20 Wedding Ideas Worth Stealing

After two decades as Arkansas’ wedding authority, we’ve seen literally thousands of great wedding ideas executed by creative Arkansas brides. As we celebrate our anniversary, we couldn’t help but look back on our favorite 20 concepts. Some are straight-up money savers, while others are delightful décor concepts that will give your special day extraordinary detail.

1 Breakfast/Brunch Weddings
Think beyond your love for coffee and donuts – the monetary savings of a breakfast wedding are the brilliance behind this idea. The food and venue will be more affordable, and the bill from supplying guests alcohol at dinner will be virtually eliminated. And if you still want to serve adult beverages, mimosas and Bloody Marys are perfect to toast the occasion.

2 Authentic Arkansas Favors
Send your out-of-town guests home with a piece of Arkansas. Try miniature Hope watermelons tied with a bow, farm-fresh pecans, a personalized bottle of wine from Arkansas wine country, or Mason jars of jam made of locally grown fruit. These all demonstrate just how amazing our home state is and make meaningful mementos.

3 Diverse Dance Floors
Dance floors are a focal point at any reception. It’s where special memories, namely your first dance, will be made. Upgrading from the standard wood floor by splurging on a lighted or checkered dance floor will change the feel of the whole room and enhance your wedding photos for a lifetime.

4 Do-It-Yourself Fashions
Avoid sending your bridesmaids down the aisle in dresses they’ll never wear again by commissioning a custom frock for each. Depending on who you know or who you hire, this can be a major money-saver – not to mention a bridesmaid pleaser. Also try handmade accessories, like personalized hair clips, hats and jewelry.

5 Signature Drinks & Cocktails
These don’t have to have alcohol or cost an arm and a leg, but they should be personalized to the bride and groom or match the wedding theme. We’ve seen rustic lemonade stands, moonshine jugs of root beer, old-fashioned milk bottles, color-coordinated martinis, and sweet tea pitchers – we love them all.

6 Comfortable Shoes
It seems brides are all about comfort these days, but they’re not sacrificing style. We’ve seen brides lacing up in bedazzled Vans, taking the plunge in personalized flip-flips and walking the aisle in color-coordinated TOMS – one style definitely doesn’t fit all.

7 Black
Don’t shy away from this color if you really love it. There are many ways to make it glamorous – not gloomy – on your big day. With styles ranging from avant-garde to gothic romance, modern brides have figured out how to make black the latest and greatest wedding color.

8 Rectangular Tables
We love this growing trend because it creates a setting for intimate conversation among guests and brings forth striking depth and drama for the photographer. These tables help brides cut linen and flower costs, as fewer and shorter flower arrangements keep guests’ views from being obstructed. Save more by using benches instead of chairs to eliminate the cost of chair and slip-cover rentals.

9 White Weddings
Skip the great color debate and opt for hues of white throughout. This modern and oh-so bridal design will wow your guests as they enter a wonderland of ivory, cream, alabaster and pearl. It’s simple but dramatic, not to mention unique.

10 Bell Boys
If you don’t have goddaughters, nieces or other little girls you’d want as your flower girls, but do have nephews or the like, consider sending boys down the aisle in place of traditional flower girls. Instead of tossing rose petals, have them ring bells or carry lanterns.

11 Table Names
Don’t just send your guests to numbered tables – surprise them with table names unique to you and your groom (with custom place cards to match). Our favorite example: One couple named their tables after famous Arkansans like Bill and Hillary Clinton. To imitate this, first get inspired by your favorite things about Arkansas, favorite love songs, nicknames you gave each other, dream travel destinations, or Bible verses.

12 Personalized Guest Provisions
We like the idea of pampering your guests with welcome baskets when they arrive at their hotel, but even more, we love it when brides plan ahead with personalized provisions for the big day. Favorite example: Custom-designed mosquito repellant bottles and matching program fans for guests attending a wedding in the great outdoors (see here).

13 Mini Cakes
Instead of a giant tiered cake to feed your many guests, order small cakes for each table. However, you still might want to order a bride’s cake (which the mini cakes can emulate) for the cake-cutting ritual. This is easy to execute and can be a major money-saver if you can get a relative with a knack for baking to make them!

14 Nontraditional Guest Books
Instead of a boring guest book, ask your friends and family to hang thoughtful notes of congratulations on tree branches, write notes on personalized postcards to be mailed to you periodically throughout the first year of marriage, or type their goodwill messages on a vintage typewriter.

15 Special Save-The-Dates
We love to see personalized save-the-dates from brides – especially ones that really excite guests. Best example we’ve seen: One Arkansas bride sent each guest an embroidered hanky for them to wave come wedding day when she and her groom departed the church as man and wife.

16 Eco-Friendly Favors
As the editors for Arkansas Green Guide magazine, too, we love it when we see brides giving back to Mother Nature. Donating the money you would’ve spent on favors to a green nonprofit or passing out seed packets are two of our favorite eco-ideas.

17 Dessert Bars
Here’s a tasty – and thrifty – tip we adore: substitute wedding cakes for a delectable dessert bar. Set up a spread of your favorite pies, pastries, petit fours, truffles and cookies (or arrange for a banana split bar). Realize the savings even more by commissioning these confections from beloved aunts, grandmothers, friends and the like. Seasonal offerings – like pecan and pumpkin pie in autumn or peppermint ice cream and a hot chocolate station in winter – are even more delicious.

18 Photo Booths With A Twist
Although the photo booth idea is nothing new, there are variations of it we think are fresh, including “photo booths on a budget.” All you need is extra time from your photographer – or a friend with a camera – and a portable photo printer. Custom borders can be added to coordinate with your wedding stationery, and the photos can be displayed during the reception and later handed out as favors. Personalize the experience even more with silly props or a notebook for guests to paste in their photos along with a special message.

19 Colored Lighting
Lighting is quite possibly the most significant décor decision you’ll make when planning your wedding and reception. It can change the tone of the whole event and will be captured in every wedding photo – so you want to get it right! That’s why we love colored lighting. It’s bold, dramatic and surprisingly affordable.

20 A Special Gift For The Groom
He may like a new watch or need a new battery for his car, but we’re betting he’ll like something else a lot more – boudoir photos of you. It’s a bit naughty, but oh, won’t he love it! Several Arkansas photographers host these tasteful sessions and compile a little book of you at your most alluring to give him before the big day.

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