What Makes the Perfect Bridesmaid... Dress?

When planning your wedding day one of the top priorities is finding the perfect bridal gown to set the tone for your wedding day and display your personality and style. There are so many options to choose from including the material, silhouette, cut, neckline, colour, and fine details. Much the same as finding the perfect dress for yourself, there is pressure to find the perfect dress for your bridesmaids, the only difference is you have both your bridesmaids and yourself to find the perfect look for. This can be an overwhelming task when considering you have different body shapes to compliment, varying budgets to consider, and so many styles to choose from. To make things a little easier in your search for what makes the perfect bridesmaid dress I have chosen some styles from SweetyWedding.com which is a very budget friendly online dress shop, that fit with the 2013 Bridesmaid Dress Trends (Just click the images for dress details).

2013 Bridesmaid Dress Trends

Illusion Neckline: This trend has been growing since the Royal Wedding and has expanded it's way into bridesmaid dress trends for 2013. A predominant neckline is paired with a sheer, lace, or even crocheted high neckline to add dimension to this elegant yet sexy 2013 trend. SweetyWedding.com has gorgeous bridesmaid dresses with an illusion neckline that provide this sophisticated elegance at a great price. 

 

Lace: Lace has always had it's place in wedding celebrations however has typically been worn by the bride; this 2013 wedding trend has created an opportunity for bridesmaids to play with fun uses of lace and feel the elegance and romance that lace had brought brides for centuries! Unlike lace bridal dresses, lace bridesmaid dresses are full of colour and funky styles to have fun with... check them out at SweetyWedding.com. 

 

Peplums: Your seeing it on brides and bridesmaids alike, the peplum is a hot trend in the fashion industry this year and has become a hot trend in the 2013 wedding industry as well. Check out the peplum style found on SweetyWedding.com.

One-Shoulder: This year we are finding a lot of bridal trends have been transformed to create the 2013 bridesmaid dress trends seen on the runway. Another common wedding dress trend that created a flattering and modern silhouette for brides is now available for bridesmaids on SweetyWedding.com and it is the one-shoulder style.

 

White or Ivory: It's no longer taboo for the bridesmaids to wear white on a wedding day since the entrance of Pippa Middleton at the Royal Wedding. 2013 bridesmaid dress trends are full of ivory, white, and champagne dresses creating a classic look. In medieval times it was actually customary for bridesmaids to be dressed in white to act as a decoy, preventing the bride-to-be from being captured for her worth as a dowry. SweetyWedding.com has some simple yet classic white hued bridesmaid dresses that can be tied in with wedding colour themes with a solid coloured sash or floral detail.

SweetyWedding.com

They have almost 2000 styles of wedding dresses too!

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.

DIY How-To! Wedding Decor Up-cycled Votives

List of Materials:

Votive Candle Holders and Votive Candles www.cudge.net

Twigs

26 Gage Crafting Wire www.michaels.com

Vintage Book Pages

Lace Scrapbooking Trim www.michaels.com

Fabric Scrapbooking Leaves www.michaels.com

Leftover Metal Outdoor Lanterns

Spray Paint

Glue Gun with Glue Sticks

Strong Craft Glue

Pen

Instructions:

This would be a fun craft to do with your bridesmaids, after you get all of the materials plan a girl’s night in and have everyone help with the decorations. Depending on how many votive candle holders you need you can choose to but them at your local department store or craft store, or if you want to get a good price on bulk you can purchase them at www.cudge.net $35.88 for a set of 72 holders with candles.

For the other items:

Start by collecting some twigs in your backyard.

Go to your local used bookstore and find an old book or poems.

Look in your shed for those metal outdoor lanterns you no longer use.

Last stop head over to Michael's Craft Store or you local craft store and pick up the remaining items, crafting wire (choose whatever colour you like, in this craft brown was used), lace scrapbooking trim (or other trim that matches with your wedding décor), fabric scrapbooking leaves, and your choice of spray paint.

If you don’t already have a glue gun and glue at home you can also pick this up at the craft store.

The following are specific directions for each individual decorated holder:

Twig Holder

Start by trimming the twigs you have collected to the same height as the candle holder. Depending on the size of twig you have you may get about 5 pieces off of each. Once you have them all trimmed lay them out on the table so you can see the variation in thickness, colour, texture, and shape. Plug in your glue gun and when it is ready to go start gluing on the twigs around the outside of the candle holder. Place the twigs as close beside each other as you can get them. Because of the different shapes it will create small cracks where the light will shine through.

Once all of the twigs are glued on set aside and let them cool. Take your 26 gage crafting wire and cut it long enough that it would wrap around the candle holder twice. Cut three more pieces of wire the same length. Take two pieces of wire and twist them together to double the thickness and give it a twisted effect. Repeat this step for the other two pieces of wire you cut.

Take the two pieces of twisted wire and wrap one around the top of the candle holder and one around the bottom. Once tightly wrapped around twist the wire three times together to hold it in place. Take the left over ends and wrap them around a pen to give it a curled effect, do this to all four left over ends.

Place the candle inside and light it. Repeat the steps to make as many of these candles as you would like.

Lace & Leaves Holder

Plug in your glue gun and while waiting for it to get hot, take your lace scrapbooking trim and wrap it around the centre of the candle holder and trim it to size.  Get your fabric scrapbooking leaves ready. Take the cut piece of trim and glue the two ends at the spot where they join. Take your fabric leaves and place a small bead of glue on them and layer them over top of the seam where the trim came together to cover it up. Let the glue cool and Voila!

Place the candle inside and light it. Repeat the steps to make as many of these candles as you would like.

Vintage Book Page Holder

Take your vintage book and tear out (don’t cut with scissors it takes away from the vintage look) the pages of poems you like the best.  Wrap the page around the candle holder to get an idea or how long you need, tear the page a half an inch longer than what you need to cover it (this will give you extra room to glue and overlap the paper). Then tear the top so it will be a half an inch above the candle holder. After the page is fit to size, run a bead of glue along the edge of the paper. Wrap the paper around the holder and glue the two ends together using the half an inch overlap of paper. Hold this together with your fingers until it dries enough that the paper will not pull apart.

Place the candle inside and light it. Repeat the steps to make as many of these candles as you would like.

Recycled Lantern Holder

If you have old outdoor lanterns strung on lights hanging around where they no longer work or some are damaged this is a perfect way to re-use them. Take the lantern off of the string of lights, you may have to cut the wires that attach them all lanterns are different. Clean them off with some warm water and dish soap and set them to dry. Once they are dry take them outside and spray paint them following the directions on the can. Once dry place the lantern cover over top of the candle holder and as simple as that you have up-cycled the lanterns and candle holder.

Place the candle inside and light it. Repeat the steps to make as many of these candles as you would like.

The cost of this project varies depending on how many candles you will have at your wedding but all and all it is pretty inexpensive as a DIY compared to buying pre-made designer candles!