Bride photography by Wedding-Club.com member Signature Studio Photography
Bride's bouquet by Elegance By Design

Your wedding will likely be one of the biggest parties you'll ever throw, so why not have fun designing it? You can't go wrong with a fun and fresh Spring theme. Delightful colors and creative ideas for favors and centerpieces will ensure that your wedding theme will be the talk of the town.

We called upon Josie Littlepage, wedding planner and owner of Cosmopolitan Events to share her expertise. Our request was to come up with incredibly budget-friendly ideas for planning a wedding and she did not let us down.

Her first idea was a glass menu, inspired by one of her modern brides. The glass menu can be placed on a contemporary mini-easel for the center of the table or directly on the linen for individual place settings. Since the concept is contemporary, calligraphy is not necessary, so anyone with good handwriting can write out the menu themselves. The glass can be purchased at Lowe's or any home improvement store. The staff should cut the glass for a small fee and in some cases for no charge. Each piece of glass is around $1.50 (prices will vary according to retailer and region).

Another great idea was broken shard place cards. "My inspiration came from a rustic upscale wedding that took place at a farm", says Josie. We recommend that each shard be placed on the actual place setting, so this should be implemented at a smaller wedding where guests can walk around and find their seats. For bigger weddings, setting up a board where the shards are arranged will work as well. Josie suggests purchasing terra-cotta pots at any lawn and garden or home improvement store. Then, carefully place them in a towel and hammer away. Since the look is rustic, dressing up the broken shard with a beautiful calligraphy will balance the look. The cost for each pot ranges from $3-10 each, depending on the size. Your skill with a hammer will determine the amount of broken pieces each pot will yield, but Josie believes it can range from 10-40 shards per pot. Add calligraphy, and you will expect to pay around 50 cents per shard... how's that for low cost!

Josie's other ideas include utilizing tile. Large tile pieces can serve as menu cards and small tiles can serve as table numbers. Tiles prices range from 25 cents on up.

Melinda Steinbrueck also came up with some adorable favor ideas. "You'll love the newest gift bags from Hallmark. I saw them and thought, now why couldn't I have come up with such a great idea?" says Melinda. The gift bags come in many yummy Spring colors, decorated with a beautiful silk flower on the front of the bag, and topped off with a gingham design on the edges. The cost of each bag is $1.99. You can fill them up with anything... candy, nuts, you name it. Add a name tag and you are done. How's that for assembly?

Best of all, not only would they look beautiful arranged on a table, but they can also dress up individual placesettings. They are so beautiful and generously sized, that you could even go without a centerpiece.

One of Melinda's favorite favors are her personalized beaded bookmarks. "The technique to bend the wires into letter shapes takes some practice, but for the bride who's crafty, this favor may be perfect for her. Of course, if she wants to enjoy the favor without the labor, she can always call Melinda.

Spring is a wonderful time, not only for a wedding, but also for exercising your creative streak. Look around and you might just find that perfect thing where you least expected it!