Real talk: the average wedding produces 400 pounds of trash and 63 tons of carbon dioxide. When you do the math with these statistics for the average amount of weddings per year (which is 2.5 million), you get roughly one billion pounds of trash, and as many carbon dioxide emissions as about four people would produce in a year…in one day. It’s time to get more eco-friendly, people. This is why a sustainable wedding is better for everyone.

More and more couples are making it a priority to plan and design their dream wedding with the environment in mind, which needed to happen from the beginning. If you’re engaged and looking for how to have a sustainable wedding, here are the best methods for reducing your carbon footprint without sacrificing style.

Image: botanicalpaperworks.com

An Eco-Friendly Menu

Choosing local and/or organic foods that are in season will reduce the emissions involved with shipping food across the country, as well as support local farmers. The same goes for local breweries and wineries. Whether your wedding venue is providing the wedding meal, you’re hiring an outside caterer, or someone you know is providing the food, try your best to source organic, local, fair trade, and ethically-produced ingredients.

A Sustainable Cake

Be sure to ask your baker if they can source organic, local, fair trade ingredients for your wedding cake (including ethical eggs) and incorporate in-season, local fruits. Recycle and repurpose the cake “accessories” too, like ribbons and platters, or use natural elements.

Also consider ditching the wedding cake altogether in favor of a beautiful dessert table. This can often be much more sustainable than a cake that will end up being wasted.

A Secondhand Wedding Dress

Picture your dream wedding dress. Chances are, it already exists and has been worn before. “Secondhand” doesn’t have to mean outdated and dirty. In fact, many brides have discovered the beauty of pre-worn wedding dresses. A secondhand wedding dress — especially when vintage or antique — can be stunningly beautiful, unique, and perfectly made. Remember, many of these dresses were only worn once, and are practically new.

Click to enlarge these gorgeous secondhand wedding dresses:

Perhaps someone in your family would like to let you wear their wedding dress, so be sure to check out old photos to see if anything is to your taste.

Choosing a secondhand wedding dress is essentially recycling. Doing so reduces pollution by skipping the exhaustive manufacturing process. If you really think you can’t find a secondhand wedding dress that you like, do consider finding a designer that is fair-trade and eco-friendly, such as Silviyana.

Local, Organic Blooms

It’s not only food that is eco-friendlier when local. Flowers are also much more earth-conscious when used from local sources. Not all flowers are organic (chemicals are often used to get rid of insects), but it’s possible to find incredible vendors that use organic blooms to curate pretty, unique, pesticide-free bouquets and centerpieces. You can also look for local native flowers and plants to celebrate where you’re from and where your wedding is taking place.

You can also consider decorating with living plants (see: potted) and/or succulents for decoration, which some of your guests can take home.

Also be sure to choose a floral vendor who does not use floral foam; it’s horrible for the environment. It is not biodegradable and releases harmful chemicals if burned. Instead, use recyclable floral foam — or nothing at all.

One Venue

Consider hosting your wedding ceremony and the reception in the same wedding venue in order to cut down on emissions. This will also be more convenient for your wedding guests. Bonus points if your venue also has an on-site kitchen for the catering, as this will also cut down on emissions.

Image: De Luxe Banquet Hall

Cut Down On Printing

Don’t print out anything unless it’s absolutely necessary. In this day and age, everything can be digital anyway. Be sure to take advantage of services such as Zola or Evernote to organize your contracts, vendor research, to-do lists, and other paperwork digitally.

Dishes and Utensils

At De Luxe Banquet Hall, we often see couples and caterers use single-use plates, cups, napkins, and cutlery. It’s understandable to want something that’s easy to clean up, but you know what’s not easy to clean up? Our planet. All of those items will most likely end up in a landfill somewhere, so consider requesting sustainable, compostable, or reusable dishes, napkins, and cutlery from your catering company or venue. And no plastic straws! This also goes for any pre- or post-wedding events, such as bridesmaids brunches or the rehearsal dinner.

Rent Dishes And Linens

If your caterer or venue simply doesn’t provide sustainable/compostable/reusable dishes, napkins, and cutlery, consider renting these things from a specialty company. Just be sure to ask the rental company about their cleaning process, as some methods can be more harmful to the environment than others.

