Shhh… here is a sneak peak at some of the new wedding decorations arriving at Pink Frosting’s wedding shop in 2011… I’d love to hear what you think!

 Keep your eye out on Pink Frosting’s New Arrivals category for all of the new wedding decorations, favours and party supplies arriving every week!

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

There’s no better way to say Merry Christmas and thank you for being such a special friend than a home made treat.  And, I don’t know many people who would say no to a made-with-love Christmas cupcake!  I’ve gathered some of my favourite Christmas cupcakes to get you all inspired to create your own Christmas cupcakes this month.

Christmas Tree cupcakes by Bocaditos y Colores (Erika) at Flickr.

Santa cupcakes by Cherish Cupcakes at Flickr.

Loving these unique Christmas lolli-cakes (cupcakes on a stick!) by lollicakes#1 

Simple but very yummy gingerbread base candy cane cupcakes by Blue Bird Bake Shop

And, I save the best until last…. have you ever seen anything so amazing as these Christmas wreath cupcakes by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson for the Jelly Belly Cupcake decorating competition?  Awe-inspiring!

If you aren’t feeling so creative, the easy way to create a gorgeous Christmas cupcake is by making a simple cupcake and wrapping it with a laser-cut Christmas cupcake wrapper at Pink Frosting’s cupcake decorations shop.

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

Like it or loathe it (and we love it) Kate Middleton and Prince William’s royal nuptials on April 29 next year are set to reflect in weddings around the world for the next couple of years, with “fairytale bling” being the decorating style of choice.   And, the English royal wedding will create princess fever that won’t die down for some time yet!

The style we’re predicting is anything that glitters and is monogrammed will be the chic message for 2011 and 2012 brides.  The royal wedding itself will no doubt be very respectful of the traditions and customs of the royal family, but the every day take on the style of fairytale wedding will be very glittery with lots of sparkling wedding decorations and crystal and all stationery, decorations and wedding bomboniere monogrammed with the couple’s details to create a truly unique look.

Fit for a princess are dazzling acrylic diamonds, mirror bases on tables and crystal garlands dripping from high reception table centrepieces.  Wedding invitations will feature embossed monograms and gold or platinum foiled personally-created motifs.

Brides inspired by the royal wedding can style their wedding favours along the same lines by reaching for Antique Acrylic Place Card Frames, a diamond like place card frame which doubles as both a place card on table settings for wedding receptions as well as beautiful miniature photo frames for your guests to take home and Crystal Diamond Shaped Tea Light Holders which cast a twinkling glow on wedding table settings as well as make a beautiful wedding bomboniere for guests.

We hope you are truly inspired to create your own fairytale on your wedding day!

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

Many brides and grooms are planning their 2011 wedding celebrations now, and they want to know what the scoop is on the latest ideas for 2011 wedding favours and bomboniere.  The team at Australia’s number one online wedding store, Pink Frosting, lets you in on a little secret:  here are the trends in wedding favours for 2011!

The Big Trends

The big trend for 2011 will be anything inspired by royalty!  With Kate Middleton and Prince William tying the knot in April 2011, we’re predicting that anything that glitters will be the chic message for our 2011 brides.  The other trends for 2011 are eco-friendly favours, personalised favours, favours that double as table decorations and home-made of home-inspired wedding favours.  As with weddings in general, we’re seeing a trend towards the personalisation of the big day – a more unique approach to weddings that reflects the personality of the bride and groom and all of those that they love.

Royal Wedding Favours that Glitter

With the royal wedding in the first half of 2011, one of the key wedding trends will be everything that is royal and anything that glitters!  Fit for a princess are dazzling acrylic diamonds, mirror bases on tables and crystal garlands dripping from high reception table centrepieces.  To style your wedding favours along the same lines, reach for the Antique Acrylic Place Card Frame, a diamond like place card frame which doubles as both a place card on your table settings for your wedding reception as well as beautiful miniature photo frames for your guests to take home, Crystal Diamond Shaped Tea Light Holders which cast a twinkling glow on wedding table settings as well as make a beautiful wedding bomboniere for your guests, and Diamond Ring Bottle Stoppers with a glistening engagement ring top make a very chic wedding bomboniere for guests. 

