Blog / Wedding Tips

Using Your Proposal in Wedding Décor

Your proposal has likely already become a part of your relationship story. It’s an anecdote you tell to coworkers, at parties, or maybe even on Facebook. It doesn’t matter how extravagant or crazy your proposal was, they’re all memorable. How and when you decided to make it official will be a story you will be asked to repeat for your entire lives. Your kids will want to hear it just as much as you wanted to know the story of your parent’s courtship. So embrace it! Here are a few fun ideas to give a nod to your proposal story in your wedding décor:   Wedding Stationary
Photo shoots for your invitations and save-the-dates are a great time to express your individuality and the unique story of your relationship. Think about snapping photos at the location where you decided to tie the knot for your wedded paper good. If you got engaged at sunset at a local park (even if you were wearing your workout gear), pay homage to that site by staging photos at the exact location where it all went down (sweats optional). Illustrations are a less literal way to interpret your proposal story – subtle references (such as kissing fish stamps for an aquarium proposal or twin rocking chairs for a quiet promise at home) are a silent inside nod that you and your fiancé can share with guests.

Unique Centerpieces
There are many unique and fun centerpieces that have been constructed by couples to reference their unique proposal story. A new and popular choice seems to be table number reorganization – naming guests’ tables after locations (or items) that hold some significance to the relationship. You could also integrate items into the displays that play into your tale, such as monopoly piece confetti (if the proposal happened over a friendly – or heated – board game) or small appetizers that nod to the last meal you shared before becoming fiancé/fiancée.
If you plan to go this route, think about setting up a small display that explains the significance of the unique touches of personal décor. You probably don’t want to be fielding questions all night about the stack of American modernist anthologies under each vase of white roses.   Wedding Website
Every newly-engaged couple should have a wedding website, especially if you’re expecting any number of guests from out of town. A wedding website is a great home base to organize information about your wedding, and it’s easy to find a host for a free one. Many of the sites also come with this fun little tab for details about your relationship. If you haven’t committed the favorite stories of your relationship to paper, this is your chance. There are some details you might not remember in another thirty or forty years, and writing it down while it’s fresh will be something posterity will thank you for.
This is also an opportunity for distant relatives to catch up on the special stories of your relationship that may come up during wedding festivities. After all, you don’t want anyone to be confused about your use of a science fair volcano in place of a unity candle.

Posted on October 08, 2012
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Building your DIY Bouquet: Tips and Tricks

I recently shared with you my fabric flower DIY adventure. While those flowers are great for centerpieces and combs, most brides will be looking to use those masterful patterns to build a bridal bouquet. So how would a new DIY bride even start? How early should brides start building the bouquet of their dreams? What should brides even start on first? Building your own bouquet can be scary at first, especially if this will be your first experience with Do-It-Yourself, but here are a few tips to make it a little less frustrating:
Know the Shape you Want
Before you start building a bouquet out of your selected medium, know what you want your end result to look like. If you can’t find a suitable image online that features just the right bouquet in just the right shape, find a bouquet made of real flowers in the right silhouette instead. Do you want the bunch of flowers that hangs down on a silk ribbon? A classic mid-80s cascading bouquet with hundreds of blooms? Bunches of wild-looking fabric flowers? Find the shape first – that will decide the sorts of materials you use to build it.
I recommend printing out an image of the shape you want and keeping it near your work station as you craft. Most of us don’t have a stock pile of supplies just sitting around, so when you have a shape in mind, you can prevent the over-buying of supplies you won’t use. Build an Army of Starter Blooms
Don’t go for the perfect bouquet of expensive materials on your first shot. Make an cornucopia of blooms in your chosen medium that fit the bouquet shape you’re looking for, and experiment with different styles and designs. Make a number of “practice flowers” in less expensive material before you go for broke and build the real thing. This is also a good time to practice assembling boutonnières and corsages if you want to make them out of the same material.
If you’re asking your bridesmaids to assemble their own bouquets out of your chosen medium, think about the time commitment you’re asking them to sacrifice. If you’re really set on each bridesmaid carrying a design of her own creation, try to make the individual blooms yourself and host a “bouquet building” party to cut down on the work for your girls. If you’re staying up every night to build your bouquet, can you really expect your ‘maids to do the same? Begin Building Early in your Engagement
The earlier you start the process of crafting your own bouquet (out of seashells, buttons, fabric, paper, or pretty much anything else), the less stressed out you’ll be right before the big day. Don’t make more work for yourself by putting it off until you’re up every night the week before your wedding gluing doilies together. Having a consistent DIY project to return to every night will allow you to de-stress after a long day and commit your brain to something other than the stresses of the world.
Posted on September 25, 2012
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Stick to the Fun Parts of DIY Wedding Bunting

