1. Do You Have Enough Room?

Before you start arranging catering and other necessities, be sure of the amount of room you’ll have available. Look over your guest list and think about others you plan to invite. This includes the photographers, the caterers, musicians and others. If you have limited space in your backyard, you’ll have to reduce the number of people you can invite.

2. How Will the Weather Hold Up?

Better to be safe than sorry goes the old saying and it is true in an outdoor event like your backyard wedding. Unless you are absolutely certain on the weather trends in your area, part of your preparations should include the possible need to move the festivities inside. If this is impractical due to the number of guests, then it may be necessary to arrange for tents or other temporary shelters from possible rain. And a sudden storm may not be the end of things. It might even add to the romance of the event.

3. What is Your Wedding Theme?

Making this choice early on will make other decision making down the road much easier. Some people like an historical theme, like a Victorian wedding complete with appropriate décor and costume, while others like something simple and basic. Since you will be having an outdoor wedding, you have the option of using nature as a guide. Bunches of flowers or large bowls of fruit make interesting centerpieces, and brightly colored ribbons in yellow, blue, violet or other complementary colors look good next to a green and well maintained lawn.

4. What About the More Tedious Tasks?

The good new is that since it’s a wedding, everyone wants to help out! You can easily ask for help from family and friends to take care of the more mundane tasks while you take care of the more important planning aspects. Examples of those tasks you’ll need to delegate include:

• Arranging parking. Have someone look into possible locations nearby for parking or other ways guests can arrive and have their vehicles looked after. Maybe one will even act as a valet and take care of things for you if there is enough parking room nearby.
• Helping with the decorations. There’s nothing like a small army of friends and family and all the kids helping to put up trim in the hedges, arrange flowers, set the chairs and tables properly, and make sure the lawn is raked and cleaned.
• Emergency preparations. The idea of inclement weather or a possible power outage makes it useful to have someone looking out for that possibility. Have someone arrange for a backup power generator for example, or procure tents or other supplies in case of bad weather.

5. Is Your Backyard in Good Shape?

Weeks in advance, you need to make sure that the backyard is in the best possible shape for the big wedding day. Any bare spots in the lawn should be reseeded as soon as possible and make sure the lawn is also mowed well in advance. Any repairs to the porch or patio, steps, or fixtures should be taken care of and any permanent items like outdoor lamps should be in good repair. You don’t want anything to mar an otherwise perfect occasion, of course.

And speaking of setup, don’t forget that you aren’t just decorating for one day. You have the opportunity to completely redo the backyard and garden as a place to enjoy for years to come. Is their room for new furniture like some white wooden porch swings? Or how about a new set of patio furniture or an outdoor dining area around the barbecue grill? Make sure that whatever you buy is durable and high quality.

6. Why Not Let Nature Help?

Nature is full of abundant color and designs so you should make sure to plant flowers and shrubs that use this to your advantage. Choose the right colors and plant them well in advance to make sure they will be ready and in bloom for the wedding day. And the good thing about it is that they, like your new furnishings and fixtures, will last for years, always reminding you of the happy day each time you take a romantic walk through the garden on your anniversary.

7. What About the Right Music and Lighting to Really Set the Mood?

Music is a very important addition to the wedding event, contributing to the mood, and setting the stage. Of course, this includes the famous wedding march for the bride and groom. Music can come from either traditional sources, such as a hired band or musician, but consider that in this day and age, it is possible to bring in the music via playlists stored on the computer. With speakers disguised to match the surrounding decoration theme, it can really add subtle class to a wedding if using a computer instead of live musicians would suit your theme.

Also keep in mind the need for additional lighting. If your wedding takes place in the evening or at night, you’ll need to set up a few lamps around the garden. Try using solar lamps to save money on energy bills, and perhaps even strings of small lights that can double as useful decorations around the tables, patio, or garden.

8. Should You Rent or Buy the Things You Need?

You will most likely need to rent enough tables and chairs for the occasion, but the smaller items, glassware, dishes, etc. can be purchased then donated to charity afterwards to prevent waste. And by donating it becomes a possible tax deduction.

9. How Do You Keep it All Cool and Comfortable?

Along with the necessity for keeping your guests dry in case of sudden changes in weather, maintaining the cool is important as well. This can be accomplished in several ways, from strategically placed fans to using special misting systems that can keep a cool refreshing mist going without making everything wet.

10. How Are You Going to Record the Event?

There are many ways to do this and this is one step that certainly should not be neglected. Who wouldn’t want pictures to immortalize their wedding day? You can get all the guests in on the fun by giving everyone disposable cameras so they can take home their own share of the memories. For your own album, however, you might want to have a professional photographer circulate around and take pictures with a practiced eye to catch those perfect moments that others might miss. He or she could even set up a backdrop off to the side and take portraits of the couples that would like them.

These ten steps are only a few of the many things to keep in mind when planning the perfect wedding but they should help keep you focused so that when vows are exchanged everyone will feel the love and excitement in the air.

