Wednesday, November 26, 2008

A Minor Freak-Out

Things have been slowly progressing with the wedding, having reserved the tiny Duncan Memorial Chapel for the ceremony. I have chosen my five bridesmaids, and my fiance is still working on the groomsmen list. However, last night and this morning, I was having a minor freak-out...

I final picked out a bridesmaid dress (retail, however we are adding a handmade sash!), only to get a call from my mom last night saying it is on clearance. Then, I tried to go to the website... only to find that it was down for maintenance!!! I had to wait until this morning, and I did find that it was $50 off. I called the special event coordinating for the company, and she assured me it is just a sale price, that the color I want (black) will still be around in the spring. I feel much better now... plus, if my girls order early (i.e. today!), they can get a great deal!

I'm sure some of you are wondering... why not order handmade dresses? Or, make them yourself? As much as I would love to, I think that would be very difficult to do with five girls, two of whom don't live here. I did find several dresses I liked on Etsy, but for my own sanity I needed to choose an option that wouldn't give me anxiety attacks. We are probably going to add a light blue sash to the dress, so there is a handmade element!

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Purchased: Table Numbers

No ordinary table numbers for this wedding! I purchased tall and skinny wood numbers for my table numbers project.













I can't remember where I got this idea, but here is the plan. The numbers are going to be painted black (to go with the black and white color scheme). Then, they will be attached (possibly with a small screw) to the top of clear glass jars with black lids. The jars will be filled with black and white mints, for guests to snack on after the meal. I found the lovely black and white striped mints from Hammond's Candies.














I think they are going to look very original and different when they are done. The only problem -- I don't know how many table numbers I need yet!

Saturday, October 18, 2008

List: Brainstorming What to Make

Here is my current list of things I think I am going to make for the wedding:
- flower headbands for the flower girls
- baskets for the flower girls
- guest book
- boutonnieres
- place cards
- table numbers
- cake stand
- invitations
- flower for my hair
- fresh flower bouquets for bridesmaids and myself
- centerpieces
- ceremony programs
- favors

(Some of these things aren't nearly as simple as they seem -- I can't have just a normal guest book, table numbers, place cards, etc.!)

Things I am definitely not making myself:
- food (I'm not insane, there is no way I could tackle food for 150!)
- cake (Again, probably not a good idea for me to try to make a cake for 150)
- dress (more on this later)

Purchased: Flower Girl Baskets

Ordinary Flower girl baskets just won't do. The ones I purchased will be painted and embellished until they no longer look like boring old baskets. Here is what the $2 baskets look like now:













First, I am going to spray paint them (white?). Next, I am going to make a gathered fabric sleeve for the handle. I checked to make sure that I can remove the handle (at least one side) in order to slip on the fabric sleeve. The handle is held on with what is basically a large brad, and once I pried it out, the handle came loose.
























After putting the fabric handle cover on, I am going to use ribbons to embellish the bottom. I think it will be something like this Martha Stewart project. See page two of the article to see what the finished hanging ribbons look like.

I'll post more pictures as the project moves along. We have to finalize colors before I can continue!

Must Have: Handmade Wedding Ring Bowl






























When I first laid eyes on these bowls, long before I was even engaged, I knew that I would need to have one for my own wedding.

The bowls are made by Caroline at Paloma's Nest. All of her ceramic work is simple and clean-lined, which is why I find her work so beautiful. These bowls make such a wonderful keepsake after the wedding, and are an original alternative to a ring pillow. Once our wedding date is confirmed, I will be ordering a custom bowl with our names and the wedding date. I can't wait!

Friday, October 17, 2008

Welcome!

I love to make things -- So it is only appropriate that I will be crafting many things for my own wedding. Some people think I am a bit crazy for taking so much on, they think that I am going to get stressed. However, I think that creating many of the items for my wedding will make it more memorable and unique. Plus, if I start now, then I won't feel stressed later.

In this blog I hope to share ideas that I will be using in my wedding, showing the steps along the way. I will also share some handmade items that I will be purchasing for my wedding -- because, well, a girl can't do it all on her own you know! There are some amazingly talented people out there, and they certainly can make some things better than I can.