Decorations Archives | Say I Do In Peru

In Cakes/ Decorations/ Flowers/ peruvian style/ Wedding Trends

Peruvian-style Wedding Cakes

When planning a destination wedding main goal is to stick with traditions, culture and customs of the country who is hosting your wedding celebration. To my experience, it is always very important for our couples to include the “Peruvian essence” in their wedding ceremony and reception. This is extremely important since your guests will be travelling here and they really want to go back home with a full idea of what Peru can offer in terms of traditions, customs, lifestyle, people, language, food and most importantly they want to know how a wedding in Peru looks like, how do we organize wedding ceremony and reception here, how do we decorate the venue, etc.

For instance some couples choose to have a traditional Andean ceremony in a beautiful site somewhere in the Andean mountains, usually the Sacred Valley of the Incas, other couples choose to have traditional Peruvian music for their ceremony with wind instruments such as panpipes and flutes or stringed instruments like the “charango”, we also had brides who decided to wear a wedding dress enriched with a typical Peruvian embroidery or couple who wanted to use Peruvian-style decoration for their ceremony and reception, such as Peruvian fabrics used to decorate the reception venue, Peruvian flowers or cactus as centerpieces. There are many ways to recreate the “Peruvian essence”, but there is only one “sweet” way to do so: go for a Peruvian-style wedding cake!

The wedding cake is one of the main actors of the wedding reception, apart from bride and groom of course. So it is actually a brilliant idea to have a Peruvian-style wedding cake to enrich the reception setup and to add a Peruvian touch to your wedding celebration! Usually the cake is placed in the middle of the reception area on a table covered by a beautiful tablecloth in line with the wedding color-palette and with some lighting decorations or candles.

There are different ways to set-up the wedding cake table, you can add decorative elements, candles, petals, special lighting, special tablecloths, decorative birdcages, etc. … decoration is really up to you! However I can swear that if you opt for a Peruvian-style wedding cake there will be no need to have any other decorative elements, since they could weigh the cake table down. Peruvian decorative patterns are so eccentric, colourful, vibrant that you will not need any other details than the cake itself.

You can opt for a different kind of Peruvian decoration, you can add typical Peruvian flowers or flowers of traditional colors, such as red, blue, purple and orange. These colors are the ones typically used in the famous and beautiful Peruvian fabrics sold in the market all over the country, as well as exported worldwide. As decorative elements you can also use colourful ribbons to round each cake’s tier or rustic ribbons to give the cake a country-style touch. It is also very important to choose the right topper for your cake. If you are up to a Peruvian-style wedding cake you can use a beautiful bouquet of Peruvian flowers as topper, or traditional Peruvian characters or two little llamas.

A part from white fondant you can also consider to use colourful fondant with typical Peruvian patterns decoration. Every Peruvian region has a specific pattern and design used in fabric and other handcrafts, for example in Arequipa we have big and colourful flowers, in Cusco we have little geometric patterns and so on. But the truth is that all of them are actually beautiful! This way your wedding cake will look like a traditional Peruvian fabric and your guests will definitely stair at it.

As for the flavors you can actually go for everything you like, but to stick with Peruvian tradition a cake with Brazilian nuts, raisin, candy fruits and pecans filled with “Dulce de leche” could be an option, a traditional chocolate cake filled with fudge is also another good option.

Dulcefina, one of the supplier in our network, has extensive experience preparing beautiful and elegant wedding cakes with Peruvian-style decorations, Peruvian flowers and much more. She uses to work with foreigners who wants to tie the knot in Peru and they perfectly understand all our clients’ requests. She has always fulfilled all of our couples’ requests and special requirements so far and she is extremely reliable. She has many experience in the market and we totally trust in her work. The cake models shown in this blog article are all made by Dulcefina. You can find more information on her work here http://www.dulcefina.com.pe/.

November 4, 2016 By sayinperu

In Beach wedding/ Decorations/ entertainment/ Wedding Trends

“Hora Loca”: the perfect way to make your wedding guests dance until dawn!

View More: http://maikdobiey.pass.us/wedding-leigh-luis

It is very common that at certain point of the wedding planning process a foreign bride or groom ended up asking me this question: “I have heard about “hora loca” from my Peruvian relatives or friends, could you please clarify what exactly is? And I always laugh out loud with my team, since this “hora loca” thing really sounds like crazy things to the majority of foreign couples, but they are always very fascinated by it! I guess the exotic side of the expression makes it very attractive to foreigners! Even thought is very common in Latin America and in Miami as well, it is actually unknown to many foreign couples.

