Non-Floral Centerpieces
I have been asked a lot lately by my brides how to have cool centerpieces that are not bouquets of flowers. I believe this is for two reasons. One – Everyone has flowers of some sort as their centerpieces and Two – Because they want/need to save money, but they don’t want to loose the wow factor. So here are my thoughts on this topic.
Centerpieces that breathe! I am talking about the trend to use fish as centerpieces! This is a cute idea, however there is alot more involved than just sticking a fish in a bowl! Let me explain… I used Gold Fish for centerpieces at my own wedding. I loved this idea, however as we started planning this out… we realized there was more to it! You see, you can’t just walk into a pet store and purchase 300 Gold Fish. (I had 350 guests at my wedding so we had a lot of tables to decorate) What happened was the managers gave us the 3rd degree as to why we were buying that many Gold Fish. He wanted to know if we were going to FEED the fish to something!! hehehe I am not kidding.. just thinking about it now makes me laugh. We went to buy the fish the day before the wedding and here I was standing there in street clothes with a huge white veil on and he didn’t believe me about wanting them as centerpieces!! 
hehehe So, we had to go to plan B… all my bridesmaids and I split up and we went to lots of different pet stores buying Gold Fish in smaller quantities so as to avoid the 3rd degree! This plan worked… and to all you Fish lovers out there… we put the fish in a coy pond on the Ranch we got married at after the wedding. Ok so now for the rest of the mess….. Gold Fish poop a lot!! And we didn’t want the fish pooping in the water during our wedding.. so to avoid this you have to send the fish into hibernation. How do you send 300 fish into hibernation? Well, let me just say that I owe a hug Thank You to my father for figuring out how to do this! He got all the large coolers that we owned and lined them with black trash bags and then ran air filters down into the water. (Gold fish have to be in aerated water) So, thus we had our fish and they went into hibernation mood where they slept and didn’t eat… so no poopy water at the wedding! Yea! Here is a picture!
Now if you are using the cute Beta fish as centerpieces… they live in distilled water and it’s not as difficult to pull off!
Fruit, Fruit and more Fruit!!! Lots of bride opt to use lemons, limes, apples, oranges etc. in their centerpieces. I think that there are lots of ways to do this and here are a few of my thoughts on the subject. Ok first, Oranges! I used oranges in the centerpieces for Dan and Jess’ wedding. We tried to be creative and use them differently… what do you think?
Here are some other ideas of how to use fruit.
Now on to Feathers!! I have a couple of weddings that I am planning now that are using feathers… so stay tuned for their centerpiece pictures! My thoughts on feathers… well first off…I personally LOVE feathers!! So in my opinion you could use them on anything and it would be fabulous! I used two feather wreths as centerpieces for my parents reserved tables at my wedding… but here are some other ideas on how to use them!!
This next picture was from a wedding I did in December of 2008. Charlie and Odille’s Wedding.. you can see more of their wedding pictures under Weddings.
Branches, Sticks and Twigs… how to make them look cute, chic and non-cheesy! Well… Dogwood branches are one of my favorite things to use. They are thicker and have a very distinct look to them. Curly Willow is great too… I love to add Curly Willow to a centerpiece to give it height and texture! Here are examples that I like.
Here are some examples from weddings we have done!
Other ideas on how to be chic with out breaking the bank! This next idea for something I did for Kevin and Tiffany’s wedding. We actually lite up the water too… which looked awesome at night!
A similar idea…
Coffee beans with a ribbon bow and a votive candle are really cute for inexpensive! Coffee beans are great for decorating… I have a wedding now that is using coffee beans in a lot of their decoration. Stay tuned for those pictures.
There are lots of things you can use Lanterns for. I have used paper lanterns as decor hanging from the ceiling. Here are two different ideas on how to use them in centerpieces.
Ok this next idea… is not my favorite… but if you must do dyed water.. then at least make it cute. If it was my wedding I would, but some curly willow coming out the top of some of the vases and floating candles in others. Again, not my favorite idea… but if it’s done right, it could be cute.
