DIY
WEDDINGS I N S P I R A T I O N A L
I D E A S
SPRING 2011
11 Real
Weddings How to save big on Centerpieces from the
do it for less! experts Military Wedding Stories we salute you
Wedding Shoes What are brides really wearing?
$3.99
Display Until June 1, 2011
“ASK M FAMOUS” Lifestyle Advice with
Christopher Macken DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com diyweddingsmag.com
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CEO+EDITOR+PUBLISHER K. Stelmachers SENIOR COPY EDITOR R. Brown
Christopher Macken, makeup artist, businessman, blogger, image consultant, and lifestyle stylist....From the cosmetic line he designed, to the honest answers he provides to clients in need of his chic eye for fashion, Christopher Macken's talents are many. He has worked to create The House of M Famous and Christopher Macken Concepts, the parent companies for Christopher Macken Cosmetics and Ask M Famous. Having trained under some of the best in the business and boasting a lustrous decade long career, Christopher continues to expand the House of M Famous with the newest installment, Mr. M Famous. So, Ask M Famous! Christopher Macken answers those tough questions and provides a witty and refreshing look at planning your perfect day!
ADVERSTING INQUIRES info@diyweddingsmag.com ONLINE www.diyweddingsmag.com DIY Weddings Magazine is published quarterly by The Mrs. Network, LLC. CUSTOMER SERVICE AND INQUIRES www.diyweddingsmag.com info@diyweddingsmag.com All reasonable efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in DIY Weddings Magazine. Editorial content is intended as general information. The Publisher assumes no responsibility and makes no recommendations for claims made by advertisers and shall not be liable for any damages incurred as a result of our reliance on any information contained in this publication. Copyright 2010 The Mrs. Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Cover and content may not be reproduced in whole or part by electronic or mechanical means without written permission from Publisher.
A 20 year culinary veteran, Denise Vivaldo teaches seminars and workshops across the country and has trained many of the stylists working in Los Angeles today. In 1988 Denise founded Food Fanatics, a catering, recipe-development, and food-styling firm based in Los Angeles, California. Since that time she has catered more than 10,000 events. Events such as the Academy Awards Governor’s Ball, Sunset Magazine’s Taste of Sunset, and Hollywood wrap parties. She has also catered and styled food for countless local and nationally syndicated television shows such as The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Inside the Dish with Rachel Ray. Denise is also the author of How to Start a Home-Based Catering Business, Do it for less! Weddings and Do it for less! Parties.
Cindie Flannigan has been styling, designing, and teaching with Food Fanatics since 2001. After 20 years of working as an art director and graphic designer, Cindie enrolled at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. Cooking for family and friends had always given her such joy that she decided to make a career out of food. Cindie styles food for print and television, developing and testing recipes, and materials. She is also the webmaster of www.foodfantatics.com
This issue has been so exciting to put together. From signing on all of our new experts to all the wonderful weddings and products that you all have sent to us. It’s just been a whirl wind of fun. This issue is virtually ad free. So that means every page is a resource of information. Our magazine prides itself on bringing our brides page after page of content filled with ideas and products that you can use, buy or create with a budget of $15,000 or less. Do you have a wedding idea, diy projects or a real wedding to share? Do you have a wedding product you want reviewed and featured? Do you want to contribute a wedding related article? We want to hear from you. Come share with us! Remember to make it your own!
Kym Stelmachers CEO/The Mrs. Network, LLC
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DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
CONNECT WITH US
Buy It Here or Amazon.com do it for less! Weddings
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10 Bling Diva Designs Handmade cake toppers Melissa Dell
18 Five Tips for a Flawless Walk Down the Ceremony Aisle Annemarie Juhlian
34 How to Save Big on Centerpieces do it for less! Experts Denise Vivaldo & Cindie Flannigan
12 SnapKnot The web’s best wedding photojournalist directory
20 Military Wedding Stories We salute you
38 Wedding Shoes What are brides really wearing
30 Top 5 Hot Diamond Bridal Trends for 2011 Sarah Danielson
50 Ask M Famous Lifestyle advice from Christopher Macken
14 Etsy Love Vintage and handmade products
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
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Six Thoughtful Gift Ideas F O R
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B R I D E - T O - B E
Author: Beth Baroody
An engagement is an exciting and special time for any bride. Before the bride knows it she’ll be on a whirlwind of planning, registering, and decision making. I like to get the newly engaged woman a thoughtful, unique gift just for her. Any of these gifts could be given at an engagement party, bridal shower, or just because.
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RING HOLDER - Even if the bride already has a jewelry box, she can use one of these at her kitchen sink or in the bathroom to safeguard her new engagement ring.
GIFT CERTIFICATE FOR DEVELOPING PHOTOS - Many pictures will be taken during the engagement and she’ll want to have those memories forever. For added gift-giving punch, you could pair the gift card with a picture frame or photo album. GIFT CERTIFICATE TO A CRAFT STORE - If the bride to be is the more crafty type, she might appreciate a gift certificate to a craft store. She could purchase scrapbooking supplies or any number of do it herself items for the wedding. GIFT CERTIFICATE FOR A MANICURE - This is to go with her shiny, new engagement ring that she’ll proudly show everyone, of course. Pairing the gift card with a nice hand cream or nail polish would round out this gift nicely.
STATIONERY WITH HER MARRIED NAME ON IT - What engaged woman wouldn’t love seeing her soon to be married name on some pretty stationery?
GIFT BASKET - You could go with just about any gift basket theme, but stress relief items like bath salts, candles, and a relaxing CD come to mind.
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
CONNECT WITH US
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{Real Weddings} 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92
Amanda & Brian, New York Jennifer & Michael, New York Rebecca & Cameron, Indiana Jen & Matt, California Suzanne & Nathan, Ohio Gwendolyn & Cliff, Georgia Melissa & Joseph, Kentucky Cindy & Roger, New York Brianne & Jesse, New York Holly & Brock, Florida Rachel & Vincent, Florida
98 The Venetian Cake Sabrina Kuratana
118 Sugar Art Ban Bakes of Paris
100 Scrumptious Cupcakes Pretty Witty Cakes
120 Cookie Art A Cake Dream
110 The Ultimate Fruit & Veggie Buffet
122 A Modern Christmas Wedding Meets Chic Peppermint Photo Shoot D. Park Photography
Esther Kim of My Bride Story
116 DIY Wedding Invitations Inspired Brides
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
131 8 Spring Bouquets
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DIY PROJECT | cupcakevase.com
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DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
Enjoy these sweet, 100% fat free cupcake vases Flexible, non breakable and spill resistant Made from safe, non-latex EVA, they are re-usable and recyclable Placement holes are central dome shape create the perfect arrangement every time Simply squeeze the top to open fill or clean At 4.5 x 4� these vases make an impressive yet low profile table centerpiece for festive occasions and weddings. Designed with professional or DIY florists in mind, these non-breakable vases are ideal for transporting. They also come with a carry strap. Best of all there is no need for floral foam. You can get your cupcake vase in bubblegum, vanilla, lavender, chocolate, raspberry and lemon at Fluer Daily.
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
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Soul MatesŠ Personalized Marble Plaque
Love brought us together and we were brought together by love. This timeless sentiment is an impressive way to let your special someone know how deeply your love runs for them. We'll personalize any 1-line below the exclusive design for a one-of-a-kind keepsake they will be sure to treasure through the years. The tumbled marble tile is a natural product and variations in color and texture are to be expected. Plaque measures 6" x 6" x 3/8" thick and weighs just over a pound. Makes an impressive gift for weddings, anniversaries, Valentine's Day or any romantic occasion to let them know you much you care. (Easel sold separately.)
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DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
Because Of YouŠ Photo Canvas Art The creative design featuring your first names connected by a soft ampersand "&" is set against any color or black and white photo, for a lasting and memorable keepsake for years to come. We apply a transparency to your photo, creating a soft background for the verse applied in black text.
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
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SPOTLIGHT | blingdivadesigns.com
Bling
Diva Designs Owner: Melissa Dell
During the planning of Melissa’s wedding in 2008, she wanted to put as much “of them” in their wedding that she could. With a limited budget, and she scoured every web and local resource trying to find her ideal cake topper without spending a lot of money. Melissa was looking for some ”bling” to adorn her cake. Not finding what she wanted, Melissa went to work making her own. Through trial and error, she finally created her vision. Today, Melissa owns her own custom cake topper business, Bling Diva Designs. Melissa works with an exclusive manufacturer to machine cut each custom design, then hand selects each set of crystals. Each topper is pure perfection!
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DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
with love Add a bit of love and sparkle to your wedding cake! The XOXO cake topper measures approximately 5" by 5" and covered in Swarovski Crystals or Preciosa Crystals. The topper will also include the acrylic rods to insert into cake. Melissa Dell Bling Divas Designs {blingdivasdesigns.com} Photography J. Guess Photography {jguessphotography.com}
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
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SPOTLIGHT | snapknot.com
Meet Reid and Mike, the two geniuses behind SnapKnot. The web’s best wedding photojournalist directory. We ask Reid and Mike to share with us how they came about creating SnapKnot and how their services bring brides and photographers together.
How did the idea come about? My co-founder Mike and I launched the site in February of 2010. Neither of us are photographers or have any previous wedding industry experience, though Mike has a background in Marketing. The seed of the idea actually came from Reid’s experience when he and his wife were married back in 2007. They had a very frustrating time trying to find a photographer. They spent a lot of time on Google searches and on the current "big media" wedding sites that don't do a very good job in terms of making it easy for brides to compare photographers who match their basic criteria. How did the partnership develop? Mike and Reid, freshman year roommates from their days back at Dartmouth College, had been talking for a while about going into business together. Reid thought that there was a need in the marketplace for engaged couples to find photographers who matched their location and budget range and compare them easily. That was what began SnapKnot. What is your goal? Our goal is to make SnapKnot the hands down go-to place for brides searching for their wedding photographer, and for wedding photographers looking to use the online space to grow their businesses.
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Why are you different? We feel we are different than other big wedding sites out there because we cater exclusively to wedding photographers. As you’ve probably noticed, the site is very photocentric, which gives the photographers the exposure they are looking for (their photos speak for themselves) and brides the visual inspiration they are looking for. What do you offer brides & photographers? Given the fact that wedding photography is 100% our focus, we are able to promote photographers heavily via social media and provide an efficient and well-targeted experience for both our photographers and our end users (future brides). Brides will not get overwhelmed by too many different types of vendors and will have the ability to easily search and filter. On the photographer side, we work exclusively on growing the businesses of our members. We don’t think there is another outfit around who is working to this end in such a concentrated manner. What is the main benefit? Overall, we believe the main benefit of being on SnapKnot is to increase bookings through exposure to potential clients via a simple, fun, photocentric website working exclusively on their behalf to grow their businesses.
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
snapknot.com | SPOTLIGHT
What do you provide? We provide an even playing field for photographers - we aren't arbiters of style or taste (which are ultimately very personal anyway) so we feel that it is best to empower brides to choose photographers they like who fit their budget and location. For the photographers, especially newer photographers trying to establish themselves, it provides them an opportunity to compete with the big boys by letting their work speak for itself - and this is very important as an initial decision point for brides (i.e. "Do I like this photographer's work?"). To this end, any wedding photographer can sign up for SnapKnot. It’s a simple online process open to all, though we do screen profiles just to make sure they are not spam or otherwise inappropriate. Aside from all of these factors above, we believe we are breaking the industry norm by making the site really easy for wedding photographers to use. They don’t have to worry about sales people, long term contracts, or uneditable profiles. With SnapKnot they can get started in 5 minutes, change their subscription type at any time, and also modify their profile with a simple log in and easy to use member Dashboard. Connect for Free Finding and contacting a wedding photographer on SnapKnot is completely free. If you want to learn more about a photographer, click on the buttons in their profile to visit their website or blog. You can email them directly by clicking on the “Contact Me” button. You can even chat with them in real-time via Skype. Just look for the green Skype icons on photographer listings, which indicate that a photographer is online and ready to answer your questions!
