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During the month of February, Sew, Mama, Sew! shared various sewn wedding (or “love”) related items. Very inspiring to any brides out there who love to sew! Here’s a sampling of my favorite projects:

For the crazy bride - or one with a small guest count! - I love these hand sewn envelopes. Personally, I'd figure out a way to do it with my machine! I'd probably also either do the card/invite/note on paper, or use a screen printer to put the invite onto the fabric.

Sewn postcards use t-shirt transfers for the message. These could work as (elaborate) save the dates.

Some instructions on sewing cards (which you could adapt for invitations)

A tutorial is provided for sewing gorgeous flowers and boutonnieres.

I'm loving these gorgeous fabric cones for putting favors, candy, etc in.

A beautiful way of displaying flowers at an outdoor wedding.

Learn how to sew a cute bag for your flower girl - make it in fabric that matches your dress, your bridesmaids dresses, or something else!

I love this! Steal all your fiance's ugly t-shirts and turn them into wedding decorations that make people ooh and ahh :)

Instructions on making gorgeous table runners and napkins - but make sure to check with your caterer before you start to see whether linens are included in your package.

by auschick | posted in Accessories, Design Ideas, Green Wedding | No Comments »

Bridesmaid Dress Embellishments

February 3rd, 2010

 

One trend I’ve noticed this year is having embellishments added to bridesmaid dresses. Whether it’s an extra flower added to the back of the dress, a small broach pinned to the neckline, or different colored sashes wrapped around the waist, embellishments can add that little finishing touch for each bridesmaid.  The possibilities are endless and allow the bride and bridesmaids to personalize the bridesmaid dresses in a unique way.

Are you planning on adding embellishments to your bridesmaid dresses?

by Caitlin | posted in Accessories, Attire | No Comments »

Engagement Ring Trends

January 18th, 2010

Source: moissanite.com

Lots of people are finding an alternative to diamond engagement rings. Reasons differ among couples, but some do it for cost, while others do it for uniqueness. Sometimes people try to define “unique” engagement rings by finding something that no one else has (which is difficult with diamond rings). But I think that’s the wrong route. “Uniqueness” is finding a ring that describes the bride and it’s not always with a diamond.

A friend proposed with a moissanite ring, a stone that came from a meteor, because he did not want to risk buying a conflict diamond. It looks very similar to a diamond and the cost is not as expensive. You can check their site for retailers near you. If you’re wondering if your diamond ring is a conflict diamond, then you should know that most jewelry companies released a statement stating that their diamonds are not conflict diamonds after the Blood Diamond movie. You can check out that vendor’s press releases on their website.

My friend's unique engagement ring

Some brides get an engagement ring with their birthstone. eHow explains how to select a birthstone engagement ring. A friend was proposed with an onyx ring and I can’t explain in details why, but it represents her personality very well. She doesn’t like to follow what other people do and she’s not into diamond rings.

Have you considered a unique engagement ring?

by Christine | posted in Accessories | 3 Comments »

Ring Twisty Action

December 28th, 2009

I love my engagement ring, I think it’s gorgeous. But one complaint I have is that there’s this ring-twisty-action where the ring gets spun, especially when I’m in the shower. I wish that I could size the ring smaller and be done with it, but then it wouldn’t fit over my knuckle. I wondered if there was a solution so I went to Mervis where Scott got the engagement ring and wedding rings. There are several options that were presented to me:

  • Add sizing balls to the ring – Little balls (resisting crude joke here) get added to the inside of the ring. I read on forums that folks with bony fingers will find it painful but those folks who have some flesh will find discomfort for only a couple of days. This solution doesn’t work for me anyways because of my chunky knuckles. Here’s a thread from PriceScope about it (also where I got the photo below):
Source: travl4me1

Source: travl4me1

  • Horseshoe sizer – A spring the shape of a horseshoe is added to the inside of the ring. This solution would be ideal for me since it would go over a big knuckle and stay put on a skinny finger. However, someone at Mervis looked at my ring and said there wasn’t enough space for me to add a horseshoe sizer. If the ring size was bigger, I would be able to:
Source: jazmine

Source: jazmine

  • Tension bar – A ring guard or tension bar can be added to the inside:
Source: Sardis

Source: Sardis

  • There’s also an arthritis shank where the ring opens up over the knuckle and then you snap it back into place. I wouldn’t go for this option because I think about how the ring could break. Here’s a thread that talks about the ring guard and arthritis shank (where I also got the pictures from ).
  • Another option Mervis presented to me was the solder the engagement and wedding rings together. It would minimize the twisting but wouldn’t solve it.
  • The last option is to decrease the size of the diamond to make it less top-heavy. But I don’t want to do that. :O)

It’s a lot of options, most of them shared by Mervis and some I read  from forums. I’m leaning towards soldering but it’s so much commitment to do that (ironic, I know).

Have you experienced the same dilemma? What did you decide?

by Christine | posted in Accessories, Engagement, Vendors | 4 Comments »

Did you make it to the trunk show last weekend? If not, Mervis is doing it again this weekend. They say up to 25% off and they request that you RSVP. I hope you find an engagement ring or wedding rings!

Source: Mervis

Source: Mervis

by Christine | posted in Accessories, Events | No Comments »

“Green” Bridesmaid Gifts

December 9th, 2009

I know bride-to-be’s are always looking for new and creative ideas for bridesmaids gifts. One of my friends told me about these personalized water bottles, and I immediately thought they would make great gifts for bridesmaids. I have a few SIGG water bottles and just love them. Now that SIGG has teamed up with Cafe Press, you can personalize them for each bridesmaid, add your own photos, or even add phrases or sayings on to the bottle.  Plus, if you’re having a green wedding these would be perfect since they’re eco-friendly and reusable! Check out the website: http://www.cafepress.com/designer/sigg/?src=hph2

Source: mysigg.com

Source: mysigg.com

Source: mysigg.com

Source: mysigg.com

Source: mysigg.com

Source: mysigg.com

by Caitlin | posted in Accessories, Green Wedding | 2 Comments »

If you’re planning on buying an engagement ring during holiday sales, then you should consider going to the trunk show at Mervis. It’s this weekend from today to Sunday in the DC area and they say up to 25% in savings. Scott bought my engagement ring there and we bought our wedding rings there, too. We really liked their service and would go back there again.

Source: Mervis

Source: Mervis

If you go, leave a comment to tell us what you thought (after you pop the question, of course).

by Christine | posted in Accessories, Vendors | 1 Comment »

Going Green with Garters

November 25th, 2009

For me, the wedding garter toss tradition is always a little too cheesy and maybe even becoming out dated. The groom digging through the layers of the bride’s dress to finally find the garter and then proceeding to do a terrible imitation of a Chippendale routine before flinging it into a crowd of overzealous groomsmen and single male guests at times seems awkward and forced. However, if the bride was wearing one of these garters I think my opinion of the garter toss could easily be swayed.

Source:www.juliannesmith.com

Source:www.juliannesmith.com

Source:www.juliannesmith.com

Source:www.juliannesmith.com

Source:www.juliannesmith.com

Source:www.juliannesmith.com

Source:www.juliannesmith.com

Source:www.juliannesmith.com

These garters are from www.juliannesmith.com and are the cutest ones I’ve ever seen. Normally, I feel like garters are often way too gaudy but these aren’t at all. They’re simple yet personal.  Julianne is based out of Washington, D.C. and all of the garters are handmade. They are environmentally friendly and made from recycled plastic bottles. If you’re planning on going  green with your wedding, then these are perfect! One of my bride-to-be friends is planning on ordering her wedding garter from here. She’s very conscious about the environment so these eco-friendly garters are ideal. She’s getting it customized with her wedding colors and embroidered with her wedding date.  It’s going to be just adorable!

 

Are you planning to wear a garter and do the garter toss at your wedding?

by Caitlin | posted in Accessories, Green Wedding | 3 Comments »

May Jewelers Trunk Show – DC

November 8th, 2009

My husband and I purchased our wedding bands from May Jewelers, a small jewelery store in Tyson’s Corner (8032 Leesburg Pike). If you’re in the market for either your engagement ring or wedding band, they’ll be having a trunk show this coming weekend (Sat & Sun, Nov 14-15, 11am – 6pm). The store is Vietnamese owned, so they have lots of Asian style wedding jewelery, but also do custom designs. If you’re interested in attending, just give their store a call at 703-448-0866 or email Vincent. – And remember to mention Big Fat Cake!

by auschick | posted in Accessories, Special Offers | No Comments »

We have had a lot of discussion on the BFC blog about bridesmaids and gifts etc but I thought I would share a few gift ideas for the groomsmen.  Now most grooms I know were pretty excited about purchasing gifts for their friends and since these gifts are another way of thanking them a little thought and effort can go a long way.   Here are a few good ideas I have come across lately.

Source: http://www.whoopassenterprises.com

Source: http://www.whoopassenterprises.com

Bobbleheads

A friend of mine’s husband sent in photos of his groomsmen to this company and at the rehearsal dinner he presented each with a their own personalized bobblehead.  I thought this was a cute idea and it definitely fit the personality of the groom!  I found a few websites online that will personalizes them for your special occasion http://www.whoopassenterprises.com

Source: www.michaelzigmond.com/)

Source: www.michaelzigmond.com/)

Scotch and Cigars. There is nothing like a group of guys with a bottle of scotch and cigars.  A nice bottle of scotch and nice cigar will always be appreciated but be careful with the timing of these gifts.  Some groomsmen might crack open the bottle the night of the rehearsal so beware of the potential of a hungover groomsmen.  These gifts can be bought at any local liquor or cigar store.

Source: http://www.casinogift.com

Source: http://www.casinogift.com

Personalized Poker Set (http://www.casinogift.com)

This is a great gift for the poker loving guys.  I think this would have a been a great idea for our groomsmen but remember that anything personalized will need to be purchased far in advance.

Source: http://mallimages.mallfinder.com

Source: http://mallimages.mallfinder.com

Clothing Accessories (http://mallimages.mallfinder.com)

Although these gifts seem to be traditional, every guy will undoubtedly love to have an extra pair of cufflinks or even a really nice tie on hand!   I personally love Thomas pink ties and they can be a great gift and can also be worn during a casual wedding!

What are you thinking of giving as groomsmen gifts for your wedding? Have you come across any non traditional gift ideas that you loved?

by Joleen | posted in Accessories, Attire | No Comments »

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