Unique ideas with rocks, ribbons and favors… I love these next ideas because they’re unique! Use your favors as centerpieces! If you have you have them packaged really cute… then pile them up and get double the use out of them! If you are on tight budget and like ribbon… wrapping the vase with ribbon and then doing a huge ribbon bow on top could be just adorable!! The last idea… is actually a plant…and the brown curly thing in the middle is actually called Monkey Tail!
Last but no least… I just love CUPCAKES!!! So if you want to be super creative… serve cupcakes as your dessert and arrange them as your centerpiece too! Here is an example of a cupcake centerpiece… they did the icing in the design of flowers… So cute!!!
I hope you like my ideas and that they help you by a Fabulous Bride for Less!!!! Leave comments, I love to hear from brides!!!
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Tags: Apple Centerpieces, Beta Fish Centerpieces, Centerpieces that light up, Centerpieces with Feathers, Coffee bean Centerpieces, Coffee Beans at Weddings, Cupcake Centerpieces at Weddings, Cupcakes at Weddings, Curly Willow Centerpieces, DIY Wedding Centerpieces, Do It Yourself Centerpieces, Dog Wood Centerpieces, Dogwood Centerpieces, Feather Centerpieces, Feathers at Weddings, Feathers in Wedding Bouquets, Fish Centerpieces, Fruit Centerpieces, Gold Fish Centerpieces, Hanging Lanterns, How to do Fruit at your wedding, Lantern Centerpieces, Lemon Centerpieces, Light up Centerpieces, Lime Centerpieces, Orange Centerpieces, Wedding Centerpieces with branches
Love from Daniel & Grace
Daniel and Grace were married in December at Stonebridge Ranch. Here is their LOVE note to Rachel Events.
* You can see their wedding pictures under Weddings – Daniel and Grace.
LOVE
After much discussion with Daniel, it was finally decided that we needed to have a wedding, no matter how small or un-pretty it would be. I had given up the idea of having a beautiful wedding since we were on a super tight budget being in school and all. I browsed through wedding planning websites, trying to gather ideas to make the wedding at least…quaint. Although I’m not much of a girly girl to really care about flowers and colors, I still wanted something picture-worthy. Unfortunately, it only made me more hopeless! Then I remembered my friend Nathan had a sister who was a wedding planner. I checked out her website and fell in LOVE with her ideas. I’ve always known Rachel to be fabulous and chic from the way she dressed and the way her energy spread when she around people. I was able to get in contact with her, and to my relief she began by saying, “You’re going to have a beautiful wedding!” Rachel is able to picture things in her head. Her experience with flowers, colors, and tiny details make her a very proficient wedding planner as she is able to combine the ideas to create something impeccable. Let me just say there were a few disagreements throughout our planning, but they were only because I couldn’t picture in my head what she was talking about! She knows what she’s doing! Given the short amount of time (2 months), Rachel successfully introduced each piece of the wedding planning in a timely fashion! After figuring out my style in only one session, she brought me to a venue which had me sold immediately. She not only encouraged me to voice my ideas, but polished them making me proud to even have thought it. Also, I can’t forget to mention she created the most beautiful bouquet known to man. I was truly blown away when I saw the result of our planning. There seemed to be many components to the wedding, but I could only visualize it through the scribbles and sketches Rachel drew for me during our meetings. Needless to say, Daniel and I were extremely pleased with her help. We couldn’t have done it without her!! Thank you, Rachel! We hope God blesses your work and you continue to add joy to people’s lives as you have done for us.
Photo by Kate Brewer Photography
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Tags: Bride, Dallas Wedding, Dallas Wedding Planner, Engaged, Good Review of Wedding Planner, Groom, Kate Brewer, Love, McKinney, Rachel Events, Ranch Wedding, Stonebridge Ranch Country Club, Teal and Purpel Wedding, Teal Wedding, Tx Wedding, Wedding Pictures, Wedding Planner Review, Yellow and Purple Wedding, Yellow Wedding
Brett & Chrisey Engagement
Here are some engagement pictures from Brett and Chrisey’s photo shoot with WeddingTx. They are so cute together, I just LOVE LOVE LOVE engaged couples. Every time I get the engagement photos, they always remind me why I LOVE my job!!!
