More than a Splash of Color

This summer, bright and eye catching colors are all the rage at trendy weddings. A popular place to add bright colors: the bridesmaid’s dresses! Available in any color you can dream of, bridesmaid’s dresses are yet another opportunity to express a girl’s personality, but this year there is a new question: Whose personality is the dress going to show? The personality of the bride or the bridesmaid who is wearing it?
The bride selecting a specific color and allowing each bridesmaid to pick out their own dress is one of the latest trends. This option benefits the bridesmaids in numerous ways. Giving each girl the chance to pick out her own dress lets her find a dress that flatters her body type, that she will feel comfortable wearing, and may even wear again. Some brides don’t like to relinquish this much control but other brides enjoy knowing that each bridesmaid loves her dress, feels beautiful, and looks special, unlike any of her fellow bridesmaids. What more could a bride ask for? Every bride hopes for a happy wedding party!
Houston has a wide variety of options bridesmaid’s dresses. Some designers such as Alfred Angelo, who you can check out at alfredangelo.com, offer their dresses in every color available. In the case of Alfred Angelo, they offer 55 shades this summer. They make it very simple for a bride to select her color and offer numerous dress styles. Other makers such as Amsale Bridesmaid, viewable at amsale.com, offer dresses in different colors that are a similar style but not the same cut. Putting together a color palette and having bridesmaids wear different colors is also a new popular trend which allows the bride to pull more colors into the wardrobe at her ceremony. All of these are great options and with trendy wedding planners, such as the girls at Green Lily Events, you will be sure to find the best combination of colors and dresses for your ideal wedding.

By: Stephanie Vines
Wedding Coordinator
Green Lily Events

In With the Heat, Out with the Traditional Headpieces

As summer quickly approaches and the heat starts to overwhelm Houstonians, the last thing brides want to do is add heavy accessories to their outfits. A new trendy way to avoid overheating is an alternative to the traditional veil. Eye-catching headpieces let brides escape the conventional veil that Grandma wore but still bring attention to their luscious locks. Embellished headpieces are the latest thing to hit the bridal runway; just ask Sarah Jessica Parker who rocked beautiful turquoise feathers when her Sex and the City character Carrie Bradshaw dressed for her stunning New York City dream wedding. She boldly added the feathers onto an existing veil as a dramatic yet chic adornment which is also a breathtaking option.
Two great examples of unique options are French netting and ornate headbands which can be seen here by Pricilla of Boston. Many dress makers are providing brides with alternative headpiece options as another opportunity to express a bride’s personal style and creativity. Adding an embellished headpiece is all the rage this summer and can make a powerful impact on a bride’s overall statement. Be sure to consider the latest contemporary headpiece fashion while selecting your fabulous accessories!

By: Stephanie Vines
Wedding Coordinator

Green Lily Events

Top It All Off

One of my favorite things about a wedding is the star of the reception- the cake. It is front and center and captures everyone’s attention. It even gets its own tradition, the cutting of the cake. One may wonder what the purpose of cake cutting is. It all started in the old days where guests would stack buns for the couple. Throughout time, the stacked and tier shape cake became a standard. A wedding cake is a wish of happiness, good fortune, fertility, and a sweet life for the new couple. The cake cutting ceremony is a representation of the new life the couple will share. One of the main draws of the cake is the topper. It sits above the rest of the cake and can draw attention from across the room. Cakes started out by being topped with the traditional bride and groom figurines. As the times have changed, so have the toppers.

One option is to use flowers, usually similar to the ones used in the bridal bouquet or that match the other flowers used in the décor. Sugar flowers are becoming more and more popular. They look exactly like the real thing, expect they don’t wilt or require extra attention from the florist. Monograms of the couples’ new last name or a combination are also making their way into the spotlight. Vintage-inspired weddings are a new alternative for those who are looking for a unique wedding. This can also be the something old for your wedding if you use a cake topper that other family members used for their weddings. As the styles of the cakes have changed, so have the traditional bride and groom figurines. Now, they have become totally customizable. You may want the couple lying on the beach for the beach inspired wedding, or you may be the person who is never seen without a cell phone. Either way there is a way to make it all happen for the bride and groom that will top your cake.

