Vintage DIY Wedding

This laid back vintage-inspired wedding was sent by Veronica, who you may recognize a few of her DIY projects we shared here a little while ago, including her gorgeous Easter Lily backdrop that she made for the altar. From the bride: We were married at my parents’ house, my childhood home, and I immediately imagined a very old-fashioned, personal wedding.  We never lost sight of our guests during our planning – we wanted them to feel comfortable and happy and very much a part of the day.  I always, prefer vintage over new and brought in as many vintage elements as I could.  I wanted it to feel special and handmade and for each guest to know I had made something just for them.

Read More

Woman Fakes Cancer to Get Wedding Charity

Tricked: Husband says wife faked cancer for free goodies
Residents of the city of Newburgh, N.Y., are feeling angered - and saddened - over news that they may have fallen for the worst kind of hoax.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39041806/from/toolbar

Recycled Blooms

The more I find the more I like the idea of making our wedding as GREEN as possible.

I found this on a kids craft site... they are daisies.. still my flower! 

 Read more HERE







What You'll Need

• Empty toilet-paper tubes
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Kid-friendly scissors
• Bamboo skewers
• Paint
• Paintbrush
• Tissue paper
• Green cardstock

Instructions

1. Draw a ring 2 inches from edge of tube. Repeat on other end. Then, from each 2-inch ring, draw cut lines every 1/2 inch. Snip along each line to make petals.
2. Fold petals back to create flower. Paint flower and bamboo skewers; let dry. Cut out green leaves and glue to skewers.
3. Push the skewer through one end of the flower's center until it just touches the other end. Crumple an 8-inch square of tissue paper and place in the center.

DIY Centerpieces Made Out of Egg Cartons and Vintage Buttons

From Intimate Weddings

This might end up being my alternative to flowers... I love the idea... and its GREEN!!!
 Read more HERE

If you are looking for DIY centerpieces that are super cheap and easy to make (albeit a bit time-consuming),  give these a whirl.
Cost: $2 – $3 per dozen (Assuming you already have acrylic paint and buttons on hand.)
Materials:
One paper egg carton
12 pipe cleaners
24 gauge wire
Buttons
Acrylic paint in your choice of colors
Floral tape
Scissors
Paper clip
Varnish (optional)
Glue

DIY Project: Potted Banana Bread

Wes i was young my mom used to make Apple Brownies... so I may consider substituting the banana bread for Apple Brownies and the recipe 


Read more here



Supplies
-ingredients for bread (any quick bread…doesn’t have to be this recipe)- grocery store
-medium sized terra cotta flower pots- Walmart $.45 each
-wax or parchment paper-grocery store
-pretty ribbon- craft store
Directions
(yields five medium potted loaves…multiply according to however many guests you’re expecting )
-buy meduim-sized terra cotta flower pots ($0.45 @ Wal-Mart). Make sure to take off any stickers and wash well. Stuff a small ball of wax paper into the drain hole in the bottom of the pot.
-make bread acording to directions: Kona Banana Bread
2 c. sugar
1c. butter (or 1/2 c butter, 1/2 c. Crisco)
3 eggs
6 very ripe bananas
2 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 c. broken walnuts

Mash bananas in separate bowl. Cream together butter, sugar, and eggs. Add bananas and beat well. Add dry ingredients and mix only until smooth. Stir in chopped nuts.  SEPARATE INTO 5 MEDIUM SIZED FLOWER POTS). MAKE SURE THEY’RE GREASED WELL. Put flower pots on a cookie sheet and bake @ 350 degrees for about 50 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean when poked in.

DIY Groomsmen T-Shirts

From Style Me Pretty

I found this really cute idea... it might be fun for the girls too!

