Where to Place My Words of Love

For month's I've been hiding the gift that I'll give Mr. S on the wedding day. I'll tell you what it is after the wedding, but to give you a couple of hints, it is photography-related and very popular right now! Since he's a photographer I don't want to mention it and chance him finding it when searching about this "thing" online.

Since the gift has been squared away for so long, I've been stewing over the card that I'll write in to pour my heart out to Mr. S on the morning of our wedding. I love giving him cards and finding just the right one, and he saves them all. In fact, at my bridal shower we played a game where Sister Stiletto had asked him in secret various questions about our relationship, and I was tested to see whether our answers matched. When asked about one of my best qualities in our relationship, Mr. S said how I'm always doing thoughtful things for him, including last summer when I took a 10-day trip to Italy with my family and strategically hid cards all around our apartment for him to find while I was gone.

So...the wedding day card is very important! Am I witty, sappy or sentimental? I've scoped out some favorites from Etsy...

#1

I consider myself Mr. S's biggest fan, especially as he's growing his photography business (I'm so proud of him!!).

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#2
Hmmm....is that the typewriter font we're using throughout the wedding? And, Mr. S and I did meet online...

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#3

I love these oversized postcards, but I don't love that there wouldn't be an envelope to keep my lovey-dovey messages for Mr. S's eyes only.

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#4

How fun would it be to have this card personalized with our names and wedding date? I love it! But, hand cut designs like this don't come cheap...

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#5

This one is sweet....

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#6

I think this one is so fun! I could spread my messages out to each of the five mini cards.

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These cards range anywhere from $4 to $13.00, so I also have to decide just how much I can invest in a card, no matter how fabulously clever/creative/special it may be. Oh, decisions!

So, ladies and gents - do you have a favorite of the 6 listed above, or do you have a link to share of a card that would be just perfect for this extra special love note?

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United...and It Feels So Good?

Mr. S and I met with our minister this weekend to begin discussing the type of ceremony we might like. The next time we meet we'll really get into the details, but this meeting was to get us thinking about what is important to us.

In the car on the way to church, we discussed how we didn't want a unity candle because it didn't really feel like us. Of course, the topic came up later in our meeting, and we shared our feelings about it. Our minister, however, gave us a completely new outlook.

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We had been thinking about the thing and the stuff more than the meaning. Wikipedia states that it "is to symbolize the union of two individuals, becoming one in commitment." Our minister outlined something similar to this, but she also made another great point. When we light the unity candle, it's our time as a couple during the ceremony to have our moment together - amidst the roomful of onlookers - to quietly say special things to one another. I liked that - our time. We're still in debate on doing a first look (he's pro, I'm anti), so maybe this unity candle time can be all our own?

We're definitely now considering making this a part of the ceremony, as we explore other traditions, verses, poems and songs that will make the ceremony special and a part of us. In true Miss Stiletto form, I've scouted some unity candle inspiration on Etsy, although you'd better believe if we choose to do this I'll be diy'ing this project!

Here's some inspiration I found that would fit with our color scheme:

Source: Etsy

Source: Etsy

Source: Etsy

Source: Etsy

What are you incorporating into your ceremony to make it feel special?

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Final Piece of Bridal Bling

I've had my bridal earrings since last fall - I bought them far before I even had a dress, and considered very closely how the dress might compliment them. In my opinion, they're swoonworthy, made from vintage chandelier crystals!

Source: Etsy's Precious Meshes

So, when it came to my wedding necklace, I knew that I wanted to work again with Emily of Precious Meshes. Her attention to detail is amazing and her work is exquisite.

I decided I wanted to do a netted pendant that would look similar to my earrings. While Emily has some other amazing necklaces that would be perfect for the wedding day, they're definitely fancy! And I'm just not the type to throw on fancy necklaces very often...I wanted something that I would have plenty of opportunties to wear again. Since Emily will "net" a stone that you provide her, I went searching.

I found these great chandelier pieces on Etsy from Epoch Beads! I was able to get four of these for $4.

