I love how grand Indian weddings are. Families spend their entire life savings to re-create a movie like set in the context of a week long celebrations. Its not uncommon to invite over a 1,000 people for an Indian wedding. I fail to even count a 1,000 people I know. At our engagement ceremony in India, my parents invited 100 people to the small country club but over 200 people turned up – everyone brought their children and relatives even where the invitation said ‘Regrets no Children’. But thats the generous nature of Indian ceremonies – not a person in excluded and happiness is shared.

The beautiful box was decorated in red and gold, the auspicious Indian colours of marriage. According to Indian culture, red is associated with the rising sun and thus regarded as the color of a new life. The planet that rules the marriage, Mars, is reddish in color.

When I opened the box, there was a little card that explained that the silver elephant in glass enameling (“Meenakari”) is handcrafted by traditional artists from Varanasi with the couples names and the date of their marriage (which my friend explained was also an auspicious date chosen by a priest). Meenakari is a traditional Indian art of enamel and metal-crat made popular by the Mughals and Rajastani princes. So intriciate and talented when you see the artwork closely!

The handcrafted art work is gorgeous and has a solid Silver base. What a beautiful and thoughtful wedding favour to remember the generousity of my friends!

If you wanted to look into buying a Meenakari favour for your wedding, here is a great introduction on one of my favourite websites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meenakari

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This got me thinking this would make such a great guest book alternative… and especially if you can hang this in your home and cherish the guests and their messages long after the wedding. The poster comes in three sizes (small, medium, large) with 40, 80 and 160 banners. I’ve invited 30 friends for my 30th so I chose the medium banner because its nice when its not too colourful and leaves some spaces for the messags.

You can buy the poster on not on the high street website, on their own worldofmoose website or just google. I think its fantastic and cant wait till mine arrives in the post (later this week). I might even share a photo of mine once its complete. Here is one from their website of someone whose colleagues gave her one as a leaving present. How totally rad is that!

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Traditionally, the groom and bride would cut the cake and send a piece home with each guest. However, the trend is now to serve it as desert (saves costs too!) or have as an extra desert during the reception. My friend Linda had Sri Lankan fruit cakes as a wedding favour and then served her gorgeous tasty cake too.

These cakes are too spectacular to talk about, I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. Some of them are over the top but thats precisely what a wedding may call for. Martha Stewart features the classiest, loveliest creations – they are just divine!!!

Whilst most wedding cakes are chosen to match the colour theme or clothes of the bridal party, you can be as adventurous as you like. If you wanted to add something a little more funky and unusual, how about a rainbow cake or a colourful cake which can only reveal its layers when you open the inside? I’ve seen it as a birthday cake once, with white icing outside which looks very ‘normal’ and has the party on the inside. I’m very tempted to get this for my birthday myself but the thought of all the e-numbers and the colouring is a bit concerning. It may be appropriate to have such a colourful cake at a small child’s birthday instead?

If you liked the idea of the striped cake or cakes with different layers, you could try the one below with pastel colours. Perfect for a summer wedding, maybe even a sponge cake… and a cake to match the colours of the bridesmaid’s dresses? The options can be as fanciful as you wish!

and just as with deserts, I saved the best for last….

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Please note that due to venue restrictions, we will not be able to accommodate children under the age of 5 years old who are not part of the bridal party. We thank you for your understanding and hope that this will give parents a well earned night off!

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Regretfully – we are unable to invite children as guests to our wedding, due to venue restrictions – we totally understand if this affects your decision to attend. We would really love to see you on our special day and hope you understand. Lots of love – xxx

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And very sweetly : Nursing newborns are of course welcome.

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And if you did want to incorporate children at a wedding, then be minded that children under the age of 4 may be unable to bear the role of ring bearer/flower girl/bridesmaids. Children will need extra practice and you must be prepared for them to run the opposite way, cry, or forget entirely – I guess that also makes the ceremony sweet and different! Young children can be accompanied by parents down the aisle. Such a thoughtful way to include newphews and neices. I remember the video of Mason Disick at his aunt Kim Kardashian’s wedding – he upstaged the bride with his cuteness.

After the ceremony, other brides have recomended taking photos with the children early on as they may not have the patience to last that marathon of photo opportunities.

Im reminded of one memorable moment at the Royal Wedding in 2011, when litle Grace van Cutsem, who was only three, was suddenly alarmed when the crowds roared as Prince William and Kate kissed. Such a precious moment captured and now an icon of the wedding itself.

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Just an exercpt from their sweet and witty website “Janet has always dreamed of a beach wedding. So the first question we faced was where? Looking at our heritage presented two countries, Scotland or Malaysia. As you can all imagine the debate over which of these countries presented the best beaches was a long one. “As I read that, I could actually image Paul saying that out!

So I did some research on other brides that also chose to announce their wedding date this way, here are  a selection:

And the couples below incorporated a travel theme!

and a departure from the usual tropical motif:

This is my favourite one because the attention to detail is stunning – from the green stamp, the envelope that opens up the way the luggage tag does, and the leafy green theme… stunning!

