Autumn is one of the most popular seasons to plan a wedding. Beautiful natural foliage and mild temperature makes for a great autumn wedding. The crispy air, charming light, and natural colors are unbeatable. In fact, you can use the season itself as the theme of your wedding. Here are some autumn wedding ideas to get you started.

How to Prepare this Season for your Autumn Wedding

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The location

Autumn is a beautiful season, and depending upon your location, there is nothing more gorgeous than an outdoor fall wedding.  You can look for a vineyard, an apple orchard, or any outdoor setting that has a view of natural foliage. If you are planning an evening wedding, keep the odds in your favor and consider an old church or a barn.

Image credit: Blissful Gatherings

Invitations

Incorporate the theme of your wedding on the invitations and let your guests know that yours is an autumn wedding. Select a bold color background such as red, orange or deep green and embed it with dried flowers or leaves. You can also select a paper that has printed fall motifs-falling leaves, tress, or pumpkins. To keep it simple yet elegant, opt for a classic white inner invitation card and have an olive green colored outer envelope. Finish the invites using creative embellishments such as length of golden raffia or an autumn leaf.

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Centerpieces

Instead of flowers or other common centerpieces, why not decorate the tables with fall favorites. You can either pick up the orange pumpkins or opt for the ‘Boo’ pumpkins, which are white in color. Stack them in a vintage style vase for that super stunning effect. Alternatively, you can use caramel apples wrapped in cellophane. Tie a place card on it with a golden ribbon and let it serve a multiple purpose-centerpiece, place card holder, and favor for your guests.

Image credit: Jessica Colaluca

Wedding cake

When it comes to an autumn wedding, you can really serve anything. But, to add to your wedding theme, consider a spiced chocolate cake. A chocolate cake, finished with marzipan fruit is also a great idea. Alternatively, you can omit the cake completely, and serve pumpkin or apple pie.

Image credit: Marta McCall

When preparing for an autumn wedding, remember to maximize nature. Embellish it with your personal style and taste and have a day to remember!

For more wedding ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Are you all set for your wedding day? One of the biggest preparations needed is the reception. It’s where you will share with your guests the love that you celebrate to forever. The wedding reception will provide the general mood of the moment where you tell the whole world about your commitment to love each other until the end.

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Choosing the best wedding reception may require your time and efforts. You have to make sure that the venue is a perfect place for your guests to celebrate with you on your special day. This is very essential since you don’t want to worry about anything on your wedding day. In planning for your wedding reception, here are important questions to ask your caterer:

1. How will you handle last minute request?

Even the most organize couple will have to anticipate a last minute scenario. There’s a possibility that some guests will show up in a short notice. You can’t say no especially if these are your relatives or colleague.

2. What’s their management style?

This is very essential because you want to know who to call and in-charge of everything. This person should be on the look of all the personnel and can decide on urgent matters.

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3. What’s your server-to-table ratio?

With this concern, the more servers per table the better. You always want that your guests feel comfortable and relax as much as possible. This way, their focus will only be on the celebration and not on something else.

4. What are the inclusions of your per-person package price?

The answer will help you decide on what you need to add on your preparations. This will also allow you to assess whether the price is reasonable or not.

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5. Can we see the banquet event order?

This is to give you an idea that everything you requested are taken care of. You will see how the caterer plans about your reception including the food, table setting and the entire venue. You can make the necessary adjustments ahead if this is provided.

These are very important questions that you need to ask to your caterer. You have to make sure that you won’t have to settle for last minute concern regarding your reception on your wedding day. Have a pressure-free and romantic wedding day!

For more wedding ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

]]> https://stagetecture.com/wedding-reception-planning-5-questions-to-ask-your-caterer/feed/ 1 51198 https://stagetecture.com/3-of-the-best-reasons-you-need-a-wedding-planner/ https://stagetecture.com/3-of-the-best-reasons-you-need-a-wedding-planner/#respond Thu, 25 Jul 2013 17:00:38 +0000 https://stagetecture.com/?p=50911  Entry #2682, July 25, 2013

When my husband proposed two years ago, we were busy people in the middle of our career, education, and travel plans.  My search for a wedding planner was purely to alleviate the paperwork and tasks that I couldn’t fit into my schedule.  I quickly learned that a good wedding planner is so much more than that!

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Here are the three biggest reasons, from personal experience, that you should hire a wedding planner you trust.

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Stress

I knew a planner could take the reins on a few things, but I had no idea how much a great one will do for each bride.  I was able to enjoy the entire process, just doing the fun parts (more cake samples, please).  My family and friends appreciated that I spent quality time with them instead of morphing into a bridezilla those last few months.  I am forever grateful for the time I had with them while the planner took care of the details.

