Mrs. Cucumber Sandwich, Washington, DC/Cape May, NJAge and Occupation: 28, School CounselorFiance's Age and Occupation: 40, Collegiate AthleticsEngagement Date: March 27, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Congress Hall HotelAbout Me: I am a school counselor who spends my day wrangling children and my nights attempting to be creative with wedding projects. My enthusiasm for each of these activities far surpasses my skill. Thank goodness Mr. Cucumber Sandwich is there to pick up the pieces and be the voice of reason about my DIY tries. I have an obsession with terrible romantic comedies (‘From Justin to Kelly’ anyone?, anyone?!?), competitive Scrabble play, and hot dogs. I could eat astronaut ice cream for every meal and can’t seem to resist buying more shoes. Our wedding is going to be a true hodge podge of semi-destination, tradition, Yuengling, New England charm, with just a dash of ‘Jersey Shore’ thrown in. It has been six years in the making and I can’t wait to marry my best friend.
I really want to show you something I am working on, but it is a surprise for our invitations. So if you aren’t getting an invitation from us or hate surprises and Santa Claus, please continue. Otherwise…
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.
Maybe it was royal fever. Maybe my fingers were twitchy. Maybe it was too much Etsy browsing. Maybe I’m just crazy, but I decided to make a fascinator for my wedding three days before the big day.
(picture from Birdcage Supply - I bought this turquoise and some ivory too)
Now, as we know from some frantic posts at the end of April, I fell in love with a veil and ended up buying it to simplify my life. I figured the netting (which I spent all of $12 on, including shipping!) would just sit in my craft closet and gather dust, like so many other things. But… days before the wedding, it started calling to me. Read more…
Miss Sweet Cream, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 26, Public Relations Account ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Outside SalesEngagement Date: July 4, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church / Rosebank WineryAbout Me: Born in the ‘burbs of Philly, it took some time living in the Big Apple to realize that I’m a girl who likes her roots. That’s why the mister and I bought a 1950s house on a charming street not too far from our childhood stompin’ grounds. This could also be the reason why our hometown is the scene where we are planning our super sweet, totally charming, BBQ-for-supper wedding that I never knew I always wanted. I DIE over DIY projects and live for vintage, heartfelt inspiration. I obsess over all things mid-century (from forks to furniture). Love is… cartoons and flea markets, and I am known to whip up a mean banana cream pie. I met the Mr. in grade school and after that boy took me for a spin on the handle bars of his BMX, I knew that things would never be the same again. Besides lovin’ my Mr., I also love to plan, sew and create, and that’s just what I’m doing as I navigate through the details, creating a laid-back day that oozes charm; one that will go down in (at least our) history as the Best. Day. Of all time.
Sigh. My heart still skips a beat at the sight of them. So I knew that I couldn’t resist ordering even more straws after the first order came in and I could touch, see, and feel them in real live person.
This time I took the advice of fellow bee, Almost Mrs-Oka & ordered them from Amazon via Kikkerland ($4.99 for 144 of them!).
But I didn’t know just what I would do with them. 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.
… did you really think we’d have a photo booth without making mustaches on sticks?
This was a super-quick project in June. I’m going to direct you to Tiffany Kelley Photography, where she has done a tutorial, and the most important part, a template.
I downloaded the template, resized it to the size I wanted, and printed it out. Then I cut out the paper mustaches. Then I held them against some stiffened craft felt I had and cut them out. I didn’t bother tracing them, I just held a paper mustache tight against the felt with my left hand while my right hand wielded the scissors.
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…
Mrs. Bunting, Grand Rapids, MIAge and Occupation: 24, freelance illustrator & print productionFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, graduate of historyEngagement Date: December 3, 2009Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Spring Grove Park & St. George Banquet CenterAbout Me: I am a freelance illustrator and designer with a love of nature and a taste for adventure. Textures and color fuel my world, along with apple cider and noodles. I'll try anything once, especially if it involves heights or food. I've hiked the Grand Canyon, gone sky diving, cuddled a baby wolf, and now my latest venture consists of designing and planning a large wedding involving color, DIY details, love, and marrying my best friend.
