*The* Centerpieces (A DIY Project)

As you remember, I decided on using dried flowers for our centerpieces- with the focal piece being dried wheat. In order to get more inspiration, I visited the dried floral sections of Hobby Lobby, Michael's, and Garden Ridge. I bought a few supplies and took them home for some experimentation. Finally a few trials and errors... I finalized two different designs for our centerpieces.

I used dried wheat, on the left and dried setaria(deep purple), on the right- I'm not exactly sure what that is, but it matches our color scheme perfectly. :)

Centerpiece #1:

Centerpiece #2:

I originally came up with this (shown below) for the second centerpiece, but dried lavender is a little more expensive than the other supplies and it breaks really easily, which makes it hard to work with.


Then I came up with this:



A while ago I created a mock table set up using some eggplant-colored fabric to simulate the table sashes (chair sashes used as table runners) that we are renting and a white duvet cover (excuse the wrinkles) to act as the table linens provided by our venue. I found the votive holders on sale at IKEA. All other supplies were bought on sale at either Hobby Lobby or Michael's. I used votive candles that I already had because I want to wait until we get closer to October to purchase the candles we will actually use to avoid getting candle discoloration.

Here's a breakdown of the cost for Centerpiece 1:
2/3 bunch of wheat
Regular Price: $5.99/bunch = ~$4.00/ 2/3 bunch
Sale (1/2 off at Hobby Lobby): ~$2.00/ 2/3 bunch

1/2 bunch setaria
Regular Price: $4.99/bunch= ~$2.50/half bunch
Sale (1/2 off at Hobby Lobby): ~$1.25/half bunch

Vase
Regular Price: $7.99
Sale (1/2 off at Hobby Lobby): ~$4.00

Lavender potpourri*
Regular Price: $4.99
Sale (40% off at Michaels): ~$3.00

Votive holders
Regular Price: ?
Sale (IKEA): $1.50/4 votive holders

Votive candles
I haven't bought these yet, but I'm not planning on spending more than $1.00/ 4 votive candles.

Eggplant table sashes:
Renting them for $2.00/ sash

Grand Total: $14.74**
Woohoo! Within my budget!

Centerpiece #2:
Twig/Branch Wreath
Regular Price: $6.99
Sale (1/2 off at Hobby Lobby): ~$3.50

1/2 bunch of wheat
Regular Price: $5.99/bunch = ~$3.00/half bunch
Sale (1/2 off at Hobby Lobby): ~$1.50/half bunch

1/2 bunch setaria
Regular Price: $4.99/bunch= ~$2.50/half bunch
Sale (1/2 off at Hobby Lobby): ~$1.25/half bunch

Misc. from silk flower section:
Regular: $1.40
Sale (1/2 off at Hobby Lobby): $0.70

Vase
Regular Price: $7.99
Sale (1/2 off at Hobby Lobby): ~$4.00

Vanilla scented candle (smells soooo good)
Again, I haven't purchased all of these yet, but they go on sale regularly at Hobby Lobby.
Regular Price: $5.99
Sale(1/2 off at Hobby Lobby): ~$3.00

Eggplant table sashes:
Renting them for $2.00/ sash

Grand Total: $15.95
Almost under budget....close enough :)

I would strongly suggest that those of you still in the process of planning should "Shop Sales." Since I figured out what I wanted to do for the centerpieces way ahead of time (a year out), I am able to shop for the items I need only when they go on sale. If they run out, I wait until they restock. I don't have to buy everything at once, which is much easier on my checkbook. Hobby Lobby runs their sales pretty regularly- the items I need are on sale at least once a month, if not more. Michael's usually offers a weekly coupon. My day-of-coordinator suggested that we use table sashes to add some more color to the tables.

Centerpiece #1 shown with a table sash:


I can't believe what a good idea this is! It's a much cheaper alternative to renting an entire table linen(which can be anywhere from $10-$25/table- eek!) It's also cheaper than renting a table runner and, although it is a little less wide, it provides the same effect and really brings out the purple setaria in the centerpiece. I think it makes the potpourri appear more purple too. I love my DOC! :) (More on that decision a bit later.)

