Spring is a great time for new beginnings, especially for starting a new life with someone special. What better way to celebrate than to incorporate a spring theme into your wedding decorating! A few simple touches are all it takes to have a big impact. After a dull winter, your guests will appreciate a bright and happy occasion.



Popular colors for a sping wedding are pastels, so keep this in mind when shopping for your bridal party and for your decorations. If you want a darker color for your bridesmaid dresses, try using the same color in a lighter shade for the wedding flowers and centerpieces. The contrast will add freshness to your big day while making everything look smart and well coordinated. Try not to use too many different pastel colors together unless you're planning an Easter wedding. Some great color choices are: pink or rose, light blue, yellow, lavender, and a soft green. Some good color combinations include rose and lavender, lavender and light blue, or yellow and soft green. Using colors that are close to each other on the color scale will give a softer look to your day, while using opposites will create bolder combinations.

Other than color, some easy ways to add spring to your wedding are:

- Use potted bulbs in your decorations. They can be used to decorate your ceremony, as centerpieces at your reception, and on the gift and cake tables. Just make sure to choose bulbs whose flowers aren't heavily scented in case any of your guests have allergies. A lot of scent in a closed in room can have people looking for fresh air very quickly. Daffodils and tulips are great choices and are available in a variety of colors. You don't need to have the same flower at every table, and using a variety can make your decorating more interesting for your guests.

- Other seasonal flowers that can be used as cut flowers are lilacs, pansies, and freesias, but again be careful with heavy scents. Lilacs smell beautiful, but some are more scented than others.

- Spring is the time when many people start thinking about planting their gardens. Consider giving away flower or tree seeds in decorative seed packets as a wedding favor. The seeds can be for your favorite plant, or for one that has significance to your family. If I were planning a spring wedding, I would give away apricot tree seeds as a subtle reminder of my grandmother and the apricot tree on her farm that used to always be in bloom for her birthday in May.

- Small trees can also be used as centerpieces or used as favors. Choose ones that are about a foot high so they don't block out everything at your wedding. If using them as centerpieces, plant them in decorative pots and include some planting instructions. For favors, they can be placed on a side table so they aren't in the way during dinner. An announcement can be made after the speeches that they are for the guests to take home. Tie a note of thanks around their base with some raffia as an added touch.

Using color and seasonal flowers you can give your wedding a spring-time feeling without going to a lot of extra time or expense. Think spring and have fun decorating for your wedding!