Sample Text to include in your luggage tag invites are :

A Great Girl, A Great Man
Save the Date, That’s the Plan!
(Bride& Groom’s names)
(Dates) (Venue)
(Formal Invitation to Follow)

Or

Save the Date

(Date) to share in the joy of
(Bride) and (Groom)
as they are married
Invitation to follow

and for a more Romeo and Juliet-esque invite (um slightly corny but I love corny!)

It’s written in the stars
that they were meant to be…
So write it on your calendar
there’s going to be a party!
Save the date of
(Date)
for the marriage of
(Bride) and (Groom)

Invitation and details to follow

These luggage tags can be purchased at most stationary stores, I saw them at WH Smith a few months ago and Janet printed them herself with a transparent sticker for a smooth finish.

A quick search online and I found Not on the High Street sells personalise stamps for the lugage tag at £25

Happy Holidays (for this season and the wedding season!)

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and more photos of the stylish canopy that really frames their wedding look:

and photos of the dark floral table centre pieces:

Dramatic dark wedding bonquets make a stylish statement for black tie weddings or civil ceremonies which do not have to follow the traditional look. They are also very popular for gothic weddings where black roses and calla lilies are the favourites…. very Twilight meets Helen Bontham Carter in a Tim Burton movie!I also see someone like Angelina Jolie with a dark bonquet!

Whilst researching dark bonquet flowers, I found some gorgeous anemones too – why not try this for a twist on the traditional bridal bonquet?

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Jessica is not the only celebrity to have shunned the traditional white dress. Recently, the stunning Anne Hathaway married Adam Shulman in a custom Valentino strapless ivory silk point d’espirit tulle dress sown by Valentino’s seamstresses in Rome. The pink train was embroidered with satin flowers and the gorgeous bride wore an unusual 920s inspired veil with a lace ribbon flower embroidered by crystal beads. Heres the concept of the dress and then modeled by the bride herself.

and because Anne Hathaway is just truly stunning, heres an extra photo of her in her gorgeous dress:

Reece Witherspoon wore a Monique Lhuillier blush gown with a cofffee colour sash made of chantilly lace corset bodice and a tulle A line skirt. It reminds me so much of Vera Wang’s swan dress (one of my favourite dresses!)

And the original poster girl who rocked a pink wedding dress is rock chick Gwen Stefani. She wore a fuchsia ombre dress designed by John Galliano. She had two wedding ceremonies – one in Covent Garden, London and then ten days later in LA so she could wear the dress twice. As one of the iconic wedding dresses, Gwen has decided to kindly donate the dress to V&A’s Museum. Rumours are swirling that her dress will be on display at the Wedding Dress Exhibition in 2013 – so watch this space. Gwen explained, “Its a work of art, it needed to be seen.”

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The ring was created by jeweller Robert Procop, who also worked with the actress on her own fashion line. Procop has said that Brad had wanted to be involved in every aspect of the ring, and particularly in choosing an ethical diamond… nothing less for a humanitarian super mom like Angelina!

The ring has been reported to be betwen 10 to 16 carats and estimated to be between $500,000 to $1 million. Brad is said to have proposed to his partner over Christmas but they have not stepped out with the ring as they were concerned engagement reports may overshadow her directorial debut earlier this year. Brad and Angelina made a famous statement that they would not get married before gay men and women had the equal right to marry. However, in recent months, Brad is said to have changed his statement and said that his children wanted him to marry their mother and that it would mean more for them. He is said to have said that the pressure from his children has meant he may have to break his vow. I read that his children insist on Brad and Angelina getting married just as “Shrek married Fiona.” Awww…

Jeweller to the stars Jacob & Co (who also produced Jay Z and Nick Cannon’s engagement rings for their lady loves) has a similar sparkler priced *slightly lower* at $338,000. Jacob & Co is said to have had the ring on sale prior to the the Brangelina announcement so I am sure the sales of that particular rock have rocketed in the mean time. The Jacob & Co ring features baguette diamonds surrounding an emerald cut stone.

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Some brides have chosen to throw Easter themed weddings around a rabbit, chick, or egg theme. Spring colours – particularly pastel this year – in creams, yellows, pinks, blues, and greens make the wedding colours pop.

One of the brides has sweetly put easter eggs into the little bridesmaids baskets. So cute!

So here are some photos to inspire an easter themed wedding. Watch out for those April showers!

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Perfect presentation and no mess afterwards. Come to think of it, you could even use it for dinner parties. I came across an Indian entrepreneur’s company – B.K. Environmental Innovations Private Limited that manufactures eco-friendly forks, knives, spoons and chopsticks in delicious flavours of vanilla, strawberry and pineapple. Check them out!

A range of edible spoons exists on the internet… including gluten free varieties…. clearly this means that someone else thinks they are a brilliant idea as well!

The edible cutlery trend has already been seen in giving wedding guests ice-cream cones filled with ice-cream or sweets.

and then when you have cones and spoons, why stop there right? I can only guess this was seen at a party, and not a wedding

and this is sweet:

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