How to have a quirky British wedding

The celebration of the best of British continues with the Paralympics. The athletes are absolutely amazing I stand in awe as to what they achieve. So if you are planning a wedding what about a fun quirky British theme?

Wedding inspiration moodboard created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

To achieve this; the colors red, white and blue and add a sense of luxury using silks, satins or velvet. The dress styles could be short affairs reminiscent of the swinging 1960s after all London was the place where the mini originated.

Not only the mini dress but the fun nifty mini car would be a great addition to the British wedding theme. Of course the union jack would have a starring role. Shoes, handbags, cupcakes, the wedding invitations and the wedding cake can all have union jack inspired patterns.

Wedding inspiration moodboard created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Red shoes for the bride and red roses or carnations for the bouquets and décor and there you have it.  In this blog I have created two wedding mood boards using pins from the wonderful Pinterest and images and the editor functionality of the brilliant SampleBoard.com. I find both these sites a great way of playing around with ideas.

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online

Trendy grey & yellow interior design & as a wedding color scheme

Grey can create a sophisticated, smart elegant color scheme. However it is a challenging color to use. In this blog I will mention a few things to consider when working with grey. Pure grey is rare in nature. Grey is considered a non or neutral color so it can be used with any color.

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Grey ranges from grey white, ash grey, silver, cool bluish grey, cyan (a greenish blue), warm reddish grey, dark grey to charcoal and grey black. One of the keys to working with grey is to realize how different the greys can be. A way of making a grey color scheme work is to use many different shades of grey. In this way you know it is going to work. You need to be very skilled in color selection to be able to combine a few greys successfully but it can be done.

The wonderful thing about grey is it can work with any color. One of the in vogue color schemes is grey using just a touch of yellow. This works very well as too much grey can be depressing and yellow is such an uplifting and sunny color. The other key is to use at least three different tones of grey; a light grey, mid grey and darker grey. They do not need to vary very much. But a hint of dark grey and black can add impact. Adding shine with silver accessories or mirrors is another way of making the greys in the room sing.

Wedding inspiration mood board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Grey and yellow are also popular colors for weddings at the moment. Having the bridesmaids and the groom dressed in grey works well. Selecting yellow or yellow and white flowers for the bouquet and décor is the only other color needed. An unusual cake and table decoration can be the addition of lemons giving a fresh spring like feel. You will note in the wedding inspiration mood board above the grey curtain appears warmer than the grey ribbon on the cake and the grey vase due to the lighting. It is important to check your color selections in different lights.

Wedding inspiration mood board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

I will leave you with a quote from the fabric designer and master colorist Manuel Canovas he said “There are no ugly colors, there are no ugly sounds there are only unfortunate combinations” Our challenge as designers and wedding planners is to combine colors successful. But don’t you just love color? I do.

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online

Wedding inspiration mood boards using Pinterest and SampleBoard.com

Wedding inspiration boards can be created to show an option of different color choices. A wedding planner can create a number of color boards showing how different styles will look in different colors. The wedding inspiration boards can easily be created online at www.sampleboard.com. A recent excellent addition to the brilliant concept creation online website SampleBoard is the ability to add wonderful images from Pinterest.

Wedding inspiration moodboard created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

The wedding planner can also email the wedding inspiration boards directly to her client. Any adjustments can easily be made to the boards after discussions with the client. Another option would be to use one board to show the various ideas. Wedding inspiration mood board creations using SampleBoard and Pinterest are a great way to express visual ideas.

A few wedding inspiration boards have been included here so you can get an idea of how professional looking wedding inspiration boards can be easily and quickly created online at Sampleboard.com. The old saying of blue and green should never be seen without a color in between can be put to rest this season. Vibrate blue and green work brilliantly together and are in vogue.

Wedding inspiration moodboard created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Wedding Inspiration Theme Boards    

If the client of a wedding planner is unsure as to what sort of theme to use for a wedding the wedding planner can create a number of wedding inspiration boards featuring different themes. The themes can easily be created online on the sampleboard.com website with pins from Pinterest; the options are endless.

Wedding inspiration moodboard created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

You have only to look at the wedding inspiration boards in this blog to get an idea of how to achieve this. You can play around with different themes and a mix of different themes until you come up with something special and unique.

If you love Pinterest you will love combining your pins with the functionality of SampleBoard.com. I’m having a ball playing around with mood board designs using these amazing sites.

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online

Wedding Table Decor

It is so easy to get carried away and overwork the table design for a wedding. I have been (nearly) guilty of doing just that. It is a running joke with my friends; they often stop me in my tracks saying “It’s getting bigger than Ben Hur” as my over stimulated imagination goes into overdrive at the start of a project.

