HaDO: Masor Jars

Posted by Khris in HADO

Help a DIYer Out is a regular feature where you can ask our community where to find products or resources.

Jessica asked us where she could find that lovely staple of vintage weddings, the mason jar, on the cheap and in bulk.

Hey Khris, I’m looking for 140-ish mason jars for table and stair decor at our reception. I’ve been stalking Craigslist and local 2nd hand stores but can’t find anything in my price range. One vintage reseller in my area was asking $3.00 per jar!! Know of any places I can find them for less than a dollar for a quart size?

 

Sure! The quart size is a little harder to find than the 16 ounce, especially for $1.00 or under but… here ya go!

• Kmart has cases of 12 for $9.99
• ToolDistrict 12 for $9.98
• Ace Hardware 12 for $11.49
• Bell (via Amazon) has 12 for $11.94
• Canning Pantry 12 for $11.99
• Fillmore Container $9.51 per 12 (fancy)
• Fillmore Container $7.09 per 12 (economy)

Dear DIY: It’s Our Wedding. Or Is It?

Posted by Khris in Real Etiquette

Emma, whose wedding is just 5 months away, wrote in seeking advice about a very sticky situation:

My mother is ruining my wedding! She and my father are contributing about 1/3 of our budget which (she thinks) gives her total control over our wedding. She vetoed my first choice of wedding gown. She canceled our invitation order so she could “upgrade”  our invitations with another company SHE liked better. She keeps adding HER friends (some of her former coworkers she hasn’t seen in more than 6 years) to our invite list and “suggests” cuts we make to our list of friends and my fiance’s family. I’ve confronted her. It got ugly. She threatened to pull all of her money. We can’t get married without it. What do we do?

 

Dear Emma,

I’m sorry you’re having problems with your mom. Weddings can sometimes bring out the worst in parents with a whole host of unhealthy behaviors bubbling to the surface. Some moms (and dads) have difficulties letting go of their “baby” and subconsciously do things to try to grasp that last bit of togetherness before their child embarks on creating her own family. Some parents use their child’s weddings to relive their own wedding experiences. Some parents simply have control issues. I’m not sure where your mom fits on the WTF, Mom?! scale but there are some major warning signs going on.

Are you ready for some tough love?

That said you “can’t getting married without [her] help” is a huge red flag. You need only an officiant, marriage certificate, and possibly a blood test to get married.  Did you mean to say that you can’t have the wedding you envisioned without her cash?

Here’s the deal: you CAN get married without her financial help. You’ll need to buck up and revise your plans, budget, and expectations but there’s no law that states you must have a wedding beyond your means and must get outside financial backing.

You have 2 options here:

1. Refuse her money, take back financial (and emotional) control of your wedding, and revise your plans to something within your financial means. There’s NO SHAME in small, intimate, budget weddings especially when you get to do it with dignity. Delay the wedding, save up some cash, and do it 100% your way if need be.

2. Suck it up and try to negotiate with your mom. Have you calmly told her how important these things are to you and your fiance? Have you pointed out – nicely and rationally – that she’s turning your wedding into it being all about her? Sometimes a frank conversation about damaging actions can be a wake-up call.

I know it’s a tough situation for you BUT, as an adult, you need to be able to look out for your own  financial and emotional well-being. Standing up to mom may well be your first act of independence and, really, it sounds like it’s the better option for your sanity and the health of the family you’re creating with your fiance.

Fab Finds Friday: The 11/11/11 Version

Posted by Khris in Fab Finds Friday

Happy Friday!

Today is, of course, 11/11/11. BRIDES is estimating nearly 46,200 weddings will happen this today. That’s 10 times more than a typical Friday in November. Congrats to all of our 11•11•11 couples! It’s also National Metal Day. Rock on.

Beginning next week, DIY Bride will be covering do-it-yourself fashion, beauty (hair and  makeup) and travel/honeymoon as part of our regular features. In our most recent reader survey, 60% of you were DIYing your hair and/or makeup. 90% of you were making all of the travel arrangements for your wedding and/or honeymoon. We’ve got you covered!

TLC is casting for a Four Weddings special. They’re looking for brides who are having a Holiday/Winter themed wedding in the tri-state area. If you’re having a Dec 2011/Jan 2012 wedding and love the show, you may consider auditioning!  Details: http://www.semisweetproductions.com/#!holiday-wedding-special.  Good luck!

Newlymaid.com, the ultra-innovative retailer that lets you trade in used bridesmaids gowns for a fab little black dress, has has re-launched 11 new gowns to upgrade your closet. (Sizes run from 0 – 18.)

Grooms, we’ve got something for you this week! Men’s Wearhouse is currently hosting their Well-Dressed Man Facebook contest where brides have the opportunity to submit a photo of their fiancé looking his best. Facebook users can “like” their favorite entrant and at the close of the contest on November 17, the photo with the most “likes” will win $2,500 to spend at Men’s Wearhouse. https://www.facebook.com/MensWearhouse?sk=app_121110654659706

Steals + Deals: Veteran’s Day Sales

Posted by Khris in Steals + Deals

Hey, Bargain Hunters!

Veteran’s Day Sales of Interest:

• Love Minted? Get $20 off and free shipping on all Minted holiday card orders with code SNOW20SHIP

• Beau-coup fans, from 11/12 – 11/13 Save 10% with a $50 purchase. Use Code POTATOES

• Get an Extra 10-15% off + Free Shipping during the macys.com Veteran’s Day Sale! Use promo code VET15 at checkout. This sale ends Nov.13th.

•  Beauty.com Friends and Family Event – get 20% off your order! November 8th-11th only! [Affiliate Link]

• Benefit Cosmetics is offering: Friends with Benefit! Get 20% off any online order. Enter LOVEYALL at checkout. Excludes holiday products. Valid now through 11/14/11. [Affiliate Link]

• Paper Source is offering  10% off Paper Source paper & envelopes when you buy 10 packs of the same item, in the same color! [AL]

• Shopping for a swell holiday dress? David’s has some beauties. Free Shipping on Regular Priced Party Dresses with code PARTYDRESS! Ends 11/28.

• Kolo has some fantastic web-only offers on their albums. For those of you into scrapbooking or looking to DIY your wedding photo albums, do check out Kolo .Save up to 70% on Kolo Web Special Sale Items! [AL]

Fab Finds Friday: Kickstarter, A New App, Sample Sale

Posted by Khris in Fab Finds Friday

Fab Finds Friday is a weekly showcase of some of the fabulous resources available to the wedding community. Products and resources mentioned in FFF are chosen based on their merit and are never paid endorsements. xoxo.

It’s been too long since the last Fab Finds Friday post, hasn’t it? This week I have a ton of great things to share with you.

Noveena, an iPhone app for planning weddings, was released this week.  It includes a todo list, a checklist, an appointment scheduler, a budget and payment scheduler, a honeymoon and a guest list manager, and a messaging app for brides and other great features. Best part? It’s free at the iTunes App Store.

Love wood type or are a block printing nerd? Me, too! Marshall from Etchpop sent over a link to their Kickstarter project as they attempt to raise funds for their way cool laser-engraved wood printing block service. There are only 26 days to go so hurry over to donate if you’d like to help fund a very cool small business and put a unique product into the hands of crafters.

New York City Brides, mark your calendars. Gabriella New York Bridal Salon  is having a sample sale on Sunday, January 8. All of the sample gowns will be 50-75% off.  This includes gowns from Marchesa, Angel Sanchez, Reem Acra, Amy Kuschel, Matthew Christopher, Ulla Maija and more!