I'm late, I'm late, for a very important DATE!

Working Title: Why you need a timeline - but the other one is more catchy.

So lately I've been spending time preparing for my friend Caroline's wedding in February. We grew up together in PA, and now she lives in TN with her fiance and will be married there in about 60 days (Wooohooo!!!). This past weekend we attended Caroline's first bridal fitting and her dress fit like a glove!! Only small changes need to be made on the hem and straps and it will be good to go! We have a second fitting lined up in a month to double check things. (We also got to see the bridesmaids dresses on her friend Tracey and they look stunning as well). Following Caroline's fitting we had a big meeting (with wine of course) to hash out her timeline details, check her photo list and generally talk shop about her BIG day.

draft of timeline from our meeting

The bulk of our time was spent on her timeline, which begins at 6:45am on a Saturday and ends at 12:45am late that night. (Can a girl get a '5 hour energy' please?) In my opinion, one of the most important things to think about as you plan your wedding is the timing of the day. Especially if multiple locations and a large bridal party is involved the coordination of it all can get really complicated. Main components to consider include: locations of all events and getting ready areas (including salons and hotels), number of people involved, means of transportation, travel time from location to location, items (flowers, lighting, etc) needing to be moved or set up if any, and the order of special things happening at the reception (intros, toasts, 1st dance, cake cutting, garter/bouquet tosses, grand exit, etc.) And then there are the question to be answered: Where will the flowers be dropped off and when? When should the photographers come and where to? When will you eat? What if there is traffic? What if the limo doesn't show? What's plan B? Are there any last minute VIPs (close family or bridal party members) arriving the day of? Will they need to be picked up from the airport for example?

Ooof. And the list goes on. So if you don't have a timeline for your day, it may be a good idea to start one. Basics include when you need to arrive and leave each location, include any appointments (hair/makeup/nails) and the order of things at the reception. Some are simpler than others, of course! But I don't think you can be over prepared! Closing thought: Build in extra time. You will run a little behind at some point, and that's ok. You can't have a wedding without the Bride -- or Groom, so don't worry, all will wait for you, but you don't want your guests to get too drunk while they wait for your grand entrance ;).

Linen and Lace

A little while back I blogged about the Showerette I was throwing for my college best friend, and last night was the party. We had a fantastic time!!! Bdette and I, who are co-MOH's in this wedding, transformed her apartment into a lacy bachelorette pad fit for a Queen. One of our favorite decorations used were paper doilies I picked up at Michael's Crafts for $4. I made a wreath to decorate the door using small round doilies taped to the door, and then I threaded a light blue ribbon through them to make a circle.
And Bdette had the great idea to sew them together to make a sort of banner across the windows. If you had told me a week ago I would be sewing something again after the veil and sash I made last month, I would have laughed. I could probably use sewing lessons, ha! But this was actually easy, I just threaded white string through the holes in the large square doilies.

Because we invited guests to give a linen or lace gift we wanted to display the lingerie gifts. We used a white satin ribbon and made a clothesline. We tied the bras, panties and nightgowns to the clothesline with tiny pieces of blue ribbon. It looked really cool!!

DIY Bachelorette Accessories Part 2

To continue my DIY Bachelorette crafting this week, I also picked up supplies to make a veil at Michaels. I bought 1 yard each of a pink sparkly tulle and white sparkly tulle. Luckily I had given the Bride-to-Be a tiara as a Birthday gift a few years ago, so I borrowed that from her. I also grabbed some sequins I had from a shirt I bought a while back. I don't think I will actually need to replace them on the shirt anytime soon.

I began by ironing the pieces of tulle and then folded them in quarters. I cut the bottom of each color, rounding out the corner without a fold (right side here). I also cut along the long edge (top seen here) to make it slightly rounded. As seen below:

Once unfolded all the way the piece was basically a large oval. Folding it in quarters allowed me to cut it once and have it all be symmetrical. Think about when you folded paper to cut a heart as a child!

Next I took the each oval and folded it in half. Then I folded them individually accordion style, with the folded edge at the top:
This allowed me to gather the wide piece into a smaller bunch. Now I began to sew the tulle to the tiara. The tiara had zig zags, which made it very easy to use. I began with the pink tulle and held the folded edge of the fabric, still folded accordion style and put one stitch through all the layers of the tulle, effectively binding them together. Then I set out to attach it to the tiara. I started at one end and simply weaved it in and out and then repeated the process with the white tulle. The end was result was not something fit for a wedding day, but for my first attempt at making a veil, I thought it turned out great. Also I saved myself some cash. Veils with tiaras, which I saw online, were $20-$30 with shipping. I made this for a grand total of $15.