Paddle fan programs are nothing new in the wedding world, but boy are they still fun! Here’s how ours turned out:
I would tell you that the concern for our guests’ comfort on a potentially hot summer day was the leading deciding factor to use paddle fans, but honestly, the cuteness factor had just as much influence. I just cannot resist things that are both adorable and functional. Read more…
Miss Sweet Cream, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 26, Public Relations Account ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Outside SalesEngagement Date: July 4, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church / Rosebank WineryAbout Me: Born in the ‘burbs of Philly, it took some time living in the Big Apple to realize that I’m a girl who likes her roots. That’s why the mister and I bought a 1950s house on a charming street not too far from our childhood stompin’ grounds. This could also be the reason why our hometown is the scene where we are planning our super sweet, totally charming, BBQ-for-supper wedding that I never knew I always wanted. I DIE over DIY projects and live for vintage, heartfelt inspiration. I obsess over all things mid-century (from forks to furniture). Love is… cartoons and flea markets, and I am known to whip up a mean banana cream pie. I met the Mr. in grade school and after that boy took me for a spin on the handle bars of his BMX, I knew that things would never be the same again. Besides lovin’ my Mr., I also love to plan, sew and create, and that’s just what I’m doing as I navigate through the details, creating a laid-back day that oozes charm; one that will go down in (at least our) history as the Best. Day. Of all time.
So, hive…I know that I teased you with some of my wedding projects upon our introduction. And I think now is as good a time as any to show you my table numbers, which I must admit I am in lust with.
But first: Here are some ideas that ran through my bridal brain prior to our current digits…
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!
Back in November of 2009 I came across the most amazing post on Design*Sponge, and I have been ridiculously excited about one particular DIY project ever since.
Mrs. High Wire, DallasAge and Occupation: 23, Legal AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Director of CommunicationsEngagement Date: October 9, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Clark GardensAbout Me: My loves include yoga, anything spicy, our eccentric cat, our rambunctious dog, and Mr. High Wire, of course! Like the steadiness act of the tightrope walker, this gal is busy balancing life while planning a wedding to the man of her dreams. We’re hosting a laid-back, vintage-inspired, bird themed wedding with heavy doses of love, good eats (did someone say tacos and margaritas?), and endless Texas charm. Mr. High Wire and I are so happy to have you along for the walk across the tight rope.
When we left off, I had given some tips about preparing for your engagement-photo session. Then I promised that I’d explain how I managed to get my makeup to look like this:
Side note: Look at Mr. High Wire’s cute kissy face! I die. Read more…
Mrs. Pony, Bloomington, ILAge and Occupation: 25, AttorneyFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 22, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Mackinaw Valley Vineyard; Bloomington Center for the Performing ArtsAbout Me: I found my Southern counterpart in law school and since he popped the question last March, we have been busy graduating, job searching, bar taking, and wedding planning. My loves include must see TV, magnets, quotes, anything green, my car, fun socks, the Cubs, and my Mr. Together we love wine, playing outside, and exploring the world together. Stay tuned to see our Midwest wedding full of Southern charm, vintage flair, lots of DIY details, and a whole lot o’ wine.
Alright, a few bees (…OK two of you) asked for a tutorial on how I made our STDs and although I made them a while back, I’ll try to share in my process.
A refresher of our STDs:
I will preface this post by saying: I am not a graphic designer. At all. Check with the company you plan to order your STDs from for any design specifications. If it seems confusing or as if they are speaking a foreign language, you may consider asking about design services. Read more…
Miss Sweet Cream, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 26, Public Relations Account ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Outside SalesEngagement Date: July 4, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church / Rosebank WineryAbout Me: Born in the ‘burbs of Philly, it took some time living in the Big Apple to realize that I’m a girl who likes her roots. That’s why the mister and I bought a 1950s house on a charming street not too far from our childhood stompin’ grounds. This could also be the reason why our hometown is the scene where we are planning our super sweet, totally charming, BBQ-for-supper wedding that I never knew I always wanted. I DIE over DIY projects and live for vintage, heartfelt inspiration. I obsess over all things mid-century (from forks to furniture). Love is… cartoons and flea markets, and I am known to whip up a mean banana cream pie. I met the Mr. in grade school and after that boy took me for a spin on the handle bars of his BMX, I knew that things would never be the same again. Besides lovin’ my Mr., I also love to plan, sew and create, and that’s just what I’m doing as I navigate through the details, creating a laid-back day that oozes charm; one that will go down in (at least our) history as the Best. Day. Of all time.
