DIY romantic hair tutorials

A great way to save a lot of money is for you and your maids to do your hair yourselves.
Here's some great, romantic hairstyles that are easy to do yourself, or with a friend. Just practice a bit before hand.
This first one takes just a stretchy headband!
 






This is the one I wore on my wedding day!

Keep in mind that if you DO go the salon route, they will charge you extra simply because it's for a wedding. When I got my hair done for prom, they asked if it was for a prom or wedding when I made my appointment. I later asked my stylist why it mattered, she told me that they charge twice as much for the EXACT SAME hairstyle if it's for a wedding!! Outrageous!

Theme idea: Steampunk wedding (cont...)

An amazing reception set-up! With giant clock faces, lush table cloths, and huge glider model,
set in what I suspect is an old barn or warehouse.

A fantastic vintage gown with contrasting gloves and boots

A simple white dress, with the right additions,
makes this steampunk bride absolutely fabulous!

An alternative bouquet with chains, gears and  other random bits!

Beautiful invites by Royal Steamline Invitations

Handmade, personalized cake topper by Scissormill on Etsy only $18!

Glass ball pocketwatch necklaces on Amazon
great for bridesmaids gifts! $1.69!!

Lace-up boots, the perfect choice for bride or bridesmaids!
 on Amazon $34.88
Available in white, black and brown.

Brown felt top hat on Amazon for only $14.88!
perfect for your groom and his men!

Beautiful wood and nylon parasols on Amazon $9.99
a great accessory for bride or bridesmaid, or decor!

Theme idea: Steampunk wedding

An off-white corset dress, a tiny top hat, and blooms in muted hues set the mood.

The guys get as much attention as the ladies in Steampunk inspired suits!

Divine Hat Designs on Etsy makes this sweet little mini-top hat- only $35
plus they can customize a tiny top hat just for you!

Seamstress by the Sea on Etsy makes these lovely fingerless lace gloves- $12

Corset-story.com has some great steampunk corsets for $85

Edible chocolate gears from Andie's Sweets 
are an affordable way to dress up your cake or cupcakes- $14

Check out this great overview video of a fantastic steampunk wedding!

...Stay tuned for more awesome steamy finds! I just can't get enough of this theme! 

How NOT to dress your bridesmaids!

Here's some helpful hints when choosing your bridesmaids dresses...

1.Matching hats rarely turn out well.

2. Friends don't dress friends like Halloween Barbie.

3. Just say "NO" to metallic fabrics.

4. Choose something that's figure flattering.

5. "Flesh-tone" is not a wedding color...

6....neither is camo.

7.Stripes and patterns rarely turn out well...

Wedding color popularity

Choosing your wedding colors can be complicated.
 For our wedding it was easy since we both have the same favorite color, purple.
 According to the 2011 Wedding Market Insight Report,
 here is a break down of the top primary color themes couples want.

Picking a more common color can make it easy to find
 wedding items in just the right shade...
 Although you may want to choose uncommon colors to stand out.

Some things to consider when choosing your colors:

1. What colors do you love?

  Personally, I never considered not having a purple wedding. 

2. What, if any, theme, style or "feel" are you wanting for your wedding overall?  If you want a vintage feel, hot pink may not be the best choice. If you are like us and want some medieval/ren. faire details, then pastels are probably not going to work. 

3. If you are considering teal, stop. (Unless you have a ton of time and money to waste, and endless patience or a well-paid wedding planner.) There are at least 2 dozen very different shades of teal.  Matching your specific shade in fabric, ribbon, paper and anything else is going to be nearly impossible. Especially if you're looking to save money rather than spend premium $$$.

Shades of purple look great together!

4. Pick one main color. Consider just doing shades of a single color, this will make things easy! 

5. Don't pick too many colors. One color is great. Add one or maybe two accent colors, that's fine, but when you get more than 3 colors it all starts to look random. And unless you are having a Mad-hatter wedding or a rainbow wedding, random is not good.

6. Have a deep red/black wedding in summer, have a lemon-yellow/mint green wedding in December. Don't listen to outdated advice dictating what colors you must choose by the season you day falls on! Pick the colors you want and don't be constrained by traditional "in season" colors. 

Theme idea: Rustic wedding

Lilacs, moss, mushroom , twigs, ferns and potted herbs can all enhance your rustic wedding decor!

Vintage items like suitcases, trunks or other furniture are great for enhancing the feel of your rustic wedding venue.
Simple bouquets convey the theme well.

An easy rustic centerpiece using a glass milk bottle, twigs and  paper roses.

A beautiful twig tiara is a definite MUST
 for a rustic wedding!
This one handmade by ScarletMaiden Designs- check it out here!

Another lovely woodland tiara by ScarletMaiden- here.
She even does custom tiaras!

Themes: Classic Carnival

Check out these inspiration boards for fun ideas for a carnival theme!

 

Now to SHOPPING for the deals!

Get 100 feet of rainbow banner, only $8- HERE!

Rainbow swirl pops, $6/ dozen! HERE

Cupcake stand, only $8!

Put your flower girl in this adorable tutu for only $16! Handmade from Kenzies Treasures

More bridesmaid's dresses!

For matching bridesmaid's dresses, the cheapest way by far is to check out prom dress sites or stores, and not bridal shops! I found some great picks at http://www.dress-queen.com

This dress is only $62 and available in 7 colors and sizes xs-3x
check it out HERE

This purple dress is only $56, and is available in sizes xs-3x
Check it out HERE

Tissue paper pompoms!

Big, fluffy, and dirt cheap! These are the reasons why tissue paper pompoms were the main decoration at my wedding! Pretty easy, too- I used THIS tutorial by Martha Stewart to make mine! We picked up big packs of white tissue paper from our local dollar store, and used fishing wire to hang for that weightless look.
You can buy pre-assembled kits, but it's easy to make your own!

1) Stack ten 20-by-30-inch sheets of tissue. Make 1 1/2-inch-wide accordion folds, creasing with each fold.

2) Fold an 18-inch piece of floral wire in half, and slip over center of folded tissue and twist (or just tie a piece of yarn or string around it). With scissors, trim ends of tissue into rounded or pointy shapes.

3) Separate layers, carefully pulling away from center one layer at a time. (This will take some time! Enlist some detail=oriented friends to help!)

Fluff into a shape you're happy with and  hang from ceiling with fishing wire!

We cut all of ours with pointy ends, but you can choose rounded, also.

Pompoms with round ends

Make them any color you want!

DIY Cake Pops!

Cake pops are super-trendy right now at weddings, and for good reason! They're tasty, and can be decorated to match any color or theme! Check out the tutorial at the bottom of this post to make your own!
Stick them in a flat piece of styrofoam, or place them upside-down on a pretty tray!

You can find a basic cake-pop recipe with step-by-step pictures by clicking HERE!

Also, there is this great video showing exactly what to do-