Category Archive for: ‘Featured Vendors’
{Sponsored Post} Get What You Want with SimpleRegistry
Sponsored Content Disclosure
How do you picture your life AFTER the wedding? Are you and your partner adventurous? Do you want to take up a new hobby? Perhaps you both enjoy fine dinners and wine tasting? Or maybe you enjoy all three, and more! With our newest partner SimpleRegistry, you can ask for gifts that you will actually use or life experiences you can both enjoy together or pretty much anything you can dream of!
Registering for wedding gifts can be a difficult process. First, you and your partner need to decide on what you want out of your registry (do you want stuff? Do you want honeymoon funds? Do you want to donate to charity?) Then, if you want stuff, you have to agree on what stores and items. Then somehow you have to get the word out to your guests without seeming tacky (“HEY! GIVE US ALL THE THINGS!”). SimpleRegistry takes some of the difficulties and stress out of planning your registry by giving your wedding guests one convenient online location where they can browse your wishlist, send you cash, or even make gift suggestions. Click here to read real reviews from SimpleRegistry members with additional suggestions and ideas on how to benefit from using SimpleRegistry.
With SimpleRegistry, you basically can ask for anything on your wishlist – physical items, honeymoon funds, charity donations – and after your wedding you’ll get the funds sent directly to you via check or direct deposit whenever you’re ready. We love that SimpleRegistry also has a mobile app with a bar code scanner, which means when you’re out and about you can simply scan a bar code to add any item to your registry. Don’t know where to start with your registry? You can load up your registry with pre-picked popular items, or you can easily ask your friends to suggest their favorite appliances and experiences. (Editor’s tip – Ask for a Keurig machine, you won’t regret it!)
Highlights of SimpleRegistry:
*Add Anything to a Registry — Any item from any store on one registry. Even non-tangible stuff like season tickets, cooking classes, a hot air balloon ride, or a donation to a favorite charity. Literally *anything* that can be thought up can be added to a registry.
*Split Pricey Items to Smaller Portions — Let’s face it, there probably aren’t many people that will buy someone that awesome $2,000 camera or dining room table all on their own. However, maybe 20 guests would be willing to chip in $100 each. It’s easy to allow for group-gifting at any price level.
*Setup is Easy (and Fun) — Customizing a registry is easy with purpose-built tools like the SimpleAdder (bookmarklet for adding any item from any website with one-click), free Mobile App (scan barcodes or snap a photo of anything and add it to the registry), and Instant Registry for those in a hurry (pre-made lists of professionally curated items). You also get your own custom URL (www.simpleregistry.com/CUSTOM) to help your guests easily remember how to find your registry.
*Let Others Suggest Cool Items — Why should couples have to think up everything they’ll need on a registry? Registry creation is crowdsourced with our new Item Suggestions feature. Easily send people (with the best taste) a custom version of our SimpleAdder tool that allows them to suggest items from any website in the world. Couples have complete power over which suggested items to add – and which to ignore.
When your guests are ready to shop for you, they simply choose an item and pay with their credit card or through PayPal.
Click here to view examples of real member registries!
*All Gifts Redeemed as Cash — When the wedding is over all gifts are redeemed directly as cash for the ultimate in flexibility. Newer model of that camera since the registry was created? Different color of that blender desired? No problem! Just tell SimpleRegistry when you’re ready to receive your gifts and they send you a check or deposit funds directly to your checking or PayPal account. (There is a 5% fee that you can either pay from the gift amount, or have added to your guests total when they check out.)
AND, when you’re ready to send your Thank Yous, you can instantly generate a list of all guests, the gift(s) they provided, amounts, and their full contact information. Easy breezy.
Click here to watch a video overview of how SimpleRegistry works!
BONUS OFFER – Ready to try out SimpleRegistry? Be sure you do it before 4/30/13! One lucky couple will receive a $5,000 credit toward their registry on SimpleRegistry.com if they register between 1/1/13 and 4/30/13! It’s free to set up and start your registry, so what have you got to lose? Don’t forget to also follow SimpleRegistry on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on their latest features.
(All images were provided by SimpleRegistry.)
