Handcrafted Non-Floral Wedding Bouquets
Virtually every bride will carry some sort of bouquet down the aisle at her wedding ceremony. Typical wedding bouquets are made from fresh cut flowers, but there are certainly some wonderful alternatives. These are fantastic ideas for handcrafted non-floral wedding bouquets.
One of the most eye-catching non-floral bouquet ideas is one which is created entirely from vintage brooches. The brooches can be in the shapes of blossoms or can go in a different direction. The most beautiful old pins will feature colorful rhinestones or crystals, pearls, or enamel. It can be fun when the brooches are a mixture of bright colors, or opt for a more understated effect, created entirely from pins such as cameos. Be sure to select a handcrafted bejeweled bouquet which coordinates with the style of your bridal jewelry. If your bridal jewelry is very traditional, a brooch bouquet with softer tones would be a good companion; if you have selected bridal jewelry which is handcrafted with lots of sparkling crystals, opt for a collection of brooches with plenty of pizazz.
Very crafty bouquets are one of the up-and-coming wedding trends. For an arrangement with an abundance of homespun charm, nothing beats felt and button bouquets. They are generally made with colorful felt in the shapes of flowers and leaves, often with embroidery. Then oversized buttons are used to make the center of the “flowers”, and the elements are assembled into a classic nosegay shape. One thing that is wonderful about a felt bouquet is that it can be made in any color your heart desires. The incredible cozy charm of this type of nosegay will make it one of your favorite wedding mementos for years to come.
Another neat idea for a non-floral bouquet is to carry an arrangement which is created entirely from faux butterflies. The butterfly is a popular motif right now, and a large nosegay of colorful silk, feather, or paper butterflies is simply delightful for a wedding. For added fun, have a few of your faux butterflies perched on the reception centerpieces as well.
There are numerous additional options for unique bouquets made without fresh flowers. You can make your own tissue pom poms or blossoms, create a dramatic arrangement entirely out of feathers, or pay homage to autumn with an arm bouquet made of dried wheat and preserved oak leaves. Whichever you select, you can be sure that your non-floral bouquets will make your wedding memorable and special.
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Food in Thailand
Thailand is a country that is best being explored with all your senses – specially your tastebuds though! Because Thai people love their food.
The most popular Thai dishes
Some of the most favourite dishes among foreign visitors to Thailand are Pad Thai (fried noodles), Tom Yam Kung (a sour-spicy shrimp soup), Tom Ka Gai (a chicken curry with coconut milk) and the Massaman Curry (a speciality from southern Thailand).
Ingredients of Thai Cuisine
The probably most noticable ingredient of Thai cooking is: chili. Even though it’s not an original Thai ingredient – it has just been introduced to Thailand a couple of hundred years ago by Portugese traders who brought it from South America – it’s hard to imagine Thai cooking without chillis nowadays.
Fortunately for you, most Thai people nowadays know that Westerners prefer a milder taste and often have a hard time dealing with original Thai spiciness and will prepare dishes “mai ped” (not spicy) if cooking for European or American visitors.
Coconut milk is another popular ingredient. It’s being made by pressing with flesh of coconuts with water, and gives a meal a nice, mild, soft, round note that counterbalances the spiciness.
Lemongrass is also a commonly used ingredient because it makes a dish taste pleasantly fresh. Different sorts of herbs like Thai basilicum, ginger, galangal, tumeric and cilantro are also commonly used. Note that in Thai cuisine, herbs are almost always used fresh, not dried. This is partly because fresh herbs tend to cool the body down in comparison to dried herbs, which often have “heating properties”.
Eating in Thailand: A Shared Experience
There is a distinct difference between the eating habits of Thai people and people from European or American descent. Western people tend to order separate dishes, even when eating together. Thai people on the other hand order several dishes which will then be positioned in the middle of the table. Everybody gets his own plate of rice, and then everybody eats from these foodladen plates. It is not common to load your own food on your own table. Instead, you always take another spoonful from the shared plate, mix it with some rice, and eat it, and take another spoonful from the shared plates. Loading up food on your on plate is considered impolite for Thai people.
Vegetarian Food in Thailand?
Many people are under the impression that Thailand is a country where there are lots of vegetarians. However, this is not the case. Even most vegetarian dishes (like fried mixed vegetables) are prepared with either fish sauce or oyster sauce (both of which are made from either fermented fish or oyster essence). If you communicate that you are vegetarian however, they will prepare vegetarian food for you, but you should then learn to communicate that in Thai before arriving in Thailand.
Beancurd is most often also just another condiment in a dish, and seldom the main ingredient. Even though it is commonly used in Thailand, it most often is just added to a dish that contains meat for bigger variety.