Showing posts with label escort ideas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label escort ideas. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 13

wedding wednesday: spring table number ideas.

Since my last post on creative table number ideas was posted two years ago, I wanted to take a look at current trends that savvy brides and party planners are drawing on to help their guests find a spot to sit! While I know not everyone is a fan of numbered tables at events, as a person with anxiety, I personally love knowing exactly where to go and being able to avoid that middle school lunchroom feeling. Table numbers (or names) can also be a great way to tie in the theme of the event or add a subtle nod to the couples' or hosts' interests.


Garden-inspired elements will always be popular for spring events, and this mock table setting from Pressed Cotton (via Snippet + Ink) cleverly uses a twisted fork (perhaps from a flea market or thrift shop) to hold a simple printed card that complements the fresh white linens and greenery of the centerpieces. If this style is too simple, a printed bee or floral design would be a nice element, but with an embroidered tablecloth and textured elements already on the table I think the simple number is breath of fresh air.


Some simple but creative takes on a garden theme: a metal marker and a painted lantern. These ideas could be easily adapted for a smaller event by using plant markers with a fun quote, or using gold Sharpie to write a favorite song lyric or birthday year on lantern glass.


A vinyl number on a sparkling-clean carafe adds a modern touch to a traditional tablescape from Life in Bloom.


Hand-painted table numbers go from romantic to bohemian depending on how they're paired with other design features.


A vinyl number on a vintage lightbulb lends an industrial touch to a rustic wedding - this is an idea I'd never have had in a million years, but I love it.


Another industrial-inspired touch paired with a classic centerpiece: this stenciled number on wood lends a rustic look.


Finally, I adore this whimsical carved table number paired with mercury glass and pink roses.

What's your take on table numbers - are they
the mark of a pushy host, or a punch of personality?


Wednesday, July 8

wedding wednesday: inspiration for a midcentury summer camp wedding

As I simply stated last week, camp is home to me. Not just my own childhood summer camp, which truly is my second home because it's so full of memories, but the whole idea of camp in general. Even though I'm not outdoorsy, there was a place for me among cabins and campfires, and I learned more about myself in those weeks than I did the other 360 days of the year! Last year, I rounded up inspiration for a rustic, craftsman-style summer camp wedding. This summer, I'm turning my muse toward a more traditional view of camp: think Moonrise Kingdom. I love checking out wedding photos from camp weddings because the camp is so often a special place for the bride and groom - their second home.

"Merit Badge" wedding invitation from Minted



For this classic take on summer camp vibes, a saturated color palette is a must - sky blue, gingham red, sunflower yellow, and pine green are all welcome! Antique stores can be a great place to score vintage finds like merit badges, thermos canteens, lanterns, picnic blankets, and even camp furniture.








Hand painted wooden guest book by Amanda G Designs on Etsy













Have you ever attended a camp wedding? What was your favorite detail?


Wednesday, April 29

wedding inspiration: fresh escort cards and seating charts for spring

As longtime readers have no doubt gathered, one of the wedding details I continue to totally geek out about three years after my own wedding are paper goods - save-the-dates, invitations, programs, guestbooks, thank you notes, and other little details that go a long way to set the tone of the day - whether they're actually made of paper or not! Here are some fresh ideas from around the world that are so much better than yet another folded paper card.


These modern DIY details have a very West Elm feel to them -- and how adorable are those mini clothespins?



This is such a cute idea for a destination or travel-themed wedding, and the possibilities are endless - match any kind of scrapbook paper with any shape! In this case, birds were the perfect touch for a wedding at the John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove in Pennsylvania.



Whimsical gold touches make these classic escort cards stand out.



This seating chart made with metal ceiling tiles is DIY heaven!



The perfect summer escort card display, complete with a nautical map, flags, and lanterns!



Seriously digging both of these romantic ideas.


Wednesday, July 2

wedding planning: creative escort card ideas

One functional aspect of wedding decor that definitely shouldn't be overlooked is the escort card - and modern brides are definitely looking beyond the traditional folded cardstock to find ways to tie the escort card into the wedding's overall theme and decor.  If you are doing long, farmhouse-style tables or picnic tables at your reception, you might not need escort cards - maybe a "sit where you like" sign is more your style.  However, if you're doing traditional round 8-seat tables, escort cards that direct guests toward their table - denoted either with a number or a name - are a way to help guests avoid confusion and "where do I sit?" anxiety, especially for out-of-town guests or those who may not know many others at the wedding.  Basically, escort cards keep your wedding reception from feeling like the cafeteria on the first day of middle school.


Kraft paper luggage tags are secured on framed chicken wire with mini 
clothespins; this look is perfect for a vintage-inspired wedding with a rustic theme.  
You can check out DIY directions directly from the bride on Oh Lovely Day.



For an elegant vintage-inspired event, beautiful antique skeleton 
keys are tied to escort cards with ribbon in the wedding's color scheme 
and displayed on a salvaged door.



DIY marbled paper was used to create these calligraphy escort cards.
Erin's tutorial shows how easy it is to get this elegant look.



Washi tape was used to create a quirky, modern background for 
this simple escort card display designed by Isabella Sikaffy of 
Florabella Weddings for a lovely wedding in Chebeague, Maine.



Traditional escort cards have a new look when they are
placed in a bed of ombré flower petals at this colorful Island 
Cove Marina wedding designed by True Event.




This artistic display goes full-on ombré with pastel colored 
escort cards and a floral swag, perfect for a gypsy-inspired coastal 
wedding designed by La Boheme Events.

Which of these unique escort card displays is your favorite?


Wednesday, June 11

inspiration for a craftsman-style summer camp wedding

Longtime readers of the blog already know that summer camp is a huge part of my life.  I started attending a local 4-H summer camp when I was in elementary school, became a counselor in high school, and worked on camp staff for three years in college.  Next week, I'll be back at the place I consider my home away from home, serving as an adult volunteer. Like many summer camps, my camp also serves as a venue for weddings and other special events.  Hosting weddings not only provides the camp with some additional income (always a plus!), it gives people who didn't attend camp as a child a chance to experience a truly magical place.  For the bride and groom, a summer camp wedding can be an opportunity to tie childhood nostalgia into one of life's milestones, and to create a sense of community and fun among special wedding guests.

Nesting Project Weddings on Etsy offers several Craftsman and Art Nouveau inspired designs, whether you're planning a wedding in the Rockies or the Appalachians.  This particular save the date design, inspired by the Rocky Mountains, is the inspiration for the rest of today's post.  A Craftsman theme and a calming mountain-inspired color palette would be amazing in a summer camp, state park, or other rustic setting.




While the sign on the left is a permanent fixture at Camp Wandawega in 
Wisconsin, a DIY version would add a touch of summer camp to any rustic 
wedding site.  I love the idea of styling that incorporates traditional camp 
arts and crafts and nature hike items - pinecones, anyone? - in beautiful 
ways, like this boutonniere from a wedding held at Camp Lane in Oregon.


Emily Steffen took this photo at Camp Kenwood in Wisconsin.  The bride's beautiful feather hair fascinator is perfectly in keeping with the 1920's vibe of a Craftsman inspired wedding.


This adorable little guest photo is from a wedding held at a Pennsylvania Boy Scout camp.









One of the biggest perks of a summer camp wedding is the opportunity to put a romantic spin on traditional camp activities, like this groom arriving by canoe.  When I think about the canoeing and kayaking cove at my summer camp, I automatically hear the sounds of splashing paddles and children's laughter, but I can also picture my dear friends leaving their wedding ceremony by boat from our camp fishing dock!









Shawn Connell and Glen Allsop of Christian Oth Studio via Brides