Source: Etsy's Epoch Beads

I sent the crystals over to Emily and since I only needed to use one of them for the necklace (and the other three would just be sitting around my house) I asked Emily if she wanted the other three. She did and in turn gave me free shipping on my necklace!

I was so excited when I got home yesterday and found this little pretty waiting for me!

Source: Etsy's Precious Meshes

Emily added two smaller beads as connectors between the chain and the pendant and I absolutely love it! The necklace is delicate, sparkly and has a vintage quality that will look beautiful with my dress.

Will you be able to wear your jewelry again after the wedding day or is it only for extra fancy occasions?

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Google and Ye Shall Find

Somewhere along the way, flower uncertainty has taken ahold of me. I'm all over the map here. I've seriously considered anemones, but the chances are high that they will not be in season for my Saturday in September. Integrating hypericum berries has stayed on the list, but they're more of an accent than a feature, and probably will be an accent for the bridesmaids, not for moi. I've even gone as far as to contemplate the bouquet stem, as you may remember.

My criteria is this...white. Interesting. Unique. Full of texture. Oh ya, and in season in September, please!

All kidding aside, it's really important to me that I have strong inspiration photos to take along with me when I meet with my florist in a couple of months. I tend to be too much of a people pleaser and get taken down a completely different direction than the one I had really wanted. When someone else gets really excited, I quite often will agree with them...only to end up walking away with something that I don't want. This is how I ended up with bright orange hair upon leaving a salon a few years back. I most definitely don't want the equivalent of "Raggedy Ann hair" when my wedding bouquet is handed over to me.

On searching, I found three flowers that all come in white and fill all of my requirements: ranunculus, hydrangea and dahlias. Through the magic of Google Images, I plugged 'ranunculus, hydrangea and dahlia bouquet' in the search field, and voila! Some great options came my way that were fluffy, white and unique using varied combinations of my desired flowers.

Inspiration #1

This bride's bouquet incorporates dahlias, ranunculus, sweet pea, hyacinth, gardenias, and hydrangeas. Just so you're keepin' up with me, this bouquet apparently has all of my target flowers, plus some! I love how much texture they've managed to get out of all white flowers. I think my florist could do something lovely with these three plus a few other whites, as was done here, to achieve the great texture.

What also really caught my eye was the bridesmaid bouquet to the left of the bride. This is a great way to feature the dahlia, and I could integrate hypericum berries into the bridesmaids' bouquets to get that extra texture and green in there, without being over the top. I love it! No matter what I end up doing for mine, I think this is a strong contender as inspiration for the bridesmaids...I'm not able to budget a lot for their bouquets, so I want to incorporate flowers that whose blooms can really fill some space!

Source: Brides.com

Inspiration #2

This bouquet features carnations, dahlias, ranunculus and spider mums. So two of my picks are featured here, but I could if I wanted to probably recreate this entire bouquet - I believe all of these would be in season in September. I like the textures here, but I'm not a huge fan of spider mums. It also looks like there are roses in the bouquet, but the description didn't say so. Moving on...

Source: Fiftyflowers.com


Inspiration #3

This lovely bouquet includes hydrangea, peonies, roses, ranunculus, tulips and dusty miller. The dusty miller is lovely for an added touch of something special for a winter wedding. Probably not for September, though. What grabbed me was the fullness of this bouquet and how "fluffy" it seems. It's very romantic.

Source: Katie Elfers Inspired Floral Design

So, I think #1 and #3 are probably leading the way for me. I'm really determined right now to work dahlias into the overall scheme because my centerpieces are just going to feature single stems, and I think dahlias would look perfect for this. I also really enjoy these great pom balls I've been seeing around (such as from Etsy Seller Pom Love), which I think are so dahlia-esque.

Source: Etsy

Any favorites out of #1, #2, and #3? Any white September flowers that I haven't thought of (excluding orchids, roses and calla lilies...all great, just not for me)?

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Doggy "I Do"

I won't lie...these days, Stiletto has puppy on the brain. Charlie has been a member of our family for a little over 3 weeks now, and we've been loving every minute of it (despite the draining of our bank accounts, lack of sleep, 5:30am walks...). While we've had cats for a few years, we are such proud pup parents!

