Eco-Vintage Weddings

Green Friday: Feature & The DIY Bridal Files

Hello readers! Thank you all for your wonderful comments about our DIY Bingo Card Save the Dates; we’re so proud of them, and we’re so excited that you all love them just as much as we do!

Today isn’t so much a “Green Friday;” it’s more like a “Budget-Friendly Friday!” The girls over at DIY Bridal Files were kind enough to feature our Save the Date cards on their blog, so I wanted to show them a little love by introducing my readers to the sheer loveliness over at DIY Bridal Files.

Look for these girls to post twice per day on DIY goodness found all over the blogosphere! From Daily DIY projects to free printables, DIY Bridal Files is a one-stop shop for any DIY, budget-conscious bride.

Big thanks to the girls over at DIY Bridal Files for their feature! Go show them some love, readers – check out DIY Bridal Files here!

Have a blissful weekend!

Showcase Wednesday: Our (Finished) Save the Dates!

Happy Wednesday, readers! I always love it when the middle of the week arrives … it means we’re all closer to the weekend, which means that I’m closer to seeing Jordan! We’re living and working in separate cities right now, so I’m always grateful whenever Jordan comes home on the weekend.

Today I am pleased to bring you the fruits of our labor – our DIY bingo-inspired Save the Date cards!

Aren’t they cute!?

Jordan and I worked closely together on these cards, which proved to be a valuable lesson in Marriage 101: Patience is an absolutely necessary part of taking on any project, from DIY stationery to life itself.

As you may recall from this post, crafting the bingo card design came easily. It was the steps thereafter that proved to be more of a challenge.

First was the question of how to design the wrap-around vellum band. Jordan and I began concepting an asymmetrical design, but we quickly decided that we wanted to mirror the symmetry of the bingo card design on the vellum band. So, after a few long hours full of meticulous edits, we finally came to a consensus – we loved the design featuring our engagement pictures, courtesy of Creative Kindling!

After finalizing the design, I set out to find yellow vellum paper. Well, yellow vellum paper wasn’t in my future, I soon found out, which actually ended up for the better; my resourceful mother took a yellow crayon and colored on top of the clear vellum paper we found, and when she placed the vellum over the bingo card, it looked HIDEOUS! I feel very fortunate that I didn’t waste any money on yellow vellum paper.

Once the bingo cards and the vellum wraps were printed and trimmed, I spent one evening seated at my kitchen table with my Mom and two of my best gal pals (my maid of honor Kristen and my bridesmaid Serena), and we folded and glued, folded and glued. Kristen, whose super-fun handwriting is making its debut on the envelopes holding these Save the Date lovelies, spent a good portion of the evening addressing envelopes for us.

Here’s a glimpse of the front of the card:

There were two final parts to the design, the first of which is one of my favorites. The vellum paper wrapped around the back of the bingo card design, and where the two edges of the vellum paper met, my bridesmaid and gluer-extraordinaire Serena attached a button.

One note about the buttons, however:  I didn’t know this prior to crafting our Save the Date cards, but the buttons cost us an extra $0.20 cents each in postage, since they needed to be hand-stamped instead of running through a postage machine. I’m sure glad that none of our other stationery projects will utilize buttons, but at the same time, I love this feature on our Save the Date cards.

The second (and final) design element involved stamping a circle shape around the “July 17″ square on the front of the bingo card. While this should have been one of the easiest parts of the entire process, the company from which we ordered the stamp happened to be experiencing a high order volume, which therefore delayed the order significantly. However, all was well in the end, as the stamp arrived just in the knick of time!

Overall, I’m more than satisfied with our Save the Date cards. I would like to make one recommendation for you readers:  when Jordan and I were stuffing and sealing the envelopes that I had lined with decorative paper, we had trouble securing a proper seal, due to the fact that the decorative paper had covered up the waxy seal (the part of an envelope that you lick to seal it shut). So, we stuck a piece of double-stick tape to secure the envelope shut, and added a sticker seal on top of that. In the future, I will try to be more creative when lining envelopes, so that I don’t cover up the waxy seal.

