Independence Day Wedding

When you think of the Fourth of July you think of friends, family, food and fun! What could be better than having a backyard wedding over the 4th and celebrating in patriotic style? This type of wedding is extremely family friendly, so if you want to have children be a part of your day a backyard 4th of July wedding is perfect!

Independence Day weddings can be sophisticated or kitschy, it all depends on the look you are going for. Different hues of blues, and reds can be paired together with crisp white to make this motif your own. Whether you choose aqua, off-white and berry red or the traditional red, white and blue, this holiday lends itself to spectacular design.

Personally, I love the idea of incorporating retro prints, stars and stripes together and having a cute, casual affair. I can envision an intimate backyard wedding under an old-fashioned white gazebo, BBQ lunch, swing band entertainment and plenty of fireworks and sparklers into the evening. I would used picnic tables painted white, table cloths with red, white and blue, and white china. The centerpieces could pop with the color of red roses, white hydrangeas and blue delphinium placed in vintage white milk jars!

A bonus to the Independence Day wedding is that there are so many inexpensive decor options and cute crafts that can be made to personalize this day.Sparkler's wrapped in beautiful paper would make fun favors, dessert dressed in the red, white and blue, and American flags are just a few of the many ideas for wedding decor.

Although traditionally many military families choose this holiday weekend for their nuptials, it is perfect for any American couple that values friends, family, food and fun. I think an Independence Day wedding would be one of the loveliest summer weddings imaginable.

PHOTO CREDITS: OCEANSIDE BRIDE,ONE PERFECT MOMENT, STYLE ME PRETTY, SEDONA WEDDING BLOG, ZAZZLE, FINE STATIONERY, THE PREPPY PRINCESS, KEEN TO BE SEEN, CRAFTZINE, COUNTRY LIVING, LOOKILOOS, MARTHA STEWART, THER PERFECT PALLETTE, IGOUGO.COM

Vendor Spotlight - Millenium Hotel (Minneapolis)

Millenium Hotel in Minneapolis is one of the swankiest locations if you want to have a sophisticated evening wedding reception. This hotel is located in the heart of Minneapolis on Nicollet Mall. Location is key when planning a fabulous event, and this hotel has the most fabulous view of the Twin Cities.

Millenium Hotel offers three great spaces for special events. The Horizon Ballroom has floor to ceiling windows with breathtaking views of the Twin Cities skyline. This space is ideal for a 200 person reception and has direct access to the Dome.

The Satellite room is ideal for the cocktail hour or for smaller receptions of up to 120 people. It is located across the hall from the Horizon Ballroom. Of course, the best part of the Millenium Hotel has to be "The Dome."


The Dome is such a neat space and it is so versatile! It could be used for a smaller wedding ceremony with the reception immediately following in the Horizon Ballroom. It is also a fantastic space to hold the dance portion of the reception. After all, it has fantastic wood floors and the best night time views of down town Minneapolis. This place screams sophistication!

I have to say that the food is excellent and the staff is very friendly and hard working. They really go all out to give their wedding clients the best service possible. If you are looking for a really great space to host an evening reception that will give you fantastic pictures then check out Millenium Hotel in Minneapolis!

For more information, please contact:
Millenium Hotel.
1313 Nicollet Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Ph: 612.332.6000

PHOTO CREDITS: WONDERFUL DAY WEDDINGS, MILLENIUM HOTEL WEBSITE

Purple and Aqua - A Cool Color Combo for Hot July

I know that when the weather is hot and humid outside it is nice to look at calm, cool colors. This year, I think we are going to see the Caribbean color combo of deep purple and aqua for summer weddings.

I absolutely love this combination because it is so visually stunning. It truly reminds me of a tropical lagoon at dusk. It is a very hip color palette and blends the traditional (deep purple) with contemporary (aqua).

This would be sensational for a poolside wedding outdoors with a cool, night club vibe for the reception. Having purple and aqua up-lighting with modular white furniture, a signature cocktail in either purple or aqua, hanging paper lanterns and a DJ spinning the best techno would make for a perfect atmosphere.

I also love that the bridesmaids could wear either deep purple or aqua which tend to be flattering hues on just about every skin tone. The guys would look dashing in gray with purple and aqua striped ties and peacock boutonnieres.

There would be a lot of options for flowers but I think that Hydrangeas would be the most sensible. You can find the blue/purple and cream hues in them already. Of course, there are other flowers, such as delphinium and roses that could work too! I love the idea of incorporating the peacock feather with this palette.

Other details, such as favors and stationery would be so easy to pull off! For favors, I would use square purple or aqua boxes with peacock feathers affixed to the top with fine chocolate in them. A deep purple invite with aqua font would be electric and this could be easily carried over to other aspects of stationery like the menus or escort cards. Finally, getting a cool aqua 50's classic car would be so perfect as your transportation.

This would definitely be an unforgettably hip wedding and reception. I hope that brides planning for a hot summer wedding next year take into consideration using cool colors!

PHOTO CREDITS: ANN RUTHMAN PHOTOGRAPHY, PRETTY CHICKY, PRIMADONNA BRIDE, WEDDING CHANNEL, THEKNOT,COCKTAIL TIMES, ZAZZLE, FLIKR,POLKADOTBRIDE, SAVEONCRAFTS.COM,MARTHA STEWART