Bridechilla™ Tip #45

Tip #45 – How to be a BRIDECHILLA™ – Add some chill, delicious, goodness to your holiday dinner with seasonal desserts.

Just in case you haven’t seen our last Bridechilla™ Tip or our other blog posts, you must know that we are all about the seasonal touches that can be added to any event. Whether it be your wedding or a dinner party, we are here so that you can let us help you gather ideas for any function lacking that pumpkin centerpiece, apple garland, or fruit thank you favor. Because we are always watching out for ideas for our hostess bridechillas. As much as we love embellishing holiday decor with nature, we are going to talk about the FOOD today. The best part, in that case… the DESSERT.

recipes via clarY pfeiffer and ruche

As promised, each and every one of these has a small seasonal touch that we cannot help but find irresistible. If you find yourself drooling over any of them, here is where you can find the recipes so that your holiday grocery shopping lists can be ready for the holidays.

Recipe links: Blackberry + Blueberry Tart / Apple Crisp / Bourbon Pumpkin Cake / Persimmon Walnut Cake / Vegan and Gluten Free Espresso Banana Donuts

Winter Wedding Color Ideas

A lot of brides opt for traditional spring and summer weddings. However, couples who are brave enough to step out of the box and plan winter weddings are often rewarded with higher attendance rates (no one’s off on summer holidays!) and brisk but beautifully picturesque weather.

While ivory and soft pink are perfect colors for a delicate spring wedding, choosing a winter wedding opens you up to a whole new and exciting palette full of sultry, seasonal colors.  If you’re planning a wedding this season, take a look at our wedding color ideas for winter 2013 for some divine inspiration for your special day.

guest article by tiffany faming

Image credit: sterlingandnicole.blogspot.ca

1) Arctic White & Ice Blue
For a refreshing twist on a summer theme, combine arctic white and ice blue. The two colors are bang on trend for winter 2013 and come together perfectly to form a sophisticated combination that isn’t common or overdone. This beautiful color combo is particularly gorgeous for areas that experience heavy winter snowfall, as arctic white and icy blue are often the first colors that spring to mind when we picture a winter wonderland.

For a breath-taking bouquet, combine white roses with blue delphiniums and hyacinths.

Image credit: lovemydress.net

2) Winter Berry
Winter berry is a magnificent color choice for winter weddings, particularly for brides who adore pink but don’t want to go the pastel route outside of spring and summer. This sensual hue marries together beautifully with a crisp white for a semi-conventional bridal color scheme. However, if you want to step out of the box, winter berry looks equally amazing when accompanied by just a hint of mandarin. Sheer warm orange shawls draped over the shoulders of pink clad bridesmaids will add a touch of interest and flair.

Bouquet choices for this color scheme are endless. Try fuchsia peonies with black calla lilies and orange tulips.

Image credit: http://www.bridalguide.com

3) Navy blue
Like ice blue, the whole frosty spectrum of blue represents winter spectacularly. For a truly regal and effortlessly elegant wedding, navy blue is a lovely, contemporary choice for winter 2013. Dress it up by pairing it with classic white or opt for a bolder design by breaking out yellows and golds for a stark contrast. The seamless combination of navy blue and yellow will evoke poetic notions and remind guests thateven the harshest winter eventually blooms into spring.

For your bouquet, it’s hard to go past the amazing combination of hydrangeas and yellow roses.

Image credit: weddingideasmag.com

4) Burgundy
If your relationship is intense and passionate, why not reflect that in your wedding color scheme? Burgundy is a gutsy but popular winter hue that truly shines against a snowy, white backdrop, making it ideal for outdoor weddings. If you love the color but don’t want it to eclipse a white bridal gown, try using it as an accent color with white, plum or even olive green.

Burgundy is another color that leaves your choice of bouquet wide open. For a bouquet that is one part dramatic and two parts gorgeous, we recommend black calla lilies, red ranunculus and geraniums.