Wedding Inspiration board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

My husband has come to understand the stream of ideas flowing off my tongue need to be voiced yet not necessarily acted upon. After a rush of ideas I settle down simplify and get on target to try and create a functional beautiful design. It is a bit like the six thinking hat technique of Edward de Bono. But that’s another interesting topic I will save for another blog post.

 

Wedding inspiration board created by Mane on SampleBoard.com

The first thing to aim for when designing a table for a wedding is the décor will enhance the wedding theme. The wedding theme should reflect you and your partner. You can be as creative as you like. However like all good design it should not be over the top with too many conflicting items. Keeping it simple often works best.

Tables can be decorated with flowers, candles, fairy lights, balloons or jewels the scope is unlimited. Take care and resist the urge to run out and buy items for the tables without first coming to a firm decision about what exactly you intend to do with the tables. It is so easy to blow the budget. There are so many options available.

Wedding Inspiration board created by Mane on SampleBoard.com

The most popular centre pieces for tables are floral arrangements. They can range from a single prefect flower in a tall vase to low arrangements surrounded with candles. Other options include blooms floating in bowls or flowers cascading from candelabras. The size and shape of the room will influence your choices. Using in season flowers will usually be most cost effective.

Candles can add a romantic atmosphere to any room. Groups of candles at different heights in colors to match the wedding color scheme surrounded with petals or just bowls of floating candles can look stunning. Vases with baubles, flower heads or lights is another option. Using mirrors with the centre piece placed on top will create a sparkling reflection.

Wedding inspiration board created by Mane on SampleBoard.com

It is important to remember people need to see each other across tables. Towering centre pieces need to be selected with this in mind. They need to be created in such a way the top of the arrangement is well above eye level. Towering arrangements work very well in rooms with high ceilings.

Wedding inspiration board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

In this blog I have placed a few wedding inspiration boards featuring some great ideas for table settings. You will also find numerous examples of table décor in the SampleBoard.com library. All you need to do is follow the link ‘Create your own Sampleboard’ under the SampleBoard Links on the right. You can have a wonderful time planning your wedding tables online.

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online

How 2 set the scene for a wedding reception dream

One of the first decisions to make after you have decided what sort of wedding you want is to decide on a venue. The type of venue will depend on what sort of wedding theme you have chosen. There is a growing trend in Australia for simple Friday evening wedding celebrations instead of the usual lengthy Saturday affairs. This trend has evolved because many wedding venues are booked up well in advance.

I grew up in the Europe; weddings usually took place in the morning followed by a wedding breakfast. And the bride walked up the aisle with her father the bridesmaids following behind. When I was married in Australia we had an afternoon wedding followed by an evening reception. And my bridesmaids toddled up the aisle before me. I say toddled because I had persuaded them to wear the highest platform shoes we could find. We were so little and the guys so tall it just had to be so in my opinion and it was my wedding after all.

Of course the budget set for the wedding will influence the sort of wedding venue you select. I strongly believe it is important to start married life without debt and recommend staying within budget. A dream wedding can so easily turn into a debt nightmare. Some of the most beautiful weddings I have been to have been simple and unique affairs and have not cost a fortune.

Wedding Inspiration Board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Due to the fact I am a designer at heart I am very into fine details. I can drive my family and friends crazy. I do so try hard not too but I can’t help it I want everything to be as perfect as possible. When I returned to interior design after some time out of the workforce I was offered and nearly decided to go into a wedding planning business. That’s why I am so interested in weddings. But I returned to interior design instead. A lot of the skills required to be a good wedding planner are similar to the skills needed to be a good designer. This is so much so when setting the scene for the big day.

With regard to the venue; check out your reception venue by walking through the place imagining you are a guest. Stand at the entrance and note anything you want to hide or highlight. First impressions count; what will your guest see as they enter? Sometimes a large floral arrangement can be placed in the line of vision to create a wow factor affect as the guests enter. The best way to disguise unattractive features is to highlight the positive ones this will drive the eye away from the unsightly. A beautiful view from a window or an elegant fireplace can be highlighted with candles, petals, lighting or flowers.

This is where a few design rules come in handy when decorating your venue. Try to keep the space as open as possible. You can create depth by placing taller items at the edges of the room. This is important as a space can appear so much bigger and empty when you view the space without the guests.

Varying the height of table centre pieces will create visual interest. Proportion is another important consideration. In rooms with high ceilings small low table decorations can look odd. Whereas in rooms with low ceilings very tall decorations can make the room appear enclosed and crowded.

Wedding Inspiration Board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Limit what guests have to notice. It is better to have a few beautifully place items than a lot of fuss. Last year I watched a few shows on TV called (I think) ‘Four Weddings’. In one show the bride was so into craft and I am not kidding you the venue decoration at her wedding was over the top. I imagined it would be so over whelming for the guests. I had intended to say a lot more in this blog but I have run out of time. I plan to discuss wedding table decorations in a future blog. Until then have sweet wedding dreams.