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
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SPOTLIGHT | my-ever-after.com
Love
If you love handmade items, you no doubt have heard of Etsy.com. In each issue we try to feature one Etsy.com shop because we just love all of their products. This fabric and organza flower bouquet is stunning. The owner Liz, of My-Ever-After.com shared with me her inspiration around her handmade items. “Even at a very young age, I was creative. My fondest memories are of watching my mother oil paint, for hours on end, without saying a word. The creative process has always fascinated me. How one can begin with the basic materials and create something so beautiful and life-like is just inspiring!” “My Etsy shop is devoted to weddings; one of life’s most romantic moments, and being a hopeless romantic myself I can’t help but love creating items for brides on their special day. Much of what I make is made to order, so that brides can have exactly what they want, in any color or style.” See more of lovely creations @ {my-ever-after.com}.
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DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
The Fabric and Organza Buttercup Flowers along with the Paisley Daisies, were inspired by my childhood in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We lived in a log cabin on a large property along a dirt road, and every spring and summer the field near our home would be filled with wildflowers. I miss that now, living in a more urban area, so I decided to recreate it; using organza tulle, polyester and satin ribbons and fabrics. Each flower is hand stitched together and embellished with pearl beads to add a little elegance.
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
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SPOTLIGHT | my-ever-after.com
Love
We couldn’t just feature one of Liz’s marvelous creations, so here is the lovely Lady Jane Bouquet. What was behind this inspiration? “The Lady Jane Vintage Inspired Button Bouquet is named after my favorite author, Jane Austen. The inspiration behind it is that I wanted to create a bouquet that exemplified all that was feminine and lady-like, something right out of a Jane Austen novel. Incorporating various shades of pink, chocolate brown and ivory buttons along with a few more whimsical buttons in the shapes of butterflies, fans, hearts and Victorian shoes. I think any bride would adore this bouquet even long after her wedding is over as a keepsake of that extraordinary day.” “It also reminds me of the years I worked on Mackinac Island, where it almost felt like you’re living in that era. So it’s a very special piece for me.”
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DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
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ADVICE | wedbyannemarie.com
By Annemarie Juhlian, Seattle Wedding Officiant
Annemarie Juhlian is a Seattle, WA Non-Denominational Wedding Officiant & Minister. She works with couples of all faiths and traditions to create contemporary and personalized ceremonies. Annemarie has been recognized by The Knot and Wedding Channel in 2011 as the “Best of The Knot Wedding Officiant – Seattle.” She lives outside of Seattle on Bainbridge Island with her husband, Greg, and their family of four special needs dogs. When she isn’t working in the wedding world, you can most often find her working in dog rescue/rehabilitation throughout Seattle/Tacoma, WA.
Ah, the famous “walk down the aisle!” In my work life as a Non-Denominational Wedding Officiant & Minister, I work with many couples and their families/friends each year to make it down the wedding aisle in style. Most of the time, a processional works. On occasion, it blows up! I invite you to take a few minutes to read on as I offer 5 tips for a flawless walk down the aisle: Just Do It: Rehearsal – Most often a processional blows up or goes sideways because a couple decides a rehearsal is too much hassle. If you are having a wedding ceremony, a rehearsal is not only a beautiful opportunity to practice the processional but it helps to insure a couple is more present and at ease on their wedding day. Why? Because a rehearsal “grounds” a couple and makes them comfortable in their bodies – they know what to do to get elegantly down the wedding aisle. Because a bride and groom knows what to do and what to expect, they remember more of a huge emotional experience. Music Cues: Get It Right – I love music for a processional and all kinds of music for a walk down the aisle. Ensure you have a person in charge who cues in members of your 18
wedding party and who has also worked with your DJ or live music group to get the cues right. Also, if you can budget for it, live music for a wedding ceremony is exquisite and sweet and most musicians can seamlessly orchestrate music transitions for a wedding party. I love the IPod BUT I’m not crazy about it for a wedding ceremony. Oftentimes the person working the IPod doesn’t get the cues right and/or the transition between music transitions is jarring and uneven. Select An Officiant Who Takes Responsibility For Your Full Ceremony – Or Select A “Go To” Friend – A fabulous Wedding Officiant doesn’t stand there and wait for the music to begin. He or she takes full responsibility for a wedding ceremony and works to insure an easy and comfortable processional. When you hire your Officiant/ Minister, insure that they are indeed taking over your processional, especially if you don’t have a wedding planner or “day of “coordinator. If your Officiant/Minister isn’t full service in this way, pull in a friend to take responsibility for the success of your processional in all ways. Take Advantage of The “Kid Factor” – Children bring such joy to a ceremony. If you have a gathering of family and friends with a lot of kids, consider having a “children’s parade” which processes down the aisle before the bride. The children could even have their own small instruments and create their own music! Also, most children never make it fully down the aisle without a “moment” or a hiccup and this only creates more happiness and joy on a wedding day . Heads Up/Smile/Enjoy! This might seem trite, but it’s true. I encourage a wedding party, family and the bride/ groom to fully enjoy a processional by creating eye contact with others while walking down the aisle, keeping head up and allowing a big smile and/or joy to show on their face.
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
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FEATURE | Military Stories
Wedding 20 20
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
Photography: Jennifer Weems Photography
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Weddings
WEDDING: November 13 , 2010 ♼ RECEPTION: Private Residence, Arizona PHOTOGRAPHER: Jennifer Weems Photography See more of their wedding on diyweddingsmag.com
Shalyn & Cody
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
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Shalyn & Cody
How did you two meet? We were introduced to one another through his cousin, Lance. I was working in Phoenix with Lance and Cody got stationed in Yuma during summer of 2008. Cody was visiting Lance often and asked if he knew anyone his age in the area that would be willing to hang out on the weekends and show him around the college town areas. Lance introduced us and we spent the first few months just getting to know each other on the phone. The first time we actually met in person was our first date! How long was your engagement? We got engaged on March 5, 2010 and planned our beautiful wedding for November 13, 2010. What inspired your wedding theme? I like to call our theme Classy-Rustic-Southwest. It was inspired by both the location and our love for the southwest. I was raised in Scottsdale, AZ and Cody is from TX. Our venue was in the beautiful backyard of my best friend Katelyn Johnson's parents. It was a large open desert landscape in both the front and back of the house. What inspired your wedding color pallet? I actually chose my bridesmaid dresses first and absolutely fell in love with the Sangria color. I used that as the base color for our wedding. Then found a picture in a wedding magazine that had DIY tips on bouquets showcasing the Sangria color I picked out. I wanted to keep the colors vibrant so they would stand out during our completely outdoor wedding.
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DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
Shalyn & Cody | REAL WEDDINGS
What was special about where you got married? We searched for months for a venue that was available and within our tight budget. Considering the timeline we wanted to have our wedding in, we had little to no luck. I had discussed my issue with one of my bridesmaids who actually knew of a wonderful place to check out - her parents’ house! Peggy was an amazing help and came to our rescue with allowing us the use of their backyard. The spot ended up being all that I could have imagined and more! The layout and the landscaping was perfect for what we were hoping to find, and she was extremely flexible and worked with our budget! What was behind the design of the cake? Our cake was a wedding gift from my bridesmaid Katelyn. She shopped for cakes with me and looked at several designs before she planned her surprise for me. I wanted to keep it simple and elegant, but we also wanted to have mini-cupcakes for everyone to eat instead of the large wedding cake. She made a two tier cake with vanilla and red velvet layers, and 300 mini-cupcakes. I'm so glad we did the cupcakes, they were such a great hit with the guests, was perfect for a bite size treat and guests could choose between the two flavors. What do-it-yourself projects did you do? Due to the tight budget we had, our wedding was filled with DIY projects. I designed and made the invitations, bouquets, table decorations/center pieces, seating assignment board, flower hair pieces that the bridesmaids and flower girls wore, flower girl baskets, and the thank you gifts. I was blessed to have the best Maid-of-Honor who helped me with several of these projects. What advice do you have for other brides? The biggest thing to remember is that this is your day, and it only happens once so make sure it’s the way you want it to be. You're going to stress out, hear other people’s opinions and worry about everything - but as long as you make decisions for yourself it will all be worth it. Also, if you're on a tight budget, don't be afraid to look for good DIY projects wherever you can.
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Weddings
WEDDING: August 21, 2010 ♼ PHOTOGRAPHER: Nine Photography RECEPTION: Lofty Spaces, Dallas, TX See more of their wedding on diyweddingsmag.com
Hannah & Karl
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
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REAL WEDDINGS | Hannah & Karl
How did you two meet? Karl & I met early in our high school days through our church in Arlington Texas, Park Springs Bible Church, and had a fun but strictly friends relationship for several years. We then parted ways as I went off to The University of Arkansas and he to Texas A&M in Commerce. Home for the summer after our freshman year of college, we both volunteered to serve as counselors for our old youth group as they served Arlington through a local mission project. Karl & I saw each other differently that week for some reason; serving the students and community while having fun with other friends back for the summer was apparently the right equation for flirting and a first date. The night of our first date was also one week before I went back to Arkansas so we knew we were signing up for a long distance relationship. Worse than that, Karl was not just home from Commerce for the summer but home to prepare for his departure to US Air Force basic training. He certainly hadn’t foreseen falling for an old friend right before he left and I not for a military man. We were officially on the fast track to the most challenging three years of our lives. But he was so charming and funny, loved The Lord, and was genuinely wooing me. How long was your engagement? Karl & I were engaged for 13 months. A large chunk of our engagement was during Karl’s deployment. That really stunk, to be honest. I kept myself really busy and distracted with wedding plans and finishing my last semester of college. Because literally our entire 3+ year dating relationship was spent long distance, the deployment wasn’t too different, just an extended time of not seeing him. What inspired your wedding theme? I wanted my wedding to reflect my home. It was important to me that my family and friends feel the same in my wedding spaces that they would in my living room- warm, inspired, clean, close to me. I knew that we would be able to achieve that because we were doing almost everything ourselves…and because I’m a control freak. The fun thing now is that the things that decorated my wedding spaces now decorate my new home with my husband; that is exactly what I wanted! What inspired your wedding color pallet? I think my colors were the very first decision I made. I have always loved grey and yellow and knew that they would be my colors from the day Karl asked me to marry him. I sort of resented how popular that color combination has become in the world of weddings so I determined to do it differently. It ended up not being this really loud GREY and YELLOW theme; I chose other things around it but they weren’t the only colors to avoid it looking cliché.
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DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
Hannah & Karl
What was special about where you got married? Six weeks prior to our wedding both the ceremony and reception were planned and scheduled to be at the same venue. After a catastrophic and basically horrific series of events, we had to find a new venue for the ceremony. We decided on the church I was raised in. The church and it’s congregation has supported my family and I through good times and bad, and had prayed over Karl before he left for basic training. What was behind the design of the cake? I knew I had to prioritize my budget. I just have never had a desire for a big tiered cake so that was automatically a great way to save money and get creative. We outsourced the cake baking to a family friend at our church. That meant my cake design had to be executed at a home kitchen - not an industrial kitchen. I wanted to use multiple bundt cakes of all different flavors. The “groom’s cake” were actually cookies that Karl’s mom made because that is his favorite dessert. It saved us so much money and the cookies were actually the biggest hit on the whole dessert table! Meaningful and delicious! What do-it-yourself projects did you do? The real question should be, what DIY projects did we not do? My grandmother did all the floral arrangements, even centerpieces. We bought the flowers wholesale. My sister hand sewed my garter using flowers and pieces from my mom’s wedding dress. My dad used old fence panels to make the backdrop of the ceremony; these were also used as the foundation for the old family pictures and where we strung the table assignments at the reception. My sweet mom hand cut all 300 placemats out of yellow burlap, we hand-picked each guest’s cloth napkin and tied it to a card that had information printed on it which corresponded to the table that the guest was sitting at. My sister hand stamped the “h & k” on each guest’s favor bag then filled it with salt water taffy which was then tied with a tag that we aged with oil pastels and customized with scrapbook paper and wrote, “so sweet of you to come”. My mom & I spent hours writing meaningful words on tags and tying them to mason jars to personalize them a bit. I made the table numbers with scrapbook paper, an inkjet printer, grommets, and a necklace. My dad & husband cut some of the trees in my parent’s backyard and then cut disks of that wood to give texture and height to centerpieces and votives. I hand painted signs out of old cabinet fronts to hang on the backs of Karl and my chairs, above old family pictures, dessert table, and other various places in the reception venue. We strung jute along an old door so that guests could clip notes to Karl & I along it. Their notes were written on various shades of yellow paint chips we collected from home improvement stores, Aspen wood logs were hollowed out to be used as vases and we added legs to old windowpanes to be used as tables. What advice do you have for other brides? Let me tell you, our photography was hands down the best money we spent. I urge brides around the world to hire out photography. It is not an area to try to do-it-yourself.
