Mrs. Knitting, TorontoAge and Occupation: 24, Student Recruitment Assistant
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Neuroscience PhD CandidateEngagement Date: October 2009Wedding Date: December 2010Venue: University of Toronto Faculty Club
About Me: I'm a pearl wearing, etiquette book reading Toronto girl who loves cooking and baking, museums, charm bracelets, and collecting books on Jackie Kennedy (a lot). I've been known to spend Sunday mornings at the antique market, Wednesday evenings at sister sushi dinners, and any bit of spare time reading. After six and a half years of many late night walks, watching DVDs together in bed, travelling to places like New York, and Tobermory, doing Sudokus together on the couch, lots of Indian food, the occasional yoga class, moving in together and so much more, Mr. Knitting and I are planning a cozy Christmasy (it's a word!), vintage wedding in Toronto complete with many DIY projects (eek!) and lots of help from our amazing group of family and friends.
Mrs. Plaid, AustinAge and Occupation: 26, Pastry ChefFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Cabinetry CarpenterEngagement Date: August 8, 2009Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: Kindred Oaks, GeorgetownAbout Me: I am a Jersey girl born and raised but have since migrated to Texas and embraced its twang and Tex-Mex. I could probably eat chips and queso every day but instead I eat popcorn. I use the word “awesome” way too much but I just can’t seem to stop myself. I am addicted to all things DIY and am planning what I call a Texas-Chic wedding. I love snuggling with my two adorable dogs and of course, my adorable fiance. I can’t wait 'til I can call him my husband some day! October 2010, here we come!
As promised, here’s my tutorial on making fancy dress hangers on the cheap. I found these simple wooden hangers at Jo-Ann’s in the clearance bin.
1. I started by choosing a font that I liked and printing out each name in that font. I used a font called LSLeaves. I believe I found it on www.1001freefonts.com.
2. Once the names were printed out I used a pencil to shade in the backside of each name paper.
3. Then I taped each name to a hanger and traced the name. The pencil on the back allowed me to transfer the name directly on to the hanger.
4. Using black paint and a small brush I painted the outline of each letter.
You can see my name paper above the hanger. Read more…
Mrs. Plaid, AustinAge and Occupation: 26, Pastry ChefFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Cabinetry CarpenterEngagement Date: August 8, 2009Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: Kindred Oaks, GeorgetownAbout Me: I am a Jersey girl born and raised but have since migrated to Texas and embraced its twang and Tex-Mex. I could probably eat chips and queso every day but instead I eat popcorn. I use the word “awesome” way too much but I just can’t seem to stop myself. I am addicted to all things DIY and am planning what I call a Texas-Chic wedding. I love snuggling with my two adorable dogs and of course, my adorable fiance. I can’t wait 'til I can call him my husband some day! October 2010, here we come!
With gifts, of course! Mr. P and I decided that we would spend a max of $50 on each wedding party member. Although it was a pretty modest amount, I knew I wanted to make the most of it!
Ms. Sloth, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 35, Account Manager and Fashion BloggerFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Design AdminEngagement Date: December 25, 2009Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Bartram's GardenAbout Me: I'm an internet junkie and music snob with a good eye for a bargain. I couldn't live without thrift store shopping, cheeseburgers, sushi, Coke Zero, websites devoted to silly photos of baby animals, Photoshop, and Mr. Sloth. Speaking of which, he and I are a pair of goofball homebody nerds who love our beagle (the most ridiculously adorable dog EVER) to an embarrassing degree. We're planning a low-key and intimate yet festive and quirky outdoor wedding with DIY details and deeply personal touches, and it's all taking place in the city where we fell in love and call home: Philadelphia.
I’ve been thinking a lot about my girls—C, K, and J—and what I’d like to get them as bridesmaids gifts. I know I still have plenty of time to choose what I’d like to get them, but I’m having fun looking!
I bought myself this Love necklace from Etsy right before Christmas. I think it would be really cute if I got each bridesmaid a necklace from this buyer, personalized with her name.
Mrs. Sand Dollar, HoustonAge and Occupation: 24, Graphic DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 22, Electrical TechnicianEngagement Date: January 8, 2010Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: MacLean ParkAbout Me: I'm a domestic diva down to the core. I heart cooking, sewing, baking, decorating and making sure we have a hand-crafted home. The best part about the wedding is I get to incorporate it all! I make sure I put my art degree to good use by screen printing, craft knife cutting, and a whole lotta graphic design. We're having a big-time party on a small-time budget, and I promise to show you a boot-scootin', barbecue-eatin', finger-lickin' good time! Mr. Sand Dollar and I spend most of our time on DIY projects or traipsing around the outdoors with our two pooches Rory and Juno. I'm looking forward to sharing our journey with all of you!
