a schedule could be nice

It seems as though I have been blogging on Mondays and Thursdays lately.  It's a schedule that has formed naturally, so I am not going to make any promises, but I am going to try and keep this going!

Today's tip is, like most of mine, a little out there. but not really. A friend of mine has been creating some of the most incredible screen printed designs.  From napkins to handbags, she is printing everything! To add a little bit fun, why not do some awesome, patterned napkins at your event?  Or use place mats with your centerpieces.  I am really digging simple designs as opposed to over the top floral arrangements full of roses. Not to mention, we all know how I love a good outdoor wedding!  I have been seeing a lot of pictures of weddings being done in old barns and I am in LOVE with them!! (I promise to share them with ya'll soon!) But the more I think of those incredible barn/outdoor weddings, I can't help but think of fun, linen and cotton accessories! Twiddle+Tweet prints in tons of colors and has her own designs.  You can check out her stuff on etsy (another one of my all time faves for wedding planning!!).  Here is a link to her store:  Twiddle+Tweet

You can use the napkins as table decorations too!  Just put a simple potted plant on it, and you are good go.  Or a really simple vase with a single flower in it, maybe.

We used a lot of galvanized buckets at our beach wedding, and those would look super cute with these custom-made table linens!!

an idea for drinks

Lately, I have been on a real kick for glass stuff.  But really... it's just that I love how glass looks.  Let's be real... not everyone's weddings are at places where glass is a suitable thing - especially with so many brides getting married outside at places like the beach, the park, and even their own backyard!  I came across these awesome drink dispensers at a party recently.  They are from Pottery Barn, and are a little pricey, I wouldn't call them the best bargain ever, but I think they are so worth it.  And sometimes... you just have to the bite the bullet and splurge.  I did some investigating and all of the reviews I read for cheaper acrylic dispensers seemed poor; they leaked, they looked cheaper, they just didn't measure up!  The reviews for these, however, seemed flawless.  They look like real glass, are a little fancier with the silver accents, and no reported any leaking from the spigot.   And they are reusable!! You can buy them for the wedding and then keep using them at your parties as you entertain as "married people."  I would suggest buying a couple of them so you can put different types of drinks in them.  I am purchasing my own set and plan to use them at an upcoming party and serving an alcoholic and non-alcoholic version of everyone's summer favorite - lemonade!

Checking in

Hey everyone!  Just wanted to pop in and see how everyone is doing this week.  Brides, I hope you took a night off and enjoyed Cinco de Mayo!! Not too much is happening in Bargain Bride land, but I am busy out looking for great new ideas of ya'll! A cute trend I have been noticing in wedding pictures lately is a candy bar! If I had had a larger wedding, I definitely would have explored this option.  I instead, took big glass cookie jars and filled them with cookies from my local grocery store that matched my wedding.  But I think what I really like about this candy bar and even the cookies I did was the glass dishes and jars!

You can start collecting awesome glass pieces from places all the time.  You can use a great vase you got flowers in, or visit your local discount stores like Home Goods, Stein Mart, and Marshalls.  I always seem to find great pieces at those places.  Fill them with bright colored treats and it will be an instant hit! And it will look so fun too!!

Welcome back!

Well hello there everyone! Have you missed me? Because I sure have missed ya'll. I took a little hiatus while things were crazy at work and to be honest, because the site was blocked for a while from my office. But never fear, I am here!!

Just wanted to kick this wedding season off with a quick hello. My friends keep telling me all of the great wedding news and I am ecstatic to help my friends! I had such a fun time planning my own wedding, that's how this blog started.

A quick tip before I go, for brides who are having destination weddings, even if it's not to an exotic place, especially when you have guests coming from out of town, make sure you include hotel information with your invitations. I recently received an invite to a wedding that would be out of state for me, and there was no information on where I should be staying! So remember, while everyone should be helping you, you should always try to help your guests too!

Another thing to consider is making welcome baskets or small gifts for your guests to put in their hotel rooms. For my wedding party, I got tourist books from the Outer Banks and included them in their road-trip packs. Each wedding party member got a beach towel, flip flops, tourist books, and snacks for the trip down to NC. Now I am not saying you should go all out for every guest, but maybe consider giving them a little touristy treat for when they arrive. A guide book, a trinket (like a cheesy magnet or something), get fun with it. Head to your local dollar store and see what fun things you can come with!!

photo credit: http://eternalexpressions.net/images/BEACH%20GB.jpg

Being creative and meeting a new bride!

Hey everyone! Sorry I have been MIA lately. Work has been crazy and well... life in general is busy busy!

I am at an awesome event called CreateAThon on Campus! It's a great opportunity for non-profs and students at VCU. This is my third year here and it's one of my favorite things every year!!

While I am here I had the chance to meet a bride to be! And ya'll know how I love that!!! She is doing a very small and casual ceremony at the beach this summer. Beach weddings are my specialty! I can't wait to help her have the wedding of her dreams!

cho cho chobani

I have been obsessed with Chobani yogurt lately. I am trying really hard to get healthy, and this is a little step in the right direction. I know planning a wedding can be super stressful, but make sure you continue to take care of yourself. It's not always about losing weight and getting smaller... it is about being healthy!

If you want a chance to try a sample case of Chobani, check out this give away!

Get organized!

Wow! Wedding season sure is gearing up.... I am working with a bride now who is getting married in June and I just keep telling her, "We have to stay organized."

This post is going out of the event organizers out there... maids of honor, moms, best friends; ya'll know who you are!

Here are some of the best things that helped me stay organized:

1. My amazing matron of honor! She sent me a "To Do" list every week or so with stuff I needed to accomplish that week. Sometimes it was even simple stuff like, "Go get ribbon." But it really helped!!
2. I was spreadsheet happy! I kept everything that needed to be checked off, listed, etc in spreadsheets. It helped keep payments, invites, and lots of stuff organized.
3. A notebook! In the beginning of it all, I kept a notebook with all my ideas. I put magazine tears in it, photos of other weddings, business cards, everything.
4. My "MyAgenda" was a saving grace too! I got mine at The Cordial Cricket, but you can check online and find a retailer near you too. The agenda is made by a company called MomAgenda, and it is super helpful!! I was able to organize all my appointments, to do's, and other work all from the same place. Now, I know in the world of smartphones, some of you may say, "A real agenda book? How old school." And you are totally correct, but it really helps me to write things down so this is perfect for me. I still use a MyAgenda in my everyday life too. (The picture in this post is from the MomAgenda Web site.)
   

I love being organized, so it was fun for me to get everything together. Hope these tips help ya'll out!!

Just remember to breathe and take things one step at a time-- you don't have to get everything done at once. That's the point of it all... to get you to the aisle with the least amount of stress possible.