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DIY Wedding Favors: Fresh Fruit

Are you looking for affordable, yet stylish wedding favors? Fresh fruit is a great budget savvy option that with a little stylish packaging, is both chic and scrumptious!

These stickers are adorable, and super easy to make. You can create your own stickers by making the image you like (monograms or cute sayings like this are perfect!), printing it on sticker paper and using a circle punch to create the individual stickers. This type of favor is great for minimal effort and packaging.

For berries or smaller fruits, small bags work perfectly. To dress up the bags you can use or make a custom stamp or create a sticker or label with your wedding date, monogram or favorite design. Custom stamps can be anything you want: pretty fonts, artwork, whatever you like and they typically only run between $18-$28 depending on their size making them a stylish and affordable detail.

One of the best parts about using fruit favors are their bright colors. Because of how colorful they already are, sometimes all you need are just some nice baskets or buckets with a cute sign telling your guests how to best serve themselves!

Another beautiful, yet simple, fruit favor idea is stamping kraft paper (or simple wrapping paper) with your custom stamp and wrapping your fruit favor in it. This works best for fruit with interesting shapes, like this pear favor. You can also partially wrap the fruit to give a peak at what awaits inside.

Seasonal fruits are going to be most affordable and if you can buy them in bulk that’s a bonus! Local farms or even farmers markets are great places to look. Whether you wrap your fruit favors in kraft paper, pop them in cute bags, or just display them in nice baskets the bright colors of the fruit need minimal fussing and packaging. They can even double as escort cards or table numbers making them an even more budget friendly option!

Photos One and Two: twigandthistle.com; Photo Three: ruffledblog.com; Photo Four: stylemepretty.com; Photo Five: designsponge.com; Photo Six: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com; Photo Seven: OnceWed.com; Photos Eight and Nine: marthastewartweddings.com

Rebekah is a DIY obsessed, wedding and event design wizard who loves hunting her bay area    homeland for clever craft ideas, vintage gems, bargain buys, new pieces for her vintage rental line  and blogging inspiration. She and her husband live and write in Oakland. Read her blog.

Eclectic Wedding Decor: Mix and Match Style

Mixing and matching is one wedding trend that doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon. And that’s great news for brides on a budget.

How does one mix and match and still maintain a coherent style and vision?

The wedding below features a mixture of different chairs, each one is different both in the style and the color. However, when you look at this picture it seems to visually make sense. Why? The chairs have similar structure and shapes and they’re all in a neutral toned down color palette, so they don’t detract or compete with the bright flowers or huge red barn behind them.

Mixing table linens is another fun way to add visual interest to your tables. To make them cohesive have them match your color palette if they’re different patterns and match patterns if they’re different colors. The same goes for napkins.

Having a variety of mismatched china is another one of my favorite ways to execute this style. I’m especially drawn to vintage china which is often already in muted tones, making it easier to mix and match many different colors and patterns while still having a look that’s tied together by its size and the fact that it has a vintage look.

Glasses can also be mixed and matched. With glass there is even more flexibility because of them being transparent. Mixing shades and shapes is fun and also helps your guests to know which one is theirs!

For the wedding party I actually prefer that each of the maids and groomsmen have unique elements, as long as they all still follow a basic theme. Dress variety and shirts or vests for the men. Note all have either a similar color palette or similar pattern.

Flowers, shoes and jewelry can also be mixed for the bridal party. Each bridesmaid is different, why not let them have a touch of their personality show through?

The most important thing to remember when mixing and matching is to make sure that there is a key similarity that runs through. If you find yourself loving several colors and not being sure whether they look good together invest in (or find online) a color wheel. A color wheel is a tool that you can use to see which colors go together the best, and which color combinations should be avoided. Whether you use a color palette, particular textures, shapes or patterns just remember that to do this successfully there has to be some unifying element that ties it all together. While this might seem overwhelming, know that the whole point of mixing and matching styles is that it’s fun and personal to you!

