Like many people, you might have been dreaming about what your special wedding day will look like ever since you were a child. Maybe you’ve always pictured your wedding in a rustic barn setting with all your family and friends in attendance. Or perhaps your imagined special day was on a beach at sunset, with just your two best friends by your side. That’s the beauty of weddings these days—there’s no wrong way to walk down the aisle. Your wedding can be as traditional or as unique as you want it to be.
Another nice thing about today’s weddings is they don’t need to break the bank. You can add many sweet, personal touches to your wedding and reception yourself to make the events uniquely yours. Here are some fabulous DIY ideas for that special day when you say, “I do.”
Bride’s Bouquet
– Take this opportunity to say more with your bouquets than simply matching the color of the bridesmaid dresses.
– Write a personal message on the ribbons that wrap each bouquet, so that each bridesmaid receives a note especially for her. When the flowers ultimately fade away, the bridesmaids will still have a personal keepsake from you.
– Create a custom non-flower bouquet made from vintage pins and brooches borrowed from the women on both sides of the family.
– Fold your own bouquet using origami flowers. Your bouquet will look delicate and never wilt.
Place Cards
Your reception’s place cards need not resemble business cards or your dentist’s appointment reminder cards. Place cards can be any fun or elegant design, size, and color you like. Consider incorporating photos of each guest on his or her individual place card, or a half-tone image of the wedding couple on the reverse side of each card as a memento for each guest to take home.
Remember, place cards can do more than identify at which tables your guests are seated. They can also communicate information to the wait staff about the diners’ entrée selections or any food allergies. For example, vegetarians might receive a pale green place card when they enter the dining room, while the other guests receive white ones. Or you can let the waiters know which of the children in attendance is expecting a grilled cheese sandwich and French fries instead of the salmon and white asparagus that the grown-ups will enjoy by including a fun decal on the reverse side of their place cards.
Centerpieces
Centerpieces have long been flowers or candles but here’s your chance to add your own personality to each table.
– Create bouquet arrangements of photos that feature the newly married couple. Attach each photo to various lengths of dowel rods and place each photo bouquet in a heavy vase. For an added touch, include fun photos of each table’s guests in the respective photo bouquets. Include access to a Bluetooth-enabled printer and extra dowel rods, so guests can print and add photos from their phones to each bouquet. These bonus photos make fun keepsakes of the wedding for the bride and groom.
– Bring the desserts to the tables by providing various flavors of cupcakes or other bonbons on multi-level tidbit trays. Tidbit trays were all the rage in the 1950s and ‘60s, so retro-loving couples will enjoy incorporating different styles of mismatched vintage trays on each table.
– Prefer something more whimsical? Instead of real flowers, connect with a balloon artist to create centerpieces of flowers made of colorful balloons. This is an especially fun touch if you have a “kids-only” table reserved for your nieces and nephews.
Wedding Favors
Wedding favors are a delightful way to share a memento of your wedding for each guest to take home. Start with mason jars, apothecary jars, or pint-sized milk bottles and add a label to each one with the couple’s names, wedding date, and a message of thanks to your guests for sharing the day with you. Here are some ideas for contents:
– Homemade goodies, such as mini brownies or bite-size cookies
– Hot chocolate mix
– Trail mix
– Jams and jellies
– Specialty popcorn
– Scented candles or melts
– Specialty teas
– Succulent plants
Take-Home Cake Boxes
If you will be having a wedding cake, supply foldable to-go containers, so your guests can enjoy an extra slice of cake after they get home. Personalize each box with a “Thank You” label and message.
Your wedding and reception can be as unique as you are. Be certain to include small touches that help make your big day special.
Author bio: Jeanne Williamson, along with her husband David, launched Evermine in 2000 to help people create a professional look for their homemade products. Today, the Evermine team continues the tradition of helping people create beautiful labels for their small-batch products, as well as unforgettable memories for special occasions. Evermine has expanded to serve businesses as well, helping them look their very best in a timely and affordable manner.