Author Archive for: ‘Elle’
DIY Dip-Dyed Ombre Wedding Invitations
I love the style of ombre especially when it comes to weddings! I have seen so many different ways to incorporate ombre into your them with balloons, flowers, cake, etc. Today I want to share with you though a way to do DIY dip-dyed ombre wedding invitations. I love this technique and it really doesn’t take a lot of time. Check out the tutorial below to see how to create this effect on your wedding invitations.
Materials:
- Fabric dye (it doesn’t matter whether its liquid or powder dye)
- Invitation that has your wording printed on it but no other graphics
- Trash can or container that you don’t mind getting stained
- Old spoon that you don’t care about
- Paper towels
- Hand gloves
Photography by Him & Honey Photography
Directions:
Step 1
Start by setting up your dye in your container. Mix it according to the instructions on the package. I put a trash bag under my container so I wouldn’t accidentally stain the floor.
Photography by Him & Honey Photography
Step 2
Take your invitations one at a time and start to slowly dip in the dye. I start by dipping it all under to a certain point and then start bringing it up slowly. Keep in mind the longer it stays in the dye the more it will get stained. It is probably best to try this out on a practice sheet first to refine the look you want to achieve.
Photography by Him & Honey Photography
Finally lay it out to dry on a paper towel for a few hours. Repeat this process for each of your invitations. I love doing your invitations DIY because then everyone is different in some way.
Photography by Him & Honey Photography
Would you consider dip-dying your own invitations?
His and Hers Guest List Printable
After getting engaged it is so exciting to start planning! When working on the guest list I found it best to write out two different columns of guests: his and hers. After writing down all the possible guests then it was easy to see how close we were to our total guest number which is important for booking venues and vendors.
For us we were really over our estimated number and realized we either had to start cutting people or go back to our vendors and change our numbers. After we had the guests nailed down then we started to gather all the addresses for sending invitations.
I have created for you today a free printable guest list sheet that you can use for both of these lists. Since it is two columns you can use it first for the his and hers list and then for gathering the guests’ addresses. When I was first creating my lists, I used an online tool but quickly learned that when making big changes to your list it is best to be able to see the list overall. I hope you enjoy this free printable, and it helps you stay organized while planning your big day!
To download the pdf of the guest list address printable click here or click the image below.
RSVP and Enclosure Cards Do’s and Dont’s
Response cards (RSVPs) play a critical roll in planning your wedding because they give you an accurate count on how many people will attend. Not every guest you invite will be able to come to your wedding, but you have to make plans to accommodate the number you invite. It used to be customary for someone to receive your invitation and then RSVP on their own stationery. In recent years, the number of people who carry out this tradition has become fewer with the rise of the telephone and Internet. So now, the customary practice is to include a response card with the wedding invitation for guests to mail back to you.
Response Cards by Jam + Toast Paper Goods
The response card gets slipped into the invitation’s envelope with any other enclosure cards like directions or where the couple is registered. Also, a growing trend is to have the guest RSVP on the couple’s wedding website. This method does save on printing and postage costs, but I personally love printed materials, and feel like the web can be less personal. It really just depends on your budget, time restraints, and personal preference.
Response Cards by Jam + Toast Paper Goods
So now that I’ve clarified what response cards are, I want to tell you some do’s and dont’s about sending them.
Do: Discretely number the back of your response cards because some guests will forget to write their name on them. (I learned that the hard way!)
Do Add postage and self-address the response card envelopes so that it makes it even easier for your guest to respond.
Do Give your guest a specific date by which they should respond.
Do Allow for stragglers. You may get some response cards back the day after your wedding so take your actual number based on RSVPs and add some additional just in case.
Don’t Give your guest months to respond or else it will get forgotten. A good 3-4 weeks to respond is enough time.
Don’t Print your guest’s name(s) on the response card for them. This can add an additional cost for variable printing and can add up costs with a calligrapher. It is perfectly fine to have a line where the guest can write their own name.
Do or Don’t Add meal choices for the guest to pick if you are having a full meal at your reception. It seems like people are really torn on this idea because it is not proper etiquette. Personally, I think it helps your caterers plan more so you aren’t purchasing a ton of additional food.
Do or Don’t Allow your guests to write in the number attending. It can be nice to help with an accurate count but if you address it to the parents of the household, they may see this as saying they can invite all their kids. So you may have additional guests you didn’t plan for.
Are there other do’s and dont’s you can think of, or did you learn something the hard way?
25 Ways to Save on your Wedding Day
As we all know wedding costs can add up very quickly! Have the wedding of your dreams while staying within your budget with these 25 tips. Would you consider doing any of these for your wedding?
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Buy, don’t rent
Instead of paying hefty rental fees from vendors, try looking on eBay or Craigslist to find the supplies you need. You will most likely find them for cheaper and you can sell them after the wedding!
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Do your rehearsal dinner low key
Think about doing your rehearsal dinner with just the bridal party and family. Instead of renting out another venue you could also do a casual backyard BBQ and put the money you saved towards your wedding venue costs.
