Mrs. French Fries, MilwaukeeAge and Occupation: 27, ParalegalFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, Investments AdvisorEngagement Date: September 20, 2008Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Ceremony: Catholic Church, Reception: Hotel BallroomAbout Me: I'm a Midwestern girl who longs to live in a warmer climate (my feet would be happy in flip flops any day!). I love travel, impromptu napping, grilled cheese sandwiches, my iPhone, singing with reckless abandon in my car, and Mr. French Fries.
For those of you who don’t want to go back and read the original post, here’s a quick refresher for you:
I posted way back when about how I thought it would be awesome to make cloth napkins for our wedding, with the intent that after the wedding I’d make them into a quilt. (Insert general schmoopiness and Barbara Streisand singing “The Way We Were” here.)
My mom had to help me finish this little pre-wedding project, as I was low on time and high on stress (and not the best seamstress at that time).
The napkins turned out great! Everyone loved them! Some people stole them, even when they were told that I would be using them after the wedding! Skittles!
I started making the quilt, got as far as finishing all of my quilt blocks, and then…just kind of stopped. Quelle surprise. It sat for 4-5 months in this state in my closet.
So, that’s the story of the napkins. But when I say I “just kind of stopped,” I’m leaving a little bit out. Okay, a pretty big bit out—this past summer, two days after our first wedding anniversary, I found out I was pregnant!
Miss Dalmatian, Nashville, TNAge and Occupation: 23, Pediatric NurseFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, Computer Engineer and Entrepreneur Engagement Date: April 13, 2011Wedding Date: May 2012Venue: Historic CedarwoodAbout Me: I am a Northern girl from Chicago who is planning a wedding filled with Southern charm in Nashville, Tennessee. I love dogs, the White Sox, Full House reruns, and anything with ruffles on it. Mr. Dalmatian is my computer-genius problem-solving fiance who is constantly teaching me new things and making me a better person. We live with our adopted pup Echo, who is very excited that his parents are getting married!
…real flowers are awesome, and clay flowers are too!
I know some other bloggers have shared the wonder that is clay flowers, but in case you’ve missed it, here’s a quick video that will surely take your breath away!
When I saw the artistry that went into this project, I was both incredibly impressed and incredibly intrigued. I saw this video before I was engaged but the clay flowers did immediately earn a spot in my already established wedding inspiration folder. Read more…
Mrs. Cinnamon Bun, Calgary, AlbertaAge and Occupation: 26, Stage ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Theatre TechnicianEngagement Date: June 22, 2010Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Calgary Opera CentreAbout Me: I'm a life-long crafter and bookworm living in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. Some of my loves include Lord of the Rings, Sherlock Holmes, knitting, opera, musicals, Etsy, baking, and of course, Mr. Cinnamon Buns. We're keeping our wedding close to home---the venue isn't very far from our house, and we live within walking distance of 6 bridal salons. I'm using the wedding as an excuse to try out every craft project I possibly can, with the endless help and support of my fiance.
As the wedding was closing in, and the giant to-do list I taped to our office door wasn’t going anywhere, Cinnamon Buns asked if it would help if we had people over to craft things. I was a little out of it in the time leading up so I think I said, “Sure yes no maybe you decide,” which he (rightly) presumed to mean “yes.” He called all the bridal party, and his mum (my parents don’t live in town) and everyone but our one out-of-town groomsman could make it over to our house for the Sunday before our Saturday wedding.
I planned a couple projects that could be done by many hands on that day—nice, easy things that we could do with a glass of wine nearby. Cinnamon Buns and I got some snacks and drinks in, and we crafted the day away.
We had people help fold our books to get that beautiful fanned look (fold every other page in half, and they look like that! Magic!).
Mrs. Magic, Chapel Hill, NCAge and Occupation: 30, Licensed Clinical Social WorkerFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, ResearcherEngagement Date: December 1, 2009Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Barn at ValhallaAbout 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!
I’m not super into jewelry. I tend to wear cheap silver hoops, my e-ring, and these other pieces almost every day. They are classic and easy and I love them.
