Affordable Wedding Venues

The prices of some of these wedding venues is astonishing to say the least. A lot of them sit in the 15k-20k range. You can pay off a brand new car for that!! Unless you have money coming out of your ears, I can’t imagine that you’d want to spend that on just the venue for a day. Luckily for you, we’ve put together a list of affordable venues. Even if you don’t use of one the listed, it will give you a great idea of where else to look.

Looking for a beach location? St. Augustine is one of the oldest cities in America. If you’ve never been there, know that this is a city with charm. You’ll find beautiful beaches, amazing restaurants, privately owned shops instead of chains, an adventure through history, some of the most beautiful buildings you’ve ever seen with Spanish influence and the friendliest of people. Bringing a furry friend? Not a problem! As you walk by stores, people will actually come out offering your pup all natural, gluten free snacks and water….especially on hot days! Your wedding party will not be disappointed about being in this lovely city. Of course there are expensive places to get married there, but there’s a gorgeous place called Washing Oaks Gardens State Park. If you have more than 250 guests, you’d be charged $642. If you have under 25, it’s only $107!! Check out the wedding agreement. If you’d like to rent the bridal party room to get ready, it’s an additional $75.  You are responsible for chair rentals but even with a big party, you’re looking at under $1000! Since alcohol isn’t allowed in the park, I recommend relocating your party to another venue for your reception. If you have a smaller party of under 30, you could move to Love Tree Cottage for only $250. The White Room would be a great spot for larger parties.

If you’re on the west coast, Mountain Terrace is a gorgeous, affordable wedding destination. You can get this rustic location in Woodside, California for under $1000. It has a 5 star rating on The Knot. Those who have reviewed Mountain Terrace say that it has a magical feel to it. Your wedding photos will have a breath taking backdrop and plenty of catering options! Once you’ve booked with them, you’ll enjoy a free tasting of all that their menu’s have to offer.

Whatever your heart desires, know that there is somewhere waiting for you within your budget. There are plenty of affordable options located in state parks across the United States. If you aren’t a hiker and haven’t seen there state parks in our beautiful country, know that we have many many amazing ones. Each harbors something unique from the others. A lot of the Georgia State Parks offer accommodations as well. Just be patient, do your research and you will find your dream wedding location.

 

Wedding Survival Kit

Although you’ve been planning for the better part of a year, there’s nothing worse than the feeling that you may have forgot something. I recommend the bride and the bridesmaids have at least the bare minimum in their wedding day survival kit. After all, we are human and sometimes we forget things. This guide on what to pack will help reduce this risk of this happening to you on your big day.

1. Mini sewing kit fully equipped with thread, needles, buttons, safety pins and scissors. There are a lot of dresses around and who knows when that one movement will pop some key stitches.
2. Deodorant! These dresses are likely a little thicker than your average dress which leads to more sweat. No one wants to be stinky in a wedding!
3. Baby powder. Apply anywhere extra moisture accumulates. This is especially helpful for big breasted women or ladies with no thigh gap. Having sweaty legs rub together under a dress is beyond uncomfortable for anyone.
4. Razor. Ever forget to shave your armpits? I know on such a busy day I might!
5. Tweezers. Stray eyebrow hairs in close up photos? No thanks.
6. Ibuprofen. This can come in handy for various reasons including headaches.
7. Small snacks. Protein bars, trail mix, etc. You will be so thankful that’s there while you’re anxiously awaiting the wedding to start. “I do, now lets get to the food!” Ha.
8. Straws. You and your wedding party will need to stay hydrated while getting ready and the last thing you want to do is mess up your makeup while refreshing yourself.
9. Breath mints. This one is self explanatory.
10. Stain remover pen. The dress is WHITE. I’m lucky to keep white garments clean for all of 10 minutes.
11. White chalk. If the stain remover pen isn’t getting a stain out, you can usually cover it with white chalk. No one will ever know.
12. Dental floss. Keep that trail mix out of your teeth!
13. Lint roller. This may be more helpful to the groom and groomsmen but chances are, they forgot or never thought of it to begin with.
14. Tooth brush and tooth paste.
15. Extra bobby pins.
16. Alcohol! A little liquid courage goes a long way.

Did we forget anything? What else will you have in your wedding day survival kit? We’d love to hear from you!