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
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TRENDS | 2011
Top 5 Hot Diamond Bridal Trends for 2011 Last year seemed studded with colored stones in engagement rings, but 2011 promises a return to the traditional. As always, the pendulum swings one way and then it swings the other. If celebrity holiday engagements are any indication of what’s to come, then we can all expect a year filled with colorless diamonds and platinum bands (Reese Witherspoon received a fourcarat stunner from agent Jim Toth, while Eddie Cibrian topped the charts by finally giving Leann Rimes a five-carat rock for her ring finger). But it’s not all about the engagement. The trends that have infested the big question will no doubt spill over into the big day, so if you’re looking for some diamond jewelry to adorn yourself with when you walk down the aisle, here are a few hints to help you hit the trends this year. Pave settings. Although the pave setting has peppered the market over the last couple of years, the trend continues to gain popularity. And who can blame women for falling in love with a large central stone surrounded by a halo of diamond accents? While you’ll probably want to avoid crowding your fingers with any rings on the day you’ll be receiving such a special one, you can opt for some pave-set earrings or a pendant necklace to accent your ensemble without detracting from your bridal radiance. Odd shapes. Whether you prefer pear, oval, or emerald, today’s wedding jewelry is all about the oddball shapes. While you still can’t go wrong with the traditional round-cut diamonds for just about any bridal jewelry, the trend right now is to opt for something just a little out of round. So rather than
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following in the footsteps of last year’s trend-setters by seeking colored stones (which, by the way, go out of fashion pretty fast), go for an interesting shape instead. Just be careful to stick to one shape. Choosing several different ones will ruin the statement and leave you looking like you grabbed your jewelry in the dark. Antique. It doesn’t get more traditional than choosing antique (or retro-looking) settings. If you want to be one of the many brides this year who goes this route, think about getting jewelry set in platinum (which is really the best metal to use anyway since it never tarnishes and it’s not nearly as soft as gold) and consider pieces that have some filigree or other intricate and delicate embellishment. Of course, you could also raid Grandma’s jewelry cabinet and get your “something old” out of the way. Diamond encrusting. If bling is your thing but you’re afraid of going overboard, select pieces that are encrusted with diamonds rather than sporting large stones. If you’re not sure what to look for, take a peek at the Bella ring (styled for the character from the Twilight movies) to get a better idea. Custom-made. If you have a good idea what you want but seem to be having trouble finding it, then approach a jeweler whose work you admire to see about getting something custom-made. This is very on-trend and it ensures that you’ll hit the aisle as your own picture of perfection on your special day. Sarah Danielson writes for Adiamor Engagement Rings where you can find a large assortment of engagement ring settings, loose diamonds, and other fine diamond jewelry.
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
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Photography: Kellie McCann Photography
Candles ~ Pillars ~ Votives ~
Glass Tealight Holders $.99ea./5colors at shop.hobbylobby.com
Bulk Candles at dlightonline.com
White Luminaria Lanterns are a truly unique concept for candlelight decorating for wedding centerpieces. 4 for $6.99 at candlesjustonline.com
Floating Glass Oil Candle Includes 4" fiberglass wick. Bulk Orders start at $2.45 ea at nationalartcraft.com
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100% Beeswax Tealight Candles 24 - $16.00 15 colors/slight honey scent at beeswaxtealightcandles.com
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
Tea Lights ~ Glass Holders Fuchsia Pink Hobmail Hanging Glass Candle Holder and Vase - $3.25 ea. at lunabazaar.com 8 Colors/24+ @ $2.80
Create your own tealight apple candles with the Candle Carver $11.99 ea. kitchenkapers.com
Floating Glass Tealight Candle Holder Uses standard tea light or warming candle. Bulk orders start at $1.95 ea. nationalartcraft.com Floating Candles 40 trendy colors/4 sizes—$2.99 - $15.99 at yummicandles.com
The 15hr unscented votive candle in 40 trendy colors - 9 for $4.99 at yummicandles.com
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
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STYLE | Do It For Less! Experts
by Denise Vivaldo and Cindie Flannigan
Centerpieces are a big part of most weddings.
add fresh-cut flower food, available from your
Because of their traditional importance, this is an
florist, to prolong the life of the arrangement.
area where many brides tend to throw their budgets out the window. It’s easy to feel like
Securing arrangements: When trying to arrange
vendors are only after your money, not concerned
and secure branches, grasses, and bamboo stalks,
with helping you make your day special. But this is
mold a square of chicken wire across the top of the
an area you can easily take on yourself or entrust to
vase to hold the stems in place. You can cover this
a friend or relative with a good eye for design. Keep
with parts of the arrangement, itself, or with
reading for some easy and beautiful ideas to
decorative ribbon.
consider. Make it short and sweet: Homegrown options:
It is much easier to make short arrangements than
Do you have flowers in your garden you can use? If
to make tall ones. An easy arranging trick is to hold
not flowers, do you have a bush or tree with great
the flowers tightly together in a small bouquet, then
leaves that can be used for filler? Check out the local
cut all the stems so they are an even length and
farmers’ market just before closing time for great
arrange in the vase. If you’re unsure about what
deals on flowers.
flowers will work, take the vase along to a florist and ask for advice.
Preserve for long life: Remove any foliage that will be under the water line and cut the stems on an angle. Use warm water and
A 20 year culinary veteran, Denise Vivaldo teaches seminars and workshops across the country and has trained many of the stylists working in Los Angeles today.
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Cindie Flannigan has been styling, designing, and teaching with Food Fanatics since 2001.
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
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Staying in season: Cut flowers such as daffodils, hyacinth, lilacs, peonies, ranunculus, or tulips always say “spring”. Arrange them in small galvanized vases or buckets for a rustic display. For an alternative, use an empty clean coffee can with the label removed. Tie with a bow of raffia or paint the cans in bright primary colors to complement the flowers. Turn back the petals of tulips to give the flowers a more open, airy look. See
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our seasonality chart below for what’s blooming in spring. {IMAGE: 1}
Go monochrome: If you are overwhelmed by the sheer choice and variety of flowers, try sticking to one type and color. An all-white arrangement will work with almost any décor. Potted plants: Potted herbs and flowering plants also work well for tabletop décor and can be potted a week before the wedding. No need to re-pot them; just place the plant in an inexpensive terracotta pot that is slightly larger than the plastic pot in which it was purchased. Plant the arrangements after the party or give them away as favors. {IMAGE: 2}
Vases and other containers: Use clear vases or containers that have narrow necks and wide bases. This way you only need a minimum
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number of stems to fill them. Fill a glass vase with cherries, pebbles, or thick slices of lemons and limes to help keep the flowers in place and add another dimension to the floral arrangement. {IMAGE: 3}
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
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STYLE | Do It For Less! Experts
Don't limit yourself to floral centerpieces. Here are some other components for striking arrangements. Coffee beans: Use coffee beans to fill shallow bowls, square vases, or trifle dishes. This dark, luxuriant bean gives off a delicious aroma. Nestle a flower blossom among the beans or a tea light candle. Rocks that rock: Fill vases or shallow dishes with river rocks to create an outdoors, marine feel to your wedding. This works well for outdoor-themed weddings. Farmer’s market:
Lush greenery:
The produce aisle carries an amazing assortment of colors,
Greenery is less expensive than flowers but can still
textures, and sizes that you can use to create fabulous
create a lovely look for your wedding. Since it is not
centerpieces. You've likely seen lemons and limes in tall,
traditionally treated as the main point in a wedding
clear column vases before. But think beyond that—whole or
centerpiece, when greenery arrangements are creatively
halved pomegranates, sliced blood oranges or kiwi,
done they are attention grabbing.
autumnal pears, gourds, apples, and pumpkins, monochromatic green artichokes, asparagus, and herbs. The
Wispy feathers:
list is endless! Take advantage of this veritable cornucopia
Colorful or white feathers and plumes make stunning
of natural foods to complement your menu and theme.
centerpieces when used to fill tall, slender glass vases. Choose a color to match the décor of your wedding. In our next column we’ll give you alternatives to traditional wedding cakes that can be easily made ahead of time, that are just as beautiful, just as delicious, and a lot more fun, with ideas like this: As an alternative to a traditional wedding cake, we’ve made 8-inch cakes decorated with fresh flowers to serve as centerpieces on the guest tables, with another 8-inch cake for the bride and groom to cut. This is an easy project to take on as the cakes can be made up to two months ahead of time if wrapped well and frozen.
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DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
Flowers i n
Do It For Less! Experts | STYLE
season
SPRING FLOWERS
COLOR
ANEMONE
WHITE, PINK, RED, PURPLE
BABY'S BREATH
WHITE
BACHELOR'S BUTTON
WHITE, PINK, RED, BLUE
BELLS OF IRELAND
GREEN
BORONIA
PINK
CALLA LILY
WHITE, YELLOW
CALLA LILY, MINI
MOST COLORS
CARNATIONS
MOST COLORS
CASA BLANCA LILY
WHITE
DAFFODIL
YELLOW
DELPHINIUM
WHITE, BLUE
GARDENIA
WHITE
GLADIOLUS
MANY COLORS
HEATHER
PINK
HYACINTH
WHITE, PINK, PURPLE
LILAC
WHITE, VIOLET
LILY OF THE VALLEY
WHITE, PINK
NARCISSUS
WHITE
ORCHID
MOST COLORS
PEONY
WHITE, PINK
PROTEA
PINK
RANUNCULUS
WHITE, PINK, ORANGE, RED, YELLOW
ROSE
MOST COLORS
SCABIOSA
WHITE, PINK, PURPLE
STAR GAZER LILY
WHITE, PINK
SWEETPEA
WHITE, PINK, RED, PEACH, PURPLE
TULIP
MOST COLORS
WAXFLOWER
WHITE, PINK
The photo credits : Denise Vivialdo HS, Victor Boghossian, Cindie Flannigan HS, Edward Covello ~Purple Flowers Potted, Matt Armendariz ~ Red Flower, Matt Armendariz ~ Yellow Ranunculus, Matt Armendariz ~ Tulips Flipped HR, Victor Boghossian ~Fruit Veg, Food Fanatics, Inc.
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
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Shoes
Photography: Calculated Style Photography {above}
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DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
We asked brides to share what they are wearing under their wedding dresses. Here is what they had to show us. We think you will be surprised!
