The Bride is Always Late: Irish Wedding Blog from WeddingDates.ie » Wedding DIY

Décor and Flowers

guest — Mon, 14 May 2012 07:00:58 +0000

For your wedding do you like the idea of rustic or woodland? Vintage? Bohemian? French picnic? Country garden? Beach? Winter wonderland?

Options are simply endless. Consider some details and decorate accordingly:
• Theme or colour scheme
• Your budget (that nasty word!)
• Wedding location
• Time of year
• The number of guests you intend having
• How far are you going to take this? Really?

Simple things that don’t have to cost the earth can really add character and personality to your wedding –

Hay bales…. Yes, I said hay bales!
Chalkboards
Escort cards
Paper lanterns
Bunting
Signs (huge this year!)
Mason jars (with flowers, with candles, with shells & sand, you name it! Hang them from trees, place them on your tables during dinner, and use them at your drinks reception)
Mix up the shapes of the tables, mix round with square

Etsy is a favourite website of mine for all sorts of cool wedding décor ideas, and they make it look so easy!

If vintage is what you want you have to look at Pearl and Godiva. They have an exquisite collection of stylish vintage and antique china dating from the 1890s to the 1960′s and have created beautiful & stylish weddings.

Flowers have to be part of your wedding décor – no wedding is complete without beautiful blooms.
More and more brides want a more natural and rustic look for their flowers; arrangements with a “just-picked” and looser casual look

Check with your florist as to what is seasonal and accessible at the time of your wedding. Create some boards on Pinterest of flowers, bouquets and arrangements that catch your eye (and décor) and give these to your florist so they completely get you!

Bear in mind that you don’t have to have it all at your wedding; sometimes less is more and going overboard on the décor can just ruin the whole look and feel! Don’t feel pressurized into going over budget to have lots of “extras”. Stop, stand back from it and ask yourself how you would like your wedding to look, what is you budget and what do you really want. Forget about keeping up with those Jones’!

With a little bit of creativity and a dash of DIY you could have sensational wedding décor!

{Karen is an inhouse blogger for us. She rocks our world. We really like her lots. Maybe you will too… Go on, find her on Twitter and Facebook.}

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Escort Cards: Make Your Own

guest — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 07:00:43 +0000

A really great trend that has hit our shores recently is Escort Cards. Escort Cards? Does this mean more work for me, the bride? NO! In fact the opposite.

Escort cards have the name of each guest, along with the table number of where the guest is sitting.
So guests come along to where the escort cards are displayed, find their name and go to their table; it’s that easy!
There is no more tedious work in organizing a seating plan AND trying to figure out who will sit next to whom!

And then there is more…

But the really great thing about escort cards is that they also act as wedding favours. I have seen some great examples recently; bunches of lavender tied with a ribbon, poloraids of the bride and grooms’ engagement shoot (a great keepsake for the guests), even a Ferrero Rocher; and one of my favourites is a packet of seeds of flowers or herbs, for the guests to plant after the wedding.

A couple I am working with at the moment will have great Escort Cards! (And they did bring a tear to my eye when I saw them) The bride and groom’s young son and daughter actually drew pictures of all 4 of them, with a welcome note saying “Uncle Pat, Welcome to Mummy and Daddy’s wedding. Please sit at table 2, from Brian and Ava”.

Have a look at Etsy which is a fantastic website for escort card ideas. But try to be creative – what is around you? What can you use that will be cost effective and shows off your creative flare? Shells, flowers, pretty stones; the list is endless.

Tips
Some tips for your escort cards and seating arrangements:
• Delegate – if you decide to make your own escort cards, ask your bridesmaids and family for help.
• Start making your escort cards once you’ve finalized the guest list.
• Don’t agonize and waste too much time and energy on deciding on who sits on the same table. It’s a wedding; guests will mingle and have fun!
• Have a look at Wedding Bee & U Plus U Design
• Save time and money by using one escort card per couple (assuming they’re at the same table).
• Ensure you have a large enough table to display your escort cards. If they will be outside make sure the wind won’t blow them away!
• Keep up to date on our blog for more wedding planning tips!

