Wedding destination idea: Annecy - Le Palace de Menthon

It is common to assume that France is made of Paris and the French Riviera.

However France has a lot more to offer then these two well known locations.

I've chosen to share with you the beauty that Annecy has to offer as a wedding destination.

Annecy is often compared to Venice for its charm and the construction built by the lake.

Annecy is easily accessible from major European cities and from Paris. And if you are looking for a location that offers exquisite views and amazing comfort, the Palace of Menthon would exceed your dreams.

 

You can choose to visit Annecy in the winter for its wonderful ski resort and in the summer for shopping, water sport activities and a well deserve rest.

And a wedding at Annecy would be much cheaper than in the big cities but with all the convenience.

I hope I have inspired you to discover a wonderful city.

For amazing pictures of Le Palace de Menthon please click the link below:

http://www.flickr.com//search/show/?q=palace+menthon

The Essence of Black & White

 It may not be the theme of the season but a Black & White marriage is bold and rich.

I suppose having a Black & White themed wedding could be compare to the essential little black dress. It's appropriate for every occasion and it will never be out of style.

You can never go wrong with the basics. Keep it simple. And it will be elegant and pure.

 Be inspired.

                                        A white cake dress in black lines

   The light simply shines off the black canvas and beautifully decorates the fish bowl

I like the way the photograph plays with the light on the above picture, of course I love the dress too

                               Just love the contrast created from the glass chair

                                              My own wedding shoes

Flowers arrangement by Preston Bailey

I just had to share some of Preston Bailey amazing work with you. It's so dramatic and it has that wow factor that most brides dream of. Get inspired.

How to save money on flowers

Flowers are very important to the wedding decoration and can be expensive.

See below some tips from New York wedding planner Marcy Blum on reducing the cost of flowers.

How much you set aside for your flower budget depends on how important the decor is to you. If you'd rather spend the money on food and liquor, or the wedding gown, you can save some money on your flowers. BUT, it's unlikely that you can completely eliminate a florist--it's not as simple as you may think.

Flowers have to be conditioned. Stems are cut and some greens removed to prevent rotting in the water. It's time-consuming and laborious. Experienced is needed to know when to condition the flowers so they open at the correct time.

• Use plants instead of cut flowers. For example, using cyclamen, African violets, or plants that you've dug up and re-potted, is simple and saves money.

• Opt for flowers simply placed in a vase or urn, without arranging or wiring.

• A hand-wired bridal bouquet will cost much more than a ribboned one.

• Use fruits or vegetables as part of the arrangement.

• Use candles--they are the best secret for getting the most bang for your buck. Lots of votive candles grouped together make a powerful visual statement, much more so than a row of bud vases.

• If you use flowers, go for large bouquets of a single type of flower, rather than mixed bouquets. It will make a more dramatic statement if it's all one kind of flower.

• Consider using daisies or another simple flower, like sunflowers or gerbera daisies. Gerbera daisies have to be wired but they're still less expensive than many other kinds of flowers.

• Use flowers that are in season and that don't have to be imported, especially if it's a destination wedding.

• The trend in bridal bouquets is the large, traditional bouquet of stephanotis, the beautiful bell-shaped flowers. But that is an expensive bouquet because each flower is wired and a tiny pearl inserted.

Chairs - From Montaigne to Napoléon

Crystal or ghost chairs from French designer Philippe Starck are the trendy pieces to your table.

I first discovered these chairs when researching the web. And I recently had the pleasure to sit on them when visiting friends in their contemporary villa on the French Riviera.

I was pleasantly surprised at how light the chairs are not to mention very comfortable. And the transparent chair brings so much elegance to your table and the room in general.

The chairs are inspired from the Renaissance, and carry Montaigne's name who was a great thinker of his time.

The transparent model was so popular that it has been created in different colors, style and materials.
All images are from Options, I can't wait to work with them for my destination weddings to France.

Also very popular are the Napoleon chairs which exist in crystal too:

St Pucchi

St Pucchi is an american brand designed by Rani Totman.

Elegance & Style with St Pucchi dresses.

I found Rani Totman dresses when researching the web for my client. Unfortunately they do not have retailers in the UK however they would consider making a design for my client and ship it over. I think I would suggest getting inspiration from the design and either look for the same type or have it custom made.

http://www.stpucchi.com/Home.html

Creative table planning

Some inspiration for your table plan display.
Some are easy to make and quiet unique. Lovely way to personnalise your wedding.

             For the green or eco friendly wedding - image from vibrant bride

     This one is very unique and might be hard to realise lol - image from vibrant bride

                               Candy table plan - image from Vibrant bride

                           Concert table plan image from vibrant bride

Golf - table plan image from Vibrant bride