Real Wedding : lemons and calla lilies at Eolia Mansion in Connecticut

We're kicking off a brand new week of the Best Wedding Sites Magazine with the gorgeous wedding of Jennifer and Tim in navy blue and yellow with touches of grey added in. Stay tuned all week long for new inspiration each and every day. Today's wedding was photographed by Sassy Mouth Photography.

Vendors:
Photographer: Sassy Mouth Photography
Venue: Eolia Mansion at Harkness Park
Catering: Culinary Concerts

Real Wedding : an elegant and modern wedding in purple + pink

[ Kelley + Turner ] Houston, Texas

This gorgeous purple wedding took place at Ashton Gardens in Houston, TX. Don't you just love the brides shoes and all the floral bouquets? Photographs are by Sarah Ainsworth Photography.

Vendors:
Photographer: Sarah Ainsworth Photography
Floral Designer: CM Floral Designs
Reception Venue: Ashton Gardens
Dress Store: Mon Cheri Bridal
Cake Designer: Virginia's Cakes
DJ: Klentzman Entertainment

submitted via Two Bright Lights

Real Wedding : a breathtakingly gorgeous and elegant reception party

[ Nabila  & Amid ] Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania

This spectacular event was the reception party that Nabila and Amid put together for their family and friends. The actual wedding ceremony and their first reception had already taken place in Bangladesh. Wait until you see the lighting for the outdoor reception - it's simply amazing and spectacular. As is the presentation of all the food. I love how as the night approached the tent became aglow with pink/purple lighting. So much fun. Photographs are by SYPhotography

Vendors:
Photographer: SYPhotography
Caterer: Feastivities Events
Event Planner: Working Brides Wedding Planner
Reception Venue: Cairnwood Estate

Blue Wedding Inspiration

by wedding author Sharon Naylor

‘Something Blue’ has emerged as a dreamy color palette in today’s wedding celebrations – not just for the wedding day’s styling, but also for bridal showers, engagement parties, even welcome cocktail parties for out-of-town guests’ arrival and destination weddings. So much so, in fact, that ‘Something Blue’ has quickly evolved into ‘So Many Things in Blue.’

So what is it about Blue that’s captured so many brides’ décor wishes? It’s the color of a clear, perfect sky above…the color of the impossibly blue Caribbean sea…perhaps the color of your true love’s eyes…the color of priceless sapphires that are so hot right now.  And ranging from barely-there blush blues to cobalt blue and navy, blue comes to the bride in everything from fabrics to flowers to favors and more.

Check out the inspiration board below from Morristown, New Jersey event coordinating company My Bellissima, co-owner Laura Bianco, showing the lovely range of blues:

To see the more easy blue wedding touches from Sharon Naylor, please visit pages 10-11
of the July issue of The Best Wedding Sites Magazine.



Wedding Tipping

courtesy of Storkie

Planning your wedding and reception can be an incredibly exhilarating process, as it's very important that you remain prepared for your big day. One key aspect that is often overlooked when planning a wedding are who you should tip and how much. You have likely hired a lot of different vendors to help make your special day the best it could be, but not every vendor gets tipped the same way – or even at all. So, it is important to keep in mind just who you should tip and how much beforehand.

Here are some guidelines for what wedding vendors to tip and how much to tip them.

wedding planner
Most likely, your wedding planner won't expect any tip. However, if your wedding planner did an excellent job for your big day, you can certainly offer the planner a token of your appreciation. About 50% of couples tip their wedding planners, and it is more common for those with more extravagant affairs to do so. To tip your wedding planner, you can give them a cash tip of up to $500. This should be handed to the planner at the end of the reception in an envelope by the bride. You could also give the planner a nice gift, such as professional photos the planner can use for their portfolio.

wedding ceremony officiant
If your officiant is affiliated with a church or synagogue, you would typically make a donation to the institution. This should be a donation of $500 or more. You may tip less if there was a charge to use the facilities, though. However, if it is nondenominational, an optional tip off $50-100 may be given, but this isn't necessary as you will likely be charged for use of the facilities.

To see the rest of the article on wedding tipping, please visit pages 8-9
of the July issue of The Best Wedding Sites Magazine.

A Whimsical and Romantic Rustic Wedding in Alabama

As written by the bride Amber . . .
Ismael and I did not want a traditional wedding. We wanted a whimsical experience that was a true representation of our personalities and relationship.  I have always loved the rustic and romantic feel of a barn so we decided to get married in the red barn at The American Village in Montevallo, AL.

The ceremony was in the barn and after we asked everyone to go to the courtyard beside it for bottled cokes. While guest were mingling in the courtyard the barn was then transformed for the reception.

I had dreamed of having a brooch bouquet but thought it would not be possible until Ismael surprised me. He had been working with Jennifer from The Ritzy Rose to create the perfect bouquet. It was a dream come true to receive that as my wedding gift from him.

My favorite thing about our reception was our dessert bar created by Proper Measures. It was themed around the movie UP since that was one of our favorites with balloons for a background and a perfect color palette. We had an amazing wedding cake and lots of other desserts which included oatmeal creme pies, macaroons and cake bites. The children’s area also had a candy table. We had a photo booth which made for great pictures of everyone for us to view after the wedding. Our giveaway was the little red I AM LOVED pins...perfect cheap giveaway!

To see the rest of Amber & Ismael's wedding, please visit pages 20-23
of the July issue of The Best Wedding Sites Magazine.

Photographer: Jeff Hall Photography
Venue: Red Barn, The American Village
Brooch Bouquet: The Ritzy Rose

To see the rest of Amber & Ismael's wedding, please visit pages 20-23
of the July issue of The Best Wedding Sites Magazine.

Real Wedding : a purple and white wedding in South Carolina

I'm loving today's purple and white wedding of Samantha and Robbie whose wedding was a fun and casual celebration in South Carolina. Photographs are by Brooke Christl Photography.

 

Wedding Vendors:
Photographer: Brooke Christl Photography
Event Planner: Coastal Weddings & Events
Floral Designer: Nature's Gardens
Reception Venue: Reserve Harbor Yacht Club, Beach House
Cake Designer: Sugar on the Strand
DJ: Broadway Jake