Bouquet 101

Let’s talk bouquets.  If you’re like me, and you classify anything with petals as “flowers” because you have no earthly clue what anything is called… It may be hard to pick out an appropriate bouquet for your wedding day.  Well, this will be a learning experience for us all. 

History Lesson

It is rumored that in ancient times, brides originally used bouquets of spices and herbs to ward off evil spirits.  An added bonus of these bouquets was to cover any unpleasant smells from the bride, considering bathing was not a frequent practice back in the day.  Sometimes the bouquet of edible arrangements was eaten during the wedding feast.  Eventually the brides wanted to liven up their bouquet and added flowers into the mix. 

Check out this awesome wed-fographic! Designed to help the happy couple find the right florist and the right flower arrangements. 

Guide To Choosing Flowers for Your Wedding by Digby & Rose Upscale Luxury Invitations

Bouquet 101

Meanings of flowers

With deep roots of flower meanings, there come many websites that hypothesize the meanings of individual flowers.  I will provide the websites used for the following section at the end. 

The following are a few bouquets that I see frequently on Pinterest. This year, the common theme for bouquets have been large flowers. Here are a few examples with some meanings. 

Peonies: healing, happy life, happy marriage, compassion, and bashfulness. However it may also represents indignation or shame.

Garden roses: light pink garden, or english rose represents pleasantness and innocence.

Tulips: generally symbolizing perfect love.

Hyacinth: symbolizes playfulness and a sporty attitude with extreme rashness. It also represents constancy of love and fertility.

Camellia: graciousness, steadfastness, excellence, and it's a good luck gift for a man. 

Callalily: magnificence, regal and beauty. 

Hydrangea: heartfelt emotion. This flower can represent gratitude for being understood, but in the negative sense it symbolizes frigidity and heartlessness. Be careful!

Dahlia: good taste, pomp, a symbol of commitment and bond that lasts a lifetime. 

Succulents: this desert flower represents endurance and longevity. 

Farmer's Almanac

Flower Meanings #1

Flower Meanings #2

Flower Meanings #3

Wilderness Ridge does not own the rights to any of the photos used in this post. 

Top Underrated Wedding Songs

Hello, my name is Hailey and the past couple blog posts have been written by me (hopefully you're enjoying them!).  But let me introduce myself as this: I am passionate about music.  I have been apart of the Wilderness Ridge family for several years now and have worked all throughout the facility.  I have worked many weddings as a banquet server, and being the complete music geek that I am, I have gained a decent idea of popular wedding songs.  

This post is designed to promote the under dogs in the music world, and maybe to inspire you to incorporate these songs for the traditional dances, or in your overall playlist. 

Rustic Theme

Gimmieakiss by The Avett Brothers

The Avett Brothers are definitely creating a name for themselves.  This North Carolina based bluegrass/rock band has lots of sweet tunes.  Check out Gimmieakiss as a toe-tapping song to get everyone dancing.

I've Got This Friend by The Civil Wars

This duo has a great album called Barton Hollow. My intreptation of this song is of two friends who are head over heels for each other.  Cute song for a bride & groom dance.

Oh La La by The Faces

Definitely an underrated group dance song for the playlist. Such a philosophical chorus, as well: "I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger". 

Love Love Love by Tristan Prettyman

Who doesn't love when a girl sings and plays the guitar? Take a hint from the song title, it's a cute little love song.  Also, this song would fit in the beach category as well! 

Vintage Theme

Waltz for Debby

Here's the deal, I have selected two different versions of this song: An instrumental jazz version and an acapella version. The above video is the instrumental piece by the original composer Bill Evans with Cannonball Adderley on the alto saxophone.  

The second video is the acapella version by The Real Group. The lyrics by Gene Lees tell the story of a little girl who grows up.  Perfect for a bride and father dance. But, if you're not into the "Glee" feel, you can still use the instrumental version. 

Misty by Ella Fitzgerald

The beautiful Ella.  Just listen to this ballad and you'll love the idea of dancing with your husband to this song. Just being fully in love with your husband and classic jazz standards.

Four by Miles Davis & John Coltrane

Everyone's heard the name Miles Davis, but do many actually know a song by the famous jazz trumpeter? Play this tune to get people in their dancing shoes or as up tempo background music. 

Urban Theme

Dress & Tie by Charlene Kaye feat. Darren Criss

Totally adorable song that is a perfect wedding song. Just listen to it, and marvel at how cute it is. "I'll wear that dress if you wear that tie and baby, we'll dance through the night - cause no one's got what we got going". 

