Here, the dusty blue accents the beautiful white cake, and you can see pops of turquoise as well.

The color has a light, airy feeling that really works well for every season. Here, you can see how beautiful it looks with gray, pale lavender and other shades of blue. We love how the dusty blue bridesmaid dress in the center is paired with dresses of other shades.

Here, the long, flowing bridesmaids dresses are a gorgeous shade of cadet blue. We absolutely love the different shades of cadet blue in the Mason jar centerpieces. This particular wedding pairs the cadet blue with a lighter blue and gray.

We also love cadet blue paired with bright yellow and navy. It has a very nautical feel, and looks bright and fresh.

Overall, if you’re still looking for the perfect wedding color, you may want to consider this gorgeous shade of blue! It pairs well with all other colors and is perfect for traditional and non-traditional weddings.

The post Color Palette: Cadet Blue appeared first on Elegant Wedding.

1. Coconut Oil for Shiny, Beautiful Hair

Use pure coconut oil as a hot oil treatment for hair. It helps repair damage and make your hair silky and smooth.

Simply heat 1/2 cup coconut oil in the microwave for 30 seconds and apply all over the hair. Allow it to sit for 15 minutes and then wash your hair normally. Do this once a week for 3 weeks prior to the wedding.

2. Coconut Oil for Moisturized, Glowing Facial Skin

Using coconut oil for facial moisturizer is a fantastic idea. It provides moisture without feeling greasy and doesn’t block pores.

After your normal face cleansing, apply a thin coat of coconut oil and allow the skin to absorb it. Do this every night before bed for 1 week before the wedding.

3. Coconut Oil for Smooth, Beautiful Legs

Use coconut oil rather than shave cream for shaving your legs.

Not only does it work wonderfully and prevent razor burn, but it moisturizes so your legs look and feel fantastic.

4. Coconut Oil for Soft, Supple Lips

Rather than reaching for the Blistex when your lips feel dry or chapped, simply dot on some coconut oil with your fingertips.

It delivers a slew of vitamins to the skin and helps keep your lips soft and moisturized.

5. Coconut Oil for Holistic Health

The biggest new trend when it comes to coconut oil is “oil pulling,” a process that uses coconut oil to remove toxins and bacteria from the body through the mouth.

To do oil pulling, simply place about a tablespoon of coconut oil in your mouth and swish it around for 20 minutes (yes, 20 minutes!) and then spit it into the garbage can. Do this once a day for as long as you want to experience maximum benefits.

Make sure you purchase pure, unrefined coconut oil for the best benefits! These tips can help you beautify yourself naturally before your wedding using coconut oil.

The post 5 Ways Coconut Oil Can Beautify You for Your Wedding appeared first on Elegant Wedding.

It’s a genius idea, and super cute since there are so many color-coordinating candies. It’s easy to find candy in your wedding colors if you know where to look.

Candy Warehouse

The Candy Warehouse (candywarehouse.com) is a perfect place to find candy in every color of the rainbow, including gold and silver.

They have a huge variety of candy types, like beautiful orange rock candy crystal sticks for less than $1 a piece, or delicious green apple green gummy bears at $20 for a 5lb bag. If you need assistance, Candy Warehouse offers live chat options and they ship quickly so you can count on it being there when it needs to be.

Groovy Candies

Another great option is Groovy Candies (groovycandies.com), which offers bulk wedding candy that can be ordered by color. The great thing about this company is that you can find odd candies that match your wedding colors, like the pink shimmering sixlets, available in a 3lb bag for $20 or the poppin’ pineapples white gummy bears available in a 3lb bag for $15.

The company ships quickly and will let you know immediately if they are out of a product so you’re not stuck wondering what in the world you’re going to do.

Blair Candy

Blair Candy (blaircandy.com) offers up a selection of colored candies that are perfect for a candy buffet, and they also have supplies such as candy bags that your guests can use during the reception.

A fun little option for customers at Blair Candy is to take advantage of the Captain Candy Deal of the Day, where you can find discounts on popular candies.

Shopping around for your candy buffet candy is a great way to save as much money as possible. You can then place your saved money into different wedding budget categories, allowing you to make the most of your big day.

The post Where to Find Colored Candy for a Candy Buffet appeared first on Elegant Wedding.