Decorate With Nature

Instead of lots of paper wedding décor or buying brand-new items, consider using completely natural elements to beautify your big day. Ideas such as leaf table cards, a greenery trellis, and tree log platters work fabulously.

Image: etsy.com/shop/LaMiaCasa

Plantable Paper

Seed paper is a godsend. You can choose to print your wedding invitations, thank-you cards, table cards, signs, and anything else printable on this 100% biodegradable paper. Paper factories pollute the environment, and a crazy amount of paper is discarded each each year instead of being recycled.

Digital Invites

While seed paper is a great idea, you can also choose to send all of your save the dates and wedding invitations digitally. Paperless Post allows couples to choose what they want to be digital and what they would like to have printed (if anything). There’s even an option to print one keepsake printed invitation for you as a couple.

Eco-Conscious Printers

If you don’t want to go digital with your invites and seed paper isn’t an option (for whatever reason), select a very eco-conscious stationery brand, such as Ephemora, that does everything possible to reduce their carbon footprint while simultaneously providing gorgeous paper goods. This can mean the company uses recycled paper; paper made from properly managed forests; eco-friendly print methods; shipping using carbon offset credits, and printing locally.

Image: ephemora.com

No Wrapping

This one is pretty simple: on your gift registry, add a polite request that no gifts be wrapped — or, if they are wrapped, that they use eco-friendly wrapping paper.

Kegs Over Bottles

Bottles and cans, just clap your hands…or don’t! It’s bad enough that the bar will be using a lot of glassware at your wedding reception, but just think about the amount of bottles and cans that alcohol comes in. Don’t provide those little cans of wine and champagne; instead, stay with full-sized bottles. As for beer, consider choosing a keg (or kegs) over bottles. Just make sure that’s okay with your venue first.

Donate Or Compost Waste

One of the biggest contributors to wedding waste is leftover food and flowers. These often wind up in a landfill, but could very easily be composted or donated. Speak with your caterer or venue about where the leftover flowers and food go after the wedding, and if they don’t have a sustainable one, take it upon yourself to arrange a plan to either donate or compost it. Organizations such as Random Acts of Flowers accept donations of flowers and vases for health care facilities, and there are certainly plenty of homeless shelters that would accept the donated food.

Used Wedding Décor

If using nature as décor isn’t quite your thing, there are other options for sustainable wedding decorations. You can buy used wedding décor from a former bride, or borrow it if you know her. There is also a whole world of possibilities when you utilize thrift shops. You can find some truly unique, beautiful, and affordable decorations.

Image: daniaustin.com

Reusing Décor

Did you know that your wedding décor can perform double duty? This not only contributes to a sustainable wedding plan; it also saves you money. For example, bridesmaid bouquets can become table centerpieces. A ceremony backdrop can become a photo booth backdrop. Chair florals that were at the ceremony can be moved to the reception to decorate the dessert or cake table. Try your best to find a second use for every décor item you use.

A Vegetarian Menu

Because meat is one of the top contributors to methane (one of the world’s most potent GHG gasses), couples should consider choosing a vegetarian menu for their wedding. This will greatly reduce the carbon footprint of the wedding, as well as slow down climate change. If this is too much for you, then at least aim for a menu that is 50% vegetarian.

Sustainable Beauty

The chemicals and artificial ingredients in some makeup and hair care products is outrageous. In addition to our health, these ingredients are also hazardous to the environment. For your sustainable wedding, be sure to ask your makeup and hair stylists what cruelty-free, zero-waste or locally-produced beauty products they can use. A great resource to use for information on this is Cruelty Free Kitty.

No Bottled Water

Plastic water bottles have a very high carbon footprint, and they typically go straight to a landfill, where they don’t degrade for decades. Instead, provide reusable cups and provide a refillable water container. (Bonus: this will also be much more visually appealing than a bunch of shiny water bottles peppering tables.)

Favors

Any wedding planner will tell you that, more often than not, wedding favors are left behind after the wedding. They end up being a huge waste, so be careful when (and if) you decide to provide wedding favors. If you really want to provide them to your guests, try to give things like plants, seeds, or something edible that will not get left behind. Also, be sustainable-minded when selecting the packaging.

