Eco-Vintage Weddings

DIY Projects that Didn’t Make the Cut

[A note: This post? FEISTY.]

We all know how awesome it feels to check things off your to-do list, right? Well, I’ll be the first to tell you this: It feels even better to dropkick projects off your to-do list.

In case you’re curious, here’s two projects that have recently been dropkicked off my to-do list:

1. Moss monograms. Sure, it’d be super cute to have guests walk into the chapel and see two lovely monograms hanging from ribbon. It’d be even cuter to have a picture of said monograms. But, and here’s the real deal: Hours of labor (plus lots of $$) is not worth ONE FREAKING PICTURE.

2. “Yay” flags. I fell in love with these little flags when I first spotted them on Vintage Glam. However, for the same reason as I gave above, while these would make for a great camera shot or two, TOTALLY not worth the hours of labor-intensive work.

I’m all for DIY. Trust me, I’ve been living inside my own little DIY whirlwind for the past 9 months. But, as I’m (gasp!) exiting the world of DIY and entering the real world again (hiiiiiiiii, premarital counseling; oh hellooooooo, how-can-we-afford-a-honeymoon-on-a-meager-budget), I’m coming out of it all a little more sassy (and, truthfully, no worse for the wear).

How does your wedding exhaustion manifest itself? Crabbiness? Anger? Depression? Excitement? Elation? Sass (like me)?

[Photo of one awesome chick from Fitness Training]

Our Wedding: Cootie Catchers!

Good Tuesday morning, readers! Today I’m showcasing another DIY project that I’ve finished for our wedding this July – cootie catcher favors!

I originally saw this project on Vintage Glam Weddings, a site of vintage goodness that’s now under the moniker of Ruffled (which, if you haven’t checked it out, shame on you!). I always used to play with these when I was in grade school, and I felt like it including these little lovelies would be a fun throwback to my childhood!

As a twist on the traditional cootie catcher, instead of using numbers and colors, my groom and I came up with a few facts of trivia about us as a couple and us as individuals. To keep this project eco-friendly, we plan to print these on recycled paper.

Here’s the finished product:

Click here to download the template for cootie catchers on Ruffled.

Click here for instructions on how to fold cootie catchers via The Daring Book for Girls.

[Photo: The Daring Book for Girls]

One Moment of Envy

Hi everyone,

From reading my blog each week, I assume that you all have noticed the blogroll that appears on the right side of my web page. As you can see, I’m a big fan of wedding blogs, and I feel eternally grateful to bloggers like Abby at Style Me Pretty, Amanda at Vintage Glam Weddings and Emily at Once Wed for the endless creativity they offer.

That being said, it’s a true statement that many of the blogs I frequent tend to feature weddings well above J and my meager budget, and I often find myself longing for professional lighting or the financial ability to supply pashminas for my guests. Surprisingly, I only experienced my first bout of envy at the hands of the blogosphere this week.

While perusing the always-lovely Style Me Pretty earlier this week, I stumbled upon the Idaho wedding of Cortney and Scott, and while I was wowed by the decor (if you want an outdoor wedding, seriously DO THIS SET-UP, and you BETTER invite me!), I was even more wowed by the photography, done by the amazing Stephanie Fay. The problem: Stephanie’s stellar photography is WAY WAY WAY out of our budget.

I felt sad that we couldn’t drop thousands to afford the skills of a wonderfully creative photographer, but then I remembered something: I have friends from high school who are amateur photographers that will certainly be able to pull of amazingly wonderful photographs and will work hard to document our day for a fraction of the cost.

Therefore, despite my sadness at not being able to utilize Stephanie’s amazing eye for detail and impeccable knack for capturing important moments, I know that our wedding photography will be special to us and just as memorable, because it’ll be us in the photos. It’ll be me in the white dress and him in the grey tux, and we’ll be joyous and overwhelmed and in a perpetual state of wonderment that we found each other. Photographs don’t make feelings like that happen – love does.

