For those of you who know me, you know my obsession with colorful fabrics and fun patterns! There are endless possibilities to play with and these days almost anything goes! Subtly incorporated into your wedding decor, colorful patterns can add the perfect finishing touch to your overall theme.

The other night I was on Fabric Guru’s website looking for drapery fabric for my office and, because weddings are always on my mind and I love being crafty, I thought how fun and easy it would be to sew an aisle runner in a fabric that compliments your wedding colors! If you want to step outside of the box and get creative with your decor, why not give it a whirl?

A plain white carpet aisle runner rents at $100, measures 3’x20′, won’t stay put on a breezy day and may have stains on it from previous use. Polyester aisle runners do not stay put for outdoor ceremonies and, in my opinion, look better in the box than rolled out for one of the most important ceremonies celebrated in life.

All of the fabrics shown below cost less than $9 per yard. To create a 20′ aisle runner, you would need 7 yards of fabric (preferably outdoor fabric) plus a 15 yard bolt of 20″ wide Extra-Firm Sew-In Stabilizer ($59.99 at Joann Fabric). The cost comes out to be only $23 more than renting a used carpet runner! Here is an idea to make it well worth that extra $23…since the fabric is going to stay in one long piece, you could easily reuse it to make drapes or pillow covers for your newlywed nest!! Who doesn’t love new home decorations?!

No sewing machine? No problem! Grab an iron and some iron-on hem tape and voila! Piece of cake!

Here are some of my favorites from Fabric Guru for a sew-it-yourself aisle runner:

Happy Planning (and sewing)!!

For those of you who know me, you know my obsession with colorful fabrics and fun patterns! There are endless possibilities to play with and these days almost anything goes! Subtly incorporated into your wedding decor, colorful patterns can add the perfect finishing touch to your overall theme.

The other night I was on Fabric Guru’s website looking for drapery fabric for my office and, because weddings are always on my mind and I love being crafty, I thought how fun and easy it would be to sew an aisle runner in a fabric that compliments your wedding colors! If you want to step outside of the box and get creative with your decor, why not give it a whirl?

A plain white carpet aisle runner rents at $100, measures 3’x20′, won’t stay put on a breezy day and may have stains on it from previous use. Polyester aisle runners do not stay put for outdoor ceremonies and, in my opinion, look better in the box than rolled out for one of the most important ceremonies celebrated in life.

All of the fabrics shown below cost less than $9 per yard. To create a 20′ aisle runner, you would need 7 yards of fabric (preferably outdoor fabric) plus a 15 yard bolt of 20″ wide Extra-Firm Sew-In Stabilizer ($59.99 at Joann Fabric). The cost comes out to be only $23 more than renting a used carpet runner! Here is an idea to make it well worth that extra $23…since the fabric is going to stay in one long piece, you could easily reuse it to make drapes or pillow covers for your newlywed nest!! Who doesn’t love new home decorations?!

No sewing machine? No problem! Grab an iron and some iron-on hem tape and voila! Piece of cake!

Here are some of my favorites from Fabric Guru for a sew-it-yourself aisle runner:

Happy Planning (and sewing)!!

When The Knot unveiled their Wedding Trends List for 2011, I was both surprised and excited to see that “Man Caves” was among their top favorite trends for wedding receptions:

“Black jack tables, brandy bars, PlayStations and stogies. The man cave has officially moved from the home to the wedding, so create your own and don’t be surprised if you see all the male wedding guests in the new “groom’s corner” at the reception.”

While I love the idea of incorporating a “Man Cave” into your wedding reception experience, I can’t help but think that when they say, “don’t be surprised if you see all the male wedding guests in the new groom’s corner at the reception,” it’s safe to assume they could easily be there all night! You don’t want them to miss out on all of the festivities and you certainly don’t want to separate the men from their significant others for the entire night.

Below are some alternatives to consider that still keep within the “Man Cave” concept, but incorporates it in such a way that it does not take away from the reception celebration:

• Consider hiring a professional cigar roller to add that perfect touch to the wedding reception experience. There are several companies that not only provide cigar rollers, but also provide cigar waiters and waitresses who know how to work a room, serving, cutting and lighting cigars for guests. In addition, you could create a customized or personalized cigar band so that the cigars can double as a wedding favor!

