot of people around you while you are getting ready. It’s important to have that “oh my gosh” moment where your dreams have finally come true and you can look yourself in the mirror and jump with joy. Don’t worry so much about the timeline of events. Someone or something will always be late. I was ready 45 minutes early and still managed to make it to the ceremony 15 minutes late. It was stressful at the time because it was out of my control, but, at the end of the day it really didn’t matter at all. The ceremony still happened and all was well. ~Jennifer Lam/Photographer

About the Photographer
Hi! My name is Jennifer Lam & I am a wedding & family photographer specializing in bright, soft, and sweet imagery. I live in Long Island, New York and serve couples and families throughout New York and New Jersey. I am a wife and mama of two, avid user of exclamation points, and lover of lace and chocolate chip cookies. I believe that photographs have a remarkable ability to transport us back in time. It’s nothing short of magic. I love photographing the sweet glances, the joy, and the quiet moments where we freeze time and simply cherish each other. I am so blessed to be able to call this my job and I look forward to capturing those moments for couples and families throughout New York and New Jersey. So, lets be friends. For more information and to contact me here.

Vendors

Photographer: Jennifer Lam Photography
Signage: Etsy
Dress Designer: The Jetset Diaries
Caterer: Novita Wine Bar & Trattoria

The post Long Island Garden Themed Bridal Shower appeared first on Inspired Bride.

I recently had the opportunity to check out the gift soaps from  Valsey and Me and can’t wait to tell you all about these cute little soap chips!

Valsey and Me’s idea of using single use soap chips was born while Valerie was visiting a friend’s house. They had a regular bar of soap in the guest room, and we all know what it is like to use a bar of soap immediately after someone else! The idea behind the soap chip is to ditch the big bars of soap and instead use a single use soap to be discarded after use, leaving each guest with a new, fresh slab of soap! Add in personalized wrappers and cute craft gift boxes, and we have the perfect gift for so many different occasions!

When I received the chips, I automatically knew the perfect way to use them. Lately I have seen a lot of brides looking for ideas on making the bathroom of their venue a little more decorative and personalized. What better item to personalize and put into a bathroom than soap?  There are a variety of scents and colors of the soap, so it should be very easy to find something that will go with the color scheme of your wedding-from a neutral cream soap to a cinnamon colored soap, there was something for every theme! You can also personalize the easy to peel wrappers of the chips to give an extra special personal touch to your day.

To create the look, you can choose a container of your choice-something that goes with your wedding style-think small crystal vases if you like a little sparkle, a vintage basket for a more rustic theme, or even a sweet and simple ring dish. Add in decorative lanterns, candles, flowers, or signs (or a little bit of everything) and you have a perfectly personalized reception bathroom!

We used a last name sign, a ring dish as the soap holder, and a candle. Ideas for the soaps do not end here, they are also perfect to add in your bridesmaid gift boxes, to use as shower favors, or even to use as wedding favors!

They also make the perfect housewarming gift, client gift, or host gift as well!

Shipping was fast, the soaps have a pleasant smell-which is great, because they are not incredibly strong or overwhelming. They are nice and sudsy and leave you with a clean bathroom sink! I should know-they are currently sitting in a super cute dish in my guest bathroom-everyone loves them!

About Author:

Our Motto at Jamie Reinhart Photography is to “Enjoy Every Moment”, and it starts with us. From the first time we talk to the time that we deliver your beautiful albums, canvas, and prints-we assure you that we are truly enjoying every moment of working with our couples. We love weddings and we love our sweet brides and grooms and all that comes with planning and photographing a wedding! We are also committed to making sure YOU are enjoying every moment with us. We want you to lose track of time because you are having so much fun at your consultation. We want you to leave your engagement session with cheeks that are sore from laughing, to feel stress free knowing that we are taking great care of you, and we want you to get excited the day after your wedding while you anticipate the first previews of your wedding photographs. We love photographing happy, flirty, and fun couples that want clean, timeless pictures full of love and personality!

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1. The TP Wedding Dress

Ah, toilet paper! You are a multi–tasker. The go-to of Halloween pranksters and a tried-and-true item for baby showers faux cake, it is also very popular at wedding showers. The goal is to dress the bride in a gown made of toilet paper. For a unique twist on the game, Beau-Coup.com (@beaucoupfavors) suggests using newspaper instead.