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Try unique wedding venues
Renting out a ballroom, farm, or any venue can get pricey. Try and think of other places that wouldn’t cost as much money since they normally aren’t used for weddings.
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Make yourself beautiful
Do your own makeup and hair or have a bridesmaid or family member help. Now you will cut out the costs of hiring a makeup artist and hairstylist for you and even your whole wedding party!
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Use home decor
Search your house (and maybe even your family’s) to see if you can use any of the items to decorate for your wedding. I used a lot picture frames and paper flowers to decorate for my reception and I actually already had them all around my house.
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Try the barter system
Can you volunteer for the venue or vendor in exchange for services? It never hurts to ask!
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Cut coupons
I am not a crazy coupon lady no worries. If you check your local craft store’s website or fliers weekly though you can save a lot of money by only buying things on sale or with a coupon.
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Skimp on stamps
Think about sending your save the dates as postcards. You will save on the costs of stamps plus also the envelopes.
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Set a spending limit
For each item that you are purchasing or renting set a spending limit for it and try to come under the limit. If you save a little on each item your savings will really add up!
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Choose an off-day
Saturdays and Sundays are the most expensive days to rent a wedding venue. Think about getting married on a Friday night or even a weeknight to get really discounted rates.
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Downsize the cake
Order a specialty cake for pictures and for guests to see. Also order a sheet cake for the caterer to serve the guests with. You could even put the sheet cake in the back and I bet your guests don’t even notice.
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Plan destination I do’s
If your guest list is getting way too big think about having a destination wedding. You will save a bundle because a lot of your guests won’t want to travel that far.
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Take your own video
Instead of hiring a pricey videographer, go with a company that gives your guests video cameras so that they can record it. You will still get a great wedding video and it will also be more personal because you will have special moments with your friends on it.
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Restrict your list
Choose a venue that has a max capacity. It gives you a good reason to shrink your list down and not invite all of your acquaintances.
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Check out Groupon
Group buying sites like Groupon and LivingSocial sometimes run deals on things for weddings like wedding cakes and photo booths.
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Bribe your Bridesmaids
Have a fun party with the girls having cocktails and snacks. Its a great way to have fun and also get their help with your DIY projects. This really saves a lot of time!
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Pick a public place
Check out your local state parks. They are normally very affordable and are kept in great condition.
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Pick blooms online
Order your wedding flowers online in bulk for both your bouquets and centerpieces. Then have some friends or family help you arrange them. Your flowers still look great but for a fourth of the cost!
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Don’t rent tables and chairs
Book a venue with tables and chairs included and you can save a lot on cost. Plus you won’t have to stress the day of the wedding about setting them all up by yourself.
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Learn a new skill
There are tons of online classes and kits to teach yourself a new skill like calligraphy or embroidery. You can then use this skill for wedding decorations and save yourself from buying those things. Just remember to factor in enough time to learn!
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Forget the favors
If your budget is tight cut out the favors and just focus on giving your guests a night to remember.
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No open bar
Liquor can add up very quickly so think about just offering beer and wine to your guests. You could even make a specialty cocktail for the bride and groom to give options. If you open the whole bar up to your guests though I promise it will cost you!
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Check out Etsy
If you have a vision of tons of DIY decor but don’t have the time to make it check out Etsy. There are a lot of shops that have handmade things for weddings and you get to help out an independent artist as well.
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Have a morning wedding
Some venues will book two weddings in a day. The morning venue rental from 10-4 will cost less than the evening rental from 5-11.
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Wear comfortable shoes
If you have a long dress your shoes will be covered up anyways so why not wear affordable shoes that your feet will thank you for. Yes the stilettos are pretty but if no one can see them anyways then save yourself the cost.
Wedding Timeline Checklist [Infographic]
There is so much to do while you are planning a wedding that it can really get overwhelming really fast. I love checklists, so when I started planning my wedding I found a list online of all the things you need to get done by certain time frames.
The problem was that the checklist included everything you could ever think of and about 60% of it didn’t apply to my wedding. Seeing all the tasks was still very daunting though, and it really stressed me out.
I would love for you to never have that feeling, so I super-simplified the checklist into the three most important things you need to do. I hope this helps you plan everything out easier and makes you sleep a little better at night!
Happy Planning!
DIY Crafting Calendar: Free Printable
When I was planning my reception decorations, the most challenging part was deciding which DIY projects to do, and staying organized. As hard as I tried to stay on top of everything I was still crafting the day before the reception! I found myself doing all the easier craft projects first and saving the hardest ones for last, which only added more stress. I also had to re-buy a lot of supplies because I didn’t realize I would need them for another upcoming DIY project.
What I really needed was a calendar that I could write down on my DIY craft ideas on and keep track of their time commitments and supplies! So I want to save you some stress and hopefully help you be better organized than I was. That’s why I have designed an easy printable calendar for all your upcoming craft projects for your wedding, birthday party or just for your around the home projects.
As much as I really love handmade decorations, they can be really time-consuming when you have a large quantity to do or have multiple projects. I hope this calendar helps you keep your sanity and feel free to share!
To Download the Calendar, click the image below or you can click here.
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