Edible Wedding Favour Trends

Every guest loves a wedding candy or chocolate treat – it’s a very easy way to please your guests.  The big trend from 2010 which continues into 2011 is the Candy Buffet or lolly table, where guests can choose from a variety of candies and desserts to place in a themed bag to take home as their wedding bomboniere.  This fun trend is getting more serious and in itself has become one of the key decorations for the wedding reception. 

Home made edible wedding favours are also a key trend for 2011.  Couples may have a favourite recipe that they bottle and give to guests.  We have seen lovely home-made favours such as jams, home-farmed honey, cookies and other delicious baked treats.

Personalised candy is also a big trend for 2011.  There are many ways to make your wedding chocolates or wedding candy unique to you – personalised rock candy with your names and wedding colours, personalised labels on fun wedding lollipops are a huge hit and wedding chocolates wrapped in a personalised wrapper will make guests very happy indeed!

Trends in Beach Wedding Favours

If you’re hosting your wedding at the beach, the trends in beach wedding favours and bomboniere are to use beach and nautical themed favours as part of your table decorations.  Some of the favourites include the Adirondack Deck Chair Tealight Candles and Place Card Holder Wedding Favours which evoke a seaside feeling and also serve as place card or photo holders and provide a decorative touch as well as romantic lighting to a beache wedding reception, and the Castles in the Sand Tealight Candle which serves the dual purpose of being a softly romantic candle on wedding reception tables and also a sweet take-home favour for guests.

One of the big trends for 2011 beach weddings will be hand fan wedding favours to give to every guest during the wedding ceremony.  There are so many designs and colours to choose from, but the most popular are the Timber Hand Fan Favours and the White Paper Hand Fans, which match most beach wedding themes.

Australian bides know that the heat on the beach can be oppressive for their guests – sometimes year round in many Aussie locations.  For both practical purposes and because they look so beautiful in photographs, handing a wedding parasol to every guest at the ceremony and as their wedding favour is a practical and very appreciated wedding favour.

DIY Wedding Favour Trends

Do it yourself and craft it yourself really is the theme of the moment in weddings.  We love that brides are embracing homespun traditions and their childhood loves and are hosting weddings where they play a critical role in every part of the day – from crafting the table centrepieces and bridal bouquet to asking their favourite aunt to embroider the table runners with their monogram.  Creating a personalised and home-spun wedding favour is fun – gather your bridesmaids around and make something dear to your heart to give to guests who will really appreciate the gesture.

Some of the latest arrivals for 2011 DIY favours include Heart Jewels in Diamond Clear which are diamond shaped embellishments which also make lovely table scatters for wedding reception tables, in the bathrooms and around the wedding cake.  Do it yourself brides love the Customised Bomboniere Rock Candy as it means they have a base for their wedding favours.  They can then take their personalised lollies and wrap them in cello and tie with a personalised ribbon, encase the candy in an organza bag or pop into a homemade wedding favour box.

For home made jams, lollies and other treats, Flip Top Personalised Mini Candy Jars give you a great presentation that suits the style and colour of the wedding with a personalised label.  choose

Many DIY brides are opting for cupcake favours for their guests, and the love that goes into making a cupcake makes this treat even more special.  The laser cut cupcake wrappers, cupcake boxes and cupcake decorations at Pink Frosting make giving a cupcake favour even more lovely!

Eco-Friendly Wedding Favours

Couples that have a heart for the environment have many options for eco-friendly wedding favours in 2011.  One of our favourites is to make a donation to the couple’s favourite charity.  One of the key trends in 2011 will also be to give a plant, seeds or flower bulbs to guests.  We also adore the new eco friendly tote favour bags bearing a message of a greener earth and a protected environment.  Some of the other key trends are wedding favours using recycled materials and home-made favours that re-use materials from the home.

Where to Shop for Wedding Favours in 2011

No matter whether you spell it wedding favours, wedding bomboniere, bonbonniere, bombonieres or favors, at Australia’s wedding shop Pink Frosting, our mission is to bring Australian brides a unique selection of wedding bomboniere and wedding favours for your wedding day to purchase online, for delivery anywhere in Australia.  No fuss, perfect wedding bomboniere boxes, wedding favour tags, bomboniere ideas, personalised wedding bomboniere and wedding favours and unique ideas for wedding favours every single time!

