Wedding Centerpiece With a Rustic Flair

Mother of the Bride, is your sweet girl wanting to add a hint of rustic-yet-elegant to her wedding? It’s certainly possible to feature some rustic touches without going full-on rustic in every aspect of the wedding. It helps that many rustic wedding décor ideas lean closer to the feminine and elegant side than to the down-home country vibe that many couples really love.

One way to add a beautiful rustic touch is with a centerpiece that says rustic and romantic all at once. The centerpiece pictured above is a perfect example. Just look—you’ve got jars and burlap, but you’ve also got lace and delicate flowers. And what do you end up with? A centerpiece that exudes romance and beauty but also casual simplicity.

Also, consider the elements that make this centerpiece work so beautifully—the odd number (three jars) used, the various heights used as well as various shapes of the jars, the base that ties in to the theme, and the colors that work so well together. All of these things work together to make such a pretty centerpiece.

So MOB, why not show this centerpiece to your daughter and see if it (or something similar) would help her add that hint of rustic that she’d like to include in her Big Day festivities. She may love it—and you’d get to check one more thing off your list! Fingers crossed for you, MOB!

*You might also like to read Rustic Wedding ResourceRustic Wedding Ideas: Boot Bouquets, and Cake Idea for the Rustic Wedding.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out last week. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*Photo by Stephtphotography

Idea for Wedding Card Box: A Hatbox!

Looking for another wedding card box idea, Mother of the Bride? If your daughter would like something other than a wedding theme for her card box (as in the wedding cake card box), why not suggest a pretty hatbox for collecting the cards?

When my daughter Kristin got married, I asked the groom’s mother if she would be in charge of providing the card box. My sister Debbie had provided one for her son’s wedding so I thought it would be a nice way to include our groom’s mom—plus relieve us of the task. Smart, huh?

Even though Linda admitted to not be very arts and craftsy (I’m not either), she happily agreed to do it. She recruited the help of a friend, and they came up with the hatbox card box pictured above. So clever and pretty!

To make the hatbox idea work for a wedding, just incorporate the wedding colors on the box as well as some gorgeous flowers and pretty ribbon. Add a corded handle and personalize with the happy couple’s names, and you’re good to go. It will definitely make an attractive and unique addition to the gift table.

Hope the hatbox idea appeals to you and your daughter, MOB. And if you’re lucky, the groom’s mom will take care of it for you!

*You might also like to read Wedding Card Box Idea: A Wedding Cake!

The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, comes out in early February. One lucky subscriber (new or current) will receive $15 gift card to Starbucks and a signed copy of my book to use personally, give as a gift, or donate to a library. Sign-up is free and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*My photo

Table Décor Finishing Touch: Fresh Rose Petals

Mother of the Bride, here’s a quick decorating tip for your daughter’s big day—ask your florist to sprinkle fresh rose petals on all the tables at the reception. Guest tables, cake tables, photo tables, buffet tables. They look beautiful everywhere. All it takes is a few scattered here and there.

Fresh rose petals add the perfect finishing touch—a splash of color and oh so delicate. They might even provide a whiff of fragrance. Plus the lush look of fresh rose petals just can’t be duplicated with the silk variety.

At our daughter Kristin’s wedding, it was actually our cake baker and not our florist who added the final cake decoration of fresh roses and then surprised us by scattering petals from some of the same roses on all the tables. Not only was it gorgeous, but it helped tie all the décor together by incorporating the flowers from the cake. Thanks so much to Emeline from Grandeur Affaires: Nibbles Café in Tulsa, OK for adding so much to the overall beauty of the reception.

So check with your daughter, MOB, and see if she might want to add this delicate final touch to the tables at her wedding. Tell her I highly recommend it! :)

*You might also like to read Wedding Table Décor: Add Pizzazz with Confetti, Table Décor for Rustic Weddings, and Bride’s and Bridesmaids’ Bouquets as Cake Table Décor.

The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, comes out in early November. One lucky subscriber (new or current) will receive $15 gift card to Barnes & Noble and a signed copy of my book to use personally, give as a gift, or donate to a library. Sign-up is free and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*Since the readership here on my blog is ever-changing, I hope this encore post from October 2013 helped you today!

*Photo by Chris Humphrey

Groom’s Cake for the Pool Shark

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Mother of the Bride, cake decisions are among the most fun that await your daughter and her beloved as they plan their wedding. And the groom’s cake decisions are especially fun since the groom gets to let loose and let his personality shine if he so chooses. He may know exactly what he wants or he might ask for ideas. Be prepared for either, MOB.

One way to go is to feature one of the hobbies or special skills of your soon-to-be son-in-law. This can be anything from his favorite sports team to his favorite recreational activity to his career expertise. All ideas are fair game—with the bride’s approval, of course :)

The idea I’m featuring today is for the groom who likes to play pool. He and your sweet girl may not have room for a pool table in their first home together, but he can sure have a pool table groom’s cake if he wants. To make it even more fun, part of his bachelor party could include shooting some pool. Just mention it to the best man or one of the groomsmen and they might surprise the man of the hour with a pool tournament the night before the big day.

This is just one option, MOB. Share it with your sweet couple and let their ideas take off from there!

*You might also like to read Groom’s Cake Idea for the Wrestling Fan, Groom’s Cake Idea: A Chessboard!, Groom’s Cake Idea: Law Books (or any other books!), and Groom’s Cake Idea for the Military Man.

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, comes out in early February. One lucky subscriber (new or current) will receive a Starbucks gift card and a signed copy of my book to use personally, give as a gift, or donate to a library. Sign-up is free and to the right!

*Flickr photo by mandotts, Creative Commons License

Wedding Card Box Idea: A Wedding Cake!

DSC_5262Mother of the Bride, have you thought about a card box or container yet for the gift table at the church and the reception site? You don’t want those all important cards—with money or gift cards tucked inside—to get lost in the wedding day shuffle. What will you provide for your guests to deposit wedding cards in?

At our daughter Kelli’s wedding, we featured a card box designed like a wedding cake. It was the perfect solution and oh so pretty, too.

I got the idea from my sister Debbie after she made one for her son Adam’s wedding. Since I am not arts and craftsy at all, I asked my artistic friend Teri (who was my right-hand woman in so many ways) if she would be willing to make one for us. She happily agreed if I could provide instructions. Thank goodness Debbie was able to supply not only the instructions but a photo of her card box as well.

As you can see from the photo above (taken at the church before other gifts arrived), Teri did a beautiful job. She got most of her supplies during one of our shopping expeditions to Hobby Lobby . The photo below shows how it fit in with all the other gifts on the gift table at the reception site. Things got a little crowded!

JWF_5414*Fyi: One resource with instructions for a wedding cake card box is The Artful Bride: Simple, Handmade Wedding Projects. And you might also like to read Wedding Card Box Idea: A Hatbox!

*Since the readership of the Mother of the Bride Blog is ever-changing, I hope this encore post has been helpful to those of you who weren’t MOBs when I originally posted it in July 2013.

*Photos by Flowers Photography