Read more here

1. Buy blank, light colored t-shirts sized appropriately for the boys in your wedding.
2. Play around with fonts. Choose a style you like; simple, fancy, formal or fun. You can use the same font for all shirts or mix them up!
3. Size your graphics, measuring how wide across the chest you’d like your word to extend. 8″ is a good maximum width for a single word. If using the same font for all shirts, size the longest word (groomsmen in this case), and make all 3 words the same font size, so they look consistent.
4. Reverse your graphic horizontally so it’s a mirror image.  Make it whatever color you want it to be on your shirt. Save your files separately as a PDF, TIFF or JPEG . Take them, along with your blank t-shirts to your local Kinkos. They will make a transfer of your artwork and iron it on your shirt for $10. Be sure to tell them how many inches down from the top of neckline to place your graphic (4.5″ – 6″ is a good range.) Feel free to use these templates for your groom, your groomsmen and your fiance’s best man.
*You can also do this at home really easily and save even more mula. Office depot sells printable transfer sheets that you can use to print out the words using your color printer. Then, simply iron on the letters using the instructions provided on the transfers box. SO easy.
And here is a really easy, really cute way to package these babies up…

DIY tin can table numbers

100 layer cake

Such an excellent way to make cute, but inexpensive (and recycled!) numbers for your tables. Plus they glow and we all know that you positively cannot have too much candle light on a dinner table. Imagen how affordable this will be?? SO CUTE... Read more...

 

The two minute bag... way cute

From Annekata

This is VERY cute... 


The two-minute project. This Japanese-inspired bag really will only take you two minutes to make -- and it looks so chic. Could be an excellent bridesmaid gift or a nice beach bag for your honeymoon. (Annekata).

The Japanese are simply brilliant when it comes to celebrate simplicity and make the ordinary extraordinary. Just think about the care and presentation of their food, their lifestyle magazines, clothing and what not. They are also very inventive.

In 2006 at the Olympic Games the Japanese Ministry of Environment had their athletes use "furoshiki" the traditional Japanese wrapping cloth. In a campaign for reducing waste!! If you would like to know how to use Furoshiki in wrapping, you can dowload a pdf from the Japanese Ministry of Environment.

If you want to make your own Furoshiki bag like the one pictured above, here's how:

SUPPLIES:
- fabric square (mine was 41 inches  -104 cm)
- 2 hair bands (I used two elastics which I covered in the same fabric)

 HOW TO: Click here to read more 

Casion Night Addition from a friend

So I got this message from a friend on Facebook... GREAT IDEA!

From www.marthastewart.com

"hey so I checked out your blog and I saw you were thinking of doing a casino cocktail hour... wasn't sure if that was carrying over to to reception but I saw this really cute idea and thought you should know :)"


WAY CUTE!!! Maybe we will contnue the theme so that guest can sit down at their tables instead of having the cocktail hour in a different room... less to decorate... and we can do it classy :)

Casino Theme

My fiance loves poker and card games... we want this wedding to be a little bit of each of us. So why not have a casino theme cocktail hour. At a wedding of a family friend after waiting for what seemed like FOREVER for the bride and groom to come in from their pictures my brother said "I will have poker tables at my wedding" - I am getting married 1st so I hope you don't mind brother but I am stealing your idea. The good news is i will have the supplies for when its your turn.

I have not worked out all of the details just yet, but here is little bit of my research so far.

Poker chips: (100 chips for about $2.29)
http://www.amazon.com/White-Poker-Chips-100-bg/dp/B00362QO0E/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1283480662&sr=1-9

12 Decks - Bicycle 808 Rider Back Playing Cards - Jumbo Index - $19.95 http://www.discountpokershop.com/decks-bicycle-808-rider-back-playing-cards-jumbo-index-p-479.html

Cupcakes

Are Cupcakes a Good Alternative to a Wedding Cake?

Wedding cupcakes are certainly a great alternative to a wedding cake if you're looking to share a sweet treat with your guests that's portable, bite-size, and much more budget-friendly than a wedding cake (which, according to the Bridal Association of America, now averages $543 per cake). "Cupcakes are for everyone," says Nichelle Stephens, wedding cupcake expert and blogger for Cupcakes Take the Cake, a blog obsessively dedicated to all things cupcake-related. "At weddings, I've seen many weight-conscious people refuse a slice of cake, but a cupcake is an indulgence that people seem to love."


