Bouquet Ideas

So these are some of the images I found of bouquets. I think I definitely want tulips in the bouquet, but i am not sure if I want anything else to accompany them.

Centerpiece ideas

These are some images of centerpieces. I am not sure if I want tulips or tulips and hydrangeas or candles. Maybe even every other table has flowers and every other has candles. I can't make up my mind. Probably the hardest decision. At least I have plenty of time!

Personal Attendants

So, I was thinking of asking someone to be my personal attendant, but I wasn't even sure what a personal attendant was! So, this is what I found:


Personal Attendants

This special position is somewhat of a mystery. Many people use this position as an honorary title, but it also has many duties. The personal attendant should be a person with wonderful organizational abilities, as well as, the ability to keep to a specific schedule.

They will also be in charge of ensuring the activities run smoothly the morning of the wedding.

Pre-Wedding

• Attend all activities invited to
• Help address invitations
• Learn to bustle the brides train
• Help plan and/or decorate pre-wedding activities (if asked to)
• Prepare an emergency bag for the bride (lipstick, perfume, deodorant, pins, scissors, needles, thread (white, the color of bridesmaids dresses, black for the tuxedos), hair spray, bobby pins, brush, snaps, hooks and eyes, pantyhose and nail polish (clear and colored)

Wedding Day

• Keep the bride on schedule (if you will be with her that day)
• Pin flowers on the guests, parents and party attendants
• Transport the flowers from the church to the reception site
• Transport any items for the attendants from the church to the reception site
• Help decorate the reception hall
• Keep track of the pictures taken by the photographer
• Fix any last minute emergencies
• Assist the ushers with greeting guests as they enter the ceremony site
• Help clean up the reception hall (if service is not provided by the hall)
• Help deliver the gifts

Post Wedding

• Attend the post wedding brunch
• Offer to transport guests to the airport

Sounds like the perfect job for my friend!! I really want him to be a part of my wedding, but wasn't allowed to have a male bridesmaid. This seems like a perfect way to include him.

Invitation and Save the Date Designs

So, here are the final designs for the invitation and save the date. The invitation will be a sage pocket fold and printed on cream paper. The save the date will be a magnet.

Making your own magnets

So, I just found some magnetic paper at Paper Source!!! This means I can make my own Save the Date magnets any size I want!!! Magnetic Paper

Hotel

Got 10 rooms blocked at AmericInn of Wautoma. They would only let me block 10 rooms now. If they fill up they will allow me to block more. Now I just have to work on getting the shuttle set-up. AmericInn mentions a shuttle in their ad, but I must have to call the Wautoma AmericInn directly. If not, we have a card from Life of the Party and it is fairly reasonable.

Wedding Website

We have our own wedding website!!! I am working to get complete info on the site.
Right now we need better pictures of us and Travel and Lodging info. My goal is to have the site fully functional before we send out Save the Dates.

Ferrero Favors

Here is an AWESOME idea for a wedding favor/escort card combination that is both classy, unique and affordable! Take a look at the cost breakdown:

The Chocolate: Locally, I can get them in a pack of 3 for $1 any time of year. That’s 33 cents each. If you buy large packages, it’s even cheaper. And - they are beautifully wrapped right out of the box!

The Tooth Picks: Get good ones, it will still only cost you about $2 for 100 or more!

The Circles: Make it easier for yourself and buy or borrow a large circle punch. Check on eBay, where you can get one for $10-$15 or so. Look for something around 1 1/2 - 2″. Design a simple circle and print out 15/sheet on cardstock, then punch out with your circle punch. Make sure to print two for each name. Use double-sided tape to attached the circles to the picks.

Not into the computer thing? Just punch out plain circles and decorate them with stamps or have the names done in calligraphy (adds to the cost though).

Cost if you buy a punch and print your own: less then 50 cents per favor!

Credit for this find goes to a $10,000 wedding, who stumbled across this awesome idea by a recent Los Angeles bride. Wedding Photographer: Teness Herman.

Candy Buffet

I found a great blog post on setting up a Candy Buffet/Bar:

Candy Buffet Tips

One of the things I am planning to have at our reception is a Candy Buffet - but the cost of all that candy and containers can definitely add up quickly! A candy buffet can be beautiful - but when bride’s try to make a buffet work on a budget, sometimes it just ends up looking a little sad. Here are some ideas to help you create a budget-friendly candy buffet that is as beautiful as these.