DIY Wedding Bunting: Style and Convenience

DIY Wedding Bunting

For your wedding, DIY wedding bunting kits offer a fun way to decorate your space with some personal and stylish flair. DIY wedding bunting offers all of the fun of DIY without the special skill set that only serious crafters come pre-equipped with. Few of us even know what bunting is, let alone how to measure and purchase the proper amount of materials for the job. No, a DIY wedding bunting kit gives us all of the fun parts of crafting (bonding with your bridesmaids over mimosas) and none of the frustrated hours at the craft store. DIY wedding bunting is a fun mini project that will really add a bit of professional style to you wedding - but I do recommend a kit... for your sanity. So where can you situate some DIY wedding bunting in your ceremony or reception space? While it does fit in almost anywhere, there are a few places where DIY wedding bunting really shines. Think about including some over your otherwise bare ceremony arch. DIY bunting is an inexpensive alternative to flowers and adds a colorful (and understated) touch to your photos. The dessert table is another place where DIY wedding bunting works well. It makes the table look like a part of the decor, and it doesn't look weird if that's the only place you feature DIY wedding bunting. It really is that versatile!
Posted on September 19, 2012
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Wedding Planning as a Student

There are many reasons to be planning a wedding while in school: timing, finances, or even, you know, because you want to. So whether you're finishing up your master's, bachelor's, doctorate, or otherwise, here are a few tips to keep wedding planning running smoothly all the way through graduation:

Begin planning NOW
While most engagements last about a year, time will go a little faster for a student. Students often lack consistency in their schedules (with major changes happening sometimes four to six times within the course of a year), and many of us have jobs in addition to a full time class load. My biggest tip is this: get as much planning out of the way as you can right at the beginning of your engagement. The earlier you do the big stuff (guest lists, venue deposits, etc) the less daunting other wedding planning tasks will seem as your semester trudges forward. The biggest benefit here is peace of mind. When things get really hectic later on you can always think "Well, at least we have a caterer." Do the fun stuff over break, and the little stuff after class
Fun decisions are things like finding a dress. Trying to fit that in the middle of October will leave you not enjoying it as much as you should. Your mind will be clouded with thoughts of midterms and lesson planning and thesis writing. Weddings should be fun, and if you rush through the fun decisions, you'll regret it later. School should be your number one priority, but that doesn't mean that your wedding can't be as exciting and amazing as anyone else's. The little things - putting together programs or stamping save-the-dates - are great little tasks to occupy your time after class. They can sometimes be therapeutic, and it's nice to think about marrying the person you love after an especially long day.   Use your resources
A university is an amazingly diverse place, and it's an opportunity to explore subjects and activities that people outside of college don't have access to. Why not take a glass crafting class and make some handmade toasting glasses? Post flyers in the art department and find students to make your invites or even craft personalized stamps? Hire that startup rockabilly/bluegrass fusion band to play your processional? Colleges are a place of inspiration, and using the resources you have around you is what takes something that sounds like a burden and makes it a fabulous and unique addition to your day.

Posted on September 17, 2012
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Invitation Tips, Dos, and Dont's

One of the first things a couple does when they’re starting to plan a wedding is to compile a (very) tentative guest list. You should do this before you scout potential venues, before you look at bakeries and caterers… everything. How many people you invite to your wedding will limit or expand what your options are for every other detail of your big day. You may think that you’ve only got a 30 person guest list, but your social circle grows when you actually sit down and draw out the people you want at your wedding. Here’s a quick guide to some basic dos and don’ts for your guest list, and a few tips to keep everything from spiraling out of control:   Draw up some guest tiers
You shouldn’t send tiered invitations (B-listing) or hold a tiered reception (where certain guests are only invited to certain parts of the reception), but you should tier your first draft of your guest list. Who must be invited, and who can’t be invited without inviting three other people? Immediate family (parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles) may be one tier while cousins and great aunts and uncles are another. Instead of cutting individuals (which can cause some family tension), try to cut your guest list off at a tier. Maybe you invite family but not friends – it all depends on what your guest max is. Invite all significant others
If one of your adult guests is in a relationship, you should invite the significant other. While some people may say that it’s okay to not invite someone who is only a “casual” boyfriend (or you should only invite couples together if they’re married), you begin to tread in dangerous waters when you start making those decisions and distinctions yourself. Your definition of a “serious” relationship may be different from someone else’s, and you don’t want to split up a couple who identifies as a unit in social situations. They may be offended, and you could end up with a “regretfully declines” from someone you really wanted there. Decide about +1s now
If you allow your single friends to bring guests, prepare for your guest list to grow significantly. You may alter who gets a +1 depending on various factors, such as how far your guest is traveling or if they’re attending with their families, but whatever you do, decide now what your plan is before you deliver any numbers to vendors or venues. You don’t want to quote 100 people to your venue when adding +1s would bump your guest list to 150.   Be clear on your invites
The best way to guarantee a final guest list even close to the original number you intended is to be clear in your invitations. If you aren’t inviting children to your wedding, only write the names of the adults invited on the invite, and be sure to add “(2) seats reserved in your honor” to the RSVP. If someone RSVPs with more names than you intended, make a quick phone call to your guests to clarify who the invitation was for. Most people will understand, though you should be prepared for a few “regretfully declines” when you aren’t willing to invite everyone.
Posted on August 27, 2012
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Favors and Send-Offs: Wedding Recessional Sparklers