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
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STYLE | Wedding Shoes
Flowers 40
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
Photography: {Left} Maria Angela Photography {Right } Kristin Vanzant Photography
Wedding Shoes | STYLE
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STYLE | Wedding Shoes
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DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
Photography: {Left} Joe Hendricks Photography {Right } Heidi O Photography {Bottom} Photography by Verdi
Wedding Shoes | STYLE
Beachy
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STYLE | Wedding Shoes
Casual 44
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
Photography: {Left} Drew Anderson Photography {Right Top} Gideon Photography, Wai Reyes Photography {Bottom} Kristin Vanzant Photography
Wedding Shoes | STYLE
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STYLE | Wedding Shoes
Bows
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Photography: {Left} Studio B Photography {Right } Angel Canary Photography
Wedding Shoes | STYLE
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STYLE | Wedding Shoes
Bling 48
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Photography: {Left} Sphynge Photography {Right } Caught You On Camera, Heidi O Photography {Bottom} Kellie McCann Photography
Wedding Shoes | STYLE
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
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STYLE | Ask M Famous
M Famous Mr M Famous, I follow you on Twitter and just had to toss this question out to you once I saw that you would be writing for DIY. I am getting married for the THIRD time - the first 2 marriages just didn't work out. We are still working on picking a date and pulling the whole thing together. So, this is my question for you - what is the proper etiquette, attire, formalities, etc. for a (gasp) third wedding? My future husband and I are not completely oblivious to the idea that having a full wedding day around a third wedding may be silly, but we would like to celebrate with the ones we love. Thanks in advance for the help. Oh, and please, leave my name off…. Third time's the charm Answer: I completely understand your obvious doubts on how you should go about carrying out your nuptials for the third time around. I would say that first you have to be grateful and thankful for the things you learned from the first two marriages. By shining a positive light on the two prior "not so better halves" you take away any negativity that you may inadvertently place on the third. Let's face it, sometimes things don't work out and your wedded bliss fades into a wedded miss. However, you should not stop yourself from being excited about marrying your third husband. You should be the most excited of all! You now know exactly what you are looking for in your prince charming! I say, enjoy the day as though it were your first. You do not have to be as elaborate with the actual ceremony, but you can still make it a day to remember. Have a small wedding with friends and family and allow the wedding to seamlessly transition into a celebration of love and friendship with the ones that you hold near and dear to your heart. If you have children from your first two marriages, allow them to be a part of the planning process and make it not only a union between you and your “Groom To Be” but a union of a family - one that will stand the test of time. Besides what you save on the actual
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"pomp and circumstance," you can spend on the RING!!!!!! (wink) This one is a keeper! Mr M Famous Dear Mr. M Famous, I am desperately seeking your opinion in hopes that you can help me finally make a very tough but super exciting decision. My fiancé and I are getting married in September of this year in Chicago. We are having a small wedding - 50-75 people - at a retro little restaurant in the city. So here is my question, should I wear a cocktail dress (short) or a traditional wedding dress (long). I truly love both and just need you to help me decide.... Sincerely, Waffling in the Windy City A: Great question. I am a firm believer that you should fit the attire of any event with the atmosphere surrounding you. You wouldn't wear a Valentino gown to do your gardening or a bathing suit to a children's birthday party. Be sure to "dress the part." In keeping with the decor and theme of the space in which you will be wed, I personally love the idea of a retro style cocktail dress, and retro is definitely back - as if it ever left. Might I suggest a designer that I personally love? Simone Carvalli is bridal genius! The dresses have a certain “throw back" feel all the while staying relevant…yet you will not look back and think “what was I thinking?!” I think you will like what you see. When all is said and done my dear, be sure that your special day is just that, “your day." Enjoy every moment and wear what makes you feel best. Congrats, and I raise my Venti White Chocolate Caramel Mocha to you and say, “May you both have an M Famous life together!" Be M Famous, Mr M Famous
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
Ask M Famous | STYLE
Hey there Mr. M Famous, I have a bridesmaid question. I am getting married in June, and I just graduated from college in December. I have SO MANY girlfriends that I could/should ask to be bridesmaids, but to be quite honest, I just do not want a large bridal party. I would like to just have my sister and one cousin. I want to recognize these friends that I love so much, but I am not sure how?? I thought about making them "Honorary Bridesmaids," but my fiancé says that sounds like the B-Team for bridesmaids. Do you have any thoughtful ideas to help me?
asked at all. Here's to a stress free beautiful day! Mr M Famous Dear Mr. M Famous, Oh, have I got a question for you.....I hope you're ready for it....My friends and family all tell me that black is my signature color, and I have often joked that I would even wear a black wedding dress someday, thinking it sounded totally crazy. BUT, now that my big day is approaching, I am actually considering doing it! Is that completely nuts?
{Left Photo} My Bridal Dress - .mybridaldress.com {Right } BridalShoppe– etsy.com {C. Macken} Kevin Ekmark
Thanks a lot, Bunches of Bridesmaids
Thanks for the help, The Bride Wore...Black?!
A. This is one of those situations that if handled properly will turn out just fine, and you can arrive at that “safe place" by following these simple steps. First of all you cannot show weakness! It is common knowledge that bridesmaids and their “want to be" counterparts can smell fear! Make your decision and stay cool, calm and collected about it. If they sense that you are unsure of your stance, then be assured they will put pressure on you - next thing you know you will have 77 and a half Maids of Honor. Say things like, “I am only having two close family members as bridesmaids," and "Just be relieved that you are free from a tacky bridesmaid's dress." If you don't make it a big deal, neither will they. If they do, then ignore it. After all it is your wedding! Secondly, you can acknowledge them in a number of ways. There is always the traditional toast, but I prefer a different approach. Have two sections directly behind the family seating area that is for your “girls" and his “boys". Have them escorted in right after the family and right before you begin your procession. This way they have their chance to say… “I know and love her." I love this idea, as it gives the rest of the attendees the chance to see how many great friends you have. This idea will also cut down on hair and makeup costs not to mention all the hustle and bustle and bobby pins that come along with a lot of bridesmaids. I have been behind the scenes of many weddings and the more heads of hair there are to tease and spray, the more stress it puts on the bride.
A: Well, well, well...I have been waiting for this question. I too love to wear black, and honestly, I would wear another color, but I can't seem to find anything darker. With that being said, I am not sure that a solid black wedding dress is the best choice for multiple reasons. One, you may end up regretting the bold choice in the future. Wedding pictures will appear at gatherings when you least expect it and wearing such a non-traditional color on the day of your nuptials may open you up to a lifetime of defending your choice. Secondly, unless your uncle's name is “Fester” and your ring bearer is “Thing," such a bold fashion decision could appear to be mocking the day instead of embracing it. Now, having said that, let me suggest an option that I feel might just accomplish your goal - accessorize and highlight your gown with black. The "Victoria" wedding dress from White House Black Market is accented with a black sash and feathers. Accessorize the rest of the look with some black jewelry to give the color choice a sense of purpose. To really pull the whole, very chic look together, add a pair of black pumps! Ok, I think I just got excited. I will never encourage you to stifle yourself or suppress your own style, but I will also never encourage a bride to do something that she may regret. After all, sometimes you can make a very pointed statement without screaming at the whole room. Be M Famous, Mr M Famous
Oh and P.S. your fiancé is correct. I would think that only giving someone a title would upset them more than not being
Do you have a style question you want to ask M Famous? Send it to askmfamous@christophermacken.com DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
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Weddings
WEDDING: July 26, 2009 ♼ PHOTOGRAPHER: Photography by Verdi RECEPTION: Ocean Bleau, Westhampton Beach, NY See more of their wedding on diyweddingsmag.com
Amanda & Brian
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
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REAL WEDDINGS | Amanda & Brian
How did you two meet? Brian and I met through what I often describe as a series of random events. Several years ago, I placed a personal ad with an online dating service, at my mom’s prompting. Never really thinking anything would come of it, I posted an ad. When I got home the next night, I cautiously checked my email, and there were three emails, but one in particular caught my eye. It was from an interesting guy. A guy from a town I’d never heard of, who, in one short paragraph, completely threw me with an amazing sense of humor and a funny photograph of himself pretending to lick his friend’s forehead. We talked on the phone a few days after emailing back and forth. We decided that we should just meet. That is how the whole thing started. How long was your engagement? Brian proposed to me on his 30th birthday, on August 7, 2008, in front of the movie theater where we met years before. We planned our wedding in just about 10 months and were married the following June. What inspired your wedding theme? From the moment we knew we wanted to get married, we knew the theme was going to be very “us” and very much about the “beach.” The beach, for us, represents a few things. It is where I grew up, it’s where we spend our summers, it represents family, togetherness What inspired your wedding color pallet? The inspiration for our wedding colors was based on the colors I love in the sunset of the beach. Not the vibrant oranges and pinks and purples, but rather the colors that follow. We’re very laid-back, mellow people, and our colors had to be soft, classic and dreamy. What was special about where you got married? I had always envisioned standing, facing the beach for our wedding. It’s special because, though not a traditional church, it still feels sort of sacred to us. It is a place where the world feels like it’s all there before you. What was behind the design of the cake? My dress and the concept of “sleek elegance” was the springboard for the design! I’m a cake designer so the cake was PARAMOUNT! It’s what I love to do so it had to be really unique and really delicious… and very “us!” I was able to give some sketches to our cake designer and she took my general ideas and turned those ideas into a towering, elegant thing of beauty.
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DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
Amanda & Brian
What do-it-yourself projects did you do? My wedding was my baby, my second job! And by that I mean every single thing that I could put my touch on, I did! Our invitations: I designed, printed, assembled, pressed and decorated each of my ivory and slate blue pocket fold invitations. The invitations were adorned with ivory silk ribbon and a single silvery crystal and closed with a seal. Escort Cards: In keeping with our beach theme, I imported some sand dollars from Florida and tied an escort card to each one with a white ribbon. I placed them in three different round, wooden trays filled with craft sand so that when guests took their places around the room, they also got a beautiful shell as a keepsake. Buried in the sand, I also made some beachy, reed like grasses (that I glued to small rocks) so that they stuck out here and there amongst the sand dollars and sand.
The Wedding Program: I also designed, printed and assembled our wedding program. They were silver card stock, which was punched with a single sand dollar embosser. The inner white paper leaves were tied in with a white ribbon and the outside was stamped with a lowercase “m & b” (it’s a sort of the signature way that I sign Mandy and Brian to things like cards and such) in a slate blue ink on clear vellum. Guest Book: I created a guestbook that was part scrapbook, part message book. Each guest got a small card upon which they could write a message to us, and the pages of the book alternated between photos of family and us and friends, and small envelopes affixed to the page in rows for each individual card.
Table Numbers: I hand-painted our table numbers on small flat canvas boards that I bought from Michael’s. I painted the numbers in a font that matched our invitation font, added some depth to the Favors: I ordered the most amazing sand black number with some silver edging. I dollar cookies from an adorably sweet applied various seashell photographs that I baker in Georgia to serve as our favors. My had edited to be blue and white line mom and I dipped the back of each cookie drawings on each board using decoupage. (over 250) in white chocolate and packaged Finally, I did some sand painting where I them, two at a time, in a clear favor bag. I added swirls and dots of beach sand to sealed the back with a rectangular message bring a unique texture to them. printed in a frosted vellum sticker explaining that in lieu of a substantial favor, Card Box: I created a beautiful card box to a donation was made to the Rainbow Kids receive our wedding cards out of four silver of Louisiana. painted wooden 8x10 picture frames that I turned into a scrapbook of our histories
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
from childhood to engagement. I created a top out of cardboard, which I covered, stuffed and pillowed with white satin, and added crystals to the indents. I tied off the two opposite corners with a ivory satin ribbon to close it and mounted it on a white turntable so that guests could twirl it around to view all sides. Stained Glass Window: Probably the most important thing I made for our wedding was our stained glass window. When I was christened, my late-uncle made me a wooden cross out of the wood taken from our old church pew back in 1885. He had passed away the summer before our wedding and I really wanted to honor his presence there. So I designed a window to feature prominently in the altar area I designed on the beach. What advice do you have for other brides? My matron of honor reminded me of this: remember to take a breath. Before you walk down the aisle, before you walk into the ballroom, before you take any step… stop. Look around. Really look. See all your beautiful hard work, all your projects you stayed up so late doing all those months before. See how it all comes together. Look around and breathe it in. And remember to do that the entire time, because if you forget to, you’ll blink, and it will be over. If you do that, you’ll have the most amazing time, the most amazing marriage… and the most amazing life.
