
Of all the 2016 wedding trends, we’ve got to hand it to agate and geode decor. Natural or gilded, these brilliant stones are the drop-dead gorgeous details your spring or summer wedding needs. Not to mention that their vibrant hues and naturally unique patterns are the perfect blend of modern + boho chic. Whether you’re biting into an agate-inspired wedding cake or walking past garlands of geode slices, this rockin’ trend is the perfect way to add a little *dazzle* to your wedding decor. Scroll on and get inspired by 18 ways to bring the stunning agate and geode trend to your wedding.
1. SoulMakes Agate Geode Candle Holder ($48): Whether used as tabletop centerpieces or decorative planters to line the ceremony aisle, these gorgeous geode planters are the bohemian bride’s dream decor accents. Stick to raw stones for an authentic feel, or go gilded for a more elegant vibe. (via Soul Makes)
2. DIY Mineral Photo Display: Display photos of you and your beau on the welcome table or as place cards. These minimalist geode photo holders are super simple to whip up and make for meaningful favors for wedding guests. (via A Beautiful Mess)
3. Hanging Agate Garlands: Slates of shimmering agate make the perfect garland accessories for a boho chic wedding. Their vibrant colors are sure to turn heads, while their lovely ringed patterns bring a natural beauty to your wedding decor. (Photo via Braedon Flynn Photography / Green Wedding Shoes)
4. Brit + Co Agate Slice Coasters Kit ($39): Elevate your table setting with this beautiful set of agate coasters. They aren’t just trendy — their gold-rimmed detail adds a little glitzy glam to any drink you decide to serve your guests.
5. Geode Napkin Ring: Offset your refined table setting details with something a little more natural chic, like this geode napkin ring. This particular pairing of a turquoise geode with pastel pink napkin plays up Pantone’s colors of the year, for a table your guests will love. (Photo via Julin Athalia Lee for The W Portraiture / Inside Weddings)
6. Geode and Raw Engagement Ring: This stunning geode and raw engagement ring pairing was actually used for a beach-y styled wedding shoot, which goes to show that the geode + agate combo can work even for a sun and sand theme. It’s the touch of ethereal romance that any wedding needs, regardless of theme. (Photo via Blush Wedding Photography / Ruffled)
7. Agate Cake Topper: Not sure what to do with your wedding cake? If you’re not one for elaborate designs, try a refined but simple look by garnishing a plain white cake with geodes here and there. (Photo via Taylor Lord Photography / Wed Pics)
8. DIY Agate Cheesecake: Consider this decorating technique if you’d rather opt for an edible agate wedding cake, using food coloring and vodka. Its lovely pattern of rings is reminiscent of those of the agate, and, best of all, you can get the look in 10 minutes or less. (via Alana Jones-Mann)
9. Geode Cake: Bring the gorgeous marbled effect to a tiered cake for the ultimate geode wedding cake. For cakes that have a busy palette, like this one’s blend of purple, pink and orange, they pair best with neutral toppers that won’t conflict with multicolored hues.
10. Agate Plate Setting: Offset vivid pieces, like this agate place card for the happy couple, with a more subdued plate setting. This set of clear plates and gold utensils perfectly complements the look to keep the bright hues from being too intense. (Photo via Katie Mcgihon / Wedding Chicks)
11. Geode-Inspired Menu: Bring agate and geode to your plate setting with pieces like an agate place card or a gem-shaped menu. They add texture to your decor if you’re working with a limited color palette, such as this black-and-gold-themed plate setting. The geometric plates keep the all-black look far from drab. (Photo via Erin Heart Court / 100 Layer Cake)
12. Minted Simple Agate Wedding Invitations ($260, set of 100): *Wow* your guests with these undeniably beautiful agate-inspired save the dates. Their gold foil-pressed detailing and watercolor palette combines elements of romance and glamour for a one-of-a-kind invite.
13. Ceremony Backdrop: Set the stage for your vows with a unique backdrop, such as this five-foot geode replica. When combined with eclectic brass and gold accents and surrounded by lush garlands, it’s a dream altar setting. (Photo via Lauren Scotti / Green Wedding Shoes)
14. Geode Place Cards: Dazzle and delight guests with personalized place card holders that double as wedding favors. Combine two trends like this wedding did by going geometric with your place card shapes and geode with your card holders. (Photo via Amalie Orange Photography / 100 Layer Cake)
15. Rock Candy: You can’t have decorations inspired by rocks without some tasty bites inspired by those very same stones. Go classic with some rock candy. Stick to highly pigmented ones for a bold look that’s far from kiddie. (Photo via T&S Hughes Photography / Style Me Pretty)
16. Rock Cookies: Who knew rocks could taste so good? Your guests are in for a pleasant surprise with these yummy cookies inspired by geode and agate stones. (Photo via Let’s Frolic Together / Green Wedding Shoes)
17. Geode Table Runner: A geode table runner is the perfect alternative to a geode-inspired plate setting. If you’re going for a runner with warmer tones, opt for brass or gold utensils, and use silverware for a cooler palette. (Photo via Elvira Kalviste Photography / The Big Fake Wedding)
18. Agate Chandelier: Impress guests with a suspended agate ceiling display. The gorgeous geodes will glint and gleam whenever they catch the light for an alternative take on the traditional chandelier. (Photo via Paige Jones Photography / 100 Layer Cake)
Are you in love with geode and agate wedding decor? Follow us on Pinterest for more wedding trends and ideas!
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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:
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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.
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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