A Recessional Alternative: Wedding Recessional Sparklers

Wedding Recessional Sparklers

When the bride and groom retreat to their wedding getaway car after the ceremony or reception, it's always fun to have the guests throwing rice, flowers, or any other number of colorful accessories. The effect is beautiful in pictures, and most of your guests will love to be a part of a lighthearted wedding tradition. There are some venues, however, that aren't so keen on allowing things thrown about willy-nilly, even if it is for a wedding. Wedding recessional sparklers help add a beautiful sparkle of color to your wedding day without any of the mess that venues get so testy about. Wedding recessional sparklers come in a variety of colors and styles; you don't have to stick with the traditional shower of rice or birdseed as you make your way off into the sunset.   My favorite types of wedding recessional sparklers are the ones that serve as both a send-off to the bride and groom and a favor for your guests. Wedding recessional sparklers that come in fun shapes (such as hearts and stars) make for great gifts for those who have come to witness your marriage. Place out two wedding recessional sparklers at each place setting - one for the send-off and one for your guests to keep. Everyone will love the sentiment of wedding recessional sparklers on both the day of your wedding and for the next firework occasion - maybe even your anniversary!
Posted on August 23, 2012
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Tips for Stress-Free Wedding Planning

While there’s really no such thing as “stress-free wedding planning,” there are some opportunities that you will find to make your wedding planning a little easier for everyone involved. While each family has its own frustrating quirks, and everyone is likely to have an opinion the second an engagement ring slides onto your finger, here are a few ways to keep things light, fun, and as close to stress-free as wedding planning could possibly be:
A textbook example of a stress-free bride
Pick Your Battles
Even when planning the smallest possible wedding, you will have to compromise with someone, even if they aren’t contributing a dime to your wedding. That’s just how being a part of a family works. There are some topics that are off the table for discussion (which denomination your ceremony will be composed regarding, for example), but there are some smaller things you might have to let go of. A good test for which details are a part of the “let it go” category is the “10 years” question. Will you remember which cake flavor you went with in 10 years? What boutonnière style your mother wore? Probably not. If something really is important to you, stand your ground, but think about the potential hurt feelings you create when doing so. If your aunt won’t bend on a provocative dress she wants to wear to the ceremony, is it really worth the energy to fight her about it? Chances are good you won’t even notice her during the big day. Weigh which issues mean the most to you, and which you’re willing to compromise on. Know which hills to die on, so to speak, and you’ll spare everyone unnecessary hard feelings.   Accept Help and Try not to Ignore Reality
Planning a wedding can sometimes get you swept up in zombie “get-it-done” mode. You know that you’ll be able to do get it done in the way it needs to be done (whatever it is), so it’s sometimes hard to shift that responsibility or task to someone else who wants to help. If your future sister in law wants to help you deal with the photographer and prepare favors (even if you don’t care for the way she ties ribbons to programs), try to let her help. The more you spread the work around, the easier and more manageable all of these tasks and responsibilities become. Remember, trying to make everything perfect by doing it yourself will not only lead to stress on your part, but some unmet expectations on the big day. Your wedding will be awesome because you’re getting married, not because all of your cocktail napkins are embossed in the same direction. When help is offered, accept graciously, and don’t heap unrealistic expectations on those who offered their hand.   Include Your Future Spouse
The wedding industry is very bride-centered, so it can sometimes be hard to remember that you are, well, including a second person in this whole affair. That person often has opinions, even if they don’t voice them as often or as vivaciously as you do. Try to really talk and listen about your future spouse’s wedding expectations to make sure you’re both on the same page. If your fiancé hates large crowds and loud music, maybe your wedding shouldn’t be packing 300 people into an after-hours club. You might have had the “perfect” wedding dreamed up from the moment you could say “I do,” but that was before you met the person you’re marrying now. Your wedding should be equal parts of the both of you, and it’s worth it to adjust your expectations accordingly.   Take a Step Back
Organization was going to be the last point on my genius list (because let’s face it, a wedding binder with color-coded tabs never hurt anyone), but it isn’t nearly as important as a big cup of perspective as your wedding day draws nearer. The end result of a wedding isn’t a cake or a reception or honeymoon, it’s a marriage. No matter what happens in the weeks and months leading up to your wedding, you will be married when it’s all over. Isn’t that awesome? You get to be legally linked and bound to someone who loves you unconditionally. You get to send holiday cards as a social unit. That is so much cooler than a ceremony harpist.
So whenever wedding stresses seem to get overwhelming, and the DJ won’t call you back after four weeks of frantic emails, grab a beer and watch some crappy reality TV with your future spouse. When all of the relatives have gone home and you’ve returned every duplicate stand mixer, you get to be married to someone who loves you. Keep it all in perspective before you break someone’s fingers for ordering hydrangeas instead of peonies.
Posted on August 20, 2012
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Why Unity Sand?