1. Find Affordable Containers - Renting containers is one option, though they can be costly as well. For our recpetion, I am collecting glass containers from the thrift shops as I find them. For example, this week I found these two which cost me a total of $2.25 TOGETHER!!! Not bad at all. At an average of $1.50 per container, my total cost for 20 will end up being somewhere around $30.

2. Use other fillers - The biggest mistake I see is wedding buffets that keep the cost low by offering a smaller selection but then the tables look so BLAND:( You can create that same gorgeous, elegant look without having to have a ton of candy if you are creative. Some ideas for things that can add interest to the table:

- Table runners - a white table cloth is great, but adding a table runner or two adds a lot more interest, looks lovely and does not have to cost a fortune. You can rent table runners, or make your own using fabric from the fabric store. (See picture #2)

- Flowers and Flower Petals - Another great way to add interest! You can get great deals on silk rose petals on Ebay and sprinkle them in between the containers. (see picture #1). You can also use silk flowers placed randomly among the jars (see picture #2) or use bouquets of flowers in jars and vases (see picture #1). If your budget does not allow for more flower bouquets - have the jars ready and then place the bridal and bridesmaid bouquets in them just before the reception.

- Pictures - One great idea I came across was to place framed pictures of other weddings (your parents, grandparents, etc) or your engagement pictures among the containers. Not only does this help spread out the buffet for a more full, elegant look - but it also adds a personal touch as well. For frames, head back to the thrift shop for a collection of coordinating frames in silver, brass, white, whatever matches your colors best. Frames could also be added with a menu of the items available, a title (Jake & Jill’s Sweet Shop, etc), a thank you note, a special poem or song, etc.

- Candles - of course, placed in such a way that people can reach the candy without burning themselves or knocking them over.

3. Add extras - Instead of just candy, have other things on the buffet as well. Some common choices include

- The wedding cake

- a chocolate fountain

- a punch bowl or fountain

- cookies, squares, and other dessert items

- fortune cookies

- favor boxes (Generally, the candy buffet replaces the wedding favors, so one idea is to offer small favor boxes to hold the candy rather then bags. These take up a little more space then bags, look really pretty and will encourage guests to be reasonable about the amount of sweets they take. We want them happy - not sick.)

- fruit - if your color scheme allows, add a few bowls of fruit in among the candy for a healthy option as well (green: apples, pears, grapes / red: apples, strawberries, raspberries etc)

- guest book (I have seen this done a few ways. One great idea is to have a pin board behind the table and then offer small notecards and pens on the table so guests can write their wishes to you, and pin them on the board with color coordinating pins.)

- card basket/bowl/box

4. Affordable Candy - the candy is of course, the most expensive aspect of the candy buffet but there are ways to control that cost as well. Here are a few tips:

- Don’t go overboard. If you are using my ideas in section 2 and 3 - your candy buffet does not have to include TONS of candy to look full and elegant. You reasonably need to have enough candy for a small bag full per guest.

- Size Matters - you can put the same amount of candy in a dozen smaller containers rather then into 2 or 3 large containers - but 12 smaller containers LOOKS like more then 2 or 3 large ones do. So, stick to small and medium size containers. Then, place the containers on different levels by places different boxes or books under the table cloth to create risers for some of the containers to sit on. This makes containers easier to reach, and makes the table look fuller.

- Plan ahead - once you have your containers ready, plan which candy will go in each container. Fill larger containers with the less expensive candies, smaller containers for the more expensive containers.

- Buy in bulk - Once you know what types of candy you want, check out different bulk candy suppliers and compare prices.

- COLOR makes a difference - in generally, a candy buffet in coordinated colors looks much more elegant then one that features a hodge podge of random selections. Many bulk suppliers will let you purchase bulk orders of things like jelly beans - all in one color.

PLACES TO FIND BULK CANDY:

www.candywarehouse.com
www.blaircandy.com
www.groovycandies.com
www.sweetnostalgia.com
www.hometownfavorites.com
www.oldtimecandy.com
www.bulkfoods.com

Craft Site

I found an awesome craft site to day!! It's called Save on Crafts. They have almost any craft you can think of at 20-50% Off everyday! I found them searching for bulk vases for centerpieces. Just as an example, they had 6" square glass vases 12/$20.28 and 7 1/2 glass cylinders 12/21.60!!

Great, great prices on anything from vases to dried flowers.

Invitation layouts

Here are some invitations I have mocked-up. Now we just have to pick one!

Farm Photos

Just thought I'd post some photos I took at the farm over the weekend....








Here is my dad with his bees!