AisleDash

Cream, navy and gold is a sophisticated color theme for you wedding. It can be preppy, masculine and/or glamorous - it all depends on the details you choose. Want to learn how to make it your own? Read on!

Sometimes you can find the most lovely decorating ideas by looking outside the traditional places. These lovely and delicate soap leaves are not manufactured as wedding accessories -- but wouldn't they be terrific? Yes, they're soap leaves, delicately scented with honey. You could treat them as soap, and send them home as wedding favors, though at almost $13.00 a box, you might find that a bit expensive.

You could, however, think outside that box. You could open it right up, in fact, and scatter these gold-toned leaves along the tablecloth. Treat them as lightly-scented, decorative confetti. If you sprinkle them with a light touch, particularly if you intersperse them with some other form of table confetti, they will add drama without breaking the bank. These would be particularly effective for a fall wedding.

If you're interested in more information on these Soap Leaves, contact Wrapables.

To wrap up our theme week at AisleDash -- the rich color palette of navy, cream and gold -- what a better subject than the perfect look for your perfect bridesmaid dress (in a navy hue to match your theme). Here are a few compiled tips to make your look complement -- and not clash -- with your deep-colored, stunning dress.

1. We've all heard it said: don't match your eyeshadow to your dress, and this rule still applies to your navy bridesmaid dress. Try a bronze or metallic shade (or shades) such as Stila's eyeshadow trio in "Bronze Glow" or Vincent Longo's trio in "Autumn Rhythm."
2. A great eyeliner/mascara combo. Something in a deep, rich brown. Try this liner (in "Deep Brown") and this mascara in "Chestnut."
3. Use a subtle bronzer. Highlight your natural skin tones and accentuate your eyes with a great bronzer such as Lorac's Bronzer in "Glow."
4. You want to look good for the wedding photos but you don't want your lip color to overpower your makeup. A pink/rose gloss will look great. Try out any of these great glosses from Nars: "Gothika," " Positano" or "Stella."
5. If the bride is open to you choosing your own nail color, find a gold shade that will tie the whole look together. Something like Laura Mercier's nail lacquer in gold shimmer.
   

(All products featured in this post can be purchased at sephora.com.)

Are you a fan of elves and fairy tales and epic fantasy adventures? If you're thinking of having a fantasy wedding then we found some great jewelry just for you.

While perusing Etsy, as we are wont to do, we saw some exquisite handmade jewelry. Okay, when haven't we found gorgeous things on Etsy? But we immediately fell in love with the items in Thyme2dream's shop. It's easy to see that she's a big fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Her interpretations of elven and fairy jewelry are simply beautiful.

We grabbed some examples for you, including some tiaras and circlets, ear cuffs, and hair combs. You must see the detail to understand how gorgeous her work is. And all of her items are extremely affordable. Even if you're on a tight budget you can find something to suit your needs. Go on, check it out!



Items mentioned in this post can be purchased at Thyme2dream.etsy.com.

At AisleDash this week, we're featuring a warm color palette them that is hot right now (for obvious reasons): gold, navy and cream. It's a classy and timeless color mix and around our site this week you'll find everything from favors to hair accessories to match your navy/gold/cream picture-perfect wedding. And one fun touch to any wedding (or outfit!) is a stylish pair of shoes. We've covered fun, gold shoes before on AisleDash -- and head over to check out that gallery for any looks that may be still be available -- but you can never have too many shoes, right? So here are a few more gold shoes to complement your gold-accented wedding.

For a bit of a glamour, here's a Kate Spade pair adorned with a bow but you don't have to splurge to look fantastic on your wedding day and this reasonably priced style will convince you. Check out the rest of the styles in the adjoining gallery and enjoy the shimmery gold looks for a wedding that is sure to be beautiful.

This week it was all about the theme wedding. Renaissance weddings, to be exact. Let's take a look at what we've found for you:

Staying true to a theme can sometimes be hard, especially when there's a lot of varying information about what's authentic for the time period. Jewelry has changed so much over the centuries, it's not easy to find accurate information. But we think you can come pretty close to historical accuracy, if you so choose.

To find Renaissance-period jewelry, look for a local Ren Faire. While not everything there will be exact replicas of the era's jewelry, you can find some pieces that will appear close - at least close enough for your guests not to know the difference.

If you use a search engine to find retailers, try searching for "Renaissance wedding jewelry" for the best results. And we found a few companies that might suit your jewelry needs as well:

• Sapphire & Sage
• Unique Creations
• Sapphire Lane
• Renstore.com

If you are planning an authentic Renaissance wedding, you'll want to think about the food you'll serve at the reception.