The girls are partnered up, and each group gets a roll of toilet paper. One of the girls will be the wedding dress “designer” and the other will be the model. Using the toilet paper, the designer must create a wedding dress for the model, complete with veil and flowers. Whoever creates the most beautiful dress gets to choose a prize.

Tip: This is a game best played indoors. But if you must play outdoors, lay a plastic tarp or tablecloth on the ground to avoid rocks, sticks, and dirt.

2. Who Said That? Bridal Shower Games

You’ve garnered an invitation to the shower, and likely to the wedding. It’s safe to say, then, that you know the couple quite well. Do you know them well enough to win a trivia game about them, though?

This is the premise of Wedding Shower Trivia. Make up around twenty questions for the guests to answer about the bride, the groom, or both. PunchBowl (@punchbowl) suggests scoring them halfway through the gathering. It’s easy to play this game using old Facebook posts from the bride and groom. Create a list of quotes and make the girls guess which one said it – the bride or groom. The one who gets the most right answers gets to choose a prize.

Tip: Avoid this game if you all know each other well, such as a couple having grown up together and their life-long friends. It’s no fun if everyone already knows the answers.

3. Who Knows the Bride Better?

This fun game is another questionnaire in which the girls are asked questions about the bride. This could include things like, “Who was the bride’s first kiss?” or “What is the bride’s favorite perfume?” Create several of these questions and whoever gets the most right gets to choose a prize.

4. Famous Couples

Both a cute seating arrangement and game idea, this can be used to seat the bridal party with members of the groom’s party they may not know yet. A Bride on a Budget (@abrideonabudget) has a list of couples to get you started. You can even make a theme out of it, such as famous Disney couples or old Hollywood couples.

5. Finish-That-Thought Guest Book

A Mad Libs take on the traditional shower guest book, this encourages your guests to “anonymously” write down their best wedding advice for you using the classic “fill in the blank” trope. ALDevents.com (@ALDevents) suggests using colorful pens on note cards.

Tip: If your shower is being held outside, bring a pocket-style photo album along to store the cards, both before and after filling them out. This will keep them from being blown away by a gust of wind, as well as providing a cute guest book when you’re finished.

6. Gift Bingo

Watching someone else open gifts in your bachelorette party can be rather dull. Martha Stewart Weddings (@MarthaWeddings) to the rescue with this cute gift bingo game! The premise is to make bingo cards using the bride’s shower registry. Guests mark off the appropriate spots as she opens them, and the winner gets a prize at the end.

Tip: If the bride does not have a registry, but still wishes to have this game, write down what she hopes to get, or use a registry example from a local store or event planner.

7. The Newlywed Game

Did you know this wasn’t just an old TV game show? Lisa Hadley Studios (@lisalisa04) has a list of questions to ask the groom if you need help getting started.

Tip: If you don’t have access to a large enough screen to broadcast a video of the groom’s answers on, try the more traditional route of having the groom in the room while you play. You can separate the couple with a curtain, or have them face-to-face beside each other.

8. Bridal Pictionary

Pictionary can be a fun, challenging way to pass the time at any gathering. For a thematic twist, take a page from The Knot (@TheKnot) and use wedding-related sayings.

Tip: Playing outside? Use clipboards to keep your papers from blowing away and a fish bowl to keep the sayings in their place.

9. Ball and Chain

A literal take on the old wedding joke, DIY Network (@DIYnetwork) brings us this aptly named game. Foam balls tied together with string and spray painted to resemble their namesake are the only things you really need for this one.

Tip: If you have enough space and non-inclement weather, this game is best played outside.

10. Guest Clue

A perfect ice breaker, this game gives the guests a chance to get to know each other. You can start the game with something like “Who introduced the couple?” Wedding Paper Divas (@weddingpaper) share their ideas on the game here.

Tip: Although this game can be played indoors or out, playing it indoors can allow for you to recreate the classic board game at the same time, if you wish.

11. Pin the Tie on the Groom

Remember Pin the Tail on the Donkey at childhood birthday parties? Here’s a bridal twist on it for you, from Giftypedia (@giftypedia). You can spin the game however you like – use a ring instead of a tie, or a picture of the bride and a veil.

Tip: Play this game outdoors for more hilarious results as your guests try to pin the item to the photo blindfolded!

12. Pass the Presents

In this game, everyone’s a winner! As Diva Girls Parties and Stuff (@divagirlparties) explains here, you wrap a small pile of gifts. Have your guests sit in a circle, and read a story about the engaged couple. Pick a word, such as the bride’s name, and when that word is said, everyone passes their gift(s) to the left. Pick another word for the right. At the end, whatever gifts they hold are theirs to keep!

