Breakfast at Tiffany’s Theme

Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a popular theme for weddings and showers and other parties. It’s elegant and classic and fun (can be whimsical if you want it to be) and lends to lots and lots of options and interpretations. For a wedding, it takes care of “something blue” (Tiffany box blue). Here are some ideas for incorporating a Breakfast at Tiffany’s theme or motif into your wedding, shower, or other celebration.

Colors: Aqua (Tiffany box) blue, white, black, silver (platinum) (you might also add another accent color like pale pink or lavender)

Design elements: boxes/squares; white satin ribbons; diamonds (engagement rings); New York (NY skyline); tiaras; little black cocktail dresses (such as for bridesmaids); big white satin bow on bride’s dress; up-do’s

Signature appetizer: little tea sandwiches, cut into squares (some with white bread, some with bread dyed aqua blue – you can find bakeries who will dye bread various colors)

Signature cocktail: Aqua blue martini’s (with vodka, maybe blueberry vodka, Blue Curacao, and lemonade or lemon lime soda; maybe, served in square martini glasses); or blue champagne (just add a small about of Blue Curacao to a champagne glass and fill the rest with champagne)

Favors: small aqua blue favor boxes filled with aqua blue jelly beans for the men and diamond ring key chains for the women; or (pictured) blue diamond paper weights in white organza bags

Flowers: white flowers, such as hydrangeas, peonies, or roses, accented with aqua ribbons

Centerpieces: Aqua square vases (or even actual Tiffany boxes) with abundant white flowers and a big white satin bow stuck in center, and white ribbon cascading down the sides (maybe Tiffany boxes made of aqua blue carnations)

Wedding Cake: you can have a cake made to look like Tiffany Box with white ribbon cascading down

In addition to a wedding cake, or if your event is a shower or other celebration, you might consider these adorable little Tiffany box petit fors
http://www.dragonflycakes.com/proddetail.php?prod=Bite-sized_Tiffany

Breakfast at Tiffany’s Invitation Ideas: You can make your own (like the one pictured above) or order some, such as the following:
http://morethanfavors.blogspot.com/2011/01/breakfast-at-tiffanys.html
http://www.hostessblog.com/2010/08/breakfast-at-tiffanys-bridal-shower/
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf908300.tip.html
http://www.windycitynovelties.com/210960p/martini-glass.html
http://www.smartyhadaparty.com/Item6514-8_oz_SQUARE_Martini_Glasses.aspx

Flowers and Their Meanings

Different types of flowers mean different things. Here is a list of flowers and their possible meanings. You may use this as a guide in helping you decide which flowers to include (and maybe some not to include) in your wedding or other event. Or, just enjoy a little bit of interesting trivia.

Amaryllis – splendid beauty
Bluebells – constancy; humility
Bridal roses – happy love
Buttercup – riches
Camellia – gratitude; admiration; perfection; good luck
Carnation – fascination and love; pink – “I’ll never forget you; red – my heart aches for you; yellow – you have disappointed me
Chrysanthemum – friendship; cheerfulness; red – I love you; white – truth
Cyclamen – modesty and shyness
Daffodil – regard
Daisy – innocence; loyalty; purity; sharing of feelings; white – innocence
Fern – fascination and sincerity
Forget-me-not – true love and remembrance
Forsythia – anticipation
Gardenia – secret love; joy in a relationship
Holly – good luck
Honeysuckle – loveliness; generous and devoted affection
Hyacinth – blue – constancy; purple – I’m sorry; yellow – jealousy
Hydrangea – boastfulness; thank you for understanding
Iris – warmth of affection
Ivy – eternal fidelity; wedded love; everlasting life; friendship; affection; never ending love
Jasmine – amiability; yellow – grace and elegance
Lemon blossom – fidelity in love
Lilac – white – youthful innocence; a first sign of love in a relationship
Lily – majesty; chastity; innocence; purity; virtue; orange – hatred; white – purity and modesty
Lily-of-the-valley – return of happiness
Lime – joy in a relationship
Magnolia – nobility; dignity
Myrtle – love; Hebrew emblem of marriage
Nasturtium – patriotism
Orange blossom – purity and virginity; innocence; eternal love; marriage and fruitfulness; a world famous wedding flower; popular in Italian weddings; happiness and fulfillment; lucky when worm by the bride or used in decorations; loveliness
Orchid – love; beauty; refinement
Peach blossom – captive
Peony – happy marriage; a charm against the powers of darkness
Petunia – resentment; anger
Primrose – I can’t live without you
Rose – symbolizes the brevity of earthly existence; favored flower for weddings; love; red – love, desire; yellow – friendship, joy, gladness; coral – desire; peach – modesty; dark pink – thankfulness; deep pink – grace; light pink – admiration, sympathy; pale pink – grace; orange – fascination, enthusiasm, desire; white – innocence, reverence, humility, worthiness; red and white together – unity, warmth of heart.
Stephanotis – happiness in marriage
Sunflowers – adoration
Sweet pea – delicate pleasures; blissful pleasure
Tulip – love; perfect lover; red – declaration of love; yellow – “there’s sunshine in your smile”
Violet – faithfulness; modesty; blue – faithfulness; white – “let’s take a chance on happiness”
Zinnia – scarlet – constancy; white – goodness; yellow – daily remembrance

