2010 April | Intimate Weddings - Small Wedding Blog - DIY Wedding Ideas for Small and Intimate Weddings

Trash the Dress Goes Country

April 29, 2010 by Christina

trash the dress pei

trash the dress wedding

girl with orse

I love these photos taken by This is Photography at Bay Breeze Stables, in Summerside, Prince Edward Island (PEI happens to be one of my favourite places on earth.)

Julia grew up riding horses. She is a country girl at heart and wanted to do a shoot that incorporated horses and the feel of hat day at the derby. Growing up she loved watching the hat day at the races where all of the ladies would get dressed up and wear fancy headpieces, so her love for horses and memories of the fancy hats are what inspired the shoot (and the fancy headpiece).

Thanks Heather, for the photos! See the full shoot over here.

Filed Under: Wedding Photography |

Real Weddings: Darla & David’s Misty North Carolina Wedding

April 28, 2010 by Christina

Darla, 29 & David, 32

Blowing Rock, North Carolina

Wedding Date: September 19, 2009

Number of Guests: 18

Wedding Ceremony Location: Westglow Resort and Spa

Wedding Reception Location: Westglow Resort and Spa

bridesmaids in blue dresses

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

As far back as I can remember, I have always known that I wanted my wedding to be a day that celebrated my husband and I. I didn’t want anything flashy or over the top because that simply is not us. Family is extremely important to us both, so we wanted a weekend that brought our two families together in a relaxing and comfortable environment so that everyone could get to know each other and celebrate. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Real Weddings |

DIY Favor Bags: Peony Pockets (Part Two)

April 27, 2010 by Christina

peony pockets

Yesterday, I showed you how to make a burlap favor bag. Today, we’re going to make a felt peony to decorate the favor bag.

I found the template for the flower over at Yoonie at Home. Yoonie used the flower to make hair clips. You can use them to decorate just about anything!

Felt Flower Tutorial

Materials:

Felt

Straight pins

scissors

needle and thread

button

Download the template and print.

Cut out each shape and place on your felt. (I didn’t use the green leaf shape.)

felt flowers

Pin your shapes to the felt.

felt flower hairclip

Cut out your shapes. diy flowers

Stack your shapes in the same sequence as the diagram on the template.

felt peony

Place button in centre and sew onto burlap bag.

felt flower

burlap bag

Fill your bags with whatever you want! I love the idea of flower bulbs! Perfect for an eco-friendly wedding!

Filed Under: DIY Favors & Gifts, DIY Wedding, Free Wedding Templates |

DIY Favor Bags: Peony Pockets (Part One)

April 26, 2010 by Christina

diy favor bags

Felt peonies are a lovely way to jazz up earthy DIY favor bags!

Put whatever you want inside the bags: flower bulbs, coffee, handmade soap, candy. Eco-friendly and economical!

Today I’m going to show you how to make the cute burlap bags from scratch, and tomorrow I’ll show you how to create the adorable felt peonies to adorn your DIY favor bags.

My talented and super-helpful mother-in-law came up with the pattern for the burlap bags for you to download. (It makes a 4″ x 6″ favor bag.)

Burlap Favor Bag Tutorial (Makes a 4″ x 5″ bag)

This project is fairly simple, even for the novice sewer.

Materials

Burlap (purchased from a fabric store)

Matching thread

Jute twine (purchased from a hardware store)

scissors

ruler

straight pins and one safety pin

wooden skewer

sewing machine

pattern [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY Favors & Gifts, DIY Wedding, Wedding Reception |

The Rise of the Small Wedding Cover Story

April 23, 2010 by Christina

Before I launched IntimateWeddings.com I was a freelance writer for magazines and newspapers. Even though I had been at it for close to a decade, I never got tired of the feeling of seeing my story in print.

It’s been a while since I’ve had that feeling. In fact, it’s been close to a year and a half since I’ve done any freelance writing. Sometimes I miss it. I miss learning about so many interesting topics. I miss the interviews.

A few weeks ago I got the opportunity to write an article for The Professional Association of Innkeepers International (PAII) about The Rise of the Small Wedding. I jumped at the chance. I got to write again! Yes, I write just about every day for my blog – but it’s not the same as writing a beefy article for a print publication. Aside from allowing me to get my writerly juices a’ flowing – I got to write about one of my favourite topics in an informative, well-respected publication!

I was pretty tickled to see it as the cover story. Check it out here. Hot off the press!

Filed Under: News |

Happy Earth Day!

April 22, 2010 by Christina

sea glass from lake erie

My favourite way to celebrate the earth is to have face time with Mother Nature - on the beach, looking for sea glass with my husband and two little girls. I shot this a couple of weeks ago on the shores of Lake Erie.

My Three Hearts.

I hope that you find a way today to celebrate this wonderful planet!

