make :: handkerchief wedding invites

Have you seen these vintage handkerchief turned DIY wedding invites from Bird And Banner? You can see the samples that Bird and Banner made for Grace Bonney of design*sponge for her wedding invitations. To make the wedding even more personalized, many male guests arrived wearing their handkerchief invites as pocket squares. Cute!

You can read more about their wedding at design*sponge and Martha Stewart.

Psstt... Etsy Finds Friday will begin again next week!

wedding ideas :: paint chips

via Martha Stewart

We had a bride and groom use this idea for name cards for their wedding last month at the UBC Boathouse. Their weddings colours were turquoise and red, so she picked up paint chips in different shades of those two colours.

Brillant!

Etsy Finds Friday

Etsy Finds Friday is a speckle of random things that have caught my eye on etsy.com. Great ideas and lots of inspiration for your upcoming wedding or to add a little handmade love to your life.

photo credit go to the respective shops listed below

(From left to right)
Top: Lisa's Retro Style, Minx Shop, Sprout Studio

Middle: MXM Jewelry, Cosas Minimas, Lisa's Retro Style

Bottom: Golden Ponies, The Clasp of Isis

can my next ...

found via bash, please| photo credit: our labor of love

... wedding couple please do this for their bridal entrance? FUN!

wedding ideas :: chilling out

image and tutorial via martha stewart weddings

Looking for a new way to keep your drinks icy cold? Encase them in icy, fruit-filled molds!

Place a full bottle into a fully opened cardboard half-gallon milk carton. Insert flowers or thinly sliced fruit (we've used nasturtiums, lemons, and limes) around the bottle, filling one third of the carton. Pour water into the container, just covering the fruit and flowers. Place the carton upright in the freezer. When the liquid is completely frozen, add another layer of fruit and very cold water, and freeze. Repeat, filling and freezing a third of the carton at a time, which prevents all the fruit and flowers from floating to the top until the water reaches the bottle's neck. Remove from the freezer when it's time to serve the vodka: Cut away the milk carton with a utility knife; wrap a dinner napkin around the bottle's base, and serve the vodka with slices of lemon zest tied in knots.

Etsy Finds Friday

Etsy Finds Friday is a speckle of random things that have caught my eye on etsy.com. Great ideas and lots of inspiration for your upcoming wedding or to add a little handmade love to your life.

photo credit go to the respective shops listed below

(From left to right)
Top: blueberry shoes, MXM Jewelry, Darlingtonia Moccasin Co.

Middle: Whimsy & Spice, Perty.ful.Tings, Heidi Creations

Bottom: Carol Hannah, little pretties, white owl

make :: paper ribbons

(found via Twig & Thistle)

I thought that this would be a cute alternative to a boutainnaire. Follow this simple tutorial to make you own paper ribbons and show your loved ones who's number 1!

wedding ideas :: hatch my house

Maybe it was because I am Chinese, but when Robert and I got married, somehow we ended with 5 rice cookers. Yup. I'm pretty sure one of them was like a 60 cup cooker. 60 cups!?

Hatch My House is a non traditional twist to a very traditional element of any wedding, the gift registry. HMH is a new online gift and down payment registry which is open to anybody with a PayPal account or is willing to register for one. Once you complete the process and pay a $24.95 sign up fee, you have the opportunity to design a house, right down to setting (suburb, beach, city) style (brownstone, colonial) and colour, and invite your family and guests to help you pay for a down payment, home improvements or furniture for your new life together.


Easy peasy. No more awkward questions about how to ask for cash in lieu of bath towels. To register or find out more information, click here.

wedding ideas :: beverage jars

With a few back yard style weddings last summer, I went on a search for the perfect beverage dispenser jars. Nothing says summer like a cold cup of lemonade, iced tea or even a glass of refreshing iced water flavoured with fresh cut fruit like strawberries, orange, lemon and lime. To be honest, it was slim pickings here in Vancouver and there were not that many options that didn't cost a fortune.