As the countdown continues to dwindle to barely a handful of days, I find myself wanting to shirk off all the important tasks at hand (making the cake, paying the security officer, yada yada…) and deciding to tackle more craft projects. Because I am a craft addict.
First up, another bridesmaid gift! I decided that two handmade presents weren’t enough, so how about 3? I wanted to make some pretty, fun rice-filled “eye-masks” of sorts. Basically, if you fill up a cloth container with rice, you can microwave it for 30 seconds to make a heat pack, or toss it in the freezer for 30 minutes for a cool one. I love to use them on sore muscles or puffy eyes. I’m not sure what they’re really called, but all I know is I made some pretty cute ones for my girls!
Mrs. Starfish, Boston/NewportAge and Occupation: 25, Operations AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, SalesEngagement Date: October 8, 2008Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: The Atlantic Beach ClubAbout Me: I'm a perfectionist who is a planner at heart. I don't do well with surprises. I love planning, crafting, Newport RI, family and friends, and most importantly, Mr. Starfish---all of which will be big components in our October wedding in our favorite little city by the sea.
Mrs. Octopus, Boston, MA/Pittsburgh, PAAge and Occupation: 25, Grad StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Graphics Operator for TV NewsEngagement Date: May 6th, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Heinz Chapel Ceremony, Museum Reception
About Me: When my best friend dragged me to a toga party in our freshmen year of college, I was not expecting to meet my future husband; but seven years later, here we are. I'm a crazy-organized planner at heart, and I am a great lover of random trivia, books, chocolate, blogs, new and exciting adventures, mockumentary-style television, and anything heavily flavored with bright orange fake cheese powder. We're planning a festive and fun mini-destination wedding in the place where we met: fabulous Pittsburgh, PA! I can't wait to marry the man I love!
I love that you are all such dedicated readers of my blog, but for this one, you have to scram. Unless you want to know what your thank-you gift is in advance, and that’s no fun. So, bye!
Mrs. Socks, Southern NJ/Philadelphia, PAAge and Occupation: 23, Web Developer/Marketing SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Systems EngineerEngagement Date: September 7, 2009
Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: Ladder 15 RestaurantAbout Me: I am originally from the Midwest, but I love being an East Coast transplant! Mr. Socks and I are foodies and winos to the core---give us a hunk of cheese, some charcuterie and a glass of wine and we could die happy. We have two mischievous Wire Fox Terriers with completely opposite personalities but with a shared love of uprooting anything in our garden. Our backyard garden includes everything from tomatoes and peppers to a fig tree, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries! I love cooking, indie music, and spending time in our wedding city of choice---Philly!
Well, I wanted to get wrist corsages for the moms, but then I thought… what about Grandmas? And what about FSIL Socks? Suddenly, going from 2 wrist corsages at $54 each to 6 wrist corsages at $54 each was out of budget. So who did I turn to?
Mrs. Guinea Pig, Baltimore, MD Age and Occupation: 26, PhD student Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Operations Director at a non-profit Engagement Date: December 25, 2008 Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: The Chesapeake Bay Beach Club About Me: I'm a tomboy science nerd whose girly side has made a startling appearance thanks to wedding planning! I love to bake, knit and sew but I also ride a motorcycle (that Mr. Guinea Pig wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole). We live with our three crazy cats and love to read, travel, watch movies, and do home improvement projects together! My parents/family are Canadian but I'm definitely American, although I've lived in 5 different countries, 6 different states, and speak Russian fluently. Mr. GP and I met online (did I mention I'm a scientist?) and had a whirlwind romance - now we can't wait to get married & celebrate with all our friends and family in a blue and yellow waterfront affair!
I knew from the moment I started thinking about bridesmaids’ gifts, that I wanted to make something for my friends. Since I had already contributed $100 to each girl towards the purchase of her bridesmaid dress (I had promised myself a dress cost limit, and if it went over I would cover that out of my wedding budget), I had a pretty tight money restriction for gifts, plus I liked the idea of spending time making something for them.
I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to make until I saw this tutorial on how to make a clutch with a purse frame. Lightbulb! I knew this was perfect, and I immediately went on the hunt to find purse frames. My goal was to make a cute, elegant clutch that would go with lots of colors, and really had nothing to do with our actual wedding colors/scheme (because hard as it is for me to imagine, not everyone loves blue and yellow as much as I do).
