DIY or Handmade?

If you’re into arts and crafts and creative endeavors in general it’s likely the thought of a DIY wedding has crossed your mind. Projects like this can be so fun and really give you a sense of accomplishment when it comes to planning. Nevertheless, it is easy to get caught up and underestimate what a DIY wedding really entails. But have no fear – you can still have the personal, handmade feel without actually getting down and dirty with your glue gun. Etsy is an engaged girls dreamworld and I know we’ve all been sucked into the black hole that is Etsy shopping. These are just a few of my favorite things from the handmade wedding world that I’ve found during my browse sessions. (all photos courtesy of individual shops on etsy)

Bride and Groom Signs

I just used these carved wooden signs at an outdoor wedding and they are just perfection. Perfect size, rustic without being too rough, and so sweet when tied with some satin ribbon. Working with Laura was a breeze as well and she helped easily manage a shipping snafu we had. This might be one of my new favorite shops.

Personalized Tumblers

These little guys caught my eye while flipping through the site recently. You can never have too many tumblers and Vanessa seems to offer a lot of style variations. I personally like them with just the names but there are so many options there is definitely something for everyone!

Custom Wedding Bands

Some gentleman are wary of the wedding band. I’m not talking commitment here, I’m talking style and I can’t help but agree. Etsy is a treasure trove for unique bands for the men in your life. This particular piece highlights meteorite and dinosaur bone. Yes, dinosaur bone. It is just so weird and wonderful I had to share!

Bridal Skirt

Everybody deserves to feel like a princess during their wedding and nothing screams princess more than a tulle skirt! I am obsessed with this knee length blush beauty. I think it would make the perfect piece for a party dress or even a statement during the rehearsal. This shop has numerous styles available along with a lot of other fantastic finds.

Sequin hanger

Last but not least, the perfect accessory for your bridal gown, the sequin hanger. I knew Emily from college and just love what she has done with her shop. This hanger is the perfect compliment for all of those gown pictures while you’re getting ready! If you’re a recent grad the Koozies make a great cocktail hour conversation piece as well!

So, there you have it. A few of my favorite things at the moment. If you’re doubting your DIY prowess go handmade and let someone else sweat it out! I’ll be opening my own Etsy shop soon and will share all of my goodies as soon as its available.

Have you seen an Etsy shop you want to share? How about any projects you’ve tackled that turned out better than you thought? Share the news!

Perfect Fit Flowers {Guest Post}

This weekend is all about relaxation for me as I am headed across the state to celebrate the wedding of one of my good friends from college and lay around on the beach for a few days. Sounds like heaven! In honor of a few lazy days I am also stepping away from the blog, but don’t worry my dears I have a fabulous guest post for you!

 

Natalie from Simplybridal.com shows us how to pair the perfect bouquet with the dress of your dreams. Simply Bridal is an online resource for custom made wedding gowns at great prices; taking the middle man out of your wedding dress experience. Their products have been featured on blogs such as Rock’n’Roll Bride, Style Me Pretty, and Wedding Chicks.

“Flowers are the sweetest things God ever made, and forgot to put a soul into.”
~Henry Beecher

It comes as no great surprise that when a bride is planning her big day, she plans
everything so that they coordinate with each other.

Wedding dress? Check! Earrings? Check! Veil, shoes and other accessories?
Check, check and check!

You’d be surprised then, when it comes to the flowers, and suddenly, her favorite
flowers — pink roses — don’t match her favorite kind of dress or her favorite earrings.
In fact, altogether, the ensemble is nothing less than a mess.

Did you know, that certain flower arrangements match certain dresses and body
shapes? Let’s take a look at the 4 most common bouquet types (that I just learnt
about!) and see what’s best for you!

Cascade: The cascade bouquet is the most formal and traditional, with a rounded
top and a stream of flowers flowing in the bride’s hands, giving it a waterfall effect.
Larger flowers such as roses and orchids are generally the popular choice for
cascade bouquets. Cascade bouquets generally match sheath dresses.

Nosegay: The nosegay bouquet is a popular bouquet for bridesmaids. They are
simple and less dramatic as the cascade effect, but are great for brides opting for
the big ball gowns, so that it’s just not ‘too much’ with the big dress, big flowers
combination.

Arm Sheaf: An arm sheaf bouquet is cradled in the brides arms, and is made up
of long stemmed flowers such as orchids or long stemmed roses, perfect for taller
brides, or brides wearing empire or mermaid gowns.

Flower Bracelet: Although not as common as the others, the flower bracelet is
also known as a wrist corsages and are made of small bunches of flowers that are
then attached to an elastic band and slipped around the wrist. Although not very
common, it’s great for brides who’d rather not be holding a bouquet all day, and are
a great accessory for the short and flirty wedding dresses.

The cascade bouquet via Snippet and Ink. The nosegay via Snippet and Ink. The sheaf via Love Heart Weddings. The white corsage via Polka Dot Brides. The ribbon corsage via Wedding Chicks.

So whatever dress you have, there’s the perfect flower arrangement for you.

To pick out your perfect gown to match your flowers, check out our range of gowns
here:www.simplybridal.com. All dresses are courtesy of SimplyBridal.

The bridal bouquet is all about complimenting the dress and Natalie’s advice is perfect for brides! Thanks Natalie!