Send-Offs And Surprises

We’ve all heard about the fireworks surprise, the balloon surprise, the floating lantern surprise, and sparkler send-offs. These are all certainly lovely and thrilling, but eco-friendly? Not so much. Balloons are terrible for the environment, as are fireworks and lanterns. Instead, think about using items such as biodegradable confetti or leaves.

Image: emilynicolephoto.com

Registry

Registries can be tricky, because it’s so easy to just go nuts and pick a ton of things. However, be very mindful when making your wedding registry. Think about whether the items you’re choosing have a negative impact on the environment, the waste from the packaging, the emissions from the shipping, and if you really need the item(s) or not.

When working on your wedding registry, consider requesting fair trade, eco-friendly items. The ABC Home Store is a fantastic option for sustainable home items. You can also register for things like gift cards or experiences to cut down on waste.

Reusable Signage

If you’re planning to have wedding signs for parking, hashtag announcement, reserved seating, or anything else, consider using multi-purpose sign options that can be re-used after the wedding, such as chalkboards or glass pieces that can be customized with markers or paint. Getting a new paper sign for everything you want to mark is extremely wasteful.

Once you begin planning a sustainable wedding, you won’t be able to stop the great ideas. Choosing even just some of these ideas will greatly reduce your wedding’s carbon footprint, and you may just set a shining example for others. Good luck! And be sure to consider De Luxe Banquet Hall for your venue. Contact us with any questions!

There’s something that engaged couples realize very quickly: planning a wedding is a lot of work. As in, hundreds of hours of planning for the average ceremony and reception. Because of this, when many couples sit down to actually begin the organizing, budgeting, and scheduling, they can become pretty overwhelmed — and this is exactly why the services of a good wedding planner are so often required.

A talented wedding planner can help put together your wedding budget; they have relationships with wedding vendors and venue; they can source quotes, deal with suppliers, and they can take care of hundreds of other details that you may have never even thought of. In short, a good wedding planner equals peace of mind.

But how do you go about finding the best wedding planner for your big day? When there are so many to choose from, how do you know you’re hiring the exact right person for your specific wedding? Take a look at these must-do tips in order to find the best wedding planner for you.

Love Their Portfolio

This one is obvious, but it’s worth mentioning: you need to love the work of the wedding planner you’re considering.

Check out their website or photos of weddings they’ve planned. Does it match your expectations and taste? Does it look similar to what you want your wedding day to look like?

Don’t settle. Make sure that before you meet with a wedding planner that he or she has the level of talent you want.

Meet With Them In Person

Initially, it will probably begin with a phone call or email. But because your wedding planner will play such an important role for your ceremony and reception, it’s an absolute must to meet with him or her in person before hiring.

After you’ve done your research by checking out their work online and reading their reviews, if you feel like they’ll be a good match for you, reach out and ask for a meeting.

Image: somethingperfectclt.com

Meeting him or her in person will help give you a sense of their personality, communication, passion, and work ethic. You’ll know after the meeting if you and the potential wedding planner mesh well or not, which is a critical trait.

Make Sure You Connect Well

Don’t underestimate how important it is to actually like your wedding planner and connect with them. Besides loving their work and meshing well, you should also respect them, like them, and be able to communicate comfortably with them.

This is the person you’ll be entrusting one of the biggest days of your life to, so hire someone who you get along well with on both a professional and personal level.

Make Sure They Understand Your Vision

If you have a specific vision or theme for your wedding, this is something you need to discuss during the very first meeting with your potential wedding planner. Whether it’s a simple color palette or a huge, ambitious theme, you’ll need to know that he or she feels comfortable and confident taking it on. Explain exactly what you want (photo references are helpful), and be up front about everything you’ll require.

You Need To Like Their Answers

Before you go into your face-to-face meeting, write a list of questions to ask. Making a list will ensure you don’t forget anything you need to know. Once you get into the meeting and begin asking questions, it’s important that you feel comfortable with their answers.

For example, if you ask “What’s your backup plan if you get sick and can’t make it to my wedding?” and he or she answers, “Oh, I won’t get sick!”, that’s a red flag. Everyone gets sick, and the best wedding planners have a backup strategy.

Or if you ask about weather emergency plans, or traffic emergency plans, and you dislike their answer, move on to the next wedding planner on your list.

Make Sure Your Wedding Will Be Unique

If your wedding “standing out” is important to you, look for a wedding planner who has a wide variety of style and detail in their work.