The Parents of the Groom

Gifts of all kinds are given to the parents of the groom, as a simple thank you for everything they have done and for sharing in such a joyous occasion. I personally love something that’s more personal. For example, Under Lucky Stars is a service that lets its users create beautiful star maps. With 16 different design options, the website allows people to make star maps for different occasions, in this situation the weddings would be perfect for it. Under Lucky Stars are the original Star Map company and the only one verified by a NASA astronomer!!

The Parents of the Bride

The same principle applies here, and it’s a great idea to give the parents of the bride and the parents of the groom the same gift or gifts of the same price.

The Groomsmen

Traditionally, the groom gives gifts to the groomsmen to thank them for being in the wedding party and supporting him. It could be anything from a trip to Vegas to a unique, personalized flask.

The Bridesmaids

The bride gives her bridesmaids a gift for the same reason; to say thank you and celebrate the special occasion. Some traditional bridesmaids’ gifts include embroidered totes or jewelry.

The Maid of Honor/Best Man

While the bridesmaids and groomsmen receive gifts, many brides and grooms give their maid of honor and best man a slightly more expensive or meaningful gift. This is to thank them for their large role in the wedding and all of their help. Some appropriate gifts might include jewelry, a nice dinner out, an engraved photo frame, etc.

The Wedding Guests

Wedding favors are traditionally given to the wedding guests as a thank you to them for celebrating the big day. Wedding favors are usually inexpensive and might include edible favors like cookies or small mementos like picture frames or candles.

Each Other

Finally, it’s traditional for the bride and groom to exchange wedding gifts. The type of gift and price will change dramatically from one couple to another.

These are the gifts that the bride and groom traditionally give out, but it’s up to you who gets a gift and what exactly the gift is!

The post Gifts from the Bride and Groom: Who Should You Be Buying For? appeared first on Elegant Wedding.

From cherubs to bold blue and red patterns, these cakes look like fine china! They’re absolutely beautiful and certainly pieces of art.

These are perhaps my absolute favorite; the vivid colors and bold patterns stand out wonderfully!

Both of these amazing cakes have the appearance of stained glass; the artistry that went into these is outstanding.

Vivid color, amazing embellishments…these cakes are to die for!

These are subtly painted cakes that stand out wonderfully.

Vintage flowers and bluebirds make this cake striking and perfect for spring or summer.

These cakes also have a vintage feel and are absolutely breathtaking.

The post 16 Stunning Hand-Painted Wedding Cakes appeared first on Elegant Wedding.

Never Choose White

Unless your future daughter-in-law is choosing a color other than white and gives you her permission to wear white, never choose a white dress. It’s the bride’s day to shine, and wearing white could make it seem like you’re trying to steal her thunder. I know, it seems a bit juvenile, but it’s best to stick with the traditional wedding etiquette when it comes to this issue!

Keep it Dressy with a Jacket

Choosing a dress with a jacket is a beautiful way to keep it dressy! It has a formal look to it, but there are jacketed dresses that are more casual as well, including those that are calf-length.

Evening vs. Midday

Choosing the color of your dress (unless the bride has requested a specific color) can be easier if you know whether the wedding will be an evening wedding or a midday wedding. For evening, go with darker colors like chocolate, charcoal or royal blue. For a midday wedding, go with lighter colors like champagne, lavender or chartreuse.

Formal vs. Casual

Finally, the tone of the wedding can help you choose the perfect dress. For a more formal affair, choose a formal dress (think cocktail dress). Laid back styles are perfect for more casual weddings, like beach weddings or backyard weddings.

It’s suggested that you take the bride with you to shop, if she’s up for it. That way, you can gauge her reaction to the dresses you like!

The post How to Choose a Stunning Mother of the Groom Dress appeared first on Elegant Wedding.

This gorgeous invitation combines a few different handwritten fonts for a rich but simple look. The lines are clean and the artist created an elegant design.

This couple went with a handwritten wedding invitation that is less formal, but very personal. It’s created in letter form, so it addresses each guest directly rather than simply requesting their presence. It’s fantastic for a non-traditional wedding.

This is a beautiful example of a hand-addressed envelope for a wedding invitation. It’s very simple, with the only flourish being present in the recipient’s last name. It has a modern vibe that is perfect for today’s weddings.

This rustic example of a handwritten wedding invitation is beautiful. It’s simple and pretty without a lot of fuss, which is perfect for laid-back ceremonies and couples.

