Martha Stewart Weddings and other wedding websites have some lovely ideas to get you started. Check out these photos and then let it flow from there!

Invitations and Envelopes:

via 100layercake

Click here for How to Make These Wallpaper Envelopes.

Ceremony Decor:

The valence, runner, and chair covers are all made from this elegant wallpaper. Click here to learn more about how to do it yourself!

Reception Decor:

These ideas incorporate wallpaper in many things, such as the lampshades, table runners, bottle labels, place card displays, and napkin rings (via Martha Stewart).

Photo Booths

We are a great fan of Wedding Photo Booths, where guests can pose for fun or formal pictures with a great backdrop and fun props. Wallpaper is a fantastic way to entice your guests to pose!

Once you’ve decided on your colors and have your wedding logo designed, the next step is to decide what elements of your wedding should include your logo. This is the fun part! There are so many ways to use wedding logos and monograms to create consistency throughout your day, but you’ll want to keep in mind that going overboard is a big mistake. Here Stacey presents 18 ideas for you to pick from, but be sure to pick only your favorites!

1. Save-the-Dates. Save-the-Dates are the first thing your guests will see, and using your logo on them will help set the tone for the rest of the decor that they will experience. Using your logo alone or with a photo of you and your fiance, are both great ways to incorporate the imagery and your colors. Magnets are my personal favorite, because your guests can use the magnet to hang up your invitation when it arrives, and it serves as a constant reminder to mark their calendars every time they go to the fridge!

2. Invitations. A no-brainer, your logo should be included on your invitation. It can be used in a variety of ways here, either on the top of the invite, as a watermark in the background, or even on the envelope. Make sure your text and color scheme matches or complements the logo colors.

3. Stamps. Custom stamps make all of your wedding mail seamless integrated into your decor. Plus they make a great addition to your wedding album!

4. Ceremony Runner. Custom runners are a growing trend in weddings, and wedding logos make the perfect motif. We suggest a white on white color theme, so as not to distract from the ceremony location, flowers, and bride.

5. Ceremony Programs. What do all of your guests usually look at as they’re waiting for the bride to come down the aile? The programs! Cover yours in your monogram.

6. Bouquet Ribbon. Make your bouquet even more personal with your logo on the ribbon that wraps around the stems.

7. Ceremony Candles. Often during ceremonies, brides and grooms elect to include a candle-lighting ritual that represents the coming together of the couple as one. These candles would look fabulous with your custom wedding logo front and center!

8. Escort Cards. Escort cards help to decorate the table as everyone brings theirs to claim their seats.

9. Gobo Lights. As mentioned in a previous post, gobo lights can be used to shine on your dance floor with your names in lights!

10. Cake Topper. Gone are the days of the traditional bride & groom statue cake toppers. Make your cake super personal with your initials, and take it home to put on display next to your album!

11. Cocktail Napkins. With cocktails flowing, have yours handed out with a custom napkin!

12. Door, Wall, & Floor Decals. Decals (which are basically great big stickers) make the place look like it was built just for you.

13. Wine Labels. Offer your guests wine at each table, straight from your very own vineyard (or it can appear that way)!

14. Champagne Flutes. Include your wedding logo in your toast, as everyone raises their custom glasses! These also make great favors for your guests to take home.

15. Stickers. So versatile, stickers can be used on all of your envelopes, or on practically any favor to make it customized for your wedding.

16. Hang Tags on your favors also add a personal touch.

17. Thank-You Cards. Your Thank-You cards are the last thing your guests will receive to remember your day, so include a photo of the happy couple as well as your logo to tie the theme together.

18. Wall Art. As a new couple, you’ll be decorating your home together. Use the first symbol of your married life together as wall decor, and you’ll have a reminder of your special day every time you look at it.

Here are some of Stacey’s great custom wedding monograms! Don’t forget that Stacey has created a coupon code for 10% off for Bride.net readers! Enter the code BRIDENET when you’re ready to check out, and receive this 10% discount on your custom wedding logo! You can also check out her blog for more great logo ideas!

If you have any other ideas for using wedding logos, please share them in the comments!

