1. A pomander:  this floral arrangement is a globe of flowers suspended from a ribbon that hangs on your wrist.

2. A bible.  Perhaps you have one that has been passed down in your family.

3. Herbs.  Very rustic and unique.  This is an easy DIY project and is very inexpensive if you are needed to trim your budget.

4.  Candles.  Candles adds to a romantic atmosphere, and they come in all shapes, sizes and color.

5. Fans.  An elegant finish to a summer wedding look.

6. Parasols.  A beautiful look to a bride’s attire for a garden style wedding.

With Spain’s big World Cup win, I thought I’d blog about some of my favorite Spanish Wedding customs.

1. In true Spanish wedding tradition the bride will wear a traditional silk, black dress with an accompanying black lace veil held in place by combs.

A bride from the Andalusia region may wear a flamingo style dress to honor the old Spanish wedding customs of that region.

2.Brides carry orange blossom bouquets or wear wreaths or tiaras decorated with orange blossoms. This is to symbolize a life of happiness and fulfillment for the couple.

3.In Spanish wedding customs, the wedding ceremony is held in the early evening.

4.The bride and groom will give their guests small wedding favors.

The Groom will also give the men cigars at some time during the reception.

The bride will give the women who are single small pins that are worn upside down. A Spanish wedding custom says that if a woman looses the pin during the reception she is believed to be the next to get married.

5. The bride is expected to embroider a groom’s wedding shirt to wear at the wedding ceremony.

Three ideas for non-floral centerpieces are;

Using candles is very lovely and romantic.  It warms up the room, but is quite simple and elegant.

Twigs!!  I love this centerpiece.  It is so dramatic.  Using twigs , what a unique idea.  It will be quite the conversation piece among the wedding guests.

Using fruit in centerpieces is a great way to add color.  I love this idea.

1.  Ask him what type of wedding he wants to have. You may not agree with his vision, but by allowing him to discuss his thoughts will allow him to be more open about yours.

2. Talk about the Wedding Planning Tasks.  Most grooms have no idea how much time and effort goes into wedding planning.  Discuss the tasks that need to be done, and what time line you have to complete it.  Chances are he will be willing to help you out or maybe even take charge of some on his own.  When I got married, my husband wanted to find our entertainment so I let him.  I thought for sure he would hire a DJ because that was what was done at most wedding we attending.  To my surprise he hired a band.  They were fantastic – they made our reception a success!

3. Choose one day a week to discuss wedding planning or book appointments. You’re going to lose your groom’s interest if all you do when you get together is discuss the wedding.  It doesn’t have to be that way.  If you are organized, wedding planning can be very simple and straight forward.  At the end of the day, your wedding day is only one day – you have to always give attention to your relationship.

4. Discuss budget right from the start. If you have a budget set at the beginning of your wedding planning, both of you know what’s expected and when to expect it.  Both of you should agree on the budget-your groom will be more attentive if he feels he has been involved from the start.

5. Emphasize big stuff over details. Instead of a stressful, 1 hour conversation about invitations, talk to him about why the guest list is so important, reminding him about how it drives cost. Focus on the ceremony and reception venue, the date, the type of atmosphere you want-the bug stuff that sets the mood for the wedding day. If he’s an active part of those decisions, you’re half way there.