Read more: http://weddings.weddingchannel.com/wedding-planning-ideas/wedding-cake/qa/are-cupcakes-a-good-alternative-to-a-wedding-cake.aspx


Affordable supplies 

 Cupcake cups: 
http://www.orientaltrading.com/ui/browse/processRequest.do?demandPrefix=12&sku=3/3799&prodCatId=388706&mode=Browsing&erec=29&Ntx=mode%2bmatchallpartial&sp=true&Ntk=all&requestURI=processProductsCatalog&tabId=1&N=388706&sd=Bright+Baking+Cups

 

Consider an off-peak time

Consider an off-peak time. Everyone wants to get married on a Saturday night in June. If you pick a time with less competition, you can often negotiate better rental rates. Many sites have stated discounts for Friday or Sunday weddings. In other cases, you may be able to negotiate a lower rental rate for less-popular months of the year.

We are considering Columbus Day weekend... Sunday with Monday as a travel day. 

Carved Pumpkins

Picture from Crafty Nest

So we are considering a fall wedding... I love fall and I think carved pumpkins would be SO pretty!

I found this idea online... I think it would be perfect.

Pumpkins carved with a drill

 

 

 

 

Drilling Pumpkins 

Supplies

• pumpkins
• glow sticks (see note in #9 below. I used 12-hour Cyalume Safety Lightsticks from Redwood Trading Post)
• flowers (I recommend daisies or another long-lasting flower)
• painter’s tape
• votives
• glass jar

Tools

• drill
• drill bits (I used these sizes: 3/16, 1/4, 7/16)
• scissors
• carving knife
• scooping spoon

1. Decide what pattern you want to drill into each pumpkin. You could use a marker to plan your pattern. Start drilling. For the small pumpkin, I used a 7/16 bit for the centers of the flowers, and a 1/4 bit for the petals.

2. Use your fingernails to remove little flaps of pumpkin still attached. For the medium pumpkin, I used 7/16 and 3/16 bits. This was the easiest pattern to execute, because all you have to do is follow the ridges of the pumpkin.

3. Use tape as a guide for horizontal patterns. For this one, I used 7/16 and 3/16 bits.

4. After you’ve drilled all the patterns, clean off the loose pieces of pumpkin.

5. Carve the lids out and scoop out the insides. Run the drill bits through the holes again, if necessary, to clear out pumpkin debris.

6. For the pumpkin with flowers in the top, place a jar of water inside the pumpkin. Replace the lid.

7. Drill holes in the lid for each blossom. Make sure they are angled toward the water jar. Cut all your stems the same length and strip off the leaves.

8. Insert a flower in each hole, making sure the stem is sitting in the water.

9. Light your pumpkins. I used votives in the two smaller pumpkins, and about six glow sticks in the one with the flowers. Six lightsticks weren’t as bright as a single votive (orange or green are brighter than white), so I would recommend drilling a more intricate pattern to let out more light. If you use a votive, I suggest removing the lids—unless you want charred pumpkins.

"morning-after kit"

A hangover cure is surely the most practical party favor for a wedding at a winery. Ricki created a "morning-after kit" for weekend guests by filling a muslin bag with ibuprofen and Emergen-C.
She gave the gift a personal touch by stamping the fabric with the couple's initial. - Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/2010/09

Discussion on Yahoo Answers: I am making a "morning after/hangover" kit to give to my wedding guests - Any suggestions on what to include?

Couple take vow of an affordable wedding

by Laura Gottesdiener - Sept. 2, 2010 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/2010/09/02/20100902budgetwedding0902.html#ixzz0yOC16mEk

 

When Ricki and Andrew Uster started planning their wedding last fall, their excitement to say "I do" was tempered by "We can't" - their vow to keep costs low.
"I was thinking, 'OK, this is going to be budget. Now how can we make this beautiful?' " said Ricki of Phoenix.

The couple, both 33, visited wedding blogs for inspiration, scrapbook stores for decorations and Craigslist for a photographer and live bands.
Six months later, the couple were married at Sonoita Vineyards, in southern Arizona, among 80 friends and family members. Their do-it-yourself details turned the low-budget affair into a beautiful ceremony that might inspire any bride-to-be.