That being said…Stephanie Fay, if you’re reading this, I absolutely love your work. Any couple should feel lucky to have your eyes behind the camera on their big day.

Also, to Cortney and Scott…you guys rocked it out. Seriously.

[Photo Credit: All photos via Stephanie Fay]

Sara’s Etsy Finds: Part I

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I once again find myself apologizing for not posting yesterday, but I wanted to give you all a chance to browse through my post on wedding gown shopping – I hope you all enjoyed reading it! As a reminder, if you would like to see photos/links of the dresses we DID like, email me and I’ll be sure to send them your way!

Today’s post is fun, because it’s full of Etsy goodness! As you may know, Etsy is an online shopping mall of homemade goods. Whether you’re looking for handmade gifts for friends or family, woodworking beauties or a ring bearer pillow for a wedding, Etsy is your one-stop shop! Plus, the best thing about Etsy is that many of the sellers on the site simply reuse fabric or craft goods to make new things, thereby decreasing the amount of waste that’s accrued each year! How’s that for eco-friendly!

Up first are Amanda Archer’s lovely dresses. Made from natural fabrics and trims, Amanda’s creations are both eco-friendly and beautiful; check out this AMAZING printed number! Perfect for summer bridesmaid dresses! Her other dresses (including an adorable blueberry frock and a champagne silk dress) are just as lovely, and are reasonably priced!

Next up is an idea for gifts for bridesmaids or just for fun! Sakizome’s shop on Etsy is full of whimsical handmade bags that really cover the spectrum; from fruit-covered satchels to hydrangea clutches, Sakizome’s shop is your one-stop store for handmade purses!

Up next is a HUGE favorite of mine – RedLightStudio! Seriously, if you’ve never heard of this shop before, click over to their store and you will be WOWED by the whimsy of their wedding cake toppers! Since J and I plan to incorporate an aviary motif throughout our wedding, I can’t imagine putting anything but birds atop our wedding cake! The best part: the artists at RedLightStudio detail each set of birds by hand, according to your wedding colors and what you and your significant other look like/will be wearing!

This next shop is arguably my most favorite shop on Etsy – Y&E Bridal. I heard about this shop through Vintage Glam Weddings, and I have to say, as soon as I clicked over to see the beautiful work Y&E does, I know that I won’t go anywhere else for my garter or ring bearer pillow.

Looking for affordable handmade jewelry? Look no further than JLR Designs on Etsy. JLR Designs offers nearly 50 items that are all $20 and under – and it’s beautiful beaded jewelry that’s perfect for bridesmaids and even for the bride herself! Plus, 20% of every item sold goes to benefit the Arizona Humane Society!

There’s much more to come;
stop by tomorrow for more Etsy finds!

Tuesday Fanblog: Vintage Glam Weddings

Good evening, all! (Actually, how about great evening? Are you having one?)

As an attempt to develop a blogitorial calendar, I figured I would devote my first Tuesday post to honoring the talents of others who have inspired me to devle into the world of vintage-inspired or eco-conscious weddings (hence the title: Tuesday Fanblog). First up: Vintage Glam Weddings.

Arriving at my office each morning is exciting, and apart from the peanut butter toast that I’m about to consume (it’s one of my Monday – Friday rituals), the majority of my eagerness to open the office doors each day stems from the blog I view first each morning: Vintage Glam Weddings.

From her super-chic photography showcases to her wonderful knack for knowing what makes weddings special (it’s in the details, people!), Amanda is a vintage bride herself, and it shows (click here to see her unbelievable wedding photography). Not only does Amanda offer free downloads (like this telegram template), but the weddings that she showcases on Vintage Glam Weddings are inspirational in their DIY goodness and their creativity.

Vintage Glam Weddings certainly provided a wonderful launching pad for me in trying to decipher what I wanted for my own wedding, and for the endless inspiration that Amanda provides, a big THANK YOU!