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Miss Magic’s note: This post was written, and the inspiration board created, 12 months ago. At that time, I didn’t know what our budget was (uh, I still might not know what it is), but I did know we weren’t gonna have a ton of money. I was freaking out, trying to figure out how to do things inexpensively but still get the vibe we wanted. (And what vibe was that, exactly?) Also, this is my first inspiration board. The wedding has certainly evolved since then….
Apparently, Mr. Magic did not get the memo that rustic-vintage weddings are THE theme lately. I don’t know why this is, but I’m guessing the popularity of the vintage theme has something to do with it being fairly affordable and lending itself to DIY projects that us crafty brides love so much. But when I showed Mr. Magic my original inspiration board and described the centerpieces, his reaction was less then desired.
Me: So this is what I was thinking for the wed—
Him: Purple? You like PURPLE? (as in “Who ARE you??? I don’t even KNOW you!!!)
Me: Well, it’s not really PURPLE; actually, it’s aubergine. It’s French! (clarifying the critical French aspect)
Him: These images seem kind of country. (He said “country” like one would say “vomit.” Mr. Magic grew up in Northern Virginia and then moved to Chapel Hill when he was eight. His parents were from Pennsylvania. So, he’s practically a Yankee…not that there’s anything wrong with that!)
Me: HMPH. (Actually, I just sat there. He gave me the colors but said “less country, more traditional” and then I said “Have we met?” and the convo deteriorated from there.)
So, now I have to find something a little less rustic, or less vintage, or less country. He couldn’t have been clearer than mud, could he? But I still need to do it on a budget, and these centerpieces are killing me! I mean, having a florist do it seems like highway robbery, but now that my super-cute and totally thrifty idea of using mismatched vintage tins on antique books has been NIXED…I’ve got to move on.
(Side note: It’s not completely nixed, YET. I convinced him to let me do a mock-up, as I decided maybe his creative vision is not up to par.)
Here are some more DIY, inexpensive-ish options. Whatcha think?
This is a totally different vibe, although maybe we could partially rustic it up with less fancy, more colorful flowers and…what??? A cowboy hat? I’m losing it here, people.
This bouquet of delightfully airy flowers is as easy to make as it is beautiful.
Jeff Rudell
A unique white-on-vellum paper adds visual texture while allowing light to penetrate its translucent surface.
Jeff Rudell
Paper flowers look cute from far away, but the close up seems too…fake. Which they are.
This has the rustic vibe but feels a bit more traditional. Jen made these paper yellow roses, but I think I would use real—REALly cheap ones!
I’m cool with paying for a florist for the bouquets and MAYBE for the boutonnieres…but the centerpieces??? Can’t get behind it unless I win the lottery.
Is there anything YOU really don’t want to pay for when it comes to your wedding?
I am actually making the paper flowers shown in the second picture. Of course they look fake, but all of my flowers I am making out of paper, so they are totally awesome!
A girl after my own heart! 
Although we went a little more whimsy instead of rustic-vintage.
AHH! What dress is that? Who makes it! I love your board. we’re going rustic-vintage for our wedding too. try etsy.com. they’re good for handmade ideas!
@birdcage4me: Here is a link to the dress! http://www.littlecoral.com/wd09151-strapless-lace-wedding-dress-bridal-gown_p16659.html I never saw it in real life, just pulled it off the internet!
I really love the vintage rustic, too. But we are city folks and our space is very modern and slightly rustic. Our ceremony will take place on a second floor deck overlooking a park and the downtown skyline and our reception will be in the adjoining room which is all glass with dark wood floors, ceilings and exposed brick.
I kept all that in mind when planning our centerpieces. I opted for vintage milk glass vases and found 15 of them on Etsy for a total of $81 including shipping. I’m making a fabric pom in the same fabric as the bridesmaids dresses (merlot) to set inside them. They will be in the center of round tables with ecru table clothes and lots of glittery votives scattered around the it.
I got 210 votive holders with 270 candles from Candles4Less for $117 including shipping. I bought spray glitter and dusted each one with it so it has a bit of sparkle with the candlelight. I also bought a few velum votive enhancers with a damask pattern on them (they wrap around the glass votive and the light shines through) to add to some texture for $40.
Table names will be in found metal frames all sprayed in the same antique bronze color.
For the ceremony, I purchased 100 mason jars for around $110 with shipping and put the left over candles in them. I’m tying a lace ribbon around the mouth and they’ll be scattered all around the deck.
Metal plant stands sprayed in the same antique bronze, purchased on Amazon for $30 (total) will house taller candles encased in hurricane globes that I already own will flank the ceremony “stage”.
Add to all that a smattering of small chalk board signs and a large one with seating assignments. Frames will be sprayed in the antique bronze as well.