 

Christmas Weddings

Thinking about a Christmas wedding but not sure if the pros outweigh the cons? We’re here to help! If you have a Christmas wedding, will your group of friends and family be able to attend? Are you getting married in a location where there are frequent snow storms?

If the idea of a few guests not being able to show doesn’t bother you and you’re not getting married in a place where icy roads could disrupt your big day, then proceed! There are so many fun, creative and beautiful things you could do for a Christmas wedding. Obnoxious is incredibly acceptable, people are already in a joyful state around this time and you can have a Christmas tree in your wedding photos. Did I mention Christmas lights?

This can easily be a budget friendly event. A lot of places have Christmas decor up so if you play your cards correctly, you could utilize their decorations for your wedding without paying a dime for it. This is also a great idea when it comes to your wedding photos. Upscale hotels have plenty of great backdrops already there for you and your wedding parties use.

Your cuisine could be pretty easy for this one. Whatever you and your family traditionally eat for Christmas, serve that! Perhaps you could do away with the caterer if you have a small enough wedding. Ask your family members to  create their signature dish. If you delegate a dish to each person, you could have an amazing feast at half the cost in no time!

The best part of a Christmas wedding? Using the lit up holiday deer to guide your lit up carriage. This could make a great photo op spot for your guests as well. There’s so much room to play with a Christmas wedding. The possibilities are endless. You could even do a Christmas gift exchange or have a Santa appearance.

Winter 2016 Wedding Color Pallets

With winter quickly approaching, we wanted to share our favorite color pallets with you! In order to make it on our list, you can’t be a plain boring color pallet. There has to be daring pops of colors and splashes of familiar winter warmth.

We love the fun nature with this color pallet. It’s simple yet so exciting! The peacock feathers really give this a dynamic look. There are tons of ways to incorporate peacock feathers into your wedding accessories.

Our next favorite color palette is plum, gray and garnet. Such a lovely, elegant combination.

What are your favorite colors palettes for this winter? Let us know in the comments!

Fall Wedding Trends

The most to die for color pallet reminds me of the Victorian era. Burgundy and plum have stole the show this fall. The trending accent colors are pastels and neutral tones. For those daring brides, add copper accents into your color pallet. The metallic adds a multidimensional feel.

Have you heard of the “naked cake”? We hadn’t either till this year and it’s picking up like crazy this fall. Couples have decided to ditch the icing for a more health conscious cake. Looks like they’ve ditched the cake toppers too!

Popular wedding dresses this fall seem to be lace long sleeves.

The hit that surprised us? Two piece wedding dresses. This, seems to be an all new trend. History is not repeating itself here!

Reem Acra Bridal

Make or Break: Wedding Playlist

After you’ve said your, “I do’s,” you’ll want to make sure you have a playlist with hits keeping your party alive. We’ve all been to the wedding where there’s a few kids ranging from 3-5 on the dance floor and the rest of your guests planted in their seats after dinner. You don’t want that, I don’t want that….no one wants that! Make sure your playlist is memorable. Below we’ve listed jams sure to keep your wedding party moving.

Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars

Hey Ya! – OutKast

Shout – The Isley Brothers

Don’t Stop Belevin – Journey

Billie Jean – Michael Jackson

Get Lucky – Daft Punk

Twist and Shout – The Beatles

Shut Up And Dance – Walk the Moon

I Wanna Dance With Somebody – Whitney Houston

Crazy in Love – Beyonce

Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond

You Make My Dreams – Hall & Oates

We Found Love – Rhianna

Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough – Michael Jackson

Cupid Shuffle – Cupid

Yeah! – Usher

September – Earth, Wind & Fire

Wobble – V.I.C.

I want you back – The Jackson Five

Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) – Stevie Wonder

Happy – Pharrell Williams

Be sure to keep it light and fun. We’re not saying the above playlist is a solve all, but it’s definitely a starting point. You know your guests….what gets them excited and moving?Since we’re not all teenagers, the old hits are always great to get people in that nostalgic, feel good mood. The better the vibe, the higher the energy, the more happy bodies on your dance floor! Of course, having an open bar always helps too, ha.

Pro Tip: At rehearsal mention to your wedding party that you want to make sure your guests feel happy and welcome. Request their help with that. It only takes 1 person letting loose on the dance floor to get people out of their shy bubble.

Wedding Blogs

As bride, you have a lot of decisions to be making. Luckily for you, there are a TON of resources out there to help you. What can you get from a wedding blog?

