Complete your wedding theme by matching your jewelry to your winter wedding colors. With Gemvara, it is easy to create custom pieces for your perfect day. The Forget Me Knot pendant is a perfect gift for the bride and can even double as something blue when customized with London Blue Topaz. As a wedding band, Rich and Thin Eternity Band in aquamarine and blue topaz is a classic, stunning band. The Kate Earrings were inspired by the earrings that bride Kate Middleton wore for her own walk down the aisle. In aquamarine and diamonds, they dazzle.

You can even change up the typical wedding apparel, adding subtle details that not only make everyone warmer, but add originality.  Replace your heels with silver rain boots as this bride did in order to walk down a snowy aisle. Want more than just a bridesmaid dress? Add a bridesmaid fur and keep your friends comfy and warm. Wearing a navy suit instead of black and adding a simple boutonniere instead of a flower adds a wintery touch and matches the color palette beautifully.

How will you customize your winter wedding?

When the weather is warm, the great outdoors is the perfect setting for a rustic wedding. But what about when the weather is just too cold or unpredictable to be outside? Change the focus from scenery to the wedding details and your indoor wedding will be just as successful.

Set the scene with your wedding stationery designs.
From your first announcement through the time your guests sit down at reception tables, there are several ways to make it clear your wedding is rustic. Choose or create imagery that reflects your style, then personalize all of your wedding stationery with it: save the date cards, postage stamps, invitations, reply cards, wedding programs, the guest book, and escort or place cards (get some design ideas here).

Bring the nature indoors.
Fall–with its beautiful browns, oranges, reds and yellows–adds a new facets to the definition of rustic. Look for these elements to include in your centerpieces and other decorations.

• Many of mother nature’s ornaments mature when the weather cools. Brown pinecones and acorns, as well as pumpkins, make interesting decor.
• Add fall leaves for more color.  If the real things are too frail, consider tissue paper leaves on tables and/or walls.
• Use year-round greenery such as pine or other evergreen branches and moss (buy sheet moss if needed).
• Wood–in the form of branches, cut slabs, or “slices” of tree trunk–add contrast. I especially like the look of both birch bark and bare willow branches.

Be liberal with the rustic details.
You can change even the plainest of rooms into a rustic chic or country showcase by adding elements complementing your theme. Some ideas to think about:

• Fabrics can go a long way in setting the tone for your wedding. Use strips of romantic or country-theme fabrics as a backdrop for the head table or photo booth entrance. Burlap as table clothes or under the centerpieces and cake is another option (go here for choices of wedding burlap by the roll, yard, or bolt).
• Vintage American is also rustic. For example, use an aged door set a top barrels as a table, or an old suitcase for the card box.
• Favors such as plants in tiny pots, individual pies, and homemade jams are other options (mini favor jars of various shapes are readily available by the case).
• Even more ideas for transforming a room include wildflower or other rustic details on the cake; mason jar centerpieces; and chalkboards as signs (any flat surface can be transformed with chalkboard paint) .

Your options are too many to mention here! For even more inspiration, check out the following:

• Read Top 6 Rustic Wedding Trends here on the Gemvara blog.
• Look at the Rustic Wedding Ideas for Fall Pinterest board.
• Read 5 Must Haves for Your Country Wedding on my blog.

Photo Credits

Couple cutting cake: Amy Hardin, Details Weddings & Events http://www.weddingsbydetails.com
Amy and Pam strive to make every part of your wedding planning experience enjoyable and stress-free. They serve the River Valley, Northwest Arkansas, and Little Rock areas.

Burlap rose and mason jars: Amarette Arnold, Amarette Arnold Photography http://stlportraitphotography.com
In addition to being Bobette’s http://www.myonlineweddinghelp.com/about-Bobette.htm daughter, Amarette makes lasting memories one picture at a time through her photography. She serves the St. Louis, Missouri area.