Whichever color scheme you choose, we’ll be here to help you out and make sure your special day goes off without a hitch!

Author bio: Tiffany Faming is passionate writer. She loves to write on fashion, travel, family, home decor and gardening. Now she is writing for PromoCode4Share.com, a great site that updates many interesting deals of wedding venue.

Tis the season to be a Bridechilla™

Farm-to-table or farm-to-tree, we decided to stay true to the chill and create our very own clementine garland for the holiday season. With burlap bows and the vibrant splashes of orange, this Holiday tree has BRIDECHILLA™ written all over it! And let’s not forget the Naughty and Nice – the Off the Beaten Path Weddings December signature cocktail…

And a big chill THANK YOU to Helen Buehler for taking these photos and to the always creative Rebecca Caldera!

Bridechilla™ Tip #44

Tip #44 – How to be a BRIDECHILLA™ – Use one of our favorite Fall wedding design details: apples. And guess what? We’re going to help you out.

Photo via ruffled and nessa k photography

In October, we were chasing the best pumpkin design details, over Summer, we were all about the perfect ways to use produce in your wedding, and now… apples! It may not come by any surprise that we are at it again, falling in love with more farm-to-table touches. That is one of the KEY chill details from our team at Off The Beaten Path Weddings out of Napa, California.. so don’t be surprised when we discover another way nature can embellish your wedding. Now, enjoy our top 5 favorite ways to use apples in your wedding decor – some of these are REALLY chill!

via MEG SMITH AND Snippet & ink

●   APPLE GARLAND  ●  We had to start off with one of our favorites. This apple garland is just too too perfect for an orchard inspired wedding.

via ruffled and nessa k photography

●  BOBBING STATION  ●  How fun is this? Imagine how funny it would be to be watching your guests go after these… definitely a lot of laughs to be had!

via ruffled and nessa k photography

●  ESCORT CARDS  ●  Or, just use that bobbing station for good looks and let your guests find their seats with apple embellished escort cards.

via southern weddings + JEN HUANG PHOTOGRAPHY

●  ON THE TABLE  ●  Bring some color to your table by placing apples on the plates as wedding table decor, or even use them in the centerpieces!

via BEST PHOTOGRAPHY green wedding shoes

●  APPLE CIDER  ● And finally, how could we leave this stunner out? Hallow out the apples and serve hot apple cider (spiked and not spiked options, of course!) to your guests in a fun, unique way.

P.S. Need some ideas on how to keep the dudes entertained at your wedding? Check out Bridechilla™ Tip #43 for ways to get your groom and the rest of the guys having more fun on your chill day.

Bridechilla™ Tip #43

Tip #43 – How to be a BRIDECHILLA™ – Keep the guys chill too, and check out these three ways to keep men married on the chill day.

 Photo via Kyle Hale

There are plenty of astonishing ways to keep a wedding day appealing to the guests. While everyone loves to dance and hear the toasts, we must admit every wedding is dominantly entertaining mostly for the guests that are women. There are heaps of flowers to admire, cute cupcake or macaroon towers, wedding rings to gawk over, the list goes on. Meanwhile, what’s keeping the guys entertained? As a Bridechilla™, it’s important that we remember that men get married too, so let’s talk about a few little ways to keep them included on one of the chillest day of your lives.

via Off The Beaten Path Weddings

●   SCOTCH BAR  ●  Some of us at Off The Beaten Path Weddings might say this is something EVERYONE can enjoy, but we think it’s safe to say the guys will gravitate towards this rather a lot more than they would a blushing bride cocktail or a bouquet toss… so let’s let them have their fun too.

via EmmalineBride + Pinterest

Seriously, try this one out for your wedding day, the guys will not be disappointed! This also brings us to our next dude-friendly wedding treat…

via Off The Beaten Path Weddings

●  CIGAR ROLLING  ●  This was a huge hit at previous Off The Beaten Path Weddings. Nothing says wine country charm like someone rolling fresh cigars for the guys to enjoy. Feel free to keep this one a secret from your groom until the reception, it will make a great surprise gift!