Tip: If you have a large group, this would probably best be done outside.

13. Couples Jenga

I love Jenga, and have honestly never heard of this life-sized version before. Now that I have, I’m hunting for my next reason to play it! As Inked Weddings (@inkedweddings) shares, you’ll need to do a little preparation for this game. Guests will have a ball with it, though, so it will be well worth the time to set up.

Tip: Not doing an outdoor shower? Simply use an original version of the game and have your guests sign a piece of the game instead.

14. Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts are a favorite party game stemming back to our childhoods; why should a wedding shower be any different? This will, of course, take some planning, as Wedding Whoop (@weddingwhoop) reminds us, so don’t leave it to the last minute. You can do a general wedding theme, or something unique to the engaged couple.

Tip: Although scavenger hunts are usually played outdoors, they can also be played indoors easily. Leave your game adaptable just in case!

15. Wedding Jeopardy

I’ll take “How Did They Meet” for $400, Alex. Purple Trail (@purpletrail) details how to turn the classic TV game into a fun-filled wedding shower game here.

Tip: Play this game indoors if you can.

16. Wedding Charades

The famous mime game comes to your wedding shower with romantic themes, like the Romantic Comedies theme suggested by MyWedding.com (@myweddingdotcom). Not a fan of romantic comedies? Use romantic book heroes, or perhaps famous love poems instead.

Tip: Play outside to avoid potential injury if your guests get a little carried away. Romantic dive from Dirty Dancing, anyone?

These are just some of the fun and classic bridal shower games. Hopefully, playing these games will give everyone a chance to get something really cool to take home from the wedding shower.

I enjoyed finding bridal shower games for you! Comment below if you are playing any of these bridal shower games.

The post Classic Bridal Shower Games appeared first on Inspired Bride.

Writing thank you notes is an age-old practice. Even in the digital age, people continue to honor the art of saying thank you by handwriting a heartfelt letter on their chosen cards and stationary. A thank you note can be written after any celebration, whether it’s a housewarming party, birthday, graduation, or wedding. But today we’re talking specifically about the bridal shower thank you letter. If you’ve recently had a bridal shower thrown in your honor, you’ll want to let your guests know that you appreciated their company and gifts. Don’t know where to start? No worries! If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsure how to craft the perfect message, services like EssayService write an essay for you that can provide inspiration and help you find the right words. Here are the important details on writing a bridal shower thank you note.

Via Crate & Barrel

When to Send a Bridal Shower Thank You Note

Ideally, you should send out thank you letters no later than two weeks after the bridal shower takes places. The sooner, the better, as everything will be fresh in your mind and guests won’t feel as if you’ve neglected their support.

The Materials You’ll Need

What you’ll need to write a thank you note is as easy as 1-2-3.

1. A set of notecards or thank you letters. You can find bridal shower stationary online at places like Etsy, Minted, and Wedding Paper Divas. You can also peruse your local stationary stores or create your own with materials from the craft store.
2. Something to write with, obviously!
3. A list of the guests who attended the bridal shower and what each guest gave you. This includes guests that couldn’t make it to the shower, but sent a gift through the mail.

Photo by Becky Young Photography via Ruffled

Advice on How to Write a Bridal Shower Thank You Note

• Write or type out a rough draft of each note before putting pen to paper. Doing so will cut down on the chance of making mistakes on the bridal shower stationary and having to throw it away.

• Keep your thank you short, but heartfelt. Avoid writing a two-page letter detailing your wedding planning or other irrelivant information. Also avoid writing the same note to every guest. You can maintain the general sense of the thank you, but make it personal to each guest.

• Start by letting the guest know how much you enjoyed seeing her at the bridal shower and mention the gift she gave you.

Megan, thank you so much for attending my bridal shower and celebrating this special time with me. I absolutely love the heart-shaped measuring spoons you gave me.

• Next, write in a little more detail why you love the gift and/or how you’ll use it.

I can’t wait to get in the kitchen and start making cookies using my heart spoons! It’s little things like that that make baking more fun.

• Close the letter by saying “thank you” and let the guest know how much you appreciate her love and support. If the guest will be attending your wedding, add that you look forward to seeing her.

Thank you oodles for the gift, and again, for coming to my bridal shower. Your support means so much to me and David and we can’t wait to see you at the wedding.