If you go through a planner’s website and every wedding they’ve done looks the exact same (or has the same wedding vendors each time), you may want to find someone who adapts more to each unique couple’s tastes.

Agree On The Pricing Structure

During your first meeting with your potential wedding planner, you need to go ahead and talk money. Getting this covered early on will help you know if this is the right person for your wedding.

Each couple and wedding planner are different. Some couples want a wedding planner for only a few things, such as handling the vendors. Other couples want a wedding planner to do literally everything, including the budget, choosing the venue, helping with the seating arrangement, etc.

Because of this, there are different fees and structures. It’s important that once you’ve established what the wedding planner will be doing, you both agree on the pricing structure. This could be any of the following:

• A flat fee
• A base fee, plus extra charges depending on expenses
• An hourly rate

It’s essential to be up front with your potential wedding planner when it comes to the pricing structure in order to ensure that everyone is happy.

Be Comfortable With The Contract

Contracts aren’t the most fun part of anything, but they are extremely important. Be sure that once you’ve decided you like a certain wedding planner that you read very carefully through their contract. Even if you love their work and you get along, you need to agree with what is included in the contract.

A few things that the best wedding planners’ contracts include are:

• The wedding planner’s complete fee and payment schedule
• Backup plan if he or she can’t come to the wedding
• His or her total, itemized responsibilities as the wedding planner
• Wedding date, time, and location
• Cancellation and refund policy

If for any reason the wedding planner gets flaky or turns out to be terrible, you’ll want this contract on hand.

We sincerely hope that this article helps you find the best wedding planner for your ceremony and reception! Besides the person you’re marrying, the wedding planner may just be the most important person in your life for the next several months! Just kidding, but they are important. So good luck, and if you’re looking for your perfect Los Angeles reception hall, check out our event venues at De Luxe!

If you’re currently planning your wedding and you’ve decided to appoint honorary bridesmaids, you may be wondering if you should get them honorary bridesmaid gifts — and if so, what would be the right thing.

Here we’ll take a look at some great ideas for your honorary girls.

What Is An Honorary Bridesmaid?

Before we get into honorary bridesmaid gifts, let’s discuss exactly what this role is.

First of all, it’s important to be aware that it’s actually kind of a controversial topic. Why? Because while some people would be flattered when asked to be an honorary bridesmaid, others are offended because they feel they aren’t “good enough” to be included as a “real” bridesmaid. So if you’re planning on asking individuals to be an honorary bridesmaid, be sure to consider their personality. Will they be happy or not about your invitation to this position?

Where Does The Honorary Bridesmaid Come From?

Traditionally, an honorary bridesmaid was a family member such as an aunt or cousin who was important to the bride, but not necessarily a super close friend.

This person would be honored with a mention in the program, a corsage, perhaps a special duty like a reading or song, and would be expected to help out during the day. She would also be invited to the rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, and showers, but not the bachelorette party. She would also not be expected to get a bridesmaid dress.

Today, the term “honorary bridesmaid” is more loose. It has become basically anyone whom the bride wants to be included, but not too included.

Duties can range from everything to nothing at all. The honorary bridesmaid is sometimes given to little girls to make them feel special, or to friends who have fallen out of touch, or perhaps to a bride’s new sister-in-law who she may not be especially close to.

Every situation is different.

To Be Or Not To Be An Honorary Bridesmaid

Because some people do get quite offended when asked to be an honorary bridesmaid, we recommend playing it safe. Here’s the lowdown on who you should and shouldn’t ask to be an honorary bridesmaid:

Friend – Shouldn’t. No matter how sweet you think you’re being to “include” this person, skip it. You’re basically telling them that they did not make the cut. Either invite that friend to be in the bridal party, or don’t.

Aunt – Should. This is actually traditional, and your aunt will love the honor. She is most likely completely outside of your friend group, and therefore won’t expect to be a bridesmaid.

Co-worker – Shouldn’t. It’s awkward, even if you’re buddies. Just invite her as a guest.

Cousin – Should. This one comes with a condition. It’s really only a good idea to make a cousin an honorary bridesmaid if you haven’t asked any other cousins to be a “real” bridesmaid, and if you’re not super close with her. If you’re extremely close, she should probably be a bridesmaid.