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Weddings
WEDDING: September 19, 2009 ♼ PHOTOGRAPHER: Photography by Verdi RECEPTION: Bridgehampton Tennis and Surf Club, NY See more of their wedding on diyweddingsmag.com
Jennifer & Michael
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
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REAL WEDDINGS | Jennifer & Michael
How did you two meet? We first met in the 5th grade when Mike came to public school from the local Catholic school. From then on, our paths crossed a lot throughout school even though we were never really close friends. We were 7th grade lab partners, were both in our high school play together, and even went to our Senior Prom together - but just as friends. We’d say we really “met” again the summer after we both graduated from college. We arranged to meet up for a drink at a restaurant in Southampton where Mike was working that summer. We ended up talking all night. How long was your engagement? We were engaged for about a year and two months. What inspired your wedding theme? Our theme was “vintage sea glass.” My mom dubbed it that. I kind of was just going with what I liked, and what Mike liked, and it morphed into that. We were inspired by the beach, and by the area. We didn’t get married on the beach, but our reception was clearly at a beautiful beach club. We didn’t want to do a traditional “beach theme,” but were definitely very inspired by the beach. We both decided we’d like our wedding to be a reflection of us. We both like older, classic kinds of things. So, we wanted our wedding to be unique, but timeless – not look like it was product of what was currently “in.” What inspired your wedding color pallet? The colors were pale blue & green, and white & silver, to a lesser extent. The shade of green we used is Jen’s favorite color. Mike’s favorite color is blue. The colors were also inspired by the sea & sky at the beach. Plus, they gave the wedding a soft, cool, calm feeling, which I think fit nicely with the reception site. What was special about where you got married? Southampton generally - where we were both born and grew up, where our relationship began, and where both of our parents, a large portion of our respective families and friends still live. Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (church)- where we both went to church growing up. We were married by Father Trench, who was the Monsignor when we were young and taught us religion in 8th grade. It was very special to us to have him marry us. The Bridgehampton Tennis & Surf Club (reception) – was the first reception site we looked at and loved it right away. We were so lucky to have our reception there. It was right on the beach and that was important to us. The beach has so much significance to both of us in that it is a huge part of where we both grew up, and also played a special role in the beginning of our relationship.
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Jennifer & Michael
What was behind the design of the cake? The cake was more or less in line with the vintage, classic feel we had wanted. It had sugar hydrangea flowers on it to match one of the flowers we used in the bouquets and arrangements. It was also not fondant, because it was very important to us that the cake taste as good as it looked. So armed with suggested colors, the fact that we wanted flowers and round layers, Sugar Sugar created the beautiful cake that we had at our wedding. It was absolutely wonderful! And, it was as good as it looked! What do-it-yourself projects did you do? Let’s see… I did the menus – printed and put in lovely (dollar store!) etched, silver frames. We printed the table numbers ourselves. We came up with the display guests saw when they entered the reception. The night before the wedding, after the rehearsal dinner, my mom, my 2 sisters and my sister’s friend from college all helped me put together all of the finishing touches. We made bows out of tulle for the church pews, put ribbons on baskets for the rose petals, cookies and bathroom amenity baskets (my mom put those together). We stuffed paper cones w/ rose petals. We put stickers on the Tate’s chocolate chip cookies for guests to take home after the reception – they had a monogram and a message on them. We set up the apothecary jars, filling them with beach sand and faux beach glass for the note display – guests could write us well-wishes on little slips of paper and put them in the jars. We also filled wooden trays with sand and sprinkled beach glass on those to display the pale blue seating cards (I wrote all those out myself). We put silver kissing bells on trays for guests to ring as we left the church. We tied beautiful green ribbon on antique-style bird cages I found on a floral supply site to hold cards received from guests. Mike typed out a page and put it in a vintage typewriter he has – “Mike & Jen, Chapter One, September 19, 2009.” Guests could also write us messages, a story, or whatever on that - and they did. It was a nice memento.
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Weddings
WEDDING: February 20 , 2010 ♼ PHOTOGRAPHER: Angel Canary Photography RECEPTION: Pipers Grand Manor, IN See more of their wedding on diyweddingsmag.com
Rebecca & Cameron
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REAL WEDDINGS | Rebecca & Cameron
How did you two meet? Cameron and I met our junior year at Taylor University in 2007. I heard about Cameron through one of our friends, but we never met one another until our mutual friend set us up. It was Halloween night and we both were in for the night studying and being non-social, so he made sure we were both at the library so he could introduce us to each other. For the next couple months we talked, and it wasn’t until January that Cameron asked me to be his girlfriend. How long was your engagement? We were engaged on October 2nd, 2009 and married on February 20th, 2010. So roughly five months. While time was short, it was amazing how much I accomplished due to staying organized and my mother’s help. What inspired your wedding theme? Cameron has always loved the outdoors, especially during the winter, and I have always loved the charm and whimsical feel of late 19th century winter landscape paintings. So when combining these two interests of ours together, I came to the conclusion of a Victorian winter theme. While this idea was inspirational, nothing could beat the inspiration I gained from these pearl branches I found at Joann Etc. I used these branches for literally everything! I used them to make our bouquets, cake topper, centerpieces, wreathes, pew flowers, and program baskets, just to name a few. Being the art teacher that I am, one of my favorite aspects of my wedding theme was the contrast between a pinecone’s harsh and stark color, and the soft shimmer of pearls, crystal, and lace. I found this element to be a great balance of masculinity and femininity, which made our wedding theme perfect for Cameron and me. What inspired your wedding color pallet? My colors were centered on the pearl branches I used in my bouquets and decorations. So my wedding colors became more of a palette of neutrals and metallic's. It was near impossible for me to stick to two colors; I ended up declaring green, black, gray, ivory, gold, and pearl as my official wedding colors. I made sure to incorporate these colors in every aspect of the wedding, and for them to be carried over to the reception as well. Details such as ivory and pearl invitations with a green wax seal, gold chargers at the reception, and gray satin ribbons on the programs made everything feel purposeful and complete. What was special about where you got married? Cameron and I were married at my home church in Greenwood, Indiana. Greenwood Christian Church has been our church family since my parents were newlyweds.
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Rebecca & Cameron
What do-it-yourself projects did you do? My number one goal with crafting together my wedding was for everything to have meaning and purpose. Here are some of the things I made from scratch: Bride’s Hairpiece – My hairpiece was my pride and joy of all my DIY projects. My grandmother a.k.a Nana was the one who taught me how to sew and be creative. She passed away my sophomore year at Taylor University and I have missed her dearly ever since. I always wanted a piece of her to be with me on my wedding day, so I went through her crafty things and came across her handmade lace handkerchiefs. Using her lace, some satin ribbon, and pearl beads, I made a flower headband. I even took bits of lace and floral wire to make leaves. This project was not only fun but it became a very sentimental moment for me as I stitched pieces of her into my wedding day. Wedding Shoes – I purchased silk shoes online and dyed them a champagne color. Then, I used one of my Nana’s lace handkerchief’s to embellish the shoes. I used the corners of the lace because they matched up with the pointed toe of my shoe. Then, using clear fabric glue and a paint brush, I attached the lace to the toe of my shoes. Wedding programs - The programs for the ceremony were made using a 19th century painting as the cover and a silhouette of Cam and me on the inside cover page. I made the silhouette using a photo, a sharpie marker, and a scanner. I used pictures that I collected to make the rest of the book have the feel of a dictionary or book. I numbered the pages and labeled the pictures with definitions
and facts. The paper I used for the cover was ivory cardstock and ivory resume paper for the pages. Centerpieces – I designed two centerpieces, the first one being our “Victorian” centerpiece and the second centerpiece being the “winter” centerpiece. The first centerpiece was a vase filled with branches and pearls. On the branches I hung icicles I made out of crystal beads. Around the vase I used my great-aunt’s crystal candlesticks to light the tables. The second centerpiece was a glass vase filled with branches and pine tree sprigs with pinecones surrounding the vase’s base. Wreathes – I bought wreathes made from branches at Joann Etc. Using the pearl branches, I cut off sprigs and hot glued them onto the wreath. I hung the wreaths using the same satin gray ribbon I used on the wedding programs. Cord of Three Strands - Cameron and I have always believed that marriage needs to be centered on Jesus Christ, so we wanted our ceremony to be not only tying a knot with each other, but also making a promise with God. So our ceremony was based on Ecclesiastes 4:12 “… a cord of three strands is not easily broken.” So I made a gold ring with three cords on them for us to braid and knot. (Gold = God, purple = man, white = woman) Favors – Our wedding favors were Cheryl & Co cutout cookies. Cameron loves these cookies as they are from his hometown, Westerville, Ohio. I used blank business cards to make a label that said, “It was sweet of you to come.” I also used a stamp with our initials that I designed on Expressionery.com.
DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
Table numbers – Using pinecone stamps and metallic cardstock, I made table number cards that were placed in the center of each table. What advice do you have for other brides? My best advice for brides is to find one or two things that inspire you and to incorporate those items in everything you make and plan. When I came across those pearl branches I felt like they had “me” written all over them, so I bought them, and I bought lots of them (I bought out four Joann stores!) So I would encourage you to find one thing that has a piece of your personality and then apply it to every area of your wedding. Not only does this keep everything unified and thematic, but it becomes meaningful as well. And that leads me to my last bit of advice: find purpose and meaning in your planning. While there is so much beauty in my Nana’s lace and my Auntie’s crystal candlesticks, those little snippets of history and family heirlooms made my wedding meaningful for my family and guests, and at the end of the day, that’s what matters. Two days before my wedding my grandmother passed away. Her passing was completely unexpected, and naturally it brought about mixed emotions during my wedding weekend. We honored her memory by placing her bouquet on the chair she would have sat in, and we placed her wedding photos underneath the family tree at our reception. In one of the old photos you can see her holding me on her lap. It was one of those small details that made my wedding day even more sentimental.
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Weddings
WEDDING: May 1, 2010 笙･ PHOTOGRAPHER: Gre窶適elly Segre Photography RECEPTION: Private Residence, CA See more of their wedding on diyweddingsmag.com
Jen & Matt
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REAL WEDDINGS | Jen & Matt
How did you two meet? Matt and I met in Physical Therapy graduate school in Los Angeles in 2005 at Mount St. Mary’s College. We would meet in the hallways at school and with every chat found out we had more and more in common. We were friends for 6 months and then went on a snowboarding trip together where our feelings grew. Our first official date was to a Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles that remains one of our favorites. Because of our first date location, we had the restaurant’s Latin guitar player at our wedding. He provided the music during the ceremony and cocktail hour. How long was your engagement? Matt proposed on March 28, 2009 in his parents’ back yard. He took me on a clever and hilarious scavenger hunt through the house that ended in the back yard. He had decorated a table with candles, roses, rose petals, champagne and a lovely Italian dinner with music in the background. It was every girl’s fantasy! Little did I know that his friend Ryan was hiding in the bushes photographing every moment. Our engagement lasted 13 months. What inspired your wedding theme? Our wedding was May 1, 2010 which is May Day. Our wedding theme arose from some of the traditions of May Day. May Day is a celebration of the start of spring. We decided to have a garden spring theme wedding to capture the beauty and celebration of this holiday. It is also the perfect time for an outdoor wedding in southern California. We also wanted the focus of the wedding to be in the backyard where we got engaged and had many memories. We made sure to highlight the day with a maypole that my bridesmaids and I danced around as is tradition. What inspired your wedding color pallet? Because we were having a backyard outdoor spring wedding, we chose the colors watermelon and kelly green. These colors work well together and give a feeling of nature and beauty. What was special about where you got married? The location we were married at was very special because it was the place where we got engaged as well as a place of many celebrations. Also, Matt spent many years working with his parents on both the yard and the large patio cover. His mom used to joke that someday he would get married back there so he wanted to make his mom’s dreams come true too!
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Jen & Matt
What was behind the design of the cake? We decided to have cupcakes instead of wedding cake because it lent to the more informal setting that we were looking for as well as was a favorite of mine. We decided to go with my favorite cupcakes from Sprinkles in Beverly Hills, CA. What do-it-yourself projects did you do? We had a limited budget so we took on most of the DIY projects. For table numbers we took photographs of ourselves from various trips and put them in a frame with the name of the location as the table name. We created a curtained patio area with wire and clips from Ikea and homemade sheer drapes. We built the maypole and attached ribbon to the top with a ring and a cap. We created our centerpieces with a white pillar candle surrounded by borrowed green glass stones and hurricanes. We had matchbooks printed from theknot.com with our names and the date and made clear labels for the back that served as escort cards. We placed the match book escort cards on a homemade wood card holder. One of the groomsmen, Matt, made the cupcake tower that we used to display the cupcakes. We also ordered 20� silver sparklers that we put in vases which were lit by our guests as we cut our cake. The day before the wedding my bridesmaids and I made Sangria that would be served as our signature drink during cocktail hour. We had a friend that was kind enough to be our day of wedding coordinator and set up all of our decorations. For attire we decided on tan suits with green and white ties for the men and watermelon knee length cocktail dresses for the ladies. I wore a silk organza Maggie Sottero gown with a corset back and ruched bodice. The dress was accented with a green ribbon. We wanted the attire to be classy and elegant yet informal.
