Looking for a laid-back alternative to glam gemstones and jewels? Think of geodes, raw gems, crystals and rocks. These natural elements will have a truly captivating and bohemian effect on your wedding decor.

These pink geode place mats are to die for. They have such a feminine and modern look that will work in a classic palette of pink, white and grey. Rock candy is not just a childhood treat from the past. They are a delicious sweet treat to serve your guests, that also have the benefit of looking amazing.

Create your own gems by spray-painting textured rocks and placing them in your space.

Meet your jewelry must-have! This pair of druzy earrings will fit in well with a black and gold art deco theme.

For a natural take on escort cards all you need are some rocks and a Sharpie. If you live near a beach or trail you can go for a long romantic stroll to pick them up before your wedding. We love the effect of scattering different sized and colored crystals on the tables amongst the centerpieces. Oversized crystals as table numbers will add to a bohemian styled table.

Outdoor ceremonies often require some more decoration when it comes to arranging cake or food tables. You can really wow your guests with a setting like this!

Plain place cards can be given a makeover by pairing them with gems and crystals; your guests can also take them away at the end of the evening. Rock candy can also be used as a decorative and tasty drink stirrer.

Mini easels are perfectly adorable on their own, but these giant geodes placed on them are a game changer. We love the combination of geodes, crystals and rocks with candles. You can turn these into centerpieces or just scatter them around your reception space.

Photo one: ahouseinthehills.com; Photo two: stylemepretty.com; Photo three: amandawatsonphoto.com; Photo four: justinablakeney.com; Photo five: joshuazuckerman.com; Photo six: ashleighhobsonrva.com; Photo seven: loveisabigdeal.com; Photo eight: tiffanysbakingco.com; Photo nine: lauragordonphotography.com; Photo ten: flourishdesigns.com; Photo eleven: joielala.com; Photo twelve: swoonedmagazine.com

We love when couples are brave enough to rock a big, bold, statement-making shade of pink on their wedding day; and when it comes to pink, you don’t get much bolder than fuschia. While there’s nothing subtle about it, fuschia works surprisingly well for any season, plays nice with lots of other colors, and is sure to turn a head or two. You might think this almost neon shade would be difficult to incorporate into your color scheme, but you’d be wrong, and we’ve put together 5 color palettes to prove it.

We think this pink, black, navy, and gold palette is the ultimate in chic, contemporary color combinations. It’s perfect for couples who aren’t afraid to do things their own way and show off a little in the process.

Who says fuchsia can’t work in a more elegant color scheme? Definitely not us, and we think this palette proves it!

Believe it or not, fuchsia actually takes something of a back seat in this color scheme. Working as an accent color alongside deep golden yellow, it’s used to add a pop of color to the predominantly dark purple palette.

This is definitely not your average wedding day palette, but somehow it works despite its somewhat strange color pairings.

Cobalt blue is an equally bold shade that pairs beautifully with fuschia. Adding lots of crisp white to the palette helps give it a clean, crisp feel.

Photo one: junebugweddings.com; Photo two: twigandtwinedesign.com; Photo three: flourishingfoodie.com; Photo four: brides.com; Photo five: stylemepretty.com

Want to add a rustic touch to your autumn nuptials? Maybe you’re simply looking for some festive DIY place cards for your upcoming Thanksgiving dinner?

These free printable autumn leaves make the perfect place cards for any type of party. You can also use the leaves to create a gorgeous fall garland to hang in your home.

Simply download and print the free pdfs. (Click on the links below to download them.)

Free Printable Autumn Leaves 1

Free Printable Autumn Leaves  2

Free Printable Autumn Leaves 3

If you want to create place cards, open the files in Pic Monkey. (I have the paid version, but the free version will also work.) Create a rectangular overlay (white) and fade it to 63 percent.

Add names to the leaves. I imported my own fonts into Pic Monkey and used the Adorn Garland font by Laura Worthington.

Print on card stock.

Carefully cut out each leaf.

Don’t they look festive?

You can also create a garland by hot gluing the leaves to yarn or string.

A leaf garland would look great at a barn wedding!

When it came to choosing where to elope, travel-lovers Ruby and Jason simply couldn’t resist the romantic charms of Paris – and can you blame them?? As the couple exchanged their vows in the gardens behind Notre Dame Cathedral, a crowd gathered and cheered them on, making for the kind of memorable and amazing wedding ceremony that only Paris, the city of love, can offer!

