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I always say that a wedding invitation sets the tone for your wedding – it’s the first thing your guests will see from your wedding, so I believe you should “wow” your invitees with them!  I’ve started drooling over boxed wedding invitations – not the sort where you get 100 in a box from Target, but the sort where every guest receives their invitation in a *box*.

To many it probably seems over the top, but it’s truly amazing what some people come up with. Of course, you still need to stay within your budget, but if you have a pretty big budget or a very small guest list, then consider this option!  Expect to pay at least $30 and up per invitation if you get them done professionally, and I would guesstimate that your DIY starting price would be around $8 – of course, the pricing would all depend on what you use to make your invitations!

This is a folio invitation presented in a silk box. I love how it incorporates a beautiful photo of the couple! (Found at Elizabeth Ann Designs, Photography by Love Letters)

These are Miss Gummi-Bear's invitations on WeddingBee. They're way cute with the Gocco'd Kraft Paper box.

This company design and print wedding invitations, and the bride then put them in boxes and tied them with ribbon.

When you are creating boxed invitations, the sky's almost the limit in the various 3D pieces you can include in your invitations. I love these with the orchids included.

Thai Silk Box supply Thai Silk invitation boxes and can also design your entire invitation.

These ones are created by Revelry Invitations. Note that if you're going to include embellishments on the outer box, you're going to have to have a special way of delivering your invitation to your guests!

Wrapping your invitation in a layer of beautiful tissue paper adds an additional touch of elegance.

I love how simple yet beautiful these ones are. And that box pattern? Love it!

What say you? Will you be delivering your invitations in a box?

by auschick | posted in Design Ideas | 3 Comments »

Not long ago, I posted up the Pantone 2010 Color for the Year.

Well, for you brides who are scheduling a 2011 wedding, I have some news for you! La Cuir A Paris (a French fashion fair/expo that attracts fashion designers from around the world) have released their color forecast for Spring/Summer 2011.

Here’s what they say about the following color palettes:

“Archaic Garden” – The range is whitened, stony, mineral or delicately fruity. The softness of faded, evanescent, light and serious colors.
“Underwater Variation” – The range delves into the blue, and extends to an aqua green. Sea anemone pink is enhanced by inky blues and purples. Navy and brown darken the landscape. White soap bubbles refresh the saturated atmosphere.
“Tropical Dramaturgy” – The range is solar, incandescent, spicy and suffocating. Yellow singing at the top of its voice, uninhibited parrot green, the orange of Tibetan monks, the entire spectrum of reds from purple to salmon pink. Bushy brown, deep blue.
“Enchanted Picnic” – The range sets your teeth on edge. The neon colors are whitened. Jelly pink is transparent, the pastels are over-bright. The brights are on fire, tempered by a reasonable grey and a measured beige.
“Shadowy Shores” – The range is tinged with vegetal colors. Bathed in red, boat hull; dark navy, hut; strong green, canvas. Or lightened colors, bleached by the salt, faded by the sun and the sea.

“Tropical Dramaturgy” and “Archaic Garden” are my favorites – what are yours?

by auschick | posted in Design Ideas | No Comments »

Last week I went on a spending spree at one of my favorite stores – Michael’s.  Whatever the theme of your wedding, and regardless of when your wedding is during the year, as Christine has already mentioned, you can always make use of Christmas decorations!

Baubles are probably my favorite for using in weddings, and are available in tons of colors.  You can fill up a tall clear vase with baubles that fit your theme and use them as centerpieces – just make sure the tops of them aren’t visible from the outside so they look like regular balls and not Christmas decorations!  These balls can also be used to create a wedding wreath, perhaps with some fake or real flowers included too.

Baskets are also usually on clearance around new years, and these can be used for holding programs, rose petals (think flower girls), and bathroom supplies.

If the theme of your wedding is either red, silver, or green, finding ribbons and wrapping paper that are on Christmas clearance are also good finds – just make sure to get patterns that aren’t adorned with Christmas trees or other obvious Christmas patterns.

Another thing to stock up on is tape that’s on clearance – double sided is especially handy, but you’re more likely to find gift wrapping tape. Depending on what you’re doing for favors or thank you gifts, this can be especially useful.