Photo One: abryanphoto.com; Photo Two: wedding-dresses.more-tips.com; Photo Three: stylemepretty.com; Photo Four: duet-weddings.blogspot.com; Photos Five and Six: stylemepretty.com; Photo Seven: notetosarah.tumblr.com; Photo Eight: inspiredbythis.com; Photo Nine: intimateweddings.com/blog; Photo Ten: ruffledblog.com; Photo Eleven: stylemepretty.com; Photo Twelve: stylemepretty.com; Photo Thirteen: elizabethannedesigns.com

Rebekah is a DIY obsessed, wedding and event design wizard who loves hunting her bay area      homeland for clever craft  ideas, vintage gems, bargain buys, new pieces for her vintage rental line  and blogging inspiration. She and her husband live  and write in Oakland. Read her blog.


 

Woodland Weddings

I adore woodland weddings. They have a gorgeous, ethereal feel to them and who doesn’t want their wedding to feel enchanted?!

These woodland wedding inspired invites are amazing. I love how the colors are very natural and simple but they’re all wonderfully graphic.

Woodland table decor, as with the other decor details, should reflect the nature you’re within. Simple ferns and sprigs from trees all lend themselves well to the woodland theme.

When thinking about what to serve, think natural, rich flavors. Here you’ll see figs, cheeses, eggs, and a bar in case you’re hoping to see any green fairies!

A post about woodland weddings wouldn’t be complete without a tree stump cake stand! Here are a few really beautiful ones, as well as a cake that perfectly exemplifies the woodland theme. This cake is simple, but adds touches of mushrooms and leaves while not looking cartoonish.

When it comes to setting up your altar area you have several options. You can keep it au natural with the trees being your backdrop, or you can add your own touches with balloons, a sign, etc. All of these are so gorgeous and each one I find just has a magical feel to it.

Whether you’re creating your woodland wedding area from scratch, or there are existing benches, etc. (campsites and parks are great locations when seeking out this style), remember that you’re starting with amazing scenery and a stunning backdrop, you can add or not add as many elements as you want. Burlap, natural flowers or plants, mini realistic looking toadstools or mushrooms, and tree stump cake-stands are all great places to start, then you simply add in your personal details and touches!

Photo One: via Pinterest; Photo Two: ohsobeautifulpaper.com; Photo Three: woodland-papercuts.blogspot.com; Photo Four: greenweddingshoes.com; Photo Five: ohsobeautifulpaper.com; Photo Six: thesweetestoccasion.com; Photos Seven and Eight: 100layercake.com; Photo Nine: inspiredbride.net; Photo Ten: stylemepretty.com; Photo Eleven: ruffledblog.com; Photo Twelve: sayyestohoboken.com; Photo Thirteen: oncewed.com

Rebekah is a DIY obsessed, wedding and event design wizard who loves hunting her bay area  homeland for clever craft ideas, vintage gems, bargain buys, new pieces for her vintage rental line  and blogging inspiration. She and her husband live and write in Oakland. Read her blog.

Coffee Themed Wedding

Love coffee? Why not brew up some java at your wedding?

I absolutely adore this coffee serving and all of its details! The wrapper has the monogram of the couple and their wedding date, the stirrer has the wedding date too, and best of all a doughnut hole! They’re simple ways to dress up a basic coffee cup and look great too!

A coffee bar is another way to serve your coffee; the self serve option can also be styled to fit your theme. These first coffee bars are vintage inspired, using vintage tables and serving wear.

These next two coffee bars have more rustic themes and lots of options! Doughnuts, dipping sauces, many creamer choices and cute signs!

Coffee also makes a great favor option! Check out this DIY burlap coffee favor bag tutorial.

coffee favor bags

The coffee theme can extend to your invites too! These are so adorable and I love the use of the mini coffee bags, very clever.

Coffee filters make great decor creations, you can make banners like these easily yourself. If you find yourself drinking several pots of coffee all on your own you may even get inspired to create this amazing coffee filter wedding gown!

This couple got married in an amazing coffee shop. I love the idea of making hearts in the coffee cups too.

You can either buy your favorite bulk brand of coffee for an affordable option (Costco has awesome coffee at afforable prices), or contact your favorite local coffee shop and ask if they offer coffee for catering so that you can  brew up some love…sorry, had to get that in there!