• You can send a special thank you letter to the bridal shower hostess. This letter can include everything mentioned above, plus how special the venue/decorations/food was and how much you appreciate her hosting the event.

When you have friends and family who cherish you enough to celebrate your engagement with gifts, good food, and a day that honors you, it’s only right to share your love and gratitude with them. So find your perfect paper, a well-inked pen, and start writing!

The post How To Write A Bridal Shower Thank You Note appeared first on Inspired Bride.

I loved the variety of details in this wedding. Everything is different from one another. The bride wanted to incorporate her eclectic personality into the wedding & she pulled it off perfectly! It also works when both you & your partner take time to talk about the little details of your wedding together. Remember, it is just not the bride’s day but it should also feel special for the groom. And don’t make it feel that planning a wedding is a chore — rather think of it as a fun experiment that you’re both exploring to do. This wedding is definitely all things fun, colorful & eclectic! Congratulations again to such a lovely & wonderful couple!

What is your story as a couple, how did you meet & fall in love?

Tim and I met at speed dating. I went along with a friend as I had heard lots of funny stories about speed dating, and wanted my own to be able tell (and embellish) at parties. I think Tim went hoping to meet someone, but I didn’t have any expectations! He didn’t find me straight away, as I was sitting off to a corner. When we started talking though, it only lasted about a minute before a voice in my head told me that he was The One. It was so surreal, I had never felt that strongly about someone before, let alone so quickly! I honestly thought I was going mad. We went on a proper date two days later, and it was just magical. I finally understood what people meant when they say that when you meet the right person, you just know. Since then, we’ve pretty much been inseparable. We went overseas together, I moved to a new city and we were apart for 6 months before he joinedme. After that, we just knew we would be together forever, so we decided to get married!

What makes the two of you a perfect match?

We’re both really laid back and value simplicity in our lives. Neither of us really takes anything too seriously, and if one of us starts to stress about something, the other one will become extra patient and calm to diffuse the situation. I guess we are good at complementing and grounding each other.

What was the best advice you received when you were planning your wedding?

To enjoy being engaged, as it would only be brief. And to really focus on the ceremony: the vows, readings and anything else of symbolic value we wanted to include. We had a really great celebrant, who lent us a bunch of books for inspiration on writing our vows and romantic readings/poems we could consider.

What inspired your wedding decor? Why did you choose the things that you did?

I am a pretty lazy person, so I wanted to do the least possible work to still have a beautiful wedding. Hopefully I can offer some light at the end of the tunnel for other similarly lazy brides-to-be! Once we picked the venue – we both wanted a public, outdoors place that we would be able to revisit again and again – and settled on a spring wedding, it was pretty easy to decide that we wanted nature to have a focal point. I had been admiring our florist’s work at my local coffee shop for months, before realising I could find her and ask her to do the wedding flowers! I told the florist I wanted something fun, colourful and eclectic, but still fairly simple and natural with a focus on native flowers, and just let her do her magic. I actually had no idea what the wedding would look like until the day, and it suited me just fine. We also let our bridal party wear what they liked, so it could look more eclectic.

Do you have advice for couples still in the planning process?

Don’t look at Pinterest too much, or you’ll go crazy with indecision! Seriously though, the most important thing really is to have fun with each other. It’s a cliche because it’s grounded in years of acquired wisdom! When Tim and I went to look at potential venues, or meet our photographer, or see our florist, we would make sure that afterwards we explored the surrounding neighbourhood and had a bit of time with each other that was not wedding related. It made the process feel more like an outing and exploration of our city, rather than a chore. Once the wedding day has come and gone, what you’ll remember are the smiles on everyone’s faces, the love in your new spouse’s eyes, the terrible jokes your parents cracked during their speech, not (for example) the fact that your tablecloths were the exact shade of champagne as the ribbon on your shoes.

What were some challenges you faced planning your wedding & what would you have done differently to avoid them?

We probably could have made a list of all the things we needed to do, rather than leave things til the last minute and have a bit of a mad scramble. For example, I ordered my wedding dress 4 weeks before the wedding, and my mum was altering it two nights before the wedding! I also ordered our custom cake toppers after stumbling across the seller on etsy, and as they were coming from the US and were handmade to order, I only received them the day before the wedding… I think a bit of planning definitely wouldn’t go astray.

What was the wedding budget?