{Sponsored Post} Handmade Accessories with Uncommon Charm from The Bread and Butterfuly
Sponsored Content Disclosure
We just love interviewing self-driven, independent artists with a passion for crafts, and this week’s featured vendor is no exception. The Bread and Butterfly is a real gem, and Carolyn’s handmade accessories are truly unlike anything else out there. Perfect for a rustic wedding style, woodland theme, or just nature-inspired beauty. She makes and sells hair accessories, boutioneers, flower pins, and other goodies, and she’s gearing up to offer DIY wedding consulting services in 2013! Please give a warm welcome to The Bread and Butterfly – the newest addition to the DIY Bride vendor showcase.
Read on for our up-close-and-personal encounter with Carolyn.
1. What attracts you to the DIY wedding and craft industries?
For me, hand made unique works of art are always more valuable than anything mass produced. When someone chooses a DIY wedding, it can truly become a wedding that is tailored to perfectly represent the couple. I love to see the recent growth in popularity of the DIY wedding and craft industries. It’s important for artists and crafters to be valued, supported, and noticed in a dominantly capitalist society.
2. What did you do before this?
Before this, I was a graduate student and received my Masters in Art Education from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I did, and still do, want to become a high school art teacher. Due to the unfortunate and current lack of high school art teaching positions, I have been unable to find a teaching job. Unemployed, I decided if I was not going to be teaching I wanted to be making. I have always been an artist but never taken the leap into making my passion my work. Not wanting to do anything else if I was not teaching, I began The Bread and Butterfly.
3. What is your philosophy on balancing work and life?
I am definitely a firm believer in a healthy balance of work and life. When one is following their passion in life and making it a job, this balance becomes rather easy. However, I still do need to motivate myself to get in my studio and work. I love my weekends to myself and I find if I put in the hours during the week, then I don’t feel guilty about weekends off. Artists and crafters deserve weekends just like everyone else!
4. Do you have a blog and social media pages (please share links)?
Currently I run my shop online only through Etsy. My shop can be found at www.thebreadandbutterfly.etsy.
Other than The Bread and Butterfly, I also am a fine artist working in both painting/drawing and photography. More of my portfolio of work, including information about The Bread and Butterfly, can be found on my personal website www.carolynmullanyart.com
5. How do you customize your products/services for brides?
I absolutely love working with brides to customize boutonnieres and/or headpieces. When a bride contacts me through Etsy they often have seen something in my shop they like but want different colors. I am always more than happy to work with them to find the perfect materials and colors to fit their style.
6. Describe your ideal customer.
An untraditional bride who truly appreciates handmade pieces is my ideal customer. I describe The Bread and Butterfly as handmade accessories with “uncommon charm”. If a bride is looking for something unique with a somewhat rustic yet romantic feel, I hope they may find it in my shop.
7. What’s new for 2013?
My business only started in the Fall of 2012 so I am so excited about what is to come in 2013 and to see my business grow. I intend to expand my business into consulting with brides. My services will include helping them with DIY ideas and decor, supplying them with the right tools, completely creating all the DIY decor, day-of coordination, and DIY workshops.
{Sponsored Post} Producing Real Wedding Videos with Borrowed & Blue
Sponsored Content Disclosure
Greetings, DIY brides! Today’s sponsored post comes to us from an Australian wedding videographer, Terence Hooi, of Borrowed & Blue Productions. We asked them to share a bit about videography in general, and talk about their unique style of capturing wedding memories on video. In the images below, you’ll see some “behind the scenes” photos that show the crew in action, as well as a few high quality photographs also taken by Borrowed & Blue (yes, they also do wedding photography). If you’re planning a wedding in Melbourne, Australia, we give Borrowed & Blue a big thumbs up!
Take it away, Terence!
The demand for wedding videos have spiked in recent years as couples are starting to see the value of having intimate moments of their big day recorded in motion. While it’s great to reflect on photographs, and share those with friends and family, there is an audio visual experience that is left wanting that only a video can produce. The reality is that in today’s world, the demand for visual stimulation through videography is higher than ever; and wedding videos are no different.
Filming wedding videos at a certain production standard exceeds what a HD camera and a tripod can produce. Filming this momentous occasion in a person’s life is all about the approach and envisaging what the final product will look like.
Borrowed & Blue Productions – Behind the Scenes
At Borrowed and Blue, our main goal, as videographers, is to create a piece of wedding memorabilia that captures the emotions expressed on the day. Weddings are about beauty and drama. On no other day will a bride and groom take such meticulous effort to look their absolute best. There are also going to be tears and laughter throughout the day, as well as the tribulations of “getting there”.