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Weddings WEDDING: May 30 , 2010 ♼ RECEPTION: Historic Properties Management, Cincinnati, OH PHOTOGRAPHER: Wagner Photographics See more of their wedding on diyweddingsmag.com
Suzanne & Nathan
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REAL WEDDINGS | Suzanne & Nathan
How did you two meet? We met at Syracuse University in upstate New York our Senior year at a... romantic pause.... frat party. I (Suz) introduced myself quickly to Nathan as I was leaving with some of my girlfriends. We bumped into each other the next night and he.. gasp... did not remember who I was! So, needless to say, I re-introduced myself and we got to know each other a bit more. How long was your engagement? About a year and a half. What inspired your wedding theme? Secret Garden, moss, skeleton keys, butterflies, rustic tree textures... imperfect white-washed paint, wrought iron gates... oh and did I mention moss? Note: My dear friend April built me a 7 foot x 7 foot moss wall to cover up some ugly shutters. What inspired your wedding color pallet? Since I'm a graphic designer and a lover of color, I don't have ONE favorite color. I knew I wanted to go neutral with the bridesmaid's dresses, so I picked a few of my favorite colors that would work with the garden theme and pop off the neutral dark brown dress. Fuchsia and light orange where grounded in lime green with a few hits of dark purple and white for contrast. It looked better than I could have imagined! What was special about where you got married? Mount Echo Park is an outdoor pavilion on a hill that overlooks the Ohio River, Downtown Cincinnati, and northern Kentucky. This place had a romantic realness to it... it wasn't overly showy or overstaged. It was just “us�. Lots of green space, outdoor terrace, open air, great view... perfect! What was behind the design of the cake? We wanted something simple, clean and classic. So, we went with a standard 3-tier cake with hits of lime green leaves, fuchsia and light orange flowers grounded by the dark brown banding at the base of each tier.
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Suzanne & Nathan
What do-it-yourself projects did you do? Wow.. well.. we were busy. Because I have a design background, I probably took on more than most. My (now) husband and dad filled glass cylinders with river stones, moss and candles. My friend April build the 7'x7' moss wall to cover some ugly shutters. I designed the invitations, programs, welcome packet/bags, thank you cards, place cards, seating chart, table cards and bathroom baskets for the guests. As well as sketched the design for the cake, framed old family wedding photos, worked to pick the right flowers with 'Jones the Florist' consultant Robert Lee, and more things than I'd probably care to remember. Doing most of the work ourselves made this day even more special. All of the details represented us. But the best part of all was seeing our families and friends come together on that beautiful day to celebrate love, life and each other. We feel blessed for the gorgeous day we had and all of our favorite people there to celebrate with us.
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Weddings WEDDING: July 10 , 2010 ♼ RECEPTION: Foundry Park Inn, Athens, GA PHOTOGRAPHER: ZoomWorks Photography See more of their wedding on diyweddingsmag.com
Gwendolyn & Cliff
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Gwendolyn & Cliff
How did you two meet? We met while we were both attending The University of Georgia. My friend Austin Parrott worked with someone that knew Cliff. Austin saw Cliff one day and then he started raving about “I HAD” to meet Cliff. So one night we met up with Cliff and his friends at City Bar in Athens and the rest is history! How long was your engagement? We got engaged August 23, 2009 in Destin, FL after dating for 11 months. Cliff took me down there for a surprise week long trip and booked the Penthouse Suite at Majestic Sun. What inspired your wedding theme? The University of Georgia! Since we both met there we thought it would be symbolic to have a Red & Black wedding. What inspired your wedding color pallet? The fact that UGA’s colors are Red & Black. What was special about where you got married? We just loved the rustic feel of The Foundry Park Inn. Plus we loved the fact that all of our guests could stay there and that they would not need to drive anywhere. We loved the fact that all you had to do was walk and if you needed to go back to your room you could. What was behind the design of the cake? I just wanted something simple, so I decided to have a white three tier round wedding cake with black ribbons at the end of each tier. I saw online where someone did a simple cake like that and had flowers on each tier. I wanted to replicate that. The gerbera daisies on the top of the cake was actually last minute as we could not find out cake topper!
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REAL WEDDINGS | Gwendolyn & Cliff
What do-it-yourself projects did you do? Red Wooden Box where we placed our wedding rocks for our guests to sign. Cliff painted the box red and glued on a wrought iron H to the front of it and designed some of the rocks as examples for our guests. There was a white canvas that indicated what we wanted our guests to do with the rocks that was painted by one of our friends. Our Wedding Programs – we designed and printed them and then threaded the ribbons at the top as well as applied Fray Gone so that the ribbon would not fray. Our Mr. & Mrs. fans – we had to glue on the handles. The UGA Garden Dogs – Groom’s mother glued on a top hat for the Groom DAWG and a veil for the Bride DAWG which we displayed on a table during our reception. The vases with the rocks & floating candles that aligned the ceremony aisle. The big vases with many floating candles on the high top tables around the bar in the garden. The red Japanese lanterns in the bar garden area. For our guests staying at the hotel we created a guest welcome bag where we created a Wedding CD with all the songs played during the ceremony and the special reception songs such as our First Dance, Mother Son Dance, Father Daughter Dance, and Last Dance Song, etc. We also personalized the Wedding CD with a special wedding label with our names, wedding date and a picture of a bride and groom stick figure. Created a welcome card where I put a photo taken by Zoomworks of us under the Arch with facts about us in Athens. We had candy, water bottles with a wedding label which we made, etc. We wrote our own wedding ceremony and incorporated a poem (“reading”) that my Great Grandfather wrote and published. The Judge that married us was an old friend of my husband’s family. We requested that he would say “Go Dawgs, Sic ‘em” at the end of wedding. And of course that statement was followed with the only response known, to all Bulldawgs… “Woof, Woof, Woof”. It was very memorable! Since we met at City Bar in Athens, we contacted the owners and asked if we could get Beer Koozies and that was one of our favors at our wedding. Also, we picked up some matchboxes and had them at our wedding as party favors as well. We had garden rocks that our guests could sign instead of a guest book. We had a message that went with the rocks letting our guests know that we would place their messages in the garden of our first home.
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Weddings
WEDDING: July 23, 2010 ♼ PHOTOGRAPHER: Julie Wiegand Photography RECEPTION: Asbury Meadow, Augusta, KY See more of their wedding on diyweddingsmag.com
Melissa & Joseph
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REAL WEDDINGS | Melissa & Joseph
How did you two meet? In 1986, near the end of their Freshman year at Ockerman Junior High School, we met and began “Going Out”. The relationship was short lived as the school year quickly came to an end. We never officially broke up, but drifted apart over the summer and didn’t really see each other when we got to high school. Several relationships transpired over the years and we each found ourselves divorced. Joe, having been alone for a while, was interested in finding friends and possibly new relationships. So he attended his 20 year high school reunion. After having fun with old friends and not wanting to lose those connections, he took their advice and joined Facebook. At the same time, I, having been recently divorced, was encouraged to join Facebook to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones as well. Shortly after joining, I found Joe. We began talking and enjoyed long conversations over the computer. After our first official date on December 18, 2009, we felt like we had known each other for many years. How long was your engagement? In late April, Joe, being old fashioned, contacted my parents to ask for their blessing in proposing to their daughter. He also asked for the blessings from my two children. On May 15, 2010, a beautiful spring day, while at the fountain in Eden Park, Joe got down on one knee and asked for my hand in marriage. The wedding date was set for July 23, 2010. Since the date only allowed for about 9 weeks to plan the entire event and we wanted everything about it to be perfect, the next weeks were very busy ones. What was special about where you got married? After visiting several local bed and breakfasts, we knew that the beautiful and historic Asbury Meadows in Augusta, Kentucky was the place that had just the feel we were looking for. After a tour of the home and the grounds surrounding it, we also looked into the local attractions that we could take advantage of during our honeymoon; we fell in love with the historic, country atmosphere.
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Melissa & Joseph
What inspired your wedding color pallet? When everything came together and the big day arrived, my wedding dress had a timeless ivory design. I chose ivory flowers for my hair rather than a veil. The main accent color of the wedding was pale pink, inspired by the floral dress that my daughter, Gabrielle, would wear as the maid of honor. My mother would also be in the wedding wearing a champagne colored dress. The groom and his attendants, which consisted of his father and his son, Dakota, would wear black tuxedos with ivory shirts and light pink ties. The groom also wore a pale pink vest to distinguish him from the others. The flowers, carried in the wedding and decorating the fountain and reception areas would incorporate the pale pink and ivory with brighter pinks, blues, and yellow for pops of color. Yellow roses would be given to the guests, they were the favorite of the groom’s late grandmother, as a way to make her part of the celebration. What was behind the design of the cake? The cake was a simple two-tiered cake raised on a pedestal and topped with real flowers. What advice do you have for other brides? Work with people you feel comfortable with and who are willing to take into account your wishes for the day. Don’t be afraid to personalize your event and make it uniquely yours, but be realistic. Family and friends will help‌.if you ask. Most of all, always keep in mind that the important thing is at the end of the day you will be married! The rest you will want to be memorable, but it helps keep things in perspective to remember your main goal. Tell us about Asbury Meadows. After the wedding reception we went back to the cottage where chocolate dipped strawberries and champagne were waiting. Each morning, we were greeted by the sounds of horns, as Ross explained was a tradition, and a delicious breakfast served in our room. We took the opportunity to take a picnic lunch to the Augusta Regatta and explore the charming town, historic homes, shops, and restaurants. The wedding and honeymoon turned out exactly as we had envisioned it. There are plans to return to Asbury Meadows for a dinner party, along with all of the family members who attended the wedding, to celebrate our year anniversary. We will also enjoy another stay in the cottage. Our hope is that this is the beginning of a yearly tradition.
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Weddings
WEDDING: July 23 , 2010 ♼ RECEPTION: The Woodlands, Woodbury, NY PHOTOGRAPHER: Photography by Verdi See more of their wedding on diyweddingsmag.com
Cindy & Roger
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REAL WEDDINGS | Cindy & Roger
How did you two meet? We have known each other since the 7th grade. Neither one of us were interested in the other, until one day, we were at my best friend's 15th birthday party. We met up and were reacquainted, however, nothing happened. However, a year later, we met up again at her 16th birthday party. There was more flirting and more talking even after the party. We started hanging out with one another (plus friends) and began chatting on AIM and on the phone. I decided that I was done playing games and wanted to know flat out if Roger was interested. So, I wrote him a letter and decided to give it to him the day they went to see X-Men the movie. Before Roger leaves to go home, the letter is in his jacket pocket and my best friend mentions to Roger to look in his pocket as he boards the bus. The rest is history‌ How long was your engagement? We got engaged on our 9th year anniversary and got married on our 10th year anniversary. So we were engaged for exactly one year. The engagement was a complete surprise to me. I assumed that after dating Roger for so long, I would not be surprised when it was time for him to ask me. But yet, he surprised me yet again. What inspired your wedding theme? We wanted a Gatsby styled wedding since the location reminded us of that era. We had 1950’s type of music during our cocktail hour like Frank Sinatra, Louie Armstrong, Michael Buble, etc. What inspired your wedding color pallet? Purple and green were the wedding colors; my favorite color is purple and loved how the green complimented the purple. What was special about where you got married? The reception location only catered to one wedding at a time, which we both felt was more personal and unobtrusive. The location was conveniently located yet secluded once you approach the entrance that led to a long scenic driveway.