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online

Wedding Favors: 2 have or not 2 have

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

To have or not to have that is the question with regard to wedding favors. The first time I became familiar with wedding favors was when my brother married into an Italian family. The beautiful bride although born in Australia came from a very traditional Italian family. We have over the years been overwhelmed by the heartwarming hospitality of our Italian relatives. My husband just loves their home grown and homemade food. We are delighted to have been accepted and welcomed into the whole family. They just love us to death and we do them.

The giving of wedding favors started in Italy. Traditionally each guest is given five sugared almonds they are given to represent the mix of sweetness and bitterness in life. The almonds represent health, happiness, fertility, wealth and longevity. I must confess I just love almonds so my hubby has no chance I usually eat them all.

Thinking of Almonds makes me fondly remember one holiday when I was decidedly decadent my sister and I treated ourselves to too many cups of Almond tea and chocolates. Oh it is a heavenly mix.

Favors of all different sorts have become a big trend at weddings in recent years. It really does depend on your budget whether or not you want to include favors. The little gifts selected can be chosen to work with the style, theme and colors you have created for the big day. Sometimes the favors can be personalized with the guest’s name and double up as place cards. Some wedding planers/brides select different favors for males and females.

Concept Board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

There are numerous choices of wedding favors available today. Favor boxes in various colors and filled with a vast variety of chocolates, love hearts, colored jelly beans or biscuits. The list is endless and the boxes can be decorated with ribbons, feathers and flowers.

Candles can be used as part favor and part table decoration. Tea light candles are popular and can be personalized with the guests name and your wedding details. If cost is a big factor then using candles in this way can act as place card, table decoration and favor. In this way you get three wedding items in one.

Toiletries are a nice option; little soaps, bath confetti or miniature bottles of perfumes for the ladies and after shaves for the men would really go down well with your guests. Mini plant pots with a plant or packets of seeds would be a great option for a garden wedding. Sea shells maybe one large one with smaller shells would make a nice memento for a beach themed wedding.

Mini bottles of alcohol; bubbly, port, wine or whisky are always popular. Of course this sort of favor is not suitable for children. A wee goodie bag containing things like colored pencils, activity books or a wee cuddly toy would be a great idea for the children. You could include activities for the children for example a wedding quiz or a coloring in competition.

Concept Board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

If you want to keep the cost of favors down maybe an individual chocolate for each guest or a bowl of chocolates placed where guests can help themselves would be the best option. But if you are on a really tight budget you can forget about them altogether after all it is your wedding.

You can see from the concept boards of wedding favors in this blog the options are endless. There are many wedding favor and other wedding ideas in the SampleBoard.com library. You can easily visit the library by going to the ‘Create your own Sampleboard’ under the SampleBoard Links on the right. And you can have a wonderful time creating your own wedding theme and select an ideal favor.

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online

Wedding Planning | Wedding Serenade

Wedding Inspiration Board created by Emma Jones on sampleboard.com

A wedding is all about you and your partner, but sometimes brides get so swept away by the endless organization and details that needs to be planned for ‘the perfect day’ that they easily lose sight of what’s most important.

A very small detail that can add so much emotion and feeling into a ceremony is a wedding serenade.

“A wedding serenade is a special song performed in honour of the bride and groom on their wedding day. It could be a song that has special meaning to the couple, a song of blessing, or a performing song that creates the perfect romantic ambiance. This is what Wedding Serenade is all about. “

At Wedding Serenade they are passionate about praise and worship and the role it plays in any wedding ceremony, and Tania, the voice behind Wedding Serenade, comes highly recommended by various brides and grooms that has had the opportunity to hear her sing.

Tania can help you plan a surprise wedding serenade as this romantic gesture can be arranged by the groom or bride in secret to surprise their loved one with a special song!

Should you wish for them to serenade your partner, entertain your guests or lead the worship at your wedding, you can contact Tania directly by email info@weddingserenade.co.za.

Tania also assists with song choices, music ideas and general support to make your wedding day unforgettable!

For more tips on how to create a perfect wedding and to view beautiful wedding inspiration boards read this blog post.

Be inspired for your wedding day with many wedding theme images available on sampleboard.com.

You can also create your own look and feel by creating your very own Inspiration Board with the easy-to-use tool, free of charge!

Wedding Planning | Inspirational Moodboard Design

SampleBoard created by Rosena MacFadzean on sampleboard.com

Wedding Planning on SampleBoard.com | Inspirational moodboard

Be inspired for your wedding day with many wedding theme images available on sampleboard.com to help you plan your perfect day.