Borrowed & Blue Productions – Behind the Scenes
Our approach to capturing the essence of a wedding requires clever angles and dramatic lighting. We’re creating an effect, a magical retell of the day from our eyes as it unfolds in front of us. We try not to have a pre-conceived idea of how the day will play out, rather aim to be a fly on the wall that secretly steals slices of the day, preserving it for eternity. Unlike photography where the couple is often directed for poses and positioning, we film for natural emotion, as it occurs. This is critical in presenting the bride and groom naturally, which is the only way that their screen presence will be believable.
Borrowed & Blue Productions – Behind the Scenes
How is this done? It fundamentally boils down to having a creative mind, and a good understanding of how the wedding will unfold, in order for us to get the best positions. We plan on paper and in our heads where these angles are based on the available lighting and be prepared to move at a moment’s notice. Keeping a variety of lenses for a number of different effects close-by is vital; while keeping bread and butter lenses glued to us as we move around the bride and groom is additionally important. It is also vital we be intently observant, so that we’ll know when the laugh is about to happen or the tears are about to drop. As a videographer, I find myself entwined in the couple’s story and I try to see everything through their eyes.
Borrowed & Blue Productions – Behind the Scenes
Borrowed & Blue Productions – Behind the Scenes
Borrowed & Blue Productions – Behind the Scenes
As much as our style and approach of filming is based on real emotions, capturing special moments, and instinct, this does not exclude us from having pre-planned actions and “set shot” sequences ready. For example having seen thousands of kisses, it’s our duty to know how to be able to elicit a variety of these very intimate moments: from the tender to the passionate.
Borrowed & Blue Productions
Although we use high production gear to film these cherished moments in a couples union, the REAL bits are more important; capturing those moments with a cinematographers eye is how we produce real wedding videos which record treasured memories for years to come.
Borrowed & Blue Productions
Check out Nick And Julie from BorrowedAndBlue on Vimeo
This is a guest post by Wedding Videographer Melbourne, Terence Hooi, who is the owner of Borrowed and Blue.
{Sponsored Post} Artfully Designed Wedding Websites from Wix
Sponsored Content Disclosure
Introducing a brand new place to create a stylish wedding website: Wix.com. Wix came to DIY Bride looking for brides and grooms who are stylish, creative, do-it-yourselfers who want to create a website for the wedding! Wix users are also stylish and creative, and not afraid to take the DIY route. Wedding websites created at Wix.com have all the elements of a professional website along with RSVPs, guest book, gift registry, etc.
DIY couples can also build a mobile site and a Facebook page through Wix’s simple and friendly platform. You don’t need to know a lick about html coding or website design. Everything is template driven, and the design templates are packed with places for you to infuse your own personality.
Just in case you’re thinking you don’t need a website, consider this. A wedding site is a great tool that helps you plan the wedding and share the photos from your wedding and honeymoon. Also, a wedding site can live on, and become a family website with news of your family celebrations, special events, and family additions! Use it as a blog to document your love story.
3 reasons why you should use Wix:
#1: DIY- AND BUDGET-FRIENDLY. All features are completely free, but if you want to connect your own domain (like “BradlovesAmy.com” or “Amysaidyes.com”) and remove Wix ads, you can always upgrade your site starting at only 8$ per month! At this low price, it’s definitely worth upgrading so you can have a personalized domain. It looks more professional and it’s easier for guests to remember. You also get 24-hour customer service and loads of tutorials to help you build a professional-grade wedding website.
#2: UNIQUE DESIGN TEMPLATES. You can choose from 100′s of designer-made templates. Each template is fully customizable, so you can make it match your wedding theme and color palette. We’ve included a few examples of digital eye candy created by Wix users in this post, and you can check out many more at the links below.
Here are some great examples of custom wedding websites built via Wix:
http://www.becky-n-drew.com/
http://sophiema.wix.com/wedding
http://www.jeffandtristan.com/
http://www.roniandmichael.com/
http://www.carloandheiditietheknot.com/
http://www.annaplusjason.com/
#3: COOL WIDGETS. Wix websites have loads of cool features available, such as the RSVP widget, photo galleries, events calendar, link to your wedding registry, guest book, countdown to your big day, your special song playing in the background, accommodation options, and many more. The RSVP widget is one of our favorite features for a wedding website because it automates the entire RSVP process.