I’ll be sharing some sneak peaks from the wedding weekend on the beach so stay tuned! Happy weekend!

Gold (Medal) Worthy Decor

If I knew how to make this post sing when you read it – I would have done so. What tune you ask?

Ba, Ba, Ba da ba da da, ba ba ba da, da dada dada da da.

In case you can’t tell that’s my (awful) interpretation of the Olympic march. I believe it is officially titled “Bugler’s Dream.” Save your eyeballs and treat your ears here. Regardless, I’m sure this song will be blasting from the TV set of anyone who knows what’s good on a Friday night. Or at least this Friday night.

I am on the verge of obsessed with the Olympics. I love them so much I have already registered all of my electronic devises for  24 hour streaming of every event online. Yes that’s a thing. Why you ask?

1. I love the Olympics because these athletes possess skills that I will never in this lifetime have a chance of attaining. That would require me getting off the couch.  Any athletic talent I had went out the window LONG ago.

2. Any opportunity to sneak a peak into some of the greatest cities on this planet is a fantastic excuse to me to park my butt in front of the tv and not feel guilty.

4. How can you not love a sandy beach volleyball player or the half naked men in the pool? Eye Candy. All day. For two weeks.

5. Who isn’t amazed at competitive speed walking or professional canoeing? Yes those are also things.

But I digress. The impending festivities have my inspiration swirling and the next best thing to throwing an Olympic viewing party (yes this thought actually crossed my mind. I even went so far as to consider decor. It’s insane. I know) is to pretend to throw an Olympic party, or at least something similar.

In honor of the gold medals that will be handed out in the upcoming weeks I give you the gold wedding inspiration:

These first images were collected via Style Me Pretty. The gold can come through in small details whether it be a metallic cake, menu cards, studded shoes or soft tones in the flowers.

If you’re looking to make a bigger statement take a cue from the boards at Lover.ly and go bold with your invites, dress, or sequin linens:

I feel like I could even make a dress out of that linen it’s so beautiful. Either way you spin it, gold is glamorous and you can’t help but feel like a winner! Now, I must go make myself comfortable – it’s going to be a long, but glorious, three weeks!

I’ve always known it was you Pt. 2

Well, as promised, it’s time to revisit the Ormond Beach Wedding. The professional pictures are in and they are fantastic. Seriously, there were so many beautiful images it was hard to pick out just a few to spotlight. The ceremony was held at Rockefeller Gardens with the reception following at Plantation Bay Country Club, both in Ormond Beach, Florida. Despite reports of thunderstorms we were blessed with clear skies and a nice breeze long enough for ceremony and pictures. All photos were taken by the talented AJ Neste who is such a blast to work with! (I apologize in advance for the oncoming photo overload!) Without further ado…let the ooh’s and ahh’s commence!

Using the forsythia blossom as inspiration Jaclyn and Ryan chose yellow, grey and white as their colors which were continued throughout the day. Guests were entertained with an acoustic guitar and cello during the ceremony by friends of the couple. All of the flowers were provided by Petals and Nature Scapes in Palm Coast and Parrish Designs of Miami. The reception was filled with willow and oncidium orchids, tulips, hydrangeas and calla lilies. Guests were greeted at the reception with a signature cocktail punch and a photo booth set up by the father of the bride. Shopping around for months, the bride found a vintage type writer through a friend so guests could write notes and well wishes to the couple. Guests were sent off with personalized bottles of olive oil put together by the bride and groom.

(From the bride) “They say it goes by quickly, but you can’t imagine.  The waiting feels endless — especially when you are engaged for a year in a half — but the last few minutes soared by me before I could catch a breath.  There was so much riding on one day, All of those tiny, minuscule details for a five-hour show.  But I wouldn’t change a thing.

I was so incredibly nervous about all the details coming together.  I had flowers for the reception coming from two places, and the ceremony flowers coming from another.  The aisles were lined with bows handmade by a friend and petal cones that I threw together. I had a groomsman flying in the day before the wedding, without his suit, praying that Penny’s would have his size.  It was chaos — brought together by one of my best friends, and wedding planner, myself & the groom, and my parents, who had been wonderfully helpful throughout the whole process.

So it came down to the final minute.  I walked down the aisle.  I said my vows.  I took the obligatory photos and some rather hilarious ones.  I rode in a limo to the reception.  Danced to our song.  Cut the cake.  Smile and hugged like my life depended on it.  And then it was over.  It was a massive, yellow blur for the most part.  I remember flying to St. Lucia for the honeymoon and thinking that I couldn’t wait to see pictures because I couldn’t remember how everything looked. I was praying that it all came together like I imagined.  

It honestly wasn’t until I got to see the photos that I realized how perfect everything was.  The flowers matched perfectly and created a beautiful backdrop.  The DJ was fun and entertaining and the pictures of everyone on the dance floor show my friends and family having a fabulous time — including my 80-year-old grandfather.  By the last photo of the night, Ryan & I have our heads pressed together and I look truly exhausted and truly blessed all at the same time.  And that’s what I felt. Everything fell into place and I was surrounded by beautiful things & beautiful people for the whole night.”

All of the little details added up to a spectacular wedding! Congratulations again to Jaclyn and Ryan!