Just Like Heaven (cover) by Charlotte Martin

Shout out to all my Cure fans! The frontman for the Cure wrote this song about his girlfriend who later became his wife.  But if you want to use the ballad version for a dance with your man, this might be the one. 

The Girl by City and Colour

Okay, guys. Need a song to dedicate to your totally selfless lady? This is it. The lyrics tell a story of a man who is eternally grateful to his lady who is always there for him. First part is ballad, second is a jamming upbeat tune to the same lyrics.

Single Ladies (cover) by Sara Bareilles

Alright, Single Ladies by Beyonce is the anthem for the bouquet toss. However, why not add a twist of a cover? Sara Bareilles is a magical human-being who is incredibly talented. Check out her creative interpretation of Single Ladies.

Beach Theme

Paint it Golden by Jason Reeves & Colbie Caillat

A nice ballad for the general playlist or for a special dance.  

Groovin' Slowly by John Butler Trio

Let's get everyone grooving with this song. I can already imagine the sand in-between my toes while slow dancing to this piece. 

The Girl from Ipanema by Stan Getz feat. João & Asturd Gilberto

Okay, so many people may recognize this song and refer to it as "elevator music" but seriously, so much potential to this song. Just listen to the lyrics of Asturd Gilberto. Groove to the sunset to this piece. 

It Don't Matter by Donavon Frankenreiter

Come on, if you're doing a beach theme wedding, it's just gotta groove and be relaxed. "If it don't matter to you, it don't matter to me"!

Vineyard Theme

Que Sera, Sera by Doris Day

So when trying to differentiate between "vintage" and "vineyard" I came up with this: Vintage is more jazz while vineyard is a classic theme.  Que Sera is a nice piece to get everyone dancing or as nice background music. You may even hear the grandparents talking about their favorite Doris Day films while dancing to this song.

Comme des Enfants by Coeur de Pirate

So it's not Italian, but the French language still puts the theme to life. No worries, this video does have an "almost" accurate English translation to it as well. 

Lay Lady Lay by Magnet feat. Gemma Hayes

This sultry piece is a Bob Dylan cover. However this song would make a great bride & groom or couples dance. 

Great Songs No Matter What the Theme Is

I Put a Spell on You by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Whether your wedding is near Halloween or not, this classic is definitely not heard enough at weddings. Gotta give credit to the classic rock genre!

I'm Coming Home by Diddy - Dirty Money feat. Skylar Grey 

I won't lie. I actually heard this song recently on a commercial for a TV show. But I immediately fell in love with this song. If you're more into a hip hop feel you should give this song a shot. 

(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher by Jackie Wilson

Get everyone dancing with this classic. Come on, can the lyrics or title get any better for proclaiming your love to another person? 

So this is just some of my suggestions after quickly running through my iTunes. I'm positive that I've missed a ton of other spectacular songs that need to be on this list. Do you have any ideas? Comment with your favorite underrated wedding songs! Keep checking back for part two of this list!

Wilderness does not own the rights to any of these awesome songs. 

Awesome Wedding Resources

Let’s first touch on the obvious go-to website that many future brides are exploring everyday: Pinterest.  There is no doubt that Pinterest holds a plethora of photos that link to hundreds of websites for wedding inspiration.  Be sure to check out our own Wilderness Ridge Pinterest!

http://pinterest.com/wildernessridge/

Sara Morgan wrote this fabulous article for the app-savvy couple.  The article focuses on her top five recommendations for wedding apps.  The applications touch on five important topics: photography, DIY-inspiration, fitness, gift registry, and a DIY website/app for your wedding.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sara-morgan/the-top-5-wedding-apps-of_b_3008173.html

The Knot: Lots of newly engaged couples are finding themselves on this website.  The Knot has a lot to offer: DIY wedding planning help, lists of venues, DJ’s and more, the option to create your own blog for your friends and family near and far, and the website also functions as a mini wedding specific Pinterest with many ideas.  With such a wide array of resources, it's easy for us to miss something. Feel free to check it out yourself! 

http://www.theknot.com/

This website is a gem! Top Wedding Blogs updates every year with popular blogs to provide resources on tips, trends, advice, and inspiration from all over the web.  Go ahead and explore this list to see if anything catches your eye.

http://www.weddingblogs100.com/

Weddings by Lilly is a nice and simple wedding blog that provides insight on popular trends, dresses, hair & makeup, stationary, food, and inspiration on color schemes, decorations, flowers, and favors. Plus, this website offers an advice section titled “F.A.Q.”

http://www.weddingsbylilly.com/

Need some wedding dress help? This infographic is a great resource for dress shapes, neckline, waistline, sleeve types, back, and train.

http://www.aisleperfect.com/2013/03/pinterest-picks-wedding-

dress.html

Wilderness Ridge does not own the rights to the photos used in this post.