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Tags: Creative Wedding Photographer, Dallas Photographer, Dallas Wedding Photographer, Dallas Wedding Plans, Engagement Pictures, Engagement Wedding Pictures, Rachel Events, Wedding Tx
Bride’s Choice Award
Rachel Events just won Bride’s Choice Award from Wedding Wire!!!! Rachel Events is among the top Event Planning companies in Dallas, Texas. Thank you to all my previous brides who wrote reviews on Wedding Wire and Thank you to all the vendors and friends of Rachel Events who endorsed us! We just love our jobs and we are so grateful to be doing something we enjoy!!
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Tags: Award Wedding Planner, Bride's Choice Award, Event Planner, Rachel Events, Wedding Wire, Wedding Wire Vendor
XoXo
Ok so Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and if your boyfriend, fiance or husband is like mine…. you will need to drop some not so subtle hints!! Here are my top 5 suggestions on how to have a great Valentine’s Day without breaking the bank!!
1 – Get two cupcakes from Sprinkles. The cupcakes are only $3.25 each. (As seen on Oprah, Tyra Banks, Food Network, Regis & Kelly and Martha Stewart to name drop) The Red Velvet ones are my favorite, but there are all fabulous! So, you have a dessert that is cute and affordable.
2 – Send your girl to get her nails done! *Trust me on this one… you can never go wrong with getting her a manicure! Polished is one of the newest salons in Plano and the salon is adorable! (Featured in Allure and D Magazine) Manicures start at $25 and she can pick her color from the Salon’s own line of nail polish.
3 – Get her some flowers… but something different! Don’t be that guy who gets her red roses because someone decided that was the official flower of Valentine’s Day. Dr. Delphinium is my favorite florist in Dallas they have a super cute arrangement for Valentines Day this year called Enchantment. *Picture below. That way you get a little pink, red and purple, the cost is $55
4 – Get her a GOOD Valentines Day card. Most guys think that if they stop by Walmart, Walgreens or CVS that is good enough. But if you want to show your girl that you really do love and care for her… get her a Papyrus card!! Their Valentine’s Day cards start around $3.95 and go up from there depending on how eleaborate the card is. Here is an example of one I think is cute…. it’s $5.95. *There is a Papyrus in the Northpark Mall and the Galleria Mall here in Dallas.
5 – Take her to eat somewhere different and cool!! My new favorite find in Dallas is Vapiano’s! This is a cool Pasta, Pizza Bar where everything on the menu is under $15 it’s trendy, different and fabulous! So get all dolled up like you’re going somewhere fancy but instead take her to Vapiano’s where you can hang out, eat some great food and overall enjoy each others company! The only location in Dallas is in Mockingbird Station.
So with my top 5 Valentine’s Day suggestions you will spend about $125 and have a great time!! Girls, if you are sending your man to read my blog… it’s ok… as my husband says, “We guys need a little help from time to time!”
Thank to Mitch (my husband) for being willing to learn what I like and love!! Happy Valentine’s Day to Everyone!!
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Tags: Cheap Valentine's, Dr. Delphinium Flowers, Papyrus Cards, Pink Cupcakes, Red Cupcakes, Sprinkles Cupcakes, Valentine's Day Ideas, Valentine's Gifts for Her, Vapiano's Food
My latest Rachel-Style-Fav : Weddings with Flair and Patterns! I personally love a wedding with a pattern. I think that patterns give an extra level of flair and sophistication to any wedding or event. When doing a pattern in your wedding color palate you have to be careful not to over do it! For example, if you did Black and White Damask on everything your guests would go cross eyed. Polka dots are just adorable at weddings, but only if you do them right. I just did a wedding where Paisley was our themed pattern and it was really cute. However, we spent a lot of time looking for paisley patterns that did not remind the groom of things he saw in a science lab! Damask is a more formal print pattern in my opinion. When I think of using Damask, I think of floor length bridesmaids dresses, plated dinner reception, lots of candle light and champagne. But you can also do Damask in a more flirty fashion! Lots of brides just use solid colors in their wedding color palate… be bold and use Paisley, Damask or Polka Dots for your wedding!! If you want advice on how to pull this off without killing your guests eyes… Call Me!!