Using Unity Sand

Unity Sand

When you order a unity sand kit, you usually need to purchase the unity sand separately. This is so you have the option to stick with neutral sand colors (browns, tans), or venture out a bit and find fun colors that suit you best (usually ones which match your wedding color scheme!). Your unity sand will be sitting as a focal point of your joined home, so make sure to take your decision seriously! If you're thinking about heading to the beach to scoop up some unity sand for your ceremony, remember the symbolism of the day. The point of the ceremony is to mix two different shades together to create something that can not be separated. If your unity sand is all the same color, the symbolism might not work the same way. Your unity sand choices can be expanded depending on what sort of family you're joining together. Couples who are blending their households together and already have children should consider incorporating other colors and including their offspring in the ceremony too. No matter how many members you're blending into one household, the many colors and styles of unity sand will help symbolize the joining of a family.
Posted on August 12, 2012
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Exploring DIY: Fabric Flower Edition

Alternative bouquets are beautiful and fun, but putting one together yourself can be a little scary, especially if this is one of your first experiments with Do-It-Yourself. Fabric flowers are a lot of fun to make if you find the right patterns, but figuring out which ones are within your skill range can be tough. Here are a few patterns that I’ve experimented with (as a relatively unskilled DIY-er), and my mixed results: Rolled Fabric Flowers   Their Result:
Click for Tutorial
These simple little fabric rolled roses looked easy enough, so I grabbed some scraps of fabric from my junk drawer and got to work (that was my favorite part – because the roses are made in strips, it was easy to use anything I had). I used plain white glue instead of fabric glue, and it seemed to work fine, but I would definitely recommend something stronger and a little less messy if you’re making something much bigger and/or more delicate.
I didn’t roll my flowers as tightly as the original designer, but I prefer the looser design I ended up with. These were the easiest of the three, but the little blue one turned out a little rough around the edges. Final Size: between 1” and 1 ½” inches   My Result: Buttoned Fabric Flowers   Their Result:
Click for Tutorial
These were the most fun to make, but they also took the most work on my end. After printing out the pattern, cutting all the fabric, and laying out the final design, my fingers didn’t grip the needle as well as I would have liked. Maybe I just need to sharpen my scissors.
The thicker fabric seemed to work best, and I definitely recommend a nice big button for the center.
Final Size: between 2” and 2 ½” inches. My Result: Ribbon Fabric Flowers   Their Result:
Click for Tutorial
This was the only flower I had to buy material for, but it was worth it. I love the way the scrunched ribbon bends to various shapes (though it does stain, so watch out!), and the shiny material makes for a great addition to an otherwise flat bouquet.
The sewing got a little intense near the end (I think I could have used a thicker needle and thread), but it resulted in a beautiful final product. When I fluffed the resulting bloom, I was happy to see how sturdy it was, even if it didn’t look 100% like the picture.
My only complaint is that this design doesn’t work well for all types of wired ribbon. I bought a few yards of a lighter, sheer purple ribbon as well, but the wire was much less cooperative and it wouldn’t scrunch. I scrapped it and stuck with one. Final Size: 2 ½”   My Result:
Posted on August 06, 2012
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Handling Common Bridesmaid Issues

