The little details...

One of the best things about a DIY Wedding is all the little details that make your wedding day personal and infused with both the Bride and Groom's personalities. After getting all of the major planning out of the way like where the wedding will take place, who will stand with you, and the vows to say "I Do", you can now start focusing on tying everything together with personal touches. Sometimes this is the most daunting task for Brides so here is a little help to get your creative ideas flowing. Depending on your level of craftiness you can choose one of three options when bringing together all of the details for your DIY Wedding... or a combination of each!


Option #1 The "I only need a little inspiration" Bride

This option is for the DIY Bride who has all the latest gadgets, craft supplies, jars of buttons, rolls of ribbon, and even a stamp or two. You watch t.v, read magazines, and automatically want to create something because you know you can. You will likely be the type of Bride who makes everything yourself (occasionally recruiting a few of your friends by inviting them for snacks and wine, and then surprise... we are making wedding favours!). Been there, done that! So if all you need is a little inspiration, inspiration is what you will get...

Check out these websites:

First of all, you have come to the right place (enter modest plug here ---> Everything Wedding DIY). Feel free to browse this blog for DIY Wedding ideas :)

    



















<--------- DIY Flower Girl Baskets

                                                                          DIY Vintage Brooch Bouquet
                                                              (Click the image to go directly to this How-To)

                                     
                                                                             DIY Natural Boutonnieres
                                                              (Click the image to go directly to this How-To)

  

DIY Ring Pillow from ----> Scrap Material















DIY Bird Cage Veil & Facinator

                                                                            DIY Birdie Cake Topper


Another adorable blog I just happened to stumble upon is this one, full of wedding inspiration! Wedding Obsessed, check out some of the adorable DIY ideas I found on the first 5 pages... I will definately be spending more time on this one scoping out ideas for my sister-in-law's upcoming wedding.

     <--- DIY 
    Vintage 
    Hair Pin

                                                                    DIY Earthy Outdoor ------->
                                                                           Place Settings

                               Handmade Bride and Groom Seat Markers and Dried Flower Place Settings

Here are some other really great websites full of inspiration:
Style Me Pretty
Offbeat Bride
Intimate Weddings

Option #2 The "I'm crafty, but not that crafty" Bride

This option is for the DIY Bride who has some skills such as being able to use a glue gun and some sparkle, and tying a pretty bow or two but when it comes to having all of the supplies you are lacking. Fear not, there are places you can go for this... you don't always have to pick up every crafting tool just to DIY some of your wedding details especially if you don't plan on picking up a fancy paper punch or spool of ribbon again. First of all use the above websites, magazines, and wedding Youtube videos for inspiration, plan out your projects, and then make a list of the items you will need to start creating. There is always somewhere to go where someone else has done half of the work for you, saving you time and in many cases money (since you don't have to go out and buy tools you will never use again).

Check out Simple Paper Indulgences' Shop:

This shop is a great start to begin browsing material to use in your DIY Wedding details. Jo is the shop owner and has a great story to share about how her shop got started...

My example in life were/are my parents and step parent. All three of these people were amazing self made business people, working hard to make ends meet and aiming for being debt free. My mom and dad both immigrated from Holland way back in 1949 when they were 5 years old to meet later in life in western Canada. As a child I saw them start and make a go of their own business all the while having "home" as the priority. After my dad's passing, my mom remarried another wonderful man who had the same values of home and family who also ran his own business. Now as an adult, who home schools our two children, I have a lot of opportunity to find inspiration in the things that have always been important, the preciousness of time and family, and frugal living. Out of that was born my craft, salvaging fine papers from amazing vintage books and other sources, and also finding new sources for paper that still holds a high standard of quality that is not so common in today's mass produced world.

I think what I have to offer the DIY bride is the ability to get some unusual handmade supplies that they can then add their own touches to, or put together in their own creative way. I've sold to many brides and gotten pictures back from them for how they've used my items and their creativity for stunning place cards, table centerpieces, guest favors, invitations and more.

My top 3 item pics,
www.etsy.com/listing/84350580/diy-wedding-supplies-kraft-paper-sticker
www.etsy.com/listing/64620752/personalized-kraft-hang-tags-made-to
www.etsy.com/listing/87512163/25-primary-color-cardstock-die-cuts-tag

Here are some others, just click the image to go straight to the listing:

Here are some other really great shops and sites:
East Coast Bride
SANPEDRO CACTUS
Simply Sassy Source
The Front Porch
Sunshine Shoppe Supply
Cheap Bulk Candles
The Wedding Shoppe
Evergreen Memories
Save-on-Crafts


Option #3 The "I want Handmade but not with these hands" Bride

This option is for the DIY Bride who values the time and effort put into handmade items and the uniqueness of DIY details however does not have a crafty bone in her body. You want a DIY look and a handmade feel however you don't have the time to invest in all of the little details. In that case look no further than Etsy where you can find literally anything when it comes to handmade wedding items. I'm not kidding, try it for yourself...

