Wedding Wednesday- How to Save on Wedding Decorations

Oy, wedding costs! You go into it with a vision, and then slowly, that vision can be chipped away just by the shrinking amount still left in the budget. Before you are really planning, you spend a lot of time plotting decorations and cool details, but those are often the things that get cut for the sake of the event as a whole. Some of that is inevitable, but I do think there are cool ways to approach decorations that can save you BIG money.

Even better, if you shift your approach to the stuff you buy for the wedding, you can save things from landfills and create less waste. So many of these decor pieces are used one night only, but if they are shared between many couples, they can have much longer and happier lives.

1. Let the Space do the Work- You picked your venues for a reason. Start with that premise and just let the beauty of your wedding and reception spaces shine through. If it's already a good-looking spot, you may not need much. Don't pick a theme that doesn't fit the room, and you have already saved yourself tons of money.

2. Focus on Lighting (and someone can always lend you lights)- If I had to decorate a whole reception with one item, it would be white twinkly lights. Lighting sets the mood, makes everything look intentional (even when it isn't), and adds that magical thing. Even better, you can almost always find lighting as a rental or used. Twice this summer, I have seen brides gifted tons of Christmas lights for their weddings on Buy Nothing. If you do get lights lent to you, be sure to mark who each strand belongs to. Otherwise, you can get this high impact item for very cheap or even free.

3. DIY it- I love browsing the decoration ideas on Etsy, but I am often struck how many of the things on there can just be made- you don't need to buy them! Sparkly branches? Glue, glitter, and a walk in the woods. Tissue paper flowers? Buy some bulk tissue paper and wire. Peg doll cake topper? Paint that business yourself. We made our escort cards from paint swatches- it doesn't have to be expensive to be memorable and fun.

 When you buy decor, you are paying for time and skill. Work ahead so you have the time, and you can self-assess which skills are within your wheelhouse. You can a little bit of money go a lot further this way! Only trick is to plan ahead!

4. Focal Points over Details- I have seen so many weddings where there were fussy centerpiece things at the table but nowhere to look in the room. Make a few spots really worth looking at and don't bother trying to make every corner beautiful. People will only remember a handful of things anyway.

5. Multi-task- Use your favors or cake or guests as decor. You have millions of choices dependent on your favor, but it's a nice way to have something do double duty. I went to a wedding last year where the cakes were the centerpieces, which saves tons of money on flowers, and you get more time with cake, so who can complain? Stepping out of the box even a little might help you figure out how to make what you are already paying for a key part of the room.

6. Everything Doesn't Have to Match Perfectly- Matchy matchy can be great if you are meticulous, but a little variation never hurt anyone. One of my best friends is very detail-oriented and got all the colors to match perfectly at her wedding. And it looked amazing, but it doesn't have to go that way. If you can find 40 free plates that look one way and 50 that look another, and they both fit, just use them both. It's more important to have a set sense of style than an overly particular matching set mentality. That sense of style and vision for the big picture is what will have the impact in the end.

7. And Please Don't Monogram your Napkins- Why. Why. Why. Why is this even still a thing? If you are doing the little cocktail napkins, by all means, get them in a color that resonates with your scheme (even better, get them recycled from a company like Susty). But why is this insta-garbage a good time to remind people whose wedding they are attending? No one has forgotten, and honestly, it is never all that classy. Put your money into other details, and then whatever you don't use can be for another couple or your dinner parties. Put the date on your favors, and skip the rest.

8. Get It Used- This is the most cost-effective AND eco-friendly thing you can do for your wedding decorations. So many wedding decorations become one time use things, and I hate to think of all the perfectly useful objects that get thrown out. But the bright side is you can find so much out there if you just know where to look and don't mind some browsing.

You can find great used decorations:

Newlyweds- We all know these big life events happen in waves. If you have friends getting married before you, check and see what you can get off their hands once they are hitched. We definitely gave decorations away to the Boy's beloved cousin, and our lights to the high school for dances. Your friends will have stuff they are happy to part with. Doesn't perfectly match? Get creative about what you can stretch to fit or change the color of and then offer the rest to others. After your hitched you can pay the favor forward!