Special thanks goes to Brant Smith for capturing all the beautiful photos and sharing them with us.

Ruby, 31 & Jason, 32

Paris, France

Wedding Date: August 16, 2014

Number of Guests: 2

Wedding Cost: $10,000 (including flights, accommodations, not including wedding dress and tux)

Wedding Ceremony Location: Gardens behind Notre Dame (Square Jean XXIII)

Wedding Reception Location: Lapérouse

Why did you have an intimate wedding?    

We love to travel and we thought having a ceremony in the most romantic city in the world would be the most amazing and memorable experience. Having an intimate wedding also allowed us to do everything we wanted to do without all the stress of having to plan all the details of a traditional wedding.

What are some of the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?

The time difference when trying to coordinate  our accommodations was a bit challenging. We didn’t hire a coordinator so we were relying on our own internet searches for apartments. When emailing apartment owners it would often take a day to get a response and often times the apartment would be rented by the time we did get a response.

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list? 

This did not apply to us as everyone knew we were having an intimate ceremony and would have a reception to celebrate with everyone when we returned.

Did you have any ‘issues’ with the small guest list from friends and family? If so, how did you address them?

Most family and friends that knew were very supportive and excited for our intimate ceremony so we did not run into this issue.

After seven years together, Román and Rossilyn wanted a simple and meaningful wedding to celebrate their existing and continued commitment to each other. For them, that meant a non-traditional elopement ceremony at the Boojum Tree Hidden Garden in Phoenix Arizona – with their photographers Amy & Jordan capturing the intimate nuptials and acting as their witnesses – followed by burgers and beers at their favourite local restaurant. Now, we think that’s a pretty great way to start married life together, don’t you?

Román & Rossilyn 

Gilbert, AZ

Wedding Date: June 15, 2014 – our 7 year anniversary

Number of Guests: 3 – Our two photographers and a close friend who helped with all of the planning and details (as well as helping the bride into her dress!)

Wedding Cost: $3,500

Wedding Ceremony Location: Boojum Tree Hidden Garden, Phoenix, AZ

Wedding Reception Location: None

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

We were together for seven years before getting married, and had already established a life together, so our ideal wedding was something that was not necessarily traditional. We wanted something simple and meaningful that would really reflect our existing love and commitment for each other, as well as the future we were embarking on together.

What are some of the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?

We really struggled with the decision to not have our families present, especially our parents. As much as we would have loved to have them with us, it ultimately would have been too difficult to plan a wedding remotely or ask that they all travel from Texas to be with us.

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?

Not at all, once we decided to elope! We loved our photographers and asked them to be our witnesses.

Did you have any ‘issues’ with the small guest list from friends and family? If so, how did you address them?

As much as our families would have loved to have been with us, they were incredibly supportive of our decision. They wanted what was best for us, and encouraged us to do what felt right, even if it may not have been what they wanted.

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

Román: The moment I first saw her walk down the aisle. She was so beautiful and her smile was so warm, so real. It reminded me of why I love her so much. It was incredible.

Rossilyn: The vows. To me, it was the best, most emotional part of the ceremony, and the part I remember most vividly. At that moment, I felt like we were the only two people in the world.

What were the highlights of the reception?

We did not have a reception, but we had tons of fun after our ceremony. We spent time laughing and having our pictures taken by the best photographers we could have asked for. We had the entire venue to ourselves, so we were able to have portraits done in a variety of beautiful settings. When we arrived back at the hotel, we FaceTimed with our families so that we could all celebrate together. Then we changed out of our wedding attire and went out for burgers and beers at one of our favorite local restaurants.

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding?

Our wedding was truly just about us. Once we made the decision to elope, everything else seemed to fall into place.

What advice do you have for couples who are considering an intimate wedding?

Consider what’s important to you, and what you want to remember most from your wedding day. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you’re married to your best friend. Everything else is just details!

Vendors:

Photographers: Amy & Jordan

Hotel: The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa

Florist: Petals & Lucy

Hair: Monique Escobedo, R Salon

Makeup: Laura K. Burton, R Salon

Officiant & Venue: Tasha Work, Boojum Tree Hidden Garden