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Trends to Watch in 2012

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011

2012 is just around the corner, and that means that the experts are lining up to tell us what’s hot and what’s not for the coming year. I’ve browsed a few of these lists. Some of them contradict one another, but after looking over dozens of guesses, I’m seeing some pretty clear clues to what’s coming in the next few months. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

Dessert tables are expected to continue to be a big deal in weddings. Variety is the spice of life, and a wonderful way to end a reception meal.

A further wrinkle on this trend that’s on the rise for parties that last late into the night is a second spread of snacks offered to guests on their way out. Doughnuts, cookies, sliders, coffee and cocoa… this is the chance to offer up a tasty final gift to your guests.
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Posted in Cakes, Catering, Colors, Decor, DIY, Flowers, Food, Inspiration, Receptions, Wedding planning | 2 Comments »

Pin it On!

Friday, December 16th, 2011

See this cute cake topper? The creator found a similar topper for sale for $80.00 and decided that was more than she wanted to spend for her daughter’s cake topper.

And so she figured out how to do it herself for something in the neighborhood of $10.00.

I don’t know about you, but I think saving $70.00 while coming up with a completely personalized item is well worth the time and energy spent on it!

There really are times when saving money can be fun.

Posted in Cake toppers, DIY | Comments Closed

That Cuts the Cake!

Friday, October 21st, 2011

Have you ever wondered how to figure out how many people that cake you just made will serve at a wedding? Turns out the good folks at Wilton have a handy guide to help you out.

Oh, and if your cake isn’t going to be either round or square, don’t panic! They include equally handy guides for tiers shaped like hearts, flowers, ovals, and paisley, too.

If you’re the one baking your own cake (or you’re giving the job to someone close to you who is a great baker but hasn’t done this level of work before), you can also find great tips on the site for how to construct, decorate, display, and even transport this all-important confectionary creation to your reception site.

There is a section of recipes, but I have to say they didn’t impress me much. Frankly, I would look elsewhere.

But if you need to find a speciality pan, pastry bags and decorating tips, or display items to get you going, Wilton is a great place to start.

Posted in Cakes, Catering, DIY, Fun stuff | 1 Comment »

Brides are Doing it for Themselves: Flowers

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

Here at Manolo for the Brides, we’re in favor of bridal DIY. It’s a great way to save a buck or three and create an intensely personal celebration.

Whether you’re looking to make centerpieces, design and make your own veil, or coming up with handmade favors, chances are you can find inspiration and instruction somewhere on the net. So I’m going to hunt down some of the coolest ideas and clearest instructions to help you get started finding what projects are right for you.

Today, we’re talking about flowers. I’ve been looking around and I’ve discovered some fun projects that nearly anyone can do.

First up, see that picture at the top of this article? Wouldn’t those be delightful on the tabletops at a spring wedding, particularly with a Japanese theme? They’re also origami. This is the sort of project you can do over time or organize a party to play with.
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Posted in Bouquets, Decor, DIY, Flowers | Comments Closed

In a World Full of Interactive Wedding Invitations, This Interactive Wedding Invitation Stands Out!

Monday, May 2nd, 2011

Remember that video game wedding invitation from a while back? I’m reasonably sure that it was the first real interactive wedding invitation I’d seen – but once a good idea starts making the rounds, it’s bound to be replicated. And in bigger, badder ways, too. A quick minute brainstorming, and I’m imagining a Choose Your Own Adventure wedding invitation (which I would SO do) or maybe a scavenger hunt wedding invitation for those who had the time and the inclination. But you know what tops pretty much every interactive wedding invitation I could think up?

Paper Record Player from kellianderson on Vimeo.

This one. It’s a freakin’ papercraft record player, for goodness’ sake! I’m less impressed that it kind of plays an original song written by the couple – Karen Sandler and Mike Tarantino – who sent it out than I am that you can even make a record player out of paper. That someone even conceived of this idea in the first place, and then someone – that would be designer Kelli Anderson who talks more about the whole project on her website – took that idea and rolled with it. Seriously. A papercraft record player interactive wedding invitation. Seriously… Doesn’t that just beat all?

Posted in DIY, Invitations, Stationery | 1 Comment »

Jam Wedding Favors – DIY It or Don’t

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011

Brides-to-be with a knack for canning can default to an easy DIY wedding favor in the form of homemade jam in cute wee jars. But just because you’re not particularly handy in the kitchen doesn’t mean you can’t have jam wedding favors – there are plenty of personalized jam wedding favors on Etsy and elsewhere, in addition to the less expensive non-personalized mini jams. Check out how pretty they can be:

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Posted in DIY, Fun stuff, Gifts, Keepsakes | 3 Comments »

Super Simple Subway Centerpieces

Tuesday, March 8th, 2011

I saw this sweet little reception table centerpiece on bride.ca and just had to share. Because it’s just too simple not to.

You say you’re not planning a New York City subway themed wedding? No problem, just replace the subway card with anything. How about glittery table numbers or some other pretty thing?

All it takes are some nice flower pots – you could even use plain terracotta pots, homegrown wheatgrass, LED tea lights, and the table number of your choice.

Are you DIYing your reception centerpieces? If so, remember to scale your design to the size of your table so it doesn’t look dinky (or absolutely huuuuge)!

Posted in Decor, DIY, Receptions | Comments Closed

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