Five Romantic Ideas For Your Wedding

Romance seems to be a resounding theme of every wedding, and rightfully so!  So how do you crank up the romance factor as you and your new spouse make the ultimate commitment to love? We at Four Leaf Events have compiled a list the top five romantic moments and details we have personally seen at a wedding over the recent years to inspire you.  


1. HAVE YOUR WEDDING CEREMONY AT NIGHT
I will have to admit this first tip comes straight from the storybook of my own wedding.  There is something magical that happens when evening comes and romance seems to burst alive.  The anticipation of waiting to marry my husband until sunset not only made my wedding day more relaxed, but also very fulfilling.  I was able to take in every moment.  The evening chill welcomed guests to snuggle close under the dim street lights and the candle-lined aisle.  Whether your evening ceremony is indoors or outdoors, there is something truly special about the quiet and stillness of the night.

Grise Photography

2. READ LOVE LETTERS TO EACH OTHER DURING THE CEREMONY
Anna and Kedric promised their lives to each other through traditional vows, yet nothing was more touching than the personal love letters they read to each other during their August ceremony.  Their guests were touched by the readings as their true love for one another became perfectly obvious.  Couples writing their own vows often times get caught up in expressing their love through beautiful words that they forget the promises for the future.  The best practice would be to stick with traditional vows that suit you as a couple and read separate love letters to express your undying love.

Sarah & Brad Photography

3. HIRE AN ACOUSTIC MUSICIAN
The sound of a single instrument echoing through a church hall as a bride makes her way down the aisle causes a hush in the audience like a dream sequence in a movie.  Caleb tunneled in on his bride Loretta walking toward him as a solo violinist played Trumpet Voluntary during their wedding last summer.  No flashy distractions, just a groom and his bride.  Choose an instrument that moves you the most.  Popular choices have been guitar, violin, cello, piano, and even trumpet.

Nathaniel Edmunds Photogaphy

4. SERVE DINNER BY CANDLELIGHT
Sure dinner by candlelit seems obvious, but we are talking about more than just a few votives scattered on the table.  Linsey and Justin had their wedding in the heat of a Texas summer storm, causing the power to go out at the reception hall just before the guests arrived.  What else was there to do besides light the entire room with nothing but candles!  This last minute alteration created an intimate and crazy romantic atmosphere that the guests and the new couple would never forget.

Sir Harrison Photography

5. WOO YOUR NEW SPOUSE
During a marriage it is important to remember to do continue doing the things that you did to win over your spouse in the beginning.  What better time to start this practice than on your wedding day?  Whether it be through a gift delivered pre-ceremony, a stolen moment during the ceremony, a surprise performance at the reception, or a secretly planned honeymoon afterwards, the gesture will not go unnoticed as an act of true love.  Bring on the romance and be the one who sweeps them off their feet for all to see!

Dawn Fisher Galleria Studios

Inspired by love, 

Jen

If The Bow Fits, Flaunt It!

When I was a little girl, my sisters and I always had a bow in our hair.  We were told to wear play clothes to shoot a commercial and the director told us to remove our bows because children didn't play in bows.  Well, Mr. Director, we did!  

How fitting to incorporate a piece of your childhood into your wedding day look or decor?  Besides my obvious nostalgia, bows have become a favorite wedding accessory because of their classic femininity and playfulness.  Try adding a bow or ribbon to details on your big day to highlight your girly-girl side.

BHLDN Tiered Tulip Gown, Dear Golden Vintage Shoes, Bridesmaids Dresses, Headband, Etsy Garter, Chloe Bow Clutch

Jen

Blooming With Color

Spring is finally here and color is on the brain... wedding color schemes to be more precise.  Choosing the right colors for your wedding is sometimes one of the bravest decisions you will make as a bride.  You will have to decide what colors will work well with each other, with the venue, on your bridesmaids, for the season and still not take the attention away from you and your groom.  So how DO you decide?

The Perfect Palette

The Perfect Palette Blog is one of my favorite resources for finding, well, the perfect palette!  This blog allows you to search by color to find other colors that go together in blissful harmony.  You will also find inspiration boards with gorgeous pictures from real weddings that feature all of the colors in your scheme.  Can't decide on a color to get you started?  Browse their palette library to search gobs of inspiration boards that are bound to get you on track.

