DIY: Centerpieces

My goal for our wedding, from the very beginning, was to have a unique event that showcased who we are, both as a couple and our personal interests.

So when it came to centerpieces, I was trying to think outside the box. I thought fruit might be fun and summer appropriate, as was featured in this backyard wedding on Little White Book. And I've already mentioned my general disenchantment with flowers, so that was out.

And then, I stumbled across this fantastic wedding featured on the always amazing Offbeat Bride and more specifically, the centerpieces:


Yes, yes, yes! Sign me up for that! How cute are those puppies? And perfect for the bookworm bride who read at recess and the groom that reads encyclopedias in his spare time.

DIY: Escort Cards

This one, I'm beyond excited about.

I think I've mentioned before that I'm a book nerd. My love of books is going to be reflected in our centerpieces (more on those tomorrow). But since FH is a plane fanatic and private pilot I'm also trying to work in the plane angle as much as possible. Books and planes are a valid wedding theme, right???

So imagine my excitement when I found these at online superstore Candy Warehouse:



I like the idea of keeping all giveaways (favors, etc) edible and thus, practical. Because really, who doesn't like candy? I'm thinking I'll use these as escort cards, a la the beautiful display from this wedding featured on the First Comes Love wedding blog :


I've gotten less than enthusiastic feedback on my idea, but I think I can make it work. I want our wedding to be FUN and I have confidence that I can transform brightly colored airplane lollipops from potentially tacky to very classy.

Outside the Box: Table Names

There are all kinds of great ideas for table names out there. Some stick with the wedding theme itself and use a numbering system. You can also name your tables, which can end up being really meaningful and special. At one of my favorite weddings I've ever been to, the couple named each table after a place that had special meaning to them and/or played a role in their relationship. We were seated at the Coliseum table which made FH very happy.

For our tables, I'm thinking airport codes. Yes, that's right, airport codes. Every airport in the world has a three letter code (click here to read a very long, um, in-depth pilot's explanation) and since FH got his private pilot license a year and a half ago, I think we've been to about half of them. I kid, I kid.

However, we do fly a lot together, and I'd like to incorporate that into the wedding. I've already got it covered with the escort cards (more on those tomorrow) but I wanted to go (fly?) the extra mile and name the tables after airports we've flown to together, too.

What do you think - fun or too much?

Problem Solved: Invitations

One thing I was determined to DIY was our wedding invitations. I'm no Martha Stewart, but invites seemed like a good project to tackle. But then I started looking at paper and custom stamps and cool envelopes and special pens and free cool fonts and well, it was all a little overwhelming.

Then I made things even worse by sending away for tons of invitation catalogs and drooling over specialty letterpress websites and fantasized about having tons of money to spend on gorgeous invites.

And then, I found a compromise.


Thank you, Michaels! Their partnership with BRIDES Magazine has resulted in an entire line of DIY invitation kits that are seriously gorgeous.

A box of 40 invitations (containing outer envelopes, invitations, invitation "sleeves", RSVP cards and RSVP envelopes) cost me $25. The regular price was $40/box but if you can't find a Michael's 40% coupon online, you aren't trying hard enough.

I loved this design and miraculously the FH did, too. (He has strong opinions about surprising things). This particular invitation set definitely evoke the casual yet elegant garden wedding theme I seem to have going on.

Each box comes with information on downloading templates for printing and a little booklet about wording choices and invite etiquette. I did some printing tests yesterday and I'm really happy with how they turned out. Now I just have to finish printing (with input on font selection from my fabulously talented little brother) and send them out!

Go to LACMA. Now.

I love LACMA. They just sent me an email and one of my favorites in their collection, Ganesha, is "Artwork of the Month". This designation probably means nothing other than having a reason to email their members, but still:

Isn't he awesome? I would say cute, but that might be offensive. But he is kinda cute, right? He's housed in a very lonely wing of the museum, so it's good to see him out and about online.

And you might think this has nothing to do with weddings, but Ganesha is considered by Hindus to be the Remover of Obstacles, and what else is a wedding but one massive obstacle?

Wedding planning makes me feel like...

Just, you know, a positive note to start the weekend. Enjoy!

Stressful Wedding Things: Flowers

I have a shocking announcement. I just can't bring myself to care about flowers.

Then why am I beyond stressed about them? I already know I'm having non-floral table centerpieces (more on that later) and I guess I thought that meant I wouldn't have to worry about flowers at all.

Yes, I want a bouquet, but people spend thousands of dollars on flowers and I just can't bring myself to do it. I thought DIY would be the way to go, but I've been advised that taking on a project like doing your own flowers can add major stress to the wedding day.

Did I mention I don't really have wedding colors picked out, which makes deciding on flowers even more stressful that usual?

Here's what I think we'll need:
- bridal bouquet (I love this and am intrigued by amanda1986's wares on etsy)
- 3 small bouquet's for bridesmaids
- 2 boutonniere's for FH and the Best Man (I love the idea of using succulents for these and oh, how I wish I were this crafty)
- 3 corsages (or something): for my Mom, my Grandma and FH's oldest sister. This probably isn't super necessary, but I've read it's a nice thing to do
- petals for flower girls
- something for food tables: again, I don't know if it's necessary, but it would probably make everything look a bit nicer
- something for ceremony site: potted plants in a semi-circle? an arch with flowers?

That kind of made me feel better, just coming up with a list. And I just found out that Costco does wedding flowers, which is strange and tempting, all at the same time.