Filed Under: Uncategorized |

Vintage Wedding Dresses: What You Need to Know

April 21, 2010 by Christina

vintage wedding gown

You’ve fallen hard for the vintage look and you envision yourself wearing a vintage wedding dress. You’ve seen some vintage wedding dresses online that make your heart sing, but you still haven’t pressed the “Buy” button.

Before you click that button, make sure you read this excellent Q & A with one of our sponsors, Paula Cooperman from the The Mill Crest Vintage Boutique, Lambertville, NJ.

What You Need to Know Before Buying a Vintage Wedding Dress

How is the sizing different from regular street clothes? (If I’m a size 10, for instance, what size wedding gown would I need?)

Vintage sizing does not correspond to today’s sizing and with each era, you can expect a different interpretation of size and cut. This is why we give the measurements of our garments to all of our clientele who shop with us online. What we typically recommend to all of our brides is to get an accurate measurement of their own bodies (bust, waist, hip and length) and use these numbers as a guide when choosing a wedding gown. Another thing to consider, is that any good seamstress can make alterations to achieve a custom fit. [Read more...]

Filed Under: vintage wedding, Wedding Ceremony |

Real Weddings: Brandi & Jeremy’s Intimate New Orleans Wedding

April 20, 2010 by Christina

Brandi, 31 & Jeremy, 37

New Orleans, LA

Wedding Date: October 24, 2008

Number of Guests: 75

Wedding Cost: $20,000

Wedding Ceremony Location: Pat O’Brien’s on the River (The Promenade)

Wedding Reception Location: Pat O’Brien’s on the River (The Grande Terrace)

wedding in new orleans

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

If it was left up to my dad we would have had 250 people! We originally invited 150 people, knowing that only half of that would be able to make due to the travel expenses. We wanted to enjoy ourselves with our closest and dearest family and friends. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Real Weddings |

Mendocino Wedding: Five Reasons to Get Married at the MacCallum House

April 19, 2010 by Christina

maccallum house

Mendocino, California provides a gorgeous setting for an intimate wedding. If you are considering a Mendocino wedding, there are plenty of reasons to choose The MacCallum House as your venue.

Here are five good reasons to say “I Do” at this Mendocino bed and breakfast.

1. The setting is stunning. MacCallum House provides the scenic beauty of the Pacific Ocean and a beautifully restored Victorian mansion bed and breakfast inn as a backdrop for your special day. MacCallum House has two acres of gardens, expansive lawns, a bar and restaurant and distinctive rooms.

mendocino wedding

2. Convenience and comfort. You can keep your family and friends nearby by reserving the rooms on the main property exclusively for your guests. Also included with your rooms is a gourmet breakfast.

3. A warm welcome. The MacCallum House provides a complimentary arrival reception to welcome all your family and friends as they arrive for your Mendocino wedding. You and your guests can enjoy lovely appetizers and beverages in the beautiful gardens.

4. Less stress. The in-house wedding coordinator will help direct and oversee all aspects of the wedding, including coordination with outside vendors such as photographers, florists, DJs, etc.

5. The reception food. All food is prepared from scratch in the MacCallum House kitchen with an emphasis on regional organic ingredients. View sample menus.

maccallum house food

Want more info on how to have a gorgeous Mendocino wedding? Head on over to The MacCallum House online.

Photo 1: JPerlman RLutge Photography Photo 2, 3: Janae Shields Photography; Photo 4, 5: Q weddings, aka, Suzy-Q.

Sponsored Post.

Filed Under: Sponsored Posts |

DIY Paper Daffodils

April 18, 2010 by Christina

diy paper flowers

Is there anything more synonymous with spring as the ever-cheerful daffodil? Learn how to make these delightful crepe paper daffodils over at To Be Charmed.

Filed Under: DIY Flowers, DIY Wedding |

DIY Save-the-Date Envelopes

April 16, 2010 by Christina

map envelope

Want a clever, personal touch to add to your save-the-dates? Use Google maps for your envelopes. You can create the map envelope using MapEnvelope.com, which makes a template out of the map with your chosen destination. Wouldn’t these be fun for a destination wedding?

Filed Under: DIY Stationery, DIY Wedding |

Kids, No Kids: Will Children Be at Your Wedding?

April 15, 2010 by Christina

kid at wedding

Kids. No kids. When it comes to your guest list, it can be a tough decision.

For some couples, one of the easiest ways to trim the guest list is to have a ‘no children allowed’ rule. For others, not allowing children would be unthinkable.

It’s a topic that can stir up some strong opinions. I posted an article about this topic over at WeddingBee a while back and it generated some heated opinions on both sides of the debate.

Will kids be invited to your wedding?

Photo: Amelia Strauss Photography

Filed Under: Wedding Planning |

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