These stickers are adorable, and super easy to make. You can create your own stickers by making the image you like (monograms or cute sayings like this are perfect!), printing it on sticker paper and using a circle punch to create the individual stickers. This type of favor is great for minimal effort and packaging.

For berries or smaller fruits, small bags work perfectly. To dress up the bags you can use or make a custom stamp or create a sticker or label with your wedding date, monogram or favorite design. Custom stamps can be anything you want: pretty fonts, artwork, whatever you like and they typically only run between $18-$28 depending on their size making them a stylish and affordable detail.

One of the best parts about using fruit favors are their bright colors. Because of how colorful they already are, sometimes all you need are just some nice baskets or buckets with a cute sign telling your guests how to best serve themselves!

Another beautiful, yet simple, fruit favor idea is stamping kraft paper (or simple wrapping paper) with your custom stamp and wrapping your fruit favor in it. This works best for fruit with interesting shapes, like this pear favor. You can also partially wrap the fruit to give a peak at what awaits inside.

Seasonal fruits are going to be most affordable and if you can buy them in bulk that’s a bonus! Local farms or even farmers markets are great places to look. Whether you wrap your fruit favors in kraft paper, pop them in cute bags, or just display them in nice baskets the bright colors of the fruit need minimal fussing and packaging. They can even double as escort cards or table numbers making them an even more budget friendly option!

Photos One and Two: twigandthistle.com; Photo Three: ruffledblog.com; Photo Four: stylemepretty.com; Photo Five: designsponge.com; Photo Six: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com; Photo Seven: OnceWed.com; Photos Eight and Nine: marthastewartweddings.com

Rebekah is a DIY obsessed, wedding and event design wizard who loves hunting her bay area    homeland for clever craft ideas, vintage gems, bargain buys, new pieces for her vintage rental line  and blogging inspiration. She and her husband live and write in Oakland. Read her blog.

This bride’s dress and headband, as well as the vibrate colored flowers are so dreamy.

This Boho beach inspiration shoot is perfect: carefree, natural, and very about the couple without all the fluff.

The setting for this wedding is ideal for the bohemian theme. With the forest as a backdrop, the brides flowing gown and the live band you can just imagine how great a party this must have been!

If you’re hoping to have a bohemian themed wedding, seek out elements from nature, an unstructured, flowing gown, and simplicity all around. A home-cooked meal to share, local flowers, friends to play the music, and an intimate outdoor setting all make up the perfect boho wedding!

Photos One, Two and Three: joyeusephotography.com; Photos Four, Five and Six: 100layercake.com; Photos Seven and Eight: oncewed.com

Rebekah is a DIY obsessed,wedding design wizard who loves hunting her bay area homeland for  clever craft ideas, vintage gems, bargain  buys, and blogging inspiration. She and her husband live    and write in Oakland. Read her blog.

Picnic tables! Actually, this was a rehearsal dinner.

Beach picnic. This was another rehearsal dinner.

Wedding reception bonfire.

How relaxing! A great way for guests to kick back and get to know each other.

Bonfire - complete with smores.

A wedding ceremony in the forest.

Much better than a tent.

Ice cream in mason jars. Genius!

S’mores cupcakes.

I just wanted to show you that this DIY teacup bird feeder is not just adorable – it attracts cardinals! These two gorgeous creatures have basically moved into my front yard. As long as there are sunflower seeds in the feeder, they’re around. Awesome wedding favor indeed! Go make one!

And Happy Canada Day to all of my fellow Canadians!

Lawn games are great fun to play and they help guests let their hair down and get to know each other better. They also keep your guests entertained during cocktail hour while you are busy getting photos taken.

To make your lawn games successful, do what this couple did: make adorable signage with instructions on how to play the games. That way your guests won’t have to be assisted and the signs are a great keepsake from your wedding.

Chalkboards as signs are a great idea.

Bocce ball is a great way to get your guests moving!

If your reception is at a park with lawn bowling, take advantage! You could even find someone that plays at the park regularly to give your guests a short lesson.

I’m completely in love with everything from the graphics to the colors of this mini golf themed reception. My favorite part is that the couple made stops along “the green” with signs and tokens from their story to tell their guests more about themselves.

Horseshoes and bean bag toss are classic games that you can do in smaller spaces if need be and I love the silhouette of the bride and groom on the bean bag toss (a game also know as Cornhole). It’s great that they used not only their faces, but their wedding colors as well on the games!