... want a handmade wedding dress
... want a unique flower girl basket
... want a matching set of ties for your Groom and his Groomsmen
... want a Photobooth sign for a unique wedding backdrop
... want a brooch bouquet but just can't find the time to make one

I could go on forever (really, I can't even count the hours I have spent on Etsy) but try it out yourself!


In the end your wedding day will be better than you can even imagine, all of the little details will come together and in the end you are creating more memories with your life partner that will become one of the sweetest moments you will have together. Its the beginning of your life as a married couple, there will be ups and downs during the wedding planning process and some ups and downs after you get married but never forget, the little details.

Did you remember to invite Aunt Maggie?

So after you have created your vision for the big day and you have planned the venue, menu, colours and guest list it is time to think about, how are we going to let people know we're getting Married!

I come across a great couple who can help you with just that! Travis is the owner of WedInfinity, an Etsy shop that focuses solely on creating wedding stationary for DIY brides. You can't get much more direct than that; Travis and his fiance found the cost to have someone make/print/ship invitations to you was outrageous so they came up with a creative and cost effective way for brides and grooms to get personalized invitations at a fraction of the cost. For even greater savings check them out now because they currently have a one month sale on to celebrate the recent opening of their shop and you can get 15% off your purchase with the coupon code: open15

Here are just a few of their designs that you can personalize as your own 

When you purchase a listing from WedInfinity you get to customize the text, and colour so it is the first glimpse your guests will get in anticipation of the special day. The invitation sets the tone for the wedding day and lets your guests in to see your personality as a couple. After working closely with Travis and his fiance you will have an invitation that is truly your own. There is no risk of the invitations not coming in on time, or getting damaged because you are in control when receiving a high resolution invitation design as an attachment in and email; all you have to do is print as many invitations as you need at your local print shop.

WedInfinity has invitations for save-the-dates, non-traditional weddings, classic style, and even elopements!!

This invitation option is perfect for the DIY bride because this product is printable on anything, and DIY brides can print it anywhere you want! If you want to print it on your own printer for no cost, you can do that.  WedInfinity customizes their products for DIY brides by changing the color to what you want, adding a personal picture, and custom wording sent to Travis and his fiance making the product your own. Since you own the design you bought as a file, you can even edit the design on your own computer to further personalize it or if you need to change the date last minute. Simple, personalized, and DIY!

MDCardsandGifts

And the countdown begins... 13 more days until our big day. So reflecting back on the whole process I can't really say that I would change anything. I grew up in a small town in Ontario and had moved to Nova Scotia 3 years ago, so most everything was done from a distance. It was challenging at times but still enjoyable, it added another level of pressure to the mix which was good for distracting me from the little things that can bog you down. When I decided on my bridesmaids it was an easy choice because it fit with my intimate, non-traditional, DIY/Handmade Wedding. I choose three very close women (young lady included) in my life. For my Maid-of-Honour I chose my cousin who is like an older sister to me, when growing up she was the only female cousin I had. I was a bridesmaid in her wedding in 1999 when I was 14 and we have been close ever since. I even had the honour of being her second daughter's Godmother! For my Bridesmaids I chose my friend of 11 years, and my little sister who is 12 years younger than me! I would have loved to be in Ontario and have a little party with the girls to announce my decision to have them be a part of my special day but due to being 2200 Kilometers away all of my interactions were over the phone. I asked each one of them and they were all excited, my cousin was shocked that I was asking her to be my Maid-of-Honour and thought that I would have wanted to ask one of my "younger" friends.

One of the things I am most excited about the day before the wedding is spending the evening with my girls pampering ourselves (DIY manis, pedis, and facials) and spoiling them with DIY and Handmade gifts! Although I didn't think of including this great idea in their gifts you can certainly tie it in to your bridesmaids' gifts to finish off that handmade look.



Maggie of MDCardsandGifts started her shop as a way to sell sets of handmade cards. Once she made the first set of "Will you be my Bridesmaid" cards, they have taken off. Maggie has a whole section in her shop dedicated to "Wedding/Will You Be My..." and they are the primary items she sells now. What makes them different is that she can customize the colors of the cards to the color of the wedding.












Maggie can also do custom wording, she has done all bridal party cards from "Junior Bridesmaid" to "Reader". MDCardsandGifts sells quantities from 1 card to around 15. Here on her blog Random Occurrences, you can see photos of all her custom work (She adds to this list as she makes more cards). I think these cards add such a personal element to the choices a bride makes on her wedding day, and choosing your bridesmaids is almost as big as choosing your groom!

Check out MDCardsandGifts for ideas for your DIY/Handmade Wedding: www.etsy.com/shop/MDCardsandGifts