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5 DIY Ideas for a Wedding Sweetheart Table
During your reception, the sweetheart table is like your little oasis. It’s a place to relax and enjoy your wedding with your new partner in life. So I think it’s nice to make that table really special. One way to do that is to decorate it with handmade or meaningful items.
These are 5 do-it-yourself projects that you can use to make a sweetheart table truly unique.
DIY Vintage Book Table Runner
Give new life to worn book pages with a table runner made using a decorative edging punch. This would also be a wonderful idea for old maps for a travel theme, or classic posters for a movie or rock and roll theme. Actually, the possibilities are endless.
Get the DIY tutorial at Better Homes and Gardens
DIY Lace Stenciled Wrapping Paper Candles
What’s more romantic than candlelight? These candles are wrapped with a DIY paper made by using lace as stencil, for a very modern and graphic look.
Get the DIY tutorial at Eddie Ross
DIY Dinner Plate Chargers
There are so many possibilities for what you can write on these dinner chargers to personalize them for you and your honey. A favorite love poem, or even your vows would make these special. But I think what I love most about the idea is that you can reuse them on your anniversary and relive your wedding day.
Get the DIY tutorial at Everything Fabulous via Enchanted Dream Weddings
DIY Fabric Poppy Flowers
There’s just something really sweet about handmade flowers. I’m a big fan of anything that you can incorporate into your home from your wedding day. And I can see these flowers having a special place in a kitchen or livingroom as a beautiful reminder.
Get the DIY tutorial at JAQS Studio
Hand-drawn Table Runner
Like the hand painted dinner chargers above, there are lots of possibilities for these table runners made with bleach pens. You can do simple patterns that relate to your wedding theme or meaningful words or phrases. While the book table runner has a vintage feeling, this table runner idea has more of a bohemian style.
Get the DIY tutorial at Show, Tell, Share
Read MoreTable Setting Inspiration for Intimate Weddings
Thanksgiving is just a day a way. And in the spirit celebrating a special meal with close family and friends, I wanted to share with you some inspiration for creating your own beautiful tables for small or intimate weddings. With a lower guest count you often can spend more time and energy on making your tablescapes stylish yet cozy. And here are some ideas:
Add Color: Bold colors and color contrasts bring this table to life. When creating tablescapes with rich colors focus on two colors and their variations, and add punches of color. Want a colorful look with muted shades? Incorporate larger pieces, such as the table runner or table linens. {Photo source: Hostess with the Mostess}
Add Glamour: Imagine these tables by candlelight. The best thing about sparkle at a wedding setting is the way it looks when the lighting is dim and moody. {Photo sources: Pinterest via Weddingbee.com, Pinterest}
Add Texture: Texture adds instant interest and will give your table a designer, finished look. Plus layers on layers will look really lush in small spaces. {Photo source first photo and above: Love Notes Blog by Pacific Weddings}
Add a Personal Touch: With fewer guests you really have a chance to do something special for each one. I love this place setting with paper boats and handwritten guest name. When you sit at a table like this, you feel like it was done just for you. How lovely. {Photo source: Bayside Bride}
Add the Unexpected: I love a surprise, don’t you? And your guests will too. These are papercut numbers mounted in an acrylic frame. Simple but very effective. {Photo source: Doubly Happy Too, handmade papercut numbers made by Paper Cut Diecut}
Read More{Guest Post} How To Mix & Match Wedding Themes For A Cohesive Vision
{I’m happy to share with you a guest post from Jessica of Two Wedding Belles who intrigued me with this fascinating wedding: Colonial meets Safari meets Stars Wars. Jessica has some great advice for how to pull off your own wedding mix of themes:}
We had a recent bride and groom, Aileen and Tim, who came to us with a very unique plan for their wedding styling. They wanted to bring together a “Colonial Safari meets Star Wars” theme for their guests. If you’re thinking that these three elements – 1. colonial 2. safari 3. Star Wars – don’t go together, that’s exactly what we were thinking, too.
At least at first.
But once we took the couple’s ideas and executed them on the wedding day, we became believers. Yes, you can have a little bit of Colonial era Philadelphia with funky safari details and a dose of Star Wars nostalgia and still have it all tied together into one sophisticated wedding day affair.
Here are some of the images of Aileen and Tim’s wedding, as documented flawlessly by Nicole Peterson of Girl Photography, that best demonstrate how you can take seemingly unrelated themes, no matter what they may be, and fuse them into a cohesive vision for your own wedding.
