Category: Events

Creative Bridal Shower Ideas

Posted on by Glendalough Manor

I am always on the lookout for fun bridal shower ideas!  If you are a bridesmaid or a Maid/Matron of Honor and have been put in charge of coordinating a bridal shower this can be very daunting task.  You don’t want to disappoint the bride and sometimes it is hard to think of a fun, creative bridal shower idea.   First, make sure you consider the bride and what she loves to do before deciding on an idea.  Most brides are all about relaxing and forgetting about all the stresses of the wedding.  You know her best so the more personal touches
…the better.  If she loves the color pink throw her an all pink shower or if she loves books throw her a “stock the library” shower.

 Take a look at some of my new favorite bridal shower ideas and see if they fit your bride!

Art Shower:

If your bride-to-be is an artsy gal, then an art party is perfect for her.  One of the things I love about many of the art party classes is that they are BYOB.  You can bring your favorite bottle of wine and learn to paint a canvas painting or a piece of pottery.  The bride will love it and even if you aren’t a painter you can have fun with it!  (In Atlanta check out Sips n Strokes)

Cake Decorating:

How fun is this?  Especially if she loves cakes or sweets this is such a great idea.  You can purchase small cakes for everyone in attendance and have different color icing and icing tools to decorate their individual cakes.  There are bakeries who will conduct the class for you or if you want a more intimate setting you can do it in your home. (Below is a picture of Vanessa Minnillo’s bridal shower)

Eco Friendly Shower:

If your bride is “green” she will adore this Eco Friendly shower.  An outdoor shower is the perfect backdrop using eco friendly centerpieces and linens.  I like the idea of using herbs like rosemary and thyme in the center of the tables. An idea I saw in Inside Weddings Magazine was to set up a Potting Station with everything for guests to pot their own plants to take home.  Love!

Cooking Classes:

This is perfect for a bride who loves to cook or possibly has no idea how to cook.  Either way it will be a great time for everyone to learn a new dish!

Spa Party:

What bride doesn’t love to be pampered?  For this shower idea you can either go to a spa or you can treat your bride to a day of pedicures at your home. If you hire a few people to do pedicures and serve a light lunch (don’t forget the soothing music) your bride won’t want to leave!

Tell us about your bridal shower ideas!! We would love to feature your shower on our blog!

Happy Planning!

Sources: www. carolintran.net, www.insideweddings.com, www.sabinescuisines.net, www.weddinggirl.ca, www.cakeandart.com

Winter Wedding Colors for 2012

Posted on by Glendalough Manor

If you are having (or thinking of having) a winter wedding in 2012, choosing wedding colors may be a hard decision.  There is no rule that your wedding colors must be red and green to have a winter wedding.  There are some really beautiful color schemes for winter that may surprise you.

One of my favorite color schemes is a simple all white/ivory wedding with hints of color to pull everything together.  An all white or ivory wedding can make a big statement and I love the idea of using a light blue or pink to highlight everything. You can use branches, pinecones, and ornaments (which can double as favors) as accents in your décor.

If you are a girl that loves bling then a winter wedding might be perfect for you!  Crystals and gems highlighted against a white or ivory backdrop is stunning.

Another untraditional color scheme for a winter wedding is teal, brown and silver.  Using all white flowers give a modern winter feeling.

Of course you can’t go wrong with using burgundy or red but that doesn’t mean your décor has to scream Christmas.  Small touches of red go long way and some brides are adding black for a modern, yet romantic feel. You can even add an aqua blue color to spice it up!

Just a tip… if you are planning a 2012 winter wedding wait until January to stock up on all of the leftover Christmas decorations.  It is inexpensive and if you are crafty you have plenty of time to create some wonderful centerpieces to give you a perfect Winter Wedding!

Sources: www.blog.heylook.fi, www.blog.bohoweddingsandevents.com, and www.frostyweddings.blogspot.com

Different Bridesmaid Dresses

Posted on by Glendalough Manor

A growing trend I absolutely love is having bridesmaids wear different dresses!

One of the most popular ways to have bridesmaids wear different dresses is for the bride to choose the fabric as well as the color and let the girls choose the shape they feel most comfortable in.  This allows the bridesmaids to pick out a shape that flatters their body but still providing continuity between the girls by having them all in the same fabric and color.

Another way to make your bridesmaids wear something different is to ask your girls to pick their own bridesmaid dresses!   To be honest, when I first heard about this trend I thought it would never work…..how could they choose their own dresses and still look good standing next to each other?   I think the key to this is to make sure you as the bride are specific in what they can wear.  Depending on the look and feel of the wedding you can decide how different you want their dresses to be.

My suggestion would be to give them an overall feeling for the wedding and what type of dresses you think will complement that style.  Give the girls a certain color palette and decide how creative you want them to be.  For example, ask all of your girls to pick a tea length dress in any shade of blue.  Make sure you let them know what styles or colors you don’t like so they are clear on your likes and dislikes before they begin their search.

If you want them to really show their own personality and style you can give them a couple of colors that go along with the wedding and let them choose the style and look.  I say this is your wedding so even though you are giving them some creativity you can be as involved as you feel necessary and ultimately make the final decision.  In the end your girls will feel confident and comfortable in the dress they chose and look fabulous!

If you are thinking about asking your girls to wear different bridesmaid dresses we would love to hear about it!

Sources: www.sdweddinginsider.com, www.people.com, www.thebrideofoklahoma.com, www.ruffledblog.com, www.stylemepretty.com