Have a Garden Theme Dream Wedding

You've found the perfect venue: old oaks, a stone wall, a gazebo, acres of fragrant jasmine and honeysuckle, and even a small, clear pond. Now it's time to take the garden wedding of your dreams a little further. Let's start with invitations.

Let's start with the invitations.

Garden Theme Invitations

The right invitation says "old world" and "hand made." Artistic? Hand-paint a flower design, scan it in to your computer and fade it into the background of your invitations. Or collect and press wildflowers and violets to include.

Accent your invitations with small brass buttons or charms. Seal the envelope with sealing wax and a seal that ties into your wedding: a seashell, a flower, a swan.

Raised lettering on your vellum overlays makes for a beautiful antique look. And no, you don't have to purchase invitations to achieve it. You can do it yourself with a printer (ideally a laser printer), embossing powder and a heat gun (or hair dryer). Learn more about this technique.

Garden Theme Decorations

Look for cozy round tables, and set a large outdoor umbrella over each one. Use several layers of linens; the bottom one a solid color (not necessarily ivory or white), and the top, a coordinating print reminiscent of chintz or calico.

Use unbleached muslin and tulle to set the stage, and avoid bridal white. Choose peach, sand and mushroom tones instead - anything that complements the sepia photographs of your forebears you'll want to set on the tables. Use tea to safely dye anything you have on hand that's just too white.

For mood lighting, you'll want pillar candles, but not the ordinary sort - the kind that's trimmed with small lampshades. Decorate the shades to suit the mood, with silk fringes and braids.

Comb thrift stores for colorful floral china (we routinely find full services there for cheap). Stack a larger, contrasting plate under a smaller. Use the most vivacious color combinations you can get away with.

Garden Theme Centerpieces

For a simple, one-minute centerpiece, gather a handful of old-fashioned spiral lollipops. Arrange loosely in mason jars.

To get a rise out of your guests, make or buy breadsticks redolent of thyme or rosemary, and display on end in a pitcher or galvanized bucket.

You'll be in good "chair" when you make these adorable centerpieces: use wrought-iron doll-sized chairs from garden stores. Lay moss or wheat grass on the seat, and twine ivy or flower garlands through the back and arms.

Great Garden Theme Eats

Concentrate on light, portable finger foods. We suggest:

Cherry, peach or lavender lemonade
Chai tea
A light, sweet wine, like Gewurstraminer

Prosciutto and melons
Deviled eggs with sundries tomatoes
Stuffed mushrooms with feta, spinach and bacon

Prosciutto/tomato panini
Curry cucumber sandwiches
Gazpacho

Strawberry cream puffs
Mini cheesecakes

Express the Inexpressible

For music at your garden wedding, almost anything goes - as long as it's live. Call your local college for some inexpensive combos. Harps and violins or flutes and guitars - it hardly matters, as long as your musicians can breathe and eat lunch.

About the Author

Blake Kritzberg is owner and proprieter of FavorIdeas.com. Stop by http://www.favorideas.com for a huge selection of wedding favors, Bridezilla's weekly adventures, and free resources for brides: save-the-date eCards, screensaver, wallpaper and web site templates.

For much more on planning your garden theme wedding, see: http://www.favorideas.com/wedding-favor-garden-theme.htm

GROOM SERVICE: The hardest part of getting married London Free Press, Canada - Aug 27, 2008 By DAN BROWN, ONLINE EDITOR Things are fine, even though the two of us still have some details to finalize. I have to call to make sure the wedding bands ...

Church puts vows at heart of new marriage prep ChristianToday, UK - 18 hours ago by Jenna Lyle The Church of England’s is undertaking a major overhaul of the marriage preparation it offers to engaged couples in a bid to better reflect ...

Now on the Hallmark aisle: Gay marriage cards The Associated Press - Aug 21, 2008 PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Most states don't recognize gay marriage — but now Hallmark does. The nation's largest greeting card company is rolling out same-sex ...

You are invited to our Vegas wedding... Independent, UK - Aug 13, 2008 When Peaches Geldof decided to spring a surprise wedding on her family, there was only one place to go. So what are the odds on her marriage lasting? ...

Bgay.com

Hallmark Offers Gay Wedding Cards Bgay.com, FL - Aug 22, 2008 The wedding industry is big business in the United States and now greeting card giant Hallmark has begun creating and selling wedding cards for same-sex ...

What Happens In Vegas DVD Review NewsBlaze, CA - Aug 22, 2008 By Prairie Miller Romantic comedies are such a well worn endeavor that there's nothing much left to the imagination to explore, unless there's plenty of wit ...

2: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a ... Catholic News Agency, CO - Aug 20, 2008 3: and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast; but they would not come. 4: Again he sent other servants, saying, ...

Lincoln and Corina Seattle Post Intelligencer - Jul 31, 2008 So I was asked to by Lincoln and Corina to reflect at their wedding about their love and find a literary passage that i felt spoke to it as well. ...

Telegraph.co.uk

Why does Bob look so miserable? Could he be mourning daughter ... This is London, UK - Aug 15, 2008 You wouldn't think his 19-year-old daughter had just got married from the glum look on Sir Bob Geldof's face. The Boomtown Rats frontman looked crestfallen ... Peaches Geldof’s ex-boyfriend confused by her sudden marriage Fametastic all 664 news articles

Jay-Z explains why he & Beyoncé won't confirm their marriage Infos Jeunes France, France - Aug 8, 2008 Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z went about their union in a pretty uncommon fashion, as far as celebrities go. While most do try to keep the affair a bit private ...