Photofetti!!

This idea from Martha Stewart makes me so happy (as do most of her ideas). Photofetti! It's circular confetti with pictures on both sides, mixed in with colored confetti in the colors of your choice. Martha suggests sprinkling the confetti on reception tables to act as conversation-starters for your guests...





The Photofetti website also lists some other creative uses such as:

• Sprinkled in invitations (engagement or baby photo confetti!)
• Sprinkled in thank yous (wedding photo confetti!)
• Included in scrapbooks
• Tossed on the bride & groom

I'd like to add that this type of decorative accent would be perfect for bridal showers, too!

You can upload your photos on the Photofetti website and they are currently offering free shipping on certain quantities. I'm definitely bookmarking this site!

Fab Escort Card Ideas

Just to be clear - escort cards (or "escort items", as many couples forgo the traditional folded paper card) tell your guests at which table they will be seated. Escort cards are normally placed on a table at the entrance of the reception location so guests can find their tables when they arrive. Escort cards can also be referred to as "seating cards". [Not to be confused with place cards, which tell your guests exactly which chair they will sit in at the table.]

Escort cards are generally a good idea to have at all receptions (unless you truly want your seating to be first-come, first-serve), while place cards are optional. Place cards would be good to have if you are having a plated (sit-down) meal where your guests chose their entree on their RSVP card, but wouldn't be necessary if you were having a buffet or dinner stations.

Here are some fabulous escort card options from Martha Stewart Weddings:

{All images credited to Martha Stewart Weddings}

My Version: DIY Centerpieces

I hope everyone had a lovely Memorial Day weekend! While relaxing indoors (since it was rainy most of Monday in Indy), I made a few tissue paper flowers like I mentioned I would in my last post. Here are some pictures:

I decided to go for a peach & turquoise color palette...



{Source: author's personal collection}

I must have bought the most delicate tissue paper ever because the layers were super-difficult to pull apart, but I think the end-result was quite lovely! I bought a multi-color tissue paper pack from JoAnn's Fabric for about $10.

Here's one big flower - I think it looks cute all by itself!



I used cheap-o glass containers (old soda bottles, juice carafes, anything I could find that was glass and wasn't cracked) from Goodwill - I love the look of non-matching vases.

It took me about 5 minutes to make each flower, so if you were thinking about doing this for your wedding, you should allocate approximately this amount of time per flower.

Another DIY Centerpiece Idea

I just saw this DIY flower arrangement idea on Country Living (I occasionally browse this website for decorating inspiration) and thought it looked so easy & simple - I had to post about it for the crafty brides!






{Source}

Imagine tissue/crepe paper flowers in your wedding colors, or if you are a sewing-fanatic, flowers cut from vintage sewing patterns (like in the picture above)! Click here for instructions (skip to the second slide in the slideshow).

I am DEFINITELY making some of these flowers for the sad, empty vases currently sitting on the mantle above my fireplace. :)

Quick & Cheap DIY Centerpieces

No advanced degree in crafting or crazy rare materials necessary for these centerpieces! You can probably find everything you need for these lovely arrangements at your local supermarket/bulk goods store... Gotta love easy & cheap!

Thanks to Real Simple for posting about these 60 Second Centerpieces (via With This Ring):



{Source: 1, 2}

Lemons & nuts piled together in a glass bowl would be fabulous sitting atop reception tables at a summer wedding...

Clusters of multi-height pillar candles look classic and romantic - perfect for an evening reception any time of year!

Grooming the Groom

Some guys are into skincare, some could care less. My husband would fall into the "could care less" category. He washes his face with whatever soap is in the shower (or my facewash if it's within arm's reach), shaves his face with the cheapest shaving foam he can find at CVS, and definitely doesn't think to put on suncreen when he's outside.

Side-note to TR: Love you!!! You know this is all true! xoxo

On the flip-side, there are some guys that pay attention to what they use on their face. My friend Ashley and her husband Chris are pictured below, and Chris appreciates a well-developed men's skincare line of products (just look at that clear skin!).

{Source: Author's personal collection}

Chris "swears by" the Anthony skincare line, which conveniently offers a "Here Comes the Groomed Kit"! This $50 gift would be perfect for a bride to give her groom, or for the groom to give his groomsmen.




{Source}


Thanks, Chris, for the tip!