What exactly is “hora loca”? Why is a Peruvian weddings must-have? “Hora loca” is a transitional hour between the wedding reception and the party time, the English translation would be crazy hour. It is a way to encourage your guests to stand up and join the dance floor for a little shake! So it is basically a way to start the party, even if sometimes couple decide to have “hora loca” when the party has already started as a way to give a little boost to it! This decision is actually up to you. But one thing is true: at certain point of your wedding celebration you need to boost the party, since people will be tired after the ceremony, the cocktail, all the talks, the photos and the reception but you still want them to have fun for your special day.

Do you remember Mardi Gras in New Orleans or Carnival in Brazil? Well, let’s say that “hora loca” is a bit like a Mardi Gras celebration mixed with Brazilian Carnival parade. You will have glow-sticks, sparkly masks, sparkly ties and hats, oversize and colorful glasses, feather boas and colorful balloons all over the reception area during “hora loca”, usually waiters will pass between the tables and distribute these party items to your guests as they pour onto the dance floor. The Dj will be ready to play the best party music ever and pump up the volume. You will have to hire dancers, stilt walkers and other kind of performers to make it spectacular.

The “hora loca” concept evolved since the last years, you now have plenty of options of thematic shows, you can have a techno theme, an afro theme, a Peruvian “chicha” theme, 80’s theme and much more! You can also have a double “hora loca”, in this case you will have two different shows of 30 minutes each. So Carnivalesque mini-bash is a lot of fun, I can swear you that all the people will get ridiculous and this will help boost your wedding party! Never underestimate Latinos guys; we know exactly how to party!

The “hora loca” would be your surprise factor for your wedding celebration, your guests, especially international ones, will be fascinated by it no matter their background is and Peruvians will have a lot of fun! Chaos will surrounds you, happiness will appear on your guests face and you end up having a wonderful party in a special party, because the “hora loca” is actually a party in a party! So my advice if you are going to get married in Peru is only one: GO FOR IT SINCE YOUR GUESTS WILL LOVE IT AND PARTY TILL THINGS GET CRAZY!

Photography: Maik Dobiey

October 25, 2016 By sayinperu

In Beach wedding/ Beauty & Fashion/ colors palette/ Decorations/ Flowers/ Venues/ Wedding Trends

Ocean Breeze: a romantic color palette for a beach wedding

Light blue and pink tones are a perfect combination if we want to create a sophisticated and romantic atmosphere. If we add some green detail for example foliage in the flowers we can reach the perfect contrast for a fun, elegant and romantic beach wedding.

Bridesmaids can opt for neutral colors dresses which perfectly combined with location while the bride will opt for a white dress like the ocean’s foam.

And do not forget about the shoes!

This is an extremely important detail…we suggest to opt for gold and white shoes.

The groom can opt for a cream suit, which will be perfect at the bride’s side. Better with some color details which will drow guests attention.

These tones are very appropriate to the location, since they allow to recall the ocean breeze, its freshness and its romantic side.

October 14, 2016 By sayinperu

In Decorations/ Guests/ Invitations/ Save The Date/ Wedding Trends

The importance of sending your Save The Date on time!

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One of the most common questions I receive when a couple starts planning a wedding is: “Is Save The Date necessary?”. Usually couples start thinking about their Save The Date in the first phase of the wedding planning process, since they have to fix the date of the event and start deciding about the number of guests they want to invite.

My answer is always the same: having a Save The Date is mandatory, especially if you are thinking about having a destination wedding somewhere in the world. People need to know when you are getti
ng married in advance, so that they can start planning their travel arrangements on time. The aim of this article is to give you some highlights on why the Save The Date is soooooooooo important for a destination wedding! So let’s start!

First of all bride and groom start entering into the “wedding mood” when they see the official version of their Save the Date. In few words, they realize that their special day is coming for real and they need to start getting ready for it!

Also, you and your guests need to start planning the trip abroad, and believe me that planning trips for 80-100 people at the same time is not an easy business. This really depends on which kind of guests you have, you can have guests who are expert travelers and they usually can do their own travel arrangements, but you can also have guests who need suggestions, advices or customized travel packages. From my experience also the expert travelers need some travel tips when traveling abroad in countries such as Peru. So, sending a Save The Date you will be sure that your guests will have your wedding date circled on their calendar, which is your main goal!

An relevant third point is that your guests will start asking questions on planes, hotel rooms, information on the foreign country, what to do, where to eat and so on. They can feel lost and their reaction will be asking you thousands of questions on the country you are getting married. So do not worry, to avoid replying to each one of your guests you can include a detailed itinerary with suggested activities and tours directly in the Save The Date. I generally use a two-page Save the Date, the first page is the cover page with photos of the couple and the day they are getting married and for the second page I usually send a detailed travel package for their guests. This way they have a travel option ready for them and they feel relieved. In countries such as peru, there are some mondatory things to do: visiting Cusco, exploring Machu Picchu, dining at the best restaurant in the country! So this is what I generally include, but I always customized based on the couple interests and requirements!