Mrs. Sunhat, Dyer, IN Age and Occupation: 32, Tax AccountantFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, Landscape ForemanEngagement Date: September 25, 2010Wedding Date: December 2011Venues: St. Andrew the Apostle, Fiesta PalaceAbout Me: I'm a Midwest girl who grew up in the country and now works in the big city! I love cooking, entertaining, reading (addicted to my Kindle) and going to the movies. I don't miss an episode of Hoarders and I start cleaning every time I watch! My profession doesn't call for much creativity so wedding planning has been a great outlet. Mr. Sunhat and I met online three years ago, cheer for rival MLB teams and share a home with our dog, Wrigley. We are planning a traditional, Polish, Catholic wedding with lots of DIY elements and some fun surprises. I'm so excited to be married on New Year's Eve and we can't wait to ring in the new year as husband and wife!
Yep. It’s official. We are 100 days out from the wedding. Holy crapola.
This is the perfect time to take inventory—what is done, what is in process, and what is left to do? I’ve been keeping you pretty updated on what is done so I’ll share some of the projects still in process.
First up: Invitations
We’ve been making a lot of progress on the invitations. The actual invites are almost done—just need to secure the vellum cover on top with ribbon—and this Sunday we hope to crank out the reception and RSVP cards. I hope I’m not jinxing myself, but this process has gone smoothly so far.
Mrs. Honey, Durango, COAge and Occupation: 28, Financial AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Lab Tech/PhlebotomistEngagement Date: August 1, 2010Wedding Date: January 2012Venue: Vallecito LakeAbout Me: I am a Colorado girl through and through, marrying an adrenaline-fueled Alabama boy. We love the outdoors just about as much as we love spoiling our dog and three cats. On any given weekend you can find us being adventurous, doing anything from rafting to snowboarding, and everything in between. We live in an outdoor mecca and truly believe in "Work Hard, Play Harder." I'm an optimist to the core, a crafter wannabe, a Southern food cook-in-training and a big time believer in girls nights. We met, fell in love and got engaged in eight short months and are now knee-deep in planning what we hope to be a super-fun, very us wedding celebration. Join us as we plan a rustic meets whimsical, Colorado winter wedding with loads of personal touches and good food!
In preparation for creating our dream dessert buffet, I began collecting pieces from garage sales and thrift stores. I didn’t really know what I was going for, so at first the pieces seemed pretty random. A few glass things here, a ceramic piece there. My Papa also gave me a beautiful glass cake plate that my Nana adored. The jumbled collection kept growing without a clear vision, until I saw these two pictures on Pinterest:
Ms. Ferris Wheel, San FranciscoAge and Occupation: 29, PsychologistFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, PsychologistEngagement Date: May 23 and 28, 2010 (one for each of us!)Wedding Date: November 2011Venue: Parc55 Hotel (city lights ceremony, ballroom reception)About Me: Born in the Southeast, educated in the Northeast, and over-educated on the West Coast, I finally earned my city-girl credentials and have put down roots in gorgeous San Francisco. I’m a raging perfectionist with a lightning quick wit and a terrible sense of both time and direction. Our wedding task list is endlessly growing because of my predilection to think that DIY projects I can make = DIY projects I should make (so not true!). I always go to bed wishing there were more hours in the day to enjoy all the things I adore, whether that be hobbies, friends, my career, our two dogs, or Mr. Ferris Wheel. Ours is a story of a non-traditional couple living an oddly traditional life planning a not-so-traditional wedding in this city we adore. Together we are bustin’ out all of our best skills (and some of our worst ones) to plan a laid-back-chic DIY-craftastic love-alicious affair!
This past holiday season I did a little DIY project that I think would make a fabulous wedding gift—either something to give the happy couple, the members of your wedding party, or even your wedding guests. I used glass etching to make personalized oil and vinegar bottles.