Barrel dessert table: Erich McVey, Erich McVey Photography http://erichmcvey.com/
Erich provides couples with timeless images to remember their day by. He strives to document every wedding through artful photos that bring to life all of the excitement, love and care you put into making your day so special.

Invitation: Rustic Leaves and Burlap Wedding Invitation by Zazzle http://invitations.myonlineweddinghelp.com/country-western-invites.htm

Who better to curate a collection of wedding jewelry musts than a Bride-to-be herself? Our very own soon-to-be-wed Marketing expert created an elegant, on-color, and affordable collection for her big day!

Though Bethany’s favorite color, purple, will be front and center during her wedding ceremony her collection ranges from gorgeous hues of amethyst and iolite pieces for her, to citrine and black onyx gifts for her wedding party and mother-of-the-bride and groom.

Shop Bethany’s full collection here!

Natalie Ring, Duchess of Hearts Ring, Cecilia Ring

 A wedding ring doesn’t just have to be a simple diamond anymore. As our customer favorites show, engagement rings and matching bands have more flair and style than ever before.  Add a gemstone, add two gemstones, and create that perfect engagement ring for you! These customers didn’t let their engagement rings stand-alone but also added the perfect complimentary matching band.

Personalizing the Cecilia Ring with peridot and surrounded by diamonds, this customer created a classic but modern engagement ring. Feminine and delicate, the Cecilia Ring won’t be a wallflower. Add our Matching Band in peridot (or any gemstone you choose!) to compliment the ring.

Compliment your demure style with a simple, vintage ring. A classic combination rose gold and amethyst, this Duchess of Hearts Ring also boasts 28 iridescent diamonds and was made perfect for this customer. Matched with the Duchess of Hearts Band in rose gold, this customer now radiates nobility.

Demure and classic not your style? Go bold with the Natalie Ring. This customer chose a yellow gold metal and a citrine center gemstone for quite the impact. No one will miss their engagement thanks to the two rows of diamonds and white sapphires surrounding the gem and running down the band. Add the Matching Band for the ultimate sparkle combination.

Whether you design your engagement ring yourself, with a partner or are pleasantly surprised, these three creations are sure to make their future owners very happy! Slide your ring on your left hand ring finger and admire the subtle brilliance of a gemstone engagement ring.

Shop more Customer Creations at Gemvara

Colorful Jewelry. Look no further than Gemvara’s fabulous collection of patriotic jewelry. We particularly love their Shooting Star Pendant, the Star Flower Earrings and their Written in the Stars Ring.

Headbands. $14. A delicious headband with a trio of flowers made of shabby chiffon and a jeweled center for an extra sparkle. Flowers are attached to an alligator clip so that they can be removed from the headband and worn alone.  Order them in red, white, and navy blue!

Bowties, $22.  How can you resist putting one of these onto your little man? The most classic of all ties, the bow tie, will surely make for many cute photos.  (Available in other colors, patterns.)

Bold Clutch, $53. Add some color to your basics with a bright bag. We’re loving this blue Frieda clutch from NIna Bridal, also available in red and white!

Ties, $22. These preppy neckties are made as a full tie with back velcro release for safety and easy on/off for the little ones. 

A Little White Dress. You can’t go wrong with a LWD for the summer. Pair it with bold colorful accessories, and you are good to go!

Lower wedding budgets are today’s reality. Can a bride-to-be still have the wedding of her dreams? Absolutely. The secrets are prioritizing and being conscientious about what you spend. (Note, the engagement ring and wedding bands are often decisions separate from planning of the wedding because, unlike the products for the wedding itself, they will be worn and cherished for a lifetime.)

1. Prioritize wedding expenses. When dreaming of the perfect wedding, there are likely two or three elements you see vividly. What are they? The gown? Decor? Location? The people? Whatever the aspects, these are where you should put your priorities. Focus on the few elements that make the dream a dream and you will soon forget the insignificant pieces that did not happen as originally anticipated.