BONUS!
Enter promo code diybride221 when upgrading your site and get 10% off all yearly plans (Valid 2/17-3/19)
We hope you’ll pop on over to Wix.com today, and start creating your custom wedding website! Enjoy!
Tips from Wedding Snap: How to Capture the Best Smartphone Photos
Technology is becoming more and more involved in the wedding planning process of today’s brides. And with smartphones in particular, wedding apps are coming out left and right for so many different functions. Your entire wedding journey is an important time in your life, so you want to figure out which are most useful for you.
Filled with tons of emotions and memories, you want to capture every minute of it, but most couples do not have the budget to pay for a professional photographer for every event. Let’s say your mother or best friend can’t make it to the dress shop to try on the gown of your dreams, but you still want them to be apart of the action – most likely, you’re taking snapshots on your phone and sending them over, anxiously waiting on the other end to see if they’re saying “yes to the dress” as well!
With smartphone cameras becoming better everyday, they have become the solution for the on-the-go couple to capture those snapshot moments that are still just as important as the big day!
At Wedding Snap, we created an online photo and video sharing experience that has an iPhone and Android app that instantly collects all the guests’ memories in an online, real-time album. We’ve had couples from all over the world take thousands of smartphone photos, and we decided to ask around and share some tips with you to make sure you get the most out of your smartphone camera!
Auto, on, or off – should you turn on flash?
Your choice can really make or break a photo. Natural lighting tends to be the best option, if used correctly. Try to face the light source to avoid making shadows but test it out and see what the current lighting situation is. Flash may be your best bet sometimes, but keep in mind that intense light can be problematic as it can wash out the entire picture – avoid facing mirrors and items that can create a reflection with flash.
Move closer and avoid zoom when possible
While the zoom feature is amazing when you simply can’t get any closer without losing the moment, try to avoid it when possible. Zooming on smartphone cameras tend to pixelate the photo and reduce its quality.
Play with angles
A different angle can be life altering for your snapshot. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try things out.
To be blurry or not to be blurry?
The moment you find out your image is blurry makes your heart drop a little bit knowing that you’ll have to try again to get that same moment and keep everyone from moving. Don’t have a steady hand? Try using something to prop your phone and set a self-timer (and this way, you don’t have to rotate in taking the same group photo). You can even find cheap tripods for your smartphone if you plan on taking a number of photos and videos.
Filters
Make your snapshot a little more fun with some filters. Whether you’re feeling classic black and white or a more vintage sepia tone, this is always a fun and easy way to add an effect to your photo without being a pro. There are a number of apps out on market to quickly add the effect.
Edit your photos
The group shot is amazing aside from the fact your best friend Becky has red eye. Take the time to edit your photos – whether that’s through an editing program or touched up by a professional. It can make a world of a difference with smartphone images! Quick touch to adjust the brightness or saturation and get some really great looking prints at the end to make a fun scrapbook or album. Why not make an album of the snapshots as a favor for your closest friends?
Tell a story
With the right lighting, you can capture a gorgeous snapshot with your smartphone. However, the most beautiful images are the ones that tell a story. Get an image that really speaks 1000 words – from the emotional moment of the exchange of vows to the crazy bachelorette party, photos are about capturing memories.
{All photos featured here were taken with Wedding Snap.}
Be sure to check out our new Pinterest board for Wedding Snap, too!
About the Author, Michelle Tang: From the blush pink peonies to wedtech, a Managing Director at Wedding Snap, Michelle stays on top of all the up-and-coming trends. Wedding Snap is the simplest photo and video capturing experience used to instantly and easily capture, store, and share all wedding memories in an online, real-time album.
Disclosure: DIY Bride has a financial relationship with Wedding Snap, meaning we may have received compensation for this content and/or related content. We firmly stand behind our review and recommendation, and are committed to promoting only those companies we feel offer our community excellent products, ethical business practices, and outstanding customer service.
