DIY Boutonnieres

Just because spelling the word "boutonniere" can be tricky doesn't mean making them has to be! I have a bride who is contemplating making her own boutonnieres and found a couple great tutorials showing how easy it can be.

• Wedding Leaf Boutonniere from OnceWed

• DIY Silk Flower Boutonniere from WeddingBee

• DIY Vintage Boutonnieres from Love & Lace

• DIY Paper Flower boutonniere from Project Wedding

Any tips you'd like to share for making your own boutonnieres?

Short Bridal Hairstyles

You always hear of the brides who do the post wedding chop-well I have a bride who just did a pre-wedding day chop! With her new short do, she is stressed out about finding a pretty style for her wedding day.

Here are some great wedding day hairstyles for brides with short hair:

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Are you planning on doing a post-wedding day chop? I am still playing around with this idea!

Self Tanner for your Wedding Day? To do or not to do?

I always hear a lot of back and forth from brides when it comes to fake baking vs using a spray tanner for their big day. I usually recommend against using the self tanning spray tanners because they can leave streaks, they stink, and they sometimes rub off on your clothes-even after you've showered.

Though I wouldn't use a self tanner around my wedding day, I have had some pretty good luck with self tanners and spray tans in the past-I LOVE L'Oreal's Sublime Bronze Self Tanning Lotion-it goes on easy, smells decent, and gives a good light color.

I also recommend having a person spray you rather than a machine-it goes on more evenly, gets in all the right nooks and crannies, and is a better overall experience.

So what happens if you just can't stand your pale skin anymore and you impulsively go to the first spray tan place you can find? (I actually recently did this!) You come out smelling like a fresh baked loaf of bread and are feeling pretty pumped, only to wait a few more hours to find streaks around your feet, orange around your nails, and unnatural tan lines under your arms.

What do you do?!?

Here are some great tips from Ehow.com on how to remove streaks from sunless tanner:

• Exfoliate with warm water and a sponge-this is the least invasive method and will probably only work on light streaks
• Apply moistened baking soda to a washcloth and rub it in a circular motion on your streaks. Do NOT use on your face
• Use rubbing alcohol and a cotton ball and wipe along the streaks (do NOT use near eyes)
• Use lemon juice and a cotton ball and rub on the streaks

Aren't these some great easy options? Have you ever had a self tanner mishap?

Cute Address Labels

Since the big move to Chicago almost two months ago, I am in desperate need of some new return address labels. Though I'm having quite a bit of fun printing them in word, cutting them with my paper cutter, and then running them through my Xyron to make them sticky, it is a bit TOO time consuming and I am ready for some real ones.

Keep these in mind for when you change your last name, move in with your hubs, or even for great bridesmaid gifts.

These round ones are from Invitation Consultants:

These funky guys are from Erin Condren:

And these lovelies are from Wedding Paper Divas:

**From the day I met my husband, he has been telling me he wants to live in New York. These would be perfect if his dream ever came true, huh?

**I think these are adorable!

**Hello!?! How perfect is this one? Windy City address labels? And they are stylish?

Where do you go for your personal stationery needs?

Fall Rehearsal Dinner Invitations

I just finished up some fall themed rehearsal dinner invitations for an upcoming fall wedding. They wanted fall colors and a little bit of fun.

Here goes:

Ivory lined envelopes

Layered cardstock:

Free Fonts used: Desdemona and Pharmacy

Total Cost of Invitations:

$2.50 for orange card stock

$1.00 for envelopes

Not bad, huh? All other cardstock I already had in stock. Brown patterned card stock is from Michaels.

If you're getting married this fall, show me your fall themed invitations!

Party Basics for New Nesters

I was at the public library yesterday perusing the aisles and I came across a really fun book by Maria McBride called Party Basics for New Nesters. It's filled with great tips on how to celebrate life at home and how to make simple decorative items to accent your party. She also has a few other wedding related books (must have been her calling with a last name like McBride).

As I was flipping through the book in the library, a few DIY items caught my eye-now I have to go back and get my Chicago library card so I can read more!

Her website has a lot of creative ideas for everyday celebrations, holidays, and weddings. Here are a few of my faves:

Barn Door Entryway

These drapes completely transform the look of this barn-and-they are made of muslin (cheap!) and twine.

Tea Party

These personalized tea bags are so cute. Can't you imagine this at a bridal shower with a tea party theme? Use double stick tape and personalized tea tabs to cover the existing tab. This would be so easy but would definitely make your guests say wow! I am so doing this!

Blue Centerpieces

I think we've all seen this one before. Simple glass vases filled with water, food coloring, and a few floating candles-what a big impact!