On Buy Nothing- Have you joined your local Buy Nothing Project yet? I have seen it all on there- people offering their table runners to other asking for (and receiving) tons of glass vases for their center pieces. Check with your Buy Nothing and you could save 100's of dollars.

Goodwill and other Consignment Stores- Sometimes, this kind of shopping is a bust, but if you know what you need, you might find a steal. Also, lots of cities have craft consignment stores that might sell the ribbon or fabric you need as well.

Online Resale sites- Thank goodness for the internet, because you can now find everything you would ever want to decorate with used. Cheaper, convenient, and keeping things out of landfills? Amazing.

Ruffled is an absolute treasure, and you can find so many gorgeous things on their "Recycle your Wedding" pages. They have at least a thousand items, so it's a lot to go through, but you are sure to find something.  Make sure to check the price against the brand new cost, and don't be afraid to ask them to lower it a little (I mean, what else are they going to do with 100 extra mason jars?) Browse often, because things are going up all the time! You can find a steal on beautiful decorations.I may actually buy some things from them for a non-matrimonial party.

Tradesy- Tradesy started as wedding only, but they have had enough success to branch out. They have all kinds of wedding stuff, from bridesmaid dresses to wedding papers, but their decorations section is especially amazing and well-organized. They have 5,500+ items up right now! Easier to browse than most of the other sites as well. Be sure to join their mailing list so you get even more money off.

Wedding Recycle- This website also has lots of selection (about 3000 items) and they are connected to the Can't Buy me Love Project, where you donate wedding dresses that can be given away to brides who otherwise couldn't afford them. Pretty cool.

So you may be overwhelmed with the amount of money you have already spent nailing down the DJ and planning with the caterer. I don't blame you- weddings are expensive! But decorations is an area that with a little creativity, you can make huge impact with a little bit of money.

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Throwback Thursday- 10 Perfect First Birthday Gifts

 One of the unexpected things about having a baby is that you end up with a gaggle of baby friends. This turns out to save your sanity, but for the first time ever, we are looking down the barrel of a first birthday party season. My niece will turn one at the end of the month, so we are starting to look for her as well. The first of the birthday parties is in a few weeks (and they last until into December), but unlike wedding season, we are not seasoned vets.

 We don't know what we are doing! Having a baby only sort of helps!

For first birthdays before, I think we got the babies clothes? Probably niceish clothes because I figured that it's easier to splurge if you aren't responsible for the whole wardrobe. I know I bought my niece Aubrey a purple tutu which she preferred to wear on her head (in my defense, that's some damn foresight, because she woulud love it as a kindergartener)! Now as a parent, I have some ideas of what might make good gifts (most of which we own, so I can vouch for them).

Replay from Amazon

1. Eating Tools, Snack Storage, and Sippy Cups- Toys make great or at least cute presents, but as a mom, I now live in fear of them taking over our house. I feel like if the first birthday party truly celebrates the survival of the parents, help them continue to survive by buying actually useful things while the baby is too small to care anyway. These little ones will quickly grow out of their veggie mush and baby bottles, so getting the next phase of eating stuff could be fun and helpful! It may not seem like a fun gift, but the Bub carried around a spoon for two+ hours today, so he would tell you differently. Sometimes these simple gifts which are useful to the parent can be the most interesting to a curious little one year old.

Green Eats sells all recycled, Made in the USA silverware set that we already use all the time with our adventurous eater. The spoons are my favorite. They also makes all kinds of bright, affordable, and earth-friendly plates and bowls.

I think Re-play has the best selection of sippy cups, some of which we might buy for the Bub. They have some really simple sets that I think would be perfect (and are clearly well-loved). If the baby or his/her parents are obsessed with their lifefactory glass bottles (like I am), you could get them the sippy cup tops, so those same bottles can last multiple years (I think you owuld have to be pretty close to know that). If you want something with a little more pizazz, maybe get them one of these cute Lollaland bird sippy cups!

