Dave Dugdale / Money Photos / CC BY-SA

Have you ever considered if you need to tip any of the services helping you with your big day? Caterers? Florists? Reception Center? Hair Stylist? Most of us don’t know the ropes on tipping, so our good friends at Bride Access conducted a survey with wedding professionals to give you the insider on where tips are appreciated in the wonderful world of wedding planning. We had the privilege of being part of this survey, so check it out. There is a lot of great information to consider. Obviously these are just guidelines, but it is great to be aware of them.

Bride Access Blog on Tips

Click HERE to listen to the FM 100 radio spot with Catering Director Dianne Theurer.

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Tablescapes have become very popular. Using a theme for your table decor helps you create more than just a fun look, it creates an entire experience for your guests. Tablescapes are a creative and unique way to express your personality and capture the ambiance of your event. Check out some of the tablescapes we created at a recent event held on the 9th floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in the Sharon/Manchester Room.

Items used to create a beach theme on your tables

Burlap, Fish Netting, Seashells, A Sign Displaying Your Theme,  Brick Structure to Hold Chafer Full of Delicious Lobster Macaroni!

Small wooden beams tied with rope, pastel flowers, rustic white tree bark surrounding some flower vases, wooden or iron lanterns and any other items such as a decorative round lifesaver is perfect for this look.

Blue vases or dying the water in the vases blue brings the ocean to the table.

Burlap, Burlap, and more Burlap. Trendy and perfect for your beach theme. Also, using branch or coral looking items, lanterns, candles and sand help complete the look.

Items used for a Country Look at your tables

A lot of veggies, wooden barrels, mason jars and sunflowers. It’s amazing how one table, decorated correctly, can make you feel like you’re in a completely different place.

Items used for a Green outdoor look for your tables

Burlap works great for this Tablescape as well. Also, succulent plants, green vases and lanterns with candles. This very green Tablescape creates a succulent forest feel with a mystical, yet homey ambiance.

Several different plants and grasses create a dynamic green look with multiple textures that are very appealing to the eye. Cream colored flowers add another soft element that compliments the overall green theme.

Split-peas are a fun item to use under candles to continue the green outdoor feel.

Definitely use wood! Here we tied two sticks around these vases which not only unifies the whole centerpiece, but it adds a nice contrast against the smooth glass vases.

For more centerpiece ideas, visit us on Pinterest!

All decor and food was created by the Joseph Smith Memorial Building Catering and Flowers Squared

From the fabulous Colin Cowie Weddings, comes a wonderful article about making an elegant wedding on any budget. The below 5 tips are what Colin Cowie suggests:

Make a list of everything you want at your wedding. Then, figure out what’s most important to you and toss out the rest.

It may be tough to whittle down the list, but do you really need to invite your childhood babysitter?

If you have artistic talent (or an artistic friend), design and print them yourself.

Experiment with combining an unexpected computer font with distinctive textured or colored paper you’ve found in a stationery store or art supply shop.

You could even think beyond the traditional invitation and experiment with vintage post cards or mimic a fine art piece (à la American Gothic).

A great alternative could be waiting at your favorite department store or vintage clothing shop.

To create a more personal look that will truly feel like you, add special touches like a chiffon or velvet wrap, a veil, jewelry or gloves.

They tend to be pricey and play old standards your guests will have heard at 20 other weddings.

Consider a smaller, more unusual group based on your musical tastes (like a swing band or R&B group). You could also ask a music-loving friend to act as your DJ instead of giving a traditional present, or make your own playlists using all your favorite songs.

There has been a huge fall wedding trend. Something about this colorful season and the crispness in the air makes this a truly captivating, fun time for a wedding.

Centerpieces

One thing to realize is that fall wedding trends and designs are very different from traditional summer weddings. Take centerpieces for example. In the summer, the classic glass vase may be the perfect container for your centerpiece. However, that isn’t necessarily the case during the fall. Unique containers such as copper pots, silver trophy cups, urns, pots and wooded containers are popular.

If you do decide to use a glass vase, enhance the fall feeling by adding a touch of the field to it: wheat berries, millet, or even corn for the base.