Hopefully you picked your bridesmaids because they are close to you and you want to share your big day with them, and they with you. There are sometimes familial political rulings that occur without your consent, but there's nothing you can do now but make the best of it. Here are a few pointers when you're faced with a few common bridesmaid headaches in the months before you say "I do":   She asks to be a bridesmaid This happens at most weddings, but you really don't have to cave to anyone, no matter what. Like building a guest list, you should be surrounding yourself with the bridesmaids that you choose, not the ones chosen for you. If someone tries to force a new bridal party member on you, be kind but firm. "I'm sorry, but we've already chosen our bridesmaids, but I can't wait to see you and your husband at the wedding!"
Don't try to lessen the sting of rejection by offering her a side job. No one wants to set up place cards or man the dessert table as some kind of a consolation prize - that's more like work. She drops out of the wedding If your maid drops out of the wedding unexpectedly, you should be more concerned as to why than the uneven sides in wedding photos. Is it a money issue? Does your maid know that she doesn't have to throw you parties and showers? The most a bridesmaid is required to do is buy the dress and show up on the wedding day. If the dress is an issue, would you be willing to pick up the tab? Let them wear dresses they already own? If your bridesmaid really isn't sure that she can stand up for you without a major inconvenience on her part, be gracious and tell her that you hope she can still make it as a guest. No big deal.
Don't replace her. Not only will that potentially ruin your friendship, it will hurt the bridesmaid you use to take her place. She'll feel B-listed, no matter what she says. She's good enough to stand in pictures to even out sides but not to be a chosen the first time around? Nuh-uh.   She gets a tattoo So your bridesmaid has a forearm-sized tall ship on her back and you have backless bridesmaid gowns. What should you do? Nothing. There is no way to approach this issue without hurting your maid's feelings. She has made a permanent change to her body, and by making an issue of it, you are telling her that her new appearance is ugly and you don't want it in your pictures. Your maids can't put their lives on standby during the time leading up to your big day, so no matter what happens to her before the big day (including belly-swelling pregnancies!), she's as is, baby.
Don't tell her to cover up, even if she got the ink after she accepted the position. Your bridesmaids aren't just props in pictures, they're your friends. Smile as her new purple butterfly chest piece clashes with her orange dress; her permanent fashion choice doesn't reflect in any way on you.
Posted on July 30, 2012
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The Many Reasons to Spring for a Wedding Organizer

A Wedding Organizer to Keep Everything in Check

Wedding Organizer

  Any wedding professional will tell you that they key to avoiding wedding planning stress is to keep everything organized. If you're an old fashioned kind of bride (or groom!) who has trouble keeping everything straight without writing it down, a good wedding organizer should help you greatly. A wedding organizer will do much more than offer you inspiration and advice as you trudge through wedding planning; it will be your stylized guide to keeping everything in check as the quotes and contracts come rolling in. If you're looking for a good engagement gift for the potentially frantic bride, a wedding organizer couldn't hurt. While others might be gathering wedding magazines and website recommendations for the overburdened bride, you can help her keep everything in check with a solid wedding organizer!   A good wedding organizer will have tabs, budgeting tools, and a large, infallible calendar. You can play with your iPhone all you want - nothing is a substitute for writing dates and deadlines down. The act of writing things and taking notes in your wedding organizer will commit them to memory better than simply jotting them down in your digital universe. Plus, your wedding organizer will never run out of batteries.
Posted on July 29, 2012
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A Few Notes on Cheap Wedding Cake Toppers

Selecting and Purchasing Cheap Wedding Cake Toppers

Cheap Wedding Cake Toppers

The perfect wedding cake topper doesn't have to break the bank. In fact, it isn't hard to find cheap wedding cake toppers under fifty or even twenty dollars, if you know where to look. There are few things you should pay attention to (and some questions you should ask) when selecting cheap wedding cake toppers - in fact, any wedding cake toppers should be subject to a few basic questions. When you've found cheap wedding cake toppers that suit your style, taste, and budget (never settle - there's always something out there for any budget!), be sure to contact the seller if there are still any questions about the product that remain unanswered. Here are some things you should know before you buy:   - Make sure you know how wide your cheap wedding cake toppers are. If the top of your cake is too narrow, your cheap wedding cake toppers will topple right over the edge. Get the cake measurements from your baker and have them available when ordering your cheap wedding cake toppers. If the measurements aren't listed on the site, contact the seller and inquire. If you're purchasing your cheap wedding cake toppers before ordering your cake, the same is true - but in reverse!   - Make sure you know how much your cheap wedding cake toppers weigh. If you are familiar with the material (you can guess how heavy a topper will be if it's made out of plastic or porcelain and you have access to the measurements), you should keep them in mind when reporting to the baker. If you have any doubts, however, always contact the seller with any questions, comments, or concerns you have about your cheap wedding cake toppers!
Posted on July 25, 2012
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