Here are few pictures to show how you could incorporate patterns into your wedding!
Pictures from Google Images
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Tags: Black and White Damask, Dallas Wedding Planner, Damask Wedding, Flower Print Wedding Shoes, Green Paisley Wedding, Outdoor Ceremony, Paisley Weddings, Pattern Bridemaids Dress, Polka Dot Wedding, Rachel Events, Yellow Pattern Wedding
Rachel Events & Friends Contest
Stories already being submitted to Rachel Events!!! I am extending the contest to March 1st to include everyone that gets engaged for Valentines Day!!
I am really excited to offer a Wedding Package from Rachel Events. Here is how you win! Email Rachel your engagement story! (Rachel@RachelEvents.com) We want to hear how you got engaged during the Holidays of 2009 or Valentines Day!! If you are selected as the favorite story of Rachel Events you will win the following package;
50% off the Wedding Planning services of your choice from Rachel Events
25% off your flowers and decorations from Dr. Delphinium
15% off quantity of 100 or more Invitations, Save the Dates, Thank You, etc. from Carta Creations
$150 off DJ Ray, Your total DJ price $500 from CR Entertainment DFW
15% off your Bride and Grooms Cakes from Romano’s Bakery
20% off your Limo or Classic Car of your choice from Romantic Remembrances *Based on availability
Wedding Coverage with 8×10 Album for $1800 from John Christopher Photography *Based on availability
15% off a wedding dress off the rack from Circle Park Bridal
Don’t wait… write down your story of how you met and how he proposed and email it to Rachel@RachelEvents.com!! This package is not valid for current clients of Rachel Events. All stories must be submitted by February 15th, 2010. Tell everyone you know who got engaged to submit their stories!!
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Flower What?!?
Hello to all… well I am in a somber mood this morning… my husbands grandfather passed away last night peacefully. So my love and prayers go out to my family and we thank the Lord that Bob is with our Heavenly Father.
Since, I am off to help with things, I am just going to share a cool little insight. If you are on a budget and want cool and unique centerpieces for your wedding, check this out! Robyn of Petal to the Metal has handmade flowers that I think would make an afternoon spring or summer wedding just adorable! If you have the time or desire to make them yourself you can. Her pattern walks you through how to make the flowers and how to attach them to the stem!! This is my Rachel-Style-Fav of the day and I think it would be super cute as a bridesmaid bouquets too…. check out her Etsy store… Petal to the Metal! Thanks Robyn for being fabulous!!
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Tags: Cheap Wedding Centerpieces, Creative Wedding Designer, DIY Bride, DIY Flowers, DIY Wedding Centerpieces, Do It Yourself Bride, Eco Friendly Centerpieces, Eco Friendly Flowers, Eco Friendly Weddings, Inexpensive Wedding Centerpieces, Low Cost Centerpieces, Pattern for Flowers, Petal to the Metal, Wedding Centerpieces
Gorgeous bride Chelsea and her cute mother Susan were clients I loved working with!! Susan and I did a lot of the decision making so that Chelsea wouldn’t get too stressed out! I did not get to meet Fly (The Groom) until the wedding day, but they are so cute together!
Despite the facts that we were all wondering if the venue would even be in business by the time their wedding came, it turned out great. Chelsea’s grandmother hand pressed all of the black overlays, I personally made the framed reserved table signs, the caterer personally decorated the cake table and made an extra alcohol run, while Crystal (Wedding Planner for Rachel Events) ran around trying to make sure all the last minute details were in order and that the photobooth company fixed their flat tire in time to make it to the reception!! Yup, we were all glad when it turned out ok and the guests had a fabulous time. Here are some pictures from the big day!!
Pictures by Sweet Memories Photography
Filed under: Weddings | Leave a Comment
Tags: Apple Green Wedding, Apple Green Wedding Shoes, Candle Light Reception, Dallas Wedding Planner, North Texas Auto Museum, Rachel Events, Richardson Wedding
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