Every so often we get a submission to Real Weddings from the couples themselves, and with Mariana and Bob’s wedding, I really don’t think anyone explains their day better than them. So, in the words of Mariana,

“Bob and I spent a long time talking about why it was important to get married. We knew a long time ago that we were committed to each other; it didn’t seem necessary to have a wedding for us to know that. . . We decided that the wedding was really about community – sharing our relationship and our commitment with our family and friends. This may not be an earth-shattering revelation, but it really changed the way we approached the wedding. The pressure was not on to make the day the most important day in our lives, but, instead, we tried to make it a time to tell the story of us to our loved ones and to give them a really fun time.

We had the wedding at UCLA, where we are both social psychologists and where we first met. For our decorations, we brought in the help of a wonderfully artistic friend who designed all the printables (invitations, placecards, our guestbook tree, the table numbers). We also designed and made our own centerpieces out of paper flowers (made with the help of my grandmother). The photographer was a friend of mine I’ve known since I was 11 years old. It was important to us that there was something of us in every part of the wedding. We didn’t want a beautiful but generic event but something that was deeply personal in every facet.

However, I think the most unique part of our wedding was the ceremony. We had a mutual friend, Greg, act as the emcee. He interviewed us beforehand and wrote a beautiful introduction for us. He first talked about how we first met. Then, I walked into the ceremony with my parents. Greg then talked a little bit about me and my family. Then, Bob walked in with his dad and our dog, Cooper. Greg then talked about Bob and his family. Then we sat down and Greg introduced the question that framed our ceremony: “why get married?” We then had people talk about three perspectives on the question that are personally relevant to us: a psychological perspective (given by a world-renowned and delightfully funny relationship psychologist named Ben Karney), a Jewish perspective (given by our friend and another psychologist), and a Catholic perspective (given by my grandmother and cousin). Once they had given their perspectives, we would give our own perspectives on the question in the form of our vows to each other. However, Greg had a surprise for me – he sang a song entitled, “Marry Me, Mari” in which he tried to convince me to marry him instead of Bob. The song was pre-approved by Bob, and it was wonderful and hilarious.

The wedding was wonderful – it was so much fun, relaxed, casual in a lot of ways, yet so deeply meaningful. We had several people come up to us and say that it was the best, most personal wedding they’d ever been to. That meant a lot – we had achieved our goal.”

DETAILS

Location: Covell Commons at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA

Catering: Covell Commons at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA

Photographer: Michael Santini

DJ: Dub Gypsy

Dress: Moni Rose

Cake: A Sweet Design

Cake Toppers: Itty Bitty Wood Shoppe

Jewelry: Limon Bijoux

DETAILS

Location: Bowling Green, KY

Photographer: Joshua McCoy from Joshua McCoy Photography

Event Planner: Leona Morelock from Lasting Impressions

Venue: Brickyard Cafe

Jennifer and Jeffrey were married in an all-inclusive venue in Georgia that provided catering and floral in addition to the venue for both ceremony and reception. All the remaining beach-themed details were crafted by the bride herself, including a rather fabulous photo booth, signage for the tables, the candy buffet, and the Mr. and Mrs. signs for their chairs.

DETAILS

Location: Norcross, GA

Photographer: Jenny Evelyn Prater of Jenny Evelyn Photo

Venue: Flint Hill Manor

DJ: Black Tie Events

Two words: pinwheels and croquet. This wedding is so whimsical and bright, it makes my little heart go pitter-pat. Kristin and Andrew’s bridesmaids carried pinwheels that were DIY’d, as was the marriage arbor. They also had cornhole and croquet lawn games to play after the ceremony, and turned an old barn into their reception site.

DETAILS

Location: Ohio

Photographer: Jenna Davis of Jenna Davis Photography

Venue: Private Residence

Caterer: Vonderhaar’s Catering

Makeup: Penny Curtis of BRIDEface

Hair: Benzie Salon

Floral Designer: Katie Elfers of Inspired Floral Design

Event Coordinator: Jen Pritchard of Your Wedding by Jen

Details

Location: Avon, Indiana

Venue: Avon Gardens

Photographer: Lemongrass Photography

Happy Friday, everybody! We’re going to kick off the weekend with this wonderful wedding from New Jersey. I’ve been buggered down with the flu and an ear infection all week, and this wedding totally turned my sick frown upside down – how can this couple’s joy not jump off the screen and grab you?!

