I’ve always had a special appreciation for flowers and their power to enliven and bring cheer, warmth, and beauty to any room. The flowers you choose for your wedding day really set the stage, creating a big impact on the overall theme.

The latest wedding trends call for a more neutral earthy feel, with toned down colors in cream, blush, lavender and coral, focusing on one or two colors using the old adage, “less is more”. I think this really adds an elegant, rustic look to your wedding design.

If you have chosen to go with one color tone for your flower centerpieces, you might want to consider several different varieties of flowers in that hue to add interest, texture and drama. For instance; ivory roses, white gardenias, and pearly colored calla lilies really draw your eye to the beauty of the unique assortment of flowers.

No matter what time of year you’ve planned your special day, greenery is very much “in”, and around for every season. Don’t be afraid to have lots of green foliage and leaves in your wedding centerpieces and altar arrangements, especially if you have a rather large podium with lots of space to fill.

Another way to add charm and excitement to your flower centerpieces is to vary the shape and size of your containers. This adds a new, intriguing look to each floral arrangement. I achieved this at my own wedding using glass vases; tall, irregular shaped vessels on the larger tables and petite, square and round ones on the smaller tables.

Including candles in your table arrangements can create a very warm, romantic ambience. Floating candles with a single orchid in water filled vases adds a charming touch, or you can hang candles from your large branchy centerpieces. String lights also offer a cozy atmosphere, as well as spot lights to accentuate your larger foliage.

Think outside of the box with wedding centerpieces that use something other than flowers, such as lavender or rosemary. These choices will still coincide with your neutral palate choices, but bring great aromas and textures as well. You can also add interest to your wedding arrangements with twigs, moss, river rocks, grass, wheat, or even strips of bark.

When you make that unforgettable walk up the wedding isle, your wedding bouquet will be on display, so a little extra effort in making a beautiful bouquet is a good idea. Many brides and grooms are also preserving their wedding bouquets as a remembrance of the day they tied the knot. Personalizing your wedding bouquet with a keepsake is a great way to incorporate your loved ones into this special day. I wrapped the stems of my wedding bouquet with satin and lace from the hem of my grandmother’s wedding gown. You can also consider adding a piece of your mother’s jewelry or anything else that is a reminder of someone dear to you.

While considering some of the new wedding flower trends, keep in mind that the only opinion that matters is your own! Use this fun opportunity to really let your imaginative side shine.

Have a look at our spring wedding ideas or browse through our spring wedding flowers to help you find a radiant, charming design for your special day.

I have had the enjoyment of purchasing, helping design, and walking down the aisle in two gorgeous wedding dresses in my years, but have never had the romantic, ultra chic wedding dress options that are gracing the altars in 2011.

New dress designers have given the classic wedding dress that we’ve seen adorning brides in the decades past and blown them out of the water, with hand stitched embroidery, crystals, eye-catching colors, rare vintage lace, beading, layered ruffles and shorter, sexier styles.

One of my favorite new wedding dress trends are the detachable jeweled belts that many modern designers are accessorizing their wedding gowns with. This adds a fantastic personal touch, flattering just about any figure.

The new one shoulder style wedding dress with the lower cut back is on the top of my list as one of the sexiest trends yet. The shoulder straps are much thinner and appear to be almost falling of the bride’s shoulder, making them ultra feminine. This is a sensational look if you’ve got great arms and shoulders you would like to show off on your big day.

Gone with the white and in with the bright! Well, sort of. You can now opt for muted shades of lavender, blush, coral, and many more. I’ve really taken a liking to the traditional white or ivory wedding dress with hand detailing in colors like red, black, sage green, pink, blue or really any other color that you can imagine; and choosing the accessories to match is a lot of fun. Stacking mismatched pearl bracelets are a fresh finishing touch for these modern wedding gown designs.

Wedding gowns come in many different shapes, but the trumpet skirt wedding gown will definitely set you apart from the rest, with it’s sleek mermaid silhouette, hugging your figure but then kicking out at the bottom in a flirty way. It doesn’t matter the size of your hips, this style is actually very flattering, accentuating your feminine curves. A jeweled or colored belt really pulls the look off, exhibiting that small waist and adding your own personal touch.

If you’ve got a pair of show-stoppers, why not display them in a city style, short wedding dress? With classy new designs in antique champagne and layered lace ruffles, you are sure to be the center of attention! I particularly like the empire wedding dress style in this length with a large, ruffled skirt.

The new, cutting-edge wedding gowns gracing the runways this season are more romantic than ever yet cheerfully refined, with so many options to choose from you shouldn’t have a hard time finding something that really shows off your personality.

The money you can save with our Cheap Wedding Ideas will allow for more room in your budget for a beautiful wedding dress!

An ancient tattoo idea, that has recently been finding more mainstream acceptance, is the sleeve tattoo. Once seen primarily in Island tribes and certain segments of the Japanese population, Sleeve tattoos are now being seen more and more in American culture.

As a rule, the designs of sleeve tattoos are intricate and cover, nearly completely, the skin on the arm normally covered by a shirt sleeve. Sleeve tattoos can also be done on the legs. Although these tattoos are traditionally more popular with men, a growing number of women are discovering this form of body art. These designs take patience and care.

You can find designs for sleeve tattoos online or at your local tattoo shop. There are ancient and modern designs available.

Many of the most popular sleeve tattoos have an oriental motif. Japanese designs find particular favor with both men and women. Designs which feature koi, cherry blossoms and hibiscus flowers are colorful and graceful. Chinese dragons are also a popular choice. Women might choose to consider the dainty, open work patterns of Indian tattoos, which are most often applied in temporary ink to women in India.

Woman who are considering sleeve tattoos are most often drawn to floral designs. These complex patterns are often intertwining vines and leaves with blossoms in bright colors. Roses are particularly popular with the ladies, although men often use a rose motif as well, sometimes with skulls. For a more exotic look, the hibiscus designs are feminine and very pretty. The intricate designs of Indian tattoos are delicate and complex. Since the designs are primarily used for women in India, their delicate, lacy patterns can be very attractive.

Also popular with both men and women are Celtic knot work designs. Often seen in designs for crosses, the knot work designs have ancient religious associations. The designs are very intricate and can be done is just an outline color, or can be colored in to give a stained glass effect.

One of the most popular sleeve tattoo ideas, especially among young men, is the tribal tattoo. Heavy black lines are one of the most obvious features of a tribal tattoo. The color of the tattoo is black and if you used a colored ink instead, it might seem a little different.

As you probably know, these tattoos are large and their designs or patterns are very complicated. You have to know that the larger and more complicated the tattoo is, the more expensive it will be. You also have to know that a popular artist will more likely ask you for a higher payment.

Before you get a sleeve tattoo, consider that it will be difficult to cover up. This tattoo is a statement, and you must be comfortable with your statement because you won’t be able to easily hide it.

Before deciding on a sleeve tattoo, careful consideration should be given too the design and the choice of tattoo artist. Sleeve tattoos are not easily concealed, so that must be another consideration. This is not a project which should be undertaken lightly or impulsively.

Find more about small tattoo and other great small tattoo ideas.