If you’ve got a game that needs further instruction or assistance, designate a friend to assist with that area to help guests retrieve their beanbags or horseshoes and to describe game rules for more complex games like bocce ball or lawn bowling. Flea markets, garage sales and ebay are great places to find the vintage games sets.

Photo One: greenweddingshoes.com; Photo Two: greenweddingshoes.com; Photo Three: theweddingac.com; Photo Four: mthreestudioblog.com; Photo Five: greenweddingshoes.com; Photo Six: stylemepretty.com; Photo Seven: stylemepretty.com

Beach weddings are ideal because you really can’t get a better backdrop. Is there anything more beautiful than shimmering water and soft, velvety sand?  Oddly enough, finding beach elements that are chic and sophisticated can truly be a challenge, so I’ve taken out some of the grunt work and compiled the most beautiful beach decor for your wedding. Stylish oceanic elements from the invites to the altar.

My favorite thing about this cake is that if it wasn’t at a wedding on the beach you would have to look closely to see that there is wave and pearl detailing on the bottom of each layer.

Invitations seem to be nearly impossible to find without any seashells, coral or waves being present. Here are two that are stylish and modern that just hint at a beach wedding, don’t beat you over the head with it!

These are cute escort card options, as long as this is the only “message in a bottle” themed item you use.

With a wedding at the beach altars are very optional. It’s nice to have something to pull your eye towards, but with a backdrop as pleasing as the ocean it’s best to make your altar big enough for you and your officiant, but don’t feel the need to fill the whole space (which is impossible), because your chairs will also help to direct your guests toward you as well.

And don’t forget the jewelry. Here is a stunning beach glass necklace, perfect for your maids wearing cobalt blue.

Speaking of sea glass, what about sea glass candy wedding favors for your beach wedding?

A successful beach wedding is one that displays the beach theme subtly and still let’s the bride and groom be the focus and most important elements of the big day. All decor should be natural, items found close to the area where you’re getting married and those items will help to influence you colors, little details, etc.

Now a bar has been set and you can use that as a jumping off point! Plus, keeping you and your partner as the focal point of the wedding helps keep any desires to buy hundreds of seashells and a glue gun at bay. Happy planning!

Photo One: stylemepretty.com; Photo Two: stylemepretty.com; Photos Three and Four: Etsy.com; Photo Five: MarthaStewartWeddings.com; Photo Six: greenweddingshoes.com; Photo Seven: weddingsunveiledblog.blogspot.com;

As wedding budgets retract, and guest lists shrink, the backyard has become the wedding venue of choice for many savvy couples. But backyard weddings are not for everyone.

Are you a perfectionist? Do you make yourself and others around you crazy in an attempt to make everything ‘just so’? If your answer is yes, you might want to cross a backyard wedding off your list. Unless, of course, you want to drive yourself and your significant other looney – but in the end have the most wonderful wedding possible. Kinda like I did.

Perfectionists and at-home weddings can be a volatile combo. There are so many extra details involved with planning a backyard wedding at home that it can be overwhelming for anyone – but especially those who have a penchant for perfection.

Not only will you be trying to eliminate everything on your wedding day to-do list, you’ll also want to make your home extra special for your big day.

If you’re like me you’ll be re-decorating the interior, power washing the exterior and landscaping the heck out of your yard.

Of course, not all couples planning an at-home wedding spend months fixing up their place. Some people don’t lift a finger on home improvements. If that’s the case, planning can be a whole lot easier.

However, there are still things to keep in mind if you are planning a backyard wedding.

