Does the thought of getting married amidst tropical plants, waterfalls and butterflies sound dreamy? The Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory in Cambridge, ON, brings the beauty of a tropical wedding indoors. No matter how snowy, rainy or window outdoors, you and your guests will be immersed in a 75 degree tropical paradise.

Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory offers a customizable wedding, allowing you to choose from a variety of packages.  A ceremony package includes a live butterfly release and exclusive use of the conservatory. For the reception, you have use of the galleries, dining room, bridal suite and front foyer. You can choose from a four course dinner, buffet, cocktail or brunch reception -and you can customize the menu. To make planning a breeze, a wedding coordinator is on hand to help you with the planning of the day.

You can find more information on having your wedding at the magical Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory here.

Photo one and three: Foster Visuals; Photo two: Catherine Mombourquette

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Is there a living soul who doesn’t love Rice Krispies Treats? Although they might be a bit too plain to serve on their own at a wedding, a heart shaped cookie cutter and some chocolate will transform them into wedding-worthy treats! Give them as favors, or add them to your dessert table.

You will need:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 250g or 1 package (about 40 regular) marshmallows or 5 cups miniature
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 6 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
• Melted chocolate wafers or chips (we used Belgium wafers in strawberry and vanilla)

Gather your ingredients to make Rice Krispie Treats.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted.

Stir in vanilla. Stir in Rice Krispies cereal until well coated.

Using a lightly buttered spatula, press into a buttered 3.5 L pan.

Turn pan over onto a cutting board. Mixture should release easily from pan.

Use a heart shaped cookie cutter to make Rice Krispies Hearts.

Melt pink chocolate wafers using a double boiler.

Dip half of Rice Krispies Heart into chocolate. Give it a tap to remove excess chocolate .

Place chocolate covered hearts onto a waxed paper lined baking sheet.

Melt white chocolate wafers using a double boiler.

Drizzle white chocolate over dipped portion of Rice Krispies Heart.

And there you have your gorgeous Rice Krispies Treat Hearts!

Despite facing some serious challenges when it came to planning their nuptials, Mallory and Ben refused to let a short engagement and a tight budget get in the way of having the most wonderful and whimsical wedding possible. The playful couple let their childlike personalities shine with a ceremony and reception filled with children’s books, golden oldies, handmade details, and tons of personal touches. Most importantly, the couple filled their day with family, friends, and love, making all of Mallory’s romantic wedding dreams come true.

A huge thank you to Keely Yount for sharing all the beautiful details and tender moments with us!

Mallory, 27 & Ben, 33

Decatur, TX

Wedding Date: October 12, 2013

Number of Guests: about 65 or 70

Wedding Cost:$7,300

Wedding Ceremony Location: Flying V Ranch — outdoors under a big, beautiful tree

Wedding Reception Location: Flying V Ranch — inside the barn

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

Even as a child I remember going to weddings and wondering why they seemed so unromantic. I always said mine would be small, romantic, and I wouldn’t have any bridesmaids. That’s about all I knew. My feelings toward it didn’t change as I grew up. I only wanted people there who we truly loved and who truly loved us.

What are some of the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?

I think being on a tight budget was the most challenging thing we faced. I wanted a small wedding, so the budget didn’t dictate that, but weddings are just expensive no matter what. I did as much as I could DIY, and I had a small team really help me put it all together. My dad’s partner knew a little about flowers, was able to get them at a great price and did a phenomenal job.

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

I want to relive my ceremony over and over. There was something transcendent about it for me. We were only engaged 3 months, and even in that short time, my vision for my ideal wedding certainly evolved quite a bit. A month before my wedding, I decided to change dresses and surprise my Mimi by wearing the dress she wore in the 1950s when she married my grandpa (we called him Oscar). At the time, Ben and I were listening to a lot of oldies stations on Pandora and really loving it, so our wedding turned into this 1950s event, full of whimsy and charm. The music during the ceremony and the reception was exclusively the golden oldies. Three of my great friends (Laney Sprague, Jenny Moscoso from Seryn, and Mimo Morreale from Fox and the Bird) sang during the ceremony (“Bushel and a Peck” while Ben walked in, “I Only Have Eyes for You” when I walked in, “You Send Me” during the ceremony, and “You Make Me Feel So Young” when we walked out).

