Today’s wedding is one heck of a southern party. Lindsey and Brady were married in the groom’s family church with a reception at the home of Brady’s parents. It’s well known that I’m a sucker for a good backyard wedding, and Lindsey and Brady’s reception looks like too much fun for words. With a vintage country vibe working for their reception, the little touches really make it come together – not to mention I think the “Ladies and Gents” portable bathroom station is one of the coolest ideas I’ve ever seen.

DETAILS

Location: Texas

Photography: Feather and Twine Photography 

Video: Don’t Get Married Without Me!

Caterer: Greg Pearson

Cakes: Baking Sweet Memories

Flowers: Laura Lee

Dress: Pronovias Diamante from Brickhouse Bridal

Makeup Artist: Makeup by Kim Maracchini and Company

Hair Stylist: Jenna Rozell and Pilar Davis

Mens Attire: Al’s Formalwear

Flipbooks: Nightowl Flipbooks

I have been so excited to feature this wedding since Emily from emily g photography submitted it last year. It was accompanied with a lovely email from the bride in which Natalie explained, “The feel and cadence of our wedding was crafted to reflect our mutual appreciation for the beauty and bounty of the Northwest as well as our personal passion in life. I believe that to achieve a truly personal wedding your passions are always the best place to start, as well as the obvious solid partnership with your future spouse.”

I’m big on extolling the virtues of infusing your personality in the details of your wedding, and Natalie truly hit it on the head. If you stay true to yourself and your future husband, you can’t go wrong. Natalie and Kevin did a lot of legwork to select vendors that felt like family, and everything else was created by the couple, their friends, and family – invitations, flowers, and decor. Natalie even made her own dress!

DETAILS

Location: Corbett, OR

Photography: emily g photography

Venue: Bridal Veil Lakes

Event Coordinator: Muse – Weddings and Events

Wedding Bands: Maloy’s Jewelry Workshop

Groom’s Suit: J. Crew

Caterer: Sassafras Catering

Cake Designer: Papa Haydn

Hair Stylist: Katie Reynolds

Musicians: Pete Krebs Trio

Rentals: Peter Corvallis Productions

Weddings that are held at home have a certain charm that you just can’t get anywhere else. Kelly and Rob had a church wedding with their reception at home, and Kelly went all out with their wedding plans. She collected all the details for the centerpieces and created the bouquets, invitations, and cake. She also put together the adorable candy buffet for guest to peruse during the reception.

DETAILS

Location: Virginia

Photography: Amber Reinink, Photographer

For those of you doing the From The Heart Thank You Card on page 48 of The Crafty Countdown book or page 24 of the bookazine, there are some corrections you need to know about:

1. The envelope size is listed as 5″ square. Nope! It should be a 5 1/2″ square envelope. (Resources below.)

2. Some folks are having problems scaling the heart template on copy machines. To help you out (and save some frustration), here’s the template I used in PDF format: http://www.diybride.com/the-crafty-countdown/attachment/heart_thank_you_template_orig/

Some swell places to buy 5 1/2″ square envelopes:

• LCI Paper: http://www.lcipaper.com/55-envelopes.html
• Paper Papers: http://www.paper-papers.com/square-envelopes-5-5-inch.html
• Paper and More: http://www.paperandmore.com/search/search.php?keywords=5+1%2F2%22
• Action Envelope: http://www.actionenvelope.com/ae/control/category/~category_id=SQUARE
• Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Square-Invitation-Envelope-White-5-5/dp/B001BZVAHU
• Envelopper Inc: http://www.envelopperinc.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=ENQ55

I can’t lie, I’m a sucker for a simple photo gallery whether it be of a wedding, engagement shoot, bridal shower, or day-after shoot (really, I love them all). Which is why I’m so taken with the engagement shoot of Tiffany and Tim. While they currently reside in Chicago, they decided to get married in their hometown of Canton in Ohio. For their engagement shoot, they kept it simple with a couple of chalkboards, the backdrop of Canton, and their love for each other.

DETAILS

Location: Canton, OH

Photography: Maui Creative Design and Photography

Dear Bride,

When you asked me to be your bridesmaid, I was flattered you asked me and was genuinely excited to part of this experience with you. It’s one of the most important days of your life and that you chose me to stand with you as witness to this sacred event is an honor. At least it was until the devil of the wedding underworld possessed your soul and erased all sense of reality and compassion from your being.

I hate the world “bridezilla” because (a) it’s a dumb cliche and (b) it does not begin to touch on how horrible you can be around with all this wedding stuff. Someone needs to tell some things about you and your wedding. Think of this as your exorcism.

1. I am excited about your wedding and love hearing about the details but NOT ALL THE FREAKING TIME. Every conversation we have ends up being about your wedding. I realize it’s all-consuming for you to plan such a big, important day that’s still 9 months away. Let me say this: YOUR obsession is not MY obsession. Can we talk about Real Housewives or funny stuff at work or how my mom is doing after her 2nd chemotherapy session? I’m sure figuring out how many cocktail napkins to order or whether registering at Pottery Barn is better than Crate and Barrel is troublesome but I can’t relate. And, honestly, I don’t care. I know that hurts to hear but none of that really matters to me. I want to know if you’re happy (did you get that promotion at work?)  if there’s anything I can help with within my means (more on that later) and to share what’s going on in my life – like we’ve always done up until the day you got engaged.  The minutiae of your wedding planning: yawn. It’s ok to blow off steam and talk about that stuff every once in a while but not EVERY SINGLE CONVERSATION we have during the next 12 months.

