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

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

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

So... When's The Big Day?

Bungalow Photography

There are several factors that go into picking the perfect day for you and your sweetie to tie the knot: seasons, venue availability, birthdays, anniversaries, family obligations.  So as you fumble through your calendars, allow us to offer some insight on what days to avoid in 2011.

It is coming up in just a few short months, but for you last minute brides, try to avoid Friday, April 29th.  Unless you are confident enough to compete with British royalty, then you might loose some of the spotlight to Prince William and Kate Middleton.  

Bungalow Photography

There are also the obvious holidays and holiday weekends that tend to not only cause scheduling conflicts, but can be more costly: 

                 Easter: Sunday, April 24th

                 Mother's Day: Sunday, May 8th (check with mom)

                 Father's Day: Sunday, June 19th (check with dad)

                 Thanksgiving: Thursday, November 24th    

                 Christmas Eve: Saturday, December 24th

Some holidays, depending on when they fall, can make for great long weekend weddings since the majority of your guests will already have work days off.  Choose a wedding day around one of these holidays and pack the weekend full of fun events and lots of celebration surrounding your marriage:

                 Independence Day: Monday, July 4th

                 Labor Day: Monday, September 5th

                 New Years Eve: Saturday, December 31st (love this date!)

                 Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, January 16th, 2012 

And, of course, the two favored dates of 2011 that, if you have not already booked, you may just be out of luck for your top-pick vendors:

                 Saturday, September 10th (9/10/11- Four Leaf Events is still available!)

                 Friday, November 11th (11/11/11!)

Bungalow Photography

Interested in other days to steer clear of in the next two years? Check out this article on TheKnot.com.

Four Leaf Wedding: Mark & Lauren

I am so excited to finally be able to share this wedding today!  Mark and Lauren are such a fun, yet extremely romantic, couple who really know how to entertain!  They were married on October 23rd at the Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza in Merrillville, Indiana near Lauren's hometown.  

It does not get more romantic and bridal than having a pink and purple wedding!  Lauren did a fantastic job selecting everything from the color of the bridesmaids dresses down to the color of her shoes.  Mark Amelse with Amelse Photography was a blessing when we had to switch to our rain plan for photos.  He escorted the bridal party around the huge hotel getting all of the creative shots the bride and groom were wanting.  Do not miss the gorgeous floral arrangements created by Patrick and crew at House of Fabian!

As a passionate fisherman, Mark was able to incorporate his love for fishing in the groom's cake.  The two ring-bearers carried fishing poles down the aisle with a ring tied on the end of each.  Lauren, being the crafty bride, handmade pink and white spheres that were hung from the pergola at the ceremony.  The pergola was made by Mark and Lauren and now resides in their backyard.  Crafty, crafty!!

Four Leaf Events was pleased to be able to provide the uplighting for the ceremony and reception which added a great ambiance for the party.  At the reception, a real-life glee club from Purdue University got the crowd to their feet with their version of "Shout".

It was so rewarding to work with this very special couple because of the love that surrounded them from every corner of the room.  You can witness this love in the the highlight video filmed and created by Bob Ridge with IndyVisual on our next blog.  It will be worth the wait!

Congratulations, Mark and Lauren!  May your life together see many blessings and great happiness...

Jen

A Bite Of Tradition

Yesterday my husband Brandon & I celebrated our first wedding anniversary! It was filled with romance and flowers and birds chirping and double rainbows and of course, the traditions.

The top tier of our wedding cake has been in a box filling up half of our freezer for a year and I could not wait another moment to get it out of there! I let it thaw the day before and even put a cheap bride and groom on the top (since ours was a family antique). B and I toasted out of our toasting flutes and set up the camera to take pictures of ourselves reenacting the cutting of the cake and took an eager bite.

The result? We both immediately spit out the bite of cake into the trash can! It tasted like everything we have ever put in our freezer mixed with a hint of vanilla cake. Fearlessly I tried a piece from the center of the cake and it was actually very good!


I recently read up on the traditions of wedding cakes. I had forgotten the belief that if a single girl sleeps with a piece of wedding cake under her pillow, then she will have sweet dreams of her future spouse. What a fun treat to pass out in decorated boxes to your single gal pals at your wedding! Perhaps I will mail a piece of my cake topper to my sister.... and maybe my brother, too.

Will you be saving the top layer of your cake? This tradition seems a bit wasteful and unnecessary, but I am a sentimental nut so this was a great way to remember that amazing day!