Foods at a Renaissance wedding feast would have included goose, venison, quail, fish, mutton, roasted boar, tarts and custards, cheeses, nuts, and fruits (those found wild like pears, quinces, and strawberries). Drinks included ale, mead, water, beer, and wine.

If you want to stay close to your theme, think about serving some of these items. Of course, if you really want to be genuine, your guests will have to eat with their fingers, and you'll want to provide finger bowls so they can clean their hands before and after eating. You might want to warn your guests if you're going to be that authentic, though.

Renaissance women never went anywhere without a little pouch, made of leather or fabric, to carry things about or for storing herbs that they found and gathered. For your renaissance wedding, the pouch is a great way to give favors to your guests. Pretty much anything can be tucked inside a pouch, from those traditional herbs to Celtic cross soaps and even Celtic-patterned chocolates.

You can buy fabric pouches from Ye Steady Hands from $5.00 per pouch (they do give discounts for large quantities) or leather pouches from this wonderful Etsy seller, Eves Originals. At about $13.00 each they may be too expensive as favors if you're having a large wedding, but they would make lovely gifts for your wedding party. Pop in a little treat for a bridesmaid or groomsman and voila! a great wedding keepsake for those who are special to you.

Alejandra de Bourbon, a lesser member of the Spanish royal family, (daughter of Alfonso de Bourbon, the second cousin of King Juan Carlo) got married to Bosco Ussia on the 21st June. Alright, we admit it; we don't know all that much about the lesser European royals and so this is one wedding that almost slipped under our radar.

What brought it to our attention was the bride's fabulous wedding dress. Just look at it.


A gorgeous, 1920's-inspired Chanel concoction.

Every detail of her outfit is perfect. The loose unconstructed style, the floaty fabric, a dropped waist, that pretty, tasseled belt, and those luxurious, long ropes of pearls around her neck. Then there's that long, flowing veil with the close-fitted headpiece. All of it is utterly enchanting, absolutely Twenties.

We love it and hold it up as the perfect dress for any bride wanting to invoke the romance and nostalgia of the 1920's, yet with a modern and contemporary edge.

When we think of Renaissance hair, we tend to picture coiled or twisted hair, all laced with ribbons or bedecked with pearls or encircled with flowers. In fact, for most of the Renaissance a woman's hair would have been sedately hidden by a hood or a bonnet. You can find pictures of the typical headgear here, and we've even found a McCalls pattern for making your own!

In the late Renaissance, hair became visible, and then they really went to town with the braiding, ribbons, flowers, and jewellry! One common style that doesn't require three hands and 16 fingers is simply to twist lengths of hair around each other, giving an effect similar to French braiding, only simpler. You can find full instructions here.

Enter the world of frivolity when you transport your wedding guests to the Colorado Renaissance Festival. Kick off with a royal bagpipe procession with bride and groom riding on the festival elephant or in a horse drawn carriage. Enjoy a seat next to King Henry while you watch the medieval jousting competition. Then get married in a Renaissance chapel and enjoy a full Renaissance-style meal. Guests need not worry what to wear; they will be costumed in head-to-toe Renaissance style. Top it all off with a release of white doves above the chapel to announce the new couple. The Colorado Renaissance Festival runs weekends throughout the summer months. For more information including pricing, visit their website.

The perfect touch for your Renaissance or fairy-tale wedding cake. These toppers can be finished any number of ways: glossy white, iridescent white, glossy gray or brown, true-to-life castle gray, even sand-castle beige, among others. The spires and windows bring to mind images of a time long past, when knights rode to tounaments with their lady's colors flowing in ribbons from their helms.

If you want a fairy-tale touch to your Renaissance wedding, you'll love these castle toppers. The silk flowers that accent the castles could be chosen to match your color scheme, and the tulle adds that hint of mystery and romance. They didn't really do wedding cakes in the Renaissance, but why not have your modern cake with a hint of history?

For more information on these castle cake toppers, check out Celticart.com.

Sweet favors for your Renaissance wedding, these little silver castles come tucked into sheer silver organza bags, and accented with a silver heart. If you like, you may also choose to decorate each bag with a personalized ribbon and/or thank-you tags or stickers. Not only are they a gift in keeping with the theme, they'll add to the table's decor.

Small enough to fit easily into a pocket or purse, your guests will be able to take the mood of the event home with them. Once they get it home, they'll experience the next big advantage of a consumable favor: after they enjoy its light for an evening meal, they'll have one less momento to dust!