via Pinterest + Off The Beaten Path Weddings, Wendy K Yalom Photography

●  PHOTO BOOTH  ●  Everyone loves a photo booth, but we all know the guys secretly love wrapping boas around their neck for a silly photo or five. You can even hire companies like the Flying Camera or simply talk to your photographer about having a photo booth at the reception for guests to take some snapshots to remember the day with.

via Off The Beaten Path Weddings, Tanja Lippert

P.S. Need some ideas on how to keep him involved in the planning process? Check out our 5 ways to get your groom to help out with wedding planning.

5 Ways to Get Your Groom to Help Out with Wedding Planning

Traditionally, a wedding day is all about the bride. All of that fanfare that surrounds the bride, however, can often leave the groom feeling left in the dust. After all, the bride isn’t the only person getting married;  the groom is a pretty integral part of the wedding.

Guest Article written by Amber Kingsley

If you are getting married, don’t let your groom feel like he is playing second fiddle. While he may not be able to help you pick out your gown, you can let him feel like he is part of all of the planning and excitement by giving him some special tasks to attend to. He will appreciate the attention, and you will appreciate the help.

via Shutterstock

Registry Duty: Registering for all of the things that you will need as you start your life together is a really fun process, and it is one that your groom should certainly be a part of. In fact, you can put him in charge of this important task. Of course, you want to be a part of the registration process (you don’t want to sleep on bedding that you think is completely dreadful), but you can let your groom handle setting up and updating the registry. He’ll get a kick out of having this duty and it is one less thing that you will have to worry about.

via Off The Beaten Path Weddings & Jessica Burke

Venue Shopping: Your wedding is a celebration that will honor both you and your groom, so it is only fair that he help pick out the place where this grand event will occur. Ask him to do some research with you on potential venues. Let him choose a few places to look at. Of course, have him go with you to check out the different venues and welcome his opinions and reviews. You can even take it one step further; once you have both decided on a venue for your affair, have you groom handle all further communications with the staff.

via Off The Beaten Path Weddings & 

Vendor Visiting: You will require the services of a bunch of people in order to successfully pull off your big event; a florist, a caterer, a photographer and videographer, limo drivers, music and whoever else you think you will require the services to make your big day your dream come true. Let your groom help out with choosing the vendors. Ask him if he wouldn’t mind helping you choose some vendors to consider and bring him along on your visits to each one. You can even ask him if he thinks that there are any other special vendors that will add an extra special something to your day; a cigar roller, perhaps.

via rockmywedding.co.uk

Tuxedos: You have your wedding dress and the bridesmaid’s dress to pick out. Why not let your groom pick out the attire that he and his guys will be wearing. Go along with him so that you can offer your opinion and see what choices he is considering (and so that you can nix anything that is an absolute no), but let him have his moment in the sun while picking out and trying on different tuxedos.

via Off The Beaten Path Weddings & Catherine Hall

If it weren’t for your groom, you wouldn’t be getting married. Make him feel like he is as big a part of the day as he truly is by involving him in the planning process.

Amber Kingsley is a freelance writer from Southern California. She has contributed to a number of blogs, covering travel and style. When she’s not writing she loves traveling and spending time with her dog. To view more of her writing, visit the Bellezza Spa blog.

 

Off The Beaten Path Weddings Celebrates One Year of LOVE: Emily & Grant, October 20th, 2012

Midway through October and we’re reminiscing as we share our very last anniversary post for 2012 Off The Beaten Path Weddings. Emily and Grant made their first mark on our blog in January when we introduced their wedding motto,  W O O P A . But in case you forgot, we can refresh your memory now on what their chill wedding motto meant.

/ woo-pa! /
definition:
I. adj: a term to express excitement, joy, or happiness.
II. noun: the official Wood/Patrino wedding motto.

We’re so thrilled to spend our today wishing our Bridechilla™ , Emily, and her husband Grant a very happy anniversary. All photos by the talented folks over at onelove photography.

