1. Real Weddings

An Eclectic Neon Reception at Houston Museum of Natural Science in Houston, Texas

Inspired by her colorful outfits, Cayla Wright (27 and a wealth management professional) and James Welsh (27 and a certified public accountant) chose

Inspired by her colorful outfits, Cayla Wright (27 and a wealth management professional) and James Welsh (27 and a certified public accountant) chose a bold theme and location for their wedding reception in Houston, Texas—neon at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. “We wanted to have a fun, colorful wedding with hot pinks, lime greens, bright purples, neon oranges and bright blues lighting up our dance floor,” Cayla says. With neon lights illuminating the museum’s prehistoric dinosaur bones and colorful blooms resting atop tables, Cayla and James threw a bash to celebrate their big day that was as colorful as a rainbow and as fun as the Funfetti cake the guests savored and the glow sticks they waved at the end of the night. “The fun, colorful design of the wedding really showcased our personalities,” Cayla says. “We were looking to create an event that our guests would enjoy and that wasn't cookie-cutter and was still true to who we are. I think we captured that.” —Ginger Harris

Cayla found a way to work color into every aspect of her wedding, even right down to her shoes. A huge Kate Spade fan, she wore the designer's jewelry and her flats in a bold pink.
Cayla dreamed of wearing a princess ball gown. Inspired by two dresses, she designed her gown at Winnie Couture. The skirt provided the bride a wow factor while still looking elegant. Bringing in family tradition, she wore her mother's veil, which, she says, "was very special for me to have my mom put on me the morning of the wedding." Her bridesmaids' hot pink Amsale floor-length dresses added a contrasting pop.
Cayla chose a hot pink bouquet of gerbera daisies and tulips. "I have always loved gerbera daisies and thought it would add to the fun feel of the wedding," she says.
A mixture of bright colors in pink, purple, orange and green made up the bridesmaid bouquets. "Each bouquet had a lime green pinwheel at the bottom. They looked great with their hot pink dresses," Cayla says.
James wore a navy suit from Men's Wearhouse with a hot pink tie. "He wanted a classic look," Cayla says. The groomsmen wore matching suits with lime green ties, bringing in hues from the wedding. "We still wanted our neon theme to show through with the attire, in a classy way," Cayla says.
For a new take on boutonnieres, James's groomsmen wore lime green and hot pink pinwheels with no flowers, while James wore one pink flower and a pinwheel. "The pinwheel added some fun to the traditional flowers," Cayla says.
"Our ceremony was at Second Baptist Church. We are both members and had been attending church here together since we started dating. We had bright colorful flowers matching the bridesmaid bouquets in the entryway to set the tone for this upbeat atmosphere," Cayla says.
"For our invitation, program, escort cards and menu card stationery, we kept with the neon theme by using neon ink and a confetti design throughout," Cayla says. It created a cohesive look and set a colorful tone for the day.
In the rainbow of color at the reception, the place settings were the pot of gold. "The linens were some of my favorite things," Cayla says, "with gold glitter for the sweetheart table and cake table. We had gold-bead chargers and lime green napkins for the place settings."
Taking a hint from the groomsmen boutonnieres, Cayla and James's sweetheart table featured pinwheels in neon pink and green with the words "Mr." and "Mrs." in gold on their chairs.
Other linens at the reception included white confetti tablecloths. Atop were a colorful collection of flowers in a variety of vases. To work in the pink hue, Cayla says, "you can't forget the pink lemonade that even matched the theme."
"Our centerpieces were bright and colorful flowers—some submerged in vases, some surrounded by colorful fruit, some in bright blue vases," Cayla says of the eclectic table toppers.
Neon details appeared throughout the wedding, include a DIY "W" cutout covered in flowers that Cayla's dad made.
Bringing even more detail to Cayla and James's sweetheart table were a rainbow of tassels, which was one of the bride's favorite elements. "I loved the colorful tassels that were wrapped around the cake and sweetheart tables, which really added a finished touch," she says.
Cayla and James's cake was a hit and fit perfectly with their theme. "It was a design piece in the middle of the dance floor all evening," Cayla says. The Funfetti cake covered in sprinkles with white bows on each tier was exactly what she had in mind. "It was absolutely delicious. We wanted a cake that fit the colorful theme but also tasted great," Cayla says. It's also her favorite flavor, so it worked out well.
"At the end of the night, we exited through a sea of our family and friends waving neon glow sticks into a trolley," Cayla says. "It was the perfect end to a magical day."