I know buying people snack storage may sound like the absolute worst, but I think this might be the ultimate first birthday gift. Awesome for the parents, fun for the baby, good for the Earth that baby will one day inherit. We have these stackable containers from Kids Konserve, and we use them every day to lug around cheerios and raisins (The Bub enjoys using them to bang on things on the daily). I can't even imagine how many zip loc bags we will bypass just with these three little cylinders of greatness. I would love to receive a second set or even a different snack set like this Snack Stack from Re-play, because I know things get lost, but I am hopeful we can use these throughout his cheerio-laden early years.

2. Clothes- If you want to give a kickass gift of clothing, I have two very important tips for you. First, buy in a variety of sizes (12-18, 18-24, and 2T maybe?), because parents of babies are always thinking ahead to the next size. Second, buy basics and one cool thing, avoid cutesy sets or outfits that can't really be used on a regular basis. We always need pants, socks, and pajamas. We are in less need of baby suits or foofy dresses (moms of girls please let me know what you think is most useful). We have no need for anything that says "Daddy's Future Accountant" or the like. Babies are cute on their own, so you don't have to point out how cute they are.

About 90-95% of the Bub's wardrobe is used (either a gift from my amazing cousin or bought in consignment), and I know I would think it was cool if people bought clothing items at places like these for gifts. For example, you can buy one super cute button up onesie on the Gap for about 30 bucks. Or you can buy 5 or 6 of them in consignment for the same amount of money. You can get a lot more bang for your buck!

Like I said, I loved buying the babies I knew cute things from the Gap, because they really do have adorable stuff. But they aren't ethical at all. They waste fossil fuel travelling a long way and have pretty unimpressive labor standards. Now, I've replaced their clothes with adorable (and completely reasonably priced) basics from LA-Made American Apparel and City Threads or fair trade companies like Pact.

from Garbella on Etsy

 If you want to get something with a bit more impact, you have lots of great options as well! Winter Water Factory makes one pieces, pajamas, and dresses in really unique adorable prints.

On Etsy, you can get all kinds of baby leggings that are basically the cutest things ever. If Etsy trends are any indication, all toddlers will be wearing these- my favorite came from Lola and Stella, but you can also find cool designs at Hazel and Holly, Haus of Zoe, Hold You Me, Skuttlebum, and Lucky Palm Tree.

Baby Bear Threads,  Garbella, Oh Little Rabbit, and First Love Threads sell adorable t shirts and onesies. Garbella won my heart with their pierogi onesies. I am slightly obsessed with the baby clothes (especially the cuffed jeans) at Mabel Retro out of Vancouver. Lindsey Lee sells super cute Dino hoodies that might be perfect.

 I can't speak for other moms, but I freaking love baby hats and hair stuff, so I feel like this would make for a fun gift. You can get hats for bubs their size in basically every design known to man- pineapple, Yoda, viking, lions, truly anything.  I also love the turban headbands that are very in right now and keep unruly little girls' hair in line (though in general, I support unruly little girls' anything). Haus of Zoe, Hazel and Holly, miniwhatnots, Princessory, Lucky Palm Tree,

 
3. Bubbles- They easily fit in your diaper bag and are endly fascinating to small people. Not expensive, but sometimes the simplest gift is the one that kicks everything else's ass. I think bubbles are the gift that makes the baby ignore all the fancy plastic Fisher Price nonsense. A perfect little addition to any gift. 

Uncle Goose on Amazon

4. Uncle Goose Nursery Rhyme Blocks- This company sells many great sets of good old fashioned wooden blocks, all of which would make a beautiful gift, but I LOVE our nursery rhyme blocks, because it opens up multiple avenues for play and learning at once. We can build towers and I read the nursery rhymes off the block as we do it (I forgot them all). I imagine Uncle Goose as Mother Goose's kid brother, so it serves reason that he make this spectacularly cool block set for those of us who need a nursery rhyme refresher. They also make regular alphabet blocks and ones in other languages for all the bilingual babies out there!

5. Books- If you want to buy board books, I recommend looking at children's consignment stores first, because board books are almost all printed elsewhere. If you want something tactile, you can get soft quiet books at Etsy stores like Rose in Bloom Creations. On the other hand, most regular children's books are still printed in the US, so you can support children's writers, illustrators, and publishers. Books never get old as a gift, as the Bub and I read at least 3 books a day (2 are the same and 1 of those is epically stupid, but he loves it).It's a gift that benefits everyone. And don't get goodnight moon, because every one year old you know already has it. Same with that book meant just to make moms cry.