We made the age-old mistake of not setting a budget… But I guess we must have been fairly financially conscious, as the total spend was not too ridiculous.  (About AUD20,000)

Where did you save the most money?

My wedding dress was $300 (AUD). I wanted something easy and simple and really didn’t want to go to dress shops. I also wore jewelry that I already owned.

Can you share some tips or tricks that you learned along the way leading up to the wedding or after?

Have an idea of what you like and the look you’re going for, and then leave it to the experts! But really try to find vendors whose work you can see (and like!), read reviews about them (if any), and meet them beforehand to make sure you like them. And then just trust them!

Where did you go on your honeymoon?

Thailand. We spent a week in Bangkok, a week in Chiangmai, and a week in Ko Phi Phi. It was perfect! But again,we pretty much decided, after landing in Bangkok and staying for a few days, what our itinerary would look like.

What are you most excited about for the future?

Taking each day as it comes, and seeing where life takes us and the crazy adventures we’ll go on!

What were the highlights from the ceremony & reception?

Hearing my processional song played by a string trio for the first time was pretty spectacular. During the reception, the speeches were definitely the highlight. But I also enjoyed seeing the reception decoration for the first time, and realising it looked perfect!

How many guests were invited in your wedding and what was the final guest count?

About 160. Final count was about 110.

What inspired the wedding day outfits?

A desire for simplicity on my part. Tim just really wanted a grey-coloured three piece suit and green tie (green being his favourite colour). The rest of the bridal party were allowed to wear what they liked, as long as it was all different! And so that their personalities could shine through.

Was it difficult to narrow down your guest list?

Extremely. Tim has a large extended family, so they were all invited of course! I found it very hard to narrow down my friends, but ultimately I decided they had to be people who significantly contributed to the person I am and/or the person I was when I met Tim. That made it easier, but not by much!

What songs did you use during the ceremony?

I was probably one of the luckiest brides out there, as Tim composed my processional song, which was performed by a wonderful string trio. Our recessional song was ‘Here comes the sun’ by The Beatles (on strings). Our first dance was to ‘They can’t black out the moon’ by Harry Roy & His Orchestra.

What was your favorite part of the day?

The ceremony – seeing all our friends and family looking at us with happiness and love, watching us commit our lives to each other, and being with us as we took our first step towards our married life was definitely unbeatable!

Was there any Do it Yourself (DIY) projects? If so, can you describe them in detail?

We made all the bonbonnieres! They were little paper bags with love hearts on them, filled with a large variety of Chinese lollies and snacks I had eaten as a child. I thought it would be fun to introduce most of our guests to the strange flavours of Chinese lollies. None of them had any English on them either, so it was extra fun watching everyone try to work out what they were. The bags were all tied with different coloured and patterned ribbons. My bridesmaids helped me make them all on the morning of the wedding, it was crazy but fun! I also collected a bunch of our childhood photos, and put them in a photo album on display at the reception, I made sure to select the childhood photos where we were in similar poses or wearing similar outfits and put them next to each other, for an extra bit of fun.

Was there a theme for the ceremony and reception?

Just simple, colourful and fun. I am really against themes and insisting on perfection or a particular look, so I wanted it to be casual and eclectic, but not plain. I suppose it did turn into a kind of theme in the end, not deliberately though!

Vendors

Photographer:  Finessence Photography
Reception Venue: THE TERRACE RECEPTIONS

The post Li & Tim – Eclectic Elegance appeared first on Inspired Bride.

Making the Can

Buy or create a beautifully decorated can so shower guests can put their ideas inside. You can use colored paper or other embellishments to make it perfect. There should be a lid that can be placed on top as well.

Note Cards

Buy small note cards for each guest at the shower, or cut small, decorative pieces of paper for them to write on. Print an instructions card and place it by the can. It can say something like:

“Help make sure the happy couple has fantastic dates and never a dull moment. Add your perfect date idea to a note card and fold it up. Tuck it inside the can for the couple to open throughout the first year of their marriage.”

How it Works

The guests will each write an idea down on a piece of paper and then fold it up, placing it inside the can. It could be a romantic dinner and a movie or a long walk down a stretch of beach. Whatever it is, when the couple opens one, they must have the date that is on the paper.

This idea is so much fun and the bride and groom will thoroughly enjoy acting out each date that they read off the papers. This is especially true for those shower guests who have a sense of humor!

The post Fun Wedding Shower “Can of Dates” Idea appeared first on Inspired Bride.