They turned out so well I want to share them with you in case they spark your creative thinking. Read more…
Mrs. Pretzel, SeattleAge and Occupation: 32 Learning, Training, and Development SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 28 Manufacturing EngineerEngagement Date: September 2, 2009Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Catholic Church & The Engine Room at Georgetown StudiosAbout Me: I’m just a thirty-something girl who never dreamed of weddings, poofy dresses, or ritzy receptions. I am a rabid knitter, except recently, wedding projects have replaced my yarn and needles. I’ve been fiercely independent since the age of 2 and 30 years later I think my family and friends had given up on me settling down and getting married.
Ironically, I had to go all the way to Seattle to find a boy from Purdue. We fell in love over Seattle Beers and cooking together. I love NASCAR, he loves Legos. I can talk like a Muppet and he can fit a whole McDonald’s cheeseburger in his mouth. We are a two reception couple, currently planning a brewery inspired bash.
Mrs. Cola, Mountain View, CAAge and Occupation: 27, Product Communications and PromotionsFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Managing Partner and Senior DesignerEngagement Date: March 5, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Mountain Terrace, Woodside, CAAbout Me: I’m a Washington State native, enjoying life in Silicon Valley California with my fiancé, our three kitties and one leopard gecko. I like reading wedding blogs, Photoshopping wedding design mock ups, making lists, and planning, planning, planning! I’m a bit of an anomaly, on one side I’m a very girlie girl, I collect shoes, I lay out my outfits 4-6 weeks in advance, and I’d never leave the house without my hair curled and makeup on. But on the other side, I’m a total tomboy, I love to go camping and hiking, play drinking games (hey, I’m Irish!) and most of my closest friends are guys. My fiancé and I are planning a DIY-focused wedding with a balance between easygoing (what he wants) and chic and stylish (what I want), and are tying it all together with elements in lavender, sage, butter cream and chocolate.
A long, long time ago, I put “make wedding shadow boxes” on my post-wedding to do list.
Well, better late than never I guess, because I finally got around to it!
Earlier this summer I had purchased some cheap shadow box frames, which I had a location for on a specific wall, but nothing to put in them. It was the perfect opportunity to find some mementos from our wedding that I had stashed away last year.
So I dug through my old boxes of wedding stuff, and printed out some photos to make a collage for the shadow boxes. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find my husband’s dried boutonnière, but I’m sure it will turn up eventually. I distinctly remember hiding it in some kind of little box or something, somewhere “safe” where it wouldn’t get damaged in our cross country move, but I guess it was such a good hiding place that now I can’t remember where I put it!
Want to see the finished (but not yet hung) shadow boxes?
(Tip: After you figure out how you want to display your shadow box items, take a photo of the layout before you glue/tape everything into place. It makes a good reference, and is a lot easier than trying to remember the exact layout you liked after picking things up to apply the glue and tape.)
Mrs. Cannon, Toledo, OHAge and Occupation: 27, Financial AnalystFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, AssemblerEngagement Date: February 28, 2011Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Epworth UMC & Ward PavilionAbout Me: I'm the curious combination of being a go-with-the-flow, laid back, obsessive planner. I try desperately to stay as busy as possible at all times (and am succeeding big time right now!) My biggest loves in life are Law & Order: SVU, Community (the show, not the concept, although I like that, too), ice cream, white cheddar popcorn, beer, hiking, knitting, decorating, writing, being outside, spending time with friends and family and musical theater. Mr. Cannon is pretty sweet, too. We've had a lot of fun traveling and having adventures all over the country, but have finally moved back near our hometown to settle down. We're planning a low-key, colorful, fun wedding and an awesome-to-the-max reception.
So, school is back in session and I didn’t quite get everything crossed off my list. But I did get a lot done, so I’m not going to beat myself up over it. One big thing I wanted to cross off my list? Bouquets! So as of today I almost have all the bridesmaid bouquets done and plan on having mine finished by the end of the week. Remember last time I talked about flowers and showed you all the tutorials I was using? Now I’ll let you on to how to finish up the bouquets after you’ve made your flowers.
These are smaller bouquets since they’re for the bridesmaid’s. Each one takes six of the larger flowers and five of the smaller ones. I used pipe cleaners as the stems for the larger flowers and hot glued floral wire as the stems for the smaller flowers.