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Cindy & Roger
What was behind the design of the cake? We wanted a traditional white wedding cake with white piping. Our wedding cake was a four-tier cake with white damask lace piping and each tier had a purple ribbon. In addition, the cake laid with the bridesmaids flowers on the sweetheart table which matched our color theme. On top of the cake we had customized wedding toppers. The wedding toppers featured ourselves and my husband’s beloved car. What do-it-yourself projects did you do? We had many. The wedding invitations, the ceremony programs, the bathroom baskets, the dinner menus, escort cards, and the “sign here” displays. Our friends helped us prepare a pre-wedding photo shoot that we made into our wedding guestbook. Anything else you would like to share? We also incorporated our Chinese heritage into our wedding. Out of respect for our elders we honored them with the Tea Ceremony.
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Weddings WEDDING: September 10 , 2010 ♥ RECEPTION: Gurney’s Inn, Montauk, NY PHOTOGRAPHER: Photography by Verdi See more of their wedding on diyweddingsmag.com
Brianne & Jesse
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Brianne & Jesse
How did you two meet? We met in 9th grade chorus class. We had briefly spoke here and there but on Valentine’s Day Jesse left a carnation on my seat in chorus when I walked into the classroom I saw it there. My friends told me Jesse had left it. The next day he wrote me a letter with his phone number. I called him we, talked on the phone for a few days. Then on Feb 24 th we went on our first date to see the movie Scream 3 and we’ve been together ever since! How long was your engagement? We were engaged 2 years. And our engagement story is amazing. Jesse went all out, it was the most romantic day (besides the wedding) of my life. It really was beautiful. He made a whole treasure hunt I had to go on that ended with horseback riding on the beach! What inspired your wedding theme? The beach. We LOVE the beach. We knew we wanted to get married on the beach, we also got engaged on the beach and Gurney’s Inn in Montauk was the absolute perfect venue where we could actually have our feet in the sand. That inspired the rest of our choices. The color scheme was beachy colors with turquoise accents. My jewelry, the bridesmaids dresses, the flowers, table décor everything! Completely beach themed. What inspired your wedding color pallet? Well we were going with the beach theme. I love the color turquoise. I knew I wanted to wear turquoise jewelry with my white wedding gown. So we blended the beach theme together with turquoise and white.
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REAL WEDDINGS | Brianne & Jesse
What was special about where you got married? Besides Gurney’s Inn being a beautiful wedding venue where you can actually put your feet in the sand and get married right in front of the crashing waves, my parents have a time share there so we have gone every year in September for the past couple of years with my family. We have a lot of memories there, so it’s like another home for us and our family. Jesse’s family even joined us a few times. It’s just a very inviting and a homey place where you feel comfortable and you’re right by the water. It doesn’t get better then that! What was behind the design of the cake? Again, going along with the beach theme. Since Gurney’s is used to doing beach themed weddings, their baker does amazing beach styled cakes. It had brown sugar that looked like sand along with edible seashells, we added a beachy cake topper and some beach grass. What do-it-yourself projects did you do? Since we got married out in Montauk, it isn’t the most budget friendly place. We had to save wherever we could so we did a lot of DIY things . Our save-the-date cards, wedding invitations, place cards, table numbers, and video slideshow we did all ourselves. On the save-the-date cards Jesse photo shopped an image of us with the wedding venue details and then we uploaded the image onto a magnet that we mailed out to everyone. We ordered blank paper from MyGatsby for the invitations, enclosure cards and rsvp and then printed them out at home. We bundled those three together, tied them with a sheer white ribbon with raffia around it and glued two tiny starfish on top. They came out so cute and had the beachy feel that let the guests know right away what kind of wedding it was going to be. The placards I also printed at home and then we glued two tiny starfish on each of them, the same used on the invitations. The video slideshow Jesse put together from scanned in and digital pictures from our past 10 years together and had it play on a loop in the lobby for our guests. When they got their drinks they could view it. It was a real hit! Lastly, our table numbers were what we loved the most! We took left over invitation paper and painted the numbers on, glued sand around the number to make a little frame then glued shells of all shapes and sizes, beach glass, and starfish around the paper number to form like a little stand. It was quite the task, but it came out so beautiful. Each table number was unique in its own way made of all different shells that we had collected from the beach.
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Weddings
WEDDING: October 6, 2010 ♼ RECEPTION: Bayfront Mansion, Saint Augustine, FL PHOTOGRAPHER: Gwendolyn Tundermann Photography See more of their wedding on diyweddingsmag.com
Holly & Brock
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REAL WEDDINGS | Holly & Brock
How did you two meet? Brock and I actually met on match.com. Yes, online dating DOES work! How long was your engagement? Brock and I were engaged about 6 months before we got married. What inspired your wedding theme? I really loved the traditional red roses,. I tried to have everything tie into that. I wanted to have something original as a wedding favor so I decided to make cupcake jars that fell into this scheme. I had gone back and forth on how to make the cupcake jars. I didn’t end up going with this idea, but I considered having them placed on the grooms table and using blue food coloring to make the cupcakes appear teal to match the Jacksonville Jaguars football colors. I was also going to use champagne ribbon had I gone with that idea. I honestly preferred the cupcakes being red, so I made 120 red velvet cupcakes a couple of weeks before the wedding. I wanted to do as much as I could in advance. I froze the cupcakes until the night before the wedding. After my rehearsal dinner my sister came home with me and helped me layer the cupcakes with white icing to tie into the red & white colors. I cut the cupcakes into halves and used 3 per jar. I also very inexpensively created my own labels for the tops of the jars and put a rose on the top with our names and the wedding date. You can order special labels but it really was so much cheaper to make ourselves with blank labels and it gave us more creative control over how we designed them. The jars were also very inexpensive. I bought little mason jars from a craft store. I also wanted one of my favorite bible verses to be part of the theme for our wedding: [1 Corinthians 13 - 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.] I placed the verse on the bottom of our wedding invitations and on the cupcake jars. What inspired your wedding color pallet? Red is my favorite color and I also like how it signifies love and white for purity which is why we chose what we did.
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Holly & Brock
What was special about where you got married? We ended up renting the Bayfront Mansion in Saint Augustine for our wedding. Unfortunately, the city ended up passing a new ordinance preventing larger functions from being held there. This ordinance was passed while we were planning the wedding and it almost ended up getting canceled. The city allowed four more events and we were so fortunate to get the very last spot. The Bayfront was truly beautiful sitting on the bay in historic Saint Augustine with a terrific view of the Castillo de San Marcos. What was behind the design of the cake? The wedding cake was designed around the roses theme. We had three layers. The bottom layer was vanilla with raspberry filling, the second layer was German chocolate with chocolate icing, and the top layer was marble cake with Bavarian crème filling which I cannot wait to try on our first anniversary. The Groom’s cake I had made by Laura Bernstein who owns Cakes By Laura. She did a fantastic job and it was truly the highlight of the groom’s table. The cake was chocolate with peanut butter filling and it was to die for!!! What do-it-yourself projects did you do? Almost everything we did truly was do-it-yourself. Aside from the cupcake jars, I hand wrapped the silverware settings with nice white napkins and tied a red ribbon around it. I found the little vases with candles and red rose petals to place on the table. I also created my own gift box for people to place cards for the “Mr. & Mrs.” We also bought card stock to type up our own wedding programs. I loved having more creative control on this as well. Once they were printed, I placed two hole punches in the side and hand tied a red ribbon through each of them. What advice do you have for other brides? I think there truly are a lot of positive aspects to handling a lot of the little details on your own. In my opinion, it truly makes it more your own when you’ve taken the time to go through and decide how you want your special day to be. I was a little worried about making the cupcake jars the night before the wedding. As I didn’t want to have anything major to do but it really didn’t take that long. It is super affordable to bake cupcakes and it honestly only cost maybe $60 for the entire project. I would bet ordering 120 cupcakes from a bakery would well exceed that cost and not have anywhere near the amount of details or personality. The cupcake jars were what I got the most compliments on and it felt great because that is the one thing I really took the time to personally put together.
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Weddings
WEDDING: October 22 , 2010 ♼ RECEPTION: Diamond Head Resort, Ft. Myers, FL PHOTOGRAPHER: Maria Angela Photography See more of their wedding on diyweddingsmag.com
Rachel & Vincent
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REAL WEDDINGS | Rachel & Vincent
How did you two meet? We were high school sweethearts! We were both in band (I played flute/piccolo, he was a drummer). We had mutual friends, but had never really talked until one day I got up the nerve to say hello. That was the beginning of sophomore year, so we were only 15. We were together for the next three years, but we broke up after graduation. I moved away for about a year, but we remained friends. It took about four years, but we finally got back together in March 2007. How long was your engagement? Officially, about a year and a half. He proposed during a stay at the Marco Island Marriott for our anniversary (March 2009). But we knew from the day we got back together that it was forever. What inspired your wedding theme? I love autumn! We were originally thinking of autumn leaves, and all different autumn colors- chocolate brown, dark red, burnt orange, gold, even hunter green and dark purple. We wanted a classic, elegant feel, so we narrowed it down to the chocolate brown, orange, and gold. What was special about where you got married? I was raised in Ft. Myers and most of my family is still there, so it was easier to host it there. The selection of the Diamond Head Resort was both unexpected and delightful! We thought it would be outside of our budget, but they were actually very reasonable. The service we experienced was perfect! What was behind the design of the cake? There wasn't really anything specific behind the design. I liked the look of square layers, and didn't want too much embellishment. We did have our monogram placed on the front. More important than the design was the flavor. I searched for months to find someone who could make an orange cake with Grand Marnier, cassta (cannoli) filling, and chocolate icing. Gulf Shore Bakery was able to do this for us, and the cake was so phenomenally good that our guests were still talking about it three weeks later!
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Rachel & Vincent
What do-it-yourself projects did you do? The decor was all do-it-yourself. We found each of the elements ourselves and put it together with the help of family and friends. The chair sashes were probably the biggest project. We ordered a beautiful sheer chocolate brown fabric with gold glitter swirls. It came in 3-yard long segments, and we had to cut it in half lengthwise and hem the edge. My mother and sisters contributed their time for this, and I'm so very glad that they love me enough to forgive me for the unbelievable amount of gold glitter that this project left all over my mother's house! We also assembled the invitations and favors, but that was a much easier process. A lot of the decorative elements were ordered online, and for the most part this worked out very well. We only had one bad experience, so for any brides looking to do the same I would definitely advise staying with familiar and reputable websites. I know budget can be a big concern, but we were advised to not be afraid to spend a little extra if there was something particularly important to us. It was great advice! Also, family and tradition are very important, so I was really excited to wear my mother's veil and my mother-in-law's earrings for the wedding.
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The word ‘boutonniere’ derives from the French word for buttonhole
Classic Boutonnieres A rosebud A gardenia A miniature calla lily A stephanotis floret
Photography by: 1-Once Like A Spark Photography | 2-Photography by Verdi | 3-Studio B Photography | 4-Alyssa Maloof Photography
A few stems of lily of the valley
Contemporary Boutonnieres A tiny branch of berries Sprigs of dried lavender A grape hyacinths head Florets of hydrangeas An orchid
1 A single calla lily with hypericum 2 Yellow mum and ranunculus 3 A peacock feather 4 Starfish with garnishment
Choosing Your Wedding Boutonnieres The color of your wedding boutonnieres can be chosen to either complement or contrast the color of the groom's outfit. Once you have chosen the groom’s boutonniere, you’ll need to make sure the other men look equally sharp. If you select a red rose for the groom you can use a white rose for all the groomsmen. Keep in mind the groomsmen’s boutonniere’s should complement the bridesmaids’ bouquets. If your guy doesn’t like flowers you can always use smaller blooms like billy balls and buttons or use thistle, foliage, or even herbs such as rosemary.
How to Wear Your Wedding Boutonnieres The boutonniere should be worn on the outside of the buttonhole of the left lapel. In years past, the boutonniere was inserted in to the actual buttonhole in the man’s lapel. But not anymore. Holding the boutonniere by the stem in your left hand, place the boutonniere on the groom’s left lapel below the buttonhole. Holding the pin in your right hand, start from the back of the lapel push it through the fabric just below the head of the flower. Cross the length of the pin over the stem and reinsert back into the fabric so the pin head rests behind the lapel.