New sister-in-law – Depends. This one will have to be determined on a situational basis. You may be crazy about your sister-in-law-to-be, but don’t necessarily want her included at your bachelorette party. Or maybe you do! Or, you may not really like her. Sometimes “honorary bridesmaid” is the perfect role for a new sister-in-law, and sometimes it’s a terrible idea. This decision will have to be made by you and your future spouse.

Okay, What About Honorary Bridesmaid Gifts?

Now that we’ve established what an honorary bridesmaid is, why they can be controversial, and what may be considered rude, we finally come to what makes a good honorary bridesmaid gift.

First of all, understand that you don’t need to get an honorary bridesmaid any gift. However, if you want to, here are some good ideas.

Initial Necklace

A tasteful initial necklace or other piece of jewelry is always a lovely gift. Of course, you should consider if the individual you’re asking is a “jewelry person” first, but typically this honorary bridesmaid gift goes over very well.

Image: Etsy | TexansJewelry

A Nice Dinner

Whether you decide to have your honorary bridesmaid(s) over for a dinner you cook yourself or take them out to a nice restaurant, this is a very nice gesture that they will truly appreciate.

Cozy Slippers

Even if your honorary bridesmaid(s) already has slippers, chances are she will love a nice new pair.

Image: Etsy | sheepersLTD

Mini Spa Gift Set

This will look (and probably sounds) fancy, but with a price tag of about $14 like this one from Zaaina, it’s not too harsh on your wallet.

Image: Amazon | Zaaina

An Orchid Or Plant

A beautiful plant always makes a wonderful honorary bridesmaid gift because it continues to give by bringing beauty and positive energy into the space where it lives. Besides this, it’s a visual reminder of your friendship.

Image: instagram.com/phalaenopsis2409

Ring Holder

When it comes to honorary bridesmaid gifts, practicality is always appreciated. If your honorary girl(s) wear rings, this is a good one that helps keep their rings from getting lost. You can even go a step further and have the ring holder customized for them.

Image: urbanoutfitters.com

Turbie Twist

We love to recommend a Turbie Twist for gifts all the time because they. Are. Amazing. If you’ve never heard of it, a Turbie Twist is a super-absorbent “towel” — only it’s better than a towel — that is smaller and stays very secure on the head. No, we don’t work for Turbie Twist; we just love them. We’ve seen this gift given at many of our events, and it stands out as one that ladies (and long-haired men) love!

Image: instagram.com/jennaveroni

Gourmet Tea Gift Set

If your honorary bridesmaid loves tea, this is a true treat. Luxury tea gift boxes like this one from Harney & Sons will delight her, and she will think of you with each cuppa she enjoys.

Image: harney.com

Personalized Compact Mirror

Another practical honorary bridesmaid gift, a personalized compact mirror will be treasured. What lady wouldn’t love this tasteful expression of gratitude?

Image: Etsy | fromwillow

A Hand-Written Letter

If you want to provide honorary bridesmaid gifts but you’re on a tight budget, a sweet, hand-written letter to your honorary bridesmaid(s) on lovely stationery would be a very meaningful gift that they would cherish. A letter will give you the opportunity to open your heart and let her know exactly how you feel about her, and how important she is to you.

We sincerely hope that this list helps if you’re giving honorary bridesmaid gifts. Remember that if you’re having multiple honorary bridesmaids, you don’t even have to give them matching gifts. Pick and choose what suits each personality in order to make everyone feel appreciated. Good luck! And if you’re still looking for your Los Angles wedding reception hall, consider us at De Luxe! Contact us with any questions.

For just about every experience you have, most likely there’s always something you wish you could change or do differently. Hindsight is 20/20 for a reason, and it always seems to be crystal clear what you should have done once it’s all over. Wedding planning is no different, and all of the time in the world can’t prepare you for what you might miss the mark on. Here we’ve put together some great advice from newlywed couples who have gone through the wedding process and learned from their experiences.

Don’t Feel Rushed To Get Married

Whether you’re working a lot, going to school, or are trying to save up money, there are many reasons to hold off on getting married right away. Don’t feel pressured into having a quick engagement, because there are no rules about how long an engagement should be. Every couple is different. Many have chosen to have years-long engagements for the sake of ensuring they have plenty of time to plan exactly what they want for their wedding.