2. Pick and choose personalized service providers. Your top contenders for personalized services are (a) aspects of your wedding most important to you and (b) those things you do not have the time or talent to do yourself. Cut costs in areas you have the time, talent, and friends or family to help you with and those outside your top priorities . Before doing so, however, evaluate what quality you will give up by having your cousin do the videography or Uncle Walt running a boom box. Expertise and experience do matter, so scrimp here with your eyes wide open.

3. Choose a non-traditional venue. Many couples are having their receptions in unconventional spaces like empty buildings, barns, or the outdoors. This can save on rental fees.

4. Scrutinize guest count. Inviting a more intimate group of family and friends allows you to spend more per person on food, favors, and ambiance.

5. Choose lower cost food options. Serve a generally lower cost buffet, for example, or have only the entrees catered. Another idea is to ask each person in your family cook their specialty for your wedding.

6. Do it yourself (DIY). Making your own centerpieces or veil,  for example, is perfectly acceptable, as is giving handcrafted and personally meaningful gifts to the wedding party.

7. Harness the power of the Internet to keep costs down. Shop online sales, discounts, and low cost websites. Not only is the selection much larger than what you find locally, but lower priced options are more plentiful as well.

Here are some ways you can save by shopping online through MyOnlineWeddingHelp.com:  http://www.MyOnlineWeddingHelp.com

• Current specials and discounts  from our hundreds of merchant partners
• Invitations 
• Discount Veils 
• Tiaras 
• Favors 

One of the most popular do-it-yourself (DIY) projects for a wedding is the centerpieces. By making them yourself, you save money that could go elsewhere (toward a top quality Gemvara wedding band,  for example). If, however, you are on the non-crafty side (like me)  the prospect of creating them yourself can be a little scary.

You don’t have to be afraid! There are ways you can make creative and beautiful centerpieces with very little talent. In fact, I put together the seven floral centerpieces below, plus  18 or so other styles, with few problems. For more details, a photo, and a supply list for each, click on its title below. Or go to the Easy Centerpieces Homepage to see all 25 at once.

Creating these centerpieces doesn’t have to be complicated. The trick is to either (a) buy your flowers already arranged (silk flower sprays or bunches) or (b) use only one or two types of flowers with little or no fillers. That way, we non-crafty folk can have beautiful flowers by simply picking them up, sticking them into a vase, and fluffing.

1-3. Flowers in interesting vases and bottles. We put single stems into opaque bud vases, combined two types of flowers in a wine bottle, and stuck full blooms into a short, square container. You really cannot get any simpler and we think they all look wonderful. Plus, you can easily adapt this concept to include other unique containers.

4-5. Tall Centerpieces.  Tall, slender centerpieces are popular not only for their dramatic effect, but also because they allow for easier conversation across the table. For the first, we used a slender tube vase filled with crystal confetti,  along with ball-shaped (i.e. topiary) blooms. The second is white blooms bunched together in a tall, trumpet-shaped vase, with smaller blooms filling the “stem” of the vase. You can find more tall centerpiece ideas on my Tall Centerpieces pinboard.

6-7. Blooms Under Glass.  Another super-easy and popular type of centerpiece consists of blooms placed beneath upside-down glasses and topped with a tea light or votive candle. We created three different looks with margarita glasses, wine glasses, and mason jars. You could also use other glassware or cylinder vases.

Sidenote: If mason-jar rustic suits your style, you will want to read Top 6 Rustic Wedding Trends on the Gemvara blog and take a look at my Mason Jar Wedding pinboard on Pinterest.

Now that you have some simple centerpiece and decorating ideas, it is time to get started on your own!

About the Author

Bobette Kyle is owner and publisher of MyOnlineWeddingHelp.com

Where you can create your dream wedding on a do-it-yourself budget via the site’s tips, tutorials, videos, and products. The products there are from hundreds of merchants, ranging in size from well-known department stores to niche boutiques.

About the Photographer

Amarette Arnold, Amarette Arnold Photography
In addition to being Bobette’s daughter, Amarette makes lasting memories one picture at a time through her photography. She serves the St. Louis, Missouri area.