Flower Girl Dresses (for Less!)

The flower girls at my wedding last year are also the daughters of one of my bridesmaids. At first, I didn't really think of the cost implications of asking one of my best friends to be my bridesmaid and also asking if her two daughters would be my flower girls (I also asked if her other son would be the ring bearer!). 1 bridesmaid dress + 2 flower girl dresses + 1 ring bearer's tux = EXPENSIVE!! I didn't want my wedding to be a burden on anyone, so I started looking for less expensive (but still cute!) flower girl dresses.

Luckily, I happened upon FlowerGirlDressForLess.com. We found an adorable, simple, white satin dress for about $40 (Style # 5287W) that we paired with sashes that matched my bridesmaid dresses. [Check out the website for gobs of other affordable dresses!] The result was fabulous and super-cost-effective!

Here's a pic of my cute little flower girls (and ring bearer!!):

{Lemongrass Photography}

Re-Cap: Invitations

Yep, that's right - another re-cap post! But this time I'm re-capping my posts about invitations! I love paper and subscribe to one of the coolest "all-things-paper" blogs - Oh So Beautiful Paper. You, too, should check out this blog if you're a paper-lover like me!


What I Wish I Would Have Known #1 (September 2008)

Wax Seals (December 2008)

ellothere Invitations (December 2008)

Etsy Invitations! (January 2009)

Minted.com Save the Dates (February 2009)

Paper Source Wedding Invitations (March 2009)

Cheree Berry Invitation Designs (May 2009)



I am totally loving EvaPaul's black & white designs (check out their Etsy shop!):






{M O L L I E}




{D E N I S E}

Thread Bridesmaid Dresses

Now here's a line of bridesmaid dresses that begs to be worn again and again!

Thread's bridesmaid collections showcase the most adorable, chic, mix-and-match dresses. Also, you can get practically any dress design in full-, knee- and mini-length. What's not to love about that?

They are a bit pricey (in the $300-400 range), but the silhouettes are classic and your bridesmaids will get a lot of wear out of these dresses. Why not go halfsies on them (you pay half, bridesmaids pay half)??

My favorite collections are (in no particular order):

• Luxe
• Party
• Cotton Seersucker

Let's break this down a little further... Here are my favorite designs in each collection:

Luxe

A blend of chiffon & satin - adorable for springtime & summer! Wispy, billowy, dreamy...

{Stella - full length, Callie - knee length, Elliot - knee length}

Party

These dresses have a bit more structure than the Luxe & Cotton Seersucker, which makes them great picks for evening & more upscale weddings. I know, I know - you're not "supposed" to wear short dresses for evening weddings... but who cares what you're "supposed" to do?? These dresses are perfect for breaking the rules. ;)

{Gabrielle - mini length, Tyler - knee length}

Cotton Seersucker

I especially love this collection because summer is upon us and cotton seersucker is the all-time best summertime dress fabric (in my opinion)! So clean & crisp & breathable... Lovely dresses for a beach or outdoor wedding (but don't let my opinion stop you from wearing them indoors - these are fabulous indoors or out!).

{Selma - knee length, Selma - full length}

Re-Cap: Cakes

While deciding what I wanted to post today, I thought I'd review some past posts. In the midst of browsing through older topics, I thought, "Hey! Why don't I give my readers links to all of the posts on a particular topic in one new post?!" Not a novel concept, I know, but hopefully helpful to you!

Today's re-cap: Cakes

The French Wedding Cake (October 2008)

Macaroon Croquembouche (November 2008)

Cake-tastic! (November 2008)

Bakery Bar Cake Inspiration (February 2009)

And to end this post on a sweet note, here is one my favorite cakes posted recently on With This Ring...

{Source}

Cheree Berry Invitation Designs

While flipping through my "starred" items in my Google Reader, I came across Style Me Pretty's post on Cheree Berry Invitations. What a breath of wedding-invitation-fresh-air! Simple, nostalgic, classic... I love these invitations! Here are some of my faves:






{Clockwise from top-left: Key to My Heart, XOXO, Raleigh Days, Blooming Border, (unnamed - number "09" when you click on "larger view" underneath any picture in the Wedding section), Blossom Deary}


Cheree Berry's Save-the-Dates are amazing, as well! Might be worthy of a separate post in the near future... :)