About the Author

Jay Chua is the publisher of PorchSwingSets.com. As an Internet Entrepreneur, both he and his wife Deisy keep up on wedding design trends and the website offers reviews of attractive porch swings and hammock sets that compliment any backyard or garden. Living in Vancouver, Canada they love to indulge their passion for home and garden then spend some quiet time on the classic Hatteras rope hammocks resting in their rope hammock stand.

LOVE LOVE LOVE!! Check out Merci New York for a complete DIY tutorial with pics to make your own headband like this one. It’s so chic – I love it!

Photography by Sofia Negron

Where to begin. Silks or Fresh?
Well first thing you need to do is choose between fresh flowers and silk. A fresh flower bouquet should only be tackled by the bravest among you with at least some DIY fortitude. Fresh flowers are less forgiving and should only be done within a day of the wedding. Keep in mind that certain flower have a very short life span and need to be appropriately conditioned. But if you’re feeling bold and handle stress well then what the heck… go for it. No really, I’m not trying to scare anybody I just want you to be realistic and honest about your skill set.

Silks are a much easier way to go for the average DIY’er. I’ll reserve comment on the whole debate of fresh vs. silks for another article. The main advantage with silks other than having a keepsake after the wedding is that you can work on the project months in advance and work in a much more calm and relaxed manner. If you make a mistake – no worries – there’s plenty of time to correct it. This guide will focus on making a bouquet using silk flowers.

Things You’ll Need

• Wire cutters – You can pick one up at Home Depot for less than $10.
• Pipe Cleaner – Alternatively you can use a long twist tie.
• Floral tape – Available at most craft stores.
• Ribbon – Color of choice.
• Fabric Scissors
• Decorative Buckle or Broach – Optional.

Where to buy
Many Florists today will be more than happy to sell you loose stems for a DIY project. In most cases, since you’re supplying the labor, you can save about 40% off the cost of a bouquet by doing it yourself. Whether you choose fresh or silks, don’t wait till the last minute. Many of the high end silks are in high demand and get frequently back ordered. Ordering 6 months in advance in some cases is not too soon. When it comes to fresh you’ll want to make sure that the flower you’re interested is in season when you need it. If not, expect to pay a hefty premium for them. Give your fresh florist a heads up so that they can best help you in making sure that you get exactly what you want when you need it.

Design Style
I would highly recommend a hand tied bouquet for a first time DIY’er. A hand tied bouquet is simple, elegant and by far the easiest bouquet to design. I’d suggest you choose no more than 2 different flower species that compliment each other well. Your best bet is to pick one flower type that will act as the dominate flower and a secondary one to give a little texture and accent. Much more than that could end up being frustrating… and we don’t want that.

Let’s Get This Party Started
For this project I selected Calla Lilies. They work well for contemporary and traditional looks. They’re highly prized, available in a variety of colors, elegant and relatively easy to work with. You can never go wrong with Callas. If you’re having trouble selecting the perfect color than go with a primary like white, yellow or green. You can then use the ribbon for your contrasting accent color.

I used 24 Mini Calla stems for my bouquet. This produces a medium sized bouquet. You’ll have to adjust your count based on the size flower you use and the size of the bouquet you want.

Step 1
Place all the flowers loosely in the palm of your hand. Begin to arrange the flowers, starting with the center one and working your way towards the outside. The center flower should be the highest one with the outer ones becoming progressively lower. Be careful not to pull the flowers by their petals. Always adjust by grabbing the stem. If you’re working with silk flowers you can also bend the stems to help fan the flowers out a little.

When you’re done, you should have something that resembles the shape of a mushroom. Be patient with this step. It could take a little time to get the look you’re going for.

You can also change your hand position to change the look. The higher you grab the bouquet (closer to the flowers) the tighter the arrangement gets. The lower you grab it the more airy it gets. In general, you don’t want your bouquet too airy looking unless you plan on filling the spaces with something like baby’s breadth or other greenery. Too airy also has a tendency of making the bouquet look a little sloppy.

Here’s a helpful hint. Have a mirror in front of you so that you can hold the bouquet as if you were walking down the aisle. This will give you a better perspective and makes it a lot easier to evaluate composition and balance. Make sure the bouquet is tilted towards your guests and not towards the ceiling. I get a little crazy when I see wedding photographs with the Bride holding her bouquet pointing straight up. Who are they trying to impress? The birds? Sorry for the sarcasm, it’s just one of those pet peeves of mind.

Step 2
Once you get the look exactly as you want it, you’ll use the pipe cleaner to secure around the stems. Wrap the pipe cleaner directly above your hand. It might help to get a friend to assist you with this step. Once you twist the pipe cleaner, you should be able to let go of the arrangement and it will maintain its basic shape. You can make minor adjustments in the next step. Twist the pipe cleaner just enough to hold the shape but not too much that you damage the stems. Cut the excess pipe cleaner leaving about 3/4″. Fold what’s left around the stems as shown.