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Here are some new ways of using this old classic.

invitations from Brides.com

decor ideas from the knot

table settings from Brides.com

Bride & Groom style from Brides.com

cakes from the knot

bridesmaids photos from the knot

Programs and favors from the knot

sequin pump: Unbeatable Sale, hair accessory: I am Fashion, Sequin Clutch Bag: Glitzy-n-Glamorous

Dresses, Shoes, & Accessories:

Flower girl cardigan and shoes: Martha Stewart Wedding

Vintage Style Sequin Rose Hair Corsage: Is Elegant

Gold sequin pump: Unbeatable Sale

Gold Sequin Encrusted Clutch Bag: Glitzy-n-Glamorous

(How awesome would these shoes and clutch be together? I say, very!)

Pink sequin shoes: ChicStories

… And Sequins for the guys too!

Pink sequined tie (to match the bride’s/bridesmaids’ pink shoes!) Twenga

Silver sequin bow tie: windy city novelties

Favors, Invitations, and More:

Candy favors rolled up in colorful tissue paper and sequins: Martha Stewart Weddings

Embellish invitations, place cards, and stationary with sequins. Give guests packets of sequins to throw instead of confetti or rice! Martha Stewart Weddings

Glam up your wedding venue with sequin garlands (This Next) and butterflies (wedding-favours.com- check out this site, the have the most gorgeous butterflies!)

Ring pillow: Martha Stewart Weddings

Sequined wedding cake (if you’re really into this theme!): SweetElement

Invitations: The first whiff of fall comes to your guests in the mail. Decorate Save-the-Date cards and invitations with vines, leaves, scroll work, and flourishes for ultimate autumn elegance.

A gold leaf seal on the envelope or a sprinkling of colorful silk leaves when they open the invitation is a pretty touch!

Decorating ideas: Glittering maple leaves will help give your reception a magical autumn look, whether displayed on a wall or as part of your centerpieces. A unity candle or bridal bouquet wrapped in gold satin ribbon is pretty and sophisticated, especially trimmed with bows and pearls. And what do you think about those precious flower girls scattering baskets of autumn leaves or dried flowers instead of rose petals?  This taupe rhinestone basket will be just the thing!

Centerpieces and Table Decor: A simple vase of flowers surrounded by red and gold flower petals becomes a lovely tribute to fall’s beauty.  To wake things up even more, use eye-popping table linens in orange or crimson. You can also engage the stunning contrast of dark green tablecloths and bright flowers and accessories. Incorporate maple leaf garlands, pumpkins, fruits, tree branches, and of course fall-colored flowers such as yellow sunflowers and red roses. If you want to go with a fall harvest theme, use baskets overflowing with flowers, fruits, gourds, pumpkins, and berries.

Bouquets and flowers: Speaking of flowers, there are so many glorious options to chose from! Gerbera daisies and roses in autumn colors, calla lilies, dahlias, sunflowers, mimosa, delphinium, gladioli, bouvardia, orchids, birds of paradise. Intertwine these flowers with fruits, berries, ivy, grasses or twigs and finish off with soft ribbons or metallic accessories for a look that’s unique and gorgeous!

Wedding cakes and cupcakes: For a final taste of fall sweetness, decorate your cake with colorful frosting, ribbons, and scroll work, adorned with candied flowers, leaves, acorns, and berries.

• Trim the guest list. Invite only the people you feel close to. “You really don’t need to invite everyone you know or have a party of 20 bridesmaids,” says Maria McBride, an editor at Brides magazine.

• Do-it-yourself invitations. “Paper is cheap and most people have a computer, word processing software and a decent printer already at home, which makes invitations an easy way to save some cash and be creative,” says the owner of DIYBride.com.

• Be your own DJ.Creating your own iPod playlist for the evening saves cash and makes sure you won’t hear the “Funky Chicken” for the third time.

• Make it a brunch or a cocktail party. If you want a cheaper menu, switch up the time of day or stick to finger food. (Note that a buffet isn’t always cheaper than a sit-down meal.)

