A Medieval/ Renaissance-themed wedding may be one
of the greatest excuses for a good time your guests will ever know.
When else can you bring in jugglers and harpists, put your mother
in a headpiece and draft your father as the "town crier"?
Favors for this gala event are fairly easy to
come by (or make), and often inexpensive. Here are several ideas:
Anything
in a Velvet Pouch
The velvet pouch is the world's most satisfying
sewing project. If you can cut a square, you can make a beautiful,
authentic-looking pouch in about five minutes. Dress it up with
tassels, or dress it down with a simple drawstring.
Or if you'd rather, buy a bulk
lot of velvet pouches inexpensively on eBay. Fill each pouch
with any kind of goody that appeals to you. Common choices are:
Honey
Jars from the Lady of the Manor
Buy a large quantity of
good, rich honey (or honeycombs) from your local health food store or beekeeper.
Pour into small glass hexagonal jars. (Specialty Bottle is an
affordable source
...) Print out custom labels and affix. For extra flair, top off
the jar with small silk roses, or tuck it all in tulle bag and tie
it with ribbon. Include
a silly saying:
Two Shall Bee as One. Meant to Bee. This favor has an
authentic medieval feel!
Plantable Seed Cards
These
beautiful cards (made of homemade paper) contain living wildflower
seeds. You can purchase them inexpensively, or make them yourself
for virtually nothing (try here for a simple and fun
paper
recipe. You can add all kinds of imaginative things to your
homemade paper, including flower petals! The trick for this project
to add flower seeds at the last minute, so they don't get too wet).
Once dry, cut your paper into pretty shapes. Use specialty scissors
that cut scalloped edges, for example.
Seed cards can double as place-holders, and can
be made even more beautiful with a little calligraphy.
Celtic Soap or Molded Chocolates
Molds can be found in stores like Joanne's or Michaels (do
your budget a favor — look for the 40% off coupons at Michaels
that appear in the paper), or online at
GetSuckered,
and the results are stunning. Tuck the resultant beauties into small
velvet bags.
Herbal Bags or Sachets
This inexpensive favor has a luxurious feel. Choose
an herb that suits your wedding (Rosemary "for remembrance"
is a solid choice, but the options are endless — and lavender is associated with important dreams, like those about your future husband). Buy it in bulk
at a local warehouse or buy online (
MountainRoseHerbs
has an abundance of certified-organic herbs, with quantity discounts).
Tie up in tulle or organza, and include a note about the herb and
its history and meaning.
A variation on the theme: the herbs-and-recipe favor. Pick out a recipe for a crowd-pleasing medieval treat (such as mulled wine, gingerbread or spice
cake). Wrap up the appropriate spices and attach the recipe.
Medieval Springerle Cookies
This authentic and gorgeous treat can be made with
medieval
springerle cookie molds. You can paint the results or adorn
them with gold leaf. Your guests will rave about them for months
after.
Books of Love Poems
And finally, compilations of poetic classics, many from Ye Olde England,
can sometimes be found for $2 apiece or less. Check online or at
your local bookseller's next clearance sale!
Hi
Thanks in advance
Im getting married Nov7/09 (medieval theme) I am really having trouble getting any ideas for flower types etc. I know that myrtle was something used back then as well as orange blossoms. My dress is crimson red satin w a choc brown lace overlay. My fiance is wearing chain mail with a royal blue tunic (accented with the crimson of my dress ie fluer d lues etc.) We are keeping a motif of red & blue ( banners, flags) with hints of gold. Any ideas….help…oh the woe’s of do-it-yourslef wedding planning
sonya,
ivy, rosemary, and heather (scottish brides) was a hugely popular item in the medieval days. if you want flowers (which the main decor herb bouquets). just make sure your florals are natural looking because they didnt have the handy florists we have today. yes orange blossoms were used but only the nobles could afford them, today they are still expensive. using anything natural like leaves, branches etc. would be used. whatever that can be gathered in the “woods” so to speak.
this is one of the best sites for a medieval/renaissance wedding….
*Medieval Moccasins: Flowers
*Renaissance Wedding Flowers
*Medieval Weddings
*Medieval Magic
personally, if you use roses make double sure they are white or garden roses or they might look out of place. white or red roses would fit in; yellow garden roses would be fine too. use for your bouquet and have wildflower or herb/foliage bouquets for bm and in other decor. i have mentioned this before but i read a book once that had a medieval wedding and the groom had white roses planted so his bride could have them on her wedding day. but she was the only one that carried and wore them cause they were a special sentiment to her. beautiful isnt it?
if everyone or all the floral wore or used them, then it would take away the true meaning of them in the first place, they wouldnt stand out and be special. somaybe you could use this idea ( like the first flowers your fh gave you in your bouquet and use in the head wreath if you wear one.) also there was no decorated alter in those days and no centerpieces either. the tables were reserved for food and flowers were in vases etc. around the room. here is a fun wedding site with loads of ideas!! if you have seen lord of the rings….. check out all the links, it will give you style and decor ideas!! truly amazing! i am posting a pic from the gondor flower section…. i think for it would fit the bill. remember if you decide to go with roses as the main flower then add PLENTY of foliage/make it look gardeny or fresh picked.
cause most brides first flowers would have been red roses, but this has an era quality.