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Style

Most brides have a clear vision of their wedding inside their head… From the age of 8.  Even though I did not, I still had a theme in mind.  With her years of experience and current knowledge of trends, my planner turned those big ideas into a venue, menu, and details like escort cards that were far more imaginative what I would have achieved.  A great planner is a great listener; she should make your ideas better with her industry know-how, not ignore your sense of style!

Savings

When I hired a planner, I thought I was adding an expense to my wedding budget.  What I didn’t realize was that successful wedding planners will have lots of vendor contacts that often give better deals for brides referred through the planner.  I can truly say that with all of the vendor discounts I received through my planner, I saved more than the cost of her services.  Not to mention time saved combing through reviews to find reliable florists and bakers!

Overall, my day was completely relaxed and fun, and the months leading up to it were all about time with loved ones rather than planning stress.  Do yourself a favor and make the best decision of your entire wedding (other than your partner) and hire a planner!

For more wedding ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

If you crave a simple, rustic atmosphere of the countryside, consider a country themed wedding to mark your union. Apart from being a lot of fun, rustic country wedding is a perfect choice for a different, untraditional celebration. You can take inspiration from Mother Nature and add your personal touch to exhibit your unique style. Here is how you can pull off a perfect rustic country wedding and have your guests talking for years to come!

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The Venue

If the weather permits, an outdoor setting can add a lot of flavor to a country style wedding. There can be nothing more romantic than saying your vows and celebrating your union in the midst of beautiful flowers and trees. Look for an open field of wheat or daisies or a farmhouse meant for hosting events. Alternatively, if indoors is the only option, a renovated clean barn decorated with strings of twinkling lights can be great idea.

Image via: Mary Margaret

Wedding decor

Since it’s country themed wedding, incorporate woodsy, nature inspired elements to the décor. Use items like raffia, twigs, and corn on doorways, arches, and aisles. You can also create a wooden archway and adorn it with pumpkins and apples. If yours is an evening wedding, line up the aisle with lanterns or votive candles placed in mason jars. For the reception, consider mismatched dinnerware, distressed wooden chairs, and wooden signs or chalkboards to guide your guests.

Image via: Favor Coutre

Image credit: Tammy Dellinger

Wedding invitations

Invitations have the power to set the mood for an event. Flower prints with a warm background like forest green or sunshine yellow can lend your invites the ultimate rustic look. If possible, handwrite your invitations on a recycled paper for that eco-friendly, rustic feel. You can also create your invitations using a picture of the wedding venue as the backdrop. Rest assured, your friends and family will know that this wedding is not to be missed!

Planning a country theme wedding is fun and often inexpensive. Work around with these tips and suggestions to create a memorable, rustic event.

For more wedding ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Centerpieces are a great way to liven up your wedding reception tables. While elaborate ones can be impressive, unique and creative centerpieces can help you show off your personality and pump up your style. Let’s have a look at some simple but stylish garden inspired centerpieces that will not only complement the theme of your occasion, but will also enhance the mood you wish to create.

Image credit: Monica Gordienko

Mason jars

When it comes to outdoor weddings, mason jars can be much more than just a piece of container. Wrap them with a tissue paper or complementing slipcover, and put a candle inside for that simple and unique look. You may also fill mason jars with wildflowers or straws to create a perfect outdoor wedding centerpiece.

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Inspired from Nature

Cut colorful birds from patterned paper and stick them on fallen tree branches. Put them in a simple vase and use this centerpiece for an outdoor wedding table. Your guests will be delighted to see the birds revolving in a gentle breeze.

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Favor tree

Treat your guests to scrumptious sweets displayed on a beautiful table tree. Make colorful cardboard cones and hang them from tree branches with matching ribbon or raffia. Fill the cones with chocolates or candies for your guests to savor.

Takeaway plants/fruits 

Using living art as wedding centerpieces is fun and quick way to dress up your table. During your selection, make sure that pots complement your table settings. Even though flowering plants are always a safe bet, blooming orchids, miniature roses, or lilies will too have your guests gazing. At the end of the evening, allow your guests to take these potted plants back home as favors.

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Beach theme

Whether you are that fortunate one to actually get married on the beach or you just want to incorporate this theme into your big day, this beach theme inspired wedding centerpiece will help you make a big statement. Pick a large vase and fill it with sand. Throw in some seashells, flowers, and place a large candle in the center. The vase will keep the candle from blowing off.