Three Floral Arrangements

Above: Exotic Floral Arrangement

Above: Mixed Garden Floral Arrangement

Above: Pink Garden Rose in Floating in Water in Crystal Bowl

Outdoor Brunch Decor: Black, White, Hot Pink, Lime Green

Wedding Planning Basics: Where, When, How Many, How Much

Before you begin the wedding planning process, you need to decide on a few key things: where (in general where do you want to have your wedding), when (wedding date or approximate day/season/time of your wedding), how many (a general idea of how large or small you want your wedding, approximate number of guests) and how much (what’s your wedding budget). These elements are interdependent of each other.

Next, you’ll need to determine what elements are most important to you, what are somewhat important, and what you can really do without. For example, you might insist on having a sit-down, five-course dinner or you might rather have a buffet with a sampling of little plates. You might really want to hire a particular band, or you might want a DJ to play a wide variety of music. A wine enthusiast couple might choose to incorporate certain fine wines into their event. Some people may place a higher importance on some wedding elements than others, whether it be any of the following: food, open bar, entertainment, flowers, photography, and so on. Make a list and prioritize.

All the while, you will want to start thinking about your wedding motif/theme/overall design scheme, as this will also play into and interact with some of the aforementioned elements (like location, wedding date, important elements, etc.). This theme/motif/design scheme can be infused into many of the other wedding planning decisions, giving you a road map, starting point, or some direction in which to head.

Where: Wedding Location
Where you hold your wedding will set the tone for everything else. Your wedding date, budget and wedding motif may play an important role in your wedding venue, or vice versa. You might have always wanted to hold your wedding at a certain spot, and therefore, the location might determine your wedding date (depending on its availability), motif (the location might have a distinct design scheme on which you can build or be inspired), and budget.

Types of wedding locations: hotel, banquet/ballroom, beach, church, abroad, casino, restaurant, home, garden, arboretum, church, boat/ship, dock, office building, winery, castle, historic site, zoo, barn, ranch, forest, chapel, theater, greenhouse, cliff, bridge, chateau, brewery, museum, villa, courtyard, opera house, vineyard, cathedral, warehouse, park, monastery, gallery, cottage, library, hot air balloon, landmark, field, desert, movie set, amusement park, lighthouse, anywhere you can think of

When: Wedding Date
When to hold your wedding is a big decision. Not only does time of year affect your location choice (and vice versa), but it also sets the flavor for many other things, including flowers (what’s in season), décor (winter wonderland or summer sunshine), wedding attire, etc. An outdoor wedding works better in late spring or early summer than in winter. Bridesmaids wearing black velvet on a hot summer day won’t work; but on a cold December evening it looks lovely. It’s also important to think about the time of day you would like your wedding to be. If you’re not a morning person, then an early morning wedding might not suit you. Do you want to be married at sunset? What time do you see your wedding ending? Will you be taking pictures before the wedding? These questions and more will help you decide on a wedding time.

Before choosing your wedding venue, you might already have a general idea of when you’d like your wedding to take place. However, you may pinpoint the exact date once you choose your wedding location. Your wedding site might also help you pinpoint a specific wedding time as well.

How Many: Approximate Wedding Size
Another important wedding decision is how many guests you’d like to have at your wedding. Eight? 50? 200? It’s beneficial to decide early on the size of the guest list. Your wedding location might have a limit as to how many guests it can accommodate. Let me tell you, sometimes determining your wedding guest list can be a difficult process. You and your fiancé and both families may have plenty to say on this. Keep in mind what’s important to both of you as well as your budget.