 I would recommend going to a local bookstore for recommendations- there are still kids bookstores lots of places and lots of people have very helpful opinions to share. There are so many children's books out there, and many of them prove just how hard it is to write children's books. I am no expert, but a few of our favorites so far are The Pout Pout Fish, Giraffes Can't Dance, Pigeon Wants a Puppy, and The Monster at the End of this Book. Dr. Seuss never gets old. We also love all the Little Critter books, The Day the Crayons Quit, and a bunch of books left over from when I was a kid. Going to show, for the millionth time, that kids could care less if something is new.

6. Date Night Gift Card (and babysitting?) for the Parents- Happy parents = happy baby. It's another one of those gifts that encourages family survival, so I am all about it. I have thought about putting a coupon for one night of free babysitting in each of the birthday cards, because sometimes people need a reason to go for it, but a dinner out (or going to a movie, do you know how much new parents miss going to the movies?) might make a perfect gift!

Green Toys on Amazon

7. Green Toys Tug Boat, Airplane, or Kitchen Set- When I found out we were having a boy, I had waking nightmares of trucks, hot wheels, and Larry the Cable Guy as an old truck. Eeek! Still, if you are going to get the little one some toys (even horrifying ones with wheels), it won't get better than Green Toys. These gems are made in the US out of recycled plastic. With that much good behind them, it's hard to fight with a convertible or boat or helicopter, no matter how tedious I find masculinity in general. I personally love this kitchen set, and am plotting the basket it could live in on ou kitchen floor underneath a desk (A+ parenting, but he likes it back there).

We have 2 Green Toys so far, and they remain beloved by Baby and mother alike. If you want to go the toy route, these are a homerun. I also love their kitchen sets, which we may start getting for the baby to play with while we cook.

If you have another plasticy gift you are dying to give, may I suggest trying Buy Nothing or thrift shopping before you get it? Fisher Price is just the worst for the environment, so even if their toy is oh so cute, it may not be worth it.

8. Shutterfly Gift Certificate- I have an addiction, so this feels a little like shouting into the wind that I want cake (I do! I always want cake!), but I think that this makes a good gift for anyone who spawned, because they took lots of pictures in the last year. Shutterfly offers lots of products, but even if they just want to put their instagram pictures into an album, the site makes that happen pretty easily.

from Amazon

9. A First Wagon or Outdoor Toy- I think my mother-in-law buys a wagon for first birthdays (I could be wrong!), and it's a rock solid gift idea, because they will probably need one in the coming year, and children love them. My son loves putting things in things and taking them out over and over again. Those little red wagons are all made in China, so let's look at some other options- Berlin has a wood wagon made in the US. If you want a plastic one, Step2 wagons are listed as Made in the USA and look like the kind of thing you take to a parade.

Other outdoor toys can be real winners as well- Little Tykes still makes about half of their stuff in the US (be sure to check if this matters to you). We have one of their little cars at my Nana's house that was a hand me down when she got it 20 years ago, and it is still a grandchild favorite. So this could make for an awesome gift? Even cooler? Buy an old faded one and refinish it in colors all their own!

Bears for Humanity found on Amazon

10. This Teddy Bear- After doing my research for the babies in our life, this teddy bear and something practical may be the winning combination. The fact that Bears for Humanity even exists makes me feel better about the world. They are made in the US and their filling is even recycled, but best of all, for every bear that is bought, another is donated to a kid in need. You are basically making 2 little ones happy with one purchase. You can get the 20 dollar bears or they have larger 40 dollar ones.  I just love the idea, and I feel like it is doing good on so many levels, so I think we will do this and see how they land. I will let you know, but I highly recommend this if you are thinking about something soft and loveable. This is just awesome.

I would also recommend puppets- we bought an eagle at the consignment store, and our son loves him. Bizarrely, even, because that eagle is always getting kisses. How about a kiss for your mama? I gave you life, for goodness sake.