I estimate the total cost of this project, including postage, to be right around $60.00. Most of the cost stems from purchasing the vellum paper.

What do you think of our Save the Date cards?

Our Wedding: Bliss Honeymoons!

From the moment J and I first discussed getting married, we both knew that we wanted a honeymoon where we could A) do things we’ve never done before, and B) relax, relax, relax.

However, since neither J nor I have ever planned such an important trip before, we’ve talked on and off about calling a travel agent to utilize their expertise and services in determining where exactly we should go on our honeymoon.

Enter Dana at The Broke-Ass Bride, who recently posted about one of her blog sponsors, Bliss Honeymoons & Destination Weddings. You could say that the clouds parted and angels could be heard singing in the distance, but that would be a little over the top, now wouldn’t it? Bliss Honeymoons specializes in helping couples determine what exactly they are looking for in a honeymoon, whether it’s relaxation, adventure, romance or a little bit of all three.

After I read Dana’s post, I immediately emailed J, and we quickly agreed to contact the wonderful travel agents at Bliss to help us plan our honeymoon. One of Bliss’s agents, Laura, contacted us promptly to set up a phone call (since there isn’t a Bliss office in our area) to talk about our ideal honeymoon and our budget.

The best part about Bliss Honeymoons? Because Bliss is a fully licensed travel agency, they are paid by the hotels. This means that couples just like you and me get all the benefits of working with an experienced travel consultant at no extra cost!

I’ll keep you informed as we talk with Laura about our honeymoon – we’re so excited to get started on this process!

NOTE: This post is not sponsored by the above company, individual, service or product line.

[Picture courtesy of Bridal Tweet]

Showcase Wednesday: Target Finds!

Happy Wednesday, readers! Today I wanted to take a break from DIY goodness to share with you a few recent vintage-inspired finds, available to you at one of my favorite stores, Target. You can also order these items online at www.target.com.

First up – women’s clothing! I’ve been oogling at these little black dresses – wouldn’t these little numbers be perfect for a formal rehearsal dinner, or even for a bridesmaid dress?

Or, if you’re looking for a fun, colorful dress to don at your bridal shower (or for your engagement shoot!), take a look at these fab frocks:

I am seriously coveting that yellow burst of sunshine in the middle; how perfect would that be for a wedding shower!

The best part about Target is that it’s a one-stop shop for EVERYTHING; click here to peruse what Target has to offer for clutches, killer shoes and jewelry.

As an added bonus, if you’re blessed to have a small frame, check out these vintage-inspired dresses that just hit the juniors section at Target:

Thanks for taking a quick little shopping trip with me – click here to access Target’s online marketplace.

[All photos from Target.com]

Green Friday: Bravo Bride!

Good morning, readers! Today I’m showcasing yet another resource available to you budget-savvy, eco-conscious brides: BravoBride!

BravoBride exists as an online marketplace of gently used wedding-related items, spanning from wedding gowns to party & shower items to bridal jewelry. In addition to providing a user-friendly marketplace of wedding lovelies, BravoBride supports the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign by donating a portion of their proceeds to the charity.

Furthermore, when you shop on BravoBride, you’re not just getting the wedding items you need at a great price. You’re also making an eco-friendly choice to re-use and pass along.

Click here to visit BravoBride online!

NOTE: This post is not sponsored by the above company, individual, service or product line.

[Photo: Bravo Bride]

Showcase Wednesday: Bachelorette Party Invites!

Happy Wednesday, readers! It’s finally the middle of the week. I’ve been battling sickness early this week, but am feeling a bit better today.

I wanted to share with you the invitations I created for my bachelorette party that’s coming up this June. I know, I know, it’s usually the job of the women throwing the party to make the invitations, but A) I know how absolutely busy my girls are, and B) I love being crafty! Planning this wedding has done wonders for me in terms of providing a creative outlet, so I couldn’t resist just one more project.