As I mentioned, I was excited about figuring out how just to get our guests to mark our date in their planners, type it into their iPhones, or put a big heart around it on their family calendars; I just couldn’t believe when they were finally done!!
Well…just as a refresher, here they are—all adorable!
Here they are lying flat on a table…but scroll down to see them hanging vertically in all of their glory.
Mrs. Balloons, Aspen, COAge and Occupation: 24, Mass Communications graduate, Web Design student, & winery workerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, EngineerEngagement Date: July 10, 2009Wedding Date: August 2011Venue: The Sundeck at The Little NellAbout Me: I'm a small-town Midwest girl planning an intimate mountaintop destination wedding complete with a huge DIY at-home reception. As an honors graduate fallen victim to the worst job market in history in my area, we're doing everything we can to still have the wedding of our dreams on a tighter budget. I currently enjoy working at a winery, but I'm lonnng overdue for a day job! I am: a big-time daydreamer, one of the pickiest eaters you'll ever meet, and a lover of pretty paper and awesome fonts. I'm a girly girl who loves to get dolled up, but also a country girl who loves to get muddy and go 4-wheeler riding. I also enjoy singing in the car, boating, going to concerts, the History Channel, carnival food, and going to watch St. Louis Cardinals baseball with my handsome engineer.
OKK, just sticks. Well twigs. Err sticks and twigs…whatever you want to call them, here is a tutorial on how I turned an ugly vase into a cute, rustic one.
First meet said ugly vase:
So it’s not like its that ugly. It just has some rust type of stains in some spots so I wouldn’t have used it as is.
I started by hot gluing some burlap around the vase. I figured the twigs would stick better to it than the glass itself. 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.
This allows me to cut out many flowers at once, and I can easily re-size the cut file so I can get multiple sizes. The other shortcut that I took was to have the machine cut everything out exactly as I need it. The original tutorial uses a paper punch, then has you cut out single and double petal pieces to make the 5 different bits you need to make each flower. I had the Silhouette do this all for me, by creating a cut file that looks like this: Read more…
Mrs. Waffle, AustinAge and Occupation: 31, Costumer/ArtistFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, AnimatorEngagement Date: July 27, 2010Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Hummingbird HouseAbout Me: My life is pretty much spent in a sea of fabric, paint, sequins and drama. When I’m not working, I play on a trivia team, take Broadway dance classes, read, buy shoes, and occasionally geek out on video games. I am an American girl who loves all things British and Mr. Waffle is a Brit who loves all things American...I guess it was meant to be!
I know I promised a tutorial for the brunchy Invites, and I’m almost through with that post, but I’m gonna do one for this first because I have all the pictures resized and blah, blah, blah already. Seriously, I promise invites will be next. Pinky swear.
Items you may need for this project:
Blank sign
Wood monogram letter
Graphite paper or pencil
Blue painter tape or masking tape
Thick wired ribbon
Fake flowers
Nails and hammer or screws and drill
Acrylic craft paint
Brushes
Fine point Sharpie
Hot glue and gun
Scissors
Patience
First up, I found a blank stand sign and monogram letter at Michaels and painted them the desired colors with acrylic craft paint. Once that was dry, I got out a sheet of graphite paper (also available at craft and art stores) and taped it to the blank sign with blue painter tape. If you don’t have/can’t find graphite paper, you can also color the back of your text print out with a pencil and transfer that way.
Mrs. Crepe, Queens, NY/Nashville, TNAge and Occupation: 28, Jewelry DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Animation DirectorEngagement Date: September 28, 2010Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: A church in downtown NashvilleAbout Me: I'm a native New Yorker who has always been a DIY kind of girl and loves tackling creative projects while getting the most out of a dollar. I'm marrying my college sweetheart and we love frequenting antique stores, exploring together, and playing with kittens. We're planning a fun, "us" wedding in his hometown---with as many handmade touches as we can pack into a day!
I knew there were tons of little things to get done as soon as I was in town, so as soon as the plane touched down, I started fluffing those tissue poms. I would have loved to have fabric napkins (there are so many cute options!) but we were getting to the point where the budget was getting pushed closer and closer to the limit every day and paper napkins meant one more thing we could take off the checklist. We picked up a couple packs of royal blue dinner napkins from Party City and started tying the tissue poms on quickly.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