Doesn't that face just look so innocent?! Like he would never, ever wake you up at 3am crying? Or chase your beloved (err, somewhat spoiled and overindulged) felines around the house?

We're slowly but surely learning the right things to do to keep Charlie happy and healthy while training him to be an obedient member of the Stiletto family. And in the process, we're learning more about ourselves, being selfless, and how different we often react in stressful situations. Our "parenting styles" are definitely showing their true colors.

However, as much as we love Charlie, I don't know that we'd go quite so far as to welcome him into the wedding ceremony. I mean, no offense to Charlie, but he does have a natural inclination to bark/whine/jump/drool/shed/etc. He's not exactly bred for fancy affairs. But maybe your pooch is. Or you just want some sort of representation of your pooch on the wedding day. With that in mind, I've scouted some great ideas for including your canine in the big day, whether or not you want to actually lead them down the aisle for the festivities.

Remember my fabulous cake topper by Etsy's Goose Grease? No worries. They can also create your pooch for only $10! Cats too! And I think they even do fish. Go on, get your whole family up there on the cake! How cute would this be?!

Source: Etsy

Don't leave your dog out of the fun - make him or her part of the ceremony! This custom collar features a ring pillow so your pooch can trot on down the aisle with rings in tow! Etsy seller The Modern Petshop sells this flowered collar for $50, ring pillow is priced separately. I love the red poppy!

Source: Etsy

Strapped for table numbers? Show off your pup! Etsy seller By Invite Only Design will create 5 x 7 table numbers for $2.75 each with the photo you provide. So cute!

Source: Etsy

Give your friend a modern look with this fashionable tie. For only $8.00 Etsy's Dogties has this chic black dog tie. However, they have a full selection of ties in different colors and patterns. I think this would look smashing on a basset hound!

Source: Etsy

You're picking out a fabulous dress for the day, so why can't she? Etsy's Hatz4brats is selling this custom couture gown for $60. Just promise not to make her go on a doggy diet to fit into it on the big day!

Source: Etsy

There are so many options to incorporating your dogs into the wedding day, and this is a trend that seems to be continuing to grow. We're pampering our pets more and more - from doggy daycare to spas to pricey boutiques. Because we invest so much time and love into our pets, does it then make sense to have them there on the big day?

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Bridesmaid Gifts: Part 2

So, I've already posted about the lovely clutches I'm working on for the bridesmaids. After I started thinking about what little things I wanted to tuck inside of the clutches (beyond their jewelry), my mind immediately went to vintage hankerchiefs. Since the bridesmaids dresses have pockets the girls can easily stash these hankies, to be pulled out **just in case** the tears of happiness start flowing.

I'd started my search on Etsy and was determined to get hankies with mongrams for each girl...which proved to be a rather unsuccessful effort. If you're willing to take the time and acquire these one by one, it's completely possible. If you're antsy like me and want to get it done all at once, you're probably going to wind up empty handed.

Instead, I set my sites on finding 5 different hankies that I felt all went together in some shape or form, but were all different - kind of like my bridesmaids! Each unique in her own way. I came across Etsy seller Kindred Thymes who had a great selection at fabulous prices. And, it's a much better deal overall to buy these from the same seller if possible.

Each and every one of these hankies is sweet and special while also being crisp and snowy white.

Source: Etsy

Source: Etsy

Source: Etsy

Source: Etsy

Source: Etsy

So, last time I posted about bridesmaids gifts I had spent $41.29 for the clutch material, or $8.26 per bridesmaid. I was able to get all 5 hankies for $24.25 (including shipping), so that puts me at a total so far of $65.54 or $13.11 per bridesmaid! Woo hoo!

Please know that I'm not a super frugal or stingy bride because I'm tallying up the costs! I absolutely love giving presents and don't automatically go to the price tag for things. However, multiplying everything by 5 quickly adds up, so I want to make sure I'm keeping tabs on things so I don't let myself get completely out of control! Secondly, it's rewarding knowing that I'm able to put together thoughtful, meaningful presents that aren't about expensive price tags or trendy brand names, but rather reflect my relationship with these ladies and my appreciation that they're a part of my big day!