Shop Wedding Favours now >>

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

This is probably my favourite time of year.  The smell of Summer is in the air, the crickets are buzzing at night and party season is in full swing.  All of these marvellous things point to the most wonderful weekend activity of the whole year:  it’s time to decorate your Christmas tree! 

Here’s the Pink Frosting Christmas Tree Decorating for Dummies guide:

• First things first: choose your Christmas tree theme.  You don’t need to stick with tried and true red and gold, although traditional is very NOW in 2010!  Check out the great styles of Christmas decorations at Pink Frosting for inspiration.
• Whether you choose a real tree or go for an artificial number (which is kinder to the environment if you keep it for years!) then make sure the branches are spread evenly and there are no gaps.  This will create a neat shape to work from.
• Then get decorating! Start with your Christmas lights.  Arrange your lights on the branches near the base of the tree and string them along the inside and the outside of the branches.  Always work with the lights on.  As a general rule, use 100 lights for each 30cms (or foot) of tree.  The more lights you have, the more spectacular the tree!  We love the gingerbread string lights for making a real statement this year.
• Then add your tinsel or garland.  This should be used to highlight the main colour of your theme.  Again, start at the bottom and work your way up.  Then add your ‘filler ornaments’ by evenly spacing them around the tree.  These may include basic solid colour balls and simple stars and shapes. You’ll need about 20 filler ornaments for every 60cms (2 foot) of Christmas tree.  You can get these basic Christmas ornaments at Pink Frosting’s Christmas shop.
• Then add your special ornaments between the basic ornaments.  Try not to hang all your ornament on the tips of the branches, but instead place ornaments and other decorations on inner branches to add depth and interest.  You’ll need at least 10 special ornaments for every 60cms (2 foot) of tree.  Pink Frosting has a beautiful range of traditional and contemporary Christmas ornaments to add oomph to your Christmas tree.
• In general, the larger ornaments should be towards the bottom of the tree and get smaller towards the top.  Try to evenly space the decorations to balance the arrangement.
• Don’t forget some Christmas bling!  Add diamonds, pearls, sparkling blingle bells and plenty of crystal for a decadent and opulent look. 
• To add extra decorative elements to your tree, try tying coloured ribbons together in bows and place them between the branches.  Or accent with silk flowers in your colour theme.  Fossick in the garden and at the local park for pinecones, seed pods and leaves and add a bit of sparkle with metallic spray paint or a splash of glitter.
• For a really personalised look to delight family and friends, add some mini photo frames to your Christmas tree.  Simply print off your favourite pictures and pop them into the frames, fasten a bow with long ties to the top of each frame and hang from the tree. Pink Frosting has dozens of photo frames which are very cost effective and look very modern and personal.
• If your tree needs some extra gaps filled, look around the house for sentimental objects that you can tie with ribbon and attach to the branches of your tree.  Think jewellery, feathers, tiny teddy bears, ribbons, dolls or dolls house furniture.
• Get your children involved, by asking them to create their own decorations.  You’ll be amazed just how good a child’s magical creation made from paper, glue and a bit of glitter can look!
• The crowning glory of every Christmas tree is an angel or star, which represents the host of angels or the Star of Bethlehem from the Nativity story.  So, take the time to find the perfect tree topper for your tree.
• Christmas decorations are traditionally taken down on Twelfth Night, the evening of 5 January.  But, I generally leave mine up for longer because the tree always looks so darn great!

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

Black damask is one of the hottest wedding themes right now – the motif is sophisticated and elegant and speaks volumes about the style of the couple getting married.  Our friends at Pink Cake Box released this amazing wedding cake on the weekend, and we just adored it so much we wanted to give you some beautiful black damask options for accessorising and decorating your wedding day around this lovely design.

For your wedding decorations and table centrepieces, keep it simple.  An elegant tall vase in the centre of the table with glitter tipped red roses makes the perfect centrepiece.  Then, over a white cloth, add a mirror base centre to the table, black diamond table scatters, damask votive tea light candle holders, timeless traditions coasters in black and white damask design and finally finish with a black and white damask themed wedding favour such as the damask personalised mint tins at Pink Frosting’s wedding shop.

This black and white table that we styled for one of our clients and shown in Cosmopolitan Bride magazine shows how you can combine black damask with modern black and white stripes and monograms to create a truly spectacular wedding table. 