My ideal bachelorette party is a good old-fashioned slumber party! I want to play Mall Madness, test my luck with a Ouija board, and put on make-up, paint my nails and style my hair. I want to play Truth or Dare, talk about boys, eat pizza and drink wine. Sounds fun, doesn’t it!?

So, in the spirit of all things slumber party, I crafted these little “sleeping bags” out of double-sided decorative paper and glue.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Double-sided paper (I used paper that I purchased from Hobby Lobby)
Cardboard for a pattern (I again used the back of a notebook)
A6 envelopes (or any size)
Glue sticks
Bone folder (optional)

Steps:

1. Cut a pattern that is twice the width of your desired width. It’s important to approximate two times the width you need, because to achieve the sleeping bag look, you’ll later fold the paper in half. To identify the size, I measured the width of the A6 envelope and decided on an approximate size to fit inside the envelope. I cut my pattern to 8.25 inches long by 7 inches wide.

2. Hold the pattern up to one sheet of decorative paper and cut around it with scissors.

3. Fold the decorative paper in half.

4. To make the sleeping bag appear “folded down,” fold a crease into one of the edges. A bone tool works very well to accomplish a crisp fold.

5. Using a glue stick, glue along the bottom edge of the sleeping bag (opposite the folded flap). Also, glue along the unfolded edge of the bag (opposite the fold).

6. Glue under the flap to secure the bottom of the flap to the body of the sleeping bag. Let dry overnight.

7. Stick the pull-0ut invite inside the sleeping bag, and you’re ready to mail your invitations! If you’re using A6 envelopes with the above measurements, the final size of your pull-out invite should be 4.5 inches long by 3 inches wide.

[Photos: All taken by me]

Our Wedding: DIY Projects Update!

Happy Tuesday, readers! I hope today is happy for you – Tuesdays are usually happy for me: any day is better than Monday in my book!

With approximately five months until the wedding, I wanted to give you all a glimpse into what I’ve accomplished these past few weeks. I’ve hit the wedding planning hard, and I’m very proud of what projects I’ve started and finished! Many thanks to my wonderful friends and family for their help, as well as my future husband – I couldn’t do any of this without you!

- I’ve lined envelopes for our Save the Date cards and for the invitations for my bachelorette party (which will most likely be in June).
- I’ve made invitations for my bachelorette party, which I’ll be showcasing for you all tomorrow!
- Our Save the Date cards are nearly complete; I am VERY happy with the finished product, and I can’t wait to show the fruits of our efforts to you all next week!
- We’ve downloaded templates for our rehearsal dinner invitations and for our gift opening invitations; all we need are the details, and they’ll be ready to print!
- I’ve made little “favors” of sorts for our wedding; I’m anxious to show these to you near the end of February!
- We’ve taken profile photos of our entire wedding party, and I’m almost ready to talk with Jordan about what I’m concepting for our wedding ceremony programs.
- I’ve purchased large rectangles of styrofoam, which I will adorn with moss and turn into monograms that will hang by ribbon on the church doors!
- I’ve purchased two large bags of fabric pom poms; I am currently researching making DIY paper cones full of pom poms that our ushers will pass out to guests after our ceremony. I love these little pom poms!
- I purchased my flower fascinator from Etsy, and I can’t wait until it arrives!
- I purchased lace trim to use when making my throw-away garter.
- I’m in the beginning stages of making a few special items for my bridesmaids, including a very exciting purchase of gifts from Etsy! No more for now, can’t take the chance that I’d ruin the surprise!
- I’m in talks with a wonderful Etsy artist about making dresses for our flower girls; I’m a few decisions away from nailing down exactly what we’re looking for!
- My mother and I made a trip to a few area fabric stores last week, and I think we’ve found the fabric that we’ll use to make napkins for our wedding reception. I can’t wait to get this fabric purchased and get started on making these eco-friendly goodies!
- I have added a base coat of cream paint to 15 wooden letter “G’s” (these will be part of our centerpieces); they look great, and I can’t wait to add more treatments to these letters!
- J and I have FINALLY nailed down a design for our wedding invitations; now, all we need to do is add the text to the invitation, and then we can begin working on the supplemental materials for our invitations!