Flowerless accents

Flowers are the traditional choice when it comes to bringing color to weddings, but Ricki had a different idea.
"Flowers are beautiful, but they die," she said, and so she sought decorations that could be reused.
Flowers also are expensive, so a suitable alternative was found: The couple lined the aisle with handmade pinwheels.
With a friend's help, they spent an entire evening crafting 50 pinwheels with scrapbook paper, sewing pins, wooden sticks and a glue gun.
In addition to serving as decorations, the pinwheels doubled as fun party favors for children.

Centerpieces

No need for mass-produced centerpieces when there's a grocery around the corner.
Ricki crafted centerpieces from lemons and limes to match her wedding's green-and-yellow color scheme.
She added twigs and foliage, and housed each vitamin C-packed centerpiece in a wooden basket.

Bouquets

Bridal bouquets can fetch as much as $200, according to Dennis Thompson, owner of White House Flowers in Phoenix. Ricki sidestepped this expense by having a friend, Christina Martinez, create a floral bouquet of Craspedia (aka Billy Buttons), foliage and floral tape.

Place cards

Ricki created place cards using a computer, wine corks from the vineyard and a handsaw.
After downloading free fonts from dafont.com, she printed business cards with the guests' names and table assignments. She slit each cork with the saw and attached the corks to the cards.

Party favors

A hangover cure is surely the most practical party favor for a wedding at a winery.
Ricki created a "morning-after kit" for weekend guests by filling a muslin bag with ibuprofen and Emergen-C.
She gave the gift a personal touch by stamping the fabric with the couple's initial.


Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/2010/09/02/20100902budgetwedding0902.html#ixzz0yOCGdUlq

Couple Denied Request to Submit Wedding Announcement

Story Link:  http://www.kptm.com/Global/story.asp?S=13070276

Jenny Nowatzke

OMAHA (KPTM) It's a tradition that's spanned generations.  But for one Omaha family, that tradition came to an sudden halt last weekend.

Jeff and Heidi Wilke wanted to submit their daughter's engagement announcement to the Omaha World Herald – only to find out it's not allowed – simply because their daughter is gay.

It all started with Kristy Wilke's engagement photo.  Living in Minneapolis, she wanted to share the news of her engagement with friends and family back in Omaha.

After submitting the announcement to the paper Kristy's great, great, great, great grandfather founded in 1885, her father received disappointing news.

"At that point, my dad who was following up on the issue was told by the publisher that as a policy they don't print same gender wedding or engagement announcements," said Kristy.

"If a pig would have flown by me then, I couldn't have been more surprised. I felt I was punched in the stomach," said Jeff Wilke.

Forced to tell his daughter, Jeff was overwhelmed with emotion.

"I hung up the phone in disbelief – cried about it. For the first time, I felt discrimination."

Hoping to change the publisher's minds, Kristy's family started a page on Facebook, and within three days gained over 2,200 members.

"It's amazing to feel the support, and at the same time hear stories on the page with couples who have been denied this right for years," said Kristy.

Facing criticism, the World Herald posted a comment on their Facebook page saying, "public opinion is split sharply. Gay marriage is illegal in most states including Nebraska."

"We were so naïve to think the World Herald would be excited about their founder's [great, great, great, great granddaughter] being openly gay and engaged," said Jeff.

Even so, Kristy's family doesn't wish harm on the paper.

"We know we can create change without destroying an organization. This isn't about taking the World Herald down. Just a change in policy. 2,000 people on Facebook alone – we can create this change," said Kristy.

Kristy and her fiancé Jessica are slated to be married next summer in Minnesota.

As of four o'clock Monday afternoon, the Omaha World Herald has restructured their policy.

They issued a statement in the paper saying quote,

"Celebrations announcements regarding legal weddings, engagements for legal weddings, or anniversaries of a legal marriage will be welcomed, regardless of the genders of the couple.

We will not run announcements regarding commitment ceremonies, partnerships and other non–marriage unions, again regardless of gender.

Five states and the District of Columbia have legalized same–sex marriages, including Iowa.

We will publish Celebrations announcements of marriages from those states."