You can bring the black and white damask pattern into so many of your wedding day accessories, including your wedding guest books, bridesmaid’s dresses, wedding parasols, wedding invitations and so much more.    The Pink Frosting wedding shop has a whole category dedicated to black and white wedding themes for your wedding day to make styling your wedding ceremony and reception with this beautiful design so much easier.

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

We know budgets are pretty tight for weddings right now, particularly with Christmas just around the corner. To help, the wonderful team at Pink Frosting’s online wedding shop are offering you free shipping on their amazing range of wedding favours, party favours and Christmas favours for school friends, colleagues and party guests.

No matter whether you spell it wedding favours, bomboniere, bonbonniere, bombonieres or favors, at Australia’s wedding shop Pink Frosting, our mission is to bring Australian brides a unique selection of wedding bomboniere and wedding favours for your wedding day to purchase online, for delivery anywhere in Australia.  No fuss, perfect wedding bomboniere boxes, wedding favour tags, bomboniere ideas, personalised wedding bomboniere and wedding favours and unique ideas for wedding favours every single time.  And with free shipping, even on sample orders, you can really enjoy the range!

Go on, grab a bargain!  The free shipping offer is valid on favour orders only on Monday 29th and Tuesday 30th November when you use the coupon code FSFAVOURS at checkout!

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

One of the best selling new wedding decorations at PinkFrosting’s wedding shop are our personalised wedding dance floor decals and wedding car decals.  They’re the perfect way to personalise your wedding decorations with your names, wedding colour scheme, theme and style.  You choose the design, colours and theme and tell us what text you want printed on them, and they arrive on your doorstep, ready to use at your wedding venue.

We wanted to make the process even easier by showing you how these personalised wedding decals work.  So, here is a video showing you how to apply and remove them without any fuss at all!

And, if you’re still stuck, here are the instructions for you to print for your big day!

1. First, select a central location on the dance floor. Smooth surfaces work the best; so, try and find a spot free of major grouts and cracks.
2. After youve located your desired spot, be sure to clean it thoroughly.
3. Next, secure the decal with masking tape running directly down the center, splitting the entire graphic into two equal halves.
4. After that, peel back 6 of lining (from either side), cut away and discard to expose adhesive.
5. By starting in the center and working your way outward, use a back and forth squeegee motion to gently smooth out the adhesive.  Feel free to use water to moisten surface. This can make it easier to smooth out air bubbles.
6. Next, remove the center masking tape while holding the graphic up in the air at an angle. Then, peel liner away carefully. Do NOT let it touch the surface until youre ready to start smoothing it out.
7. Then, as one person smoothes out the graphic again, working in a squeegee motion from the center outward the other person needs to keep the end loosely off the floor, until it has been completely adhered to the surface. Be sure to use slow, overlapping strokes to avoid wrinkles.
   a.If you make mistakes while applying, dont worry. Simply, lift the graphic without stretching it in small sections and reapply. (Misting water on the surface helps with this.)
   b.If you find small air bubbles after the graphic is applied, there is no need to stress. You can gently push them out with your fingers or use a small needle to poke the graphic and push the air out.
8. Once graphic is completely down, firmly smooth over the edges to make certain its in place and wont lift up from tampering, scuffing or DANCIN! You want your guests to have fun on the dance floor without having to worry about your hard work coming undone.
9. Then, when the party is over, youll find clean up is a breeze gently lift the edge of the decal and slowly pull away from the surface to prevent tearing. Feel free to discard or take home!

Our gorgeous wedding decals are made by Cathy’s Concepts, one of America’s leading wedding companies and PinkFrosting is proud to carry the Cathy’s Concepts range exclusively in Australia and New Zealand.

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

Every bride is looking for a wedding bomboniere or wedding favour that is different, unique to the couple and will be really appreciated by the guests.  One of PinkFrosting’s best selling wedding bombonieres is our customised rock candy wedding favours.  We love how versatile the rock candy is – you get to choose the flavour, the colours, what names or text goes in the centre and whether you want a heart in the middle.  The whole process is really simple and the result is so fun!

We’ve just shot some gorgeous new examples of the colours you can choose for your wedding bombonieres with our personalised rock candy.  It makes choosing the colours so much easier when you can visualise what they will look like together.

