Okay, so it sounds a littleee bit cliche to say, but when people ask us why we dig weddings, we can’t help but say that it’s just because we’re so in love with love. No matter how different each wedding is, there’s still a fool-proof formula that all of the celebrations follow: each partner gets ready with his or her crew, perhaps there’s a first look, the guests show up, the marrying pair takes their places, there’s an exchange of vows ((complete with a first kiss that kills!)), and once they’re pronounced “official lovers for life,” the party can begin! But truly, the party don’t start till they walk in… if we can borrow some words from Ke$ha herself.
We can’t think of a better way to welcome people to your best day ever than with a ceremony that’s Pinterest-worthy, signed, sealed, and delivered with all the little things that make your love SO big. At the end of the day, your nearest and dearest are absolutely coming for the vows, but we’d be lying if we said they weren’t staying for the wows.
Whether you’ll be working with a planner to plan out your pledge-swapping service or curating a creative ceremony with your closest confidant, you are more than welcome to scoop up some ceremony must-haves on our brand new shop page, exclusively on Style Me Pretty. From inspiring backdrops to props that make your pint-sized [bridal] party people oh-so-ready for their closeups, these items are everything for setting the scene to say ‘I Do.’
Of course, guests know that they’ve arrived at the right place when they see peers coming in in droves, dressed to the nines, and ushers handing out programs with the couple’s names in plain sight. But sweet signage can help out, too! We love wooden signs, beautifully calligraphed, especially when they say just a little bit more than a simple ‘welcome.’
Granted, if a guest has been to a fair share of weddings, he or she knows what the potential is for tears. A lot of guests come prepared with tissues, for those tiny dabs, but what if there was a tissue or two already at their seat? Cute blush and gold floral tissues at that… We can already imagine those posts on Pinterests #ceremony #tissues #tears #guestSOS
Truthfully, your tiny tribe will be turning heads and catching all of those ‘awwwwws’ no matter what they’re wearing and what they’ve got in their hands. But what’s a flower girl and her boutonnière-bearing ring bearer to do without their photo-ready props? A glam flower basket for her, a glam ring pillow for him? All we need to see next is a fluffy little fur baby strutting down the aisle with something cute on his/her collar! ((Promise, we’ll have something perfect for that picture soon enough!))
… And as the bride, that’s your right! Seriously, some of the sweetest, most memorable moments happen during the ceremony ((or even beforehand in a much-anticipated first look)), when handwritten vows are shared and special prose is spun between spouses. If a little nose-blowing and tear-drying has to transpire, then so be it! We’re big believers in the something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue adage, so a baby blue handkerchief definitely does the trick for us. Just make sure your MOH has this on her for a quick handoff when things start to get heavy!
Remember those photo canvas backdrops you used to pose against when you were younger? Well, take that old-school photo vignette vibe and make it a little more [wedding] fashion with a beautifully-emblazoned banner hung up at the altar. We’re big fans of the “this one’s my favorite” wedding day walk quote backdrop for guests to muse over during the ceremony, and we love the “together is a beautiful place to be” backdrop banner for guests to gravitate towards during cocktail hour. Imagine all the “my forever wedding date” Instagram posts you’ll be seeing pop up after your perfect day! This banner is like a magnet!!
Because LBH, a couple shouldn’t have regrets once their wedding day is done; not having entries from your besties to read on your honeymoon flight is too sad ((hopefully some of those tissues are left over…)). That’s why we suggest going with a gilded look that’s too pretty for guests to pass up! And some elegant, richly romantic candles, of course, to light the way.
Like we said before, guests stay for the party, but they come for the commitment. The promises and the cherished words between you two are what matters, but the pretty totally counts for something, too 😉. Pick up some favorites from our curated ceremony collection by shopping on-site right now!
Danielle Halibey is a writer, editor, and publicist living in New Jersey. She has been immersed in the world of weddings since planning her own whimsical, romantic affair in 2014. And isn’t that what they always say, “those who can’t do, teach?” Well, once her nuptials were over, she still had stuff in the ‘I Do’ industry to do. She writes regularly for top wedding blogs including Style Me Pretty and Wedding Chicks, and has garnered millions of press impressions for brands in the wedding space: fashion, beauty, wedding talent+tastemakers and more.