And, of course...who doesn't love a bargain?! :)

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Bridesmaid Gifts: Part 1

Mr. S and I have done a lot of thinking about groomsmen gifts, but not any buying! We've gone from chucks to ties to beer and highball glasses. We're obviously all over the place!

Fortunately, shopping for the ladies is so much easier. I have all of the pieces in place and have managed to keep the price per bridesmaid pretty reasonable. One thing I wanted to gift each of them was a clutch. However, any clutch I found, multiplied by 5, just didn't seem to fit into the budget. So...I decided that it was much more meaningful for me to make them something that was cute and fun.

I searched Etsy up and down until I came across Keykalou's shop and her simple Envelope Clutch pattern. For only $8.00 I was able to purchase a pattern for an envelope clutch that I could make in two different sizes. Better yet, she emails you a pdf of the pattern, so all you need to do is print it out on your home printer, cut out the pieces and you're ready to go! Simple, simple, simple! The clutch I made was 8.75" x 3.25".

From Lucky Kaeru on Etsy I bought 1.5 yards of Michael Miller's "Dandy Damask" and 1.5 yards of Alexander Henry's "Mod Dot Natural Multi" for a fun pop of color. I had a TON left over after cutting out my pieces for 5 clutches, so I've left myself plenty of room for error! I spent $28.04 (including shipping) for my fabric.

Finally, from Etsy's Vintage Tea I found 5 green vintage buttons in the exact shade of green I was looking for! Only $5.25 (including shipping).

The only other things you need to make this clutch is fusible interfacing (which I already had, but is really cheap) and hair ties that you use to keep the clutch closed. And, of course, I have a million of these laying around.

So, for a grand total of $41.29 (or $8.26 per bridesmaid!) I'm able to make 5 clutches, with enough fabric left over to make one for myself or use the fabric in other places! And, not only is this a bargain, it's personal and was made with tender loving care. It may not be the most well-made purse out there (I'm definitely not a seamstress!) but it works and they'll hopefully think it's special. As you might recall, my girls will be wearing dresses that are a houndstooth print, so I'm not expecting them to necessarily carry these on the day of the wedding - it's just something for them to have.

As for the actual construction of the clutch. I hadn't sewed in a loooong time! My mom had gifted me her old machine a couple of years ago, but it rarely gets brought out. The first clutch I made was with old scrap fabric and was something ugly! The pattern is simple but you just have to pay attention to your seams and making sure they're rounded in the right places. But once I got through that first practice one I was able to make a "real" one with the fabric I bought, which is pictured above! I'm quite proud of it and love the "pop" of the lining fabric...so unexpected!

Of course, this is only one part of the gifts I'm preparing for the bridesmaids...more to come!

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Put a Veil On It

The first veil I ever tried on was around $275. But it was a long, cascading veil, right? Wrong. It only went to my elbows. $275 for a piece of tulle on a comb that barely hits my elbows?! I started to panic at that moment about whether or not I really needed to do this whole getting married thing. Should I be expected to pay so much for something so little just because "wedding" is attached to it?!

Since I'm not the beading/crystal/lace type of bride, I knew that my veil needed to be simple at best, because simple would match my dress perfectly...as well as my personality.

I told my mom that I had found some veils on Etsy that would only run around $30. A deal! Fantastic. She seemed slightly sceptical, but she's not yet smitten with Etsy the way that I am.

And, of course, as I looked through options I was completely overwhelmed with the options, especially the different veils that "cascaded" and were "2 tiered" and this, that and the other. How is a girl to choose?! I flagged a few that I liked and kept on going back to the pictures until I knew I had a favorite. Bella Bridal Veils on Etsy had a simple 1 tier veil with a pencil edge that they would do in diamond white. Best of all, they know how we brides are with decisions, and allow you to return your veil within 10 days if it's not quite right.

Source: Etsy

No, this is not me in the pictures...as I'm not made of plastic.

Source: Etsy

At $24, this is probably one of the best deals I've gotten for my wedding. Since I didn't want all of the bells and whistles that a veil could possibly offer, I couldn't imagine investing much more for something I'd only wear for an hour or two.