Step 3
Use the green floral tape to secure all the stems into a tight bundle. If you’ve never used floral tape before, it’s very simple to use. Cut a piece that’s easy to manage – say about 12 inches. Before you begin to wrap, you have to activate the stickyness of the tape. Do this by gently stretching a couple of inches of the tape. Begin to wrap at the top of the stems, a little above the pipe cleaner. Make sure you overlap the tape as you work the tape down. The tape sticks to itself, not the stems. Continue to stretch the tape as you carefully wrap at a downward angle. If the tape tears – don’t worry – take the torn piece and overlap an existing area of the wrap and continue on. Your total wrap shouldn’t be much more than 3 inches.

Step 4

Cut a piece of ribbon approximately 1 -1/2 yards long. Drape the ribbon slightly above the green tape. Leave 18″ of ribbon to the left – you’ll need this to tie a bow in the last step. Begin wrapping the stems towards the right in a downward spiral direction. Overlap each successive revolution by about a quarter of an inch. Make sure you pull the ribbon tightly for a clean and professional look.

Once you’ve wrapped the ribbon so that it covers the bottom of the green floral tape, reverse direction and wrap the ribbon in an upward spiral until you end up where you started.

Step 5 (Optional)

Add some embellishments to complete the look. A crystal buckle is available through most national craft stores. You can also give your bouquet an expressive touch by adding something intimate and personal to you. For example, a pendant with a photograph of someone dear to you.

Lace the ribbon through the buckle and slide the ribbon into position. Tie a basic knot to secure the ribbon and then tie a decorative bow for the final touch.

Final Thoughts
Take your time and exercise your creative side. If you get a little frustrated during the project then take a break and walk away from it for a couple of hours. Don’t worry, it’ll come together… I didn’t become a florist overnight. Best of all, you get to walk down the aisle with something you created yourself.

If your interested in your own Do-It-Yourself project then don’t hesitate to drop me a line. If you have any questions or comments, please post them on this blog. I’ll be sure to reply.

Good Luck! Mary.

Mary Baum is the owner, chief designer, bottle washer and broom sweeper at The Silk Canopy. She’s passionate about all things wedding. And when she’s not creating a new design or watching the Wedding channel she spends her time with her Husband, two daughters and her lunatic dog, Henry.

I love this ring pillow idea that I found on Paper Cakes (check out the summer wedding feature it was part of  – so pretty!).  This particular ring pillow is from the Clover Lane Boutique on Etsy. If you’re a DIY with some embriodery talent – you might want to turn this into your own DIY project. If not – they’re actually pretty affordable at $39.95 from Clover Lane.

So …… time for some lemonade stand eye candy

First – I LOVE this idea – a lemonade stand dedicated to your favorite charity is a great way to give back at your wedding! Read the story on Montgomery News.

Click on any of the images below to find the source:)

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes (The Bridal Blog)

The Fon Don’t Cake complete with DIY Instructions/Pics (Lemon Tart)

A fondant version by Piece of Cake for Alison & Kevin’s Real Wedding (Event Accomplished)

Super Cute Citrus Candy Cupcakes (L’amour Photography)

Citrus wedding cakes (Jeneze Cake Design & Wedding Aces)

Absolutely gorgeous, modern lemon styled summer wedding cake (Real Simple)

Lemon Topped Wedding Cake (Martha Stewart Weddings)

Complete instructions on Bella Dia

Well… I just received a shipment last week of all the flowers I ordered during the show. I was so excited that I rushed to my studio and started working on a  new bouquet & boutonniere. I didn’t even have a bride to create them for. I just did it for the sheer pleasure of creating something new with these amazing flowers. I did this one for me.

This bridal bouquet includes:

• snap dragons
• roses
• narcissus
• scabiosa
• bear grass
• … and a hand made weave… one of my signature elements.

Here’s the matching boutonniere and another view of the bouquet.

Let me know what you think.

Posted by: Mary Baum

Mary, owner of the The Silk Canopy specializes in creating spectacular arrangements using eternal botanicals. She always says that the 3 most important elements of a good arrangement are “Design, Balance and Color”.

From one of my favorites – Lemon & Lemonade Cookies with instructions by Amy Atlas

Printable Lemonade Labels from Marry You Me via Sweet Tooth

Adorable Lemonade Themed Printables from Farouche via iDiY

Printable Lemonade Bottle Labels from “I Do” it Yourself

Absolutely adorable DIY Printable Lemonade Kit from Paper & Cake features signs, straw dots, paper chains, lemonade jug wraps, snack wraps, pinwheels, jar labels, snack boxes and more.

And last, but most definitely not least – check out this amazing real wedding idea featured on Style My Pretty (click to see tons more fantastic pics)

And a few favorites from our favorite stores:)

Personalized Lemonade Wedding Favors from Beau-Coup, Cocktail Lip Balms from Beau-Coup, Monogram Lemonade Mix from Gracious Bridal, Main Squeeze Lemonade Set from Blue Ribbon Designs

This week’s dress is a GORGEOUS chiffon Impressions gown. I love the fitted silhouette and the empire waistline accents.  Definitely a hot dress – sophisticated but still sexy and yet – still romantic! This dress retails for $765 and is available from <a href=”http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=108288&u=141476&m=15688&urllink=&afftrack=”>House of Brides</a>   for $459!