Photo One: stylemepretty.com; Photos Two and Three: oncewed.com; Photo Four: ruffledblog.com; Photo Five: blog.chrisishamphotography.com; Photo Six: somewheresplendid.com; Photo Seven: IntimateWeddings: Photo Eight: bowtiesandbliss.com; Photo Nine: oncewed.com; Photo Ten: stylemepretty.com; Photo Eleven: brooklynlimestone.com; Photo Twelve: creaturecomfortsblog.com Photo Thirteen: via Pinterest; Photo Fourteen: ilovecoffeebook.com

Rebekah is a DIY obsessed, wedding and event design wizard who loves hunting her bay area  homeland for clever craft ideas, vintage gems, bargain buys, new pieces for her vintage rental line  and blogging inspiration. She and her husband live and write in Oakland. Read her blog.


 

Boho Wedding Inspiration

Bohemian themed weddings are popping up more and more with brides that desire a “back to the earth” sort of approach to their nuptials. Weddings that hearken back to the days of love and peace are demonstrating simplistic, natural and earthy based big days. These weddings are the epitome of simplicity, with intimate groups of just the closest of friends and family of the couple with organic elements being a key feature.

This bride’s dress and headband, as well as the vibrate colored flowers are so dreamy.

boho wedding

This Boho beach inspiration shoot is perfect: carefree, natural, and very about the couple without all the fluff.

The setting for this wedding is ideal for the bohemian theme. With the forest as a backdrop, the brides flowing gown and the live band you can just imagine how great a party this must have been!

If you’re hoping to have a bohemian themed wedding, seek out elements from nature, an unstructured, flowing gown, and simplicity all around. A home-cooked meal to share, local flowers, friends to play the music, and an intimate outdoor setting all make up the perfect boho wedding!

Photos One, Two and Threejoyeusephotography.com; Photos Four, Five and Six: 100layercake.comPhotos Seven and Eight: oncewed.com

Rebekah is a DIY obsessed,wedding design wizard who loves hunting her bay area homeland for  clever craft ideas, vintage gems, bargain  buys, and blogging inspiration. She and her husband live    and write in Oakland. Read her blog.

Green Weddings: Lush and Lovely

Green is my favorite color, so naturally I love it as a wedding color. Given that it’s St. Patty’s day, today’s post is all about the color green.

Let’s start with the edibles, shall we?

Green wedding cake.  (source)

st patricks day wedding cake

Green cupcakes. (source)

green wedding cupcakes

Pear lemon fizzies with green drink flags. (source)

Now, we’ll move on to flowers.

Green mum pomander. (source)

green mum pomander

Green bout. (source)

green boutGreen bouquets. (source)

green wedding bouquet

Green pom poms. So pretty. Learn how to make tissue paper pom poms. (source)

Green moss ring pillow. (source)

moss ring pillow

Green glasses for the sweet tea and lemonade station. (source)

lemonade station wedding

Green bridesmaids. I love how each maid is in a different shade. (source)

green bridesmaid dresses

And for the boys – love these. (source)

green wedding ties

Valentine’s Day Wedding Details: We Heart it

By Lizzie Smithson

I have one of those love/hate relationships with themed weddings, as a general rule. Don’t get me wrong, I love a theme well-rocked. These DIY heart details would make such a sweet, kitschy theme for a February wedding. From centerpieces to invitations and desserts to decor, a wedding filled with hearts sounds like perfection to me.

I Heart the Dessert Table

You can exercise so much of that creative energy on the dessert table with simple and touching details. I love how fresh and simple these heart cupcakes are. You can even spice it up a bit by using colored sugar and cupcake wrappers!

simple wedding heart cupcake white sugar

These snow white sugar cubes with bright red heart accents caught my eye immediately. I have always appreciated unexpected and cute details at weddings. Think of how surprised your tea and coffee-drinking family will be to see these sweet-hearts at your dessert table.

heart red and white sugar cube

Chunky, loud heart cupcakes are adorable for a casual, laid-back wedding.

heart cupcakes for february wedding inspiration

Do I have to say how much I love this cake topper…or do you pretty much get it? I love how simple and DIY chic the topper is matched with the plain white cake and ribbon accent.