• Consider hosting a whiskey tasting bar! Let’s face it, when it comes to the wedding reception, men do not pay  much attention to details such as floral design or linen selections. What they do pay attention to is the selection of drinks available at the bar so why not offer something unique that will create a lasting impression on your male guests: a whiskey tasting bar. You could have the tasting bar open during the cocktail hour or during another designated part of the evening, but I wouldn’t suggest having it available the entire night for obvious reasons. Hire a whiskey enthusiast to tend the tasting and teach your guests about the various elements of whiskey such as color and flavor. 

• If you just love the idea of incorporating a poker table or other games into the designated “Man Cave” for your wedding, perhaps you could offer it during a more appropriate time such as the Welcome Party, Post-Reception Party or even the Rehearsal Dinner. You could also set up a “Man Cave” for the groom and groomsmen to enjoy before the ceremony, but save the whiskey tasting bar for later.

——–

When The Knot unveiled their Wedding Trends List for 2011, I was both surprised and excited to see that “Man Caves” was among their top favorite trends for wedding receptions:

“Black jack tables, brandy bars, PlayStations and stogies. The man cave has officially moved from the home to the wedding, so create your own and don’t be surprised if you see all the male wedding guests in the new “groom’s corner” at the reception.”

While I love the idea of incorporating a “Man Cave” into your wedding reception experience, I can’t help but think that when they say, “don’t be surprised if you see all the male wedding guests in the new groom’s corner at the reception,” it’s safe to assume they could easily be there all night! You don’t want them to miss out on all of the festivities and you certainly don’t want to separate the men from their significant others for the entire night.

Below are some alternatives to consider that still keep within the “Man Cave” concept, but incorporates it in such a way that it does not take away from the reception celebration:

• Consider hiring a professional cigar roller to add that perfect touch to the wedding reception experience. There are several companies that not only provide cigar rollers, but also provide cigar waiters and waitresses who know how to work a room, serving, cutting and lighting cigars for guests. In addition, you could create a customized or personalized cigar band so that the cigars can double as a wedding favor!

• Consider hosting a whiskey tasting bar! Let’s face it, when it comes to the wedding reception, men do not pay  much attention to details such as floral design or linen selections. What they do pay attention to is the selection of drinks available at the bar so why not offer something unique that will create a lasting impression on your male guests: a whiskey tasting bar. You could have the tasting bar open during the cocktail hour or during another designated part of the evening, but I wouldn’t suggest having it available the entire night for obvious reasons. Hire a whiskey enthusiast to tend the tasting and teach your guests about the various elements of whiskey such as color and flavor. 

• If you just love the idea of incorporating a poker table or other games into the designated “Man Cave” for your wedding, perhaps you could offer it during a more appropriate time such as the Welcome Party, Post-Reception Party or even the Rehearsal Dinner. You could also set up a “Man Cave” for the groom and groomsmen to enjoy before the ceremony, but save the whiskey tasting bar for later.

——–

Love is in the air and I must admit, I am in LOVE with the fall 2011 collection of wedding dresses that were recently showcased on the catwalk! Designers are having so much fun stepping out of the traditional wedding dress box by adding flirtatiously sexy details and playing around with colors other than white and ivory. From cascading layers to frills, bows and other embellishments, you’re heart will pitter-patter when you see the new designs for fall 2011!

Monique Lhuillier Collection Photo by Jean-Bernard Villareal

Jenny Packham Collection Photo by First View

Legends by Romona Keveza Photo by First View

Karen Hendrix Collection Photo by First View

Amsale Collection Photo by First View

Oscar de la Renta Collection Photo by Jean-Bernard Villareal

Love is in the air and I must admit, I am in LOVE with the fall 2011 collection of wedding dresses that were recently showcased on the catwalk! Designers are having so much fun stepping out of the traditional wedding dress box by adding flirtatiously sexy details and playing around with colors other than white and ivory. From cascading layers to frills, bows and other embellishments, you’re heart will pitter-patter when you see the new designs for fall 2011!

Monique Lhuillier Collection Photo by Jean-Bernard Villareal

Jenny Packham Collection Photo by First View

Legends by Romona Keveza Photo by First View

Karen Hendrix Collection Photo by First View

Amsale Collection Photo by First View

Oscar de la Renta Collection Photo by Jean-Bernard Villareal