Simply Sweet: Wedding Planning Part 1, Spring

      I've recently been planning mine and my husband's Renewal Ceremony so I am ALL about weddings right now. I've helped several of my friends plan some very successful weddings, which doesn't actually make me an expert, but at least I have a good track record! =) So, this blog is all about Spring weddings, I'll explain how to cooridante colors based on the season and incorporate them into your ceremony. Keep in mind, it is YOUR wedding so you can do whatever you want.

Location:

     You've already decided to hold your big day sometime in the Spring, a time of growth and new beginnings, a wonderful time for a wedding! But now that you have the perfect time, what about lacation? Well first you need to decide if you want to hold the big event indoors our outdoors or maybe both! Of course there is always the option of having your ceremony in a church, it's very traditional and a lovely option. If you want an outdoor wedding there are a multitude of options and it's a perfect idea for a Spring wedding because you can use nature as a canvas for your wedding! If you would like to have an indoor wedding and an outdoor reception, or vice versa, then a really good option is holding part of the festivites in a barn and the other part outside.
     When planning your location you need to make sure that...

1. The venue is available the time you want. Don't be scare to make backup plans, but definitely be sure that you are nothing short of in love with all of your options. Maybe your location has a special memory or is somewhere that you would want to create a special memory.
2. The venue can accomodate your guest list. You want to hold your wedding in a cozy little church but your guest list is over 200 deep and the church can only seat 100...you may want to either reconsider your guest list or find a new venue.
3. You should also probably do a walkthrough of the venue to plan for your photography. I highly suggest taking the walkthrough WITH your photographer, they are professionals and can spot perfect settings for possible photo ops so that you will have gorgeous photos to remember your day forever!

Color Scheme:

     If you don't have a favorite color in mind and you are color coordinating your wedding to the coinciding season then Mother Nature is the prefect advisor. Spring is full of gorgeous pastels. For the sake of this example I will use Spring's color palette. Some popular color selections for Spring weddings include baby pinks, lavendar, pale blues, buttery yellows, and mint greens. You'll want to stay away from bolder colors such as navy, deep reds, and chocolate which are typically associated with color schemes from other seasons. For the sake of the example we'll say that you've chosen butter yellow, mint green, and lavendar.
     Now that you've picked out your color scheme, how do you use it? Some of the options are obvious: bridesmaid and flower girl dresses and mens' ties and vests. You've chosen mint green silk for your attendants' dresses and tuxedo accessories, but where else can you use the colors? Your flower arrangements, bouquets, and boutonnieres! For the bridal bouqet you can use pale green hydrangas, yellow daisies, fresh lavendar, and baby's breath. You can use a combination of them for the bouttonnieres and the flower arrangements. You can even add tulips, orchis, magnolias, hyacinth, and lillies for your table arrangements. Try using ribbon of a complimentary color to wrap the bouqets or tie around the vases of your table arrangements. Another idea for table arrangements is to loosely put your desired flowers into woven baskets with ribbon tied or wrapped around the handles. Use flowers or ribbons in your hair and/or your bridal attendents' hair. I wouldn't suggest doing it with your groom or groomsmen though, that might be a bit much.
     You can even incorporate the color scheme into your "aisle" runner. Sure they are normally white but why not make it yellow or lavendar? When your flower girl tosses your white, green and yellow flower petals it will compliment the runner perfectly! Try using white chairs or benches for your seating and add lavendar or yellow bows to dress them up. Mint green table cloths and yellow and lavendar linens for the reception would be perfect. Try sprinkling some of the same flower petals your flower girl had on the tables. If you are having an evening wedding incorporate votives and white christmas tree lighting for extra sparkle. You can also use paper lanterns in white or any of the colors you've used for your wedding for a cohesive look.

The Menu:

    The menu is whatever you make of it. Spring is a great time for fresh produce: baby carrots, asparagus, new potatoes (a favorite of mine), sugar snap peas, strawberries, melons, rhubarb, mangos, apricots, peaches, and pomegranites are great during Spring when these items are at their freshest! For the cake you might try a chocolate cake with a coconut icing or a carrot cake with cream cheese icing. You might even like light custards topped with fresh fruits or phyllo dough cups with mousse! For a simple wedding the "meat and potatoes" of your menu you might include a more buffet style setup. Try deli meats and cheese with fresh croissants, salads with vinigrette dressing (I recommend a strawberry or an orange vinigrette), and pink lemonade or iced teas for your non-alcholic refreshments.

     If you are aiming for a more traditional wedding reception with a multiple course menu then the same goes for the veggies and fruits. You can add them in the appetizers or along with the entree`. For your appetizer, keep it simple, try pinwheels, assorted cheese, or fresh tortilla chips with a crisp guacamole dip. Apricot glazed chicken or smoked salmon is a very good option for a Spring entree`. Pair it with asparagus or a broccoli and red pepper vegetable stir fry you have a scrumptious dinner for your guests! For desert you have the cake, or you can have lemon or peach sorbet.

Favors:

    Your guests have shared your memorable day and you want to thank them for sharing in the experience with you. What favors do you send home with them? You could send packets of spring seeds or bulbs packaged in pretty material and tied with polka dot ribbon. If it's easter you could send home chocolate Easter bunnies with your name and the date of your wedding on them. For those craft lovers out there (and if your wedding is on a smaller scale) you could consider sending home small birdhouses. You can get birdhouses and decorating supplies for cheap at your local dollar stores or craft stores. It's a fun project and it's more personal. You can also make personalized watering cans for your guests, put a satchel of Spring seeds or bulbs in them. Another good idea are birds' nests filled with "robin's egg" candies! Have you incorporated lavendar in your wedding? Try satchels of fresh lavendar to remind your guests of the wonderful scents of your wedding! They can hang them in their vehicles or put them in their home to enjoy!

Entertainment:

    Sure you have dancing but if there are a number of children on your guest list then try including a may pole for both entertainment and elegant decoration. A common form of entertainment is karaoke, if this isn't your style then try including a live band or a DJ, you can give them a list of your favorite songs or just give them your favorite genre and give them artistic freedom. At one of my girlfriend's weddings she had a painter come in to paint key scenes throughout her wedding, gorgeous and colorful pieces that now hang in her living room as a key piece of her decor!
    You are ready to leave your reception for your honeymoon in your limo, horse drawn carriage, old pickup or even tandem bike (yes, another of my girlfriend's did this as well and it was absolutely adorable!)...sure your guests could toss rice or blow bubbles to send you and your groom off...OR you could have them release green, yellow, and lavendar balloons or, my absolute favorite, release butterflies. You can order jars of butterflies from a nature conservatory (or you can catch them yourself, which I don't really recommend) and have a grogeous cloud of beautiful butterflies sneding you off on one of the most important chapters of your life!

    I adore these ideas, while I won't be having a Spring wedding myself, I hope this has helped anyone out there planning a Spring wedding, or given some wonderful ideas to anyone planning a wedding in general. If you have any extra ideas or tips to share regarding this article feel free to post them in the comments section below. I love hearing new ideas!