Welcome to the fabulous new Intimate Weddings! We love our fresh new face – and we hope you do too.

We’ve been working on re-branding Intimate Weddings to create a more visually appealing and user-friendly experience for many, many months. This has involved an enormous amount of coffee, cursing and time spent with butt on chair.  Sacrificed were: sleep, exercise, frolic, time spent with human children, time spent with fur children, time spent with partner doing anything other than talking shop, social contact with the outside world, and an overall sense of well-being. But here we are at the finish line. We may be a bit softer around the middle, a little bit frayed around the edges – but that’s nothing a few glasses of celebratory red wine can’t fix!

We worked with a DREAM DUO to make this awesomeness happen. Carolynn, from Two Brunettes, used her creative superpowers to design a site that is perfectly aligned with our vision of the new Intimate Weddings brand.  And our amazing WordPress Wizard, Otis from Example 7,  magically transformed the design into a lean, intuitive and super functional blog and venue finder.

Our newly designed intimate venue finder is a breeze to navigate (just input your city and state – or even just your state, and voila!), making it easy for you to hunt down the perfect small venue.

The new design also makes it easier for you to navigate through all of the amazing real intimate weddings that we’ve featured. We’ve categorized all of the weddings, so you can easily find the wedding style that suits you best.

If you are into DIY, you will find it a breeze to track down DIY projects that float your boat; each project has been categorized for easy navigation.

Last, but not least, is the brand new Intimate Weddings vendor guide. As we add  vendors in the upcoming weeks, this will become an excellent resource for finding small wedding-friendly vendors.

Indeed, we’ve come a long way since we launched back November 2008, but our message remains the same: small weddings rock! Want proof? Click here.

And don’t forget to Like us on Facebook and follow our Pinterest boards. We pin heaps of inspiring images weekly! Most importantly, if you believe in small weddings like we do, become a member of Intimate Weddings! Not only will you be able to save all of your fave venues and vendors – you will receive the Intimate Weddings newsletter in your inbox.

When you dream about your wedding day, pictures of beautiful blooms, bridal gowns, and buttercream may dance in your head, but no matter how organized you were during the months leading up to the big day, disaster can still strike. Illness, unexpected cancellations, or extreme weather can put more than a damper on your special day, but wedding insurance can help protect you, financially, against the unforeseen.

Markel is one of the leading wedding insurance companies in the country, and offers two types of coverage: Cancellation Insurance and Liability Insurance. With cancellation coverage, you are reimbursed for lost deposits if you must cancel or postpone your wedding due to uncontrollable circumstances (think hurricanes, vendor bankruptcy or military deployment.) It also provides coverage for lost or stolen jewelry and gifts, event photography that isn’t delivered, damage to your wedding attire, and additional expenses you may incur to avoid cancellation. The liability coverage protects you if your venue sustains property damage or if someone is injured at your wedding. (Add to your Wedding Checklist: Check with your venue as many venues now actually require event liability insurance.)

Consider this real-life example:

Newlyweds Kevin and Lacey would have had to pay $7,500 for property damages to their venue’s marble railing and hardwood floor if it had not been for Markel’s liability insurance coverage. By the time they returned from their honeymoon in Jamaica, everything had been taken care of and they were only held responsible for the deductible.

How Much Does It Cost?

Wedding Liability coverage can be purchased for as little as $64. Additional coverage and will increase the price. Wedding Cancellation coverage can be as low as $111.  (NOTE – Your wedding location and your wedding budget may also impact pricing).

When Should We Purchase?

It’s smart to purchase Markel’s Wedding Cancellation insurance the day you start planning your wedding (before you start signing on the vendors’ dotted lines) so that you’re covered from day one.  Markel’s Wedding Liability insurance can be purchased anytime up to the day of the event.

What Does Insurance Cover?

Depending on the package, Markel Wedding Insurance can cover:

• when weather conditions are extreme enough to prevent the bride and/or groom, their families or majority of the guests from attending the wedding.
• if the wedding and/or reception is postponed due to an accident or illness that prevents the bride, groom or their immediate families from attending
• if the bride or groom is serving full-time active duty in the armed forces or police or fire departments, and must postpone the wedding due to a previously granted leave being withdrawn
• honeymoon expenses if your wedding was postponed or cancelled due to a covered condition
• wedding rings if they are lost at any time during the seven days preceding the wedding
• wedding presents that are lost or damaged within seven days before or after your wedding, while at your home or while in transit between your wedding and home
• lost or damaged (other than under- or overexposure) photo film or digital files before the finished photographs
• alternative arrangements to avoid last-minute cancellations, such as booking a new reception hall
• wedding attire that is lost, stolen, or damaged before or during the wedding

Life happens, so make sure that the first day of yours as a married couple is protected. Life happens, so make sure that the first day of yours as a married couple is protected.  Call Markel Wedding Insurance at 1-855-480-9757 or visit Markel Wedding Insurance to learn more.

Sponsored post.

One of my favorite products for DIY wedding projects is Oven Bake Clay. The ring bowl I made a few months ago turned out so well that I couldn’t wait to tackle another project using the same material.

Why not make some clay birds that double as escort cards?

You don’t need to be an artist to make these wee birdies. They’re super simple!

You will need:

• 795 gram package of White Oven Bake Clay (I used Sculpey brand. You will have some left over for other projects.)
• Fabric doily
• Letter stamps (I used the 36 Piece 1/8? Letter Number Stamping Set that I had on hand.)
• Rolling pin
• acrylic paint (I used the color “parchment”)
• Special Effects Aging Glaze
  
• steel wire
• wire cutters
• scissors

Take a small piece of clay and roll into a ball.

Pinch the clay and form into a bird shape.

Take another small piece of clay, form it into a ball and place beneath a fabric doily. Use a rolling pin to roll it out.

Remove fabric doily.

Cut out two wing shapes from the textured clay.

Stamp name onto back of bird.

Attach wings.

Cut a piece of wire. Bend into heart shape.

Insert wire into bird. Getting it in the right spot so it won’t topple over might take a bit of experimenting.

Bake in oven according to instructions on package.

Remove from oven. Let cool. Once cooled, remove wire.

Paint bird with acrylic paint. Let dry.

Brush on Special Effects Aging Glaze .

Before it dries, remove excess with paper towel to give it an aged look.

Add wire feet. Place at each table setting at your rustic wedding!

Gingham evokes a sense of down-home comfort that translates perfectly for smaller celebrations. The no-fuss, quintessential vintage pattern adds instant charm to your rustic wedding.

Whether you’re serving up freshly baked strawberry pies or cutting into a three-tiered cake, a gingham ribbon can add an extra dose of sweetness to your desserts. For favors, top off your grandmother’s award-winning jam with a gingham-patterned fabric for a DIY-friendly adornment.

The best thing about gingham is that it looks great in both big and small doses. The bold pattern allows a little to go along way, so add a pop of the checked trend to your napkins or tie around mason jar centerpieces for a jubilee of textures and patterns. Don’t be afraid to mix with other motifs for a playful look — stripes, toile, paisleys and florals all blend harmoniously together with gingham. For a country chic statement, line your table with a table runner or cloth that gives nod to a casual summer soiree.

Whether you’re donning a picnic-inspired summer dress down the aisle, adding a touch of Southern style with accessories, or dressing your wedding party in casual chic, the Americana print is classic.

 Add it to your floral design as well with a touch of gingham to your groom’s boutonniere or your bouquet wrapped in the provincial pattern.

Gingham lends itself to DIY details. A simple stop at your local fabric store can churn out amazing accents, such as cake flags and banners, or add charm to a guest book vignette.

Photo one: Southern Weddings Mag; Photo two:  dawnephoto.com; Photo three: stylemepretty.com; Photo four: babylifestyles.com; Photo five: camillastyles.com; Photo six: rusticweddingchic.com; Photo seven:  jillthomasphotography.com; Photo eight: Dawn E. Roscoe; Photo nine: Occasions; Photo ten: United With Love; Photo eleven: iloveswmag.com; Photo twelve: CurtseyBridal; Photo thirteen: BuddyandBean; Photo fourteen: oncewed.com; Photo fifteen: iloveswmag.com

You don’t have be fluent in the HTML language to create a stunning wedding website, nor do you have to tap into your bank account. With Wix.com, you are able to share with your guests the who, what, when, and where details of your wedding day, all with some serious style.

How?

1. Customize: You want your wedding website to reflect you as a couple. We particularly like Wix.com’s drag-and-drop usage, which is extremely user-friendly, and the outcome can be comparable to a professionally designed site. You can choose from hundreds of templates to suit your theme and style, upload your song to play on the site as guests browse the information, and include one of the numerous bells and whistles (such as RSVP management, event calendars and a countdown!) that you often have to pay for on other sites.

2. Visitor Information: Particularly if you have out-of-town guests, directions to and from the ceremony and reception sites are necessary (plus any other points of interest you’d like to recommend). Wix allows you to take it one step further and include Google Maps to help accurately guide. Be sure to also include information for any hotels with rooms blocked off for the event.

3. Get Guest Feedback: Whether you’re debating between a band or DJ, or deciding whether to have a bouquet toss, asking for guests’ solicited opinions is a great way to include them in the planning process. Wix has the option of adding a poll to your site, so you can garner desired feedback to make those informed decisions. They also have a menu selection form so guests can mark if they want the steak or salmon.

4. Add a Gift Registry: Traditionally, couples list their registry information on the their wedding website, but Wix actually allows you to link directly to your registry on the store’s website with  a widget or upload their Wish List App to your wedsite, where you can use MyRegistry.com to curate your dream registry from a variety of your favorite stores.

5. Fact-check: Your guests will be relying on the information that you provide, so double-check that addresses, phone numbers and other important info is accurate.

6. Spread the Word: Share your wedsite link through email, Facebook and more. You can also include it on your save-the-dates and shower invites.. For a polished look, treat yourself to Wix’s monthly $8 upgrade to create a customized domain name that’s pretty enough for the invites themselves.

7. Upload Photos: Whether it’s your engagement or vacation photos, bio pictures of the bridal party or of your families, you can include several different galleries within your Wix website.

Though Wix’s features are free, upgrading will give you a domain name and an ad-free site. For the next month, you can enter discount code intimatewedd221 and receive 10 percent off all yearly plans. Sign up here.

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