Katie & Gary
What do-it-yourself projects did you do? I have a degree in architecture, so I enjoy hands-on projects and I am very detail oriented. I enjoyed the sense of accomplishment I had when I saw everything at our wedding and felt it added a level of personalization that buying something off the shelf just cannot give.
Moss covered K and G letters: I purchased the large wooden letters and the sheet moss and used low temperature hot glue to attach the moss. Prior to gluing on the moss, I painted the letters a dark blue so that the light color of the wood would not show through any gaps in the moss. The sheet moss was easy to cut with scissors and apply to the letters, wrapping around the edges. Then I attached a ribbon to the back for hanging on the chairs at the ceremony.
Ceremony programs/fans: I created the ceremony fans in Adobe InDesign and printed them myself on white cardstock. I used spray adhesive to first attach the front and back of the program with the wood handle sandwiched between them. I used a rounded paper punch to round the corners, and finally tied ribbon around the handles to carry through the blue color scheme. I also made the monogram on the program with the help from a free download from the Wedding Chicks blog.
Hanging mason jars along aisle: I purchased the blue mason jars and added the white ribbon and loved the idea of adding some simple baby breath flowers to line the aisle in the garden. The garden was so beautiful that minimal decoration was needed, so I tried to keep everything pretty simple.
Table Names: Instead of table numbers, I used the names of historic houses in Charleston to name each table at our reception. The double-sided frames were from IKEA, and I designed and printed the inserts myself. For continuity, I used the font “Feel Script” throughout the paper products and in our monogram.
Cupcake flag toppers: In addition to a small wedding cake, we had mini cupcakes in three flavors for our guests. As a simple decoration, I designed flag toppers. The designs were printed on cardstock, with each flag scored along the center and wrapped around a toothpick. I purchased small pearls to stick on the ends of the toothpicks to add some embellishment.
Farewell ribbon wands: Each ribbon wand consisted of 4 feet of ribbon in three colors, white, navy blue, and light blue. The ends of the ribbons were briefly held over a candle to melt the ribbon just enough to prevent fraying. I purchased the wooden dowels and metal O-rings and screwed the O-rings in by hand. The three lengths of ribbon were pulled through the rings and knotted
Favors: Our favors doubled as place cards on our reception tables, with each guest receiving a bag of Carolina Key Lime cookies from the Olde Colony Bakery in Charleston. I purchased the cookies in bulk, packaged them in clear, gusseted bags, and attached the label that I created with each guest’s name. I used a Martha Stewart paper punch to create the decorative edge on the labels and attached them with “eat, drink, and be married” ribbon.
What advice do you have for other brides? The best advice I can give to other brides in regards to DIY projects is to know your ability level and have reasonable expectations. I had a very small guest count of about 30 people, and I started the bulk of my projects about 6 months before our wedding. Also, do your research online and find inspiration from other brides. You do not have to reinvent the wheel, if you find something you like then feel free to take that idea and make it your own! I think the personal touches are what really adds personality to a wedding and make your guests feel like they are a part of something really special. I also think that a level of continuity is important, whether that be a color scheme, a font, or a design element such as a monogram. That is a great way to tie multiple elements together and create a cohesive event.
DIY WEDDINGS |
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