I found some great frames on Etsy through the seller 3DPatternPaper: 8 x 3 inch frames in gunmetal!
Mrs. Sand Dollar, HoustonAge and Occupation: 24, Graphic DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 22, Electrical TechnicianEngagement Date: January 8, 2010Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: MacLean ParkAbout Me: I'm a domestic diva down to the core. I heart cooking, sewing, baking, decorating and making sure we have a hand-crafted home. The best part about the wedding is I get to incorporate it all! I make sure I put my art degree to good use by screen printing, craft knife cutting, and a whole lotta graphic design. We're having a big-time party on a small-time budget, and I promise to show you a boot-scootin', barbecue-eatin', finger-lickin' good time! Mr. Sand Dollar and I spend most of our time on DIY projects or traipsing around the outdoors with our two pooches Rory and Juno. I'm looking forward to sharing our journey with all of you!
Being the broke bride that I am, all our bridesmaids’ gifts are going to have to be handmade. But handmade doesn’t have to mean ugly or lame! I came up with the idea of making these letters after Bestie C’s birthday, inspired by the Anthropologie upholstered letters I saw in stores. Read more…
Mrs. Frog, Phoenix, AZ/Chelan, WA
Age and Occupation: 29, Public Relations
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Online SalesEngagement Date: February 8, 2009Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Amy's ManorAbout Me: I'm an opinionated Midwestern girl now living in the Valley of the Sun marrying a laid back Northwestern guy. I'm equal parts sass, silly and sweet. I'm fiercely loyal with a strong devotion to my family and friends. I have a not-so-secret obsession with apple juice, a new obsession with DIY projects and I love a really good cheese plate...with lots of wine. After 7 blissful years of dating, I'm having the time of my life planning the destination wedding of my dreams to my Mr. Frog-turned-Prince Charming.
Hello friends. I’m so sorry to have been absent for a bit. I found out just a couple of weeks ago (nearly a month before my wedding) that I was being laid off from my job. It was a very big surprise as the company had not informed us that they were in any sort of trouble. Sparing you of the many details, I will say that I needed that couple of weeks to sort out my job situation and find a solution. I promise to fill you in on some of the exciting developments that are happening but first, I need to get back on track - there’s so much to tell you all about!!
Now that we are getting so close to the wedding, I am pulling together the last few bits of the gifts I’ve created for my ‘maids.
These five girls have celebrated Frogger and I as a couple, supported me, kept me sane and there’s no way I would have been able to survive all of the wedding planning ups and downs without them.
Girls - you know you shouldn’t be reading this… so get lost. Kisses.
Mrs. Cardigan, AustinAge and Occupation: 21, Student/Soon-to-be Special Education TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 20, Student/Soon-to-be Accounting Systems AnalystEngagement Date: August 16, 2009Wedding Date: January 2011Venue: Vintage VillasAbout Me: I'm a native Austinite who was raised as a die-hard Aggie. Luckily, I'm a pretty persuasive girl because I managed to convince my high school boyfriend (now fiance!), Mr. Cardigan, to ditch his hardcore Longhorn ways and join me up at A&M, where we currently reside with our adorable dogs, Cullen & Ranger. We're currently planning a bright, cheery wedding with a ridiculous amount of DIY projects that I can't wait to tackle! I love crafting in any form, reading, and margaritas (I think I love them the most!). Organization is what keeps me sane and I love helping others, which is probably why I ended up as an education major. It gets a little chaotic sometimes when you're planning a wedding among all of the papers, projects, finals, and certification exams, but we're having the time of our lives and we can't wait to get started on our journey as husband and wife - and we're so excited to share our wedding with the hive!
Mr. Cardigan and I decided to have a pretty small bridal party, partially because we’re total recluses who don’t have many friends (what? At least I’m honest) and partially because the friends that we DO have mean everything to us, and they’re really the only ones we need.
My bridesmaids are so special to me, and I knew that I really wanted to do something special for them, because they mean so much to me and I didn’t just want to call them on the phone and ask them to be my bridesmaids (although, let me tell you, it was hard not to!). I tend to have trouble being creative on my own, and sometimes I need a little push from someone else to get an idea rolling. I searched high and low for ideas that I could steal - er, borrow, and I found some reallygreatones. But, there was one that really stuck out in my mind from Once Wed (where else?!):
Mrs. Dolphin, Gainesville, FLAge and Occupation: 24, Graduate Architecture StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Interactive Interface DeveloperEngagement Date: February 14, 2008Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: Plantation Bay Country ClubAbout Me: I’m currently a Graduate Student at the University of Florida studying Architecture. I enjoy playing Scrabble with my Fiance, rooting for the Florida Gators, making any drink that involves a blender, cleaning (yes... I’m crazy), design... GOOD design that is, the new Pepsi with natural sugar, taking pictures, discovering new places in the U.S., and obsessing over doing (and designing) everything myself for our upcoming wedding!