Sending a Save The Date will also give you the simplest way to do your initial head-count, since your guests will start sending their confirmation. This is essential from my experience, because it is totally different to organize an event for 80 people from organizing one for 180 people. And believe me the difference it is not only in costs and service prices, there are many other variables to be considered!

The Save The Date’s importance also resides in the design you opt for. This will give you to your guests the first impression of the kind of wedding celebration you are organizing. So think twice before choosing a specific style, a specific color palette and decoration details. It is extremely important that you visualize your wedding and the atmosphere you want to create for your guests. It is very important that your Save the Date matches your wedding theme, colors and style!

I would also suggest that you do not need to send printed Save The date to all of your guests, but since we are in 2016 you can just send an electronic format of the Save The Date by e-mail, this is a fast, easy and not expensive way to let people know that you are going to tie the knot soon. You can also select the people that do not have familiarity with e-mails and technology stuff and send them a printed version of the Save The Date by mail. This will be easier to handle, since you have to mail only few envelopes.

Finally, as for when to send the Save The Date, I can suggest that for destination wedding the sooner the better. I usually suggest bride and groom to send it at least 12 months before the wedding, so that people who will be attending, have enough time to do their travel arrangements and to take holidays from work (if necessary). You can wait until 10 months before, but as I told you the sooner the better! Your guests will be grateful!

July 7, 2016 By sayinperu

In centerpieces/ Decorations/ Flowers/ Wedding Trends

Peruvian-style Centerpieces for your Destination Wedding in Peru

In the last years I helped several brides who really wanted to recreate a special and traditional Peruvian atmosphere for their destination wedding in Peru! One of the most important decorative elements for a wedding reception is the centerpiece, an essential part of your wedding table set-up. Centerpieces are very useful to create a specific theme or atmosphere and you have to choose the right one.

From my experience a bad centerpiece can ruin all of your wedding photos, so thinks about it twice before making this choice!

The basic rule is that the centerpiece must be in line with your color palette, I mean the colors you are using for invitation cards, Thank you cards, save the date, ceremony programs, ceremony flower arrangements, your bouquet and your maid of honor dresses. For example, if you are planning to have a lavender and ivory bouquet you shouldn’t use light blue or yellow flowers for your centerpieces. These are basic tips, but there is so much to say on these topics…I am sure we will have time to do so in the future. If you have questions, just drop me a comment and I will be happy to answer.

For brides who really wanted to recreate a Peruvian traditional atmosphere we came up with several ideas of floral and non-floral centerpieces that I would like to share with you, and I am pretty sure that you can use them for your Destination Wedding in Peru:

As I always say, when it comes to a wedding reception, flowers make a big difference
! We opted for a long greenery centerpiece filled with traditional Peruvian flowers for an
outdoor reception in a Hacienda in the middle of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. This kind of floral arrangement is actually extremely visible and creates a beautiful effect. You do not need to use a vase or any other special box, just fix the flowers on the table and let them speak for themselves. This kind of centerpiece is ideal with wooden rustic tables. The rustic effect you create will be awesome!

Another idea is to use traditional Peruvian fabric on the table and add some details, such as Peruvian traditional astromelias or succulents. This set-up is ideal for outdoor wedding and your guests will love it. If you use little succulent plants they can also bring them home as favors. This centerpiece idea should be used for couples who really want a traditional Peruvian wedding and that love colors, since Peruvian fabrics are, a part that beautiful, also very colorful and they are not recommended for couples who like simple decoration and plain colors.

Another way you could add a traditional Peruvian touch to your wedding table set-up is to use as centerpiece Peruvian ingredients, such as yellow or red aji peppers, fresh or dried fruits or traditional Peruvian items, such as little sculptures of men or women dressed with traditional dresses or crock pots, that are often used in the criolla cuisine. In this way be sure that your guests will not forget that they are in Peru for your destination wedding.

We believe that adding a traditional touch to your wedding reception tables could add value to your destination wedding in Peru. These are only some ideas of Peruvian-style centerpieces, but we can find tons of amazing options for you.

June 14, 2016 By sayinperu

In Decorations/ Flowers/ Wedding Trends

Peruvian-style Wedding Bouquets

Bouquets are one of the most important things to choose when you are planning a wedding, even if some bride really put little attention on this detail, since they prefer to focus on their dress or on the ceremony atmosphere. We believe the wedding flowers are a great part of your wedding and you have to think about it with attention trying to match the colors and style with your wedding theme, your dress and the color palette you choose. Here you will find beautiful examples of wedding bouquets that you might choose for your wedding day, and as you can see we tried to propose you colourful flowers combined with beautiful Peruvian traditional fabrics. That way you will add a special peruvian touch to your wedding celebration and you will have a very oroginal bouquet.