How Much: Wedding Budget
I won’t go too much into this except to say that it’s very individualized and very important. Too many people go into debt because they wanted to have a huge, over-the-top platinum wedding that they really couldn’t afford. That’s not really how you want to start your married life. Establish a realistic budget (how much, a reasonable, doable range, who is paying for what and how) and stick with it. You can have a beautiful wedding on a variety of budgets.

More wedding planning basics, coming soon.

For more info on planning weddings with themes and motifs see:
http://amorebelladesigns.blogspot.com/2011/01/motifs-and-themes-for-weddings-and.html
http://amorebelladesigns.blogspot.com/2011/01/planning-your-wedding-around-theme-of.html

Get "Buggy": Insect Favors for a Garden Themed Event

Baby Shower Idea: Memory Table for Mom-To-Be

If the mom-to-be has a parent who saved lots of stuff from her childhood (like I do), you might create a nostalgic display table that includes many of these items. A memory table can be topped with framed pictures of when she was a baby or young child, some of her baby clothes, favorite toys, newspaper clipping from her birthday and much more.

Venetian Wedding/Event Theme Part Two

In order to set the stage for your Venetian wedding or event, you might consider renting props, such as life-sized gondolas, that make your venue truly resemble Venice. Here are some resources for Venetian gondola and props:
http://www.propsunlimited.com/catalog.asp?search2=venice&show=search&searchtype=phrase
http://www.gondolacompany.com/special.html

Drape tables and other areas with luxurious fabrics, such as this one that features cloud-like swirls on a sky blue backdrop:
http://www.italyfabric.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage-ask.tpl&category_id=8&product_id=1009&Itemid=9

Top tables with colorful Venetian glass vases:
http://www.venetianglassart.com/

Decorate surroundings with festive Venetian Carnival Masks:
http://www.romegiftshop.com/mask3.html

Make your cake very Venetian:
http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1022623&cid=TPV-Googlebase
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1818965
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1528347
http://www.glasscaketops.com/ships/gondola2.htm
http://www.sculpturedglass.com/gallery/wctgondola.htm

Here are some ideas for a Venetian menu:
Appetizers: seafood platter, shrimp cocktail, Venetian canapés, artichokes, polenta bites;
Main course: shrimp scampi, mixed seafood (shrimp, crab, scallops, mussels) over pasta or risotto, asparagus, eggplant
Desserts: in addition to cake, serve Tiramisu

Signature cocktail: Bellini (2/3 Prosecco sparkling wine, 1/3 white peach juice and a splash of raspberry liqueur)
You can also purchase bottled Bellini:
http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1022623&cid=TPV-Googlebase

For wedding/party favors, indulge guests with these Bellini jelly beans:
http://www.cocoabon.com/prod_jb_bellini.php

Here are some other resources for Venetian touches, including charms and beads (i.e. for decorating invitations, favor boxes, arrangements, etc.):

Gondola Charms:
http://www.loveknot.us/ch_LP2728_Sterling_Silver_Gondola_Charms_loveknot.htm
http://www.fusionbeads.com/shop/product/6313/
http://www.jmckinley.com/wedding-cake-charms/sterling-silver/223-gondola-charms.htm

Venetian Beads:
http://www.venetianbeadshop.com/

All Kinds of Gondola Themed Items:
http://www.tias.com/
(type in search word: gondola)

Here is a related post on celebrating Venetian Carnival (many of these ideas can be implemented into your Venetian wedding or event):
http://tastylittlemorsels.wordpress.com/2010/02/16/venetian-carnival-food-and-drinks/

Plan a Wedding or Party with a Venetian Theme, Part One

One of my favorite themes for a wedding or other special event (from a dinner party, to an engagement party to a gala extravaganza) is one inspired by the romantic city Venice, Italy. The home of canals, gondolas, bridges, darling colorful homes and shops with shutters and planter boxes, the world-famous Carnivale, breathtaking architecture and monuments, the Bellini cocktail, tiramisu, and beautiful Venetian glass can serve as inspiration for a spectacular event.