If you are looking for more gift ideas, shops like Muse and Scripts Gift Co offer all artisan-made, made in America, or ethical gifts. Good places to browse and wish you could buy them all!

Parents of tots, what do you think a perfect first birthday gift is? Do you have one you particularly remember? 

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9 Things for the Weekend- Cotton, Shirley, Plastic Bins, and Primary Structures

1. Lemon Curd, but not lemon cake- I tried making lemon cake for our anniversary cake and I would describe it as not good. I mean, I know a cake is a failure if the Boy is in no hurry to eat it. The cake is thick and dry. Really, just not good at all. On the other hand, my first try at lemon curd turned out pretty well!

 Ceci n'est pas une Blague from ckcontemporary.com

Still Life with Judge, from artodyssey1.blogspot.com

2.Conor Walton- Favorite Genome for the day. At first, they look like pretty run of the mill still lives, but his paintings actually work like jokey Art History 001 Lessons. If I were still training to be faculty, he might be someone to put in my back pocket, though I have a sneaking suspicion he is an art history reject like myself. He does these strange allegorical paintings about all sorts of knowledge (particularly in the humanities), but the art historical ones are my favorite.

3. Cotton Anniversary Tent- I couldn't pull it together on my own, so the Boy helped when he got home from work. It was fun to build something together (I mean, after 11 years, acting like little kids can only be a good time and maturity has never been our strong suit). I made it with all things we had in our house (Command hooks don't work on our new walls! Problems waiting to happen), and we spent most of the weekend vegging out and watching Top Chef New Orleans to prep for our trip next weekend (we are eating at Commander's Palace! Crazypants!).
4. White lights- They make everything seem more special. We just keep pulling out these lights from our wedding supplies, and they up the effect every time. If you are planning a holiday/ anniversary/ just because surprise, throw some white lights up and it will step up your game big time.
5. Shirley- My favorite New Orleans Top Chef (seriously, this is all we did Friday and Saturday. I edited pictures and The Boy looked at computer parts. We can do a boring nesty weekend really well).
6. "Other Primary Structures" at the Jewish Museum- Just as I get to the point where I can't travel, they put on a show in New York City that I would give my left foot to see. So it goes. "Primary Structures" is one of my favorite historical exhibitions (I can list basically everything that was in it), and I am interested to see where contemporary minimalism is going, especially now with my current job. If you are anywhere near New York, let me know how it is!
7. Plastic bins- My current theory on adulthood is that no problem can't be solved by buying plastic bins. Our basement, the final frontier of horror, is finally in order, mostly thanks to a very big trip to Goodwill, another set of plastic bins, and 2 shelves. It doesn't scream beautiful, but it also is shaking off its fate as spider-covered catchall.

8. Painting- We are almost out of walls to paint, yet we still have a substantial collection of testers in our basement. I am plotting solutions to this problem, so no paint goes to waste. It may be time to paint the poles down there?
9. Curmudgucation on the Pretty Horrifying Anita Sarkessian harassment- You can read this here. I find the amount of harassment online totally mind-boggling and depressing, and hearing particular perspectives (like one adding this to the list of why women avoid STEM careers) can be helpful in trying to make sense of why ANYONE would be so angry and cowardly as to spend their time harassing women online. I am still trying to figure out why someone would put rape gifs on jezebel (and why gawker would allow it for so long). I also wonder a lot if there is something we can all be doing collectively to fight back harder on this? I know people don't want to make themselves targets, but I am happy to see it when another big online presence talks about how fucked up it is.

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100 Things I Love This Week Part 1- Pre-wedding Festivities

1. Getting our Nails done at Timmy's at Bahama Breeze- He didn't even make me get fake ones this time, because I did better at not biting my nails. It was such a fun afternoon with my Mom and Melissa! I did not find it relaxing though. I just don't get why manicures are supposed to somehow be restful. But Timmy is kind of like the hair salons in that he knows everybody.
2. Red toenails- they are so cute! My mom makes fun of my prostitute colored toenails, but they looked pretty on her too so there. I have very few beauty preferences, but this is one of them.