Are you planning your wedding around sales? Anyone else using dried flowers?


*I had originally found some potpourri at Garden Ridge. For $1.50/bag. I was so excited to find something this inexpensive! So I bought a bag and experimented . I liked it. Alot. Then I went back to get some more. They were out :( And they didn't restock it because they it was clearanced out. If you find something you need for your wedding projects... make sure 1)they are not on clearance 2) if they are on clearance, buy it. now.

I Dream of Shoes (In Color)

I love shoes. I think this post is evidence of that. Almost as soon as I found the dress (okay, maybe even a litte before that), I started thinking about what shoes I would wear with it. I think I may have even considered finding the right shoes almost more important than finding the right dress :) Have I mentioned I love shoes? When I started my shoe search I was looking for a unique style, preferably in satin, with a small to medium heel... bonus points for any bow or flower ornamentation.

I thought about purple (to coordinate with our wedding colors):

Or "something blue":

Red is classic:

Green and yellow are fun, bright and cheerful:

I love metallics & whites (dying for a perfect match!):

Since online shopping is the way I roll (working at the mall for 5 years severely traumatized me and I avoid it like the plague), I ordered and returned many shoes trying to find *the* pair. I did order this pair of Seychelles and really liked the color and fit, but then I had to go and fall in love with a new wedding dress(don't you hate when that happens?!?! but that's a story for another time) and they didn't quite mesh. So, I have continued to scour endless, zappos, nordstroms, and yoox for the lovelies that will adorn my feet. I have a few more contenders arriving in the mail this week! Free shipping is awesome.

What color are your wedding shoes?

DIY Centerpieces- Part III

I continued to search for ideas on creating an alternative to the traditional fresh-floral centerpiece. As you might remember, I drooled over succulents and day dreamed about candles, but then, I came across this:

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Oh Martha, you make me *swoon*. Dried florals were the perfect alternative centerpieces for our fall wedding. From this point on, I had visions of bouquets of wheat sitting pretty on table tops.

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Sigh. Now that I had found my fresh-floral alternative, I wanted to customize it a bit by incorporating our wedding colors. So, I decided to create centerpieces that included vases of wheat/dried florals with accents of purples/blues/browns, accompanied by votive candles- ensuring that the dried stuff and the fire remained away from each other :) I was also determined to create two different centerpieces and then alternate them between tables. Before we had finalized our guest lists, I knew we would need at least 25 tables. So, I limited my budget for decoration to $15/table. Could this be done? It was a bit overwhelming thinking of it all at once. However, diy decor was a high priority on my to-do list, I knew that I would complete it somehow. So what exactly do the centerpieces look like you ask? Well,, that will have to wait for the next post. Did you diy your centerpieces?

Adding Colour

The criteria for color was 1) earth tones 2) fallish. Now I know most people think reds and oranges, but I interpreted that to mean cool colors in the dark spectrum:

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And I now present, the colour palette: (Yes, that's colour not color)

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This website is very entertaining. What a wonderful way to compare how colors will look against one another. I originally wanted to incorporate more browns into the palette, but as I started working on my list of wedding projects, the brown was looking more and more bland. I had thought about incorporating greens into the palette, but I really love the way the purples and blues blend together. Another great place to find color inspiration is your local fabric store. I frequent this one almost once a week (I love fabric and have a rapidly growing stash of it). My first stop was the ribbon aisle. I fell in love with the purple and blue ribbon (shown in the below photos). After I found the perfect ribbon, I took the spools over to the fabric section to find complimentary colors. I purchased fabric in varying shades and textures of blues, purple, brown, and ivory. Even if you don't need to purchase any fabric, it's great to get a visual of how colors will look against one another. What will I be using the fabric and ribbon for? Thats a secret :). Here are some photos of the colors in action:

What inspired your color scheme?

