BLUSHING BRIDE

Olive, along with all of the other Paisley Umbrella Designers and Weddings Unveiled Magazine are throwing a Boutique Bridal event on April 17th and everyone is invited! Come and get a preview of this season's hottest bridal trends! Only at Paisley Umbrella...

why didn't I think of that??

From the dress down to to the cake, weddings take a lot of mind-power to plan. I'm here to take some of that stress off your pretty little bride shoulders and give you some awesome ideas that will leave guests thinking "why didn't I think of that?!"


taking the outdoor wedding to the next level:

 Chandelier in the tree                         dancing in a field

horses, hey-bales and quilts

diamonds and pearls aren't the bride's only accessories anymore:

crochet wedding moccasins 

 peacock feather to the hair

 family heirloom

flowers that will never die

setting the table is fun again!:

the candy vase

 sugar-coated fruit: nature's delight

i spy with my little eye...

 nature meets creativity: blooming twigs

 tweet tweet

flowers in a cage

truly a joyful and colorful occassion

there's no way that cake can taste as good as it looks:

 paint my roses red

why do i love thee? cause you're a hoot!

 linked for life

 take a seat

tweet tweet

 maybe i went a little crazy with the birds...

inspiring ways to set off as a newly married couple:

 just around the river bend

for the couple who is always looking for a good time

I hope these original ideas help to get those creative juices flowing. I hope you feel special on your special day =)

REUSE

This post, I'm going to give you some great ideas for ways to reuse things FOR your wedding and how to reuse things FROM your wedding. Here goes!

Invited to a wedding and hate to just throw away the beautiful invitation? This is a GREAT wedding gift idea! Turn the invitation into a piece of art. I got this idea from my parents, who have some special wedding invitations they received as gifts after their special day.

The invitation on the left was framed by a friend who added pressed flowers into the frame. The invitation on the right was hand-painted by one of my mom's friends. These are both special to her and are currently in my parent's bedroom.

Donate your flowers. This is a great way to give back and make someone sick or lonely smile. Remember all those beautiful flowers you spent top-dollar for? well, after the big day, they are sometime forgotten about. Instead of just throwing them away, donate them to the church for Sunday's service, and then take all the smaller arrangements to a nursing home or hospital to be given to patients or lonely residents.

Not as sentimental as me? I'm one of those sentimental freaks who saves EVERYTHING thinking "one day, ill look back on this and have so many wonderful memories" or "one day, ill want to use this again". If you are thinking of me in disgust right now, then maybe you should be one of the loving, giving brides who gives her bridal gown away. Ever thought of it? I mean, what are you really going to do with it later anyway? Try it on 30 years down the road and reminisce about how skinny you used to be? So why not? There are many charities such as Brides Against Breast Cancer, Women's Dresses, and the I Do Foundation that will take you dress and give it to a Bride in need. Just for kicks and giggles, I've added a little video about Julia, a bride literally OBSESSED with her dress: just click on THIS LINK

Just like donating your wedding dress, you can also donate or rent your wedding decorations online. If you are running low on budget, or would like to help a money-tight bride, visit one of these sites for more detailes: educatedbride.com or wedcheaper.com. 

You're making me blush!

A new trend has hit hard in the wedding world: skin, blush, champagne,  & pink tones. I'm not a big "trend" person, I like to do my own thing.... but despite its popularity, this trend has won me over. Nothing says "romantic vintage" better than these colors! Here are some good ideas to help get those creative juices flowing:

for the BRIDE: go for a femenine, vintage, romantic look with a wedding dress that isn't white! I know the concept is a little foreign, but the Olive bride like to branch out and try new things... so why not? Go for something vintage and flirty like the short dress on the right, or maybe something a little more subtle and romantic like the cream dress on the left. 

For the BRIDESMAIDS: These beautiful attending ladies have been known to wear pink for decades... so why stop now? Forget the cotton candy, bubble gum pink and let your girls wear a little more sophisticated color like champagne or blush rose

For the FLOWERS: light, simple colors are always safe, easy, and beautiful for flowers. This look will never get old, they will make your pictures look fresh and airy:

For EVERYTHING ELSE: flower girl, shoes, and everything inbetween will look gorgeous in a light shade of cream or pink:

How can you NOT love this trend?? It's so great, it's been seen in celebrity weddings, such as Ellen & Portia and Gwen Stephani:

Olive is ready to make your wedding blush, just come by to see all of the pink possibilities!

REDUCE

Hey there! The theme for this week's post is to "reduce". What does it mean to reduce? Well, according to dictionary.com, the definition to reduce means "to lower in degree, intensity, etc.". I know what you are thinking, "there is no way I am going to decrease my wedding!" All brides hope that their wedding will be the one that no one will forget, the one that people look to when they are planning their own weddings. But trust me, letting back a little bit in certain areas can be a very good thing! Here are a couple ideas that will help you reduce the amount of money and time spent and even the waste created from your wedding day:

Use chalk boards for everything! From directing guests where to go, to cute props for engagement pictures or for guest-book pictures, Chalkboards are a great way to reduce the amount of waste made by signs, nametags, or props that might be thrown away later. After the wedding, hang the chalkboard in your new kitchen!

Have an outdoor wedding. If the weather is good, it is a great way to save money on a church or venue. My personal dream is to get married in the front yard of my grandmother's southern Georgia home. 

Make your own cake. Unless you are a complete failure at baking, this can be a great place to reduce the wedding budget. I have added a few examples so you can see that a homemade cake can look casual, crafty, or just darn cute! (plus, homemade icing always tastes better)

Pick your own flowers and make your flower arrangements. I think all brides can agree that hiring a good florist can be one of the most expensive parts of planning a wedding. If you live near a rural area, go on a flower hunt with your bridesmaids! Search for pretty wild lavender, queen anne's lace, and daisies; pick some hydrangeas from your neighbor's front yard (with permission, of course), and pull some green leaves off of that vine in the church parking lot. Even wheat and cotton are beautiful additions to organic-looking arrangements.

Set a day or two apart for crafty fun with the girls. Make cool place cards, banners, trim for the porch or tables, the "just married" sign to go on the back of your awesome vintage car, etc. Doing this will not only reduce the amount of money you could spend on getting all of these little details made, but it can also reduce the amount of non-recyclable materials that will just be thrown away later. BE CREATIVE! 

*And make sure to use recyclable materials*

I hope these fun ideas help you to reduce the useless waste and money that can be spent on your wedding and magnify its beauty with simple, organic, and original details that your friends will never forget, guaranteed.