Whether the traditional wedding is the look you are going for or you want a modern wedding with a twist, there is a way to incorporate it all with your cake topper. The new trend is all about taking the old and making it your own. Whether you decide to use the traditional bride and groom figurines or choose a monogram, remember to make it all about you.

By: Jenna Howe

Wedding Coordinator

Green Lily Events

Can you please do me a favor?

How many times have you been to a wedding and received a bag of Jordan almonds or the wedding-themed item that you won’t really use? The wedding favor never seems to be a top priority, but these days brides are looking for ways to personalize their wedding even more and they are changing the “norm” for favors. It is becoming more and more popular to make donations in honor of the guests or for a loved one. It is important to choose the charity so that it reflects your beliefs and ideals. Choosing a charity can be difficult, but most choose something that perhaps has impacted their lives like cancer or diabetes. For example, its has become such a thing now that charities such as the American Diabetes Association have made cards to explain to guests how it works. Once the charity has been decided, how do you tell your guests? This can be done by cards that are placed on the table or perhaps by buying the “Livestrong” wristbands for your guests. Most other charities will supply you with cards to give to your guests. Remember that even though the favor is for the guest it doesn’t mean that you can’t still make it representative of who you are and what you believe in.

By: Jenna Howe

Wedding Coordinator

Green Lily Events

'Tis the Season

With wedding season here in full swing, you might find yourself at a wedding almost every weekend! June has been an extremely busy month for the Green Lily Girls which led me to question why June is the most popular month for weddings. I looked to Mindy Weiss, wedding planning queen and author of The Wedding Book. This is where I found that June has been the most popular month for weddings for over a thousand years! Ancient Roman tradition said that the goddess Juno, hence the name June, was said to protect those married during her watch. There are also several other benefits to the month of June including warm weather (before it gets too warm here in Houston) and the wide variety of flowers in bloom like the lovely pink roses with the popping green hydrangeas we used in an outdoor wedding to contrast the rich chocolate brown linens.
When selecting a date for your wedding, it is important to have as much information as possible and to consider all of the obstacles and benefits. During the most popular months for weddings, it can be difficult to find location availabilities and vendors who are not already booked. Following June, May, July, August and September are the next most popular months with October not far behind. February, March, November, and December follow in the next bracket leaving January as the slowest month of the year for weddings. You could get a huge bang for your buck if you strategically choose a month which is not as competitive for wedding dates. You could even find a location which offers a discount or perhaps a unique flower in bloom that would beautifully match your décor, such as the exotic purple combination we did for a wedding last winter. These are all details a wedding planner can help you contemplate when planning your wedding.
There are also dates throughout the year that you might want to avoid such as April Fool’s Day, Father’s Day, The Fourth of July, Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day, Mother’s Day, September 11th, Thanksgiving weekend, and even the weekend before tax day (the dreadful April 15th!). Traveling on or around those dates could be an enormous hassle for your guests and add huge expenses for any out of town attendees. A planner can organize all of the pros and cons to help you make the best decision for you when selecting your wedding date! At Green Lily Events, we brainstorm all of the possibilities and eliminate any potential faux pas when creating the perfect day for you and a stress-free event for your guests! A great deal of thought goes into every detail, down to the very first decision of selecting your date!

By: Stephanie Vines
Wedding Coordinator
Green Lily Events

Out with the Old, In with the New

When I think about flowers for a wedding, the most common thought I have is the really full, romantic flowers arrangements that sit in the center of the table. I visited Lexis Florist, which specializes in hand folded roses, and personally meeting with Sue Habib. I found that these days the traditional floral arrangements are being replaced by more natural looking pieces. These use branches, candles, and submerged flowers to create a unique display for your event. Although, the traditional centerpieces are being replaced with more understated displays, they are just as captivating. For wedding floral arrangements, sometimes less is more and it pays to mix it up by combining the traditional with the contemporary. In the ups and downs of the economy, there is always a way to spice up your arrangements that doesn’t have to cost a fortune. For example, using arrangements that can be used for both the ceremony and the reception is a great way to save money and be eco friendly. It also helps to keep the same theme throughout your event. No matter what your dream day looks like, there is an updated look for your traditional flowers. To schedule a consultation please call Lexis Florist ahead of time at 713-774-8080 or visit them at 5785 San Felipe, Houston, TX 77057.

Jenna Howe

Events Coordinator

Green Lily Events