DIY Bachelorette Accessories Part 1

As Shortcake's Bachelorette approaches I've been working on a few things for her to wear. Earlier this week I looked online and at a few stores at sashes, veils, and tiaras, but I didn't find anything I loved at the right price. It seemed that most items were poorly made or those that were of better quality were quite expensive. So I thought to myself, "How hard can it be to make a sash?"

I went to Michael's Craft Store and picked up a number of things. For the sash I bought 2 yards of wide white satin ribbon, some pink sparkly iron-on letters, and a few stick on rhinestones.

I began by measuring the ribbon with a friend's help. I simply placed it over her shoulder and pinned it where it hit her hip. Later I turned it "inside out" and then sewed that spot together, creating a diagonal hem, then I trimmed it and scorched the edges with a match (so it would not unravel) and then I turned it back to the now outside, seen below.

Next I laid out the letters to spell Bachelorette and then followed the instuctions that came with the letters. Basically iron with a towel on top and then lightly go over the back of the ribbon. Lastly I added the rhinestones, which I stuck at the top and bottom of the sash. To make the sash myself was about $6. They were selling online for about $15 to $20. I will post a photo of Shortcake wearing this ASAP!

What's a Showerette?

Ahh, yet another trip to Target for invites. I just can't get enough! The price is right and the selection is lovely. This time I decided to pick up these pink cardstock sheets. Each one was blank, aside from the word "PARTY!" in a gold foil on the side. The accompanying envelopes even had gold foil lining, LOVE. I decided to try using my computer this time. My handwriting is ok, but it does take longer and certainly more care to hand write invites which I learned here and here.


So using Word and a laser printer, I created the invites for another friend's Showerette to take place in June. What's a showerette you say? I have to give credit for this term to my partner in crime (and planning), Bdette. Because this Bride's guests are all over the U.S. she had 2 family showers in PA and OR, and we are responsible for the friends' shower in DC. Our college friends are also spread out, so it didn't make sense to have a Shower one week and then a Bachelorette weeks later. We decided to combine things, and Bdette started calling it a Showerette. Isn't she clever? I certainly think so. So we're having a Linen and Lace theme and guests can give traditional shower gifts (linen) or sexy lingerie gifts (lace).

If you would like to make invites this way, make sure you set your printer to Cardstock and Manual Feed. Be careful as you feed each sheet into the Printer, if you push it crooked, it prints crooked (like duh). It's also good to buy a few extra invites, I bought 30 and produced 26 acceptable invites.

I will update after the party with some pics. We have all kinds of fun decorations planned. I promise to get carried away with this theme, lol.

Bachelorette Party for Shortcake!

In a few weeks I'll be hosting Shortcake's Bachelorette Party. I have several things to work on for this party including a homemade veil and sash, so stay tuned. Again I picked up invites at Target, for about $1 each. These are made by Papyrus. They are pink and green, as you can see and even have glitter on them. I love glitter!!! This one I kept for myself because I made a little mistake with the address, whoops! But all the others were perfect.

Recipe Shower Invites

Today I threw a surprise shower for my best friend, Shortcake. I'd been dying to post about this but the party was a surprise, so I had to wait.

I picked up these lovely invites at Target for about $1 each. The picture isn't as sharp as I'd like but each invite is blue with a wedding dress on it. Each one had a satin bow or piece of lace on it as well. So pretty!! I wrote in all the information for the party by hand, but I'm sure I could have ran them through a printer as well. I couldn't resist picking up the matching thank you notes for the Bride. I included them as part of her gift and labeled them with the guests' addresses in advance. The Bride loves to cook, so I sent blank recipe cards to each guest and asked them to bring them to the shower, filled in with their favorite recipe.


The party was a total success!

A Fall Colored Wedding

My Beautiful Friends post was just a small preview of the fun to be had at Lissa Bee and Officer Jack's Wedding. They created a lot of the things seen around the wedding themselves or with the help of friends and family. I love when couple's do this, because it makes everything so personal and special. As you can see above, fall colors were everywhere! Sister of the Bride Lil'Jess made fabulous centerpieces below for all the tables with different photos of the couple on each table attached to a pumpkin and paired with a bouquet of fall flowers.


Their cake also featured a very unique cake topper with the bride and groom poised to shoot. Lissa Bee and Officer Jack met when they both joined the Capitol Police Force about 3 years ago.