From the Bridechilla…

The theme of our wedding was “woopa”. this is a nickname our friends call us that joins our two last names- Wood & Patrino. we made a sign of vintage marquee letters that lit up which read “woopa” on the side of the barn. Dinner was served next to the barn under a grove of trees with twinkle lights hung from tree to tree. We sent everyone home with “woopa pies” (whoopie pies) that my mom had made from scratch. We really wanted the wedding to be colorful which would really create the fun party energy that we were looking for. It was a very rustic country setting, however I wanted to incorporate a sophisticated chic element with color, as I didn’t want it to be overly rustic. I would say it was a rustic chic wedding. The tables had navy and white runners with colorful flowers. The boys in the wedding party wore navy & white gingham shirts, khaki pants, navy vans & a navy pink tie. The girls wore navy dresses with fuchsia heels.

We wanted our wedding to be an amazingly fun party in the middle of the vineyards with fabulous food and wine. We really just wanted it to have a light-hearted sentimate, so that the guests could really relax and have FUN. Nothing stuffy about it.

(via Style Me Pretty)

We loved Emily & Grant’s color palette, such a beautiful and FUN event to end our season on last year.

Don’t forget to see more of this beautiful OTBPW + WOOPA magic on Style Me Pretty!

Also, see this chill couple in action in this video of their Off The Beaten Path Wedding by Steven Bailey.

Until next summer, when we celebrate our 2013 anniversaries from this season… CHEERS.

Wedding Planning + Styling: Off the Beaten Path Weddings

To many many many more chill years of love and happiness. -Bridechilla™ & Off The Beaten Path Weddings

Related articles

• PART ONE: Interview with a blogging Bridechilla™-to-be (beabridechilla.com)
• Off The Beaten Path Celebrates One Year of LOVE: Niamah & Darren, July 28, 2012 (beabridechilla.com)
• Off The Beaten Path Celebrates One Year of LOVE: Erin & Byron, July 21, 2012 (beabridechilla.com)
• Bridechilla™ Tip #34 (beabridechilla.com)

Bridechilla™ Tip #41

Tip #41 – How to be a BRIDECHILLA™ – Come get inspired with us on our AUTUMN PINTEREST board.

Not that anyone needs an invitation, but we’re just so full of inspiration over on Pinterest that we have to talk about it a little bit. Last year, we went nuts with Off The Beaten Path Weddings over chevron pumpkins… and to tell you all the truth, we’re still pretty much in love with them. But this year, the pumpkins just keep getting better and better.. just take a look!

Moving on to the autumn tables we’ve been swooning over. Aren’t these just gorgeous?

And this was pinned based on the pretty factor. (You know you do it too)

These pins have our stomachs growling for that Thanksgiving meal! But we still have a while to go, so let’s just use this time to get inspired and hopefully achieve a holiday table as lovely as this.

Desserts…

And the beautiful escort cards…

Last but not least – don’t we just love these Fall Harvest looks for this season? Swoon.

Happy pinning everyone! Be sure to find out where all these amazing looks cam from onn our Pinterest board: the Autumn Inspiration

Note: all photos from the inspiring people we follow on Pinterest unless otherwise specified.

Off The Beaten Path Weddings Celebrates One Year of LOVE: Emilie & Jim, October 6th, 2012

  We’re just about through our first week of Fall and in sync, we are celebrating another fantastic Off The Beaten Path Weddings couple we love. Emilie and Jim had one of our very few OTBP weddings that take place during Fall, and we just love the touches of orange that paralleled with the beauty of this season. We’re so thrilled to spend our today wishing our Bridechilla™ , Emilie, and her husband Jim a very belated, but happy anniversary.This couple has shown us such great love and appreciation, and today we want to celebrate them!

So, below we remember some of the special moments of their chill day through beautiful photos taken by our friends at Onelove Photography. This wedding is full of seasonal details designed by Mary Ellen Murphy & the team behind Off The Beaten Path Weddings, take it all in!