*Medieval Flowers
*Custom Floral Design ( BEAUTIFUL ideas here)
I’m getting married on halloween this year and I am doing a renaissance theme. I am just using fall leaves for my flowers. they come in all colors and go with just about everything. Plus they are easy to find.
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Well I don’t know who sells medieval but I of course you could check out http://www.favorideas.com or http://www.favorsinthecity.com. I actually have ordered favors for all events from both sites, everything from birthday parties, girls night out to weddings.
Good Luck
Hello..my daughter wants to have a Medieval/Renaissance Sweet Sixeen party, I know this is a wedding site, but was wondering if I can get some idea’s for decorations, food ideas and such. We are on a budget so any advise would be great.
I’m planning on having a medieval wedding, guests dressed as medieval townsfolk and peasants and wenches, bride and grooms parents will be kings and queens, grooms men will be knights and bridesmaids will be ladies in waiting. But i have NO idea what to do for centrepieces? Any ides???
kitty, hi. since you are having a more authentic looking wedding. medieval weddings did not have centerpieces then and they didnt have florists.they had urns of flowers placed around the room and left the tables for the food and they wouldnt have alters either. but if you wnat centerpieces, stick to wooden bowls or vases with just picked wildflower look in them. or it will take away from your theme. another idea is have fresh baked bread or yeast rolls and butter in wood bowls. it may be a little more today looking but it will blend in .
remember use lots of greenery (ivy) in garlands they used this alot. have a little wheat in your bouquet ( a syymbol of fertility) played a large role in the bouquet.
*FLOWERS FOR A PERIOD WEDDING
*Medieval and Renaissance
Wedding Planning Links ( this is one of the BEST sites for a medieval wedding, it will cover everything from a-z, i know it will help!!)
good luck!! having your food already on the tables would be an amazing medieval custom. no tablecloths would be even better!!
kitty, if you need more pics, just google image medieval wedding reception then medieval wedding table.
I need cake ideas. Help I have to the cake for a renaissance wedding. The bride wants 3tiered heart shaped cakes w/ wildflowers and ivy-no problem. I suggested maybe a basket type color for the cake w/ the flowers draping over edge.But,she has a white sparkly castle topper that just doesn’t go wth this. I thought maybe I could color the castle somehow. Any ideas?!
You could always coat the castle in colored sugar. Change the color of the sugar to match some corresponding colors in the wedding. Maybe even offer her the advice that the topper won’t work with the cake as a whole but would look beautiful BESIDE the cake on the serving table!
kathyanye, here are some fantastic cakes. the castle will be fine. you can spray paint the castle in a antique gold(unless it is heavily sparkled) another idea would be that great grey spackle spray paint at walmart. it will look like a genuine castle and will blend with this effortlessly. make sure, though, the castle is sitting atop a cardboard round and set it up on a platform with flowers flourishing from around and underneath castle and onto sides of cake as planned. another suggestion is to have an all white cake as in link i provided. that would be beautiful and have lush wildflowers around base of cakes. last suggestion, is to add white roses and/or white daisies among the wildflowers.( this would be the simplest to do). i think adding a white flower will help the castle blend or you could keep the cake with just greenery. i read a book one time, set in medieval era, the groom 2 be grew white roses just so his bride would have them on their wedding day, i thought that was just a beautiful statement and in the lord of the rings movie, aragorn’s coronation. the castle’s entrance was decorated in garlands of greenery and white roses. hope this helps!!
*Cake Suggestions
I loved looking through you web page, it had loads of ideas for my wedding, ( medevial/renaissance ) which was very helpful,thanks :D:D
I have met the man of my dreams and we want a kind of midevil
courting experience. I do not know much about favors. My boyfriend had first told me about them. He says the favor he would like from me is something i make by hand. life a peice of cloth with my emblem on it. Do you have any ideas for me? I am new at this and i need help.
It also depends on the time of year. A favorite were fans, with tassels and little embellishments in the summer (hot outside), or handkerchiefs with embellishments. What season?
Hello we are having a medieval wedding an having some trouble coming up with ideas and where to find decorations and flowers.. can any one help with this.. we are getting married in nov and would like to make as much as we can we are on a tight budget.
We had a friend marry and ordered flowers offline. Sams has a few nice deals, and there are a ton of other sites that do as well. We ordered the bulk flowers, took 3-4 hours to put them together (corsages, bouquet, table decs etc). Arrived on time, with beautiful flowers and had a 3k flower experience cut to 300. She loved them. But you have to have folks who don’t mind reading about how to put together flowers or waking up 4 hours early to make them all >.<
Of course 10 gerbra dasies/vase and a few other fillers, some glass vases, and some floral ribbon/wire, and some pearl pins and we were in business.
