Winter Wedding Inspiration

Traditionally, here in Virginia, winter is a time of year that is often overlooked for weddings. However, as the weather has shown so far this December, the weather can often be just as mild as the fall and can create unique opportunities to create a beautiful wedding. Plus, since it is often the off season for venues and vendors, you can often snag a discounted rate and negotiate on pricing that can have a big impact on your overall budget. 

So, for brides looking for a few reasons to consider a winter wedding, we've pulled together some stunning inspiration to get the creative juices flowing for winter weddings. 

Jewel Tones

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Fall isn't the only season in which jewel tones can really shine - winter is also the perfect time to use jewel tones to your wedding day. Plus, different tones such as deep amethyst, burgundy and cranberry are the perfect cure for the traditional winter blues and provide a great deal of warmth to your wedding. 

Natural Elements

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Winter is a great time to incorporate natural elements, such as evergreens, greenery, twigs, cranberries and pinecones. All of these items are readily available during the winter months and provide a great natural touch to all sorts of items including table decor, florals and even your cake.

Plaids

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Plaid is a common pattern and texture to think about for winter, but maybe not something you have thought about for your wedding. However, you shouldn't shy away from plaid - as it is a great way to add a winter twist to a rustic themed wedding. Plus, plaid can be used as a great accent color/pattern instead of traditional wedding colors to be used to add a "touch of plaid" or as a strong visual element as the shirts for the groom and groomsmen. 

Beautiful Photo Backdrops

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Seriously, how amazing and romantic are these photos in the snow?! You can't get photos like this in any other season. And, if you don't have snow near you in the winter, you can always have a reverse destination wedding to a cozy mountain town and enjoy everything the season has to offer. 

Winter Wedding Inspiration on Pinterest

Are you planning a winter wedding? Find more inspiration on our Winter Wedding Pinterest board.

Creative Wedding Guest Book Alternatives

In our last post, we shared unique wedding favor ideas to consider as you plan your wedding. Today, we're here to share a few creative ideas for alternatives to the traditional wedding guest book. While the traditional guest book may work for some folks, many new and creative options are now available for couples to incorporate their unique style and create a true wedding keepsake - rather than just putting another book on a shelf. With all of the wedding guest book alternatives to consider, we pulled together a list of our top picks to inspire you that will work with any theme or budget.

Hand Painted Vintage Globe Wedding Guest Book

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Having a travel theme wedding? Love to travel? Hope to have a marriage full of adventure? Then this gorgeous, hand-painted vintage globe would be perfect for your wedding guest book. Grab a few gold metallic sharpie pens and guests signatures will compliment the globe perfectly. Not only will it serve as an amazing detail on your wedding day, but it will continue to be a conversation piece proudly displayed in your home for years to come. Bonus: Add decorative pins every time you and your husband travel to new places. You can purchase one for your wedding at PrettyLittleDooDads on Etsy.

Photo Guest Book

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There are so many ways to utilize photos for a unique and fun wedding guest book. You can buy an Intax Camera and film for guests to capture a hard copy selfie to put in a book with a fun message. Or, you can create a personalized guest book with photos from your engagement session on Shutterfly. That way you can create an album of engagement photos to enjoy next to messages from your friends and family.

Decorative Art Guest Book

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There are so many decorative guest book options to create a memorable and unique guest book that you will proudly display in your new home. This anchor is perfect for a nautical themed wedding or a couple that loves the open seas. Other options include a wooden initial or plank board for guest signatures.

A Quilt Guest Book

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Wrap yourself in the warm messages from your family and friends with a guest book quilt. There are many ways to display the quilt at the reception. You can display individual blocks for the complete quilt. Plus, you can utilize fabrics in colors that compliment your wedding colors and theme.

Need more inspiration? You can see more unique guest book ideas on our Pinterest Board.

What are your favorite wedding guest book alternatives? What unique ideas have you seen? Share them in the comments - we'd love to hear your thoughts!

Unique Wedding Favor Ideas

Wedding favors are a highly debated item when it comes to planning a wedding. However, since the sixteenth century, couples have been giving gifts to wedding guests as a gesture of gratitude for sharing the beginning of their new life together. Today, there are so many unique ideas for wedding favors to fit with any theme and budget. We've pulled together a few fun ideas for wedding favors that your guests will love - that won't break your budget!

Edible Wedding Favors

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You can't go wrong with edible wedding favors. Providing a treat to guests will always be appreciated and enjoyed. You can go personal and provide your Grandmother's recipe for strawberry jam (with the secret ingredient she won't give up!) or share your favorite flavor of gourmet popcorn from the place you went on your first date. It doesn't have to be too meaningful - it can be your favorite food or sweet treat too. Bonus for edible favors - guests will extra love it as edible treats won't end up catching dust on a shelf or taking up space in a kitchen drawer. 

Environmentally Friendly Wedding Favors

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Environmentally friendly wedding favors provide a win/win for couples - they are generally inexpensive and they don't create needless waste. Plus, they are very cute and your guests will appreciate your thoughtfulness. Bonus - how cute are these two options?! Who wouldn't want a heart birdseed feeder or an adorable succulent plant?! 

Useful Accessories

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There are many favor ideas that fall into the useful accessories category - these items can also be thought of as keepsakes or souvenir from the event. These can be personalized to match your event to either be used at the event or in the future - your guests always remembering your special day. 

Favors That Match Your Theme

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Most favors are designed with a particular theme or season in mind - and the above ideas are meant to go along with a winter-themed wedding. Can't you just imagine the snow lightly falling, guests wrapped in a warm fleece blanket next to a crackling fire eating a s'more? No? Just us? You get the idea! Themed favors can be pulled together to compliment every season and setting.

Need more inspiration? We've created a Pinterest Board with a bunch of favor ideas - plus lots of other ideas as you plan your wedding. 

Do you have any favor ideas to share? What did you give your guests or are you planning to give as a favor? We'd love to hear it in the comments below! 

Fall Wedding Ideas and Inspiration

We just love fall weddings here at Dellwood. There's something about fall in Virginia that is absolutely magical. We're clearly not alone, as late September and October are very popular months for weddings at Dellwood Plantation. And, what's not to love? The weather isn't too hot or too cold, the leaves start to change and create the most majestic backgrounds and the evening light creates instant romance. Because we have so many brides that choose fall weddings, we pulled together some inspiration for planning a fall wedding.

Gorgeous Fall Florals

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While most people think of spring and summer for the height of florals, fall gives us so many in-season options that are absolutely gorgeous - no matter your color palette. Right now, we're loving the infusion of Pantone's Color of the Year Marsala into fall weddings. 

Dramatic Wedding Cakes

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Fall provides so many dramatic color palettes, and we just love when those colors, florals, etc. translate onto the cake! There are so many ways to pull your theme into your cake for something completely unique - and delicious too!

Yummy Seasonal Treats

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Fall brings yummy seasonal treats for guests to enjoy including caramel corn, smoores, hot apple cider or hot chocolate - the options and flavors are endless! Plus, guests will absolutely love the delicious treat at the end of the night!

So, what are you loving for fall? What color palettes are inspiring you this season? Tell us in the comments!