Do It Yourself: Programs

My friend is in the final stages of planning her wedding, and she's trying to decide how the ceremony program should look. She's very much a D.I.Y. girl, so she's looking for a program that she can put together herself (or with help from her bridesmaids!) but that looks classy and fun. So, I'm doing some preliminary research.

For an outdoor wedding, or for a wedding when it's hot out (my friend's is in July), check out these programs printed on fans.

Both types of programs are easy to customize online, or you could find a local printing shop to create them for you without busting your budget.

And here's a simple but great idea - a long rectangular program, like this one.

With a little effort and the right tools - like cardstock, a paper-cutter, and a printer - you could definitely create these on your own. Best of all, it's easy to jazz up a program like this. Just punch 2 small holes at the top and tie a ribbon through, or mount the program on another piece of cardstock to add some dimension.

Another program style you could create on your own is the bi-fold or tri-fold.

Bi-folds, if they contain more than just one sheet of paper, can be bound together with ribbon so you don't have to mess with staples. Tri-folds just have to be folded carefully into three sections.

If designing your own wedding program seems daunting, just start searching the web for pictures and templates. There are tons of ideas out there - you just have to find the one that fits you.

Spring Makeup Trends

For the Spring bride, there are some great makeup trends out there right now to flatter every complexion.

If you have an olive skin tone, go for a golden glow, like Jessica Alba here.


(source)

Olive skin tones are best complimented with a peach blush or bronzer, and a mauve lip color. Simple and romantic.

If your skin tone is fair, use a glimmering champagne eye shadow and a pink blush. Try a bright pink lipstick, like Pink Nouveau by MAC, for that wow factor.

For dark skin tones, consider using a blush with burgundy undertones and a chocolate-hued eyeshadow. Use deep red or plum lipstick, à la Beyonce.

(source)

So fun!

Another Spring trend in bridal makeup is the super-dramatic eye. If you choose to rock that look, just make sure you wear a neutral lipstick so your lips don't compete.

And remember, the last thing you want to do on your wedding day is wear a look that isn't "you." So however you decide to wear your makeup, make sure that what it really shows is who you are.

To Top It Off...

These days, couples are choosing all sorts of thing to top their wedding cakes. From bride and groom figurines to monograms, flowers to tiny plastic animals wearing wedding day finery, the possibilities are practically endless. Are you more traditional when it comes to cake toppers, or would you rather go the creative route?

Check out these adorable tiny birds, found on Etsy:

So cute, right?

Or here's something more traditional, but still with personality.

How romantic!

If you want to use your last initial or a monogram, there are tons of options out there.

Or, would you rather have a humorous cake topper?

There really is no end to what you might put on top of your wedding cake. If you've used something unique to top your cake, let us know in the comments!

Would you donate your wedding dress?

A lot of brides these days are talking about donating their wedding gowns. After hearing several married friends talk about just knowing that their dress was "the one", it hardly seems like an easy decision to give away something so special. However, there are several great options out there if you're interested in giving away your dress.

-www.makingmemories.org - in their "Brides Against Breast Cancer" campaign, MakingMemories.org hosts trunk shows all over the country featuring donated gowns, so brides-to-be who have been diagnosed with breast cancer can still afford the dress of their dreams at a fraction of the price.

-www.idofoundation.org - at the I Do Foundation's website, you can do more than donate your dress. For example, you and your fiancé can register with select retailers that will donate a percentage of the profits from gifts purchased by your guests. They even offer resources for planning a "green" wedding.

You could also sell your dress to a consignment store and donate the money to a charity. And while you're at it, ask your bridesmaids to donate their dresses too, to a charity like The Glass Slipper Project.

Handbags for that special event

Regardless if you're a bride, bridesmaid, or a guest of a wedding or event, one thing's for sure - you need the perfect handbag to hold your M.I.L.K. (money, ID, lipstick, keys). I'm suggesting a few that would be perfect for just about any occasion.

This flower-embellished handbag from Lulu Townsend is adorable, and only $30 at DSW! This would be perfect for a bride or bridesmaid, especially for a spring wedding.

Check out this incredibly girly, ruffled clutch from Nordstrom.

I love how the layers of ruffles play off each other to create a very feminine look.

And, here's one last glamorous in-my-dreams jewel box clutch found on Net-a-porter.Most people's wedding dresses cost a fraction of the price of this clutch, but still, I couldn't resist including it in this post!!

Save the world, one invitation at a time

Here's a wedding trend I can totally get behind: wedding invitations made from recycled paper! Admittedly, I've saved the majority of wedding invitations I've received over the past several years....call me nostalgic. But sadly, many people toss their invitation into the trash or recycling bin - usually after finding it somewhere in their car, weeks after the wedding. Here are some wedding invites that stay on trend while saving trees.

1- Very cool modern invitations from Naturally Ever After. These invitations contain at least 30% post-consumer fibers.

2- From Botanical Paperworks, your guests can literally plant these invitations in the ground and grow their own wildflowers. Now that's earth friendly!

3- Using recycled cardstock, this invitation from Foosie Design is created carefully by hand, and it shows.

4- Invitations from Earthly Affair use 100% recycled paper, are shipped carbon-free, and more. An eco-friendly product from an eco-friendly company.

5- Gorgeous invites from Obligation Papers & Press. They create 100% cotton paper by hand and produce custom invitations on an old fashioned letterpress. Amazing.

Most of these companies also design Save the Date cards, table cards, wedding programs, and more. Have you seen or sent any cool recycled invitations? Tell us about it in the comments!

It's in the Details: A Valentine's Day Wedding

A discussion on our theme of the month: a Valentine's Day wedding. This seems obvious considering it's February, but we want to help style your V-Day wedding without going overboard. So, here's a little inspiration!

Invitations - We found these on trulymadlydeeply.com. Very romantic!

Attire - Check out the bridesmaid dresses we found from designer Lynn Lugo. The bold hues will liven things up, and you could even have your bridesmaids select their own style. As for your wedding dress - the more whimsical, the better.

Food & Beverages - A champagne toast is a classy way to start or end the night, and as party favors you could give your guests customized chocolate bars. (Who doesn't love chocolate on Valentine's Day?) For the cake, consider something simple and let your theme come through in the details, like a sprinkling of pink and red roses.

The Event - You could go all out with pink everywhere, or you could have a more muted color palette and bring out your theme with finishing touches like centerpieces, napkins, and place cards. As long as you don't hang a cardboard flying Cupid from the ceiling, you're set!