Wedding Runways Feature - Unique Wedding Ideas from Real Brides: A New Twist on the Bachelor and Bachelorette Party

One of my best friends from college is getting married this fall. Her and her husband-to-be are 2 of the best, most crazy people I know (in the best possible way). So, I did not expect anything less of them when I heard of instead of having a bachelor and bachelorette party, we are ALL going to the Jersey Shore one weekend in the summer.

This has come up for debate, quite a lot recently, whether this is appropriate or not. I can honestly say I think this is a great idea! The future bride and groom will be able to spend time with each other and so will all of their friends. We are all scattered across 2 states, so this is the perfect way to get to know each other before hand. I am going to plan activities for the weekend, the girls’ are still going to have a spa-day, or a few hours, anyway. And the boys’ can still play golf. We will all get together later in the night for dinner and maybe a few cocktails! I highly recommend this idea!

Stay tuned for the “after” update…..


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10 Tips for the Perfect Outdoor Wedding

Now, that summer is quickly approaching here are some tips to plan the perfect outdoor wedding and have it be as seamless as possible and to go off without a hitch! Nina Callaway, of About.com, shares her favorites.

1. Make your guests comfortable

Think about what the weather will likely be at the time of day and month of the year of your outdoor wedding. Sunny and hot? Don't leave your guests uncomfortably melting – have your ushers give guests ice-cold bottles of water as they are seated. Consider printing your wedding program on a fan so that guests may cool themselves. Don't forget to have plenty of sunscreen on hand as well. For a very warm location, look into renting large electric fans (don't forget a generator) and/or a tent to shade the suns rays. If it will be cold and damp, make sure you tell guests that so they can wear extra layers. A simple xeroxed insert will do. You might want to have lap blankets on hand, or rent portable heaters.

2. Have a backup plan.

What will you do if it rains? The ideal outdoor wedding location has an indoor location waiting just in case. Many brides and grooms opt to have their ceremony outside and reception inside. In a pinch, the tables can be scooted to the back of the room during the ceremony. A tent is another option, but only for light to moderate rain storms. A heavy rain will soak the ground underneath, leaving guests with soggy and muddy shoes. Make sure any tent you rent is sturdy so it won't flip over, and that it has thick and weighted sides.

3. Plan for wind.

Many outdoor weddings suffer from windy conditions. Avoid light fabrics like chiffons and china silks in your dress and the bridesmaid dresses. Tell your hairstylist that you'll be having an outdoor wedding so she/he can plan a style that won't leave you looking like Cousin It! Men in the wedding party should use pomade or other styling product. Again, tell your guests in a printed insert so that they can plan accordingly. And of course, make sure your tent will stand up to gusting winds or find an indoor backup plan.

4. Can everybody hear?

When you picture your dream wedding at the beach, you're probably not hearing the roaring of the waves, the rushing wind, or the local kids running and screaming around you. Look into renting a sound system with clip mikes for the bride, groom and officiant. Your DJ or band may be able to easily arrange this for you.

5. Decorations.

One of the bonuses of an outdoor wedding is the natural beauty around you, lessening your need to decorate. But you still need to do some work. Visit the site a week before your wedding to make sure the grass is mown, the ground raked, and the flowers have bloomed. If your wedding is at a public park, you may want to ask the groomsmen or friends to do this the morning of your ceremony. If it's been an especially cold season, you may need to supplement the flowers with some potted bulbs from a florist. Other decorations you may want to consider include an arch or trellis to focus the ceremony and frame the bride and groom as they say their vows; strings of lights or lanterns in the trees; luminarias; torches; or farolitas.

6. Make things tasty outside.

Does your caterer have experience planning an outdoor wedding menu? Make sure they're planning things that will keep well outdoors in the heat. Avoid things like mayonnaise salads or dishes which must be served cold.

7. Don't leave your guests parched

Since alcohol is dehydrating, consider serving a variety of lemonades, teas and punches. Be sure to have plenty of ice and water around as well. For a fancy cocktail, why not serve a classic mint julep or a mojito? The mint will refresh and cool your guests.

8. Those pesky flying things.

Be sure to put out citronella candles or a bug zapper so that your guests won't spend the whole ceremony swatting at the air.