Typically I think ceremonies are painfully boring. That sounds horrible. But I’m being vulnerable with you right now. Ours was anything but. We had our best friend, Jeremy, marry us — he’s not actually ordained, but we found a loop hole. He opened with the cutest monologue, performing the “twitterpated” speech from Bambi. Then Benji and I read the children’s book, “I Like You” to each other aloud. We’re super playful and childlike with each other, and this was such a fun part of the ceremony. Then, it was important to us that our guests take some time to connect with someone they love, whether it be by hugging, praying together, or reminiscing on when they first fell in love. Everyone got out of the white, wooden pews and crossed the aisles to love on their children, their parents, their spouse, their grandmother, their in-laws, their partner, their boyfriend. It was beautiful. Ben and I used the time to sit down and pray together and take the moment in. More than anything, I wanted to be present on my wedding day, and this allowed us to stop and breathe. After this, we delivered our written vows. Ben’s to me was funny, as to be expected, but also so tender and personal. After I gave him mine, I leaned to the right to look at Indigo, his daughter (9 at the time), and give her my vows as well. After I regained my composure, we exchanged rings, sealed the deal with a foot-popping kiss, and walked out to “You Make Me Feel So Young” as our guests waved cute little flags made by a dear friend.

What were the highlights of the reception?

The reception was filled with personal touches. A really great friend, Kathleen, made all of the decorations that we strung from the ceiling, my dad’s partner Clinton created all of the flower arrangements (which were to die for), my treasured unicorn and children’s book collection were strewn about, and we had different cute activities for people to do. We had custom fake tattoos for people to put on, personalized crossword puzzles about us and our wedding day, and I sketched out a picture of Ben and I in our wedding best for people to color. We are super playful and childlike, so this was a great reflection of who we are as a couple. We also love sweets! I had friends and family bring a few of my favorite desserts. My Mimi’s banana pudding, my aunt’s lemon bars, my sister’s puppy chow, my mom’s peanut butter dream bars, and my sister’s mother-in-law’s Texas State Fair award winning pumpkin bundt cake. I take sugar very seriously.

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding?

The best thing about having an intimate wedding is that I was completely present. There was no whirlwind to get lost in. I didn’t spend $250,000 or have any sort of bridal meltdown. It was grounded, sacred, and romantic. Just what I wanted.

What advice do you have for couples who are considering an intimate wedding?

To each their own. I have two sisters (I’m in the middle), and we all three got married within ONE year. Actually, within eleven months, if we want to get technical. As similar as the three of us are, all three weddings looked completely different. There’s no right or wrong answer. Listen to you heart (cue the music).

Vendors:

Photography: Keely & Aaron

Venue: Flying V Ranch

Dress 1: Cachet

Dress 2: My Mimi’s Lorrie Deb San Francisco vintage 1950s wedding dress

Dress 3: H&M

Shoes: Nine West

Groom’s Attire: Nordstrom

Hair & Makeup: Zsanae Panquerne

Flower Crown: Serenity Crystal on Etsy

Flowers: Clinton Kemp

Musicians: Mimo Morreale (Fox and the Bird), Jenny Moscoso (Seryn), and Laney Sprague

Decorations: Kathleen DeSouza

Cake Topper: Melabo Wed

Cake: Mary Flo Ridley

Mr & Mrs Straws: Krazystraws

B&M Tattoos: Straytats

Pillows: Society6

Activity Sheets: Wedding Chicks

German expats living in Paris, Sina and Martin’s decision to get married in a civil ceremony at the Town Hall was a spontaneous one. Their decision to keep it intimate, on the other hand, was a deliberate one. Rarely getting the chance to see their loved ones and wanting to spend as much quality time with them as possible, they invited their immediate families – all travelling in from Germany – to meet for the first time and share in their special day, complete with a tuk-tuk tour of the city and a celebratory dinner at Maison de la Truffe.

Special thanks to Brian of French Grey Photography for sharing their beautiful day with us!

Sina, 29 & Martin, 31

Paris, France

Wedding Date: November 21, 2014

Number of Guests: 7 + 3 dogs – just my father and his wife, my brother, Martin’s parents, his sister and his 90-year old granny, who was in Paris for the first time in her life

Wedding Cost: $2,800

Wedding Ceremony Location: Town hall of the 16^th arrondisment of Paris

Wedding Reception Location: After the ceremony we hired two tuk-tuks and did a Paris-roundtrip. Afterwards, there was a short stop at our apartment for wine and champagne, and then we went for dinner at Maison de la Truffe.