"Love" Garland from the $1 section at Target last year

We’re now getting closer to Valentine’s day, so that means everywhere you go, you’ll find cute/kitschy heart adorned candy, decorations, and kitchen products.  If you’re hosting a bridal shower or bachelorette party sometime this year, Valentines Day is a great time to stock up on bits and pieces for the party!  Keep an eye on Target’s $1 section for some great buys! Last year I found a silicone heart shaped icecube tray in that section and I included it with my sister’s bridal shower gift.  I also found a red glitter heart garland which I used at the entrance to her bacherlorette party.

Valentine's Day M&M's are great for bachelorette parties and bridal showers.

Have you used holiday ornaments in a wedding before? Share how you have used them, or intend to use them!

by auschick | posted in Design Ideas, General Planning | No Comments »

DIY Wedding Makeup

December 31st, 2009

Happy blue moon and last day of the first decade of the 21st century!

Last week I was in NYC for Christmas and happened to do one of my favorite things: casually wander into the makeup department of Bloomingdales and get myself a free makeover :) . Usually I don’t end up buying anything through these makeovers, but this time I actually did – in a somewhat roundabout way.

The look that I got was from the Benefit Cosmetics line and to me, it looked perfect for bridal makeup. I should have taken a photo of myself all dolled up, but the look was a pink shimmery effect.  From memory, the products used included the following:

"Dear John" was used first as a moisturizing base. Since I have plenty of moisturizers, I didn't buy this one.

"That Gal" is a primer which I *love*. It brightens your face and I felt like it made me really radiate.

"Some Kind-a-Gorgeous" is a lightweight foundation available in both "pale" and "deep" shades. This was used over "That Gal".

Now, I am pretty sure they used this one on me. It's called "erase paste" and is a concealer available in 3 shades. Like all concealers, you apply it after the foundation. I already have concealer so I'm going to see how things look with the one I already have.

"Sugarbomb" is a blusher and it looks really great!

In addition to these, she also used eye shadow, mascara, and lip gloss – I thought these products were ok, but no real standouts to what I already had at home.  Bloomingdales had a special deal on the Benefit Cosmetics line where if you spent $75 you would get a bonus pack which included mascara, eye shadow, erase paste, and a bunch of other things.  It’s the best deal on Benefit that I’ve seen, but I ended up getting it from Sephora since I had a Sephora giftcard to use up. Sephora also have a sample pack of most of these products for the bargain price of $10 (I think that sale ends this weekend, so be quick!).

If you or one of your bridesmaids are comfortable with putting makeup on (let’s face it, most of us girls do this every day!), then I recommend going to your favorite makeup counter and having a few different makeovers until you find what you want to use.  Pay attention to what the makeup artist does (especially in getting rid of bags under eyes and blemishes!), and then try doing it yourself at home.  Especially if you have a lot of bridesmaids, you will definitely save a lot of money by doing your makeup yourself.

by auschick | posted in Beauty | No Comments »

Wedding Invitation Trend: Lace

December 21st, 2009

Hi everyone! I hope you are all staying warm, but enjoying all the snow (if you’re in the DC area or further north!).  And if you got married in this area yesterday, I hope everything went ok – do people postpone their wedding if a blizzard hits?

Anyway, on a very un-Christmas and un-snow like theme, this week I want to share about a trend I’ve been seeing lately that I think is fabulous – lace! I’m seeing it a lot on invitations at the moment, and was recently asked by a potential client to design her wedding invitations with lace in them.  They will still have some changes to them (the colors and motif), but here’s a sneaky peak for you!

This is one of the prototypes - since i'm still playing around with colors and ribbon sizes, I haven't actually sewn the ribbon and lace together yet (hence why you see it all raggedy at the side). The camera isn't doing total justice to the invitation, but it's deep purple with orange. I'm also going to play with deep red and a paisley print.

This is one of the prototypes - since i'm still playing around with colors and ribbon sizes, I haven't actually sewn the ribbon and lace together yet (hence why you see it all raggedy at the side). The camera isn't doing total justice to the invitation, but it's deep purple with orange. I'm also going to play with deep red and a paisley print. The ring is from the jewelery making section at Michael's.

And for good measure, here’s some other lace inspired invitations for your inspiration:

I love this! I dont know where they got the lace from (I looked at my local fabric store but couldnt find it that wide), but I love the mixture of laces, ribbon, fonts, and paper in this one by Dionne Lashell.