I put one large flower in the center and arranged the other five around that center flower. Once I liked how they looked, I duct taped them together.
Then I added the smaller flowers into the arrangement and duct taped those in. Read more…
Mrs. Sunhat, Dyer, IN Age and Occupation: 32, Tax AccountantFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, Landscape ForemanEngagement Date: September 25, 2010Wedding Date: December 2011Venues: St. Andrew the Apostle, Fiesta PalaceAbout Me: I'm a Midwest girl who grew up in the country and now works in the big city! I love cooking, entertaining, reading (addicted to my Kindle) and going to the movies. I don't miss an episode of Hoarders and I start cleaning every time I watch! My profession doesn't call for much creativity so wedding planning has been a great outlet. Mr. Sunhat and I met online three years ago, cheer for rival MLB teams and share a home with our dog, Wrigley. We are planning a traditional, Polish, Catholic wedding with lots of DIY elements and some fun surprises. I'm so excited to be married on New Year's Eve and we can't wait to ring in the new year as husband and wife!
As I’ve mentioned, I really wanted to try and save money in the flower department. I was thinking of alternatives for the bridesmaid bouquets but I’m not a big fan of the faux silk flower look so I didn’t really want to head in that direction. Then, at a bridal expo in Valparaiso in mid-January, I found this:
(Personal Photo)
One of the local vendors had this crystal bead bouquet on display. The more I looked at it, the more I thought it would fit in with our overall look and it would add a festive touch to the bridesmaids’ ensambles. But at around $100 a pop, there was no way this would be a cheaper alternative to flowers.
Mrs. Ladyfingers, Saint Petersburg, FLAge and Occupation: 30, Marketing ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Sports WriterEngagement Date: December 24, 2010Wedding Date: November 2011Venue: Palma Sola Botanical ParkAbout Me: I hail from Oklahoma, he was born and raised in Long Island. Fate brought us together, and now we live in a cute little rental house with our nutty dog, and our aloof cat. We both love to read, watch movies, explore our town, and laugh like hyenas. When I’m not obsessively wedding crafting, I enjoy stalking style and decorating blogs, making collages and painting, napping, thrifting, rearranging our bookshelves, and being a total weirdo with my friends. Hi!
It’s a funny thing, my creative spark. For months, it lies dormant, hatching half-baked ideas that go nowhere as I struggle to figure out such pressing logistical issues as the best type of adhesive to connect fabric with paper (Fabri-Tac, as long as your fabric isn’t so thin the glue will seep through) or whether to buy a 2.75″ or a 3″ hole punch for our “just married” sweetheart table banner (verdict: both). It gets me really excited and incites me to buy roughly three-quarters of the supplies needed, whereupon said supplies sit in a sad pile in my craft room/office/mudroom/catchall eyesore storage space.
This is too much mess for me
But then, all of a sudden, the creative spark is stoked by a sudden wave of oxygen, and my mind is suddenly aflurry with idea upon idea! All of my previous questions are suddenly answered, and I understand how to complete all the half-finished projects lolling about our home.
Mrs. Cannon, Toledo, OHAge and Occupation: 27, Financial AnalystFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, AssemblerEngagement Date: February 28, 2011Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Epworth UMC & Ward PavilionAbout Me: I'm the curious combination of being a go-with-the-flow, laid back, obsessive planner. I try desperately to stay as busy as possible at all times (and am succeeding big time right now!) My biggest loves in life are Law & Order: SVU, Community (the show, not the concept, although I like that, too), ice cream, white cheddar popcorn, beer, hiking, knitting, decorating, writing, being outside, spending time with friends and family and musical theater. Mr. Cannon is pretty sweet, too. We've had a lot of fun traveling and having adventures all over the country, but have finally moved back near our hometown to settle down. We're planning a low-key, colorful, fun wedding and an awesome-to-the-max reception.
If you’re anything like me, you were excited to find Project Runway’s new season starting up a few weeks ago. Bridesmaid Rifle and MOH Bombshell share my love for the show, and especially for mentor Tim Gunn.
