
Maybe you’re hoping your Big Day will feel like an epic fairy tale wedding, or maybe you’re a more whimsical bride who prefers a boho wedding vibe. Either way, this latest wedding decor trend is sure to make all your dreams come true: hanging flowers. Florists are creating everything from small displays of buds delicately tied above tables to massive floral installations of over 14,000 stems. Read on to see 18 beautiful floral arrangements that you won’t be able to stop obsessing over.
1. Jewel Tones: This 1970s-inspired place setting is crowned with such a GORG group of flowers. Bright colored chairs and a hodgepodge collection of carpets can help create your boho wedding look. (Lauren Gabrielle Photography / Green Wedding Shoes)
2. Flowin’ Flowers: Hanging amaranthus makes for a lush and memorable display. Place a “chandelier” of flowers over the bridal party table, to create a strong focal point on the newlyweds. (via Olive Photography)
3. Double Up on Buds: With garland on the table and flowers hanging from the ceiling, what’s not to love? Find modern candelabras and a shimmering, textured cloth for a chic addition to your vintage-inspired tablescape. (via Eric Foley Photography / Style Me Pretty)
4. Ooh La La: A floral chandelier mixed with a pop of color, like that blush chair, is a divine combo. Add a dash of vintage romance to your tables by filling antiqued silver vases with lush flowers. You’ll create a look that’s “rustic chic” done right! (via Geneoh Photography)
5. Extravagant Elegance: Now this is a proper hanging garden. Over 14,000 individual stems were used to create the hanging floral masterpiece. It’s comprised of delphiniums, Queen Anne’s lace, larkspur and foraged greens. Want to make a smaller version of this yourself? Here’s how. (via Leo Patrone Photography / Brides)
6. Pinch of Whimsy: You don’t need hundreds of ornate flowers to make a statement. These four wooden circles, pinned with subtle bouquets, do just the trick. Try DIYing this look by using embroidery hoops or welded macrame rings. (via Katie Nesbitt Photography / Inspired By This)
7. Hanging Pots: Macrame plant displays are a fresh, boho approach to the classic floral installation that you’ll spot everywhere from beach weddings to more formal affairs. And if you’re feeling crafty, you can make your own macrame hanging planters in just 30 minutes with our handy guide. (Lara Holtz / Green Wedding Shoes)
8. Savvy Spender: Looking for a more relaxed floral display? These wildflowers in clear soda bottles are both Pinterest-worthy and budget-friendly. Use twine to hang them from a tree or tent pole. (via White Daisy Photography / Style Me Pretty)
9. Shapes and Vines: Geometric lighting and bright flowers make for an adorable combo. Add a healthy amount of hanging greenery and a table runner of buds, and your dreamy garden wedding will be one for the books. If you want to save a few bucks, learn how to make your own floral mobiles out of brass and copper tube stock. (via Anastasia Volkova / Burnett’s Boards)
10. Strung Up: Give carnations a new spin. These affordable flowers can be hung on twine or fishing line to make the perfect backdrop for your ceremony. The ombre flower arrangements are perfectly on-trend, while still offering a timeless look. (via Jamie Fischer Photography)
11. Rows of Roses: A dainty display of individual stems is perfect for a romantic wedding. Pink roses, puffs of small hydrangeas and babies breath are a few of the main elements used in this floral installation. To recreate the look, tie flowers with flowing ribbon strands and use plenty of greenery to disguise the tent pole. (via M&J Photography / Love My Dress)
12. Petals Galore: Deck out your alter with a mass of gorgeous hanging flowers. Then surround it with curly willow branches, rose petals and hurricane vases. You’ll construct a truly stunning structure for your “I do” moment. (via Chelsea Brown Photography / The Knot)
13. Fairy Tale Vibes: This wedding at the Biltmore Estate takes tent receptions to the next level. Between the draping, hanging flowers and tall floral centerpieces, your guests won’t be able to decide which element they love the most. (via Allan Zepeda / The Knot)
14. Classic Wedding Roses: We love the simplicity of this arrangement. As the florist states, “We knew right away that we wanted to create an installation piece, with structured hanging blooms — giving us a comparable sense of geometric line and shape that the venue aesthetic provided.” After several mathematical sketches, they achieved a lovely look! (via Cassie Rosch / Lace and Lilies)
15. Flower Baskets: You don’t have to spend big bucks to create flower-filled “lamps” — this DIYer used food domes from World Market! Hang your creations above the bridal party table for some extra pizzazz. (via Sugar & Cloth)
16. Swing of Green: A wooden plank and rope keeps this floating garden in place. Pink and yellow roses peek out from within the greenery, while small candles hang down over guests’ plates. (via Ryan Price / Wedding Chicks)
17. Go Green: Lately, the wedding world has been obsessed with greenery — and it’s easy to see why, with a candle-filled installment like this one. The hanging vines mixed with the table garland create a lush combo for any wedding. Use twine and lightweight glass jars to achieve a similar look. (via Greg Finck)
18. Add-on Flowers: Already have a beautiful backdrop for your ceremony? Spruce it up with a few extra buds that match your wedding colors. You can even roll up your sleeves and make your own paper flowers! (via Eric Foley Photography / Style Me Pretty)
Check out all things Brit + Co Weddings, and follow us on Pinterest for more creative wedding inspo.
Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
You X Ventures for Unsplash
Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
Kobu Agency for Unsplash
You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures