Just add glitter.

Who knew paper and sparkles could be this pretty?

Queen of Hearts: Do you play croquet?, Alice: Why, yes, your majesty, Queen: Well let the games begin!

If you're having an outdoor wedding how about having some lawn games set-up for guests to enjoy. This is a much less expensive alternative to a DJ and dancing but lawn games are pretty cheap so you could have both. Consider these three popular games:

Croquet. I have some friends who jazz the game up by playing the "poison death match" version of croquet. Rules can be found here.

Bocce Ball is another classic lawn game popular in Italian communities. Rules can be found here.

Cornhole is a favorite mid-western game that's easy to play and fun for spectators as well! Here are the rules from the American Cornhole Association (that's right- its that popular).


Consider printing some cards with the rules listed in case any guests need a guide. In my experience, people love these games. Add some nice weather and a cool beverage and it makes for the perfect leisurely afternoon.

J.Crew has more bridal attire...

J. Crew released their new fall line with an expanded bridal and bridesmaid selection including...

This pretty seraphina dress in cool ombre' shades.

And this lovely long chiffon skirt. Separates can be so flattering and they're often easier to wear again.

More on catering

Here is a great post via APracticalWedding about catering your own wedding. This couple, Cara and Andy shared great details including their menu, cost of the food, and things they learned. I'm so grateful to see posts from other couples who have done it and liked the results like this since we're going to attempt it. It seems crazy but it obviously can be done. 

Love these...

save the dates. If I was sending them, these would be at the top of my list. 

By designer Paige Rothhaar in Columbus, Ohio. You can order here.


Speaking of Save the dates, Minted.com is offering 10% off Save the dates. Wedding Paper Divas is also running a great sale on save the dates. 

Inexpensive glamour

Photo by Luis Montiero

Who says balloons can't be glamorous? I recently came across these photos by Luis Montiero via Santa Barbara Chic. The key is the right color palette. Not only do they add color but they can also fill out a big space. And they're so inexpensive!

Photo by Luis Montiero

The above photos reminded me of this Dior ad for Cherie perfume:

And more specifically, great reception decor:

 Photo from Martha Stewart Weddings

Pretty envelope liner

How sweet is this paper lace doily envelope liner? This would be a great DIY project. 

Setting priorities before planning.

At the beginning of our wedding planning, my fiance and I discussed and set our big picture priorities. When would we have it? Who would we invite? What did we want it to be like?

Then I found a standard wedding industry checklist (there are more elaborate lists out there) which listed all the things “you need”. Some things, like a wedding license, I will need but many of the things on these lists, like glow sticks for the dance floor, aren’t necessary at all- who really “needs” glow sticks? After perusing the list, I proceeded to cross off everything I would skip entirely, add the things I would like to have, and mark the items that I needed to investigate further/beg for, borrow, or improvise with things I already own.

Here is what my list looks like:

Site rental fee -Free

Caterer -DIM (Do it myself), hiring people to help prepare, serve, and clean-up

Kids Menu

Cake-Ask a friend

Cake knife-borrow

Cake topper-borrow

Groom’s cake

Cold Beverages -buy in bulk

Coffee –buy in bulk

Alcohol –buy in bulk

Tent

Lighting

Tables

Chairs

Staff- hire family friends to help

Table linens, napkins

Silverware

China

Valet Parking

Limousine

Coordinator- Ask a friend

Stemware

DJ or IPOD -still deciding

Place cards

Dance floor

Glow sticks

Candy bar

Centerpieces- DIM

Additional decorations- minimal

Photography -Ask a friend

Boutonnieres -DIM

Favors

Videographer

Wedding band for Groom

Wedding band for Bride –my engagement ring is perfect, no need for a band

Invitations -print myself

Reception cards

Save the dates

RSVP cards –print myself

Map

Postage –for invite only

Personalized address stamp

Church

Priest

Unity candle

Organist -maybe a friend?

Flowers for the Church

Pew decorations

Programs –yes, but cheap, cheap

Flower girl basket

Ring pillow

Dress –from consignment

Alterations- friend helping

Veil -consignment

Shoes –wear some I already own

Jewelry -borrow

Tanning

Bridal bouquet -DIM

Wedding day brunch

Bridal party gifts

Bridal party bouquets -DIM

Thank you cards –Use some I already own

Gifts for parents

Parking

Florist- order flowers in bulk and DIM

Groom’s suit

Marriage certificate

Save the dates

Guest book -use old postcards instead

Added:

Sparklers- discount after 4^th of July from a state line stand

Lawn games- that we already own

Lace shrug- from etsy

As my sister pointed out, I have a lot of DIM projects but I think it'll be possible thanks to my wonderful family and friends who are willing to help. There are so many things that I would love to have but a tight budget means letting some things go. This list of priorities keeps me from buying things outside the budget and although I might fall in love with letterpress invitations or a stellar photographer, they're not worth the sacrifice of cutting loved ones off our guest list.

Hairstyle possibilities

                Photo by Jenny Markel Photography via Project Wedding

I've seen a million great updos and in fact, they're the most common hairstyle for weddings. An updo keeps your hair up and controlled through the entire day plus its cooler in hot weather. But there are great styles that would work if you'd rather wear your hair down. I think these styles look sweet, romantic, and soft. Check out more  here.

Photo by Grey Zissler via Project Wedding

To and from

I was a bridesmaid in a friends wedding this week-end and it was a fun and relaxing experience. One of the things that made it so relaxing was not having to worry about transportation. The bride and groom provided transportation for the bridal party to and from ceremony and the reception. All we had to do was walk outside and board a bus to get to the reception site. No maps, wrong turns, or a mess of decisions on who's riding in what car. 

Party on the inside.

Transportation is an expensive addition though. Both the bus and the limo options can throw you off budget unless you're getting married in off-season (Nov.-March) when business is low. Perhaps you know someone with a limo, bus, or even a large conversion van? Another friend of mine was able to get a great rate on a church bus. It's possible to have it if you're willing to compromise on the style. 

The best backdrop is a colorful one.

Love this colorful background. 

Elegant place cards

Photo by Sandi Forachi Photography

Beautiful place card idea.

Staying on budget - The dress

Every girl wants to look great on her wedding day. It's only 8 hours but it's an important 8 hours with lots of pictures. 

Dress shopping is exciting and the wedding industry hypes it up to lure you into overspending on a dress. This combined with "it's on sale" or  "sample sale" and its easy to cave on the budget. After all, this $5000 dress was only $2000!! But the bottom-line is, can you really afford it? 

It takes a lot of discipline to stay on track when it comes to spending on the dress. My simple rules:

#1- Make it VERY clear to the sales associate that you do not want to spend more than X amount. 

#2- Do not try a dress on that you can not afford. 

#3- Bring someone with you who can help you stay on track. 

You can find some great dresses for under $1,000. Many retail shops like J.Crew, Ann Taylor and Anthropologie (will launch soon) have some great dresses. Of course, there's the stand-by, David's Bridal, with their famous $99 dress sale (just beware of buying more than the dress at Davids because they jack up the prices on everything else from veils to shoes and especially on alterations and undergarments).  Consider having a dress made. There are some incredibly talented seamstresses out there and if you pick a simple style you could commission your own dress. Then there are online sites like preownedweddingdresses.com and ebay. You can snag some great deals but you take a gamble on fit. I have a number of friends who've had some good luck with online gowns. Finally, don't forget consignment shops.

Dress by David's Bridal

I actually have my dress (yay!) and I purchased it from a local consignment shop for an incredible price. Not only do I love the dress but I also walked away with the peace of mind that I was under budget, not $2000 over. I highly recommend consignment shops because they carry more expensive, and in some cases designer, gowns most for under $500. Some have been worn but many are sample sale dresses or are collected when a wedding boutique brings in new styles. 

There are lots of reasonable options out there so don't get lured into spending more than you want to spend!

Big Blossoms.

I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers.  ~Claude Monet

Confession- I might be a little too excited about flowers. 


Early on, I priced a number of florists and realized that flowers were way out of my budget. It left me with three options:
1-Not have flowers 
2-Only have bouquets and boutonniere's (which would still cost a few hundred dollars)
3-Do my own flowers


Because I love them so much, I decided on option #3-to order and arrange my own flowers. If I order wholesale and arrange them myself then I'll be able to have over 300 stems, including some more expensive blooms, like garden roses and peonies for under $500. That's about 1/5 of the cost of ordering from a florist. For example, to order just the bridal bouquet from a florist would cost more than $120. Add in the bridesmaid bouquets, boutonniere's, ceremony flowers, or any centerpieces and you're way over $1,000 just in flowers. 


I've logged some time researching good wholesale flower distributors and I thought I'd share the results of my little investigation. Whole Blossoms has the best reviews. I considered price but also reliability, selection and the quality of the flowers. So, I'll order the majority of my flowers from Whole Blossoms and pick up the rest locally. Fortunately, my talented grandmother has offered to help me with the centerpieces and bouquets. 


You could save even more by skipping flowers altogether. And there are a ton of non-floral ideas out there. Like this:

Photo by Martha Stewart Weddings

Bed and Breakfast charm

Many of our guests will be traveling long distance to attend our wedding and I'll need to book a block of rooms for their lodging. I love the idea of renting an entire bed and breakfast so that all our family and friends can stay together. This is what Sara did for her budget $2000 wedding and she raved about the results.  Even if people are coming and going on their own, at least we'd all come together for breakfast and dinner. 


I think it would be wonderful to have everyone together. I'm going to investigate and share more about this soon.

Photos from the Fairville Inn

Happy 4th of July!

In honor of the 4th, how about some sparklers at your wedding? My good friend had a sparkler send-off like the one below. It was fun for the guests and so romantic. 

Photo by In His Grace Photography

UPDATE: I really loved this idea for my wedding but I couldn't spend too much on such a little detail. After hunting around online, I had an epiphany- there are a lot of roadside fireworks stands right across most state lines in the mid-west. On a recent road-trip I stopped to hunt for a deal on sparklers. It was also the week-end after the 4th of July which meant one thing: SALE. I snagged 300 sparklers for $15. The best quote I found online was over $100. So, if you want sparklers, take a road trip and watch for firework stands. This is one instance where it's way cheaper than anything you'll find local or online. 

The art of calligraphy

I love calligraphy. It looks so beautiful on everything, from envelopes and signs to seating cards and programs. You can usually hire a calligrapher for as low as $1.50 per piece. But if you're trying to keep costs down this is a little luxury that must be cut...unless you do it yourself. I'm going to teach myself calligraphy this fall with the hopes of doing my own calligraphy. I've always wanted to learn and now is the perfect time since I'll have a lot of use for the skill. 


I have a how-to book, a kit that includes the pens and everything, and lots of time to practice. 

Paper decorations

Paper is a beautiful and inexpensive way to decorate. Streamers, for example, are a great way to decorate large spaces.

    Photo by Martha Stewart Weddings

Wall paper or wrapping paper would make a great table runner, like these from Anthropologie.

Paper chandeliers to liven up a room.

Photo by Martha Stewart Weddings

Paper garlands are a lot of work but they're so beautiful. 

Photo by Martha Stewart Weddings

More paper decoration ideas here. 

Fete.

This is the cover of Jung Lee's cooking/party planning book, Fete: The Wedding Experience. It features some extraordinary weddings. I came across it a few years ago and fell in love with this particular photo. In this case, you can judge a book by its cover. 

Have your cake... and ice cream too

                                         Photo by Restaurant Window
I love cake but cake with ice cream makes it ten times better! I've been to receptions where the couple have rented Ben and Jerry ice cream carts for their guests but I'm interested in something more local. Here is my local dairy/creamery, Woodside Farm Creamery:

Not only would I be supporting a local business but the ice cream is delicious.  Consider serving ice cream from a local creamery with your cake. Woodside Creamery is famous for its ice cream made from Jersey cow milk (the majority of U.S. milk products are made from Holstein milk). Jane and Michael Sterns from Gourmet Magazine said it was the best ice cream they've ever had, high praise indeed.

I even considered it as a possible reception site- how's that for "off the beaten path"?