Unique wedding reception ideas: A green wedding decoration saving the environment

Who can resist a cuppa tea and a trawl through Etsy {not me!!!} and that’s exactly what I did a few days ago and I’m so pleased I did.  I found some stunning unique wedding ideas for you, starting with today’s frabjous ideas by Bookity from Etsy.

Lou from Bookity in the UK takes all sorts of unwanted and elderly books and makes them into unique literary handmade decorations, including the cleverly designed heart garlands below.  She also makes jewellery, cuff links and handbags. Handbags!! Wowza!

Her book handbags have been featured in The Guardian and her wedding garlands have been featured in Elle Decoration Magazine.  With her finger on the green pulse, she also ensures she never uses rare or valuable books, only those unwanted or unsaleable volumes that have had a full and happy life.  Her materials include comic books, cheesy book covers, aged brown paper and beautiful fabrics.

Getting creative with your wedding chairs

Here it is… another frabjous post from my gorgeous Guest Blogger, Stacey-Marie Chalk from Cherry Topped Bespoke Weddings on the Alice In Weddingland wedding blog…

Creative Chair Covers

Trying to think of ways to make your wedding look and feel a little different? Then why not get creative with your chairs!

When visiting your wedding venue, take note of the chairs they have and whether they have the potential to be accessorised to suit your wedding style. If the chairs aren’t really suitable, ask your venue if they can store the chairs somewhere and if it would be ok to hire in alternative seating.

By spending a little thought on how to make sure the chairs complement your overall design, you can really make an impact in your ceremony and your wedding breakfast rooms. You could also create a relaxed and stylish chill out area or a trendy city bar feel by hiring in lounge furniture.

Think about the colour, material, style, shape and potential for adding decorative elements such as flowers, stationery, ribbons, fabric, fruit etc.

Dress your chairs with some elegant fabrics…

Use beautiful flowers and stationery to adorn the chairs…

How about adding some ribbons to suit your wedding colours…

Keep it simple with alternative hire-in options…

Create a lounge area…

For an intimate rustic wedding gather a collection of mix and match chairs…

 Image Credits:

Fabric Collage: Yellow and Green Bows; Lace cover; Mini bunting; Peach bow; Rustic bows; Draped fabric; Lace and ribbon; Wavy chiffon

Flowers Collage: White pomanders; Mini vases; Sunflowers; Stationery pouches; Apples; Fuchsia flower and place name; Menu tag

Ribbons Collage: Multicoloured ribbons; White ribbons; Patterned ribbons and peony; Yellow ribbons; Pink ribbon and lace Plain Collage: White chair; Chiavari chairs; Ghost chairs; Green and blue chairs; French chair Lounge Collage: Sofas (top); Outdoor Sofas (bottom left); Modern bar lounge Mix and Match Collage: Wooden chairs; Colourful chairs

Do you have any favourites? Have you already started to think about how to bring your wedding chairs into your design?

Have fun getting creative with your wedding chairs!

Stacey-Marie x

Unique wedding venue: Paronella Park, Qld, Australia

Oooh do I have a spectacular wedding venue for you today… Do you fancy getting married in a castle?

What about a rainforest castle?

How spectacular does that sound?  It even comes with a show-stopping waterfall!

Paronella Park is situated at Mena Creek just below Cairns in the beautifully tropical Queensland, in Northern Australia.  It is home to a number of heritage structures and has a history steeped in romance!

In 1935, José Paronella opened Paronella Park with a vision of making it the premier wedding venue in Far North Queensland.  The Park’s extravagant ballroom was, for many years, the first choice for weddings and celebrations, however, this abruptly ended in 1979 when a fire tore through the building. Now, 75 years on, Paronella Park’s owners have appointed a dedicated wedding planner to ensure that once again, the Park’s gorgeous grounds are filled with happy wedding guests, beautiful brides, and nervous grooms.’s a spectacular hideaway tucked in the Daintree Rainforest in Cairns. From the Paronella Park website.

No imagine you and Hubby standing at the edge having photos taken – stunning!!!

All photos above by Owen Wilson Photography

When I first saw a photo of Paronella Park I thought I was looking at somewhere in Mexico or maybe even a photo from somewhere Lara Croft may have ventured

Paronella Parks unique wedding venue is enchanting, elegant, timeless and unique.

What do you think?  Fancy getting married here?  Or maybe doing a photo shoot there?

Under the sea: Spectacular underwater honeymoon suite

Ready for it…

And if you want an all-in-one, you can even get married under the sea first and then start your honeymoon moments later.

Spectacular Venue: The Redwoods Treehouse

Imagine my excitement while trying to search for a unique wedding venue when I came across this stunning Treehouse in New Zealand…

Absolutely beautiful isn’t it!

One of the most exclusive venues in all of NZ, The Redwoods Treehouse caters for small groups only and would be a stunning environment to host your wedding reception if you were having a small, intimate wedding.  It’s only 45 minutes from Auckland and this venue is one that is sure to impress!!

Imagine having your nuptials below the Treehouse, surrounded by your closest friends and family.  After the ceremony you’re whisked away through the Redwood trees for some spectacular photographs, and then you and all your guests get to celebrate in a most spectacular kind-of way in a most spectacular wedding venue!

Photos from The Redwoods Treehouse website

Private, secluded and surrounded by all the closest people in the world to you.  The Redwoods Treehouse in NZ is a stunning, unique wedding venue.

The alternative altar: unique wedding venues

I love outdoor weddings and back home in Australia you can get married almost anywhere you want to just as long as you hire a registered celebrant to marry you.  But here in England it’s a bit tougher and I just don’t understand why.  There are so many stunning places to get married outdoors here: Dartmoor National Park, Newquay Beach and how many stunning castles are there in this country? National trust gardens… the list is long and distinguished!

I love the idea of finding an incredible tree somewhere you love, or going onto the beach with a homemade archway overhead covered with frangipanis and little red hearts: adding yet another dimensions to your story telling on your wedding day and creating something that is unique to you.  Or just saying your vows in a place that has meaning to you!

I want to show you a couple of stunning altars I’ve stumbled across in my web travels to help give you some inspiration beyond tradition.