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

The idea to get married in Paris was very spontaneous one. One Saturday we saw a couple getting married at the town hall, which is a couple hundred meters away from our apartment. It looked so pretty and we just thought having our civil wedding in Paris would be amazing. As you are only allowed to get married in Paris when you live there, we jumped at the chance to get married in the City of Love.

The idea of having an intimate wedding is a result of being expatriates in France and only getting to see our family very rarely. Normally you only have a few minutes for each guest on your wedding day; that’s why we only wanted our family around to spend time with on this special day. Besides, it was also a family meet-up because our parents live in different parts of Germany and had never met before. We are planning another event for friends which is supposed to be more of a ceremonial wedding and party vacation where we will be able to spend a week or two with the people willing to join us in South Africa.

What are some of the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?

Actually it was easier to plan because you have more options. And since we still have the ceremonial wedding coming up, we didn’t have any issues with not inviting our friends (most of them still don’t know about our civil wedding). It also allowed me to prepare the give-away bags, including some self-made cake pops and customized M&Ms, by myself.

Still, an intimate wedding with maybe only 10% of the normal guest list doesn’t mean you just pay 10% of a normal sized wedding; you still have the fixed costs like the dress etc. On the other hand, you can spend money on things like renting tuk-tuks for a 2 hours Tour in Paris; something you wouldn’t or couldn’t do for 100 guests.

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?

No, because we decided to have just our closest family and no friends at the civil wedding.

Did you have any ‘issues’ with the small guest list from friends and family? If so, how did you address them?

No, as our guest list was really only parents and siblings, we did not run into the trap of “if we invite A then we also need to invite B” etc. Plus we drew a very clear line.

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

We were so surprised at how beautiful the wedding room in the town hall was and the great lengths the registrar’s office went to to make it very ceremonial.

What were the highlights of the reception?

The highlight of the reception was the time we were all able to spend together. Everyone sat at one table, so all guests were involved in the conversation instead of some people sitting at a table with strangers in the back of a big room and not being able to really speak to the newlyweds all night.

What were the highlights of the photography?

Brian was awesome because he kept a good balance between giving direction and “just letting it happen”. He made us feel very comfortable in front of the camera and we love the results of the shoot.

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding?

We had enough time for all our guests who we rarely get to see nowadays. What is the sense of having 100 guests when you end up just speaking to everyone for 5 minutes the entire day/night?

What advice do you have for couples who are considering an intimate wedding?

Do what you think is right; it is your day, so don’t feel obliged to have a wedding that others want you to have.

Vendors:

Tuktuk: Paris by Tuktuk

Restaurant: Maison de la Truffe

Photographer: French Grey Photography

Look to your jewelry box for inspiration with pastel jewels and soft ballerina shades. A colorful wedding that offers a lighter alternative to darker jewel tones like emerald green. This trend has a different take on the popular pastel palette by adding embellishment, sparkle and transparent elements that are reminiscent of pale gemstones.

This stunning embellished gown is the perfect way to showcase this trend. Pair it with a messy updo and neutral make up for a sophisticated look. Be inspired by pastel gems and crystals when it comes to jewelry as well as narrowing down your color palette. Incorporate different pastel shades and textures in your table settings.

Mint and gold are a great combination and these metallic dresses fit in so well with this pastel theme. Every single donut is worthy, but when it comes to your wedding add some style to the deliciousness. Donuts with peach colored frosting and gold leaf will add to your decor.

Go back to the original inspiration for this trend by wearing a pastel statement necklace. A great way to add some color to your bridal look.

A floral arrangement or bouquet that captures the essence of spring is a lovely way to go. A silver and crystal vase goes well with the pale blooms. Pink colored glass has that precious jeweled look that’s ideal for an outdoor reception. I

f you’re looking for a show-stopping dessert or an alternative to a wedding cake, go for a multicolored macaron tower.

Mismatched colored glasses are an easy way to replicate those pastel jewel tones. Introduce some color to your bridal look with these jeweled beauties. You’ll want them on your feet way beyond the wedding day. If you’re not into matching bridesmaid dresses then think about soft blush tones with touches of sparkle.

Photo one: stylemepretty.com; Photo two: etsy.com; Photo three: blog.hwtm.com; Photo four: magnoliarouge.com; Photo five: heidilau.ca; Photo six: refinery29.com; Photo seven: weddingchicks.com; Photo eight: ryonlockhart.com; Photo nine: onelove-photo.com; Photo ten: elizabethmessina.com; Photo eleven: amyarrington.com; Photo twelve: thelovelyfind.com