You could make table runners or squares to add a bit of color to the white. You have plenty of time to search for inexpensive centerpiece ideas (votives, vases, picture frames...) use either spray paint or rub and buff metalic wax to turn them all silvery- even if they are different styles. I would bet your parents are worried that it's going to look halloweeny...which it might. Maybe you should keep the black and orange accents separated somewhat- maybe keep the table decor white, silver, and orange with as minimal amount of black as you can. I would avoid fall flower styles (mums!) if you are trying to avoid a Halloween wedding- maybe use orange tulips, roses, or how about birds of paradise? I bet you could make a really cool wedding style using tropical flowers- you could save $ but using silk flowers and you don't need a lot for impact either. Good Luck...

I agree that you probably don't want the wedding to look like Halloween. There are a number of flowers that come in shades of orange/peach/coral, such as gerbera daisies, that would be lovely for centerpieces and for bouquets. There are also some beautiful orange and terra cotta roses that would be lovely for your bouquet.

You could make a black runner or square for the tables, or purchase black linen napkins if you don't sew. Then use flowers in shades of orange in a silver container and place it on a mirror tile (you can rent them at rental centers) on the black runner/square. It would pull all of the colors together and create an elegant look. As long as the orange doesn't appear too harsh, it should be lovely.

For centre pieces I would handmake them if you are on a budget. I would go with a collection of petite oranges in a silver bowl. Simple, cheap and affective - and very fresh looking, especially if you toss in a lemon as well, which will knock of the Halloween look (unless that's what you are going for....?)
Table linens - you could pick up some material or table lines yourself to lay over the white ones. Or make runners.
Balloons are cheap, and very effective at sprucing a place up, especially if you use ribbons in your color theme and have them just hanging from the ceiling...??
i would get online and get down th elibrary looking for weddings on a budget ideas - there is so much you can do yourself. We spent about $5000 in total, and I had 50 guests at a very old hotel, sit down 4 course meal with wine, plus an evening dance w/buffet. I thought $5k was pretty reasonable for that :) It was 7 yrs ago though.
Boo

It's getting to be a fact of life that there is no smoking just about everywhere you go. I smoke also and at most restaurants, I've found there is an "ashtray" outside. See if there is a door that goes directly outside in the room you would use, and also if they have something that resembles an ashtray by that door.

Can you get your mom involved by doing a few shopping outtings looking for stuff to use? You could go to JoAnne's and look at fabrics & flowers, or even Michaels to walk the various isles of crafting stuff. I was thinking Halloween when I read your colors but then sat back & thought about how many things are made in an orange or peach color, the possibilities are endless. It happens to be one of my favorite colors in the garden, there are so many flowers you can use. Instead of confetti, how about using something like Easter Grass around the center piece? These days the grass is made in all sorts of colors & they may even have silver at Michaels.

Have you picked the dresses yet? Perhaps if you can post a link to them so that we can see the shades your using, you'd get more ideas that way.

Mom & I are going dress shopping this week. The black, orange and silver are Harley Davidson colors. (not "bikers" theme though) There will probably be some cream thrown into the colors as not to be too flashy. Mom has a round table so we are going to start mocking up centerpeices too see what I like. I am pretty crafty so alot of what is done will be made. I just keep drawing a blank as to what I want. I have helped other people with their weddings, ( am helping a friend now) they seem to come to me for ideas but as far as my own goes my mind keep drawing a blank! Go figure!! I cant even find a style of dress. Good thing I am starting this now! I will post some links as soon as I start making final choices. Its just August and I am already starting to stress! (eloping is starting to sound good....haha)

Do you guys ride? Will the bike be incorporated into the wedding too? This can be done nicely without having a "biker" wedding. We've got a Sporty, years ago I was at a wedding where the bride & groom rode away from the church on their bike. It was pretty cool.

I've got lilies that are Harley orange- they are one of my favorite lilies. If you could find some, they'd be really pretty with cream roses.

Hubby & I eloped, we went to Cypress Gardens in FL to be married. It was a great wedding, scenery was beautiful & it was just us two- very romantic. After paying for my gown, his tux, cypress, airfare & hotels, I think it cost about $3,000.

Okay, I picked out a dress. Took my mother with me then went and got future mother-in-law and asked her opinion. Found ANOTHER dress and ended up getting it. Not quite the style I was looking for but it looks great. I will post a picture this weekend. So, now its the room. I wanted to have the reception and wedding in the same place. Too tacky? One room is not all that big. Not too sure how to work that. But I love the food there, (its the room I first told you about) The other room is much bigger, big enough for both. Can have chairs and tables set up and seperate. Same price for room, a little cheaper on food, can have everything I want. But afraid of the food not being good, square or oblong tables, and a pool table off to side. And he is not helping at all, he says I choose, its whatever I want. So basically I need to know is it TOO tacky to have everything in same room?
We wont be using the bike as we live in Ohio and wont know until that day if the weather will be nice enough. I moved here from Florida, so I dont ride at all unless its at least 70*. My cake topper and our glasses are coming from HD. His shirt etc etc, they have a nice wedding dress but its long tight and leather. Besides cake we have to have pie too, as there will be diabetics there. Want to make sure they feel welcome and wanted and can enjoy themselves.
Its nice to hear from somebody that can "see" black and orange beyond Halloween. My mom seems to be making a joke out of it though. My house isn't black and orange. But we met because of HD. And we have always had one.

Off topic...

So, gordon, I guess since you are online today, that means that you're *not* at the Sturgis rally? :)

Have you ever gone?

I live in SD, and so am used to seeing thousands of bikes this time of year...

never been to Sturgis.....but I met my FH at Biketober fest in Daytona Beach....where I lived at the time. So I have been to TONS of bike weeks. We've been to Myrtle Beach also. Hoping to get to Sturgis one day though

I think with your color scheme, it would be a good idea to incorporate the HD logo shape somehow so people know you're going HD not Halloween. Perhaps with your names in the bar and the date in the shield? That shape is so distinctive that it screams HD (to me anyway!) even more than the colors :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Harley Davidson US

Ooh I'd stay away from the black on teh tables. One idea I would like to sugest is colored personalized coctail napkins that you could put on the bar or on the tables. (Ebay has them for $15 for a hundred) Instead of confetti you could do orange and yellowish and reddish coor jelly beans in small bowls...that gives people stuff to much on as well.

I like the peachey/salmon color roses you can mix those with white roses and a few maybe yellow-dyed baby's breath. You deffinitelly want to throw in yellows and pinks as an accent color to take away from the harshness of the black and bright orange...

good luck and let us know what you chose
Froggy

The more I look at the HD site, the more I like that grey color they use for the site itself. I bet that would work well with your planned colors. You could do a grey table cloth or runner with a vase of orange tulips. Maybe decorate the vase with the harley logo or your name and date inside the logo with black and silver paint markers? Shoule be pretty easy to get the silver in as there are all kinds of votives that come in silver. I just think the grey is a nice subtle background color that's not as harsh as pure black, not bright like orange but it will make your other colors pop :)