A new kind of registry.

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Lucas about a new website he created. I get a lot of emails during the week that are trying to sell me the latest and greatest program or product for my business. So, you can imagine I was a bit hesitant. I decided to visit the site and learn more.

What I found was a clean, easy to navigate website for engaged couples to register for personalized gifts. Sounds basic, right? Wrong! What makes his idea so great is that the registry isn't for toasters, towels or pots & pans. Instead it's for the things you really want and would love to have your family and friends help you out with. You can ask any of your vendors to sign up on the site and create a registry for you. For example, a couple of mine could register for different photography products such as a matted album, fine art canvas print or guest signature book.

Why is this idea so great? So many couples live together before they get married and already have all the essential day to day items that are traditional with a wedding registry. They don't need more of the same and rather have help creating the wedding day of their dreams. I've had many couples who have already bought a house together and rather receive a wedding video, fabulous flowers or a photo booth. The options are endless and opens up a whole new way of registering for your big day!

Visit their site for more information at Wedding Registry Direct.

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!