I love this! I don't know where they got the lace from (I looked at my local fabric store but couldn't find it that wide), but I love the mixture of laces, ribbon, fonts, and paper in this one by Dionne Lashell.

This one looks simple and sweet - I love the way shes tied the ribbon!

This one looks simple and sweet - I love the way she's tied the ribbon!

This one doesnt have any real lace on it, but a lace print is letterpressed onto the invitation.

This one doesn't have any real lace on it, but a lace print is letterpressed onto the invitation.

This one also has letterpressed lace rather than real lace.

This one also has letterpressed lace rather than real lace.

This handmade lace invitation is also beautiful - I love the criss cross effect with the thin ribbon.

This handmade lace invitation is also beautiful - I love the criss-cross effect with the thin ribbon.

This lace invitation also incorporates suede paper. I could only imagine how much that costs!

This lace invitation also incorporates suede paper. I could only imagine how much that costs!

I’m off to NYC this week and am hoping to stop by M&J Trimmings to see what they have in the way of lace and ribbons – they quite possibly have one of the largest selections in the world, so if you’re needing trimmings and are in NYC, go check it out!

Are you using lace in your wedding? How will you be incorporating it? Link to pictures if you can!!

by auschick | posted in Design Ideas | 3 Comments »

Pantone have just announced that the color for 2010 will be Turquoise.  This turquoise:

But what is Pantone you say, and why would they know what color will be “in” for 2010?  Pantone is the world’s leading authority on color.  Every year they release a deck of colors and these are picked up by the paint companies, fabric companies, and others who then add these colors to their collections,  and in the case of the paint companies, rename them to things like, “turquoise dream,” “cafe latte,” and “beach paradise” (I made those names up, but I think you catch my drift ;-) ).

For brides, Pantone has teamed up with Dessy to provide 200 dresses in Pantone colors (yep, including this turquoise shade)! (Dessy group owns Dessy, After Six, Alfred Sung, Lela Rose Bridesmaid and Sandals Destination Wedding Dresses). Dessy also has a feature on their site that lets you create inspiration boards using Pantone colors.

I’m sure many of you might be saying, “I won’t conform! I won’t go with this trend!”.  Sure, you could do that, but the beauty in going with a color scheme that’s “in” is that finding pieces to compliment your wedding are usually available in abundance, so theoretically, will save you time and money.

Are you going with a popular trend scheme for your wedding? I’d love to hear what it is!

by auschick | posted in Design Ideas, General Planning | No Comments »

I can’t believe that this day only a year ago I was in a big white dress and walking down the aisle! It’s so amazing how time really flies – I still remember that day so well!

This year has been fabulous – we’ve loved being married!  We didn’t live together before our wedding day, so being married has made our relationship stronger (since we’re around each other all the time and don’t need to say “goodbye” at the end of the night), and it’s also been great getting to carpool all the time :-) .

For our first anniversary, I decided that we should go the traditional route and give each other gifts made from paper.  We capped the limit at $5 initially, but then hubby decided that he couldn’t find anything for $5, so the limit was upped to $10.  I had great ideas – I thought about getting a wedding photo blown up, or writing a nice letter, or making a nice card and writing in it.  But then I got lazy and was feeling un-crafty (though I did suggest to my husband that he show his love for me by making 1,000 paper cranes… he didn’t buy it though :-P ).

Other “paper” anniversary gifts ideas included magazine subscriptions (no, my husband did not need another subscription to Car and Driver), movie/theater tickets (limited options with $10), a $10 bill (kind of lame), a $10 gift card (also somewhat lame, and rarely made from paper these days), or a book (such as a marriage book we could read together, since my husband doesn’t read).

So, what creative, unique, romantic anniversary gift have I got for my husband?

The Dilbert 2010 desk calendar!  What can I say – my man is an engineer :-) .

Most of our readers are probably *not* married yet, but for those that are, what are (or did) you do for your first anniversary?

by auschick | posted in Miscellaneous, Relationships | 5 Comments »

Color-matching your wedding

November 23rd, 2009

When you’re planning your wedding, it’s helpful to have some of your wedding color samples with you at all times – who knows if that trip to Target to grab some random non-wedding item will result in a super cool find for your wedding, hmm?

A while ago I stumbled across this “color-scheme saving” idea from Createcass on Curbly.  I think it’s a *fabulous* way to keep track of the colors you’re using for your wedding, and it’s so easy to just slip it into your wallet so that it’s with you wherever you go.