Shop for Bridesmaids gifts at Gemvara.com!

Shopping for that special something for your bridesmaids is always tough.  For one, you need to pick something that everyone will like.  At the same time, the thought of splurging on more gifts just makes you anxious. But etiquette calls, and a bridesmaid gift is a special and important way to say thank you to the ladies who will be by your side on your big day.  We thought we’d give you ideas on meaningful and stylish gifts that won’t break the bank, and more importantly, that all your ‘maids will love.

1. Shawls.  Who doesn’t love a good shawl?  Dessy has the cutest accessories, but we especially love their Pashmina Shawls for $30.  They are one size fit all and they come in every color, so that your girls can wear them down the aisle, at your reception, and over and over again.

2. Jewelry. Classic earrings, colorful bangles, and statement necklaces always make a fun gift. Pick different pieces to match the personality of your ladies, or select one classic piece for everyone.

• Gemvara has a great gift selection
• Rachel Eva Long Channel Chain Earrings $42
• White Cluster Pearl Studs $19
• Athena Bangle $34
• Swarovski and Pearl Pendant, $39

3. Cosmetics:  Because girl can never own too much makeup!  And lip products are a relatively safe option as long as you stick to glosses, sheers, and neutral colors.

• Sephora Lip Gloss set: $20 (for a $60 value) A four piece high intensity lip gloss set in tangerine inspired shades.
• Sephora Korres Lip Goddess collection. $29 (for a $44 value) A limited-edition collection of full-size lip essentials in a range of beautiful finishes (two lip butters and a lipstick).
• Essie Wedding Collection Nail Polish Set $17.00. The set includes a semi-sheer reflective pink, a freshly-minted cream green, a white rose with glistening stardust, and a creamy, dusty lilac.  Or, make a cute assortment with your “wedding” colors, and for your maid of honor,  package them with a giftcard to a spa.

4. Flip Flops or Espadrilles. Yes, you will need to do some sleuth work to find out shoe sizes, but who wouldn’t love a pair of these, especially for Spring/Summer weddings?

• Tommy Hilfiger Bow flip flops $35
• J Crew Soludos Espardilles $36
• Sallazzo Flats $25

5. Clutch bags. Who doesn’t love a new purse? For an extra touch, surprise your bridesmaids with a little lip gloss or nail polish inside the bag.

• La Regale Satin Evening Cluch, $24.99
• Gold Poco Wristlet, $99
• Sondra Roberts Rose Satin Clutch Bag in Black. $98

6. Hairpins. How about giving them a pair of delicate hair pins they can wear on the wedding day or for any special occasion? They are unique, feminine and, most importantly, affordable.

• Rhinestone Hairpins. $54 for set of 2
• Flower Hairpins. $33 for set of 3

7. Jeweled Straps.  We love the idea of going glam and these jeweled straps are definitely a unique gift and a beautiful accessory to add some sparkle to a strapless gown.

• Lulu of NY jeweled straps. $49-$59.

8. Robes.  Your girls will be eternally grateful when they receive a comfy, stylish robe for them to wear for the pre wedding day festivities, and any time afterwards!

• Doie Organic Bamboo Robes, $136
• Kimono crossover spa wraps, six for $210.

9. Fun and Flirty Aprons. They’re different, unique and oh so feminine.

• Jessie Steele aprons, $33

10.Get Personal. If you’re the sentimental type and someone who loves giving that extra personal touch, consider personalizing an item for your ladies – from a dish to a tote to a fancy wine glass, your options are endless!