Bouquets

Fall bouquets are also a little different than the summer and springtime picks. Many brides decide to stick with the fall color scheme containing orange, plum, brick, and red. These bouquets can be more structured than the loosely tied English garden medley often chosen for summer bouquets. Rather than leaving the stems exposed, wrapping them with fabric, sashes, or ribbons is a popular choice. The same goes for the groomsmen boutonnieres.

Some fun fall wedding favors

*Images and information gathered from several sources: TheKnot.com, Weddingcolorsandthemes.com, favorfavor.com, bing.com, myweddingfavors.com

Ninety five percent of wedding bouquets are hand-tied; the flowers are gathered together and the stems are wrapped in satin ribbon.

Brides wanting more glamorous bouquets choose beads, brooches, and pearls to dress up plain ribbon-wrapped stems.

The rose continues to be the most popular and elegant bouquet flower.  Lilies, peonies, hydrangeas, tulips and orchids represent a trendier choice.

Visit Flowers Squared to learn more about the amazing floral service at Temple Square!

There are no clear trends for hair styles, although wearing the hair in long romantic waves or loosely pulled back are popular choices.

*Some images are from The Knot and may be altered to meet Temple Square Hospitality’s specifications*

Shorter trains and veils are popular as are pretty boleros and shawls, for cold weather wraps of faux-fur, velvet and heavy satin.  Pearls, rhinestones and crystals remain at the top jewelry choice.  Crystal brooches are also a popular accent on the dress, in the hair or on the bouquet handle.

All images are from LatterDay Bride

“There is something so wonderful about a wedding.  There is all the pomp and circumstance, the formality and the flowers, and of course, the wedding dress with the lace and long train, the beaded veil, and standing before friends and family to declare love and devotion to one another.

Getty Images

Recently, the world stood breathless as they watched a prince take a commoner to be not only his wife, but the future Queen of England.  The couple stood before billions of people with stars in their eyes as they took their wedding vows to love, honor and keep until death do they part.

Yesterday I buried my beloved mother just 17 months after burying my wonderful father.  This incredible couple had been married for 67 years before my father passed away.  They were  devoted and fiercely loyal to one another.  Marriage was not just a life- long promise, but an eternal commitment, never to be tarnished in this life or the next.  They stayed together through the financial struggles, loss of a child, sickness and disappointments, but their love remained steadfast and immovable.

Much of the world watched the finery , the ritual and the formality on a royal scale, but there is something about a wedding that speaks to our inner sense; a wedding is an act of faith.

We are all aware that we live in a world of decline and erosion.  We live in a world of hopeless tomorrows and diminished expectations.  34% of Americans are pessimistic about the nation’s future, the highest percentage in the last 30 years.  Marriage itself has become a rarity.

Marriage today has become a bet; a bet on always and forever.  To stay married takes more than just love and attraction, it takes hard work and will to make it through the everyday challenges of life.  Marriage itself is decaying.  30 Years ago, 70% of Americans were married.  Today it is only about 54%.

“We marry less, we marry later, we make marriage a reality show, we see our cynicism validated by Hollywood marriages that pop like soap bubbles.”  The Chicago Times

So we look at Prince William, who saw the fairytale marriage of his parents end in horror, take that step of faith.  One could hardly blame him if he decided to bag the entire idea of marriage.

But instead, he stood and promised himself to someone else, just like my parents did 67 years ago.  As we watched we felt hope and optimism for their future.  Sixty seven years from now, may it be said that they accomplished something that has eluded so many people, that many people don’t believe any more, something that my parents learned and enjoyed for 67 years; that they lived and loved as husband and wife and lived happily ever after.

This is the legacy that my parents left and may they rest in peace and love throughout all eternity.”

-Dianne Theurer

You have to have the perfect cake that reveals your and your spouses personality. Here are some great trends in the cake world right now that may spark some ideas.

Cakes decorated with handmade icing flowers, shells and delicate dots and scrollwork remain popular. Buttercream or smooth fondant frostings are most common with popular cake flavors including lemon, chocolate, carrot, spice and white.

Flowers, sculptures and large monogrammed letters are replacing the traditional bride and groom cake top.

Romantic, flowing dresses in floor length styles remain popular.  Brides today are choosing dresses with flowing soft fabrics, ruffles, satin sashes and floral detail.  Gowns with crystal or pearl embellished bodices are very popular.

The modified A-line skirt also remains popular (slim through the waist and flared at the bottom).

All pictures are from LatterDayBride.