3. Red polka dot shoes! These are my shoes, my mom's shoes, and my bridesmaid shoes. I love them all together!

4. My beloved Melissa! I could say this one about a million times. As my dad said, she has the perfect amount of enthusiasm every step of the way and she made every step fun. You think wedding festivities will be a romantic kind of love fest, but I found, in general, it was a lot about all of the other loves in our life. We came out of it feeling super super lucky. For me, a big part of that was Melissa!
5. My Mom's sense of timing- she thinks things take even less time than I do! It cracks me up, but the two of us together make for a pretty chaotic day!

6. Meeting Liam- Man, I was so pumped to see this baby! He was just so adorable and sweet. He has super big eyes and a really serious face, so when he is just looking around everywhere he looks so curious, which has to be one of the best qualities you can have as a baby (and a person in general!) I was just so happy to be near him!

7. Watching everyone else with Liam- Honestly, this was one of the biggest pleasures of the whole event. About the only thing cuter than an infant is watching the people you love interact with them. They are just magic in tiny human form, because they pull the joy and love right out of everybody else around them. Liam had that magic in spades, and it was so nice to watch my Uncle Doug and Nana interact with him. Not to mention it was crazy to see Shelly being a mommy!

8. Moffitt Cookie Nights- I love these, because they give us an excuse to be silly and weird, but what I like the most is just when my grandparents house is full and loud. I miss the times when it was like that at least once a month, but this night on its own could have been the best night ever. For reals.

9. Frosting Time- People were not as excited about cutting out cookies (mostly just Zach Natalie and I did that) but once it was time to frost people were all over the place. Plus, this part is funny, because people have to try to figure out what the heck it was we were trying to make. And my Nana always looks like she is having so much fun.

10. Big Foot Cookies- God Bless younger cousins with Big Foot obsessions, because the cookies really do turn out awesome. Well, not this one in particular, because we forgot about a pan and burnt them all. But, all was not lost!

11. Burnt cookies- Perfect for lopping up all of the extra Nana frosting after we finished the cookies. It shouldn't have been as amazing as it was, but I think we all enjoyed that part the most. That frosting is seriously the best frosting in the whole world, so if you have to use a piece of burnt cardboard to eat it off of, you won't complain.

12. Mars Rover cookie fighting Big Foot- Do you know when you try to print out a picture of the Mars Rover from the NASA website, it just sends you a faint image of Mars? Ah well, perfect to stage an epic faceoff between the two icons. I just hope that this catches on as a widespread bridal tradition. Maybe if I pinterest it.

 

 13. My cousin Hannah- She and I were talking weddings, and she told me she was going to wait until she was older-like maybe 20 or 21- to get married. Then she was pretty shocked and disgusted to find out I was already 26! Just ancient! It just cracked me up! I love just hanging out with the girl cousins!

14. Sleeping in- You really start to appreciate it when you don't have it any more. Kind of like dry clothes, which I was also having trouble getting a hold of.

 

15. Hibachi "firemen"- the only stripper at my Bachelorette Party was a tiny little plastic guy that this guy used to wash off the grill. It was a very special moment, that sadly no one got on camera. Glad some innappropriateness snuck its way in.

 

16. My now Sister in laws- You have to love two women who force feed you swiss cake rolls and accidentally order 6 meals when you go out to eat (they were only shooting for 2). They completely crack me up with all of their sassiness, though they will never be as sassy as Aubrey! 

 

17. Pottery Painting as a bachelorette party- With 2 pregos, 2 underagers, and a new mommy in the group, it was a bit of a challenge to figure out what to do, but the final decision was a nice surprise. It was super relaxing and really fun. 

 

 18. Ye Ole Sweet Shops new Cupcake truck! Melissa got this to come to the pottery painting place as a surprise and it was AMAZING! I blew my wedding diet a few days early but it was so worth it.

 

19. Watching all the girls pig out and my bride cupcake- Everything was really good and they had even worked out the flavors to bring in my Italian fiance (they brought canolis) and our wedding colors. I cannot overstate how much I loved the surprise. Plus, they gave me three boxes of treats and everyone moved right through them because they were so good!