{Guest Post} 10 Tips for Booking Your Honeymoon
Booking any major vacation can be stressful, but booking your honeymoon can be even more so because it’s the beginning of your new life together. To book the honeymoon of your dreams with the least amount of stress, follow these 10 tips:
Honeymoon Cruise / Honeymoon Pixie
1. Relax your expectations
Yes, your honeymoon is supposed to be special and romantic, but don’t set expectations that may not be achievable. If you’ve already vacationed with your future spouse, you may be wondering how you can top all the great times you’ve had together. The truth is that it doesn’t have to. Your honeymoon is about spending romantic time together and enjoying one another’s company. You’ll have many more vacations to come, so don’t expect your honeymoon to be the perfect vacation of a lifetime.
2. Stay organized
If you’re planning your honeymoon with your fiancé, then whoever is more organized should keep track of the bookings. This person doesn’t have to do all the work, but he or she should organize all the information you need for your honeymoon. Staying organized will help reduce the stress because information will be where you need it when you need it.
3. Use multiple resources when researching your destination
It’s too easy when booking your honeymoon is to get outdated information about hotels, airports, restaurants, excursions, and other activities you may want to reserve ahead of time. The best way to avoid outdated and incorrect information is to use multiple, frequently updated sources. The Internet tends to be updates regularly, but check the dates on any related articles you may find. It’s also advisable to purchase a couple of travel guides, so you can double-check the information for your destination. Before purchasing any books, check the copyright date to ensure that it is fairly current.
Thailand Honeymoon / Honymoon Pixie
4. Give yourself plenty of time
Don’t feel pressured to go on your honeymoon right after your wedding if you feel it will be too stressful to plan both at once – especially if you’re having a short engagement! Give yourself at least six months to plan the honeymoon of your dreams, even if that means taking the honeymoon a couple months after your wedding.
5. Talk with a travel agent
Talking with a travel agent doesn’t mean you’re obligated to use one. However, if you even think you’ll want help planning your honeymoon, call a few travel agents who specialize in honeymoons to how they might be able to help you. You might be surprised and decide to use travel agent services to take some of the planning load off you and your fiancé.
6. Set a careful budget
The number one cause of honeymoon related stress is money. Don’t rack up credit card debt to go on a honeymoon. If you plan carefully, you won’t have to. Instead, budget carefully, shop for deals, and be sure to track your budget every time you spend money for your honeymoon. A cruise or an all-inclusive resort provides all your lodging, meals, and entertainment at a fixed price – making it easier to budget your expenditures.
7. Use a honeymoon registry
If money is a concern for your honeymoon, or if you just prefer a memorable honeymoon experience to a kitchen full of duplicate appliances you’ll never use, set up a honeymoon registry. This type of registry will allow your guests to purchase honeymoon upgrades and activities for you as wedding gifts. This can help stretch your honeymoon budget. In addition, many honeymoon registries will allow you to withdraw your gift funds from your registry at any time, so you’ll have money available for bookings well ahead of the wedding.
Caribbean Honeymoon / Honeymoon Pixie
8. Call in person
It’s tempting to do all online bookings, but you can actually get more help and better deals when you call directly to make your bookings. This isn’t as much the case for airline bookings, but it does help when it comes to hotel rooms. Tell the employee you’re speaking with that you’ll be on your honeymoon and you might even get some upgrades or discounts. Speaking with people over the phone means you can ask about details of your trip and destination, rather than trying to find that information on your own.
9. Know which name to book in
For most couples, it’s best to book honeymoon tickets and rooms in the pre-wedding name of both parties. It’s important that your names match your ID. This is particularly true if you’re traveling out of the country, since your airline tickets and hotel room names will need to match the name on your passport, which you won’t be able to have changed until a few weeks or months after your wedding.
10. Check out honeymoon planning timelines
Honeymoon planning timelines can help you know what and when to book for your honeymoon. These timelines are particularly helpful if you’ve never planned a major vacation. Contact HoneymoonPixie.com for a free copy of their detailed honeymoon planning timeline.
Bali Spa / Honeymoon Pixie
About the Author:
Andrew Marino is the CEO of HoneymoonPixie.com, an industry leader in providing honeymoon gift registries for engaged couples. Couples create their free honeymoon registry website and receive honeymoon planning advice and travel tips. Andrew also serves as a contributing Senior Travel Editor.
Disclosure: DIY Bride has a financial relationship with Honeymoon Pixie, meaning we may have received compensation for this content and/or related content. We firmly stand behind our review and recommendation, and are committed to promoting only those companies we feel offer our community excellent products, ethical business practices, and outstanding customer service.
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