I used that picture because Tim is doing his, “I’m concerned” face, and I’m pretty sure that’s the one he’d be giving me if he were looking over my wedding plans about now.
“Miss Cannon,” he would say, “I really think this could be amazing, but you don’t have much time left.” Then he would point to my closet full of half completed projects and say, “This concerns me.” I would give him a half worried, half hopeful look, then he would give me a squeeze on the shoulder and an encouraging smile. “Make it work!”
So, in an attempt to take advice from my favorite man (other than Mr. Cannon, of course), I have been trying to make it work the past few weeks by having Rifle over on Thursday nights for wedding crafting, beer, snacks, and of course, watching the new season of Project Runway.
Ms. Ferris Wheel, San FranciscoAge and Occupation: 29, PsychologistFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, PsychologistEngagement Date: May 23 and 28, 2010 (one for each of us!)Wedding Date: November 2011Venue: Parc55 Hotel (city lights ceremony, ballroom reception)About Me: Born in the Southeast, educated in the Northeast, and over-educated on the West Coast, I finally earned my city-girl credentials and have put down roots in gorgeous San Francisco. I’m a raging perfectionist with a lightning quick wit and a terrible sense of both time and direction. Our wedding task list is endlessly growing because of my predilection to think that DIY projects I can make = DIY projects I should make (so not true!). I always go to bed wishing there were more hours in the day to enjoy all the things I adore, whether that be hobbies, friends, my career, our two dogs, or Mr. Ferris Wheel. Ours is a story of a non-traditional couple living an oddly traditional life planning a not-so-traditional wedding in this city we adore. Together we are bustin’ out all of our best skills (and some of our worst ones) to plan a laid-back-chic DIY-craftastic love-alicious affair!
My mom was kind enough to visit us recently to lend her wedding elf services. (Thanks, Mom!) Little did she know she’d be spending her time out here developing an intimate relationship with balls. We’re talking large balls, small balls, fragile balls, scattered balls, stacked balls, and everyone’s favorite—flaky balls. Oh yeah, we were ballin’ out of control, and I’m just dying to show you what we accomplished.
I’m so proud, and so relieved, to say that this box contains 136 small, black and white string balls. Tutorials for these things are all over the internet, but I’ll add my two cents as well. And if you want to see our mock-up of how we plan to use these beauties, just scroll straight to the bottom of this post. I won’t be upset. Read more…
Mrs. Cinnamon Bun, Calgary, AlbertaAge and Occupation: 26, Stage ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Theatre TechnicianEngagement Date: June 22, 2010Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Calgary Opera CentreAbout Me: I'm a life-long crafter and bookworm living in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. Some of my loves include Lord of the Rings, Sherlock Holmes, knitting, opera, musicals, Etsy, baking, and of course, Mr. Cinnamon Buns. We're keeping our wedding close to home---the venue isn't very far from our house, and we live within walking distance of 6 bridal salons. I'm using the wedding as an excuse to try out every craft project I possibly can, with the endless help and support of my fiance.
Before the wedding, I posted about making paper flowers, fabric leaves, and then again about putting the paper boutonnières together. The original plan was 3 boutonnières and 3 bouquets—flowers just for the wedding party.
Between getting engaged and about March, I waffled over whether I wanted real or paper flowers. As you know, I chose to make paper flowers. I purposely didn’t tell Cinnamum about this decision until she asked me directly: “What are you doing for flowers?”And when I told her I was making them out of book paper, I got the expected silence on the other end of the line. I emailed a few photos to her after that conversation, and never received any feedback on them. A few days passed, and I got a phone call. This phone call nearly put me over the edge. It was all, “Are you doing it to save money? We can send more money! I can buy flowers and arrange them the morning of the wedding! We can go to Safeway! You need real flowers!”
I don’t think it was ever said in so many words, but the impression was that paper flowers would look cheap and childish and a real wedding needed real flowers. That time, I was the one emanating silence from the other end of the line.
After that phone call, I fell into a crafting slump. Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