Dallas-area wedding venues offer a hand to brides left in lurch by banquet hall's shutdown

12:00 AM CDT on Wednesday, September 1, 2010

By JASON TRAHAN / The Dallas Morning News
jtrahan@dallasnews.com

Story link: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-bamboozledbrides_01met.ART.State.Edition1.35599f1.html
  Churches, banquet halls, caterers and wedding coordinators across North Texas offered their assistance – some of it on the house – after learning of the nearly two dozen couples left in the lurch by a banquet hall that took tens of thousands of their dollars, then abruptly shut down.
"Three people called me this morning and said they'd like to help," said May Vong, whose plans to get married Oct. 10 at the Arts District Banquet Facility in the Trammell Crow Center fell apart.
Vong said she and her fiancée lost about $8,000. Twenty other couples sank more than $80,000 into the bankrupt business before it collapsed Aug. 22 and shuttered last week.
Sam Jackson was among those who saw the story in Tuesday's Dallas Morning News and wanted to help. He said he would offer affected couples a cut rate at Na'Kayshions, the 5-acre wedding event center he and his wife own in Cedar Hill. Last weekend, TLC filmed a segment there for its fall show Four Weddings, he said.
"Being in this business, it's tough to see something like this," he said.
Wilshire Baptist Church and Preston Road Church of Christ were among those offering their facilities for free, depending on space availability.
"I am very sorry to hear about their loss and wanted to see if we could be a part of the solution," said W. Scott Sager, senior minister at Preston Road Church of Christ.
The Orosa family has not commented publicly on the uproar. They own the parent company, CPO International Inc., which owned the banquet hall and the adjoining Aija restaurant.
The restaurant closed when the family's company filed for bankruptcy in mid-July. Their attorney said they tried to keep the banquet hall afloat so that they could continue to put on weddings and receptions at least through the end of the year. But they were $42,000 behind in rent and other charges to the landlord, forcing the closure.
"They are deeply regretful that they could not do these weddings," Kevin Wiley Jr. said Tuesday on behalf of the family. "They empathize with the brides and their situations. Honestly, they're hurt by all this."
Wiley, who earlier said the facility stopped booking weddings in January, on Tuesday acknowledged brides' claims that his clients continued to book new events through May.
He responded to allegations by one bride that the banquet hall rushed to collect a final $4,000 payment from her father's credit card two weeks before it was due in order to beat the court-ordered shutdown date of Aug. 22.
Wiley said that his clients did not know they were going to be shut down when they charged that family's credit card on Aug. 18 for that final payment on the Sept. 18 wedding.
Asked when his clients knew they would be closed, Wiley said it was when the judge issued the order Aug. 20.
Wiley said that his clients had a right to charge the final installment on any wedding 30 days before the event, and routinely did so. "The bottom line is, the payment was taken out pursuant to the contract. It wasn't taken under any other premises."
The bankruptcy court has scheduled a meeting of creditors in the case at 3:50 p.m. Sept. 28 on the fifth floor of the Earle Cabell Federal Courthouse, 1100 Commerce St. The hearing is public.
"Oh, I will be there," Vong said. She said she wants to talk "face to face" with Eduardo Orosa, president of the banquet hall's parent company. "I want to ask him how he can get away with this."
She still doesn't know where she will be married next month. But she said she is reconsidering her fiancé's original vision for their most special day: "He wanted hot dogs in the backyard."

Scandinavian Airline To Perform Gay Wedding During Flight

September 2, 2010
Story link: http://www.dbtechno.com/curiosity/2010/09/02/scandinavian-airline-to-perform-gay-wedding-during-flight/

It is being reported that a Scandinavian airline is looking for a gay couple looking to get hitched at 35000 feet.
On an upcoming flight from Stockholm to New York on December 6th, a lucky gay couple will get hitched.
The airline have been performing straight weddings on flights for years, but would be the first ever to perform a gay wedding during flight.
The airline, SAS Scandinavian Airlines are currently running an online contest to determine the lucky gay couple to get their wedding performed on the flight.
The winners of the contest will receive quite the package, including return business class flights with SAS to New York, three nights’ luxury accommodation and then even an additional three nights accommodation at a posh LA hotel.

My flowers and bouquet

Picture from Schella

I know I want Gerber Daisies as my flowers... I have always loved daises so this is a natural conclusion.

Plan: I want each brides maid and groomsmen to walk down the isle with a single long stem Gerber Daisy and the 'head usher' will collect these to create my bouquet. Reason: To me this is a representation of support of our marriage. Also cost effective!