Nicole and Jared were married in a very traditional church ceremony before kicking off their decidedly untraditional Hollywood-glam reception. For their entrance, they made a big splash by appearing through the red velvet curtains of the club’s stage. Nicole’s crafty touches extended to the place settings and favors, which she designed herself, and the photo booth with the Hollywood style props was a big hit!

Details

Location: New Jersey

Photographer: George Koroneos at GLK Creative

With the upcoming changes to the site, DIY Bride will be launching a vendor directory. If you have a wedding or wedding-craft related business, we invite you to apply for a spot. The vendor directory listings are paid placements; however, we do offer a variety of options to fit most budgets. We love small, independent businesses!

For more information, please contact us (below) for the scoop.

All the best,

The DIY Bride Team

[contact-form 3 "vendor directory"]

I know it’s been terribly quiet around here lately and I wanted to give you an update.

There is much work going on behind the scenes at DIY Bride! In the coming weeks there will be some fundamental changes in how DIYBride operates. Our goal is to put more resources in your hands and to grow our offerings to better help you create the wedding of your dreams.

The new emphasis of DIYBride.com is on a community-based learning environment where you’ll be able to take online classes, attend workshops and seminars, and better connect with other couples, crafters, and wedding professionals. Our first classes will be:

• Invitations 101
• Intro to Printmaking
• Beaded  Jewelry

DIYBride’s blog is being revamped into more of an online magazine format so that we can present projects and planning information in the context of how they’d work in a real wedding. For example: instead of just giving you, say, a favor project, we’ll be presenting a whole theme around that favor idea. We’ll give you a collection of projects and advice with templates, how-to instructions, and other crafty wedding goodness each month that are related to a central theme or idea.

The downloads area will return. We’re adding a shop and classified ads area along with a vendor directory, video tutorials, and other nifty features to be announced soon.

This is the vision I’ve had of DIY Bride for many, many years now. My first real business plan for DIY in 2006 had many of the above elements but, for reasons too numerous to list, didn’t manifest until now. It’s exciting to see some of it finally coming to life and in ways that are much better than I had originally envisioned. The launch date is January 10.
Thanks for your continued support and patience while I continue chugging along with the coding and testing of the new site.

The 124 page bookazine details:

The perfect companion for every wedding day. Planning a wedding is an intensely personal experience. DIY Bride shows today’s brides how to make their Big Day really theirs — a true expression of their personality … and truly unforgettable. It’s the must-have guide for making any wedding stand out.

Something for every crafting skill level and budget. This special issue shows brides of all crafting abilities how to make unique, inexpensive, and fun projects with the kind of custom touches that make guests notice — and remember.

Save the Dates to the Big Day — all with a personal stamp. From homemade engagement announcements to one-of-a-kind place cards and memorable favors, it’s packed with projects any bride can easily adapt to her own personal style.

Easy-to-follow steps from start to … all the way down the aisle. With simple, step-by-step instructions and inspiring photographs, DIY Bride helps brides create elegant projects with their own distinctive touch to make their dream wedding come true.

Hey DIYers,

DIYBride site will go quiet this holiday weekend while I finish up the final stages of the new site. During my absence I’m opening a contest to give away copies of both of my DIY Bride books.  All you have to do is leave a comment on this post (1 comment per person, please) and you’re entered. Even better? For each comment/entry, I’ll donate a can or box of food to my local Second Harvest food bank.

Details:

• Leave 1 comment in response to this post from 11/24 through 11/30 to enter.
• On 12/01, I’ll select 2 winners using a random number generator. Each winner will recieve copies of both of my books.
• For each entry received, I’ll donate 1 unit (can, bag, box) of food to my local (San Jose, CA) Second Harvest Food Bank.
• 1 entry per person
• Open to all!

Happy Thanksgiving!