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SPOTLIGHT | acakedream.com
Venetian By Sabrina Kuratana
From the Artist
The Inspiration: I was asked to create something with a Venetian theme. The rest was left to my imagination. When I think of Venice, I think of the gorgeous masks and the Murano glass. I did not want to create the typical Venetian-themed cake with the harlequin patterns and feathers. I wanted something that was representative of the 'regal' Masquerades. I knew I had to use red and gold. I also knew that I wanted to make the mask as well. So here it is “The Venetian”.
Want to see more of A Cake Dream’s creations? Visit her at ~ a cake dream ~ {acakedream.com}
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The top tier is petal shaped with a fondant band and gold brooch. The middle tier has a lace texture that was also used for the Sugar Mask that I hand painted in gold. On the bottom tier, I hand painted the scroll design in gold and added red Swarovski Crystals for some bling. Photography by Samantha Shay Photography {samanthashayphotography.com}
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the tea cups This is my most popular design but it is also the most expensive as it takes a long time to put these together. The teacups are hand moulded and hand painted.
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prettywittycupcakes.com | SWEET INSPIRATION
Cupcakes Suzi Witt is the owner of Pretty Witty Cakes in Crowborough near London. You cannot help but fall in love with her designs. It’s fascinating how she can turn a simple cupcake into a mini masterpiece. As Suzi puts it “I am just an ordinary woman and mum who decided to take her life in a different direction and walked away from the corporate world.” Suzi was a corporate lawyer for over 11 years before she packed it all up and start making cupcakes. An honors graduate of Oxford University, Suzi has a passion for art. What does she like most? “One of the things I love most about my business is how friendly everyone is in the cake and wedding industry. It is lovely having students come to classes who really want to learn and are so enthusiastic. It is great to work with all the engaged couples on what will be the biggest day of their lives. It is totally infectious and I would not change a thing about it. I also love the diversity, and you get to meet so many different people from all walks of life. That is fascinating. “ So what’s next? Besides designing cupcakes for wedding and events, Suzi teaches both basic and advanced cupcake classes to both children and adults. Her future plans are to open up an online shop selling her own baking tools. We are excited to be able to feature 6 of her designs on these next few pages. For more amazing creations visit her @ {prettywittycupcakes.com}
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SWEET INSPIRATION | prettywittycupcakes.com
black and white wedding These were designed as samples for my Wedding Cupcakes Class. I wanted to do something a little bit different and get away from the white/ivory plain wedding cupcake look. One of the things I teach in my Wedding Cupcake Class is working with sugar paste (fondant in the United States) rather than buttercream swirls as it is a lot easier to transport these sorts of cakes to a wedding.
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the roses These were some early roses I made when starting out. The cakes are Jaffa Cake flavour (orange and chocolate). I use this design in my Beautiful Flowers class as by the time the students have made a dozen roses, they don’t forget how to do it!
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prettywittycupcakes.com | SWEET INSPIRATION
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SWEET INSPIRATION | prettywittycupcakes.com
the green collection These are wedding cake samples that were used when I had a recent consultation with a young (now married) couple. All my wedding consultations are free and the couples get to taste the cakes and are involved in the design of their cupcakes as it is their day. This couple actually could not decide between the three cupcakes designed so they ended up choosing all three for their wedding.
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SWEET INSPIRATION | prettywittycupcakes.com
the pink collection These are from my Basics Cupcake class and are what my beginners make during their day of baking for the first time. I often get asked to make these sort of cakes for birthdays and for hen parties and have a lot of “bra and knicker� orders!
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The Ultimate
fruit &
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veggie
Buffet
Are you a fruit and veggie lover? Then this is the perfect buffet for you. Just imagine your guests faces when they see this gorgeous table of savory delights. A healthy alternative for your wedding or bridal shower. DIY WEDDINGS | diyweddingsmag.com
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PHOTO SHOOT | My Bride Story, Esther Kim
OWNER OF MY BRIDE STORY, ESTHER KIM: With the rise in popularity of dessert stations and candy bars at children's parties, we recently came up with a fun dessert/snack station concept, by substituting typical desserts with fruits and vegetables as a healthier alternative for snacks. As a mom, I am always conscious of what my son eats on a daily basis (and particularly at parties when kids get out of control and load up on sweets!), so I thought it would be great to present fruits & veggies in a stylish and fun way that would appeal to both the parents and children.
amazing job and really went above and beyond by purchasing all the ingredients herself, and also created the most beautiful arrangements made ONLY of veggies. She created a garland out of brussel sprouts to lay in front of the display, and put together gorgeous artichoke and purple cabbage arrangements to adorn the table. Wily Valentine created fabulous tags that were clean & modern, which dressed up our fruits and vegetables beautifully. To bring all the elements together, I created a backdrop out of artichoke green fabric, purchased all the containers and vessels for the snacks, and also prepared a custom made linen for the display table.
In order to bring this idea to life, I collaborated with Kristine Shin, a floral & food stylist, and Wiley Valentine, a stationery designer. Kristine did an
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fruit
veggie
The Menu Veggies: Carrots, celery and bell peppers were cut into sticks, and served with four different kinds of dressing for guests to dip the veggies in Caprese Salad: Grape tomatoes & mozzarella cheese balls topped with a balsamic vinaigrette, w/ basil leaves as garnish Pumpkin Latte Shots (w/ a dollop of non-fat whipped cream) Yogurt Parfait: Plain yogurt shots topped with raspberries, blueberries & granola
OPPOSITE Watermelon Salad: Watermelon cut into square cubes, with a small round hole carved on top, which was filled with a combination of diced grapes and apple & dressed with a yogurt dressing
PHOTO SHOT VENDORS: Concept Design Esther Kim of My Bride Story Floral Design & Food Styling Kristine Shin Designs Stationery Design Wiley Valentine Photography Serena Grace
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PHOTO SHOOT | Author: My Bride Story, Esther Kim
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DIY PROJECTS | inspiredbrides.com
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Invitation Stephanie Wong and Rita Chu, founders of Stephita, a custom wedding invitation company in Toronto, Canada, had been designing invitation collections for brides across North America for seven years before creating InspiredBrides.com, a website and product line dedicated to do-it-yourself brides. Their goal was to bring elegant, professionally designed, high quality kits to creative brides; most importantly at an affordable price. They believed that “DIY” didn’t have to feel or look any different from a custom-made creation, and their easy to assemble designs proved to be an instant hit with brides seeking beautiful invitations at attainable prices. Now in their third year of business, Inspired Brides continues to focus on bringing quality products and exceptional customer service to brides across the globe. You can see more diy products @ {inspiredbrides.com}.
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SWEET INSPIRATION | Ban Bakes
Art Owner: Ban Tell
Designer Ban Tell with Ban Bakes in Paris, caught our eye with these cute monogram cookies and cupcakes. There is just so much cuteness on her site, we had to share it with you. The cookies were for an engagement party in which the bride used them as favors. They are sugar cookies, covered with a fondant cutout that has been stamped with the initials before cutting. Fondant is stuck to the cookie with a tiny bit of simple syrup. These cupcakes were made for a wedding where the bride wanted something a bit romantic but not too complicated. She needed to stay within her budget. The cupcakes are made with chocolate, topped with chocolate cream cheese frosting. After frosting all the cupcakes smoothly, Ban covered them with a round disk of fondant (sugar paste) that has been embossed with an embossing folder. The flowers on top were cut with a cutter, then pressed through a special veneer and left to dry and then added to the top of the cupcakes. Check out more of Ban’s creations @ {flickr.com/photos/bonboneh/ }. 118
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SWEET INSPIRATION | acakedream.com
These gorgeous works of art will compliment any outdoor garden wedding. The bigger question is “can you really eat them? “ They are just too pretty! The Signature Line of Art Gallery Cookies features the creative works of popular and not-yet-popular artists skillfully presented on sinfully delicious sugar cookies. With each Art Gallery Cookie order you’ll receive a brief description of the artwork featured and a biography of the artist. You can order these and many more beautiful works of art @ {acakedream.com}.
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Art
Modern Art Cookie Collection artwork by Wall Flower Studio {wallflowerstudio.blogspot..com}
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PHOTO SHOOT | D. Park Photography
Co-Coordination and Photography D. Park Photography: David + Drexelle Park Site | www.dparkphotography.com Co-Coordination, Art Direction, and Floral Design Floral Sense: Joanna Park Site | www.floral-sense.com Hair, Shoe, and Belt Bridal Accessories Petit Plume: Genie Chung Site | www.petitplume.com Model | Stephanie Myer Hair and Make-Up Artist | Vivian Tran Site | www.viviantran.com Venue, Linens and Furniture Fusion Linens: Angel Monico Site | www.fusionlinens.com Paper Creations Typologie & Co.: Ashley + Amber Site | www.typologieandco.com Bakery | Simply Sweet Cakery: Brooke Corpus Site | www.simplysweetcakery.com
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Chic Peppermint
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PHOTO SHOOT | D. Park Photography
Centerpiece: Large white centerpiece designed in varied play on texture in a peppermint swirl with roses, hydrangeas and carnations. Bright red accents of large dahlias with peppermint centers. Linens and Furniture: Off-white button taffeta White pleated Italian satin Cranberry shantung Silver charmeuse satin Silver Chiavari Chairs Satin Cushion Covers Pipe and drape in charmeuse satin Jars: Modern peppermint ornaments in apothecary jars.
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Bakery Adorable two tier cake covered in white fondant features a scalloped edge with a fun hand piped red loop design. Inside the chocolate cake is a holiday inspired peppermint butter cream. The tiers are separated by ribbon covered risers allowing the scalloped edge to hang below the bottom of the cake. Having this cute cake on an oversized pedestal allowed for ornaments to be placed around the base adding the perfect touch...
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Boutonniere & Bouquet: Varied hues of Christmas red in dahlias, Heart Roses and spray roses with bright white roses accented with mini peppermint Christmas ornaments.
Opposite Cake DĂŠcor: Large red dahlias accented with peppermint centers. Centerpiece: Peppermint trio of varied peppermint florals atop glitter red pillars with crushed peppermint base accent.
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PHOTO SHOOT | D. Park Photography
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PHOTO SHOOT | D. Park Photography
ESTELLE Satin Belt An exquisite snowflake-like Austrian crystal appliqué is attached to an ivory satin ribbon lined with genuine gray suede. Tie the ends together into a pretty bow to add a feminine and sparkly touch to your dress. Opposite NEW CHANTELLE Shoe Clips Fluffy white marabou feathers and a single goose feather accent a beautiful and sparkly crystal brooch. A little touch of cream French netting give these shoe clips a unique and high fashion texture and look. On Page 122: CHANTELLE Feather Hair Clip White fluffy marabou, smooth goose nagoire, stripped goose and a textured goose biot feather are carefully arranged to create this full and luxurious feather clip. Triple leaf crystal appliqué and a crystal brooch give the piece a dazzling touch! Hair, Shoe and Bridal Accessories: Titled the Winter Wonderland “ELLE TRIO” Accessory Set
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Rose, hypericum, orchid and freesia hand-tied with a white satin ribbon. Photography by Wagner Photographics {wagnerphotographics.com}
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Bouquets White calla lily, hydrangea and rose bouquet hand-tied. Photography by Drew Anderson Photography {drewandersonphoto.com}
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Ranunculus, orchids, rose, hydrangea, and calla lily hand-tied bouquet. Photography by Kellie McCann Photography {kelliemccann.com}
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Rose, aster and larkspur hand-tied bouquet. Photography by Alyssa Maloof Photography {alyssamaloof.com}
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Rose and orchids hand-tied in a matching satin ribbon. Photography by Heidi-O-Photo {heidiophoto.com}
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Orange calla lily, orchid and hypericum hand-tied with a white satin ribbon and pearl button pins. Photography by Concept Spring Studio {conceptspringstudio.com}
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Hydrangea, iris, calla lily, hypericum hand-tied with a silk ribbon. Photography by Kate’s Lens Photography {kateslens.com}
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Roses, peony and statice hand-tied with a silk ribbon. Photography by Caught You On Camera {caugthyouoncamera.com}
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www.weddingbudgetfavors.com T h e
w a y
t o
b u d g e t
s h o p
beau coup personalized wedding mint tins
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