2. You did NOT just ask me to color my hair, grow it out, lose some weight, whiten my teeth, get a spray tan, or tone up my arms, did you?!?!  If you want a model or a clothes hanger, get a mannequin and leave me out of it. I’m not an accessory to your color scheme or your bridal outfit, got it? I’m a human being, presumably your friend, please remember that. Don’t ask me to alter my body to be a part of your wedding. You’re an asshole if you do and nothing will change that. Ever.

3. Speaking of clothing, please pick something that’s flattering on all of our bodies. I feel so bad for the plus-size girl you have in our party because she always get screwed in the flattery department.  I’m glad the size 2 girl looks smashing in that pretty little gown you picked and, yes, it’s your dream bridesmaid gown since you saw it 9 days ago on StyleMePretty and it’s the perfect style to compliment your country chic theme, but on the rest of us – the sizes 8/10, 12, 14, and 18 – it’s not a good choice at all. Pick something else.

4. No, $250 plus alterations for a gown I will wear once is not an option. And, hell no, no matter how much you try to convince me I can “totally wear it again like at a New Year’s Eve bash!”, it’s totally not going to happen. You want me to wear a $250+ gown? YOU pay for it.

5. Unless we actually live in Vegas, a bachelorette party in Sin City is also not an option unless YOU pay for it.

6. Listen, being part of your big day is expensive to me. Dress, shoes, accessories, bridal shower, bachelorette party, hair/makeup, day-of stuff equals big bucks on my part. *I* don’t have a $25,000 budget for your wedding. I have my own financial commitments that preclude me spending $1,695 to be a bridesmaid (average cost per WeddingChannel.com) on YOUR big day. $1,695 would totally pay off my credit card plus two car payments. Or rent + utilities + food for an entire month. Think about that. Seriously, very seriously, think about the expense you expect your me to shell out before you start making grandiose plans for MY money. Don’t be pissed when I politely bow out of some activities or expenses because I refuse to go into debt for any part of your wedding. You can call me a bitch if you want as long as you call me a financially responsible one.

7. Let’s talk about the DIY stuff. I’m not a crafter. You know this. You’ve even laughed at me for my non-DIY ways like the time I called over a neighbor to nail in a picture hook because I was too nervous to hammer anything into my wall. So, yeah, when I come over to help with your projects don’t get in a snit because I’m not doing it right. Or if I volunteer to bring drinks and snacks or plates and cups to our “craft party” instead of being on the assembly line. I can stuff a envelope with flair or make a kick ass cosmo and tell great stories but beading/sewing/painting/stamping is not something you really want me to do because I don’t want to do it.

8. And speaking of crafts and expectations: it’s ok to ask me if I want to help and give me options on the things to volunteer for. Demanding or expecting me to create your whole freaking wedding with you is way out of line. I’m not free labor to be summoned at your will. My free time is precious to me and I don’t want to give up a whole weekend working on your wedding projects. I really don’t. I will, however, devote a few hours every now and then when it’s convenient for me to give you a hand because I love ya and truly want to be helpful. Another thing: give your helpers credit. I’m seeing too much of this “oggle my totally handmade wedding” B.S. that doesn’t mention 99.9% of the stuff was made by the bride’s friends and family.

9. Crafts and expectations, part deux: get your shit together ahead of time. Your inability to plan ahead should not equal panic on my part. Order your supplies, get the instructions in hand, and know well ahead of time how long a project requires to finish before it comes down to the wire. I’m never, ever going to stay up until 2:00 am on the day of the wedding assembling programs with you because, OMG guys!, you realized at 8pm that you forgot to pick up the pages at the printers and they closed at 6pm so you had to run to Office Max to get a new home printer and, wouldn’t ya know, you don’t have the right print driver for your laptop so it’s 11 pm by the time you’re done printing and we can start assembling. /rant

10. Don’t forget to have fun and be in love. I’ve been watching you torture yourself (and those around you) with the stress of putting on The Greatest Wedding on Earth for the last few months and you’re unbearable to be around. It’s not just incessant wedding talk, it’s the snarkiness, the constant indecision, the forgetfulness, the financial strain, the pressure on your awesome independent guy to turn into a male clone of you, the neglecting of your other relationships and the things you once enjoyed being replaced with this fantasy day you’re obsessed with. I miss you and want you back with sanity intact. Come back soon.

The wedding of Jessica and Will not only showcases one fabulous color palette (green and tangerine orange!), but one gorgeous venue and creative guest book. They were married at the Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum which made for phenomenal photos, and smiles abounded. For their guest book, everyone wrote on squares of fabric which were gathered into a large quilt for the couple after the wedding.

DETAILS

Location: Knoxville, TN

Photography: Alex Bee Photo

Venue: Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum

Cake: Yummy Cakes

Rachel and Brandon created their DIY wedding for under $1,000

Rick and Sarah give great advice about having the wedding that YOU want. 

Our DIY downloads section is back!

Linnea and William went warm and vintage for their nuptials. 

Linnea and William wanted to focus on creating a warm and inviting atmosphere for their wedding, and the attention they paid to the handmade touches is evident. The flower arrangements were DIY, and Linnea collected lace to cover the vintage tablecloths. Their photographer said the excitement of the day was catching, and looking at the gallery photos, one cannot help but smile along with them.

DETAILS

Location: Charlottesville, VA

Photography: Elisa B. Photography

Venue: Colonnade Club

Dress: Bella Rosa Bridal

Caterer: Glorious Foods

Cake: Chandlers Bakery

DJ: Blast Method Entertainment

The downloads section is back online! Thanks for your patience while we cleared out some old stuff. The direct url is: http://www.diybride.com/free-downloads/