“We took three years to plan our wedding and make sure the timing was right,” says Ani Garabedian of Los Angeles. “I was getting my cosmetology license and my husband was working constantly because he’s a lawyer. We wanted to be engaged and start the wedding planning process, but it was also important to us to not feel rushed into a half-planned wedding day.”

Start Planning Early

Hear this now: wedding vendors get booked up fast! When it comes to getting those special details, it’s never too early to book your band, baker, photographer, makeup artist, florist, whatever. If you wait too long to reach out to the vendor you want to help make your wedding day amazing, they may not be available on your date and you’ll have to go with your second (or third or fourth) option.

“We waited to book our live wedding band until two months before our wedding,” says Paula Hollingsworth of Pasadena. “I thought that would be plenty of time, but I was shocked to learn that they were booked solid for an entire year. My heart was broken because they had played at all of my sisters’ weddings. The band we ended up with was okay, but they weren’t my first choice. I would definitely recommend booking your band as soon as you know who you want.”

The Time Spent Planning Is Worth It

Don’t feel ashamed to invest your time and energy on wedding planning. You’re not just “planning a party”; you’re investing in one of the most important and meaningful days of your life that should truly reflect you and your fiancé(e). If you start to convince yourself that wedding planning is silly or a waste of time, don’t. You may even look back and wish you had taken it even more seriously. Take the time to make it personal, and remember that the time spent planning is well worth it.

“Planning our wedding was a huge amount of work,” says Lily Wilkerson of Los Angeles. “It took me so much time, but on our wedding day, it was all worth it because we knew that everything we’d chosen, every unique detail and choice, represented our love and relationship. We were very proud of ourselves.”

Don’t Keep Changing Things

Once you know what you want and you’ve booked your vendors, it’s important to avoid going down the path of thinking, “What if I did it this way instead?” or “What if that other vendor was actually better?” Overthinking every detail and second guessing yourself once things are booked is not what you want to end up doing. In order to avoid this but still have exactly the vendors you want, do plenty of research and think every decision over carefully for awhile before signing contracts and booking people. Don’t rush into anything, and really study your options.

“I feel so horrible now, looking back,” says Rebecca Graystone of Santa Monica. “I would choose flowers, meet with the florist, then change my mind about everything because I would suddenly want a different color palette. My problem was I’d get so excited and book someone before I put in the proper amount of time checking out inspiration boards and magazines. It’s tough because you don’t want to wait too long to book, but you also need to make sure you’re booking the vendor that you like more than any others.”

Make Planning Special

Wedding planning can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. If you’re doing your wedding planning with your fiancé(e), make it a relaxing date night situation. Open a bottle of wine (or your favorite drink to share) and decide on final details like the music for the ceremony and special dances. You will look back on these special dates, and you’ll be happy you took the time to make the planning a special moment between you and your soon-to-be spouse.

“My husband did NOT like wedding planning, but it was really important to me that he had a voice throughout the process,” says Christie Yi of Los Angeles. “I wanted to make sure that the wedding reflected his tastes, too. So when we would plan together, I would make his favorite dinner and then we’d play Scrabble afterwards, because it’s his favorite game. Those nights actually ended up becoming some of our best dates.”

Have A “Getaway Activity”

Whether you’re doing your wedding planning with your fiancé(e) or not, it’s very important to take breaks with a getaway activity every once in awhile. Wedding planning can get busy, overwhelming, and can pull you in many directions when dealing with planners, vendors, and family and friends. Be sure to schedule a specific time each week where you don’t do any planning or even think about it. It can be as simple as going for a run or hike, bowling, or watching a movie in the theater.

“I got so crazy when planning our wedding that I began making weekly appointments to get a massage,” says DiDi Malla of Hollywood. “Doing that helped calm me down so much. I could turn off my brain and just relax for a minute.”

Be Open-Minded

Although you probably have very specific ideas in mind about what you want for your wedding, it’s important to keep your fiancé(e) in mind as well. From the beginning of the planning process, prepare yourself to accept that he or she may have their own ideas, and that you’ll most likely need to compromise. Your wedding a reflection of the both of you together and your unique relationship.

“My husband wanted all his groomsmen to wear Guardians of the Galaxy socks,” says Marina Grady of Santa Monica. “I did not want that. However, I could see that it was really important to him, so I didn’t fuss too much. He got his way, and I got my live mariachi band.”