We also love the rock candy favours for Christening bombonieres, baby showers, milestone birthdays, Christmas presents and corporate events too – because you can pop whatever text you like into the centre!

You can see the range of flavours, colours and packaging at PinkFrosting’s online wedding and party shop.

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

Planning the perfect Christmas for this year starts now!  Avoiding headaches at the last minute is easy when you break down the Christmas planning process into a few simple steps.  Here is our simple Christmas Day Countdown.  I hope you find it a real help this year.

Without good planning, Christmas can be a time of confused last-minute activity.  Start your countdown to Christmas six weeks in advance so that everyone – including you – can enjoy the festive season.

Now

• Write down your Christmas ideas in a notebook, including your Christmas card list, gift list and guest list.
• Make a food plan for the Christmas season.  What special meals will you be catering for?  Are you hosting a party, a candlelit Christmas dinner, or a barbecue on the beach?  Flick through your favourite recipes for ideas and write a shopping list of the items you’ll need.
• Start making your own (non-perishable) presents and purchase your Christmas ornaments and decorations.

Five weeks to go

• Avoid the crowds in the supermarket by purchasing non-perishables, such as ingredients for baking.  Don’t forget the cranberry sauce, mint sauce, fruit mince and almond paste – they will be harder to find as Christmas nears.
• Buy your Christmas cards and stamps, or (if you are really crafty) start making your own.
• Start looking for the perfect Christmas gifts now to avoid the Christmas Eve madness.
• Send out invitations to any Christmas parties or gatherings.  December is a popular time for parties, so get in early.
• Assess your Christmas party supplies.  Do you have enough glasses, cutlery, crockery and chairs?  Investigate hiring additional equipment if needed.
• Put your creative mind to work – think about your table setting.  Will you need to make anything specially?  Now is the time to start.
• Don’t forget to buy (or make) advent calendars for the kids so that they can start the countdown on 1 December.

Four weeks to go

• Post parcels to friends and family overseas.
• Purchase your gift wrapping supplies: paper, ribbon, tape and glue, as well as gift tags.
• Make your Christmas cake or pudding.  Or, for a clever cheat, buy them and drizzle with rum and brandy for extra richness.
• If you have an artificial tree, now is the time to dust off the Christmas decorations and test the Christmas lights.  Repair the decorations that need some tender care, and splash out on some gorgeous new baubles to brighten your tree.  You should traditionally put your tree up 12 days before Christmas, and take it down 12 days after – but most people put up their tree when the mood takes them.

Three weeks to go

• Order your Christmas turkey, fish, seafood and ham.
• Set aside a day (or two) to make handmade presents – Christmas cookies and mini plum puddings, gingerbread men and shortbreads, brandied fruits and decanted oils and vinegars are old favourites.

Two weeks to go

• Check out your drinks supply.  Make sure you have enough alcohol, as well as mixers and fruit juices.  Consider making your own special cocktail to wow your guests.
• Purchase emergency nibbles for unexpected visitors.  Nuts, biscuits and chocolates work a treat.
• Start to make any freezable dishes for parties or Christmas Day.
• Check your linen and wash anything that needs freshening up.
• Marshall the troops for a cleaning blitz so that the house is sparkling clean for when guests arrive.
• Help the kids to make their own Christmas craft such as wreaths, bonbons, cards and tree decorations.  Purchase your Christmas crackers and other table decorations.

One week to go

• If you are buying a real Christmas tree, now is the time to purchase and decorate it.
• Decorate the house with festive cheer.
• Finish your Christmas shopping – both for gifts and food.
• Pick up the turkey and ham – don’t forget frozen turkey can take two to three days to thaw in a fridge.
• Fill lots of trays with ice cubes so you can keep the Christmas cocktails coming!

Christmas Eve

• Rush out to the shops (just like everyone else) to get those last minute purchases. 
• Pick up your pre-ordered seafood.
• Stuff your turkey and finish any other Christmas food preparations.
• Put any remaining gifts under the tree.
• Put out Santa’s favourite beverage with a piece of cake.  Don’t forget water and carrots for the reindeer.  Make sure they disappear before the kids wake up on Christmas morning.
• Have fun playing Santa, and then relax with an eggnog in front of the Christmas carols, confident that everything will go smoothly tomorrow!

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn