Good Things for Summer Weddings

July 27, 2011
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Plan a Summer Soiree

Credit: Johnny Miller

School's out and weddings are in come summer. Fill your fete with season-appropriate favors, original ideas from summer real weddings, and our tried-and-true Good Things that are perfect for the steamiest months of the year.

Lemon leaves are lush, freshly scented, and a total bargain (or free if you happen to have a tree in your backyard). Wrap their stems in floral wire, and twist each around a separate piece of wire that’s about 5 inches longer than the width of your chairs. Bend the completed "branches" slightly to give them an organic feel, wire each to your seats, and finish with a bow.

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Rope Knot Chair Backs

Credit: Johnny Miller

If you’re throwing a nautical-themed event or just love the symbolism, say ahoy to a pair of double figure eights. Start with more rope than you need (we used two 5-foot pieces for each), tie knots (get the how-to below), and drape them around your chair. Trim the excess, and sew ends together or bind them with white gaffer’s tape.

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Blooming Backdrop

Credit: YunHee Kim

Why not say your vows in front of a splash of flowers? Just tape vertical rows of long-stemmed varieties to a wall (use blooms less prone to wilting, like peonies, carnations, orchids, and lilies) and let the strips show -- or hide them under petals and leaves.

Shurtape masking tape (amazon.com). She is wearing Temperley London's "Long Mirage" dress (323-782-8000), Cathy Waterman's "Falling Leaf" earrings and "Geo Flower" bracelet (cathywaterman.com), and a Ritani ring (ritani.com).

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Sweet Snow Cone Station

Credit: Raymond Hom

This classic refreshment is all grown up. During the reception, adults can help themselves at a station stocked with cups, crushed ice, and mojito, peach daiquiri, cosmo, and margarita cocktail syrups. Use glasses to catch drips and straws to slurp up every last drop. Sur La Table olive oil cruets with pourers.

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Washi Tape Cocktail Stirrers

Credit: YunHee Kim

These lively flags turn libations into signature drinks. To create them, cut a piece of tape that's twice as long as you want your banner to be, place the top of a skewer in the center, and fold the tape onto itself. Snip the ends into tails (or not), and repeat with a few different styles.

Cute Tape washi tapes in assorted colors and patterns (cutetape.com).

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Flower-Wrapped Favors

Credit: Maura McEvoy

Wrap favors in brightly colored tissue paper and top them off with a paper flower -- a low-cost alternative to the real thing.

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Wine-Kissed Gelees

Credit: Joseph De Leo
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Just don't call them Jell-O shots. These sangria-inspired gelees, infused with sweet wines and subtly undercut with citrus flavors, are for sophisticated palates. The glistening, gemlike squares make a refreshing dessert and add fetching sunset hues to a reception table.

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Terrarium Centerpieces

These mini terrariums make chic table decor when grouped en masse -- and they double as favors, too! Just place sand and rocks in the bottom of a fishbowl votive holder. Carefully set small succulents among the rocks -- securing them, if necessary, with toothpicks -- and quench their thirst with a dropper.

"Bubbleball" 4 3/4" vase, Save-On-Crafts.com.

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Sunscreen for Outdoor Weddings

Credit: Joseph De Leo

Sure, the bride is supposed to be blushing, but no one wants her guests to start turning pink at an outdoor ceremony. The solution? Sunblock wipes. These cleverly packaged towelettes can be placed outside, and since they're not liquid, they won't cause a mess. Set them on the program table, or in a compote or candy dish tied with ribbon. To let people know they've got it made in the shade, write sunscreen on a scalloped card and prop it up amongst the packets.

Calligraphy by Maybelle Imasa-Stukuls.

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Frozen Vodka

A bottle of icy vodka makes a dramatic bar decoration when it's encased in a frozen layer of colorful flowers and fruit.

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Seashell Wedding Bouquet

Walk down the aisle with this cluster of bivalve blooms and your wedding will go swimmingly. The breathtaking posy is easier to construct than you'd think -- it's simpler than making a flower out of silk.

Noble pectin singles, Caribbean Imports.

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Keep Them Cool

Credit: Yunhee Kim

The hostess with the mostest (that's you) always has her guests' comfort in mind. Help loved ones beat the heat before a sun-drenched ceremony. Set up a self-serve station in the shade, and stock it with refreshing amenities.

Dip towels in ice water, wring them out, and roll them up. For extra credit, scent them with a spritz of Lothantique Linen Water in lavender or grapefruit. Hydrate guests with water flavored with lemon, cucumber, or fruit slices. And so no one gets burned, set out paper parasols and sunscreen wipes like these shown, from La Fresh. Organize everything in simple square bamboo trays, and add a sign.

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Tea for One

Credit: YunHee Kim

Come summer, few things look (or smell) fresher than sprigs of aromatic herbs. Display a variety of them at a tea station after dinner so loved ones can select their favorites, then have a server infuse their picks in hot water.

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Cupcake Cones

Credit: YunHee Kim
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Consider this small but sassy dessert the love child of two classic sweets: cupcakes and ice cream cones. Bake cupcake batter in store-bought cones, pipe on buttercream, and add edible glitter; they're kid tested and adult approved.