Word of caution: I will have another set of long stem Gerber Daisy's to be used for photos.

Picture from Weddingbycolor

Affordable flowers: http://www.afloral.com/Silk-Flowers-Artificial-Flowers-Fake-Flowers/Silk-Gerbera-Daisy?gclid=CKHWkc3o56MCFU7s7Qodk16X1w

Bouquet Sleeve: http://www.afloral.com/Floral-Supplies/Bouquet-Holders/Hand-Tied-Bouquet-Wraps

Brides Maids Shoes

Picture is From Wedding Bee

I love this idea... I think it would be a great way for my girls to show their personalities!

Photo Booth Guest Book

I love this idea! 

Photo booths are a great way to entertain guests and capture priceless memories at your wedding reception. You'll get great pictures that will give you a cool behind-the-scenes look at your own wedding, or you can use the photos as favors that your guests can take home. You can either rent a photo booth from a rental company, hire a photographer to man one for you, or set up an easy DIY photo booth that your guests can operate themselves.

Read more: How to Use a Photo Booth at Wedding Reception | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2104956_photo-booth-wedding-reception.html#ixzz0yKzpLTfW

 

 

Candy Apples

I love apples... and candy... so I was thinking that perhaps cady apples might be a good wedding gift. They would be handed out with the place cards on them.

I would love to find colors to match my wedding colors. I think this would be very cute!


Cost Break Down:

Wood Candy Apple Sticks 5 1/2"-1,000 per case = $15.88: http://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=136361&pid=Froogle&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=179093

Colored Sprinkles: http://www.bulkfood.net/site/1025611/page/875034

Make your own colored sprinkles: http://suchprettythings.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/01/pretty-parties-custom-colored-sprinkles.html

Online Resources

Vistaprint:  http://www.vistaprint.com/vp/welcomeback.aspx?xnav=logo

Walmart Photo Center: http://photos.walmart.com/walmart/welcome

Post cards

Cost saving method: Post card stamps are cheaper then standar letter stamps... To send a postcard domestically in the US, stamps cost 28 cents for a standard sized postcard. This is usually rectangular in shape with the dimensions being between 3½ and 4¼ inches high, between 5 and 6 inches long and between 0.007 and 0.016 inches thick. A larger size postcard can be more expensive to send with the standard letter rate of 44 cents or more being required depending on the actual size of the card.

This may save you close to 1/2 of your postage budget.

Cookies and Milk

To be honest this idea came to me while browsing the IKEA catlog... I love cookies and I love milk... so why not??

I have done a little researchand this is something other couples have tired. I am not sure if Will, will go for it but I liked it so much I thought I would share...


 

Research on cookies and milk: 

The Flirty Guide: http://theflirtyguide.com/pages_ideas/idea_wedding_milk_and_cookies.html

Modern Bride on a Budget: http://modernbridewithabudget.wordpress.com/2009/07/07/cookies-and-milk/

Tea Cup Centerpiece

I have a collection of tea cups that was passed down to me from my Great Grandmother that I have added to over the years. I would love to incorporate this into our wedding.

Plan: I am thinking that I will go to a second hand store and try and get a box full of miss matched tea cups and saucers and put tea lights in them on the tables. 

Word of Caution: I think I will hot glue the teacups together, I know our family and friends and if they are not secure they might go flying.  

Paint Samples

I wasn't sure how to choose our colors, so we went to HomeDepot and browsed the paint samples and came up with a few options.

We have not finalized the shade of our colors but we are leaning towards this combo.

If you are interested in this method you might consider using: http://valspar.com/painter.html
  

Black: For groomsmen suits and bridesmaids dress

• Why: We wanted to have something that our attendants really could wear again. 
• Plan:  
• Groomsmen - a suit from perhaps Men's Warehouse during one of their sales, we have not worked this part out yet. As soon as we do I will update. 
• Bridesmaids - they will wear a black dress that fits their bodies.  None of my bridesmaids have the same body type and I want them to feel good about what they are wearing and be able to really wear the dress again.

Orange: I love orange and always have, this will be a huge part of the color pallet.

Pink and Green: These will be supporting colors to add some depth.