First, inspiration! While reading through blogs you will come across all sorts of pictures of other weddings. Of course no bride wants to do the exact same thing as another, but you’re sure to gather ideas from everything you look at.

Second, you can find DIY tutorials galore which will help with your budget and you know you’re getting exactly what you want.

Third, vendors. You can locate anything from the venue to photographers, cake artists, accessories, etc.

Fourth, tips, tricks and advice. A lot of us like to think we can do it all but we simply can’t. Why not get advice from those who have experienced what you’re experiencing? Often times if you have a question about a blog post, you can comment at the bottom and actually get to speak to the blog author. You also may end up learning other things you didn’t realize you needed to know from other comments on the page.

If you aren’t reading wedding blogs and you’re planning your wedding, you’re really missing out!

Here are a few great resources we located:

How to locate budget friendly venues and reception locations.

Wedding Photographers (this one is really neat, you search in your zip code with what your budget is!)

Bridal Makeup 101

Wedding Invitations/RSVP’s

Bridal Hair Accessories 

If you have any questions or suggestions for other brides, feel free to drop us a line below! All the best to you lovely brides!

Photo by Jeffrey Lewis Bennett
www.JLBwedding.com

 

 

Bridal Head Chains

Every bride wants to be beautiful and unique in some way. Chances are, most people coming to your weddings have been to several weddings and are anticipating another cliche, boring wedding with maybe two people on the dance floor….who happen to be your 90 year old great aunt (who is currently wasted) with the 50 something guy she found in a corner somewhere drinking Scotch (Where did he get that? There’s no Scotch at the bar!)

What better way to stand out than to do something unique with your hair and accessories? There are SO many options out there! We have plenty of creative hair stylists these days and some really amazing bridal designers. All these fun details are up to you. What will you do with your hair and accessories?

Bridal head chains seem  to be the newest craze! They are unique yet still carry the elegance most brides require. Head chains fit many different themes too. You could go Roaring Twenties, gypsy theme or even a fairy tale theme! The possibilities are endless. Below are some really beautiful ones we located in the secret chamber of the internet.

If you’ve been stuck on trying to figure out what hair accessories to go for, maybe this will provide some inspiration for you. If you still feel stuck, check out our post about wedding hair.

Over it and just ready to view bridal hair accessories for sale? Check out our store. Couture Designs by IceGreenEyes.

“The goal in marriage is not to think alike, but to think together.” – Robert C. Dodds

Unique Bouquets

Gosh, there are SO many details to a wedding! Your bouquet is up there on the list of important ones. Of course some of us like things to be a little off of the traditional side. There are so many different things you can do with the beautifully arranged flowers (or not) that you’ll be carrying down the aisle. Here are a few examples that those of us at the studio located.

Do you just LOVE succulents? You can have a bouquet of those too!! Check them out. So, unique!!

Whatever you choose, remember: this is one of your statement pieces! Don’t skimp on this.

Be sure to check out our store for unique wedding items. Beautifully made with love here in our studio.

Wedding Hairstyles

First, don’t stress. All these small details will be well worth the effort once your big day is here. Just remember, you don’t have to look perfect. You want to look like yourself….of course a more dolled up version of yourself but regardless, look like YOU. I’ve created a small check list for you below to ensure you weigh all your options and to make things a little less stressful for you.

• Will you feel more comfortable with your hair up or down?
• Curly or Straight?
• Hair Accessories?
• If so, headband? Clip in? Mini top hat? Feather fascinator?

When making these decisions, keep your comfort in mind. You will have to maintain this look for hours. Between walking down the aisle, dancing the night away and getting cake smashed on your face, you’ll want something that is easy to deal with. You’ll also probably want your hair out of your face. One good option for that is curly, down and clipped back with a feather fascinator. Here are a few examples:

These lovely designs are simple, yet elegant. They glam up your hair a bit AND keep the hair out of your face! Many of these beautiful creations can be found for sale here. Have something specific in mind? Fill out our custom order request and we’ll be happy to work with you. Our goal is to make sure your big day is as beautiful as ever.

Couture Designs by IceGreenEyes has been around since 2010. These designs have been perfected over the last 6 years and are now breathtakingly beautiful.

If you are more of a hat gal, here’s a gorgeous example of a bride who rocked a hat on her big day. This design is also by IceGreenEyes.

All in all, do whatever makes you feel as beautiful as you are. There are thousands of options out there for every bride. Happy planning!!