The Bride and Groom also really love them some tattoos. In fact one of the first things Lissa Bee ever told me about Jack was how beautiful his leg was because of the gorgeous tattoo on it! Here you can see some of the Bride's ink as she breaks it down on the dance floor!

Bridespot - Lissa Bee

Well Miss Eliza Blu, Here is my wedding story!

The most fun part of wedding planning for me (so far) has been picking the dress, theme, colors, favors, etc. Of course the most fun will be actually getting married! It was wonderful to make things what I wanted them to be, and how I wanted to do it. I had a vision in my head and tried to create it. I wasn't ready for people to get mad at me, expect me to use their opinions, or have my wedding be how they thought it should be. Officer Jack and I have learned compromise through out this whole process, and have enjoyed it. We have had our bumps in the road with the planning of our wedding, but other than that, everything was pretty smooth. I can't believe I am getting married in 12 days. What's my biggest triumph you ask? Besides paying for most of the wedding ourselves! And besides marrying the man of my dreams! Hehe. Well that would be hand-making lots of stuff for the wedding! I handmade all my wedding favors, and I am helping make the dessert. Now, what will I do after it is all over? :-)

Love,

Bride Lissa Bee

Thanks for sharing! I can't believe you'll be a Married Lady soon. This is a very special first Bridespot as Lissa Bee has been a friend for over 10 years. She is also very modest, she printed her invites at home (you can see them featured in the DIY Invites post), homemade pumpkin butter for her favors and embellished 100s of little jars, AND she decorated her very own pair of white shoes seen in here. She is a DIY Bride Machine.

In addition, she made beautiful gifts for her bridesmaids, which I will post photos of after her wedding, as not to ruin the surprise. I can't wait to be there to see you and Officer Jack tie the knot!

DIY Invitations

Lately I have received more and more DIY invites to weddings. I think this can be a really wonderful way to save money and/or be more creative with your invites. There are some very beautiful, yet affordable, options out there if you shop around. Staples, Walmart and other office supply stores sell kits with invites, response cards, envelopes etc. Also sites like Etsy.com offer access to artists who can create silk screened invites or other hand made options. Or you can go serious DIY and buy paper, calligraphy pens, die cuts, paper cutter, ribbons and a unique hole puncher at craft stores like Michael's or Joanns. I say power to you if you start from scratch!

However, when you do it yourself there are some things to think about since you as a Bride are not a stationery professional and likely haven't done this before. Think of writing your invites like you did assignments in Elementary School-- Who, What, Where, When all need to be included. Also the How is achieved with guest information cards and perhaps a listing of your website, which would serve as a back up for all this information. It's my opinion that your website should not take the place of any event details though, unless your intention is to have a paper free wedding! (An undertaking I would love to see).

Invitation:
Usually a 5" x 7"ish card on heavy paper announcing your marriage. Information to be included: Parents hosting, bride and groom's names, ceremony day, date, year, time and ceremony venue including town and state. There are lots of phrasing resources on the net, so I won't duplicate those efforts here. ***Optional: You may put on the same sheet at the bottom "Reception immediately to follow" and the place of your reception, if you don't want to have a separate reception card.


Reception Card:
Traditionally Reception info is usually listed on a smaller card, approximately 4" x 5," included with the invitation. This card might say "Reception immediately to Follow" or "Dinner and Dancing" with the location information. Contrary to popular belief this is not the same as a response card. Guests will keep this card for their information.

Response Card:
This is what guests return to you with their regrets or acceptance, and perhaps their food choice. Since they are sending this back to you, it should not be the only place pertinent information is listed on their invitation, such as the the location of your reception, website, or the hotel information. I suggest discreetly numbering these cards on the back in case you can't read someone's handwriting. This way if an illegible card is returned to you, you can check the code # against your master guest list to tell you to whom you mailed the invitation with the corresponding number.


Accommodation Information Card:
Most Hotels these days have a prepared card they will give you when you reserve a block of rooms. These fit conveniently in with the rest of the invitation package. Or you could make small sheets on your computer with a small map on one side and hotel information as well as directions on the other. This would be your resources piece of your invitation. This could also be a nice place to put your website.


Inner Envelope:
All the items listed above go inside an inner envelope. Do not seal this envelope. On the outside, write the first names of the intended guest(s). This can be informal, for example your parents' could say "Mom and Dad" and your friend's could say "Liz and Guest." This is also where single unmarried guests will take their cue on whether or not you're inviting them with a date. So your single friend Liz's may just say "Liz" as well.