The day before Mr. Dolphin’s and my wedding, I threw a small little lunch for my awesome bridesmaids, Mr. Dolphin’s momma and my momma. I set up the luncheon at a local place in Ormond Beach, Frappes North.
Okay, before I start the story of how fabulous our lunch was (and finally reveal my gifts for my beautiful bridesmaids and mothers), I have to say something about the restaurant we lunched at. Number 1: I hadn’t had lunch/dinner/whatever there in YEARS, but I remembered it being a nice classy establishment way back when, so I thought it would be a safe bet for lunch. WRONG. Although, the food was nice, the place left little to be desired. I was actually sort of embarrassed when I went inside with my ladies. From the weird ’old’ smell, to the smallness of the place, and the fact that they sat us RIGHT NEXT TO the doors to the kitchen, it made me a little upset/embarrassed and I couldn’t believe I took my sweet ladies here.
But, alas, we were already there and my type-A bride-ness had to just GET OVER IT. Cause we were having lunch here whether I liked it or not.
Mrs. Buttons, Clearwater, FLAge and Occupation: 24, "Working on it"Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Financial ServicesEngagement Date: June 13, 2009Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: Carlouel Yacht ClubAbout Me: I'm a self proclaimed perfectionist and a professional nomad (seriously, I've lived in TX, WI, MI, FL, NC, and now VA!). I love wine, cooking, curling up with a good book (nerd alert!), spoiling the furbaby, and of course, the wonderful Mr. Buttons! We are planning a lighthearted and whimsical wedding (with a good deal of DIY projects) in Clearwater, Florida, but from a distance of 800 miles away! We are looking forward to sharing our day with our family and friends, and most importantly, starting our lives together as husband and wife!
For our wedding week festivities, the Button Bridesmaids arrived a few days early to start the party! Because our pre-wedding plans involved some sun and fun, I wanted my bridesmaid gifts to serve a practical purpose! Yes… I said practical. I wish I could say that I am a creative gift giver, but alas I am not! I happen to be the person who gifts practical items. I know that many brides before me have gifted their bridesmaids with adorable monogrammed tote bags, jewelry, and the like, However, two of the Button Bridesmaids are getting married in the next year (so their monograms would be out of date soon), and my taste in jewelry sometimes differs greatly from that of my maids. Alas… I hit the drawing board.
Inspiration hit me in the store one day when I saw a display of some adorable beach bags for sale! They were lightweight, large, and have a zipper closure (3 very important beach bag attributes, in this Florida girl’s opinion…). I was sold… and thus, my gift bag was started!
Mrs. Earrings, Fresno, CA/ Nelson, New ZealandAge and Occupation: 20, Student, Wannabe Writer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 19, Photography StudentEngagement Date: February 14, 2010Wedding Date: January 2011Venue: Gardens of the WorldAbout Me: I'm a girl from down under who grew up in Indonesia and I'm marrying a California boy. I'm addicted to all things sweet, have never met a chocolate silk pie than can get the better of me, and have dreams of one day being a fulltime novelist. I go weak in the knees for lace, tea cups, and a beautifully crafted sentence. When I get excited about something (whether it is historical linguistics or the Beatles) I tend to go overboard in research, and planning this wedding is no different. Mr. Earrings is my high school sweetheart, my best friend, and somehow we combine all our quirks into one big happy mess.
For some obscure reason, I have never envisioned my bridesmaids with bouquets. Instead I want to have something a little different and hopefully save money on flowers at the same time.
I want that “something different” to be a wrist corsage. In the beginning I had grand hopes of creating these myself, and I will still be doing the corsages for the Mums and Grandmums (yes we spell it M-U-M here in Kiwiland, because we rock), but the BM corsages just seemed a bit too much for me to face.
So I browsed Etsy, because of course I can’t stay away from my new addiction. I looked at both hair flowers and corsages because many of the hair flowers can do double duty as corsages.There was so much to choose from. Too much actually. Waaaay too much. But I slowly narrowed it down. The only criteria were that they be ivory, pretty (duh), and within budget.
Unique Wedding Favors