I can't wait to have a picture of myself in the dress and the veil (and the shoes, and the jewelry...and the list keeps on going...) and see how it all pulls together!

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Can I Really Let Loose?

To continue with my inability to remain patient and plan for things as my wedding date gets closer, I've been looking at bridal hairstyles. In my defense, there are crystal hair pins that I've been debating buying on Etsy (as I buy as many things in advance as I can), so of course if I'm thinking about hair bling, I must think about hairstyle.

Source: Etsy

I thought I wanted to do something somewhat loose and romantic for my hair. Definitely an "up do" but one that is a little bit lower on my head. I'm very against hooking my veil under my hair, having it fall in a straight line down my neck, so with a low up do it will be easy to hook the veil above my hair, without it being obstrusive.

But as I look at hairstyles, I'm completely drawn to the sleek, and more structured styles, especially the big buns. The more a see loose curls, the less I see myself. I want everything in place! Here are a few of my favorites (courtesy of theknot.com):

Source: theknot.com

Source: theknot.com

Source: theknot.com

I think the first and the last are my favorite, but exact opposites. The first does give a little less structure but is still unique...the last is a fabulous big bun. So not me, but I'm so in love with it! Oh the decisions.

I'm also looking into hair and makeup services for the day-of for me and my maids. I'd love to work with one service for both if possible, but budget is definitely an issue. Keeping myself at $160 max for both would be fabulous!

Does anyone in the Chicago area know anything about Appease? Their prices are pretty reasonable, and also includes a makeup touch up kit for the bride as well as free make up and hair trial for the bride (assuming at least 4 bridesmaids are receiving services). There are only a few reviews out there for them, so if anyone is familiar I'd love some feedback!

I also read a fabulous hint that I had not thought of...if you schedule your hair/makeup trial on the same day as a dress fitting (I don't know that it has to be your last fitting, but that's just me) you can see the full package. Beautiful!

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Let ME Eat Cake...Finally!!

Source: theknot.com

I started contacting Chicago-area bakeries for my wedding cake last September. A whole year ahead of my wedding. I know that this is a definitely faux pas, and that picking your cake need not happen earlier than 6 months before your wedding. But the anticipation of the array of cake flavors and frosting in front of me was too much for me to handle. I also like how on wedding shows, the bakers just sit and sketch the cake so easily, like creating the likeness of a bride's dream cake was just another day at the office. What will they create for me?!

Beyond stuffing my face, there were other reasons I wanted to get in touch with these bakers. For starters, since I'm an avid home baker I've been asked nonstop since my engagement if I was going to make my own cake. Umm, no. I'll take a pass on that one. But I know that I'm expected to have an amazing cake. Which brings me to reason number two for nailing down the cake...budget!

Cakes are so labor intensive anymore. I've worked with fondant and have made very simple cakes. Pastry chefs earn every penny for the amount of work they put into a single cake. But just because it's worth the dollars, it doesn't mean that I can afford it. I have to be strict to my bottom line. My goal is to keep my cake no higher than $700 to feed around 120 people and to be covered in fondant, the black and white damask cake as an inspiration.

I've rounded up my top finds for great pastry chefs that fall within my budget. While there are so many more amazing bakeries in the Chicago-area (Cake Girls, Bleeding Heart Bakery, etc), I know that unfortunately they won't be creating my cake. Here are a few of the frontrunners:

Le Royale Icing
I like the thought of working with Le Royle Icing because they're located in Oak Park, where my wedding and reception will be. While their web site may not be as shiny and new as some of the trendsetters in the city, Margaret Lastick has been making cakes for over 20 years and has had an illustrious career. She quoted me a great price over email but we didn't get into specifics of what it would look like, so I'm really just going on hope that I could afford her.

The Sugar Syndicate
Cathay Rayhill's attention to detail is amazing. Her portfolio speaks for itself, and she's conveniently located on the north side of Chicago not far from where I live, so I could just walk to the tasting, how fabulous. From the pricings I saw in September (which may have gone up) I could probably pull this off for just $100 over budget. Not too shabby.