These are just few ideas that will get your creative juices flowing. When it comes to outdoor weddings, table centerpieces are quite easy to create, all you need is to get a little creative and think outside the box!

For more wedding ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

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Planning your Wedding: Make An Appointment

It is very important to have an appointment when you go shopping for a wedding dress and accessories. It ensures that the bridal specialists have proper time and attention to dedicate to you. You will also be able to ask as many questions as necessary. Also make an appointment for finding vendors such as a florist, receptionist site, interviewing caterers, disc jockey (DJ), decorators, and any other wedding vendors. If you hire the services of a professional wedding planner, stay in constant touch with them and see what arrangements they have in mind. This will ensure there is no miscommunication.

Looking for Wedding Centerpiece Ideas? 

Take a look at these wedding centerpiece and decorating ideas when planning your wedding.

Bring Someone You Can Trust

It will be difficult making a decision if you invite too many people with you for your wedding shopping. You should ideally only bring a friend whose opinion you can trust, but if you absolutely must have more than one person, we recommend only another friend or a family member.

Leave Kids At Home when Planning your Wedding

Children are likely to experience boredom very easily at wedding shopping. They can get into all sorts of mischief. If you cannot get anyone to look after them at home, hire a babysitter, so the adults can have a shopping session without interruptions.

Keep An Open Mind

Do not pre-plan everything. It will surprise you as to what you can find in stores. Just because it conflicts with what you have in mind does not mean it is not good. Get fittings done well before time and make sure you have all alterations to the gown that you will be wearing complete, at least two weeks before the main event. At that time, you really do not need the extra stress.

Stay Within your Wedding Planning Budget

Create a budget in the beginning of your planning and try and stick with it. There is no point having the most expensive wedding if at the end of the day you have to foot a bill you cannot afford. There is no reason why your wedding day should not be as magical as you want it to be. Use these helpful tips to start planning your big day today!

For more wedding ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Having your own kitchen garden is not as difficult as most people imagine it to be, and it comes with its own distinct advantages. It gives you a chance to connect with the cycles of the seasons and grow healthy, natural vegetables that usable in your meals. A homegrown vegetable will not only add a personal touch to your cooking, it is also likely to impress your family and friends.

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Choose an ideal location:

You will have to site your kitchen garden in a place where your plants can get access to sunlight and adequate water. You can use a square plot allowing for adequate spacing between your plants. Nothing is more likely to kill your plants than overcrowding them. Allow a small space for you to be able to move about and water your plants without trampling on them. You can also think about future growing seasons. Cultivate new plants during different seasons. Do this in any part of your garden, where you do not cultivate most of the time. This way, old soil will be able to regain lost nutrients.

Take necessary steps to keep plants healthy:

Since the personal kitchen garden will not be very large, you can raise your plants on garden beds to provide the best drainage and prevent the soil from being too compacting. Take the soil pH by using a soil test kit. Decide what plants you are going to plant and find out at what pH they grow best. You can reduce high acidity by the use of lime, while highly alkaline soils require gardener’s sulphur. You can easily find these in any agricultural shop. Once your plants start growing, you may add additional soil components as per requirements. You also have to be careful, of course, to never step on plant beds.

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A well-planned kitchen garden will not require too much of your time to maintain. It is the easiest way to provide you with cheap, homegrown vegetables each year round. Kitchen gardens are also an ideal way to introduce your children to the concept of seasonal plants. You can make gardening a family activity, which you enjoy during the weekends. Even if you are unaware of prerequisites to growing anything, you can educate yourself on the basics of soil and plant development very easily. The best way for you to have a successful garden is, if you grow vegetables that you actually use in your cooking. You are more likely to care for them than ornamental plants.

For more kitchen & bath ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

A well-manicured backyard can be an ideal setting for a summer wedding ceremony. Apart from being a cost-effective alternative to the traditional events, it provides a room for intimacy and privacy. With a little creative decoration, you can easily turn the backyard into a beautiful and charming space to host your big day. Here are some ideas that will help you make your backyard area picture-perfect.

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Color scheme

When decorating for a backyard wedding, the primary focus should be on flowers, trees, and, greenery. Use colors that complement the natural setting such as shades of whites, greens, and, purples. They are always a safe bet for backyard weddings.

Down the aisle

Decorate the ceremony chairs with beautiful flowers placed in vessels and tie them with a twine or ribbon. You can also have the aisle strewn with flower petals before the arrival of your guests. Remember to match it up with your wedding color scheme. Also, when it comes to an outdoor ceremony, a focal point such as a canopy, an arch, or a beautiful tree is an ideal décor at the end of the aisle.