   

   

• Raise the bar. An open bar is a big expense, even though most guests will stick to champagne and wine. Instead, create a specialty cocktail or two and choose a mid-level wine. Try to work out a deal to return any wine your guests don’t drink.

   

   

• Use simple flowers. Maria McBride, author of “Party Basics for New Nesters,” suggests spreading an affordable flower like daisies or babies breath everywhere, creating foliage-only centerpieces, or putting small plants into an affordable clay or glazed pot. Or make your own vase out of recycled tin cans or wine bottles.

   

   

• Create your own centerpieces. Candles or fruit can save money and look pretty in batches. “Mass out votives everywhere, cluster them in groups of 10 — it enhances the mood and it offers the most affordable bang for the buck,” McBride says.

   

   

• Think rustic. Decor that looks cheap in a hotel ballroom can be charming in a backyard, farm or vineyard. Just pick a spot that specializes in special events, or you’ll be saddled with unfortunate extras, like port-a-potties.

   

   

• Forget the favors. It may seem like a small expense, but even cheap trinkets add up when you have a lot of guests. Odds are, there will be no complaints if you skip the favor entirely. Who needs another place-card picture frame or heart-shaped soaps? (If you still want a favor, try something edible like homemade cookies baked by your bridesmaids!)
  

1) Name the city I’m living in now.

2) Name at least two of my closest friends.

3) Name my current employer and my past employer.

4) Do I have any kids?

5) Do you know the name of my fiancé? Bonus question: Where and when did we meet?

6) Do you know where my parents are and whether they are still alive?

7) Name at least two of my hobbies.

How old am I?

9) Where did I go to college?

10) Name my last boyfriend before this engagement. Bonus question: if you can name the last two and why we broke up. If you get the bonus question right, that might automatically get you in.

Audry Irvine claims that this is a tactic she’d love to use to weed out unwanted wedding guests. Anyone who answered less than half the questions right would not be invited to the wedding.

Humorous of not, you don’t really need a silly quiz like that to decide who to invite to your wedding.  Making a guest list should not be all that confusing or burdensome. Remember, it’s about having those near and dear to you share the most special day of your life! If they are NOT near or dear, don’t invite them! If you posses a little delicacy and common sense, you’ll do jut fine.  I’d suggest asking YOURSELF the following questions:

1. Who do I love the most? This one’s easy! If the thought of your old college roommate makes you smile, even if you haven’t spoken to her in years (and she may not know the name of your employer or your past boyfriends) invite her!

2. Who am I obligated to invite? This generally includes family members, even the ones you don’t know well or don’t really like.  And yes, you do have to invite your dad, even though he lives in Alaska and never even sends you a holiday card. That’s called RESPECT.

3. Talk to your parents about a few close friends they want to invite. (Key word is “few,” unless your parents are helping you pay for the wedding.) Even though it is your day, your parents are proud of you and what to share your big day with their closest friends too. This goes for in-laws’ friends as well. Unless you like being completely selfish, this is the right thing to do.

“Behind the Wedding Scenes” blog suggests removing entire categories to help keep the guests to a minimum. “Decide no kids, no work-related people, no relations beyond first cousins, no dates for singles, no redheads.”

If you find that even with all this trimming and cutting you still have too many people on your list, consider cutting something else. Maybe you can skip the wedding favors or reduce the amount of flowers. Use a DJ instead of hiring a band.  Search the web for many more ways to cut wedding costs and do-if-yourself options, and put the money saved toward expanding your guest list.

“Behind the Wedding Scenes” also suggest making it hard for a large number of people to attend:

• Hold the wedding in the middle of the week.
• Hold the wedding at a distant location.
• Require formal attire or elaborate, expensive costumes.
• Hold the wedding at an inconvenient time (6am).