Outdoor Summer Wedding

A helpful post created by Hailey Berres

Let’s talk Summer Weddings. There’s no doubt that many like summer weddings, especially if you find the perfect location with an ideal view. Whether you’re gearing up for your own summer wedding or planning one in the future, we have some ideas that you should know. 

I do…

• Do promise to provide heat relief: If you plan on having a short, ten-minute ceremony, you should still factor in possible delays.  Ten minutes could easily turn into twenty, or even thirty minutes. Keep your guests comfortable and avoid sunburns.
• Suggestion: Have a survival station with sun block, bug spray, and anti-itch crème.

• Do promise to keep everyone hydrated and fed: A hot bridesmaid is one thing, but a sweaty, famished and dangerously parched bridesmaid is a whole different situation. Give yourself, your wedding party, and guests plenty of opportunities to stay hydrated with some light food.  Be sure that if you serve food outside that the temperature is appropriate to avoid some hazardous food poisoning.
• Suggestion: Keep a flavored water station near your survival station. Give guests the opportunity to get a drink of delicious mint water before your ceremony.

• Do consider light materials for the wedding party attire.  Between the sun, heat, and then grooving on the dance floor, it’s important to consider the material and weight of the dresses and tuxes.  To cut down the sweat, the bride may consider a modern short dress option.  However, if you can’t resist the elegant ball gown, then wear it for the ceremony and change into a shorter dress selection for the reception.  A groom can also consider a crisp linen suit and leather sandals option or a beach look, khakis and a button down.
• Another tip: If you plan on getting married in an open field of grass, consider wearing flats, wedges, or going for the more natural approach of barefeet.

The above photos showcase great examples of elegant yet short dresses. 

Check out these stylish guys in colorful linen suits! 

• Do take advantage of seasonal flowers for bouquets and centerpieces.  They will not only provide the appropriate seasonal atmosphere, but also help keep the budget down.  Summer flowers are more resistant, however still may wilt by the end of the glorious event.

Here's a great example of taking advantage of those beautiful flowers during the ceremony.

Do want to have jammin’ tunes. If you have a DJ, request them to play some fun summer themed songs such as Under the Boardwalk, In the Summertime, Boys of Summer, etc!

Do want my guests to hear my vows.  Consider how noisy your surroundings are: waves crashing on the beach, leaves wrestling in the wind, kids playing in the park. Consider mic’ing your ceremony.

Do plan on using your surroundings. Not just the beautiful view your ceremony will overlook, but your landscape too. Here are some examples:

This is a nice opportunity to utilize your surroundings. Use a tree as a Family Tree to add photos of your family members and acknowledge those who are not with us anymore or could not make the wedding.  

Don't want to put any signs in the ground? Hang up a sign on a tree or on a fence to lead your guests to the wedding.

  

• Do want to inform my guests that it is an outdoor wedding so they can plan and dress accordingly.
• Do want a backup plan incase of severe weather. My guests should not have to suffer to hear me say “I do.” Talk to your venue to see if there is an indoor or tent option to help cover you and your guests from a heat advisory, rain, and other inclement weather.

• Do want my bridesmaids to be comfortable and not sweaty.  Give the girls some options to have their hair in an updo if they desire.

I don’t…

•  Don’t want my guests to eat heavy foods.  Keep the menu simple and light.  Hearty foods and heat will make for some unhappy campers.
• Suggestions: Stick with a seasonal menu that includes grilled entrees and local fresh produce.
• Don’t let your guests become dehydrated.  Alcohol and prolonged sun exposure can become hazardous.
• Suggestions: Provide drink tickets to your guests to limit alcohol consumption.  Perhaps host one seasonal cocktail drink with low alcohol content.
• Don’t forgo the save-the-date! Summer vacation is a hot time for family vacations.  Send your announcements early to avoid no-shows due to travel plans. 

Notice that the date is very prominent on this Save the Date!

• Don’t start your wedding around midday.  With the sun at its strongest, guests will be discouraged to come to the ceremony or will be irritated by reception time.  Start the ceremony in late afternoon for a sunset dinner.
• Bonus to having a late afternoon wedding: taking photos during the Golden Hour. Many photographers like to take photos around one to two hours before sunset. Be sure to consult with your photographer to schedule your golden opportunity. 