The Perfect Palette

Another great resource is BBJ Linen, or any linen company for that matter, and their virtual design center .  Matching your shades to what is available in linen rentals will help you to pick a shade that is easier to match with other details in your wedding.  Oftentimes you can get sample swatches of your linen colors to have with you when you are picking out paper products, bridesmaid dresses, flowers, jewelry, etc.  No mismatching or clashing colors at your wedding!

BBJ Linen Gallery

Of course, Four Leaf Events loves assisting in color selection and overall design of your big day.  CONTACT US to see what we can create for you!  

Jen

Top 3 Everlasting Bouquets

With spring around the corner, wedding season will be in full bloom and so will the bouquets. But this season, consider a more quirky, unique bouquet that we like to call "everlasting bouquets," because they last beyond the wedding. Made of nonperishable materials, these are the ultimate keepsakes to remember your special day. Not to mention, they are BEAUTIFUL! Here are my top three favorite kinds of everlasting bouquets.

Shells

These would be perfect for a destination wedding, or perhaps for a bride who just wants to bring an element of the beach to her. Whatever the case, shells are a fantastic touch.

Water Lily Bridal Bouquet, Martha Stewart Shell Bouquet

Feathers

Feathers are an incredibly chic and sassy alternative to flowers. And to keep the bouquet within the everlasting guidelines, try using silk flowers to compliment the feathers rather than fresh flowers.

Feather Bouquets by Emplume, via Modern Wedding

And if you feel that a full feather bouquet is too much for you, use feathers to simply accent your bouquet.

Kelly Lane Photography via Exhale! Events and Design

Brooches

And last, but certainly not least, my favorite kind of everlasting bouquet: the brooch bouquet. It is beautiful, can be tailored to suit a bride specifically, can be sentimental, and did I already say beautiful? Finally, I've found a fantastic use for my great-great-grandmother's old brooches!

Alice Hu Photography via Ruffled

Vintage Brooch Bouquet, How to Vintage Brooch Bouquet

And how about this gorgeous creation? Incorporating fabric flowers, feathers AND garnet brooches! It is, in my opinion, the ultimate, exquisite everlasting bouquet.

Handmade Feather Bouquet with Red Garnet

Flowers are classic. There is no doubt about that. But everlasting bouquets are fun! This is your day, so be creative and do what you want to do! The possibilities are endless.

Jaimee

Fresh Picked Fabric Boutonnieres

While I love the look of the Fred-Astaire-classic floral boutonniere, the modern groom seems to be searching for something less traditional and I am all for it!  Coordinating pocket squares is a rich and simple way to dress up the men in your bridal party without pinning on the garden.  If you love the look of a flower on the lapel, then check out my top pick of fabric boutonnieres featured on Martha Stewart Weddings' Best Boutonnieres Gallery:

Martha Stewart Weddings

If you love these looks and you weren't born with the crafting gene, then our creative services can help!  Contact Four Leaf Events to find out how we can stitch, pin, glue, cut, and sew your visions into fruition.


Looking for something more quirky for your groom?  Then skootch on over to April Foster's blog on unique custom boutonnieres.  (We both so happened to have our brains on the same topic today!)

Jen

Royally Classic

The royal wedding invitations were sent out last Thursday and 1,900 lucky guests around the world are finding their personal copies in the mail this week.  While I am accepting the fact that mine may get lost indefinitely in the mail, I can't help but imagine what it would be like to open that particular piece of mail.  

The grandeur of this simple invitation with beveled and gilded edges (that means it is literally covered in gold, people!) represents something very regal and instantly creates great anticipation for those chosen guests.  Why not take a cue from the royal family and create a wedding invitation that will leave your guests wanting more?  Even though most of us cannot afford to use pure gold on an invitation, there are still many other ways to make yours stand out. 

  

http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/

Paper quality is the number one element for making a good first impression through the mail.  Create your own royal crest by using a custom logo or monogram that will add elite status to your invitations and your entire event.  Remember, mailing addresses and guests' names should always be handwritten and adds that all-important personal touch.  Pick out several lesser valued postal stamps for your mailing envelope for a foreign, vintage feel.