 

20. "Soon to Be Mrs. Alfeo"- This creeps me out, because in my head, I am somehow going to morph into my Mother-in-Law, who has always been Mrs. Alfeo to me. It just feels so weird!

 

 

21. Elizabeth's demented leprocy cat- She had a real vision to execute. Loved it.  I actually tried to paint something normal, so I was pretty jealous of her.

 

22. Shell's blazer- I am not sure if there is a blog specifically for post-baby fashion, but this girl should be on it. She looked so cute constantly, and I think the blazer was a serious highlight. You have to love that Forever 21! 

 

23. Silver Cornet Band Concerts in the Park- Best thing in the world is hearing the Silver Cornet March and smelling the popcorn. It makes me happy just thinking about it now!

 

24. The Courthouse- So Pretty.

 

25. The Last Late Night with the Lego Card Box- I went to sleep before it was done (so before that stormtrooper began to massage Voldemort) but the project just got bigger and bigger, and it ended up being pretty amazing!

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Wedding Wednesday- 31 More Good Ideas for ONE Month Out!

from followpics.net/christmas-cinnamon-roll-wreath/‎

Alright people! We are exactly one month out today! So rather than just do one great idea, I figured I would do 31. I probably won't have another chance to trot out the fun ideas I come across on my blog hopping (which is almost over too! I mean, I am watching them slowly wane from my interest- once you have made your decisions, it just isn't as fun). I especially love that Offbeat Bride, and there a couple on here that I have left at the side for quite a while. So anyway, drink this in people, because it is almost over!

Ok!  Off we go!

1. This isn't technically only for weddings (It would be awesome for like holidays too) but for a brunch wedding it would be really cool. I can easily explain why we did our wedding the way we did (we want to dance), but if you aren't dancey, I think a brunch wedding would be so cool.

from offbeatbride.com/2012/07/washington-garden-food-wedding

2. Comic book postcards as your guest book. Very cool. I especially love the way they are displaying them. 

from offbeatbride.com/2012/07/unity-sandwich

3. A Unity Sandwich! As opposed to sand or candles or that business. The Boy HATES those, but we would do this if we could. Just amazing. Lifetime commitments do look like sandwiches. 

from kotaku.com/5930485/

 4. A Tetris Invite- This is Genius!! Would be very cool for a gamer wedding.

from indulgy.com/post/u4sqPheVT1/must-take-wedding-photos

5. This picture of guys getting ready. I just think this is pretty sweet. 

from offbeatbride.com/2012/07/nerdy-wedding-invitations

6. Dinosaur bone motif- I just think this is adorable- very tongue and cheek without being overly cutesy. 

from www.examiner.com/slideshow/wedding-activities-for-kids

7. Kids packs- I like this wayyy better than the coloring books that A) they don't use and B) are usually perpetuating a bunch of heteronormative silliness. I mean, if you are at a wedding for a heterosexual couple, some of this business is hard to avoid, but I think there is no reason to treat it like the only option. Or even something they should aspire to? If you just give them notepads, they can use it however they want!

from whengeekswed.com/blog/2012/04/16/hidden-spiderman/

8. This. I am pretty sure this was described as "something for the groom" but I think this could be awesome for anyone! Think of all the weirdness you could have crawling out of your wedding cake! This idea truly has a ton of potential.

from www.mazelmoments.com

9. This is probably the last time I will post a picture of this wedding, the dream one, on the blog. Yet another picture of it has been circulating around the internet, and it seriously has to be the prettiest yet. This is the reception that launched a thousand paper lanterns. Still, come on people! This is amazing!

from www.uncommonplaceblog.com/2012_07_01_archive.html

10. Having a wedding at the cheesy astro turf oasis in the middle of Joshua Tree. Just so creative and bizarre. I love the kind of intentional cheesiness of it all, but Joshua Tree is also so beautiful, so you get a very strange combination. 

from www.pinterest.com/cocobeancoco/updos-low/‎

11. Bride with each bridesmaid pictures- I really love these, because they turn out so much sweeter than the big group pictures. Melissa did these for her wedding, and I really thought they were great. 

