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A guide to the flowers for your summer wedding

There are a few advantages to planning your wedding with flowers that are available locally and are in season. Firstly, these will be budget-friendly choices. Secondly, since there is no shipping involved, you do not have to worry about not receiving the flowers or your bouquet ending up looking different from your idea. The third and final factor is that you make an environment-friendly choice when you opt for locally available and seasonal flowers, as the exotic varieties are usually grown in greenhouses.

If you are planning a summer wedding, here are a list of summer flowers and also few tips to help you choose from them.

Tips to choose the right flowers for summer

In summer, the temperatures are high. This means your flowers will wilt quickly. This is an important factor to consider if you have an outdoor wedding planned, as nothing ruins the ambiance of a wedding like wilted and tired looking blooms.

When you choose your flowers for your wedding, pay attention to the following:

Choose flowers that are locally available. These will be accustomed to the weather conditions and will stay fresh longer. Also, they can be cut just on time, and so will remain fresh longer.
When choosing flowers, look for those with a waxy texture. These flowers do not wilt easily.
Keep the flowers and bouquets out of the sun. If your ceremony is outdoors, make sure that the floral centerpieces and any other floral décor in the shade.
Handle the flowers with care. This is something you should follow all-year round, but flowers are more prone to getting crumpled and looking tired when the weather is hot and the moisture is low.
Keep a spray bottle at hand and spray your wedding bouquet every now and then, so it remains fresh throughout the day.
For centerpieces, consider potted plants or place cut flowers in water, so they look fresh throughout the function.

Flowers that are suitable for summer

There are two types of flowers that are best suited for your summer wedding: those that are available all-year round and those that bloom in summer. The benefits of choosing such varieties of flowers are that these flowers are used to the warm weather and so make the best choices.

Depending on your wedding venue, you may like to talk to your florist and find out which of these can be locally sourced and make your choice accordingly.

Garden roses: These are our summer favorites and are available in many colors including orange, rose and white.

Chamomile daisies: Cheery summer flowers that make spectacular fillers, you can use these anywhere.

Sunflowers: For a wedding palette that has yellow, sunflowers are the perfect choice that add big bright pops of tropical cheer.

Dahlias: Less is more when you go with dahlias. They add texture and quickly add bulk to a wedding bouquet without compromising on beauty.

For more floral inspiration and to look at some spectacular wedding bouquet designs, visit us at Best for Bride.

Posted on by Olga Pomeransky — 2 Comments

The essential guide to Wedding Invitation Printing Techniques

Your choice of stationery, size of invitations and method of printing are what determine the total cost for your invitations. When printing your wedding invitations, you have several techniques to choose from. Being aware of these different printing options will allow you to not only choose a method that fits your budget, but also to achieve the desired look and effect. So, let us find out what our options are.

Engraving

This is the traditional style of printing that has been used for ages. It is an expensive method, as the letters are etched on the cardstock in thick and good quality ink, using copper plates. After the ink is applied to the plates and pressed on the paper, the card is subjected to high pressure so the letters are pressed down into it. Engraved text is sharp and raised on the right side, and there are depressions on the other side of the page. It looks sophisticated and classic, but comes at a considerable price. Having your invitations engraved will take at least four to six weeks. So, if you choose it, place your order early.

Letterpress

This is a handcrafting method, where the ink is manually pushed into the paper using a metal plate on which the text is prepared. The result is similar to engraving, but not as refined. Your invitation cards have to be bulky and soft, for letterpress to work. Although it is expensive, it is cheaper than engraving. So, if you want a textured and sophisticated invitation, consider letterpress. The complexity of the design you choose is what determines the turnaround time. A set of invitations can be completed in as little as two weeks, or may take as much as two months.

Thermography

Another formal style of printing, thermography uses heated ink with resin powder to create lettering. The print is very similar to engraving, and has a raised surface. However, it is not as fine. This technique is affordable and takes less time to complete. You may however, have limited options to customize your invitation with colors.

Offset printing

This is the standard flat-printing that we are all familiar with. It is a low-budget choice, but looks very good when done well. Here, the ink lies flat against the surface of the paper, and you can choose to print in any color, format or design. Offset printing can be done quickly.

Digital printing

The results are similar to offset printing, but digital printing is done on thinner paper. It uses a printer, instead of a press. The method is suitable for casual wedding themes and it is possible to do almost any design or use any color, with this technique. This is the cheapest and quickest option, and you can have your invitation cards ready in a matter of days.

The style of printing you choose should reflect the formality of your wedding. After all, your invitations set the tone for your wedding. Although there are no hard and fast rules here, it is better to go for engraved, letterpress or thermographic printing styles if your wedding is a black-tie event. For a casual or semi-formal event, you can choose offset or digital prints.