We got them the day before the wedding, stored in water in the basement of a friends house, cut the bottoms so they would stay hydrated, and went to town the next morning.
She was shocked. They were incredible and very simple. She just loved all the colors.
Does anyone know where I could find some shepherd’s hooks that hold hanging lanterns?? I want to do that to line my isle, but I don’t know where to find them. Thanks!
Hi all,
I’m getting married in march and am having problems with picking out wedding colors for a midevil wedding
Either of you have a country background? Nationality, standard? Or just a favorite color. Also depends, is it daylight, afternoon, or candlelight? Lot of folks used to use colors depending or announcing who’s side they were on.. related to.. etc.
Is he wearing a kilt? Are there anyone in cloaks? lol Lots of things to change depending on what colors he’ll be in or you’ll be in.. more so for color matching and making your photos come out great.
hi, im having a medieval wedding this coming december, i cant seem to find songs for the theme… please help thank you
im having a harpist play at my wedding , with tunes like the trumpet volentary,canon in d…….you get the idea ….greensleeves .
Hi Kat, here are a few ideas for you. Hopefully you’ll get more!
First of all, we don’t associate medieval times with sunscreen and beach balls, but we certainly do with ships … and mermaids, and pirates, even. You have a very rich set of colors that should look beautiful. If money’s no object, it would be fun to actually have your wedding on a yacht, which would be perfect for blending the two themes. Otherwise, try decorating with a few rows of shepherds’ hooks. Tie on long satin ribbons in those rich colors, the ends barely touching the ground so they’ll blow in the breeze and include a hanging lantern on each one, but make sure the glass is tight and they’re wind-proof. Or use battery-powered tealights.
If you have a wedding arch, try hanging long curtains of organza in your wedding colors from the sides and back, along with more satin ribbon, and a coat of arms from a dowel you’ve attached to the top/back of the arch so it’s behind your heads.
Long, curling locks and pretty flowers for the hair are something beach and medieval brides have in common.
Then, if you’re having a reception on the beach too, consider mini-treasure chests as centerpieces, filled with chocolate gold coins if weather permits. Lanterns look lovely on the tables (surround with sea glass). Try very rich table linens, such as a sage base, with a second layer or runner in eggplant with a metallic sheen. Use green raffia to tie off favor boxes or glass vases, since it resembles seaweed. Try to stick to wood, pottery and metal for your tableware: pewter steins to drink from — for example — and serve mostly finger food. Large wooden barrels make great holders for modern kegs.
The easiest way to set a medieval mood is through music, and since you need live music (as opposed to a DJ) for the beach anyway, a medieval quartet would take everyone back a few centuries while charming their socks off. Even a guitarist with some renaissance-style tunes under his belt would be terrific.
We’re planning a beach wedding in FL toward the end of this year. We want something simple but pretty. Any ideas on decorating simply, it’s my 2nd wedding and his first. It’s going to be small around 25 ppl. He bought me a bodice with butterflies on it because he knows I love them , so our colors will be dark purple(eggplant), dark green, sage, cream, and mauves…helppppppppppppppp!!!:D Those aren’t exactly beach colors but I fell in love with the bodice… Any help on meshing beach with medieval would be greatly appreciated!!! THANKS!
You don’t have to pick all the colors, but the post above dose seem to incorporate them all. Darkgreen and sage in the right combos would be charming, creams fits in nicely. Like tables with a dark green, then a light green cloth. Pavillion with sage, dark green and cream swaths of gauzey fabrics.
You could put bowls in the center with pirate ships milling about with name cards. Whatever makes you smile, warms your memories, or gets your S.O smiling.
Centerpeices of lanterns, nesseled in sand, with green/sage beach glass. Maybe some tables with a live fishbowl, with the break lights that can be submerged and under different colors of warn glass so they give off light and look like mini shimmering treasure chests from the bottom of the bowl. heck if you want, you could put some of the butterflies in well aerated pretty containers, and light them from the sides with colored led lights and little patches of grass under them
Whatever rocks your boat, literally even.
Tables named after pirate ships.
Favors tied off in raffia.
Warm mead served, or spiced mulled wine or cider if it’s late night and chilly.
I’ve seen butterfly releases even, which really don’t last too long… but… if that’s what you love.
If you are a rowdy group, you can even do steele kettle drums and a roasted boar if it’s more fun than proper. Depends on your mood.
For the person seeking wedding locations around Alabama: Try the Society for Creative Anachronists (SCA). Also, look online for renaissance fairs.
What about locations anyone know locations for this style of wedding in Alabama?some good old churches or something ?
http://www.camiasdesigns.com/circlets.htm for wedding headpieces
I absolutely adore the velvet bag with chocolat coins idea!
There are some very cute ideas and inexpensive ways to create that Renissance atmosphere for your reception
I got some great renaissance wedding favor ideasfrom this site. THANK-YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!
I LOVE this page it has been difficult finding ideas for my wedding but this sight was just what I needed!