These simple touches will transform any invitation from something basic to something royally classic!

Happy Planning!   Jen

In Love With: B H L D N

On this fantastic day of love, we have come to the conclusion of our Valentine's Day series of a week of things we love.  However, love is not the appropriate word for the feelings we have about the brand new wedding line stemming from Anthopologie's roots.  I would have to say we adore BHLDN at Four Leaf Events!  


This much anticipated online store just launched TODAY (Valentine's Day appropriateness all around).  The whimsy, the fashion, the romance, the uniqueness, and the sparkle (need I say more?) of BHLDN has drawn us in.  And while we are still completely perplexed by the line's name, we are already smitten.



We have been thumbing through the online pages of BHLDN's store and complied a small list of our top picks.  This Burnished Organza Gown comes in number one on both of our lists:

Jaimee loves...

Floral Artwork Dress, Raspberry Savory Dress, Pompom Shoe Clips, 

Agave Peep-Toes, Tussled Necklace, Graupel Necklace, 

Crystallized Chiffon Headband, Baguette Headband, Unabashedly Gloves

Jen Loves...

Ribboned Silk Gown, Dotted Voile Veil, Sinuous Silk Bracelet,

Jelly Slingbacks, Adorned Bolero, Indigo Mist Dress,

Deco Beaded Clutch, Pinwheel Tea Dress, Gilded Trillium Kisslock Clutch

Happy Valentine's Day!  Wishing you all a day full of love and lots of shopping on BHLDN =)

Jen

In Love With: Cupcake Bouquets

Looking for something different this Valentine's Day? Ditch the traditional bouquet of flowers, the healthy fruit bouquet, and even the much coveted cookie bouquet and go for something less conventional, do-it-yourself, and delicious: the cupcake bouquet. Faithfulness Farm's blog explains how to make this beautiful confection.

And while Valentine's Day is a day for celebrating love and an excuse to eat decadent desserts, the most wonderful thing about the cupcake bouquet is that it can be used year-round!  A cupcake bouquet could be the perfect touch to any shower or luncheon.  The Frugal Girls show you how to make this into the perfect gift.

You can use it as a gift or simply a centerpiece, and since you can custom make it to fit your needs, the combinations are endless.  However, if you're short on time or simply lack the ability to bake, you can still order a cupcake bouquet from many bakeries near you.  The Blushing Bake Shop offers this beautiful Valentine's Day bouquet.

And locally, Parcha Sweets, in Broad Ripple, offers cupcake bouquets with a variety of delicious flavors ranging from the classic red velvet to a pineapple upside down cupcake to filled cupcakes like s'mores, which is a "chocolate cupcake with graham cracker crust and chocolate ganache filling with marshmallow fluff frosting," and coconut, which is "a coconut cupcake and coconut cream filling with coconut buttercream frosting." YUM!  So whether you decide to make it yourself or order them from the bakery, go with cupcakes this year!

Photo from Thoughtfully Simply

Jaimee

In Love With: Ecofetti

Is there any better way to express joy than by throwing confetti?  We don't think so!  However, with all of the pollution and clean-up issues involving this celebratory act, confetti throwing quickly becomes a stressful and, in some cases, unlawful act.  That's why Four Leaf Events loves Ecoparti's Ecofetti, the only biodegradable and water-soluble confetti.  That's right, confetti that will wash away with water, comes in an array of colors, and no staining!  Hooray! *mini ecofetti toss at my desk*

 ecoparti.com 

Jen

In Love With: The Wedding Tree

Although this twist on the guest book is not brand new, it is still rare to find at weddings, and at Four Leaf Events, we are in love with the idea!  The wedding tree is a custom print of a tree that your guests can place their thumb prints on to form leaves around the branches.  Not only is this another great way to get your guests' interaction, it also creates a special piece of artwork to frame and hang in your home. 

Jonas Peterson

Aaron Ingrao Photography

Chaz Cruz

There are several stores on Etsy that sell wedding tree prints or you could also have your tree custom designed or hand-painted to match your theme by your wedding branding designer through Four Leaf Events.  We have lots of ideas on how you can leaf your personal mark on your wedding day!

Jen