Here’s a summary of the steps – for more directions, check out the Curbly site.

First, head to your local hardware or paint store and load yourself up with color swatches that match your wedding colors.

Next, cut out the colors from the swatches, and put a hole punch in the corner, tying them together with string or ribbon.  Write the names of what each color represents on each leaf.

…and you’re done!

If you’re feeling fancy, you could also punch the color samples with a big decorative punch.

I’d recommend making one of these for yourself, and also one for each of your bridesmaids, and anyone else helping with the decorating in your wedding (e.g, your mom).  Createcass also suggests making some for your florist and wedding coordinator.

Paint chips can also help with picking the color scheme of your wedding, though there are always more shades of paint available than fabrics, so try not to get too hung up on that exact shade of aqua, just in case it’s not available in a dress!

by auschick | posted in Design Ideas, General Planning, Wedding Themes | No Comments »

What’s Your Invitation Style?

November 16th, 2009

Since your wedding invitation is the very first thing that your guests will see, it should set the tone for your wedding.  As the expression goes, “nothing beats a good first impression,” the same goes for your invitations.  Get your guests excited about your wedding with some beautiful invitations that reflect you and your wedding day.

Real Simple Weddings magazine has a section devoted to wedding invitation styles, wording, and etiquette (it also has a lot of checklists and other helpful tips for planning your wedding and I totally recommend shelling out the $13 for a copy – the 2008 and 2009 editions are pretty similar so see if a recently married friend has a copy you can have!).

Anyway, according to Real Simple, there are four different styles of wedding invitation – formal (or traditional), semiformal, thematic, and whimsical. Here are some invitation examples that work for each of those categories:

Whimsical: These beautiful invitations are screen printed using a Gocco. Unfortunately Goccos are hard to find these days but you could recreate a similar look using photoshop and your printer.

Thematic: These beautiful invitations are screen printed using a Gocco. Unfortunately Gocco's are hard to find these days but you could recreate a similar look using photoshop and your printer. Thematic invitations typically reflect a location or an activity (e.g., country & western, music, theater etc).

http://www.weddingpaperdivas.com/product/584/signature_white_wedding_invitations_branch_of_flowers.html#color/1

Semi-Formal: These invitations are typically classic and simple, but with a unique graphic or element.

Whimsical: Im such a fan of Whimsical - its probably my favorite category because you can be so creative with it! Desigining in this category usually includes quirky fonts, unique materials (e.g., printing on wood veneer), and unexpected embelishments.

Whimsical: I'm such a fan of whimsical - it's probably my favorite category because you can be so creative with it! Designs in this category usually include quirky fonts, unique materials (e.g., printing on wood veneer), and unexpected embelishments.

Formal: I typically dont like formal invitations because theyre typically plain white with a traditional typeface thats often letterpressed. I love this twist on that traditional look!

Formal: I typically don't like formal invitations because they're almost always plain white with a traditional typeface that's often letter-pressed. I love this twist on that traditional look! (Oh, and i do love letterpress too...)

I hope these samples inspire you with your invitation design!  What type of invitation will you be going with for your wedding, and how will it reflect the style of your wedding day?

by auschick | posted in Design Ideas, General Planning, Wedding Themes | No Comments »

I really wanted to make my own cake topper.  I seriously considered putting two birds on the top of our cake – kinda of the Ann Wood style, and I found a pattern and some fabric that I could have made work, but my fiance really wanted to have a chicken and a dog on top of the cake (since he is year of the dog, and I am year of the rooster), and I just couldn’t figure out how to make a dog version of the bird.  (Googling for “dog toy” wedding toppers also didn’t really help, and resulted in squeaky bones and other dog related toys instead. *sigh*).

I also thought about doing a polaroid style wedding topper, and while it would have been easy to pull off, for whatever reason it just didn’t get off the ground.

And then I thought, “hang it! I’ll just put some flowers on my cake!”

So what happened in the end? Well, the whole cake topper thing just didn’t quite happen.  No bride and groom, no cute pair of love birds, and no flower petals.  Just a plain ol’ cake.  Ahh well… it tasted really good!

Don’t do what I did!  You should try and get a cake topper, especially one that really shows your personalities.  Personally, I loathe the porcelain bride and groom toppers, so here’s some unique ones that I approve of! (Clicking on the pictures will take you to the sellers/designers sites).

The easiest DIY method: Poloroid photos on some twisted wire. If you dont have a poloroid camera, it wouldnt take much work to whip up one in Photoshop (you can look online for Poloroid brushes to use)

The easiest DIY method: Polaroid photos on some twisted wire. If you don't have a poloroid camera, it wouldn't take much work to whip up one in Photoshop (you can look online for "Polaroid brushes" to use). Photo Credit: Brooklyn Bride

If you love the bird look and can sew, heres some instructions for DIY birds. Hunting around the remnant bins at Jo Ann should provide you with all the fabric you need.

If you love the bird look and can sew, here's some instructions for DIY birds. Hunting around the remnant bins at Jo Ann should provide you with all the fabric you need.

Arent these bunnies super cute??! These are $50 on Etsy, but I dont think theyd be hard to make yourself. Just find a finger puppet pattern and modify it a bit.

Aren't these bunnies super cute??! These are $50 on Etsy, but I don't think they'd be hard to make yourself. Just find a finger puppet pattern and modify it a bit. This seller also custom designs her toppers.

This DIY kit provides you with some paint and two sets of dolls that you can custom paint yourself. If youre not gifted with a brush, they also sell half painted (clothes and hair only, $13) and fully painted versions.

This DIY kit provides you with some paint and two sets of dolls that you can custom paint yourself ($13). If you're not gifted with a brush, they also sell half painted (clothes and hair only) and fully painted versions.

This one isnt actually a cake topper, and while there are no instructions, the designer has a lot of photos that you could use as a guide. Having a boy and girl version of this and attaching it to a base could work well on your cake!

This one isn't actually a cake topper, and while there are no instructions, the designer has a lot of photos that you could use as a guide. Having a boy and girl version of this and attaching it to a base could work well on your cake!

Really, the skys the limit with what can go on your cake! I love this gator couple! (the designer has plenty of other custom designs available including people, giraffes, bunnies, ghotsts, and I think I saw a Jedi couple

Really, the sky's the limit with what can go on your cake! I love this gator couple! (the designer has plenty of other custom designs available including people, giraffes, bunnies, ghotsts, and gator-slayers)

Bunnies might be in this year - this Etsy seller was recently featured in Martha Stewart Weddings with these cake toppers (they range between $200 - $310)

Bunnies might be "in" this year - this Etsy seller was recently featured in Martha Stewart Weddings with these cake toppers (they range between $200 - $310)

If bunnies arent your thing, perhaps you prefer squirels? These cuties are $165. (mice and bunnies are also available)

If bunnies aren't your thing, perhaps you prefer squirels? These cuties are $165. (mice and bunnies are also available)

This Etsy seller creates custom birds for $130. Make sure you allow plenty of time if you go the custom route! It can take some sellers around 3 months to create one for you, especially if they are in high demand.

This Etsy seller creates custom birds for $130. Make sure you allow plenty of time if you go the custom route! It can take some sellers around 3 months to create one for you if they are in high demand.

These felted birds are only available as custom projects. This designer is really, really popular so you would need to contact her really early in your planning to find out if she could do a topper for you.

These felted birds are only available as custom projects. This designer is really, really popular so you would need to contact her really early in your planning to find out if she could do a topper for you.

More birds! These ones are available on Etsy for $120. The designer also has a range of other birds in various patterns and colors.

More birds! These ones are available on Etsy for $120. The designer also has a range of other birds in various patterns and colors.

If youre looking for really quirky custom toppers, this designer should fit that bill. ($350)

If you're looking for really quirky custom toppers, this designer should fit that bill. ($350)

Here are some more wooden toppers that are completely custom designed.

Here are some more wooden toppers that are completely custom designed ($135).

And finally, this topper was on my friend Ambers cake. Since she already had the lego pieces, it didnt cost a dime (and we enjoyed laughing at the lego girl since it looked as though she was wearing a thong :P)

And finally, this topper was on my friend Amber's cake (the cake was designed by the bride and made by one of my cousins). Since she already had the lego pieces, it didn't cost a dime (and we enjoyed laughing at the lego girl since it looked as though she was wearing a thong :P )

How will you be doing your cake topper? And what will you do with your topper *after* your wedding?

by auschick | posted in Cake, Design Ideas, Reception | 1 Comment »

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