9. Here comes the sun.

Consider timing your outdoor wedding for sunset where your guests will see you take your vows surrounded by the warm glow of the sun. Those having a daytime outdoor wedding should orient the ceremony so that the sun will be on guests' backs rather than in their eyes.

10. Permits.

Don't forget to contact your city parks department or other local government to get a permit for an outdoor wedding. Be sure to ask about rules concerning trash removal, candle or torch lighting, and pre-wedding photography.

Don’t forget to visit us at http://www.weddingrunways.com and we will provide the perfect aisle runner to compliment your outdoor wedding!

The Knot's Tips & Trends for Save-the-Dates

The Knot recently published this article on save-the-dates. We love their ideas and here at Wedding Runways we can match a custom wedding aisle runner with any save-the-date ideas, colors or designs. If you have something in mind, we will make it come to life. Save-the-Dates: Tips & Trends Send save-the-date cards that really get all your guests excited for your wedding! Here's how to make a good first impression. Photo: Elizabeth and Homer Your save-the-date cards will be the first thing people see regarding the style of your wedding so you want to make them cool and unique, personalized, or reflect the colors and theme of your wedding day (if you have one). There are hundreds of design ideas and new trends are popping up daily, but here's a glimpse of what we see going on across the nation today. Design Ideas Whatever you choose, make it fun and you're sure to get a favorable response. Here are 10 ideas to get you started: Use bright, bold colors that will make an impact and your wedding date will stay in the thoughts of even the most absentminded guests. Include graphics or colors that make sense to the locale and date, such as pink and red flowers if you plan to marry in the springtime in a rose garden, or a card tied up with a baby-blue gingham ribbon for an oceanside summer soiree. Your save-the-date cards can be as simple as a postcard or as elaborate and interactive as a magnetic puzzle. We're fans of a picture taken shortly after the engagement (think holiday cards). Some brides favor save-the-date cookies, although you may have to send out a second reminder to all your sweet-tooth friends who might munch before they mark down your date! We absolutely love the idea of save-the-date stickers that will fit into those tiny boxes in appointment books or on desktop calendars. Refrigerator magnets -- ones with just your names and wedding date -- are cool too. We like pretty save-the-dates like ones designed on fans or better yet, pinwheels! An all-time favorite done many different ways is the calendar. Invitation designers are creating cards that look like a mini calendar month with the date you've chosen circled or decorated or knocked out with a mini three-hole punch. The hottest trend is a photo strip (the kind you create yourself on a beach boardwalk) with funny faces and the wedding date. In each of the four pictures, hold up a sign. 1) We're getting married. 2) Save the Date. 3) June 5, 2005. 4) Be there! (You get the idea.)

Michelle Mospens of My Personal Artist

While browsing the web for the current “hot” wedding colors, we came across beautiful Inspiration Boards by Michelle Mospens of My Personal Artist. We LOVE the Tiffany Blue and Light Aqua colors and we love how this aisle runner featured is so simple and clean looking. Green, red, and orange accent colors really make the aqua pop! As spring is approaching, it will be nice to see some bright colors again. Don’t be afraid to mix and match and play with colors, you might not have thought would work. Creating an inspiration board like this one is a fun way to see how your wedding might look. Make a couple different ones, and show people you trust for their opinion. Your wedding is your day, so make sure you are happy with every decision you make!

Beautiful and Unique Custom Wedding Invitations

Here at Wedding Runways we can't get over the beautiful invitations that Praez Occasions Custom Couture Invitations & Accessories makes - we had to share!


If you are looking for a distinctive wedding invitation using beautiful colors, textiles and fabrics, you will love Praez Occasions' work. The workmanship and detail on this invitation is so impressive - a 6x9 pocketfold in Amethyst, with double-layered mounted invitation and matching directions and response cards, finished with white and lilac silk floral applique.

Another invitation we love is this apple green colored fabric invitation. This is a Formal invitation presented in imported Thai silk matchbook-style box, adorned with 3 1/2" wired ribbon finished with gorgeous gold jeweled seahorse brooch.

Praez Occasions can accommodate any budget, any size event, and can ship to anywhere.

If you are a bride who wants unique and memorable wedding invitations, check out their website to see more beautiful custom wedding invitations.


Like the idea of using the graphic or theme of your wedding invitations throughout your wedding?