The lighting

Image credit: Melisa Ford

Place tea light candles in clear jars and hang them on trees with a twine for a simple and romantic effect. Alternatively, you can also use hanging candle lanterns, twinkling lights, or torches for lighting the way.

Centerpieces

Like other things, centerpieces for a backyard wedding should also coordinate with the natural setting. Pick up terracotta pots and fill them with dirt, self-start seedlings, and, water. Tie a matching ribbon around the pot to double it as an inexpensive and wonderful wedding favor that your guests will surely love. Remember to start filling these centerpieces a few weeks in advance depending on the seed variety.

If you don’t have much time to grow the seeds, a perfect centerpiece can be made using wildflowers and pitchers. Simply make a bunch of locally found wildflowers using a ribbon and place them in a pitcher, vase, or a jar filled with water.

Image via: Backyard wedding idea

Whether you want to forego the traditional style or you are looking for a more practical option, a backyard wedding can be a unique and beautiful setting for your ceremony. But, while decorating your backyard, keep the odds in your favor and select a backup location for the just in case weather interference.

For more wedding ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Do you feel like your wedding decorations need some radiance? Worry no more by adding wedding DIY wax paper lanterns. This do-it-yourself project gives a nice glow and romantic ambiance to areas where the lanterns are placed. You can simply hang them individually or as a group.

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Here’s how to make wedding DIY wax paper lanterns:

Materials Needed

• Scissors
• Pencil
• Wax Paper
• Foliage or Petals
• Scotch tape
• Stick glue with glue gun
• Balsa wood stick or twig
• Flat iron

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Procedure

1. Iron the foliage and petals by placing them in between wax paper. This should flatten the foliage and petals so it will be easy for you to tape them. Set the flat iron to medium heat, enough to straighten the foliage and petals.
2. Cut the wax paper into equal panels. You can decide the measurement – as desired. Also, you have to consider the measurement of your balsa wood sticks or twig before making your mind up. The balsa wood sticks or twig will serve as a support system of your lanterns.
3. Decorate the panels by sticking the foliage and petals. You can attach them in random of use your creativity to enhance the looks of your panels. Use the glue gun in small amount so it will look neat and elegant.
4. Fasten the panels together using scotch tape and glue the balsa wood sticks or twig with stick glue to make your lantern stand still.
5. Attach a cross bar inside so that a light bulb or candle can be affixed.

Make sure that safety is emphasized when you will use candles as the source of light. The wedding DIY wax paper lanterns project is so easy and quick to make. You can also have it as a table centerpiece design.

For more DIY ideas for your wedding, click here.

Your wedding is a very special day for you and your spouse. Everyone wants to wed their special someone at a place that can stay in their memories for whole of the life. When you plan your wedding, do consider holding the ceremony and reception in the auspices of a Hawaiian beach. Hawaiian beaches are famous for picturesque beaches. Adorned with brown sand and large lava rocks, the beaches look breathtaking. You can spend your honeymoon in the deep blue waters of Hawaiian beaches. It is a great place and you will make a memorable event of your life by choosing to plan a wedding in Hawaii.

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Here are the top three beaches that you can choose as your wedding avenue:

1. Lanikai Beach

The Lanikai beach is famous for its waters, which are ideal for swimming. Tied up in mountains, the beach has beautiful views around. The picturesque landscape is great for couples as you can rent a getaway room in the neighborhood at very affordable prices. This can be attractive especially for the newlyweds.

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2. Hapuna Beach

Hapuna beach is located in Big Island and has a very wide coast. It stretches across many yards and offers a great opportunity for people to snorkel. People can enjoy the spacious coast with very fine sand. To the south, there are is the rocky coast where the ocean is calm. You can take your partner for a walk in the cool breeze that blows at night. It is a great place to kindle fresh love.

  Image via: Style Me Pretty

3. Kua Bay Beach

It is a tribute to the Caribbean beach. The major attraction of this beach is the crystal clear waters. You can have a swim as well and you can snorkel as well. It provides a great opportunity for couples to spend their wedding days on this beach. The beach is located in the Big Island.
Making your wedding special makes it memorable and when you will grow old with your partner, reminiscing will be all that is left. Holding hands together on a sandy beach in Hawaii is a very good idea to give a fresh start to your new life. Igniting the spark in wedding will make it last forever. Hawaii is a great place for couples that are igniting the flames of love in their life by bonding in the sacred ritual of wedding. We hope that you will find these places lovable and you will definitely enjoy planning your wedding to Hawaii.

For more wedding ideas on Stagetecture, click here.