Fall Wedding Ideas

Getting married in the fall may be one of the smartest wedding decisions you make...moneywise.  Mother Nature can provide a rustic wedding ceremony and no charge for the setting, russet brown oaks and orange-red sugar maples, enough free pinecones to decorate a thousand tables, unlimited parking, great acoustics…everything but Swarovski crystal chandeliers. Whether you choose a park, a country inn, winery, ranch or farm you can exchange vows under a crimson sky surrounded by chrysanthemums, sunflowers, lilies and hydrangeas. Tables and chairs at your outdoor reception will be covered in layers of gold, russet, sage, rust, yellow, chocolate brown or orange. And your cake? Wonderfully aromatic with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and maple, filled with cream cheese and decorated with edible marizipan fruit and autumn leaves.

Catalina Island Weddings

On a clear day Catalina could be seen from my hometown of Long Beach, California and one summer day when I was eleven years old my notoriously thrifty parents splurged on the costly one hour cruise. My first view of the island, perched above Avalon Bay was the Catalina Casino Ballroom and like any other soppy southern California girl at the time I wondered what it would be like to dance with my husband on the outdoor balconies and sip champagne by the full-length panoramic windows. It wasn’t meant to be (budget-minded back yard reception that was small but splendid), but the Casino (that never really was a place to gamble) has become a well-loved wedding venue for many other California brides.

Surrounded by sea on three sides, the world’s largest circular ballroom, the Art Deco landmark Catalina Casino with its fifty-foot ceilings and sparkling Tiffany chandeliers is available for weddings, but of course it doesn’t come cheap. The enormous maple, oak and rosewood dance floor which can accommodate up to 1,200 guests has a rental fee of $3,000 to $5,000 (think off season) with meals ranging from range $45–75 per person. Your guests will be entertained in the same place thousands of well-dressed socialites in the 1930s and 40s elbowed their way in through the elegant French doors to see and be seen, and catch a glimpse of the “King of Swing” Benny Goodman and other Big Band Era favorites.

Personalized Chocolate Lollipops

Chocolate treats - everyone's favorite! These charming chocolate lollipops, available in round or heart shaped, are available in dark, milk, or white chocolate and are packaged in a cello bag with a white satin bow. As shown, your photo and custom message can be printed on the front or choose from one of these beautiful designs - beach, butterfly, damask, double happiness, fall, flowers, garden, and holiday inspired snowflakes!

Personalized Chocolate Lollipops

Wedding Program Thank You Messages for Parents

Dad, who taught you that jumper cables are your friend and not something to be feared, and Mom who taught you that strangers should be feared and are not your friends, deserve your blessings and praise. And, of course, his parents deserve the same. These messages I borrowed from Wedding Program Thank You Messages and reworded them especially for parents.

 

Special thanks to our loving parents, whose wisdom and guidance shaped our lives and helped make possible this joyous celebration of everlasting love.

Being a witness to the first day of our married lives together, we humbly thank our parents for blessing us with their unconditional love and support.

May God bless our parents for raising us with patience and guidance, and being present to celebrate the love we will cherish forever.

Today, in the presence of our loving parents, family and friends, we have promised our love and devotion and our gratitude is boundless.

Bless our parents for honoring us at this sacred celebration. Their unconditional love has been a steady presence; the rock upon all present and future happiness is built.

We take great pride in honoring our parents today. Their constant devotion has helped us grow into loving adults and made possible this cherished celebration of everlasting love.

A Simple Act of Gratitude: How Learning to Say Thank You Changed My Life