Finally, this example is all whimsy. Definitely designed for a non-traditional wedding, every embellishment and letter in this invitation is hand-created. It’s beautiful and charming.

These great hand-written wedding invites can help inspire you if you’re thinking of going this route for your own wedding invitations.

The post Beautiful Handwritten Wedding Invitations appeared first on Elegant Wedding.

1. Email Account

Open a separate email account for anything wedding-related. This will help ensure that emails from vendors or others don’t get lost in your primary email account. It’s also a great way to keep everything to do with your wedding organized.

2. Practice the Wedding Kiss

This may sound kind of silly, but it’s a great idea. Your husband might be going in for a long, romantic lip-lock while you might be thinking of a sweet peck.

This could lead to a seriously awkward moment in front of all of your family and friends, not to mention the photographer.

3. RSVP Cards

Number your RSVP cards and create a list with the names and their corresponding numbers. This way, if someone sends back a card and doesn’t sign it, or you don’t receive cards, you’ll know exactly who they belong to.

4. Dress Alterations

Before having your dress taken in, make sure you can sit comfortably in it. Dresses that seem to fit perfectly while you’re standing can be unbelievably uncomfortable when you’re sitting.

Some brides don’t realize this until they’re at the reception ready to eat and they can’t manage a single bite because they’re barely able to breathe!

5. Tissues

Sneak a tissue down the aisle with you, either tucked in your hand or a hidden pocket. Mothers aren’t the only ones who cry at a wedding and if you’re stuck at the altar with no tissue, things can get a little messy.

6. Bring Comfortable Shoes

Even if you plan on wearing those gorgeous heels down the aisle, they may not be the best idea for dancing the night away.

Make sure you pack a pair that are comfortable that you can change in to after the ceremony.

7. Enjoy the Moment

Don’t rush down the aisle or let things pass you by in a blur of excitement. Make a conscious effort to be in the moment, every moment. Months of planning have led up to your special day and it’s important that you step back and take it all in!

The post 7 Essential Wedding Tips You Might Not Have Thought Of appeared first on Elegant Wedding.

Pink, White and Gray

This charming color combination is very hot this year and super pretty for a spring wedding.

The great thing about this combination is that you can go with a variety of different shades of each color and it still ties together well. Plus, it has a very feminine look without being too “girly.”

Aqua, Green and Blue

Another beautiful palette, this one features shades of aqua, green and blue. This particular example features beautiful jewel shades of each color, accented with lighter shades.

It’s absolutely beautiful and works well for any venue or setting. The bold, stunning colors are great for a non-traditional couple as well.

Yellow and Gray

Left over from last year, yellow and gray is still a very popular wedding palette. The gray gives a clean, sleek look while the pops of yellow really add in the vivid and happy element.

The combination is outstanding and because it is so popular, there are a lot of resources for finding wedding decor and elements.

Each of these looks is super popular right now and a lot of fun to play around with. When planning your color palette for a 2014 wedding, go bold and beautiful!

The post Trendy Spring Wedding Color Palettes appeared first on Elegant Wedding.

1. Forever Letters Wedding Picture

This couple spelled out the word ‘forever’ in little letters before posing for this adorable wedding photo. This is a very sentimental idea and would be perfect for a centerpiece photo after the wedding. It’s easy to create, with cheap letters purchased from a craft supply shop.

Your photographer should be able to recreate this photo fairly easily, and you can enjoy the beauty of this idea for years to come.

2. Nighttime Sparkler Picture

Few wedding pictures are more beautiful than the nighttime sparkler picture. This one should definitely be included if you’ll be leaving the reception after dark.

Plus, it’s a better idea than the typical choices: confetti, rice, etc. This is one of those pictures you will want to hang over the mantel!

3. For Those About to Cry…

Another wonderful sentimental wedding idea is to provide personalized hankies to those you know will shed a tear or two. This is an incredibly thoughtful idea, and the hankies will serve as mementos for years to come.

A few people you might want to consider giving these to include the moms, the grandmothers, the aunts, best friends, etc.

These are just a few of the sentimental wedding ideas that brides all over the world have implemented. However, they’re our favorites and we’re sure you’re going to love them as well (and be glad you included them in your big day)!

The post 3 Sentimental Wedding Ideas You Don’t Want to Leave Out appeared first on Elegant Wedding.