diy indie heart cake topper

You’re So Sweet Decor

These magazine cutout hearts make the perfect garland and add such a sweet and simple touch to any wedding with any vibe. I love how they look hung in the window below.

diy heart wedding garland decor magazine style

Do you love kitsch as much as I love kitsch? I hope so. This heart garland is the so-ugly/cute-it-hurts sibling of the romantic cutouts above. I have to say: I find it charming.

diy craft heart garland for a february wedding

Invitations and Stationery with Love

What’s more fitting to a wedding than a Venn Diagram? Take a little of column A mixed with a little of column B…marriage.

venn diagram heart wedding invitations from etsy

Another take on the Venn Diagram in a full-blown stationery suite that takes that heart theme to the Nth degree.

heart-themed wedding invitation suite from etsy

Add a little heart-themed personalization to your invitations with a custom return-address label or stamp.

custom heart return address stamp from etsy

Mixing bright and loud colors with simple typography is a great way to make a statement with your invitations that can be easily carried over into your wedding details.

heart shaped wedding invitations

And to Top it Off

The best thing about a heart shape: It’s easy to sew, cut, design with and shape so you can use it in every aspect of your wedding. I love this DIY felt heart bouquet and boutonniere match as a simple and sweet touch. Against the cake, it’s impossible not to picture it as an adorable cake topper.

DIY heart boutonniere sweet wedding details

I love how sweet this lace heart cake topper is on a one-tier cake.

DIY lace heart cake topper

This puffy heart cake topper project would also make an adorable “yay” wand topper.

sweet heart wedding details for a February wedding inspiration

Jump Right In

There’s no limit to what you can do with sweet and simple heart details for your wedding. Heart details might have a bit of a corny reputation, but I hope they make a comeback, STAT.

heart themed wedding DIY details for a February wedding

Photo One: Pinterest Photo Two: Cox and Cox Photo Three: Cupcakes Take the Cake Photo Four: Eat Drink Chic Photo Five: Craftzine Photo Six: Kids Stuff World Photo Seven: Cheerupcherup on Etsy Photo Eight: UpUp on Etsy Photo Nine: NoteTrunk on Etsy Photo Ten: The Indigo Bunting Photo Eleven: LaBelle Bride Photo Twelve: Project Wedding Photo Thirteen: OnceWed Photo Fourteen: WeHeartIt

lizzie smithson of love your wayLizzie Smithson is a public relations graduate and wedding/design blogger planning a $10,000 (or under) wedding with her graphic-designer fiancé.

Library-Themed Weddings

There are few places on earth that I love more than the library. Before I had kids I would spend hours there, poring over books. When I finally headed for the exit, my book bag would weigh more than a small child.

Two kids later, my library book bag still weighs as much as a small child, but now the bag is full of kids’ books. I do miss reading – and I do miss solitary time spent at the library.

Given my love for the library, it’s no wonder that I love weddings with a library or book theme.

Here are a few that recently caught my eye:

Amazing! I LOVE this setting in an orange grove. How perfect for a small wedding! Photos by Jessica Claire.

The talented Anne Ruthmann shot this black and white photo at the Detroit Public Library.

Library wedding reception shot at the George Peabody Library in Baltimore by D. Bryant.

Boston Public Library wedding photographed by Lisa Rigby.

Wedding in New York library shot by Zlatko Batistich.

Book centerpieces and table numbers. Photos by Jenny Liu.

Book themed engagement shots by Adrienne Gunde.

Country chic wedding with books and baby’s breath bouquet.

Library themed wedding invitation.

Library card generator. Fun, fun, fun!

Birch Bark Wedding Ideas

Birch is all over the wedding scene these days. I love birch because it reminds me of the north. It reminds me of quiet lakes, canoes, deep forests and cottage campfires.

Birch fits in perfectly with a white winter wedding. Here are a few ways to beautify with birch:

Hanging birch cones filled with fresh flowers.

Birch vases make for stunning centerpieces.

They look lovely grouped together.

Birch can also be used for your dessert table.

What about birch place cards?

A birch-inspired wedding cake.

A birch wedding arch.