Sugar Bliss
A cupcake boutique located downtown, these are just too adorable, and at $40/dozen that would put me far under budget. I could go either way on cupcakes, they're really cute but I'd definitely want to do a small cake for cutting. The great thing about cupcakes is that you can easily do a few different flavors...and, well, they're fun!

Amy Beck Cake Design
Amazing! But sadly just a little out of my reach...unless I want a teeny, tiny little cake. That would of course be beautiful, but tiny! Since my budget seems to be expanding minute by minute, padding the cake budget probably won't happen. A girl can dream, though.

Anyone else out there have any suggestions for more modern wedding cakes at a vintage budget? Right now I'm going to probably start with Le Royale Icing as the price seemed to be the best and she's a local Oak Park vendor. I don't think my cake should have to take a trek out of the city if it can instead only travel a few blocks!

Now how am I going to continue holding myself back from that aforementioned cake tasting, you ask?! I've finally settled on a cake topper, thanks to Etsy's Goose Grease. By this time next month I should have my fabulous custom cake topper in my hands and that will lead me to my tasting immediately, mark my words. Oooh, I'm so excited! I have such great plans for those mini-me's!

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Gifts for the Groomsmen & Ushers

What to get for the men in the wedding? The bridesmaids are so easy because it's their jewelry, plus a couple of other assessories/sentimental items. But you can be sentimental with the guys. And with 5 groomsmen and 3 ushers, we definitely need to come up with some manly gifts.

I'm generally opposed to a lot of the more common gifts that are given - most guys just don't wear cufflinks (and get them at every other wedding they're in), if they're not in college there's a good chance they don't regularly fill up a flask, and what guy wants to be carrying around anything bearing my wedding date?

I was really surprised to find that Tiffany's has crystal barware that we can actually afford! Wouldn't paring one of these glasses (depending on the guy's drink of choice) plus a small bottle of their favorite liquor or beer be fun? Although something from Tiffany's would probably be much more appreciated by the ladies than the guys, I assume that in general, unveiling Tiffany's boxes should class up any rehearsal dinner, regardless of the recipients.

Source: Tiffany & Co.
Atlas Beer Mug: $45

Source: Tiffany & Co.
Plaid Double Old-Fashioned Glass: $40

Source: Tiffany & Co.
Plaid Highball Glass: $40

Or, what about this great money clip with their initial? This money clip can be customized with different fonts and is something that any guy could use.

Source: Etsy
Cuftlynx's Custom Initial Mother of Pearl Money Clip: $35

I know I can't always win and assume that the things S and I are choosing for the bridal party are things that they'll love/want to wear again, but that won't stop me from trying my hardest to find the perfect things, right down to every last detail. And if they don't like something, hopefully they'll just keep that to themselves and let me believe I'm an amazing gift giver!

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Ok, I'm selfish

I just blogged about that fabulous Harry Levine black rhinestone clutch on Etsy this morning...and I snatched it up for myself! But at $16 it was too good of a deal for this budgeting bride, and look at the detail:

Source: Etsy

Fortunately, 20th Century Finds has a lot of different clutches and other vintage accessories, all at different price points. I love this white and cream clutch for $60, such sweet details:

Source: Etsy

One more thing knocked off of my list, a million and one to go.

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Spotted on Etsy

I've started pondering what purse I might get for "the day." Part of me feels like it will be a little pointless. I mean, how much will I really be carrying it? And what could I possibly need that I couldn't just have my MOH (and big sis!) carry for me?

A lot of the clutches I look at look, well, bride-y. It's the same quandry I found myself in when I was looking at shoes - I feel like if I'm going to make the investment I should at least be able to use/wear/enjoy the items again if at all possible (I'm sure as the day approaches I'll be fighting tooth and nail for a reason to wear my dress again).

I love this Harry Levine clutch (circa 1950s/60s) from 20th Century Finds on Etsy:

Source: Etsy

For a mere $16.00 (yes, you heard me!) this clutch lends a little bit of sparkle and a whole lot of sophistication. A perfect addition to any black and white wedding. My fingers are itching to hit "purchase" but for now I'll keep it as a favorite and continue to drool...