To check out our collection of wedding invitation styles, as well as for all your other wedding needs, visit us on Best for Bride.

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Before you meet with your Wedding Planner

Did you know that there are some important things that you need to decide before you meet with your wedding planner for the first time? While it is common to think that your wedding planner will be able to help you with every aspect of your wedding, there are some basic things that need to be addressed before your first appointment. So, before you visit with your wedding planner for the first time, make sure that you have made the following decisions.

Budget

You should always have a budget planned before you meet with your wedding planner. Since weddings can be extremely expensive, your wedding planner won’t even know where to start if they don’t have a budget. You should also break down your budget rather than simply offering a final number to go with. This will help your wedding planner know where they can make some changes to help save you money or where you have a strong opinion about another area.

Guests

One factor that will determine a major part of your budget is the number of guests that will be attending your wedding. While you don’t need to have a full guest list of guaranteed people who will be attending at this time, it will be necessary to know how many people you plan to invite. This will help your wedding planner discuss with you things like whether your budget is realistic.

Chosen Vendors

If you have already entered into an agreement with other vendors, it is important that you fill your wedding planner in on the details. This will help your wedding planner to determine areas that have already been taken care of as well as the areas that still require attention. This will also help your wedding planner learn more about how you would like your wedding to turn out as well. If you haven’t chosen any vendors yet, this is also fine. You simply need to let your wedding planner know what’s already been taken care of.

Your Wedding Plan

Every bride has a plan for her wedding and the person who has been chosen to help this wedding dream come true is the wedding planner. Don’t be afraid to bring pictures of your perfect wedding as well as samples of flowers and colors that you are considering as well.

Decision Makers

While it is most often left up to the bride to make the decisions, sometimes the parents of the bride wish to be involved as well, especially if they are paying for or partially paying for the wedding. It is best to discuss with your parents up front regarding who is making the decisions so that neither of you are faced with a surprise.

Your wedding planner is a great asset to have and can help you plan your wedding from start to finish. But, you need to make sure that you are prepared for them by deciding these items before you meet with the wedding planner for the first time. In addition, make sure that you stop by Best for Bride in order to find all of your wedding day attire and décor needs.

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Wildly Unique Outdoor Wedding Venues

While a church is the traditional choice for wedding venues, so many possible wedding venues often are overlooked. More and more people are choosing unique outdoor wedding venues that reflect their hobbies or interests. There are many unconventional choices for those who want their wedding to reflect their love nature. Here are some examples of wildly unique outdoor wedding venues.

Rustic venues appeal to many couples. Numerous country settings rent space for weddings. A popular version is the barn wedding or reception. Across the United States, barns are rented as rustic chic wedding venues. You may be surprised what is available in your area if you do an internet search for “barn weddings.”

An apple orchard wedding is a way to hold the wedding and reception outdoors in the same location. Some apple orchards regularly rent an orchard space for weddings. Some allow the couple to use their apples in their decorations. If the couple wanted a few bowls with apples or small floral arrangements with apples included on the reception tables, they should verify the policy for using apples from the orchard or bring their own apples. Of course, it would be much easier to buy apples that match the kind at the orchard from a grocery store rather than worrying about picking apples.

Natural waterfalls and caverns may offer wedding packages. Businesses offer waterfall weddings in many tropical locations such as Jamaica and Costa Rica. If you are looking for something closer to home, you may want to contact area tourist locations with the features you want for your wedding. Some may not have considered offering a wedding package until you contact them or might not have the packages advertised on their websites.

Butterfly and botanical gardens make wonderful wedding venues. These are popular wedding venues, so you will want to book yours well in advance. As with all outdoor venues, make sure you are happy with the provisions for a rainy day. Consider things like parking and the availability of restrooms.

Love the outdoors but want something truly unique? Why not have a day of glamping for your wedding? Glamping is luxury camping. Some couples create fun glamping spots in their backyard for the big day. Others rent out a camping park that specializes in glamping. Instead of the usual reception dinners, the couple may go with traditional camping food such as grilled food and smores. If roasting marshmallows is your style, glamping may be perfect for your fabulous wedding.

Who doesn’t love animals? If the couple loves animals, why not rent out a petting zoo or space at a regular zoo. Would you love monkeys or penguins as added guests to your wedding? Believe it or not, some zoos such as the Oklahoma City Zoo and Philadelphia Zoo offer wedding packages. Some zoos truly cater to the needs of the couple and offer several possible wedding venues within the zoo. Even if the local zoo does not have wedding packages, many zoos have areas that can be rented for events like weddings. Now, that’s wildly unique!

For more great tips on creating an amazing wedding, check out the Best for Bride blog. We offer many tips and fun ideas to make the most of your special day.