Simply stunning, sensuously scented, a burst of fragrantly silky cream on rich green leaves, the gardenia has been a classic bride favorite for centuries.  Symbolizing secret love, purity and refinement, gardenias lend an old-world ambiance to your wedding.

Tuck one luscious blossom behind your ear, or pin a whole garland of them to the bow on the back of your dress a la Victorian weddings.  Rim the edge of your veil with the flowers, or your florist can make you a lovely bracelet of gardenias.  Then every time you lift you hand the delicious fragrance releases into the air!

Gardenias mix sumptuously with other flowers in a bouquet.  The late Princess Diana’s bouquet, which measured an amazing 42″ long and 15″ wide, prominently featured gardenias mixed with stephanotis, freesia, lily of the valley, and Earl of Mountbatten roses.

Sooooo… a  touch of fragrant Victorian flair for you?

Number One question right now seems to be – What do I put in a Favor Box?

Favor boxes are, by nature, tiny beings, exquisitely small and charming, and intended to enhance table decor, carry out a wedding theme, and say a gracious thank you to all their recipients.  That’s a lot for a little box, wouldn’t you say?  Oh!  And also, at times, they’re meant to be terribly clever.

So “tiny by nature” means you need to be creative by nature when you fill a favor box.  I’ve got some ideas for you!

Traditional:  Jordan Almonds

Plain white, pink, green, foil-wrapped – they’re available in all manner of flavors.  But why almonds?  Here’s the short version:  the bittersweet taste of fresh almonds represents life.  The candy coating is added with the wish that the newlywed’s life together will be more sweet than bitter.  It’s a European/Arabic/Greek tradition that I’ll cover one day.  But you get the idea.

Sweet treat:  Truffles (or other chocolates)

Truffles are chocolate decadence  available in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and ingredients.  If you have a chocolatier in the neighborhood, have them design just the perfect truffle for you – like a dove shape airbrushed in white, or a heart, flower – you name it!  Drop one exquisite piece in each box but be careful in your choices.  Mushy chocolates smear a good presentation.  Hard shell is preferred and, if you’re having an outdoor event in the summer – forget chocolates.  Melt-city!

Chocolate alternative, but still sweet:  Exotic candies

Or not so exotic – just tasty!  Lemon drops – always a favorite! Jelly Bellies, or what about a custom-made hard candy just for your special occasion?  There are people out there who will make them for you – just  Google “logo candies” to find resources near you.

Step away from the sugar!

A little symbolism goes a long way with seeds or bulbs.  Favored  flower seeds are a favor box favorite! Tuck in a little handwritten note with growing instructions.

An original surprise (or several!)

Oh I love this one – Custom Fortune Cookies!  MyLuckyFortune.com (or several others) will create a special fortune cookie with your customized message to tuck inside a favor box.  How special!

Charity

Sometimes favor boxes hold a special thought, or plant a special idea and leave a warm feeling.  Do you have a special charity?  Make a donation to your charity before the wedding in the names of all your guests, and then slip a little note about it, like “because you are special to us, a donation was made to….in your honor.”  You can also add a URL where they can learn more about your charity, and maybe make a donation of their own!

Whimsical

Destination wedding?  How about a little travel tin favor container?  Fill with customized M & Ms in your chosen colors for a terribly clever thank you that will be the talk of your reception!

Happy filling!

Fabulous Favors by Kate Aspen

You must have figured out by now, with all the “color” posts, that I’m looking closely at trends to get ready for our 2010 Design Meetings.  Oh how our Brides keep us on our toes!

The Pink and Green color combo, in particular, just makes me plain happy!  Pink and Green are the colors of childhood, the colors of fun, the colors of – well, I did a little research for you (tee-hee!).

Just listen! How many times do we use the word “Pink” in a positive way?  “In the pink” = healthy, good, happy.  Pink is associated with childhood innocence and with feminine nature.  It’s a bit flirty, too – which makes it a sassy color.

Ahhh, and green.  Nature, good luck (think four leaf clover) and youth.  Does it get any better than that?

Of course in different cultures, colors take on different meanings.  Pink, in Asian color symbolism, connotes Marriage (are we doing pretty good here?).  I also read where Pink, in diet therapy (who knew?), is used as an appetite suppressant – as it relaxes the muscles, relieves tension and and soothes.

The color green, while associated with environmental concerns everywhere, also means “go”!  Check your local traffic signal, LOL!  In Native American culture, green connotes “Living Willfully” – or with purpose.  Cool, no?  Asian culture?  Eternity, family, harmony. 

What a combination!    So without furture ado, enjoy these beautiful Pink and Green color inspirations!

  Right about now I’m ready to strap on those gorgeous shoes and take a fabulous ride in that crazy pink car up there!  Hope you enjoyed! 

Best wishes,

All Hail the All-Important Wedding Shoe!   Oh no – these are not just tucked underneath a gown – they’re the icing on the sassy-cake, and if you don’t believe me – ask any sassy-girl on the street!

Brooke, our second June Bride-to-Be here at the office, is the reason I’m thinking about wedding shoes today.  Brooke’s busy picking out the final details for her wedding at a lovely venue in the North Georgia Mountains, and shoes are top of mind for her right now.  We’ve all offered up our opinions, and we’re impatiently waiting for the results!

Brooke’s bridesmaids are wearing a lovely Clover green, and her watermelon-pink accent choice will pull through in the flowers, along with a classy little pop of bright, gerber-daisy orange – how fun!  We’re urging her to find some sharp, hot watermelon-pink shoes – très precious, no?  Let’s see what happens!

 Oh!  And you know we’ve already picked out the favors for her bridesmaids luncheon!  

Brooke’s wedding photographers, by the way, was kind enough to provide the wonderful wedding photos for this blog post from their online gallery!  You can enjoy Jodi and Shannon’s gorgeous work at luminagephotography.com.

It’s a Shoe Thing! 

It all started just a few short years ago with a cake.  A Cake Candle Favor, actually.

And what do you know, just a few short years later, we have over 300 fabulous favor choices! 

It’s true what they say:  My how time flies when you’re having fun!

You’ll remember our Skip, who’s getting married in June (and is she ever knee-deep in planning right now!).  We were looking through her photographer’s online portfolio the other day, and I particularly noticed all the beautiful pictures of wedding cakes, which of course reminded me of the first favor we ever offered – which gave me an idea! 

I thought you might enjoy seeing the cake pictures, too! They’re absolutely, deliciously beautiful, and Pam of Paris Mountain Photography graciously agreed to share some of them with our readers.  If you’d like to see more of her gorgeous work, you can look her up at parismountainphotography.com.  So Enjoy!

By the way – we still have the cutest cake candle favors!

Until next time!