{Escort Card Image by French Market on Etsy}

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re – wedding: bicycles + paris

ClaireB — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 07:00:07 +0000

I have been very fascinated by bicycles lately. I am a mountain biker but the bicycles that are tickling my fancy are not the kind that I ride: I am talking the vintage, feminine type here. I dream about one on my wall as a bookshelf; I picture one in my garden with some jasmine growing through it and then that leads me to wondering what my re-wedding with a bicycle theme would look like.

I know, I know… this girl is married but she could get married again to the same man just to have fun all over again. This is what I do:

I go to Etsy, that gorgeous place budding with all things beautiful.

I find Little Brown Pen, marinaasta and TheStampinPlace and my re-wedding starts taking shape. Evan and Nichole from Little Brown Pen are capturing the hidden delights of Paris and I feel as I am being whisked away into a different world.

What they have captured so far perfectly summarises what my bicycle re-wedding would look like:

Some highlights of this re-wedding will include:
Venue: A sidewalk cafe
Transport: bicycles for all guests and a mini as the honeymoon car
Colours: yellow and beige
Food: all things fresh
Dress: not yet decided but it will definitely contain a frill neckline from Marina Asta in some form
Stationery: personalised stamps from The Stampin Place will be part of the invites, place cards, menus and thank you’s

Do you like this theme? Do you think you can use some of these ideas for your own wedding decor and wedding stationery? What about a frill neckline for your wedding dress?

{All images by the artists featured in this post.}

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Add your personal touch to your wedding

guest — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:30:57 +0000

Here is a lovely post from our intern Cassie who joined us in the office last week!

Weddings are your own personal event between you, your partner and your close family and friends but why not make it that bit more personal? We have some tips for you!

1.Special wedding dress Details
Have that family member who you love to bits but who has passed away and you would love for them to be at your wedding? Try this. Get a piece of clothing belonging to that person, (preferably similar to the colour of your dress, maybe even a bit of their dress. Don’t use something that you can’t cut up!! Make sure the family are okay with it. You want everyone to be happy with this.) Cut a bit off it, just something small that you can stitch into your own dress. Despite the fact they’re not there to wish you luck you still have a part of them with you and on your wedding dress, something you will keep forever.

2.Story of the program.
Use your program / Mass Booklet to tell people about you and your soon to be spouse. On the first few pages tell the story of how you first met, the story full of love and romance. Carry on then with the stories of your first Valentines together, first Christmas, meeting the parents and other special moments together. If there’s a child or children involved tell stories about your relationship with them. When it comes to the wedding party then have little notes about how you know each other. If the officiant would read out a few of the different stories it would add a really personal touch to the whole ceremony. If not sure there’s always a chance at the reception. (Somewhere in between all the embarrassing ones!) This also gives the guests a deeper understanding of you as a couple and your relationship.

3.Picture Perfect Reception
Pictures can play a huge part in the reception. There’s plenty ideas to make it extra special and personal.
When the guests arrive you could have a photographer there to take pictures of them. Instead of sending out a thank you card you could send them the picture with a signed note from the couple on the back. Much more heartfelt than a thank you card I feel.
When you come in the door you could have a collage type collection of photographs of the wedding party. When they were younger, with the bride, with the groom, even with the couple. Don’t let them know your doing this and surprise them. They’ll probably be embarrassed at the start but they’ll realize then that your just showing them how much their participation in the event means to you.