And a little more helpful advice:

• Send out the invitation six to eight weeks before the event. As you get negative responses, send out your “B list” invitations to people who didn’t make the cut. Stop sending invitations out a month before the wedding date; last-minute invitees will realize their status and be insulted.
• Manage expectations among potential guests. Let it be known that you plan on a small wedding so that no one is really expecting to be invited. If an invitation arrives, the invitee will be deeply flattered, but those who are not invited will not be hurt–at least that’s the theory.
• You are expected to include spouses, fiances or long-term live-in companions of your guests. If a guest is only casually dating, you are not obliged to extend an invitation to his date.
• If you forget to invite someone, the next time you see them act annoyed with them for not sending back the RSVP card.

Trend: Dynamic Colors

Think sophisticated brights. Sticking with just two hues (or two plus an accent color) will keep your space unified. Rather than splashing color all over your reception space, use one dynamic color for a strong statement — think all-pink centerpieces or bold orange table linens. This holds especially true for your centerpieces: Instead of multicolored centerpieces, alternate single-color floral arrangements for a pulled-together look.

Trend: Upscale Picnic Food

Summer is the season for barbecuing, so consider serving a grilled entree for instant seasonal style.  Stay on the lighter side with chicken or fish. Bringing in fruity flavors will add even more seasonal flair — think chili-lime rubbed chicken breasts or grilled tilapia topped with mango salsa.  Upscale picnic-style fare is both a low-maintenance and high-style way to go. One example menu we love: coconut-fried chicken served with dipping sauces, red bliss potato salad, and mandarin orange and mesclun salad with raspberry vinaigrette.

Trend: New Themes

Think of your favorite summer hangouts when planning your theme. Rather than just any beach, bring in elements specific to the beach you remember as a kid. If it was a cabin in the woods, go for a wilderness theme. Another idea is to honor your honeymoon destination. If you’re having a garden wedding but honeymooning in Hawaii, add orchids to your bouquets or fill the bottoms of your centerpiece vases with black lava rocks.

Trend: Unexpected Invitations

Use colors in a new and unexpected way on your invites by reversing the typical invitation color scheme. For example, rather than using fuchsia lettering on a cream-colored invite, opt for cream print on fuchsia paper. Or mix it up — do the cream-colored invite with fuchsia writing, and then a bright pink reply card with a cream-colored font. Consider the material of your invite as well.

One hot-off-the-press idea: Get fabric-printed invites, programs, and escort cards for a laid-back look perfect for summer.

Trend: Wine Smoothies

Wine smoothies are cold, frosty, and pack less of an alcoholic punch than margaritas. Perfect for your cocktail hour and as a signature drink for the evening, ask your caterer about serving one of these concoctions. A wine smoothie consists of a fruity wine, like rose, blended with ice and fruits of your choice. Garnished with a couple of berries or fruit slices, it makes for a refreshing and unexpected signature sip.

Trend: Natural Centerpieces

Cut citrus fruit is a tried-and-true favorite for summertime centerpieces, but other options out there are more unexpected and just as visually appealing. Have your florist use hollowed-out watermelons as a centerpiece container for a casual look that’s fun and seasonal. Another option is to go natural and green with your containers. Incorporate wooden vases or pedestals with grass or moss to give centerpieces a textured, natural feel.

Trend: Beyond Wedding Cake

White wedding cakes are popular for every season, and of course, chocolate always reigns for groom’s cakes. But with cake bakers nowadays offering so many delectable flavors and fillings, why not try a seasonal selection?  Think fresh strawberries and whipped cream filling for a strawberry shortcake-style wedding cake, or a citrus-infused filling like Key lime, lemon, or orange vanilla buttercream that honors a summertime fruit.

A big-hit idea we love: Hire an ice cream truck to arrive at the end of the night offering summertime favorites — the perfect nostalgic, late-night snack for your guests.

Trend: Eco-Friendly Favors

Why not give back to the planet while you give to your guests? Eco-friendly favors are bigger than ever, particularly if you’re taking advantage of natural beauty and marrying outdoors. One idea: Give guests locally grown herbs planted in recyclable glass jars or tin cans. Dressed up with ribbon or paper in your wedding colors, they’re gorgeous and good for the earth. Beyond plants, you might also consider donating to a local charity for a wedding favor idea that never goes out of season.

So is MakeCupcakesNot War:

 And take a look at these gorgous fall wedding invitations: