Wedding Wednesday: A Handmade & Homespun Wedding . . .

This Wedding Wednesday, I thought we could focus on how to create the day of your dreams when your funds are a bit on the  limited side.  After all, who wants to blow all of their savings on the nuptials when you have the potential of a honeymoon in Paris or Italy at stake?

So how do you create a beautiful & memorable big day when you are operating on a shoestring budget?  As weddings full of whimsy & DIY details are already all of the rage, that leaves the door wide open for you to let your creative side loose and save a dollar or two in the meantime!  Take a cue from Gary & Lisa, the fabulous couple behind The Wedding Artists Collective who certainly didn't break the bank on their gorgeous, upstate New York Nuptials.  In fact, the total cost was a mere $12,000!  Check it out . . .

Don't you just love that little guest book table with the vintage typewriter & hand-painted mailbox?  And what's more, the couple plans to keep the mailbox closed until their one year anniversary when they will pop it open & read through everyone's notes.  Perfect amount of time for all of the wedding stress to wear off so you can have a nice walk down memory lane . . .

Wedding via 100 Layer Cake

Fabulous Vendors:

Photography: Josh Goleman of The Wedding Artists Collective / Catering: Allison Appleby Gubitz from Two Sisters Catering / Flowers: Native Farm Flowers / Rentals: Columbia Tent Rentals / Venue: Undisclosed private residence / Bride’s dress & sash: Saja / Bride’s earrings and bracelet: Viv&Ingrid / Bride’s headpiece: Powder Blue Bijoux / Bride’s necklace: Late grandmother’s / Groom’s suit: John Varvatos / Wedding rings: Round Design Jewelry

All of those thoughtful touches for only $12,000?  I'll take it!  And in case you are feeling inspired to break out your inner DIY Diva, here are a few tips from Stephanie Welch Alexander from DIYNetwork to keep in mind to preserve your sanity.  

Stephanie writes:

'Meaningful ways to add to the celebration, and still cut costs:

~ Have a clear idea of what you want to help you say no to the upsell of items that would put you over budget. 

~ Enlist help or use your own DIY talents. My fiancé, a graphic designer, used his talents and printing connections to design invitations that otherwise would have blown our invitation budget. While he was busy designing invitations, I looked for things I could make myself. I designed and created my bridal attendant jewelry; enlisted my mother to help sew my two-layer veil. One co-worker made my purse, while another addressed our envelopes. Finally, my fiancé and I recycled the five dozen roses he sent to me the day of our engagement as "toss petals". Not only will you save money by doing many tasks yourself, you might also honor friends and family by including those who want to help. Nothing brings forth people's generosity with time and energy like an impending wedding!

~ Learn to say no.  Learning to be polite but firm is one of the greatest cost-cutters and stress-relievers. Bridal salespeople will try to "steer" you in certain directions -- after all, their job is to upsell. Having a firm, clear vision of what you want will keep you on track. By the same token, a reputable professional will look for ways to help you achieve your vision without breaking a bank.

~ Talk about your wedding. By sharing some of your ideas with friends, family, co-workers -- even those who work in the wedding business -- you might discover a great money-saving tip or the name of a wedding vendor who might do incredible work at a discount.

~ Avoid stores with "bridal" in the name whenever possible. This was a very valuable lesson I learned. Although I purchased my gown from a salon, by the time the wedding arrived, I had learned to shop elsewhere. I purchased my tiara from a vendor on Ebay and my shoes and accessories from a discount department store (and found exactly what I wanted); I had my mother's pearls restrung into a choker; and I purchased my bridesmaids' gowns on their behalf from Discount Bridal Service (although it has "bridal" in the name, it offers salon-quality gowns as a significant discount). To me, the word "bridal" became synonymous with "markup".

~ Be original. Sometimes saving money can be as simple as celebrating your individuality or taking into account unique attributes of your venue. Instead of a guestbook full of names that might be meaningless in 50 years, we decided to take a group shot of our entire wedding party and guests. Seeing how everyone looked on that wonderful day is so meaningful to us -- and we saved on the cost of a guestbook, pen and other accoutrements that add to the bottom line.

~ A word about the honeymoon. Avoid booking the honeymoon package at major resorts. You'll often save hundreds -- even thousands -- of dollars. While many couples opt for "all-inclusive" deals, take a look at what you're really getting. Will you really drink and eat enough to make it worth it? What if you want to travel off the resort? You'll only be adding costs. Is that bottle of champagne on the sunset cruise really worth the extra $150 you might spend? Compare costs and see whether being in the "honeymoon" class will really save you money -- or cost more. For us, being "honeymooners" would mean spending an extra $1,000, so we decided we'd go as regular vacationers and purchase the cushy add-ons as we wanted them. We still had a romantic honeymoon -- and we didn't spend one minute worrying about money. And what's better than choosing what's right for the two of you -- and starting your married life without worry?'

Have a wonderful Wednesday!!

Tutorial Tuesday:A Perfectly Pretty Paint Swatch Chandelier . . .

Well, it is time to face the facts.  Ombre is EVERYWHERE!  From hair highlights, to manicures, to tissue paper poms and cakes.  What started out as a major fashion trend in 2009 has definitely transcended into the party world and I am not complaining!

And I am complaining even LESS about this gorgeous Paint Swatch Chandelier from heygorg.com, because even though the employees at Home Depot might hate you, the materials for this little project are so absolutely budget friendly that this Bargain Betsy is swooning!  Behold . . .



Paint Swatch Chandelier


Supplies You Will Need:
~ 40-60 paint swatches in your desired colors
~ scalloped or circle paper punch
~ fabric covered lamp shade (this will be your chandelier base and is available for around $5 at Lowe's)
~ exacto knife or super sharp scissors
~ tape
~ thread
~ ribbon/twine


{Step 1} You’ll need a whole bunch of paint swatches in your desired colours (seriously, emphasis on the whole bunch part). I picked a variety of blush, pink and red hues so I could get a fancy ombre look to my chandelier but I can only imagine how many different looks you could go for with your own chandelier. Using a scalloped paper punch you’ll need to punch about 40 -60 swatches into little medallions. Keep the medallions divided by colours in little saucers or cups like below.


{Step 2} I bought my lamp shade (my chandelier base) from Lowes for about 5 bucks. Using an Exacto knife and super sharp metal scissors I carefully cut apart the fabric lamp shade, peeling away the pieces until the metal parts were as exposed as possible. When picking out a lamp shade I tried to pick out one where the bottom diameter is much smaller than the top. This will make your layers of paint swatch medallions hang better and thus look much better when the final product is done.


{Step 3} Lay out your paint medallions, coloured side down, in the desired order. Tape down a long piece of coloured thread along the middle of the backs of each medallion. Then using a piece of tape, cut down the center width wise, tape together the edges where one medallion meets the next. Without this final piece of tape, the medallions with rotate on their piece of thread, thus showing the bar codes, text and colour names usually located on the backs of the paint swatches. Repeat this step until all of your chandelier strands are strung and taped together.


{Step 4} Flip your lamp shade upside down and fasten it somewhere where it can hang freely (I tied mine to the latch that opens and closes our air vent in our ceiling). Start stringing on your strands along the perimeter of the bottom of the chandelier until the entire metal base is covered. Then start stringing strands along the widest ‘top’ of your chandelier so that the lowest part of your strand hits the mid point of the bottom layer. Continue this all the way around until the entire chandelier is covered. Add a ribbon to the metal pieces (where the light bulb would pop in) and voila! You’re ready to hang this beauty!

Isn't that absolutely gorgeous?  Now get out there to your local home improvement store and let the paint swatch thievery begin!!

Wrapping Paper Table Runners: A Gorgeous Party on a Budget...

In love with vintage fabrics & patterns but having a hard time fitting expensive linen rental into your party budget?  Well, why not think outside the box a bit and consider different ways to create the look you want without spending a fortune. . . .

For just a few dollars a piece, you can find all sorts of fabulous patterned & rolled wrapping paper and even come up with some gorgeous embellishments that you can make on your own . . .

Plain brown kraft paper (just $1 a roll at the Dollar Tree) can be fancied up with a decorative scrolly stencil . . .

Or why not cut your beautiful pattern out and dress up a plain white tablecloth . . .

And just imagine what can happen if you take it outside . . .

Look how lovely the look is complemented with these gorgeous paper flowers...

And speaking of paper flowers, how stunning is this rustic & sublime embellished runner?

Gorgeous, modern, & unique without barely even touching your budget!  Now how can you possibly beat that?

Tutorial Tuesday: The Paper Wrapped Vase...

How about this for a lovely Spring table setting?  And not counting the flowers of course (which can always be purchased at your discount floral store or local Trader Joes) these centerpieces will only run you about $2 a piece...can you believe it?  

Here's how it's done....

Difficulty Level: Easy

Supplies You Will Need:

1.)  ¼” fabric ribbon

2.) Spray Adhesive (or Regular & Double-stick tape if you find it easier to work with those)

3.) Glass cylinder vases ($1 at the Dollar Tree) OR coffee tins, large soup & veggies tins, or even cardboard tubing cut to fit the size you would like.  For one basic table setting, I would start with 3 containers in varying sizes & heights.

4.) Ruler

5.) Scissors or Paper Cutter

6.) Pencil

7.) Decorative papers or wrapping paper in 3-5 different patterns

8.) Don't forget the flowers!

(You can also purchase blocks of floral foam at the Dollar Tree if you need a little assistance getting your  

flowers arranged the way you would like them)

1. Choose the container you would like to cover and measure a strip of the scrapbook/wrapping paper to fit around the container.

2. After measuring, cut the scrapbook paper or wrapping paper into a strip that fits around the container. (A paper cutter works best, but if you can cut a decent straight line, scissors will work too.) 

3. Spray a thin layer of the spray adhesive onto your scrapbook paper strip on the side you want adhered to your container.  Wait one minute for the spray adhesive to get really sticky.  Then, carefully adhere the scrapbook paper strip to the container.  (If you are working with tape instead of spray adhesive, wrap your paper around your vase, use the regular tape to secure the first edge to your container, then double-stick tape to secure the outer edge of the wrap to create a clean seam.)

4. To add more interest to your covered container, spray measured pieces of ribbon with the spray adhesive or back with double-stick tape and adhere to the container.

5. Then, fill your container about halfway full with water.  If you are using a cardboard tubing as one of your vases, just slip a glass or tin container underneath.  Cut flower stems at an angle to ensure they get the most water pumping through their stems.  For a more hand-picked feel, simply cut the stems and place in the container.  For more of a controlled, full look, you can use floral foam.  Simply cut the floral foam into a piece that fits snuggly into your container and insert stems into foam.

And that's it!  There you have it!  Lovely & modern centerpieces for only a few bucks each!!!  

For a fun & fancy table setting for your next Spring Dinner Party, shop around at TJ Maxx, Pier One, & Marshalls for a fabulous mismatch of bright & festive table settings....colorful & full of whimsy!  Have fun!  

Partial Tutorial Courtesy of Cori Cook Floral Design and Hostess with the Mostess

Pink Wrapped Vases Courtesy of Geranium Lake Flowers 

Chic & Affordable Centerpieces; The Wrapped Vase...

Trying to plan a gorgeous party but strapped by a tight budget? Now you can have all of the lovely luxury of an expensive, professionally designed floral centerpiece without the hefty price tag.

Believe it or not, these are actually just wrapped glass cylinders (which can be found in a multitude of sizes at your local Dollar Tree for only $1 a piece!)  Don't have that spare change lying around?  No worries, you can cover your old coffee tins & soup cans instead.  

Cover them up with fabric, decorative paper, wrapping paper, wallpaper, or even lace and you have a chic and cheap centerpiece at a fraction of the cost!

The trick is to stick to around three per table, all of varying sizes and different patterns that compliment the overall scheme of your party.  Hit up your local Trader Joe's or discount flower market and arrange the vases yourself...you know you've always wanted to embrace your inner floral designer!

Here are a few to admire & inspire....

Cover them in wrapping paper...

Or wrap them in decorative stock paper...

Or even embossed wallpaper...

Or why not try a simple textured fabric?

How about some white stenciled burlap?

Or even lace...

And who says you have to stick to flowers?

Even your crafting room could use a little fancying...

There you have it!  And why limit yourself to special events when you can enjoy these wrapped beauties year round?  Just change out the paper or fabric with every new holiday or season...or whenever you feel inspired and you will have a fresh design to renew the soul of your inner craftinista!!  

Stay tuned for tomorrow's simple tutorial on how to create a few of these lovelies all by yourself and you'll be delighting in an artful & affordable fresh flower Spring paradise before you know it!