Enjoy This Special Time

Planning a wedding can be a very special process to go through with your fiancé(e). It’s often one of the first times that a couple truly learns what it’s like to plan together, make important decisions, and compromise. It can really help you grow and progress as a couple.

“We fought. We cried. We laughed,” says Rachel Ryley of Los Angeles. “The wedding planning process wasn’t easy for either of us. But in the end, we loved our wedding and realized how much we’d done and gotten through together. I actually wouldn’t trade it.”

Once you start planning your wedding, keep these tips from newlyweds in mind. They have already gone through the process and have learned quite a bit. And if you and your fiancé(e) are looking for a beautiful Los Angeles venue for your wedding reception, see what we have to offer at De Luxe Banquet Hall, and contact us with any questions!

When it comes to wedding hair accessory options, it can seem like there’s an endless list of choices. From wreaths to ribbons to wraps to roses, there’s just so much! Here’s a gallery guide to help you navigate through the wide selection of wedding hair accessories.

Formal Flowers

Sweet and girly, flowers woven into a formal style is always beautiful. One of the most popular wedding hair accessories of all time, this one’s not going anywhere anytime soon!

Single Flower

The classic “one flower over the ear” style is classic for a reason—it’s beautiful, sweet, feminine, and simple. It can also be worn with hair up or down, and is perfect for a no-fuss bride.

Ribbons

Ribbons can create a soft, very feminine appeal to complete your bridal look. Ribbons are seeing some popularity these days thanks to Bridal Fashion Week 2017.

Fascinators

Usually made with feathers, flowers, or beads, fascinators have been popular with brides for years. Their name comes from Latin and means “to bewitch”. Exactly!

Barrettes

The traditional wedding hair barrette is both beautiful and it serves a practical purpose by keeping your hair in place throughout your big day. Barrettes can be placed nearly anywhere and can accommodate almost any hairstyle.

Floral Wreaths

A bohemian favorite, floral wreaths are absolutely beautiful and add an extra glow to any bride. They’re sweet, colorful, and they smell wonderful! Floral wreaths can be casual or formal, depending on your choice of flowers.

Clips

Clips are simple yet  elegant, and can match the theme of your wedding—stars for a beachside ceremony, hearts for a church, leaves for an outdoor wedding, and so on. Some brides even get clips in the shape of their new initials.

Pins

Wedding hair pins are delicate, sweet, and versatile. They can be placed anywhere in an up-do to accentuate it (and keep it in place!). Pins can also compliment your dress and add some extra glitz and sparkle to your wedding hair.

Grecian Styles

Exotic and unique, Greek wedding hair styles and accessories are their own niche, with dozens of options to choose from, for both up-dos and loose styles.

Halos

Wedding hair halos are subtle and sweet, and require little maintenance. They add a delicate touch to any up or down hairstyle, and they evoke femininity and purity.

Forehead Headbands

Made wildly popular by Kim Kardashian, forehead headbands are unique and exotic. They come in their own different styles, from simple to elaborate to match any dress style.

Classic Headbands

The traditional wedding headband will never go out of style. A favorite that can be worn with hair up or down, this accessory adds a sweet touch to any bride’s hair.

Hair Vines

Very princess-like, hair vines are becoming more and more popular for wedding hair styles. Trailing beautifully along both up-dos and loose styles, some brides drape it everywhere, and others keep the vines to one “spot”.

Flower Crown

They’re not just for Coachella, ladies. Flower crowns have been a very trendy wedding hair accessory for the last few years, thanks to Lana del Rey and yes, Coachella probably. A flower crown will make a bride look like a boho queen.

Statement Bands

Want your wedding headband to have a little extra zing? Statement headbands tend to look particularly good with simple dresses, and can be custom-made to match other accessories.

Princess Florals

Seldom seen but stunningly pretty, princess florals are a wedding hair accessory for free spirits who are wild at heart. They are delicate, unique, and angelic—just like every bride should be!

Antique Styles

From Juliet caps to hippie scarves to 1920s styles like this, there are plenty of antique styles for heads wraps to choose from that are truly beautiful. This look adds an element of timelessness to a bridal look.

Flower Bands

Flower headbands are so sweet and feminine. Flowers can be chosen to match and compliment your dress, and it’s an area where you can get creative. They also frame your face beautifully.

