Decorating for a wedding close to the holidays can be difficult. You can’t ignore that everyone is in the full holiday spirit but you also don’t want your wedding to feel like just another holiday party. How do you decorate in that middle ground? This year West Elm stores are decked out in the perfect holiday décor so take some notes.

classy with a touch of holiday spirit

Steer clear of the obvious red, white, green and blue holiday color palettes and choose something neutral. Decorate in shades of cream, metallic and glitter. Try mixing paper flowers made from newsprint or book pages with silver plates and a shimmery table runner.

And these glittery XOs play perfectly into a loving wedding theme. Simply cover some wooden letters in glue and glitter than hang from ribbons for the perfect reception decoration.

Happy Thanksgiving! Today seems like the last chance to celebrate an autumn wedding theme since it is the first official day of the winter holiday season and we’ll soon be swept up into the glitter and wrappings that come with it. So take a moment to remember the rich, warm colors and delicious treats from the fall.

Fall is also a great season for simple, do-it-yourself wedding projects. Wrap votive holders with fake autumn leaves with a rustic tie to quickly dress up your reception tables. Build a tower of cupcakes sprinkled with fall color and/or bake miniature pies with leaf print tops for a laid-back dessert. Pull together your fall wedding with other autumnal color touches such as brown bridesmaids’ dresses, pumpkin centerpieces and foliage inspired escort cards.

Lately you just cannot escape the news – William and Kate are finally getting married! And who doesn’t look forward to the hoopla surrounding a royal wedding. Everything got started on the right note – William gave her Princess Diana’s ring *sigh* soo perfect. There’s already speculation over the venue, date and dress designer. What would you pick out for a royal wedding?

what a stunning engagement ring

You may not have to get approval on your wedding date from the royal family, but that doesn’t mean you can’t steal a little inspiration from past British wedding bashes. Take a note from Diana and Charles’ wedding and travel from your ceremony to reception in a carriage. It may seem a little old-fashioned and over-the-top but when else in your life will you get the chance to have a truly romantic carriage ride? Or be a princess for your day and wear a jewel-studded tiara like all the royal brides. If a royal-esque wedding doesn’t suit your style don’t incorporate these details, but do look through this royal wedding slideshow.

Pretty invitations deserve an equally pretty presentation: customized envelopes. Think about the amount of time and energy you spend on wedding invitations. You have to pick a design (which can include RSVP cards, event location maps, recommended lodging, and so on), select the language, get them printed and usually hand address each one. After all that effort they need gorgeous wrapping.

a great example of quality wedding invitation envelopes

First pick thick, high quality envelopes in a color that complements your invitations. Stray away from traditional white envelopes if you can so that your wedding invitation stands out in your guests’ stack of mail. Then order custom envelope liners to add that extra special touch. They’re a relatively simple do-it-yourself addition that makes a huge impact on your presentation. Your wedding invitations set the tone for your wedding guests, so you better take the extra step to do it right.