Ribbon is one of the latest trends in wedding day decor. Not only is it an economical way to add drama to your Big Day, it’s also incredibly versatile.

Fabric wedding ribbon can be used to dress up the altar:

They can also be hung over a long table to add a splash of color and whimsy.

Hanging ribbons can be placed just about anywhere. They make an interesting reception backdrop.

They can even be hung from trees.

Or on the backs of chairs.

You can even make ribbon wands. Here is the ribbon wand tutorial.

Photo One and Two: You are My Fave; Photo Three: Rock ‘n Roll Bride; Photo Four: Wedding Bee; Photo Five: The Knot; Photo Six: e.claire creations; Photo  Seven and Eight: Blogdig; Photo Nine: Portland wedding coordinator; Photo Nine: The Bump; Photo Ten; The Charity Wedding

Want the ‘wow’ factor on your wedding day? Don’t want to spend a bundle? Jadetime has you covered.

Parasols in every color of the rainbow.

Paper lanterns to match your theme starting at $1 each.  (For daytime weddings, lanterns can be hung from fishing wire; for evening receptions, Christmas lights work well for stringing lanterns together.  They also go great on tables.)

Paper fans that are both exotic, and inexpensive. Even straw hats dressed up in ribbon for a garden wedding.

Card holders that do double duty as wedding favors. Shoji Screens that are both functional and elegant. (Shoji screens are great way to create an intimate space or hide an unsightly area.)

These are just a few of the budget-friendly wedding items that Jadetime, a family owned business that opened its doors in 1996,  offers in its new online store.

If you happen to live in L.A., you can check out all of their products for yourself at their storefront in Chinatown.

Sponsored Post.

I love these Wai Ching dresses. (BTW, this is not a sponsored post.) They’re fun, whimsical and unconventional. The first time I saw a Wai Ching dress was when I caught sight of Kaitlin and Chris’s at-home wedding. You can snag a dress like this for around $2,000.

Photo One and Two: Mustard and Sage via WeddingGawker; Photo Three: Kaitlin and Chris’s At-Home Wedding; Photo Four: Amelia Soper Photography via Rock ‘n Roll Bride

Ivana, 27 & Radenko, 29

Windsor, ON

Wedding Date: July 24, 2010

Number of Guests: 70

Wedding Cost: $20,000

Wedding Ceremony Location: Willistead Manor

Wedding Reception Location: Willistead Manor

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

We just wanted to have only close friends and family present. We wanted to get a chance to talk to every guest at our wedding in informal, intimate way, rather than have huge reception line that is tiresome for both couple and the guests.

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

Cutting the wedding list would be the biggest. It’s always hard to exclude some people from such an important event of your life.

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?

Yes! It was probably the most challenging thing to do, but it was definitely worth it.

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

There were some conflicts with our parents about not having enough room for some of their friends, but we told them that it was our wedding, and that we’d rather have a smaller wedding with a warm, cozy atmosphere and only close friends rather than people that would be invited out of politeness.

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

The fact that it was outside of the manor, in their beautiful garden. The weather despite being non-cooperative all day took a sudden change and our ceremony turned out to be absolutely magical.

What were the highlights of the reception?

The rustic look of the Manor was definitely our favorite aspect. In fact, the primary reason we chose this location was it’s beautiful decor. The wood panels, beautiful fire place and luxurious big stair case make it cozy and warm.

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding?

Being able to talk to the guests without forgetting anyone; take tons of stress-free photographs that will always be part of everybody’s memory of our wedding. It was quality over quantity – every detail was thought through and incorporated just the way we wanted.

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

Just do it! 🙂

Vendors:

Photographers: B&N Photography, Toronto, ON
Florist: Rainbow Flowers, Windsor, ON
Cake & Pastries: Sweet Time Bakery, Windsor, ON
Caterer: Metro Catering, Windsor, ON
Limo: Andiamo Limo, Tecumseh, ON
Linen: BBJ Linen
Attire: Bride’s Dress – Pronovias Galante, Bridal Couture of Birmingham, MI; Groom’s Suit – Hugo Boss, Windsor Crossings, Windsor, ON; Bridesmaid Dresses – J Crew Sophia dress in navy, online; Groomsmen Suits – Freeds, Windsor, ON

By Laura Keller

There’s a new trend among sweet-toothed brides: dessert-only receptions. Rather than doling out money for a huge meal and attempting to satisfy all your guests’ taste preferences, consider serving only an assortment of delicious after-dinner sweets.

By skipping straight to the best part of the meal, you actually expand your options. Since guests won’t be stuffed from a three-course dinner, they’ll have more room to satisfy their sweet tooth and try a variety of desserts. And since you won’t be paying the high cost of feeding your guests an entire meal, you have more of a budget to splurge on sweets.

Most dessert-only receptions provide guests with an array of artfully displayed, bite-sized confections. To ensure variety and creativity, consider flavor, texture, and size of your desserts. Including chocolate, fruit, nut, and vanilla options will cover all your flavor bases, while mixing up the textures to include crunchy, chewy, and creamy will surely give everyone something to enjoy. And in this case, smaller is better. You can easily serve bite-size portions, rather than large slices, of your favorite cakes, brownies, cookies and cheesecakes. Pie fillings can simply be baked in turnover form for easy eating. By creatively thinking about how to prepare your favorite sweets, you can bring nearly anything to the wedding dessert table.

Truffles, cookies, cannolis, macaroons, tarts, brownies, fudge, caramels, cheesecakes, turnovers, puddings, candies, doughnuts, shortbreads – nothing is off limits, as long as it’s sweet and delicious!

Choosing desserts in your color scheme adds even more fun to this sweet idea!

Use serving platters of different styles and materials for a vintage, eclectic look.

For inspiration on how to design and arrange the main course of your dessert-only reception, take a look at some of the beautiful dessert bars event planner Amy Atlas has put together.

First Photo: Vegan Bride, Second and Third Photo: Happiness in a Bite, Fourth Photo: Lily Jane, Fifth Photo: New England Fine Living, Sixth Photo: Bridal Inquirer, Seventh Photo: Amy Atlas

Laura Keller is a 20-something living in Baltimore, MD. Some of her favorite things include crafts, cooking, and culture, which she shares on her blog Radiator Tunes.