Whew! Looking at this list, I feel SO proud of all of the work we’ve started and finished.

What projects are YOU currently working on for your wedding?

Green Monday: Recycled Bride!

Hello readers, and happy Monday! I hope that you all are ready for one jam-packed week of posts, because I have a lot in store for you!

Today I want to introduce you to yet another wonderful resource for brides out there who are looking to save some “green” – that being money AND the earth! Recycled Bride is another eco-friendly toolbox full of loveliness available to you.

Existing as an online marketplace of wedding goods, Recycled Bride believes that everybody’s wedding stuff deserves a second chance to make a first impression. From wedding gowns to reception centerpieces and wedding gifts, Recycled Bride helps you to maximize your budget while minimizing your carbon footprint.

Head on over to Recycled Bride to peruse what’s up for sale now, or to put your own items up for sale! Also, check out the Recycled Bride blog for some lovely posts from the creator of Recycled Bride, Tracy!

Green Monday: Mason Jar Love

Happy Monday, readers! I was gifted the entire weekend off from my part-time job at Gymboree, and I got a few wedding-related crafts done! I can’t wait to share them with you soon.

A few weeks ago on Twitter, I stumbled upon a post from Intimate Weddings that literally made me stop in my tracks. Besides boasting a comprehensive venue search for intimate weddings on her site, Christina of Intimate Weddings has also collected tutorials and inspiration for some of the best DIY projects out there, making Intimate Weddings a literal hub of DIY goodness.

Because J and I plan to incorporate mason jars into our wedding decor, Christina’s post on these multi-purpose lovelies caught my eye recently. Before seeing this post, J and I figured that we would utilize mason jars as vases to hold flowers on on our reception tables. But after seeing this picture (at left), I now am on the hunt for more mason jars to achieve this affect!

I’ve always wanted to be married by candlelight, and this picture literally is just oozing with romance. Can you imagine collections of these mason jars lining the aisle?! How amazing.

The best part about mason jars is that they can be reused post-wedding for canning, storing foods like salsa, or utilized for gifts, such as hot chocolate mix, hard ingredients for cookie dough and more. Plus,mason jars are an easy, always available vase for your favorite garden flowers! Therefore, making an investment in mason jars is an eco-friendly, budget-friendly decor idea.

[Photo credit: Intimate Weddings]

Green Monday: Green Favor Ideas!

Hi everyone! Today I wanted to introduce you all again to Dream Green Weddings, an online marketplace FULL of inspiration on eco-chic weddings.

Not a fan of wastefulness, but still want to offer your guests favors? Look no further than Dream Green Weddings‘ marketplace of eco-friendly wedding favors.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Organic Shea Butter Soap Wedding Favors

These favors, in the shape of X’s and O’s (how cute!) are made with pure, natural ingredients. Plus, the little soaps come with a tiny little gift box, adorned with a ribbon and a personalized label. And at just $3.25 a box, they’re affordable, too!

Birdseed Heart Organic Wedding Favors in Organza Bag

Inspired by the beauty of nature, give your guests little hearts adorned with birdseed made with natural ingredients. These little beauties will be handmade just for your wedding, and allow you to get creative: hang them from trees at your venue!

Live Bamboo Eco-Wedding Favor in a Bubble Vase

Nothing is more eco-friendly than giving your guests a living plant! These bamboo shoots are shipped directly from a California nursery. Symbolizing love, luck and happiness, bamboo is also a sustainable natural resource that takes little energy to harvest.

Have a great Monday!