1. Your location or venue is an undeniable theme clue for your guests. Your guests will get an idea of at least part of your theme the minute they see your venue. Thinking rustic? Maybe a barn makes sense. Wishing for modern? Then scope out an open loft space. In this couple’s case, they booked a colonial style house tucked away on a quiet street in downtown Philadelphia, complete with a quaint backyard garden. Oh, and booking a Ben Franklin impersonator didn’t hurt in bringing the colonial vibe home.
2. Little touches go a long way…also known as “know when to say when.” Your ceremony and reception don’t need to be overwhelmed by your details. A sprinkling here and there will allow for your guests to see your style without feeling suffocated. Aileen and Tim had safari-inspired animal prints in the flower girls’ outfits, on only selected tables with linens, on the cupcake wrappers, and on the favor/kids’ table. They also chose a safari motif for their ceremony programs.
Not only were the assorted cupcake flavors Star Wars themed, but the tower was also topped with tiny Star Wars figurines. (The Star Wars lunchbox you see in the ceremony photos above was used to hold the rings before the exchange). The stacks of old books and lanterns fit in so well with the colonial style venue and were used both as centerpieces and to fill out the cocktail space where needed. They really used the themes as inspiration for their decor choices, but did so with a scaled back approach.
3. Elements outside of the theme are still okay to use. It’s your wedding, and even if you’ve come up with the best mix of themes you could’ve ever imagined, no one is going to hold you to them from start to finish. Choose to include the things that are most important to you, no matter what. This couple chose to wear traditional wedding attire and make the bride’s bouquet and the groom’s boutonniere, all of which was done outside the confines of their theme but had personal meaning to them.
Have you seen any weddings recently that have successfully tied different themes together? Let us know in the comments. And, thank you Kemba for having me on the blog today! — Jessica, Two Wedding Belles
Cute Cards for the Holidays
Most of the time we are designing new theme and culturally inspired designs for weddings. But this year I wanted to spend some time doing holiday cards, tis the season after all.
We’re offering these handmade holiday cards in our wedding Etsy shop, so you can change the message inside and on the cover if you like. I had a lot of fun making these. So I wanted to share a few of my favorite designs with you.
See more cute holiday card designs on our main Imbue You blog.
Read MoreEdible Elephants for Indian Weddings
Did you ever watch Bob Ross create paintings on the PBS show “Joy of Painting?” I feel like I grew up on that show. One thing Bob Ross loved was “happy little accidents” as he was painting.
Well, this blog feature today is a happy little accident because I was going to feature all sorts of elephant inspiration for Indian weddings …but the elephant desserts looked so good (or maybe I was just hungry) and they stole the spotlight.
Elephants are so iconic in traditional Indian weddings, even providing the groom’s entrance. Desserts can be a way to update, modernize and incorporate elephants in a new way. So enjoy!
Yes, that’s a cake…with eyes. Amazing! This is actually a groom’s cake and it’s beautiful.
{Photo credits: Elephant cupcake toppers (above) by K.O. Rasoi; Elephant cake by Heather Barranco}
With this cake I love how the elephant shape is matched with simpler details that still give it Indian style. It looks like an elephant sari cake and it works.
{Photo credit: The Mad Platters}
These cookies would make the most wonderful favors! And like with the cakes, you can go for more or less realism and really express your personal wedding style.
{Photo credits: Pink elephant cookies by Not Betty Cookies; Detailed elephant cookies by Rosey Sugar Palace}
Even if you are doing a dessert table or cupcake tier instead of a wedding cake, you can have fun with elephants. The 3D beading and the jeweled tone colors on these really make them special.
{Photo credit: Elephant cupcake toppers by K.O. Rasoi}
{Real Palettes} Red, Purple and Gold Wedding Inspiration
Purple is a powerful, beautiful color for weddings. Depending what you pair it with it can be great for any season. And that’s what many of the couples we are working with are doing. Purple, lavender and silver; purple, lavender and gray (I hope to have photos of this last one soon!)
We have been seeing lots of red and gold for our Indian wedding stationery…but today I want to show you purple, red and gold. It’s a lush color combo. Thank you to Tanya and Colin for letting us work on their wedding invitation set.