By the guest book you could have a photo frame of the happy couple as children and through their relationship and if it’s possible maybe even a photo of the married couple! If you feel there’s too many photo’s why not have a photo wall? Maybe hang a bit of chicken wire up on a wall, (securely with no bits hanging out. You don’t want anybody getting hurt!) and get nice pegs and hang them up that way. Around them you could put pictures of the family members that are married on their wedding day. Have a Mr side and a Mr’s side where they meet in the middle. Very personal touch that makes every family member feel involved. If you don’t want those pictures up all night you could do a slideshow instead. Maybe even involve some videos if there are any. You could play it before the speeches.

4.Shine a Light
Want to honor someone close who you lost? Why not do it though sky lanterns? Now with their Eco-friendliness, they’re the perfect way to remember a loved one. (Make sure to tell the local fire brigade that your releasing them. Safety first! They can be on the lookout for them on the day.) They’re cheap and very touching.

These are just some of the many personal touches you can add to your wedding.

[Image by Stephen Brace. Sourced via Flickr Creative Commons Images]

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Wedding Styling….oh so chic

Ciara Crossan — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 08:30:56 +0000

My current obsession is the online shop NotOnTheHighStreet.com which stocks unusual and personalized gifts from sellers all over the UK, things that you cannot get in regular stores.

They have a whole wedding section, and even have a gift list registry which is a brill way to deck out your new home with funky stuff! But, what really took my fancy was the wedding styling section. Styling your wedding is becoming a big deal these days and couples try to personalize their big day as much as possible. That means that no matter where the wedding venue you can put your own stamp on the place and create real memorable moments for your guests.

Check out this fab birdcage Table Plan decoration which can be re-used as a noticeboard in your home after the wedding! Now that is recycling at its best!

Or how about this oh-so-cute Mr & Mrs sign which you can hang at the entrance to your venue – you can get these personalized for as little as £29.

Hang these willow hearts from the backs of chairs or use as part of your table centrepiece for a rustic look:

Have an elaborate venue that needs some signage? Check out these beauties….

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Get Franc’ed

Ciara Crossan — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 17:08:50 +0000

wedding planner extrodinnaire Franc is searching for brides and grooms to feature in his new TV series. But, out of his usual role, this time Franc is acting as a mentor for the couples giving them the tips and tricks of the trade so they can DIY their own wedding.

From the RTE website:

The series will follow brides and their fiancés as they prepare for their wedding day while being closely mentored by Ireland’s leading wedding expert, “Franc”.

The happiest day of your life can actually be an expensive experience. Franc has come up with a host of ingenious ideas to help brides on a budget feel that they aren’t budget brides. He is going to share his tips and flair with 6 lucky couples to help them create their very own cost effective wedding!

But Do It Yourself, means Do it Yourself!In his new series, Franc is not the wedding planner but he is going to teach six Brides and Grooms all his “tricks of the trade”, so that they can produce their own unique wedding by doing the work themselves. By rolling up their sleeves and taking Franc’s creative tips on board, the couples will not only get their own unique wedding but will also be able to make a limited budget go further than they could have imagined all because they are going to do it themselves with Franc by their side.

For couples who have been putting off their wedding because of financial constraints or for those couples who haven’t a clue how to create that ‘wow’ factor for their wedding – Franc will dip into his box of wedding tricks to show these couples how by using their imagination, creativity and by enlisting the help of family, friends, neighbours and colleagues, they will be able to make the most of their money to create their own couture wedding.

From stunning second hand wedding dresses to home made cakes to smelted heirloom rings and décor that will blow you away, Franc has the ideas and ‘know how’ that every bride wants and needs, to turn a wedding on a limited budget into an exclusive, stylised ‘dream come true’ event.

As Franc says “you don’t have to look like a budget bride just because you are a bride on a budget”
If couples would like to participate in this new RTÉ series, they must be getting married between July and December 2011. Download the Application here

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DIY Wedding Love Notes

Ciara Crossan — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:11:41 +0000

I wrote before about a wedding that my friend attended that had personalized message in a bottle for each wedding guest, and today i stumbled on a great DIY project that encompasses that very idea!