Some of the samples I found (like the one shown above) featured a folder instead of an inner envelope, you could write on the back of this as well.

Outer Envelope:
Now you slide that envelope into this one. On the outside you'll need neatly printed mailing addresses with formal salutations. If you have lousy handwriting like me, I recommend computer printed stick-on labels, especially the clear ones which look less obvious. Don't forget your return address in the left corner or on the back on the envelope flap, and a cute love stamp too!

P.S. The USPS now offers custom stamps! You can upload a photo of you and your fiance, your dog with a red heart in its paws, or anything your heart desires to be made into your very own custom stamps!

Photo credits: blue and red invite, Etsy - Mwilson Shop; inkjet reception card, ehow.com; response card and accommodation card photographed by me and created by Bride Lissa Bee; and Best Occasions Invite Kit available at Walmart.

Recipe Shower Part 2

So the Recipe Shower has come and gone and I have failed to post this for quite some time. My apologies. By day I work at a University, so it's a busy time of year.

In the end I chose to give my friend a recipe for my Chocolate Wacky Cake, which is my grandmother's WWII ration recipe featuring no eggs or butter. It's delicious! If you want to try it out it's super easy to make, recipe is at the bottom of this post.

As I said in the last post, I love to give a themed gift so I picked out a rectangular cake pan, spatula, and wisk to give with this recipe, since these are items you would need to bake the cake. Luckily I noticed that mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons had all already been fulfilled on her registry. The Bride loved all her gifts, and as she is an avid baker, I know she will especially appreciate a cake recipe. I have to give a shout out to the Maid of Honor! She did the sweetest thing I've seen someone do with all the recipes. She bought a photo album type book with single slots for each recipe card and collected the recipes at the shower and slid them all into place. This way the Bride's recipes are organized and kept all in one place. Bonus-they stay clean under their plastic page protectors!!! Genius. I will definitely add that to my bag of tricks for the next shower I throw.

I got some twitter traffic about how one plans a recipe shower or what exactly that meant, so here is a brief run down. For the person(s) hosting the shower, plan as you normally would. Pick a date, place, make your guest list, but when you mail invitations include an index card or printed recipe card with each invite. You can usually buy packs of recipe cards at grocery stores or kitchen supply places with pretty graphics and fun details such as notes that feature "From the Kitchen of... " or "Cook with Care Instructions." Explain to guests on the invite to fill out the card with a recipe of their choice for the Bride (and Groom) and bring it to the shower. Even guests who are unable to attend are able to contribute by mailing their recipe on the provided card to the couple.

Using this invitation to contribute a *free* recipe is also a way to steer guests away from giving a tangible gift at the Shower (if the Bride and Groom are on board with that), especially in this economy a lot of couples are saying one gift on their Wedding day is enough. You could phrase it "You're invited to a Cooking Shower! Hosted by Sarah's Bridesmaids. Instead of gifts the Bride requests of gift of your cooking skills! Please share a favorite recipe on this card and join us for good company, tea and desserts on September 19, 2009 at 2pm at the Cambridge Tea Room, West Chester, PA. Please RSVP to Eliza by September 5, 2009 at (phone or email)."

Here is the recipe: Grandma Betty's WWII Wacky Cake

3 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. cocoa
2 teas. baking soda
2 teas. salt
2 tbs. red wine vinegar
2 teas. vanilla
2/3 c. vegetable oil
2 c. cool water

Combine dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another. Slowly stir dry ingredients into wet mixture. Pour into a lightly greased rectangular 9" x 13" pan or split between two 9" round pans for a layered cake.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes. Enjoy!

Recipe Shower

One of my favorite Bridal Shower themes is Recipe or Kitchen Showers. And lucky for me, I'm attending one tomorrow!! I am currently trying to choose a recipe to share with the Bride, current front runners include, homemade salad dressing, Chocolate Wacky Cake (no eggs or butter --WWII recipe), or my famous pasta salad. Feel free to vote below!

I love this shower idea because, #1 it's interactive. It allows guests to contribute a free gift to the couple!! Who doesn't love to give something significant without spending money? #2 The Bride (and potentially the Groom) gain a recipe for something new! And who doesn't love good food? #3 It makes my decision about what gift to buy lots and lots easier! Because I can be a super nerd and buy something off the registry that they could use to make my dish. Such as a salad bowl and dressing shaker; cake pan and mixing bowl; large kettle and produce knife. Can we tell I love a themed gift?

I will report in about the shower on Sunday, and which recipe wins!!!