All of that is costing me less than $500. The best part is that even though a lot of the items don’t “match” (such as the milkglass vases) as far as pattern, their shape, size and color are all in line with each other giving it both a modern and vintage feel without being to kitschy or feeling like you just dug it out of the attic.
I am crushing on that last picture SO HARD. Magic, you may have flipped our whole flower scheme on its head!!! Holycrap.
And for anyone interested: I knew a bride who enlisted the help of her entire family to make 4,000 of the white paper flowers shown in the second picture, and they turned out BEAUTIFULLY. But it took forever. And ever. And ever. But they were a big hit : )
I LOL’d at the part where you clarified purple vs. aubergine to Mr. Magic. That’s totally something I would have said. I love your alternative centerpiece inspirations!
@morganmoyer: Awesome! They look so pretty. Are they hard to make?
@Miss Jam: Oopsy! No flipping (unless you wanna)! You can probably incorporate that really easily in another color….
I like the first flowers they MIGHT just sway him to consider rustic, vintage.
We run a community garden, so we decided to plant sunflowers and use old medicine bottles to put them in as the centerpieces! As long as its a good growing season we will be in the clear. We are getting the bouquets done by the local high school horticultural department!
I love your inspiration board but i must say the straw couch in the lower left corner is a bit odd lol
It’s funny, since rustic and vintage are actually completely incompatible concepts when you think about it, and yet combining them is the most popular concept in the weddingosphere. No wonder everyone gets confused. I love those mason jar centerpieces though.
Honestly, I figure that there are just as nice flowers at the grocery stores. I don’t really mind what flowers I get, but I’m going to scour through a few stores the morning of, arrange them fast, and let it be. I’m leaning towards the mason jar centerpieces with the minimal flowers. Nice =]
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the orange paper flowers.
You can also have an option of doing DIY flowers. My friend got hers from costco the morning of and her friends/family helped put them together.
When it comes to weddings…I don’t want to pay for my invitations. I’m the girl that usually throws them away after the wedding is over.
I hate clutter.
Hi guys as a wedding ring specialist we are frequently asked the question “what do I have engraved in my wedding ring?”. We always advise people to keep the message short and sweet, you need to remember that once a wedding ring is engraved it is semi-permanent and the only way to remove the message for whatever reason (most common one is resizing the wedding ring) is by having it polished out which means you will loose weight and metal so this should always be a last resort. By having your wedding ring with a short message there should be a chance of being able to re-size the wedding ring without having to polish the message out and have it re-engraved.
We hope you all have a truly magical wedding day and wish you all the very best for the future.
Best Wishes,
Adam Antos
You can still do the theme you want just tame it down a little. The pumpkin and staw seats probably threw him –they are very country. I am doing my own flowers as well (we’ll arrange them the day before). Practice first though–I learned alot by practicing first!
Oh man - this is SO my life right now! FI grew up in Northern Virgina too, and yes, total Yankee yuppie. I told him how much I was crushing on rustic vintage barn weddings and he looked at me like I had grown another head.
Then - worse! - I said there were some cheapish wedding venues in a city outside of NoVA (but not his college town, which would have been acceptable) and he just stared.
Luckily, we’re pretty much on the same page other than that… and even got him to look at a few barns with me! Best of luck with the centerpieces!
I got the same reaction (and hidden fear from my SO due to my country song love). I came up with these pictures and he was hooked. They are more soft romance and I am wholesale ordering peonies, cabbage roses, and babies breath or clipping some lilacs from my mom’s yard for the vases. He said this looked less barn and more classy.
http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/the-softer-side-of-the-vintageup-wedding
I also had some issues with my FI regarding the theme - then again, since the wedding is for both of you, it’s important that it’s a reflection of the couple, not of what is popular on blogs! We managed to rework my ideas in a way that we both like, and from your post seems like you did as well!
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Mrs. Magic, Chapel Hill, NC Age and Occupation: 30, Licensed Clinical Social Worker Fiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Researcher Engagement Date: December 1, 2009 Wedding Date: October 2011 Venue: Barn at Valhalla About Me: I’m a tall drink of water (5’10”!) and a Southern bride with an enormous appetite for Mexican food, good deals, anything French, and all things wedding! By day I am lucky enough to work with individuals with autism and their families. By night, I’m even luckier to be able to spend time hanging out with awesome friends, crafting, shopping, thinking about exercising, and kicking it with Mr. Magic and our two cats. I tend to have sudden, intense cravings that will not be denied (seafood enchiladas! new jeans!) and I’m prone to being a disorganized mess of anxiety and stress. After waiting (and waiting!) to get engaged, I am finally planning the colorful, fun, fabulously awesome Fall wedding of our dreams. In an effort to share the fun and craziness that is wedding planning, I’m gonna blog about it for y’all---the good, the bad, and the pretty!
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