From Amy over eatdrinkchic you can create these gorgeous Love Notes for guests, and get them to write their messages back to you too! She has created downloadable templates, that you can print out and use yourself, so you don’t even have to be that arty farty to pull this one off. Go check it out and download the templates here >>

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Welcome to our Wedding!

Ciara Crossan — Fri, 07 May 2010 15:45:28 +0000

Todays post comes from our guest blogger Annie Byrne, Wedding Planner from Aislinn Events:

Photo Credit: Kate Parker Weddings

I am currently thinking about welcome packs for out of town guests. This is a lovely thing to do especially if your guests are travelling. Imagine taking planes, trains and automobiles, arriving tired to your hotel and finding a beautiful well equipped welcome gift bag (or basket or box…) in your room from the bride & groom. Aaahhhhh.

Include information on the wedding activities – where to be and when. Local information from the tourist office. What about a postcard from the place where your wedding is being held? Bottles of water, mints, cookies, tea, dried fruits and nuts.
Or personalize more to the style of wedding. From champagne snipes to flip flops the possibilities are endless and will fit any budget.

Check your hotel to make sure they will put them in the bedrooms and also to make sure what you are putting in your welcome packs are not already in their rooms. Bottles of water, hand cream and the like are standard in the better hotels so put in something they will not have and also act as a souvenir.

I recommend bags or boxes as opposed to baskets and not only for the cost factor. Your guests may not want to drag an empty basket back home with them.

I really like these Gable boxes from boxandwrap.com. They come in all colours and will even put a logo or monogram on them. Or what about a plain brown? You can have a personalized rubber stamp or embosser (customrubberstampsonline.com, thestampmaker.com and even Vistaprint) made for the front then use the stamp in other areas for your wedding (napkin rings perhaps?). Tie any of them with a nice ribbon and Bob is your uncle – in fact Uncle Bob will love them too!

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Dessert Buffets and Sweet Tables

Ciara Crossan — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 08:30:51 +0000

I’m a bit up theh walls this week with the upcoming appearance on Dragons Den so, I asked Annie Byrne wedding planner extrodinaire from Aislinn Events to do a guest blog post and when she sent it over, I was drooling!

Your wedding cake will finish off your meal but why stop there? Display your cake on a beautifully decorated full dessert buffet for your guests to choose from after the meal. It is a great idea to get your guests up after the main course before they get too sluggish {although they are going for more food} and with a buffet it will get guests from different tables meeting and talking to one another when they might not otherwise.

If you think the dessert buffet is too much, how about a homemade Cookie Station? Or Sweets Table? This can double as your favors if you have nice bags for your guests to fill and seal with your own personalized labels {of course} to take home or nibble on later. I actually did a sweets display at my own wedding and it was a big hit! I chose various types of sweets from our childhood, put them in clear jars with scoops and our guests were delighted! They all began reminiscing about going to the shop for penny sweets as a kid. They all packed up what they could to take home when the evening came to a close.

There are actually companies in America that do these for a living and Amy Atlas is at the top of them. What a fun job! But you should be able to DIY it really. Theme it in with your wedding colors or style, get some clear glass jars and fill with your favs, use those cupcakes everyone loves, Dipped fruits, popcorn, the possibilities are endless!

All photos and designs by Links: Amy Atlas

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Wedding Place Cards – Unique ideas to impress your guests!

Ciara Crossan — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:37:41 +0000

Weddings are a momentous occasion to be cherished for a lifetime. Putting unique touches small or large can help make the most of those memories. One way to personalize your wedding is by creating bespoke place cards that guests can appreciate and take home. It’s also a great fun task that you can DIY and not have to spend a fortune on. You don’t have to go all out, or use place cards that are ill-fitted to your wedding. The whole purpose of personalizing your name cards is to make them unique and represent your style, and it’s great to be able to put a bit of your own personality into every aspect of your wedding.

For the full post with practical ideas, you can read it on the Confetti blog

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