There’s so much you can do with a purple, gold and red wedding. Here are just some ideas:
Adding gold to any wedding color combo adds instant luxury. So play that up with elegant details: lace, silks, anything luxe. I love the fullness of this reception table design, it reads like old time elegance.
{Photo credits: Wedding reception table via Wedding Wire; Ring by BMJNYC, Ring pillow by Y&E Bridal; Rhinestone bouquet by Hair Bows Wonderworld}
And for all you rockstar brides (you know who you are!), why stop at the details? Sure purple and red hair isn’t classic. But it looks a whole lot of fun, and paired with the right details can still be elegant.
{Photo credits: Hairstyles via allbesthairstyles.com}
Read MoreHow to Match Your Invitation Wording to Your Wedding
As one of the first ways that guests experience your wedding, invitations are important for setting the tone guests should expect. And one of the best ways to do that is through your wording.
In other words, if you want guests to know what type of wedding you are having, it can be literally written on your invitation with your wording.
This is the fifth in a five article series: How to Choose the Right Wedding Invitations for Your Wedding Theme.
1. How to Choose a Wedding Theme That’s Meaningful to You
2. How to Show Your Personality With Your Invitations
3. How to Blend Cultures on Your Wedding Invitations
4. How to Use Your Color Palette on Your Wedding Invitations
5. How to Match Your Invitation Wording to Your Wedding
Invitation Wording: Numbers vs Words
This is the easiest way to communicate how formal or casual your wedding is. For formal weddings, write out the date and time of your wedding. More casual weddings can use numbers instead:
Saturday, the eighth of June
Two thousand thirteen
at five o’clock in the evening
vs
Saturday, June 8, 2013
at 5 p.m.
Invitation Wording: Add a Quote
If you are having a wedding with lots of personal and romantic details, you may want to share some of that feeling by adding a quote or verse to your invitation.
Quotes can tie in with your theme as well. Quotes work especially well for book or storybook weddings. Plus there are poems and novel text to work with many different types of weddings themes.
You can add quotes to your invitation itself or through a wrap or tag around your invitation for an extra special touch.
Invitation Wording: Fun with Your RSVP
When your wedding is fun or nontraditional, you don’t have to be stuck with the ”accepts with pleasure/declines with regret” lines on most RSVPs. You can have more fun with it.
You can even incorporate your wedding theme in the RSVP wording, with theme appropriate wording.
Just make sure that the RSVPs aren’t so clever that guests don’t know if they are saying yes or no, or so elaborate that they have to write an essay to respond.
Some fun ideas:
will celebrate
___in body
___in spirit
M__________
___can’t wait!
___can’t make it
M__________
___deal me in
___I fold
Invitation Wording: Dressing Up or Down
Whether it’s “black tie optional” or “cowboy boots encouraged”, guests really do want to know what to wear.
So even though it may not be the most traditional thing to do, if you have a particular attire for your wedding in mind, let your guests know. They’ll have more fun and you’ll have more fun because everyone will feel more comfortable.
Invitation Wording: No Kids
This issue has been coming up more and more: How do you politely tell your guests to leave their children at home? The most traditional way to do this is to include an inner and outer envelope, with the inner envelope specifically naming who is invited, or “and guest” if the invited person can bring a guest.
However, the inner/outer envelope is not being used by many couples these days. In that case, you can simply add “Adult only” to your invitations. But I prefer adding something like “Reception is an adult-only affair” to the RSVP, where it will most likely be read and understood.
To make it even clearer, some of our couples include a line “We have reserved ____ seats in your honor”, with the number written or printed in. This also keeps a stricter control of your wedding guest list, especially if you feel that some of your guests may bring uninvited guests.
For more information and step by step advice on getting your personality in your invitations, download our free styleguide: 7 Designer Secrets for Meaningful and Memorable Wedding Invitations.
{Photo credits: numbers: wedding booklet invitation: Imbue You Wedding; thisisnthappiness.com; invitation quote: Imbue You Wedding; RSVP via Sparkle & Hay; cowboy boots: Kate McElwee Photography via Niche White; boy in suit: Fine Handmade Clothing}
Written by imbueyouido.com, the blog of Imbue You and Imbue You Wedding. Thanks for reading!
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Kemba and Justin live in a world where wedding invitations, stationery and gifts aren’t boring. They are colorful, fun and romantic, like you. And most importantly, they are infused with your vision and creativity. Won’t you join us? Work with us >
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