Combs

Wedding hair combs have been a favorite for decades. Perfect for up-dos, wedding combs can also be worn with hair down—just use lots of hairspray and bobby pins if your hair is thinner.

Tiaras

Every bride is a princess on her wedding day, and some brides choose to exemplify that with a sparkly tiara or crown. Great for up or down hairstyles, this is a lovely choice.

Couture Pieces

If you’re a fashion-forward risk-taker and you feel like being bold on your wedding day, a haute couture piece may be perfect for you! Some brides even design their own.

Mix It Up

Sometimes it’s so hard to choose just one hair accessory that brides mix a few together, like this pretty mixture of ribbons, florals, and pins. Just be careful not to overdo it!

Hats

All the rage in the 1940s and 1950s, wedding hats are timelessly chic. They are common at British weddings, and are becoming trendy in the U.S. now as well. So cute!

Veils

A classic veil will always be a wedding day favorite, and with literally hundreds of styles to choose from, you’re sure to find one that compliments your dress beautifully.

Hopefully this gallery gives you some great ideas for your own wedding hair. If you’d like similar inspiration for your wedding venue, take a quick tour of De Luxe Banquet Hall. As one of the most sought-after wedding venues in Los Angeles, we are always happy to host weddings at our beautiful place! Contact us if you’re interested in our pricing and availability.

Every couple wants their wedding to be fun and memorable, but sometimes the options for wedding entertainment for the reception can seem a bit stale and out of date. Photo booth? DJ? Slideshow of the couple’s lives since childhood? …Yawn. Haven’t these all been a bit overdone?

Why not spice up the reception and add some truly unique and fun wedding entertainment to the mix? You can still have your DJ if you really want—but with these excellent novelties, your wedding will be a spectacle to be remembered forever.

Here are a few ideas to entertain your guests at a truly unforgettable wedding reception.

Champagne Dresses

These servers are fun, playful, and practical—everyone wants champagne at a wedding, right? There are also strolling table dresses available that can present nearly anything at your reception, as well as cocktail napkin dresses and wine tricycles.

Contortionists

This may sound a little circus-like, but contortionists are very entertaining for guests to watch as they’re chatting or having a drink. Contortionists are unique and beautiful to watch, and will make for quite the captivating curiosity during your reception.

Sketch Artists

One of our favorite ideas for wedding entertainment! Not only is this concept unique, it also creates instant party favors—plus, you’ll have a literal storybook of your wedding day and guests. A collection of illustrations from your big day can make for an outstanding wedding memento, and having an illustrator who can create sketches on-site at your wedding will delight everyone there. These sketches will be great for you or your guests to have forever as a memory of your wedding day.

Live Dancers

There’s nothing like seeing a professional dance routine performed right in front of your eyes. Exhilarating, fun to watch, and full of pizzazz, the right dance number from any type of performers—from romantic flamenco dancers to festive Irish dancers—can bring the crowd together and be exciting for everyone. You can select a style of dance that represents anything from your heritage to a film you both love. Or, if you prefer, you can hire a few dancers to simply choreograph more low-key numbers to live music from a band.

Actors/Friends to Portray Your Love Story

This is a growing trend that is always a crowd-pleasing show-stopper. Whether you decide to use professional local actors or just grab a couple of your friends, having you and your partner’s love story acted out for your guests—from your initial meeting up until the wedding day—is guaranteed to be funny, touching, and very memorable.

Scavenger Hunt

Even if this ends up just being wedding entertainment for the kids, it’s still a different and engaging reception activity. The list of items can even be wedding-themed. A small prize (or prizes, if it’s a team) can be awarded to the winner(s) if you choose. This is becoming more and more of a popular wedding reception activity, and is a must if you happen to be a highly-competitive bunch.

With a little creative planning, your wedding reception can be a blast for everyone. There’s nothing wrong with traditional stand-bys like a live band or fads like a photo booth, but if you’re a couple that enjoys things to be a little out of the ordinary, consider something a step above the regular run-of-the-mill reception ideas.

If you’re looking for a wedding venue that’s as unique as your wedding entertainment, consider De Luxe Banquet Hall in Los Angeles. We can accommodate large parties for a big, extra-fun wedding. For any questions you may have about booking, availability, or pricing, please feel free to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you!