Your wedding reception should be magical and memorable. A time for friends and family to celebrate your new union. And it should take place in a venue whose atmosphere creates an air of imagination and romance. What better space to gather your guests than an art museum? Picture priceless paintings surrounding you, crystal chandeliers above you, and grand halls and staircases guiding your way. An art museum reception is a unique way to connect with your guests on a creative level. And there are so many innovative means with which to incorporate art into your event.

The Invitations: Visit the art museum’s gift shop for postcards depicting the different art displayed at the gallery. These make for very interesting invites. Or go for simple elegance. Choose a solid white invitation with a black border and classic black calligraphy. Stamp the envelopes shut with an artistic wax seal.

The Attire: A majestic dress is in order for the bride, but have a bit of fun with the men’s formalwear as well. Make it a black tie affair, complete with tuxedo tails and top hats.

The Wedding Favors: Add a touch of class with canvas photos. Have your favorite photograph transferred onto canvas and give these special moments to your guests as a gift of thanks. An 8 x 10 canvas photo can cost as little as $25. More durable than any ordinary matted frame, these pictures are made to last. As an added token, write a note of gratitude to each guest on the back of the frame. Or have your most memorable moment transmitted onto a 20 x 30 canvas frame for your guests to sign, and for a keepsake you and your groom can display on the mantle for many years to come.

The Getaway Car: Why not make it a carriage? Take a quick tour of the town in a horse drawn buggy before arriving at the reception. Or rent a Rolls Royce for a more regal entrance.

The Reception Hall: How much do you really need to decorate an art museum? Besides pictures and paintings, the gallery will probably be adorned in advance with delicate flowers, delightful tapestries, and dramatic lighting. You may not need to spend a cent on embellishments! But a few extra additions can enhance the fun and flair of the festivities. Place a photo booth near the front entrance for guests to have their picture taken, or hire a local starving artist to paint personal portraits of your attendees. Make an elegant entrance through the gallery’s giant foyer, or atop the grand staircase, to the tune of trumpets sounding. Though a DJ can be fun, a string quartet or swing band may be more suitable for this kind of social gathering- or for an massive musical moment, employ an opera singer to belt out a few arias. To truly impress your guests, take a few ballroom dancing classes in advance. To really put on the ritz, plated dinners should be served on fine China with as much silver and crystal in the mix as possible. Wine, fruit, champagne, and cheese make for excellent drink and hors d’oeuvres pairings, and guests are oftentimes allowed to tour the gallery during cocktail hour, making for much merry mingling!

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Donâ??t throw away the wooden picture frame you have just because the glass is missing or broken.  Instead, recycle your frame to create a beautiful unique framed art design that would look great in any home décor.  This is one in a series of three articles on framed art projects.

To start out, cut a piece of cardboard and mount it to the back of the wood frame large enough to cover the opening of the frame and secure it with clear packing tape.  The cardboard now replaces the missing glass and will hold your framed art project in place.  Next, cut, peel and stick cork finished paper to the size of your frame opening and secure to the cardboard.  Note: this step can be done prior to securing your cardboard to the back of the frame opening.  Then, arrange photos and embellishments by your theme of choice using double sided foam tape.  Try adding ribbon, decorative push pins, peel and stick words, letters, numbers or charms to personalize your project.  The main thing is to have fun with it and make it your own.  Tip: Painting your picture frame to coordinate with your framed art project would also enhance your finished art work.

Supplies:

Wooden Frame Cardboard Peel and stick cork-finished paper sold by the roll Photos Package of embellishments, or you could make your own (for this project to coordinate with the doggie photo, dog theme embellishments were used) Double sided foam tape Brown and white plaid ribbon (¼ â??width)

Optional: Peel & Stick words, letters or numbers

Optional: Decorative push pins

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