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Bought it on Etsy

I couldn't get through the day without starting up regular post topics - Bought it on Etsy and Spotted on Etsy posts. Over the past few months, I have fallen head over heals with Etsy.com. It is the planning resource that I think every bride should utilize - with a network of such creative individuals and a wide variety of prices, Etsy falls within everyone's grasp.

My very first purchase on Etsy was last September. I found a pair of earrings that I just had to have, and it didn't matter that my wedding was a year away, or that I didn't even have my dress. I needed these earrings, and the details of my wedding would just have to work around them!

Emily at Precious Meshes does an amazing job on all of her work. You can see the craftsmanship that goes into each piece, and almost every piece she creates is perfectly suited for wedding jewelry, but at the same time doesn't scream wedding.

I wanted something unique and special, while keeping away from pearls (they're lovely, just not for my wedding day). These netted crystal earrings could not be more perfect - they have an amazing presence and yet they're still delicate. They sparkle. And they're made from "vintage faceted glass chandelier crystal." They could be your something old!

Source: Etsy

I was able to take them along when I bought my dress...and yes, the dress did work around my perfect pair of earrings...like they were meant to find each other!

I can't wait to work with Emily in the coming months as she works to create a necklace to pair perfectly with these earrings.

While I may be slightly out of control with my Etsy shopping sprees, one thing is for sure...my wedding will definitely be handmade. And in the meantime, I'll just continue to enjoy the Etsy purchases the mailman leaves for me each and every day.

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Tables for 8...But What to Decorate?

I've agonized for months over what was going to serve as centerpieces at my reception. Not having the budget for overflowing floral centerpieces (or for anything that would qualify as a "floral centerppiece") and on the flipside not wanting to simply plop a candle into a hurricane and call it a day, I've struggled. And planned. And changed my mind.

Of course, I could have used the hurricanes that my reception site actually has on hand. I'm sure they're fine. And I love a good hurricane, they can be simple but you can still dress them up. But that's just far too easy. And who wants things to be too easy leading up to their wedding day? Not this girl.

The primary elements I've wanted on my table from the beginning have been (in no particular order): candlelight, a single flower (floating or otherwise), a green element, a black container/plate/charger of some sort, and possibly a touch of damask.

I was convinced for awhile that I was going to go antiquing and find a variety of ornate black trays of some sort from antique stores. How I was going to come up with 15 of these, I don't really know...I struggled to fine even one.

Fortunately Crate & Barrel exists to save my sanity. Somehow I have managed to find almost every element that I've needed - in budget! - for my centerpieces. At least I'm hoping that's the case, I just ordered the final pieces yesterday.

Source: Crate & Barrel

Crate & Barrel "Dots" candleholder: $.95 each, 1.75 inches high. Perfect little tealight holder and makes the most beautiful design on the table when lit!

Source: Crate & Barrel

Crate & Barrel Tropical Mini Vases: $9.00 for a set of 6 vases (normally $17.70), 5 inches high. Great little vase for a single stem.

Source: Crate & Barrel

Crate & Barrel Black Square Plate: $4.95 each (normally $12.95), 10.75 inch square. Porcelain and with a glossy finish, the reflection from the tea lights should look great on these plates.

For $175 I was able to get enough of each of these items to outfit 15 tables, with candleholders and vases to spare! However, I still have to see how each of these elements work together...that's still to be determined. Hopefully by next week I'll have everything and can piece it all together. I'm not sure if the vases are going to look really cute or super awkward. And I'm not even daring to tell my florist yet that I've changed my mind completely (as we've been going back and forth on possible floating flowers). That's a conversation I'll save for later.

I've been debating using these table squares by Darling Damask on Etsy. Depending on the size, they range from $8-$10 per square, and she gives a discount for bulk orders.

Source: Etsy

I had planned on having white linens, and I don't think the damask squares look that great on white. But on black, they look cute and would at the very least add a little more visual interest to the tables. I priced it out, and if I bought the fabric myself and sewed these, it would be pretty comprable to just having her do it. Decisions, decisions! Thankfully, this one can wait as I have plenty of time before I have to actually finalize my linen choices!

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