DIY Centerpieces- Part II

As I continued to look for fresh floral alternatives, I came across an obvious solution: candles. I love candles. And scented candles can be a substitute for the aroma produced by fresh flowers. I mention this, because my mom (who was a tad disappointed when I mentioned I didn't want to use fresh flowers) stated that she is always reminded of my Aunt's wedding when she smells chrysanthemums, which were used at her wedding. I hadn't thought of that before, but I really liked the idea of associating a smell with our wedding day. So, here are some images I found inspiring:

Cylindrical candles of varying heights provide an elegant look.

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Love the way simple white candles look on a mirror.

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Candles on a cupcake stand. Genius.

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Glass candle pillars of different shapes and sizes.

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Winter wonderland (w/ candle by CariKraft).

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Floating candles are simple and look amazing.

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Most venues have rules regarding candle use- so you might want to check on what they are before investing time and money on candles (although an alternative to this is led candles, they are more expensive). Are you using candle centerpieces?

The Meaning of Marriage

I've been thinking a lot about how or if our relationship will change after our marriage is official. Our living situation would not change, as we are already cohabitants. Other than the legalities that accompany a marriage license, I wondered what might be different. I thought about the vows we will take in less than eight months- to honor one another, to stick together through good times and bad, sickness and health, for richer or poorer. Aside from stating these things in front of our loved ones, I feel that we have already vowed, though not verbally, to do these things for one another. One of the aspects of our relationship that I love, love, love the most is the respect we have for one another. This is something that I had not experienced with other relationships, but came very naturally between the two of us. With our respect for each other, we are able to really listen to one another and share a comfort in expressing our hopes/concerns/fears/joys we experience both within our relationship and also that we experience as individuals.
Though we haven't been exactly poor at any time, we've both struggled through paying our bills through college and now with the fears of today's unstable market. Finance is a subject in our daily conversation. We don't have a joint bank account, and will continue to have the majority of our money in separate accounts after we marry, but we do share expenses now and if one of us is struggling, the other helps out.
I have a chronic illness. X has known this from the beginning of our friendship that predated our dating relationship. He's never treated me differently because of it, but when there are times that I'm ailing, he takes care of me. We have discussed concerns that may arise because of it later in our relationship, and I know he will be there despite it. The same can be said for myself if he is ever ill.
Throughout our relationship, we have gone through a number of trials. When we first began dating, to put it bluntly, I had a lot of issues that were a result from my last relationship. It was hard for both of us in the beginning, but we've made it through that. In the last year, both of our mothers were diagnosed with cancer- which has been an ongoing emotional rollercoaster for both of our families. We have been each others supports, a shoulder to cry on, an outlet to vent, a place to laugh and enjoy life. This is what marriage is. Though it may vary from person to person and differ through religious point of views, this is the core.
And so, when I think about what will change between us, I can say that not much will. And that's okay, because really I feel we are already married- in our hearts.
What does marriage mean to you and your s.o.?

STDs

I didn't know what an STD was before I started planning a wedding. In fact, X received a minor scare when I saved a file called "STD #1" on his computer (oops, maybe I should have called it something else). In the beginning, I wasn't going to make STDs. I thought they were a waste of time and money, but the more I perused the web, the more I began to see the necessity for them. It makes sense to notify your family and friends of such an important event. With all the time and effort that is put towards such an event, I wanted to make sure our family and friends would not miss out. I decided to create them myself, so I went to this crafting mecca and searched for my supplies. I ended up getting the paper for half off on sale... yea!

I created a 5" x 5" page template in Microsoft, and created several trial layouts with different font styles, wording, and color. I trimmed the 12" x 12" ivory paper to 5" x 10" strips and started printing:

I trimmed each 5" x 10" strip to a 5"x5" square and used a corner punch to create a design on each corner:

I then cut the purple cardstock into 5 3/4" squares and pasted the ivory cardstock on top of the purple squares with glue strips, centering them with a ruler. I had originally planned to include magnets with an engagement photo and our website, but since we didn't end up taking engagement pics late March and I haven't received images yet... it's not going to happen. I had tossed around the idea of making the stds magnets (by attaching magnet on the back of purple cardstock), but by the time I finally got the list of addresses I needed, I was kind of over this project and ready to move on to something new.
Since I didn't, are you making magnet stds?