You can use any color scheme for this theme. For a very Venetian feel, you may want to use vivid jewel tones – any combination of red, hot pink, orange, yellow, green and of course an array of blues (royal, aqua, and sea foam). Colorful flowers and vines arranged in Venetian glass vases make great centerpieces. Or, you can find gondola pottery (I’ve seen several on Ebay) as bases for your arrangements – on guest tables, banquet tables and throughout your venue.

For a really dramatic effect, you can rent actual gondolas from various companies to use as props at your event. Other design elements might include striped dock poles; water features; ornate sculptures, urns, fountains and columns; wrought iron; patterns, designs or scenery based on Piazza San Marco, St. Mark’s Basilica, or Doge’s Palace; gothic elements; angels, lions, crosses, leaves, swirls, etc.

You can find several vendors online who sell Venetian themed invitations and save-the-date notices. One that I especially love is the one pictured above called “Gondola Newlyweds” by Mari Versailles; while it seems to no longer be available, it serves for inspiration. You can also make your own invitation using design paper with a Venetian motif, some velum on which to print your wedding information, and some ribbon and a gondola or Venetian glass charm or bead.

Part two in this series will be posted soon. It will feature several more ideas for a Venetian Theme/Motif (including menu ideas, favors, and more) as well as related resources and links.

Planning Your Wedding around a Theme or Motif

More and more couples have been tailoring their weddings to their individual tastes, hobbies, personalities, and cultural backgrounds, and infusing these aspects of themselves into the celebration, from the ceremony to the reception and beyond. This makes the celebration unique, meaningful and memorable.

Many couples choose a theme (or motif) around which to center their wedding. When a wedding is planned around a theme, the details – invitations, décor, music, menu, etc. –work together to create a unified effect. It takes a lot of planning to coordinate a wedding around a theme, but this planning actually makes the wedding process easier. When you have a central theme in place, you streamline many decisions, such as types of food to serve or party favors to give. You have built-in inspiration already. This gives you a more manageable framework from which to focus on the details that really matter. You will still have many choices to make, including which aspects of the theme to include and how to incorporate it.

Your wedding can be orchestrated like a scene from a well-written movie, with all of the elements working so well it will seem to your guests that the entire process was effortless; however, at the same time, they will notice the attention to detail and appreciate the overall effect. They will be wowed. For you, the day will seem effortless because you will have all the details under control. Organizing around a central theme may seem time-consuming in the planning stages, but it will help you stay organized and focused on your goal.

Motifs can be based on anything: region or location of your event or honeymoon, where you grew up, met, or became engaged; culture; holiday; season; colors; flower; hobby; interest; profession; era; movie; music; anything that means something to you. You can get as creative as you want. Some potential themes/motifs include: art deco; something blue; mosaic; Gone With the Wind; Breakfast at Tiffany’s; New Orleans; Italy; France; Latin; Asian; Irish; Moroccan; Pink; Valentine’s Day; winter wonderland; beach; tropical; maritime; etc. The possibilities are endless.

Once you decide on a motif, you are free to infuse it into as many wedding elements as you choose, including:
Save-the-date announcement
Wedding planning website
Invitation
Location/venue
Décor
Flowers
Wedding attire
Food/drinks
Wedding cake (including cake topper)
Cocktail napkins
Wedding favors
Gifts for bridal party and out-of-town guests
Wedding book
Music/entertainment
Table cards and seating card display
And so on

Lastly, having a theme or motif makes the wedding planning process even more fun.

Posted by Lori

Motifs and Themes for Weddings and Events

What’s a motif? It’s a lot like a theme. What’s the difference between a theme and a motif? A common answer to that is that a theme is the “overall idea of something and a motif is a symbol representing that idea.” For example, a theme might be Valentine’s Day (with red, pink, hearts, romance, chocolates, champagne, etc), and a motif might be hearts (on invitations, heart-shaped chocolates as favors, heart-shaped ice cubes, heart-shaped tiers on wedding cakes and so on).

In regards to weddings and events, I think that many people think of a theme as more “big” or obvious or even whimsical and a motif as more simple, subtle, understated. I tend to use both words interchangeably. You can use a theme or a motif as big and bold or as subtle and understated as you want to.

The main point is that a theme or motif is a terrific addition to any event, from a wedding to a shower, gala or dinner party. Themes and motifs add personalization and cohesiveness to any event. They serve as a great way to tie all of the components together, to unify them.

On this site, you will find ideas, inspiration and resources for planning the events of your dreams with motifs and themes.