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

Bridal Gown Trend in 2017: Illusion Lace Sleeves

Mother of the Bride, for several years strapless bridal gowns dominated the bridal attire landscape, but a different trend seems to have taken hold now—illusion lace sleeves. According to Belle the Magazine—The Wedding Blog for the Sophisticated Bride—illusion lace sleeves are here to stay.

The photo above is actually one I used a couple of years ago of a gown from Chatfield’s, a bridal shop that specializes in modest gowns, but it wonderfully illustrates the illusion lace sleeve trend that is popular currently. I love the delicate and feminine look this particular trend affords—so romantic and even vintage looking.

To see some other absolutely gorgeous gowns featuring the illusion lace sleeve trend, hop on over to Belle the Magazine’s blog post.  The dresses pictured there are all so elegant and stunning. I definitely love this trend!

If your daughter doesn’t have her gown yet, be sure and share this post with her, MOB. She might just find her dream dress—or at least a feature she wants to keep in mind as the two of you begin shopping for her dress. Enjoy this special part of the journey!

*You might also like to read Bridal Gowns with Modest Design—Try Chatfield’s! and New Trend in Wedding Gowns: Lacy Top or Sleeve.

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, comes out in early May. One lucky subscriber (new or current) will receive a gift valued at $20 (shipping included) from Beigetone Soaps 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!

*Photo compliments of Chatfield’s

Mother of the Bride Relaxation Time—with Coloring!

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Mother of the Bride, I’m sure you’ve noticed the adult coloring book craze that’s swept the nation the past year or so. I haven’t jumped on the bandwagon myself yet, but I know lots of folks have and are thoroughly enjoying relaxing through coloring.

Since relaxation is something every mother of the bride longs for (and needs to work into her schedule), why not try coloring, MOB? If you enjoyed coloring as a kid, I bet you’ll love it now, too. And if you didn’t really care about coloring in your younger years, you could still give it a try. After all, we change as we grow older and often develop new hobbies and interests.

Adult coloring books can be found almost anywhere books or crafts are sold now, both in stores and online. BroadStreet Publishing, the publisher of my book Mother of the Bride, is one of many publishers offering adult coloring books. The photo above shows a few of the ones they offer—The 5 Love Languages® coloring book, Beside Still Waters, Cattitudes, and This Is the Day the Lord Has Made.

If you’re ready to relax and refresh through coloring, MOB, here are links to the coloring books BroadStreet offers as well as some links to the coloring books my blogging and artist friend Jana Botkin offers on her website. Hope you find one you’d like to try!

Majestic Expressions coloring books by BroadStreet Publishing

Heart of the Parks by Jana Botkin

Other “Heart Of . . .” coloring books by Jana Botkin

*You might also like to read Relax and Refresh with This Wedding Story and An MOB Prescription: Movie Fun! 

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*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, will come out in early November. One current or new subscriber will win a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble so don’t miss out. Sign-up is free and to the right!

*Photo courtesy of BroadStreet Publishing

Traditional Wedding Cake Twist: The Naked Cake

25750767413_90d4de6235_zMother of the Bride, does your little bride-to-be like to choose the road less taken? If so, she might like to extend that philosophy to some of the choices she makes for her wedding—cake included!

One alternative or twist to a more traditional wedding cake is going with a naked cake.  The naked cake trend hit the wedding scene a couple of years ago. Naked cakes aren’t completely naked, of course, but frosting is limited to a more-ample-than-usual filling between the layers with various other touches on the outside of the cake.

The naked cake offers lots of options. Some brides choose to decorate their naked cakes with fresh fruit while others opt for flowers, powdered sugar, nuts, a combination of these, or even something more unusual like macarons or caramel and caramel corn. Different flavors of cake also add to any given cake’s unique appearance, and sometimes different layers feature different flavors of cake which also adds a neat visual twist to the cake.

So MOB, when your daughter announces she wants to go naked for the wedding reception, don’t despair—she’s probably talking cake!

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*You might also like to read A Berry Beautiful Wedding Cake and Wedding Cake Idea: Coconut Cloud.

The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, came out earlier this month. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free and to the right!

*Flickr photos by arripay, Creative Commons License

Wedding Cake Idea: The Single Layer Cake!

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Mother of the Bride, has your daughter noticed the gorgeous single layer wedding cakes that brides can choose today? Most single layer cakes feature a tall layer and, wow, do they look classy and beautiful.

Variety abounds when it comes to the design a bride might select. The cake above features flowers and polka dots, but pretty much anything can be done, MOB. You and your daughter can find some other options on my Wedding Cakes Pinterest board as well as on a Pinterest page that exclusively features single layer wedding cakes.

When might a bride decide to go with a single layer cake? If a bride is having a small wedding, a single layer cake would provide the servings needed, help keep the overall cost down, and still look gorgeous at the same time. Some brides also want to have a small cake at each table with a special one up front for the bride and groom. Others like to have multiple cakes displayed so single layer cakes would be perfect for that as well.

MOB, talk with your daughter about her wedding cake wishes. A single layer cake (or cakes) might be just what she wants or needs!

*You might also like read Wedding Cake Trend: Multiple Mini Cakes.

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, comes out in early February. Sign-up is free and to the right!

*Flickr photo by Whipped Bakeshop; Creative Commons License