Considering an aisle runner using the same theme as your wedding invitations?

Wedding Runways has helped other brides with transforming their unique custom graphics into a custom printed aisle runner. We love Lauren's aisle runner seen here - Lauren kept her wedding runner simple with a black & white color palette and a feather graphic inspired by their wedding invitation. Come see other examples of other brides with the same great idea in our Photo Gallery.


Are you a bride with a unique graphic or custom wedding invitation you want to incorporate into your aisle runner? Visit us at Wedding Runways to find out how you can include your unique image or graphic into a custom printed wedding aisle runners.


Visit Wedding Runways for custom printed wedding aisle runners

Brides Magazine suggestions to make your Wedding Unique

Brides Magazine just published an article "75 Ways To Make Your Wedding Unique" that had a great suggestion to personalize your wedding. Some of our favorites are:

Give a custom flourish to all your printed material with your own logo—an image that's meaningful to you and your spouse, like a hobby or place. See loveletterslogos.com for ideas.


Make sure the dance floor is packed by asking invitees to jot down three favorite songs on the RSVP card; give your DJ the playlist.


Into Coldplay more than Vivaldi? At your ceremony, have musicians play contemporary songs as instrumentals. "It's a refreshing change from the expected classical pieces," says Niki Delacueva, of R. Jack Balthazar Events, in Pasadena, California.


Todd Fiscus suggests this novel seating arrangement: four eight-foot rectangular tables arranged into "plus" signs. A big potted tree in the "hole" in the center serves as the focal point. Each two-table grouping can seat up to 32 people.

Light the way with a custom gobo—a metal plate stamped with a decorative design, then attached to a spotlight that projects the image on a dance floor or wall. Check out customgobo.com or gobosource.com.

Like unique weddings and wedding ideas? Visit Wedding Runways to see custom printed wedding aisle runners

Wedding Runways aisle runner idea - How to do bright colors on an Aisle Runner

Are you are bride who is having an intense or bright color as part of your wedding color scheme? When deciding on the right look for your wedding aisle runner, consider this tip:

When using an intense color such as fuschia or tiffany blue, consider using a lighter saturation of that color for your wedding aisle runner so as not to overpower the room. Much like when painting a room a bright color, the overall visual affect of the subdued version of your theme color covering that much space will achieve the right look and compliment the wedding theme.

Looking for a custom printed wedding aisle runner? Have a special graphic, logo or text that you want to incorporate into your runner? Visit us at Wedding Runways to see custom printed wedding aisle runners.


Visit Wedding Runways for custom printed wedding aisle runners

New Aisle Runner Photos at Wedding Runways.com

Today here at Wedding Runways we added some new custom printed aisle runners for the Spring, 2009 season now on display in the Wedding Runways Photo Gallery.

One of my favorites is this aisle runner featuring a damask pattern atop tiffany blue to match the wedding color seen here.

Visit us at Wedding Runways to see close up photos of this runner and more custom printed wedding aisle runners.

Tiffany Blue Wedding Invitation and Aisle Runner ideas

Love Tiffany Blue as a wedding color? So do we. Brainstorming for Tiffany Blue themed wedding color ideas? We love the colors of this wedding invitation from Praez Occasions new Spring collection, it is a raw silk wrap with a Swarovski crystal brooch. We paired it with one of the custom wedding aisle runners seen in the Wedding Runways photo gallery, a tiffany blue runner with a damask pattern overlay to soften the intense hue and coordinate with the ceremony site.





Wedding Invitations by Praez Occasions.


Visit Wedding Runways for custom printed wedding aisle runners

Wedding Runways Complimentary Gift Offer

Here at Wedding Runways we are currently offering brides a complimentary custom thank you poster with every custom aisle runner purchase. Visit us at Wedding Runways for this complimentary offer.

Wedding Aisle Runners

Brides who have a unique idea for their wedding aisle runner often have a hard time finding a way to get the wedding aisle runner they envision. Wedding Runways makes custom printed wedding aisle runners. Upload a your logo or graphic and Wedding Runways can bring your aisle runner idea to life!

Visit Wedding Runways to see examples of custom printed wedding aisle runners and to preview Wedding Runways' own design software to design the font, colors, design, logo, monogram and text of your own signature wedding aisle runner.


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