With the easy to use drag-and-drop editor you can create inspirational moodboards in minutes!

Check out www.sampleboard.com for moodboards from others in the Creative Community, plus sign up for free to give it a go!

 

Wedding Planning | Setting the scene for a Vintage 1930s Wedding

Inspiration board created by Emma Jones on sampleboard.com

Setting the scene for a Vintage 1930s Wedding Theme

During the mid 1930s tight fitting flowing bridal gowns in slippery high sheen fabrics were popular. Dresses were often made of satins in silk or rayon. The most used colors were ivory, cream, pinkish white or pale blue white. The gowns were imitations of the glamorous evening dresses worn by Hollywood movie star.

High sheen fabrics in ivory, cream pinkish white

Cowl necklines, curved trains with long medieval sleeves were the main features of the dresses. The Bridesmaids often wore similar styles with Juliet caps and large bouquets of roses completing the picture. The bride sometimes carried a small handbag instead of a bouquet. Although roses were popular at the time the most popular flowers were the Madonna lily. Silver fox was the favorite fur.

Medieval style sleeves, Madonna Lilies, silver fox fur

Royal and society weddings influenced wedding trends in the 30s just as they do today. Princess Marina of Greece married in 1934. Her dress was a sheath cut on the cross. She had wide hanging sleeves again creating the medieval look. The fabric was silver and white brocade.

SampleBoard created by Rosena MacFadzean on sampleboard.com

Royal weddings influenced wedding trends

Syrie Maugham’s famous white room style which ranged from, bright white, cream and beige would make an ideal setting a for 1930s themed wedding. Furniture lacquered or tubular steel, chrome or metal plating with textured wallpapers in off white decorated early 1930s rooms. Mirrors and mirrored screens add shimmer and shine.

White interiors with mirrors, lacquered, steel, chrome furniture

White vintage cars like the 1934 Auburn 851 would eco the glamorous era. The color schemes of the 1930s could also be repeated in the clothing or the decor. For example the usual colors cocoa brown with hyacinth blue, prune with turquoise or mustard yellow with grey.

Classic white car, cocoa brown, hyacinth blue, turquoise, mustard yellow and grey  

Eyebrows were plucked and penciled. Elizabeth Arden launched arrange of seven lipstick shades. Mascara and eye shadow came in four shades and eight shades of rouge became available. Suntans became fashionable to enhance the fashions particularly white swim suits and the satin dresses.

More make up choices available, suntans came into vogue 

Towards the end of the 1930s the movie Gone with the Wind helped speed up a Victorian revival in fashion. Dresses with high necklines, standup collars and padded shoulders with full skirts imitating fashions from the 1860s were becoming popular. But the movie released in 1939 saw lavish ball gowns the full skirts with crinolines panniers worn by Scarlet skyrocket in popularity. In wedding dresses bustles emphasized the hips and backs and long trains were attached from the center back. This style did not remain in fashion very long due to the world war of the 1940s.

Inspiration board created by Emma Jones on sampleboard.com

Creating mood boards can clarify your wedding plans

You can play around with your wedding theme ideas by creating mood boards. The wonderful thing is you can do it easily and quickly online at www.sampleboard.com . There are hundreds of images of dress, cakes, flowers and a host of other things to help you create your dream vintage wedding. This great website also has loads of inspiration in blogs, articles and wedding mood boards posted by the creative community.

Late 1930s saw revival of 1860s Victorian fashion lavish ball gowns with full skirts  

The glamorous 1930s gave way to the drab 1940s. Even through the lavish ball gown wedding dress was for a limited time popular in the 30s the era is more known for the glamorous white satin and glitter of movie star style. Therefore a 1930s wedding theme with white figure hugging gowns, white cars, white Madonna lilies with lots of glitter and shine would be more authentic.

SampleBoard created by Linda Smith on sampleboard.com

Jump start your creativity by combining images quickly and easily into digital moodboards on www.sampleboard.com!

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com

Planning a wedding | Create your own moodboard or inspiration board

wedding inspiration board created by Pixy Louise Smith on sampleboard.com

Top inspirational wedding planning moodboards from the SampleBoard creative community

Featured in this post are some of our top inspirational wedding planning moodboards, for your inspiration and enjoyment…

All the moodboards have been created using the SampleBoard web editor.

The web editor allows you to quickly and easily pull together design trends, colour schemes, textures and products via a convenient drag-and-drop function, using the rich editing toolset with over 30,000 product images from the library or your own images uploaded onto the system from your personal profile.

created by Pixy Louise Smith on sampleboard.com

Be inspired for your wedding day with many wedding theme images available on SampleBoard.com

created by Pixy Louise Smith on sampleboard.com

Combine images easily and beautifully into digital moodboards with SampleBoard.com…