Peru is famous for brilliant and warm colors, as well as for great and joyful celebrations. If you decide to pick the traditional Peruvian theme don’t step back and dare to choose Peruvian flowers for your wedding bouquet, such as Peruvian astromelias. These flowers are very colorful and they will add a vibrant touch to your wedding dress.You can wrap your bouquet in colorful traditional fabric, as in the photo above or you can simply go for a white fabric, as shown below, with a little colourful detail on top. In this last case flowers and green foliage will be the bouquet’s main attraction.

If you don’t like the bright colors, you can choose flowers in pastels tones with some flowers of strong colors, such as yellow or red, to create an incredible and beautiful contrast. Do not forget to add foliage and a green touch as well.

Other option is to combine several traditional Peruvian flowers and to decorate the base of the bouquet with traditional Peruvian pompoms, which make your wedding bouquet very original and trendy. The fashion icon, Sarah Jessica Parker, in her last trip to Peru bought so many Peruvian pompoms in a local market as souvenir and as material to create brand new fashion accessories! So do not forget this original tip we are giving here, it will be very useful if you want to have a trendy wedding celebration in Peru!

If instead of a small bouquet, you want a big and airy one you can let fly your imagination and opt for a mixed-flowers bouquet, very colorful as the one below! The key here is to choose flowers of different sizes and lengths and combine bright colors all together. This contrast will actually create harmony and your guests will be amazed by your flowers, since will be the first thing they will look at! You can also use long and colorful ribbon to decorate it!

Those are only few ideas; you can do many of different things playing with flowers colors, sizes and decorative tools. The most important thing is that your wedding flower bouquet reflects your personality and the theme you chose for your special day! Our advice is “just let your imagination fly”! If you like this don’t forget to follow us for more wedding tips, pin and share this article with your friends.

March 21, 2016 By sayinperu

In Decorations/ Guests/ Invitations/ Wedding Trends

Wedding Invitation Ideas

Finally you have chosen THE ONE, the person of your life and set the date for the most important event of your life: your amazing wedding! You obviously want your loved ones there and them to have a pleasant and enjoyable moment at your wedding day! Why don’t you start surprising them from the moment they receive your wedding invitation?

So, what’s next? You have to choose the theme. There are plenty of ideas, options and ways to invite your family and friends, but the key to a truly unforgettable marriage invitation depends on the design you use, that’s why you got to choose amazing colors and an awesome theme. That sounds a little bit sketchy but you’ll get there we swear, start looking for a color palette that really represents our love guys, the essence of you two, because after all that’s what is about!

If you chose Peru as your wedding destination, you need to know that you have a lot of patterns that you can use, each of them comes from a different areas of the country! Do not forget that Peru is filled with art and culture and this can be a truly inspirational thing in regards of the design of your invitations.

Our first option is to go for something classic, fairly clean, but with a nice decoration that will get to your guests and give an incredible idea of what they will see the day of the wedding. If you have a big wedding with more than 100 guests just ask a graphic designer to make it, but if you have a very intimate wedding with few guests, mainly friends and close friends, you can paint the invitations by yourself, your guests will really appreciate that and this, since you can make the invitations personalized for each guest.

Now, if you are thinking about something more colorful with specific patterns we have a second option. For example you can go for a flowers pattern, which is always a classic when it comes to weddings. Just choose your favorite flower pattern and personalized it to your colors palette! If you opt for a dark color, such as purple or blue, you could combine it with silver or gold, this will make your wedding card more stylish and glamorous!

But what if you’re more of a minimalist kind of person? Well, we got an answer for you: just opt for white paper with only few details! The paper could be white, ivory, nude or nude and you just have to add a little colorful detail. To use a really nice kind of paper in a pastel color with a little and delicate pattern and a calligraphic typeface will make your wedding card a simple and sophisticated one.

Another option it’s nature itself, especially if you’re an eco-friendly girl or woman. Why not? After all you probably have tons of used paper just laying around in your house. The answer is recycled materials, this is a great option. You can take all those papers for recycling and make amazing, modern, eco-friendly invitations. Don’t forget to combine it with an amazing typography and a colorful decoration. It will turn out beautiful and you will be doing the world some good, not bad, huh?

If you fancied this options, don’t forget to follow us for more, like, pin and share this post with all your friends and don’t forget to visit our website and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest!

March 11, 2016 By sayinperu

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