from tiedbowblog.wordpress.com/tag/wedding-chair-signs/

12. Pictures on the back of the bride and groom's chairs. I saw another one in a magazine wherre the pictures were of the bride and groom as kids. I thought that was such a sentimental idea without being saccharine or overly agressive in its cuteness.

from www.pinterest.com/demomorty0/

13. Engagement pictures that prominently feature pets (and maybe nothing else)- this engagement pic is so cool because it isn't trying to hard. But putting them in a studio-like space, the photographer avoids some overly domesticated , Beidermeier style intimacy- but it is still intimate!

from offbeatbride.com/2010/08/guestbook-alternatives

14. A Blue French Horn as your Guest Book- Perfect for the exceptionally avid How I Met Your Mother enthusiast (or french horn players, I guess). 

from www.pinterest.com/vanityscare/engagement-pix-to-copy/‎

15. Another great engagement picture- God Bless Neon shoe laces- also, couples which are not equally matched in their eccentricity- I totally get that!

from www.geekosystem.com/eye-of-sauron-cake-always-watching/

16. Eye of Sauron groom's cake- Wow I wish I had thought of this! THis cake is AMAZING. Now I just think we need to have a Lord of the Ring's themed party so I can make this cake. Just about the most evil cake ever, in a good way. Seriously, one of my girlfriends with babies needs to have a Lord of the Rings themed 1st birthday party so their kid can eat the eye of Sauron!

from offbeatbride.com/2012/07/jenga-guest-book‎

17. Jenga block guest book- Just, cute. I would prefer a settlers of Cattan Guest Book. Maybe Uno. Or Pirateer.

18. Cookie Bouquet! Another genius sweets-related Idea- It is so sweet and they look delicious!

from www.pettipond.com/image_bf4.htm

 19. Ok, I am not a hot pink person, but I will happily respect any person's commitment to color. The inside of this skirt is just so cute. A great way to spice up a boring white dress.

from weddinggawker.com/?s=harry+potter

20. Harry Potter Engagement Pictures. This is sooooo good. This is why you can't spend too much time on blogs after a decision is done and over with. How do you live with yourself when you realize that you didn't think of a Harry Potter themed engagement shoot? 

from www.pinterest.com/ugotj/baby-shower-ideas/‎

21. Fruit Monster-  I love this guy. Way better than your regular fruit display. The three eyes and strawberry ears are my favorite part.

from www.pinterest.com/coffeehit/wood/‎

22. These signs. I like the mix of fonts and colors on this particular one. 

from www.pinterest.com/smorey10/late-night-wedding-snacks/‎

23. I know I used these before, but they are so cute! You have to appreciate cinammon roll lollipops! (its funny that cinamon rolls came up twice in one post!)

from ruffledblog.com/handcrafted-saskatchewan-wedding/

24. A beautiful Prego bridesmaid! I mean, I have a couple pregos in the mix, and i love the look they did for this girl! I just want them to feel cute too!

from www.chicagoillinoisweddingphotography.com/

25. I go back and forth on loving this and thinking like it looks like a sea of hung up used tissues.My Dad's dog would love it! 

from indulgy.com/post/FKWaFJZFT1/up-fingerprint-guestbook

26. These guestbooks- Probably the Boy's favorite thing we got for the whole wedding. It's very cute!

from etsy.com

27. Brides with Bettie Page bangs. I miss my blunt bangs, but I hear having them for your wedding leads to all kinds of annoyances and such.  Still, this girl looks adorable.

from www.pinterest.com/nannasoozanna/the-groom-and-his-men/

28. Suspenders!  I love them, I love this picture, and I love the commitment of the two guys on the left.

from ruffledblog.com/coral-savannah-wedding/

29. Polka dot bridesmaid dresses- I love some pattern. In Pam and Carlo's wedding, we wore black and white patterned dresses and they were so cute. People shouldn't be afraid of patterns!

from www.pinterest.com/duvadesigns/‎

30. Quilting details. So pretty!

from www.etsy.com/blog/en/2012/featured-shop-sibo-designs/‎

 31. This veil. Just beautiful!

Alright people!! We only have 31 days to go!! It's almost the end of Wedding Wednesday!

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