From their invitations and stationary to their wedding day color choices, Emilie and Jim had a day embellished in just the right amount of seasonal touches. With pops of orange, pink, and white, their reception and wedding day kept the brightness and light mood of Summer, but introduced the beautiful color schemes of Autumn as well. 

And of course, white pumpkins make for perfect escort pieces.

This Off The Beaten Path Weddings couple was so chill, and so was their wedding party which included a special (and very furry) guest.

Don’t you love Emilie’s sweater? 😉

What a beautiful wedding for us to look back on and celebrate. Can’t believe it’s already been a whole year… Happy anniversary to this chill couple.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY EMILIE & JIM!

Wedding Planning + Styling: Off the Beaten Path Weddings

To many many many more chill years of love and happiness. -Bridechilla™ & Off The Beaten Path Weddings

Related articles

• PART ONE: Interview with a blogging Bridechilla™-to-be (beabridechilla.com)
• Off The Beaten Path Celebrates One Year of LOVE: Niamah & Darren, July 28, 2012 (beabridechilla.com)
• Off The Beaten Path Celebrates One Year of LOVE: Erin & Byron, July 21, 2012 (beabridechilla.com)
• Bridechilla™ Tip #34 (beabridechilla.com)

Guest Post: Keeping Cool & Confident During Wedding Day Mishaps

As a bride-to-be, you’ll do everything in your power to prevent wedding day mishaps from happening. But no matter how hard you try to prepare for possible eventualities, you cannot control everything. You just have to accept that there are unthinkable events that can happen.

The best thing is for you to know how to keep your cool when unfortunate incidents do occur. And how do you do that? Here are some pointers.

(via rosa clara)

Don’t focus on the nitty-gritty.

If you fuss about every little thing on your wedding day, you’re going to spoil everything. You’ll ruin your mood, your groom’s, and your guests – definitely not a pretty scene.

Stop fuming if you can’t start on time. Whether it’s you or your guests who are running late doesn’t make much difference. The best man or the maid of honor, if they know their duties, they should step in and apologize to guests if a delay happens.

Also, make sure that you have with you your list of vendors and all their contact details. Having an experienced wedding planner comes in really handy in situations like this. They can make everything look running smoothly even with all the glitches.

Most importantly, focus on the fact that you’ve got something bigger to look forward to – the years ahead with your beloved. Don’t sweat the small stuff, because your guests are your family and friends who are just excited to witness this happiest moment of your life.

(photo taken by KT Merry, post here)

Set up a meeting with all the key persons before the event.

If your vendors fail to communicate, something can and will go wrong. And it can have a domino effect on other things, which you definitely don’t want to happen. It would be best if you can arrange a meeting with all your suppliers so they’ll know each other and will be at ease working together.

It may be a good idea to find people who have already worked with each other in similar events. You can ask your wedding planner (if you have one) for referrals.

Let everyone who’s going to be at your wedding know exactly what you want.

Don’t expect your guests, no matter how close they are to you, to read your mind. There’s no other way for them to be aware of what you think unless you tell them. If you hate pranks and practical jokes, people playing with their food and drinks, or someone smearing your dream gown with wedding cake just because they think it’s a great tradition, say so. Let your guests know that they’re welcome to consume all the drinks you’re providing, but the whole point is to have fun and not chaos. You need to let them know beforehand; otherwise, they might even blame you and ask, “Why didn’t you say so?!”

Laugh it off!

If all hell breaks loose and things go crazy at your wedding, just let it go. Try to laugh your heart out and still enjoy the moment. Be at peace with the thought that these people, no matter how drunk or noisy they get, took the time to see you in this significant event and to show you their love and support for you.

Author Bio: Sofia Angeli is a PR & communications consultant for companies in various industries. In particular, she brings her writing skills and passion for travel, culture, arts and lifestyle, including wedding planning and engagement rings, to the online world.