Mini cones (homechefmarketplace.com).

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Picnic Fare

Serve classic picnic staples at an outdoor summer recepition, dialed up a notch. Package everything separately, in glass, glassine, or paper, so it will stay fresh for several hours; this also lets guests eat neatly out of hand.

Choose a crusty bread for the sandwiches that won't get soggy, and use leakproof canning jars for a tomato and mozzarella salad. Tie disposable bamboo utensils for your hungry guests to a linen napkin with ribbon.

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Smart Cookies

Credit: YunHee Kim
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You've heard of macarons for dessert, but as an appetizer? Your friends will be every bit as intrigued. This savory take on the traditionally sugary recipe combines sesame seed-spiked batter with a center of smoked salmon, shallots, and creme fraiche.

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Flower Girl Headbands

Credit: Johnny Miller

Handmade blossom headbands won't wilt in the summer heat.

Headband, Hair-Hardware. Flowers and leaves, Tinsel Trading Company. 7-millimeter ribbons, Mokuba New York. "Chloe" and "Gertrude" dresses, Ses Petites Mains.

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Heart Escort Cards

Credit: Johnny Miller

These three-dimensional escort cards are as easy to make as they are refreshing to look at. At first glance, they appear to have been blown onto the table by a warm summer breeze. Following the instructions, make them using a heart-shape craft punch, bright-white ink, scissors, glue, and paper in a range of hues that complements your palette.

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Light Wedding Desserts

Credit: Johnny Miller
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These bite-size desserts satisfy sugar cravings without any of the heaviness normally associated with chocolate.

To make the shells, paint melted chocolate inside paper candy cups. Once set, peel the paper away. (Or simply buy premade cups; try Belgian Victoria chocolate dessert cups, sephra.com.) Spoon or pipe a mixture of whipped cream and creme fraiche into each cup, top with a berry of your choice, and serve.

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Sunny Pocket Square

Credit: Johnny Miller

Let the guys grab a wee bit of the style spotlight with artfully arranged pocket squares. Like how we've folded them? Follow our step-by-step instructions here. This yellow gingham linen pocket square from Ben Silver is ideal for a summer soriee. 

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Yellow-and-White Centerpiece

Credit: Johnny Miller

To create these bold yellow-and-white centerpieces, New York City floral designer Naomi deManana combined jonquils, ranunculus, tulips, and sweetpeas, placing flowers in single-variety mini bunches before combining; this highlights the lush textures of each type. Opaque vases mean no stressing about the look of the stems. A band of thick yellow ribbon around each vase, plus lengths of it across each place setting, extend the crisp color scheme.

Vase, CB2. 38-millimeter ribbon, Mokuba New York. "Edge" wine glasses, Crate & Barrel.

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Silk Petal Garlands

Credit: Annie Schlechter

Transform inexpensive silk flowers into delicate garlands. Just dismantle the blooms to separate the layers of petals, removing any greenery. Overlap edges of petals slightly, and join them using dabs of hot glue. Then glue beads in centers to cover stem holes. String garlands along aisles, at the altar, or across chair backs.

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Summer Stamps

Credit: Johnny Miller

Get dotty on cards, stirrers, ribbon, boxes, yo-yos, and ties.

Corks, by Hearts & Crafts, from Create for Less. Yo-yos, Kipp Brothers. Slide boxes (No. 8227491), from Paper Mart. Stir sticks, ForYourParty.com. Custom tie, Tiecrafters.

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Beet and Goat Cheese Salad Appetizers

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For a finger-friendly take on classic beet-and-goat-cheese salad, serve fried beet chips topped with a dollop of the tangy cheese and vinaigrette-laced microgreens. They make perfect hors d'oeuvres -- crispy instead of juicy beets means no one will be caught red-handed.

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DIY Wedding Cake Stand

Although modern wedding cakes come in every shape, size, and flavor (vegan chocolate, anyone?), the stands that support them have mostly stayed in the bland category. Why not break the mold and create your own? It'll be a piece of cake!

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Economical Wedding Centerpiece

Credit: Don Freeman

A little goes a long way with this table decoration. Fresh German chamomile is placed in a jar, then enclosed in a white paper bag for an exuberant centerpiece that is also economical. The top of the bag is trimmed with scalloping scissors, folded, punched with holes, and laced with yellow ribbon. Thread a tag with the table number onto ribbon before tying.

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Paper Lanterns

Credit: ANNA WILLIAMS

The soft light of paper luminaries sets a romantic mood. Two bags, one fitted over the other, form a box. The lanterns, strung on electric Christmas-tree lights and hung along branches, are tied with ribbon and sway gently in the evening breeze.

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Mini Sorbet Wedding Cakes

Credit: SUSIE CUSHNER
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As a prelude to the wedding cake, give each guest a miniature version molded from sorbet, a palate cleanser. For a sweet decoration, the bride's and groom's initials are piped in chocolate along the edge of each plate, and the sorbet cake is garnished with raspberries.

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Fresh Berry Wedding Cake

Credit: Charles Maraia

Early summer is the best time to choose a cake like this one -- brimming with a fresh, varied assortment of the season's best berries.

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