Birch branches form a dramatic, yet simple backdrop.

Birch-inspired wedding invitations.

Photo One: Mary Claire Crow; Photo Two: Style Me Pretty; Photo Three: QWeddings.com; Photo Four: Pockets of Hope; Photo Five and Six: The Sweetest Occasion; Photo Seven: This Fine Day; Photo Eight: Wedding Bee; Photo Nine:Wedding on the Brain;  Photo Ten: Things are Better with  a Parrot; Photo Eleven: Oh So Beautiful Paper; Photo Twelve: Wedding Paper Divas

DIY Winter Wedding Details

By Lizzie Smithson

I think it’s safe to say that DIY winter details are my favorite. They add such a surreal, homemade vibe in the warm light that usually accompanies winter and the holidays. I have been in DIY Holiday mode this year with handmade gifts and baked goods and the craftiness of the season doesn’t have to stop there.

DIY Centerpieces

Candlelight is the most iconic, warming light for a winter wedding. Tree centerpieces start sprouting up around winter as well, and this DIY centerpiece has both, mixing the win-win of comforting light and no fire hazard.

diy winter wedding centerpiece

diy winter wedding candle centerpieces

Candy Bar

It seems to be teal and silver holidays and I am loving the ornament-inspired color scheme for a winter wedding. The color choices for this DIY candy bar could really drive this festive palette home.

diy winter wedding candy bar teal

Table Decor

This winter wedding shoot has several lovely DIY and style ideas for a winter wedding. The votive design,  cake topper and snow-white and icicle inspired decor could be reproduced with a handmade spin from your personal style book.

winter wedding place setting inspiration table decor

diy winter candle place settings favors centerpiece ideas

Rock Candy

Rock candy can add the look of icicles for a variety of DIY projects. Hang them on a Manzanita tree for a lovely winter centerpiece, create a chandelier for beautiful and affordable decor or string pieces with ribbon accents for an icy, sparkling garland.

DIY rock candy tree wedding centerpiece decor

Photos One & Two: Chillipit Photo Two: Taylor Jackson Photography Photos Three & Four: Henry & Masci Photography Photo Five: Once Wed

lizzie smithson of love your wayLizzie Smithson is a public relations student and wedding/design blogger planning a $10,000 (or under) wedding with her graphic-designer fiancé.

Winter Weddings Invitation Inspiration

Go minimal and chic, bold or break the rules with your winter wedding invitations.

By Lizzie Smithson

Winter weddings hold such great possibility for creativity. Whether it’s homemade goodies, gifts or winter wedding inspiration, this is no time to let your creative mind take a rest.

Invitations for winter weddings always find a home among my favorites. The best part about a winter wedding is that you can take your decor, your stationery and theme to extremes with such a snow-white palette.

Go forth and be bold.

Here are three basic ideas to get started in gathering inspiration for your winter wedding stationery:

Go minimal, chic and white (like snow)

Go bold and bright with color

Break the rules – Use Wood


Photo One: Mavora Photo Two: Orange Blossom Ink Photo Three: Etsy seller Cdkane59 Photo Four: MaeMae Paperie Photo Five: Etsy seller Mustlovepink Photo Six: Oh So Beautiful Paper Photo Seven: Green Wedding Shoes

Lizzie - Love your wayLizzie Smithson is a public relations student and wedding blogger planning a $10,000 (or under) wedding with her graphic-designer fiancé.

Pine Cone Wedding Ideas

Ever thought of a pine cone theme? Pine cones can be one of the most economical ways to decorate for a wedding. If you happen to live in an area with pine trees, they’re free for the taking. If not, you can purchase them from dollar stores and craft stores.

Here are some inspiring ways to decorate with pine cones:

Check out this amazing winter wedding cake from Martha Stewart!

Another version of this cake from Cake Central.

Learn how to make your own pine cone garland.

Pine cone bouts.

Pine cone escort cards from At First Swoon.

Pine cone door decor.

Pine cone bouquet.

More pine cone bouquets.

And again.

Pine cone chair ribbons. Love this!

Decorate your table with pine cone miniature trees. (Photo: Good Housekeeping)

Favor packages decorated with pine cones.

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