DIY Wedding Ideas.

The "do it yourselve" trend is popping up everywhere. From Martha Stewart's craft line at Michael's crafts to a website devoted to DIY home projects. When it comes to your wedding day this is a big topic. Many couples want to create gifts for their guests with loving care, others would prefer to pay someone to do it for them. What it really comes down to is how much time are you willing to invest? Also, be sure to price out the total cost of making it yourself or having someone else do it, often you'd be surprised to find out how much it really costs you to make something from scratch.

A lot of us think "I can do that, why have someone else do it for me?" What are some of the things that are actually do-able versus those that are ill-advised? Since this topic has many options, we'll start with one or two and really focus on those.

1. Create a display for your family photos. 

Many couples like to show their parents wedding pictures as well as grandparents. Along with those the couple may also include images from their engagement session and snap shots of trips they've taken etc. 

The most common way to display them is with photo frames on a table. If you do this think of a way to add some height to certain frames so they are easy to see. A more unique idea is below and of course, comes courtesy of our craft lady, Martha. Check here for the full description on how to do it. Once the frames are made, you can pick a spot to hang them at your reception site.

Cork or magnetic boards are another idea I love. Fill the boards with images from edge to edge with them overlapping to create a collage look. The curved edges give this board from Umbra a modern look. Hang them in a grid of four or three across. 

Umbra really has great ways to display photos, I love many of their designs and are all at a great price. I have the photo tree in the my studio and love it!  Here is a mini table top version from them that would attract attention. Go to their website for more great ideas: Umbra.
Hopefully this has started your wheels turning for an easy DIY project for your reception. We'll be adding more to this topic throughout the year. Have a great weekend! 

I'm so hungry. Q&A with Jenn Louis of Culinary Artistry.

Today's ideas come from Jenn of Culinary Artistry.  I asked her her thoughts on the pros and cons of serving a plated dinner versus a buffet. 

Plated dinners are more formal and the evening of your event is spent seated. This is great for a slower and more mellow event. For social events, buffets work best as well as family style. Also it is good to take your guests into account. Buffets allow for guests to choose what they want to eat and they can have seconds if they wish. A plated meal allows everyone to be served without getting up. This also gives your guests a bit more time to get to know everyone at the table. Finally, platted meals can cost more since the caterer will need to order more silverware & plates to accommodate for each course. They will also need to have additional servers to ensure guests at the table are all served at the same time.  

I had one more question for Jenn before she needed to get back to preparing fabulous dishes,

"How do you go about choosing a menu?"

When it comes to choosing food think seasonal. That will always match best with the time of year your wedding is and will of course, taste the best. Grilled foods in summer, braising in the winter. If you'd like to add a signature cocktail to your event, be sure to serve something that the majority of your guests will enjoy. Lavender mojitos are great, but don't always span the entire guest list's tastes.

Thanks to Jenn for her simple and easy ideas. If you'd like more information on caterering, feel free to contact Jenn thru her website Culinary Artistry. 

Images by Jasmine Photography. Food by Culinary Artistry.

Please don't melt!

Todays' post comes from Allison of Cupcake Mama.

As a baker, one thing I've been dealing with all summer is the heat! An outdoor wedding + buttercream can be a recipe for disaster. If you have ordered a buttercream cake or cupcakes and your reception is outside, talk to your baker. At Cupcake Mama, I am always in direct contact with my wedding couples, the venue, the caterer, to make sure your cupcakes are in tip-top condition on your wedding day. Most often, it's just a matter of creative coordination such as setting up the display while dinner is being served. Your baker should be willing to work with you, after all, it's your wedding day-don't be afraid to ask!

Photo credit to Urban Edge Photography. Copyright Cupcake Mama 2008.

Not all vendors are created equal.

I'm one of the few vendors who are on site for the majority of the day. I get to see everything come together and also work with other vendors. You'd be surprised on how some vendors treat others. To be honest I was a bit shocked that anyone would be rude or snotty to someone they will most likely have to work with again! This is why I started this blog. Because not all vendors are created equal and on your wedding day you certainly want everything to go as planned.  They are your team. Your support system. The backbone of your day. The team that can fix things in a flash such as coming up with other ideas for a ceremony location if it rains or making a new boutonniere for the groomsman who lost his!

The wedding a few weeks back got me thinking more about this. Some of the things I've encountered over the years include the minister not arriving to the ceremony. The bride and groom had to call him and wake him from his nap so he could come and let everything into the church and start the show!  I've seen the zipper break on a dress while the bride was putting it on. Flowers that wilted before the event started and then there was the caterer that didn't want to feed us! Instead we had to run to get pizza so we'd be back in time for the toasts. 

The folks listed on the right side of this blog I have worked with, a number of times and respect how devoted they are to their profession. Not just anyone gets added here folks, I'm picky, as you should be too! Ok, enough of that...I'll have some fun stuff to post next week. Have a good one! 

I now announce you husband and wife...

I had two really wonderful and different weddings this weekend. During one of the ceremonies I was really touched and started to cry when the groom began to read his vows. It was so heartfelt and full of emotion that it would be hard to walk away from it without feeling more alive and full of love. The ceremony is the most important part of the day, but also the shortest. With that in mind it's important to take some extra time to really think thru your options as to how you want it performed.

The current trend is having one of your close friends or family members become "instantly ordained" online so they can perform the ceremony. This is a great idea but can also lead to a bit more stress and confusion leading up to the service. If this is the option you are leaning toward be sure to think out carefully whom would do the best in front of a large group of people. You'll want someone who speaks clearly and slowly enough and is good under pressure. I've seen some friends pacing before the ceremony, nervous that they'll make a mistake or forget to say something. Practice, practice and practice if you are having a friend or family member perform the ceremony.

The other option is hiring a professional minister to marry the two of you. This is the obvious option if you belong to a church and your minister is available for your wedding date. The next option if you are getting married outside of the church is to find a non-denominational minister. I'll be honest, every ceremony I've been to where Marky Ann Kelly of Custom Ceremonies married the couple, I've cried. What I really enjoy about her is how she takes the time to meet with the two of you and gets to know you. You discuss what you'd like the ceremony to focus on and add personal touches. Your guests learn how the two of you fell in love and how you are committed to each other. It's beautiful, full of love and emotional. The other benefit to having a professional is they have been to a lot of weddings; they are calm, collected and there to help you relax before you say I do.