Be sure to take full advantage of your surroundings! 

 We love the glow of the Golden Hour!

• Don’t want the wrong “season” for my bridesmaid’s dresses.  This may seem like a no-brainer: Stay away from long, heavy, and dark colored dresses.  Your bridesmaids will appreciate it!
• Don’t leave your cake sitting in the sun. A fondant cake cannot stay out in direct sunlight; the cake will wilt and become warm.  Bring out the cake table an hour before dessert to allow the butter cream to come to a room temperature.
• Don’t want any of my guests to fall.  Be sure to walk around the area enough times to find where a hole or tree stump may be and tastefully make it visible to your guests.
• Don’t want to have a dark disaster.  If you plan on partying outside for the rest of the night, consider your power source and how you can light up the night. 

Illuminate the night with string lights or use your surroundings to hang single lights.

There is also nothing wrong with some Christmas lights!

• Don’t want any accidents. Be sure to consider the water closet situation, where the closest bathroom is or if you should provide a temporary outdoor facility.
• Don’t let your bridesmaids show off everything! Make sure the girls are still modest incase of wind.

Let the summer festivities begin!

Feel free to comment on your own summer ceremony suggestions!

 

Wilderness Ridge does not own the rights to the photos used in this post.

 

 

 

 

2013 Trend: English Romance

Hosting an English Romance wedding is an elegant way to display the sophistication and love of the happy couple--and several brides and bloggers this year have caught wind of this charming theme.

The photos in this post just may help you find inspiration on how you can bring the English Countryside to your wedding.

An outdoor tea party is a lovely idea for a bridal luncheon, or a photo shoot for the Bride & Groom to-be.

Create romantic invitations with calligraphy, pastel colors, and gold embellishments.

These gowns are so pretty in natural light.

Adding accessories like pearls and lace help carry the theme into both the Bride and her maids' looks.

The simple silhouettes of these bridesmaid dresses will casually flatter the femininity of your ladies in waiting.

We love bouquets with the just-picked-from-the-[English]-garden look, but a more traditional, structured look is created with peonies and pale roses--and both are theme-appropriate.

Full bouquets and single-stem roses provide a posh & polished look when resting in classic pieces such as candelabras, vintage dishes, and antique silver.

Loose petals, bunches of flowers, and green vines & fronds add grace to the aisle.

The wedding cake can carry many English-inspired designs, from simple to ornate!

Tea party-esque edibles such as biscuits and finger sandwiches are perfect appetizers for a cocktail hour.

Inspirations and influence can stem from many directions, whether real {royal weddings} or fictitious {Downton Abbey}, and it's so much fun to research.

We hope you enjoyed seeing all this English charm!

Wedding 101: Matching Look to Location

As someone who loves to fantasize about my future wedding, I find it easy to get lost in multiple themes and design ideas--some of which have nothing to do with one another. After countless hours of much-loved research on wedding blogs, forums, and websites like Pinterest, I find it imperative to stick with one [or two complimenting] schemes in order to enhance the environment chosen for such a special day.

Here at Wilderness Ridge, our clubhouse has a distinctive "woodsy" ambiance of which ties into the ever-developing natural look and movement of going green. Whether it be a ceremony set in Mother Nature herself or a reception in a ballroom such as ours, this post is chock-full of charming images to inspire your creativity and help bring this vision to life.

There are tons of natural color palettes for inspiration available on the internet. Try searching for words like woodsy, earthy, and rustic.  

 

Your guests will receive a sneak-peak of your wedding theme by sending out matching invitations.

I simply adore how versatile this style of decor is. {simple} {elegant} {detailed} {whimsical}

Utilizing every decorative option will further develop the woodland feeling.

Adding a soft glow with candles and strings of lights will create an outdoorsy look inside.

Antiques and rustic country accents work hand-in-hand with the wilderness look.

Earthtoned flowers and burlap make beautiful bridal bouquets, and I am just loving the use of cotton as an alternative to flowers!

 These cakes are almost too pretty to eat!

Food and beverage displays are a great way to impress your guests--just look at how thirst-quenching the lemonade stand looks!

The dress and accessories can further complete the look and feel of the wedding.

Twine-wrapped dried naturals make for earthy boutonnieres to accent the gentlemen. 

A combination of woodgrain, burlap, and greenery create a natural setting with a variety of textures and details.

The options are endless!