Now that it's fall, it's time to think about the remaining fall weddings, bridal showers, and parties before the holiday season planning really kicks in.  Even if Halloween has now passed by, it's not too late to still decorate with pumpkins.

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Speaking of pumpkins - how about inviting guests to the fall bridal shower or wedding with a fun pumpkin themed invitation? Here's just a few of my favorites I came across and wanted to share with you.

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Click Below to Shop the featured Pumpkin Invitations:
top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right

Wouldn't it be fun to decorate for a fall bridal shower with pumpkins painted pink, white and gold and displayed on candlesticks? You could even hollow out a few and use the pumpkins as vases for a beautiful floral arrangement.

credit: Alicia Fashionista {Fall Decor on a Whole New Level} 

What about an elegant fall wedding with gold pumpkins and pine cones lining the center of the tables on a burlap runner? Bringing in elements from fall {pumpkins} and winter {pinecones} is a great way to bridge the gap between the two seasons.

credit: A Pumpkin and a Princess {Thanksgiving Inspired Gold Table Decor Ideas} 

With fall wedding and party planning in full force now, I wanted to share with you my 6 favorite fall wedding centerpiece ideas that are very unique and not traditional. Which ones are your favorites{s}?

from top left to bottom right . . . 

1. Arrange branches of fall leaves by hue to create a color blocking look.

2. Even though red, yellow, orange and brown and traditional fall colors, greens and purples are also perfect choices. Flowering cabbage can bring a fun pop of unexpected color to your fall displays. Pair it with more traditional fall items for a special twist.

3. Capture the essence of fall inside of a glass jar - you can use a bell jar, a terrarium or a glass cake cover. Simply line the bottom dish with moss and add a few small gourds and leaf branches and then top it with the glass cover.

4. Candleholders of varying heights are the perfect way to display pumpkins and gourds. You can even find mismatched candleholders at garage sales or antique stores and spray-paint them all black for a unified look {or any color to match your party theme}. 

5. Create an eye-catching display by layering and incorporating various elements. In this example, vases are filled partway with nuts and then a piece of scrapbook paper was cut to fit inside the vase. Wheat is displayed in this one, but any type of branches would work.

6. Create an arrangement that has an organic look and lets you be a little eclectic. Simply gather a variety of flowers, stems, fillers and twigs and then arrange them randomly.

all images are from Better Homes and Gardens

Have you attended a barn wedding? Are you planning a barn wedding? As Maggie of Rustic Wedding Chic writes in her brand new book Barn Weddings, "A barn is a magical place for a wedding". I have to say . . . I totally agree. One of my favorite weddings I attended with my husband took place in a barn, in Vermont, on a gorgeous fall day. The barn created a cozy feeling and the twinkling lights and hanging chandelier added to the romance of the entire day. 

Barn Weddings is an absolute MUST-HAVE reference book if you are considering or already planning a barn wedding. Maggie provides you with an easy to follow guide that walks you through the steps of planning your dream barn wedding with 4 sections based on Styles, Inspiration, Décor, Real Barn Weddings and even Tips from the Pros. Her inspiration section is one of my favorites as it features something that I just LOVE . . . inspiration shoots. Maggie writes that wedding inspiration shoots are the "dreamy building blocks that often help couples define a wedding style and find creative ways to start planning and personalizing their own special day".

When Maggie writes about 'Styles' - she says "each barn is 100% unique". This is so true. And, because of this it makes barns perfect for weddings as you want your wedding day to be 100% unique to you as a couple.

One of my favorite décor tips from Maggie is the idea to bring in the color white. Adding white helps break up the dark wooden framework of the barn. It also adds a bright weightlessness to the space. Several ways to accomplish this include hanging long white drapes at the barn entrance or using white tablecloths. What is your favorite thing about Barn Weddings?

All Photos courtesy of RusticWeddingChic.com

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If you are looking for the perfect last minute holiday printable for Thursday, this is it. These watercolor flags from Oh Happy Day and are just perfect for adding to white, striped or polka-dotted straws for your party drinks. If you are looking for some festive drinks, you might like these: The Sparkler, Red, White and Blue Ice Cream Float, Spiked Raspberry Lemonade, White Wine Sangria

Happy July 1st. I'm fresh back from our annual family summer vacation and ready to start a summer full of posts that are loaded with inspiration and hot products for your wedding planning. Our vacation was great despite being cut short by one day when our daughter developed an adverse reaction to either something in the environment or from food she ate that was contaminated with gluten {who knew gluten could be in detergent?}. She is now doing much better and her itchy red spots are slowly fading away.

This week is all about the nautical look and of course red, white and blue for the upcoming 4th of July holiday.  Today I have some pretty amazing table set-ups that are both nautical and patriotic - perfect for summer weddings. But before we get to that I wanted to let you know that as of today, Google Reader is no longer in existence. I actually stopped using it a while ago as my blog reader - for some reason it just never worked for my needs. But, there are still lots of ways to keep track of my blog each day - including Bloglovin' which is my personal favorite. The blogs that I love to follow are sent in one email each day and I can easily click-thru to read them and then leave a comment. And, there is of course twitter and facebook as well as signing up for blog updates via email so you don't miss a blog post. There's also feedly and canopi and a great list of even more google reader alternates can be found here. What are you finding is your favorite google reader replacement? I'd love to hear.

striped linens with rope chargers and linen napkins | via Wedding Chicks

red, white, blue and gold table setting | photo by Cory Parris

nautical table setting with rope chargers | via Green Wedding Shoes

"Ahoy" banner in flowers | via Occasions Online from Bayside Bride

paper boat with place card flag | via Bayside Bride