What are some of your trusty party basics?

How to Make Champagne Bubbly Again

In my house, it is a crime to not finish a bottle of champagne once it has been opened. Not that I drink it often but I do enjoy a bottle with my girlfriends whenever I have the chance (hey, we've even done mimosas at an ASU tailgate!) and love to drink it with my husband to celebrate big and small moments.

I was reading over on RealSimple about new uses for old things and saw this great tip on how to make champagne bubbly again. If you ever pop a bottle of champagne only to realize you have to run to the store to grab x, y, and z, you can still bring back the fizz by using this simple trick.

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Here's how:

Drop a raisin into the open bottle a few minutes before pouring and any last minute gasps of carbon dioxide that are left in the wine will stick to the raisin's ridged surface, and then release as tiny bubbles. (RealSimple)

Speaking of champagne, what's your favorite kind? I set up a blind champagne tasting awhile back and my husband and I both determined that our favorite is Korbel Extra Dry or if we are splurging, we like Veuve.

Budget Wedding in Six Weeks: Update

With less than five weeks to go, the wedding I mentioned a few posts back is coming along quite nicely. In one week, the following items were completed:

• Out of town family was notified (personal phone calls take the place of Save the Dates)
• Budget was determined
• Guest list was finalized
• Date was finalized
• Venue was booked
• Wedding attire was purchased
• Invitations were designed, hand addressed, and mailed out
• Wedding website was put up
• Hotel blocks were made
• Wedding weekend events were scheduled (golf, spa)
• Food tasting was completed and initial BEO was put together

It was kind of like a wedding blitz. It was a full week of phone calls, emails, web surfing, and lots of hard work. After week one, I told the bride we would need to meet again in about a week to work on round two. She said, "I thought we were done. What else is there to do?". Oy! This is why she hired me!

With five weeks to go, we still have a long list of items to cover. Book vendors, write out ceremony, figure out seating arrangements and centerpieces and songs and the order of events-the list goes on and on. On a good note, the groom is extremely involved and plans to help out, make phone calls, and do anything he can to make this wedding a success. He even wants to track the rsvp cards as they come in. I sent him my trusty Wedding RSVP Tracking spreadsheet that I think is a huge time saver and wedding helper.

Check it out here on Scribd or download it below:

Wedding RSVP Tracking

How did you track all your wedding RSVPs?

Do-it-yourself: Chuppah/Arch/Canopy

What is a chuppah you might ask? A new burrito from Taco Bell? Some strange little rodent? Nope! According to Wikipedia a chuppah is a canopy traditionally used in Jewish weddings that symbolizes the home the couple will build together. Don't worry though-even if you're not Jewish, you can still use a chuppah/arch/canopy. It can also represent God's presence over your marriage (since you get married under the chuppah).

If you're still confused about what a chuppah is, check out these gorgeous and inspiring pictures:

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You starting to get the idea? Well, I have a couple who wants to use one for their wedding and the groom just so happens to be very handy with power tools, measuring tapes, and anything construction related. He is planning on taking on this project so that he and his bride can say their vows under it-pretty romantic, huh? Especially since he will be building the chuppah/arch that symbolizes the home they will build together-already off to a good start.

I found a few DIY chuppah tutorials online if you are going to tackle a project like this yourself.

Keep in mind when you are building it that if you have to transport it somewhere, it may be easiest to add the final nails/screws at the final destination, rather than build it at home and then have to rent a moving truck to get it to your ceremony spot.

Any tips for building your own chuppah/arch/canopy?

Planning a Budget Wedding in Six Weeks?

Can it be done? I just had a call from a bride who is getting married in 6 weeks. Yep-that's not a typo. October 17th, 2009 is her wedding date. She got engaged four days ago and wanted to do a small ceremony and no reception, but after talking to her family and her fiance, she was out voted. The guest list is now up to 80. Wow.

That's when she called me. After about a two hour conversation with her and a two hour conversation with her mother, plans were formed, details were discussed, and some progress was made.

If you are planning a wedding with an engagement of less than two months, I would recommend starting off by doing the following:

1. Call your family and any important friends to determine a date that works for everyone

2. Figure out your budget. Are your parents contributing? How much can you put toward it?

3. Put together a guest list

4. Find a location

My bride is working on steps 1-3 as we speak. Since she lives on 7 acres in beautiful Lake Geneva and has the perfect backdrop for an outdoor tented wedding, her location is easy-on her property. Her color scheme is brown and plum with hints of ivory and gold. Isn't this picture gorgeous?

Follow along over the next six weeks to see how her wedding progresses.

How long was your engagement? Do you know anyone who planned their wedding in less than two months? Any pointers?