• It’s a smart idea to call your local town hall to find out if construction is planned for your area around the time of your wedding. The last thing you want is a muddy, noisy, messy road on the day of your wedding.
• A week before your wedding, it’s wise to let your neighbors know what you are planning, and warn them of potential noise, and traffic. Also, if you are having an outdoor ceremony, let your neighbors know what time it will take place, so they won’t be out with their leaf blowers and lawn mowers during your ‘I do’s.’ Once neighbors know of your plans, they might offer up parking space, or lend a hand.
• Unless you are have a teeny, tiny wedding, you’ll need to rent tables and chairs. You may also have to rent linens, glassware, and dinnerware.
• It’s probably the least romantic thing about your wedding, but it’s probably one of the most important: toilets. No matter where you decide to have your wedding, you’re going to need at least one. If you are having your wedding at home, you might decide that guests can use the washrooms in your home, but after giving it some serious thought, you might change your mind. Do you really want your guests traipsing in and out of your home? Can your plumbing system take the wear and tear? Is it possible that your septic system will be overstressed, causing a plumbing nightmare on the biggest day of your life? (Ever see Meet the Parents?)
• If you are having a backyard wedding, it makes sense to use protection against the elements. I’ve heard horror stories of daring couples whose decision to marry out in the open left them, and their guests, all wet. And rain is not your only concern. A hot sun blazing down on you and your guests will not only cause discomfort; it can cause sunburn and heatstroke. If you’re a risk-taker and don’t want to bother with a tent, make sure you have some sort of back-up plan in case the weather doesn’t co-operate.
• Another tip for an at-home wedding is to invite your caterer over before the big day so s/he can scope out your kitchen. S/he’ll need to know how much space there is to work in – as well as fridge and stove details.
• Although the words wedding and home can be a match made in heaven for many, they are not for everyone. Depending on how elaborate the wedding is, they can be more costly and stressful than a wedding elsewhere.

For us it was all worth it. Will it be worth it for you?

Photo: Hanna and Mathew’s real wedding photographed by Katelyn Demidow Photography

By Jennifer Cox

Brides and grooms want their weddings to be memorable, and one way couples are adding that “ooh” and “ahh” factor to their special day is by releasing sky lanterns. A long-time tradition at Asian festivals for thousands of years, paper lanterns were used to celebrate the Chinese New Year and as a signaling device. Countless were launched to rid the people of their worries and to decorate the city’s sky with light. The flame would symbolize knowledge and wisdom.

There are several vendors who sell sky wish lanterns, which are now 100% biodegradable and come in a wide range of flame-resistant papers. They’re touted as being a calm, beautiful tradition as guests release their lanterns to light up the night sky. They can fly in the air for up to 20 minutes to more than 1,000 feet in altitude and will travel several miles in distance, after which the flame is supposed to blow out and gently float back down for a safe landing.

However, it’s precisely this lengthy trip that sky lanterns take that can make them potentially dangerous (very dangerous, in fact). They can’t be controlled once they’ve been released and they could drift into trees, building rooftops, fields, and other combustible materials while the heat source is still burning, which could create a significant fire hazard.The Saskatchewan government (The Office of the Fire Commissioner), for example, formally asked fire departments to caution members of their community about the potential fire risks of the flying lanterns.

So if you do decide to integrate a sky lantern release into your wedding, make sure you adhere to all safety warnings and proceed with extreme caution.

First Photo: Weddingo; Second Photo: Event Accomplished; Third Photo: Fireworks Arcade; Fourth Photo: Scissor Paper Stone; Fifth Photo: Chasing Rainbows Kissing Frogs

Jennifer Cox is a Montreal based freelance journalist who loves everything from weddings to foodie news, photography & candy!

If you’re having a summer wedding there is a chance you might have rain on your wedding day. As you probably know, rain on your wedding day is said to be lucky. It can also make for some fantastic photos. Want to know if it will rain on your wedding day? Check out the wedding weather predictor on The Weather Channel.

Here are a few rainy weddings that caught my fancy:

Photo One:Andrew Huth; Photo Two, Three: Metro Photography; Photo Four: Daria Bishop; Photo Five: Lucinda Photography; Photo Six: Laurie Peacock; Photo Seven: Ben Pancoast

]]> http://www.intimateweddings.com/blog/will-it-rain-on-your-wedding-day/feed/ 1 http://www.intimateweddings.com/blog/dreamy-summer-wedding-ideas/ http://www.intimateweddings.com/blog/dreamy-summer-wedding-ideas/#comments Mon, 05 Jul 2010 09:34:18 +0000 Christina http://www.intimateweddings.com/blog/?p=8056 Tired of vintage mason jars, chandeliers hanging from trees, bunting strung over vintage tablecloths and old typewiters? Looking for some fresh outdoor wedding ideas?

I pulled together some images that might just inspire you to create a wedding that is entirely unique!

Ever heard of glamping? I didn’t until I saw this photo on Giver’s Log. Amazing.

What about these whimsical swings hanging from the trees instead of chandeliers?

Chill in this old school caravan on your wedding day. (If you live in the UK you can rent it.)

Or get married here at Isaih Zabar’s Magic Garden in Philadelphia. They do host weddings!