• An Initial Pendant from Gemvara
• Keepsake Dish. $10
• Canvas Initial Tote. $19.99
• Personalized Wine Glasses. $19.95

Top 11 Ways To Have a Patriotic Wedding Any Time of the Year

July fourth is independence Day here in the USA, so naturally our thoughts this month turn to patriotism. While we tend to think of it in terms of fireworks and red, white, and blue everything, the definition is actually much wider. The term encompasses support of and pride in the very fabric of what makes the country unique: its history, achievements, diverse culture, favorite pastimes and, most importantly, those who protect our freedom and safety as we go about our everyday lives. In that spirit, here are eleven ideas for your patriotic wedding or event:

1. Support our troops by foregoing a cake, favors, or other aspect of the wedding and giving to one of the top rated charities. My pinboard here lists all those rated four stars by Charity Navigator.

2. Donate to a charity that supports veterans, firefighters, or police officers and use “charity place cards”  made specifically for the purpose. The pinboard referenced above contains the best run charities.

3. Celebrate America’s rustic roots by using items that represent how our ancestors lived. See the top six ideas in my last blog article, here.  You may also find the mason jar decorations brainstorming section on my website here.

4. Buy only American-made products for the wedding. It can be tough to find 100% American components, but buying US made is the next best thing. Gemvara’s jewelry, for example, is all made in the US.  For hand crafted items, Etsy is a good place to look. While items on the site are sold from all around the world, you can look on each seller’s profile to find out where she lives.

5. Get married at an historical location.  Here in St. Louis, Missouri, for example, you can get married and have your reception at The Old Courthouse, built in 1828.

6. Get married at a baseball park. It has been said baseball is America’s favorite pastime. Families have shared good times around the game since its inception in the 18th century, so why not celebrate this relationship with your favorite team? Our St. Louis Cardinals, for example, offer several ceremony and reception  packages.

7. Serve traditional American fare. Food is another aspect of our country’s history we look upon fondly. And nothing captures traditional American culture more than the iconic apple pie and hot dogs. Of course, your traditions may vary, so another approach is to preserve your unique American heritage by serving great-grandma’s and other family specialties from both families.

8. Serve red, white, and blue food and drink. There are many ways to bring the red, white, and blue theme into food choices. One way is to include blueberries, bananas, strawberries, whipped cream, watermelon, salsa, white cheese, or some of the numerous other patriotic-colored foods. You can also add colorful decorations (like sprinkles) or wrap food in patriotic packaging (like red striped popcorn bags or red, white, and blue hotdog wrappers).

9. Make your wedding colors red, white, blue. Chose full-on stars and stripes, a subtle integration of the color scheme, or something in between. And matching Brides and Groom’s Band in red, white and blue gemstones!

10. Display flags and other patriotic decorations. Some ideas: actual flags, garland, star shaped confetti, or any of a number of similar decorations. Also, red, white, and blue gumballs in bulk are great to layer inside clear vases for centerpieces.

11. Set off Fireworks. Sparklers are especially popular and available anytime of year. Guests celebrate as you arrive at the reception (or whenever you think the time is right).

I hope these thoughts have given you new ideas for your own wedding. For even more inspiration, take a look at my Patriotic Wedding Pinterest board here.

Create your dream wedding  jewelry on Gemvara.com!

About Bobette Kyle

Bobette is owner and publisher of MyOnlineWeddingHelp.com, where you can create your dream wedding on a do-it-yourself budget via the site’s tips, tutorials, videos, and products.

Products are from hundreds of merchants, ranging in size from well-known department stores to niche boutiques. You can find items in their inventory through a unique product search engine that eliminates your need to look at each website individually. It looks in all stores’ stock and compiles a list of results for you. You can also take a look at current sales and other offers, many not published on the merchants’ own sites here.

About the Photographers

Brandilyn Davidson, Brandilyn Davidson Photography
Wedding under the tent and red tie groom
Brandilyn serves the Tri-Cities, Johnson City Tennessee area.

Natasha and Craig Blick, Pie&
3 Tier wedding pie
The Blicks own the Pie& specialty pie shop in Keighley, West Yorkshire, England.

Jon and Ashley Bruschi, Fixed Focal Photography
Sparkler wedding
The Bruschis live in the Woodstock, Georgia area, but will travel to further locations.