Good thing I came across this article by Apartment Therapy rounding up 10 affordable beverage jars and dispensers. Look no further. There's nothing over $70 US here and that one pictured above? It's only $12.99 at KMart. I think some brides may be taking a trip across the border soon!

Etsy Finds Friday

Etsy Finds Friday is a speckle of random things that have caught my eye on etsy.com. Great ideas and lots of inspiration for your upcoming wedding or to add a little handmade love to your life.

photo credit go to the respective shops listed below

(From left to right)
Top: flores del sol, Your Fairy Tale Wedding, Addy's Vintage

Middle: April Hiler Designs, Cosas Minimas, Little Oven

Bottom: Pasaii Paperie, Falcon and Finch, Thread Rare

wed :: inspiration :: tasty delights

Fantastic ideas for a cocktail reception These are images of your favourite food miniaturized!


Finger food makes it easier to eat and allows guests the opportunity to sample different items.


Look at the mini grilled cheese!

nom.. nom... nom...

wed :: inspiration :: table & atmosphere pt2

1) Apples may not be for everybody, but love the idea of the stack.
2) Hydrangeas make great centerpiece flowers, because they come in a range of colours depending on the season. They also are quite large and fill vases well.
3) Single stems in cylinder vases. Simple.



Maybe somebody in the wedding party or family is a sewer? Runners are easy to make and fabric choices can be endless!


The unexpectedness of ferns.


Not exactly a wedding scene, but completely in love with the glassware! Can be easily translated into decor along the aisle or table decor!


photo credit: O Magazine

wed :: inspiration :: table decor

There are many affordable and DIY alternatives to these table decor ideas. Most of the set up does not involve huge floral centerpieces which will help save money and you will notice that most of the details are quite electic. Thrift store hunting anyone?


Mis matched vases all in a similar shade.




Assorted dessert tiers can often be found at thrift stores.


Love the playing card idea!

wed :: inspiration :: candles

Love the use of the thrifted jars!


This is a great alternative to a floral centerpiece.


When using candlebras, make sure that you use drip less candles.


Perfect use for doilies!

Let them eat cake! part 1

Miniature cakes cut out with cookie cutters... decorated with sanding sugar and placed on individual doilies!


I always find the Croquembouche amazing, but never quite know how to eat it. Do you cut it and serve it up? I have only seen it where it is on display and people go up and pick parts off to eat.




Perfect for a garden party!

wed :: inspiration :: random thoughts

I love this! Spell out your initials in sea salt and coarse pepper by using small cookie cutters.


Apparently, the theme today is 'cool idea!' .... enjoy!


Perfect way to display well drinks.


When your high heels just can't go any further, but your feet are still dancing away.

wed :: inspiration :: favours

I was doing a new year clean last week and came across a binder full of magazine clippings of various wedding ideas. Since these have been collected in the last 5 years or so, I'm not sure who to credit, but it looks like most images are from Martha Stewart or In Style Magazine.



I narrowed them down to things that most couples can whip up on a budget and I will share them as fast as I can scan them (which is taking longer than expected as I have no idea how to use the new 4 in 1).



Today's theme is favours.... enjoy!

Michelle & Brian

I can't believe I haven't posted photos of this beautiful couple yet! Michelle and Brian got married last October during the whirlwind between madly crafting for the One of a Kind show and leaving for Europe. You know how sometimes you just click with a couple? Well, CLICK! You know they are going to be fun when we start off a wedding consultation with a rice krispie square for breakfast!


A big congratulations! Thank you so much to Jeanie from Studio Jeanie for these amazing shots.


You can see more of the beautiful couple on Jeanie's blog. Will post more soon!

more Alycia and Chris

We have been so lucky this year to have the opportunity to work with an amazing list of wedding couples and vendors! The best part of this wedding? It was probably a tie between the surprise Polish dancers ....

... and the most awesome choreographed first dance ever!

The Park Ballroom at the Four Seasons

Beautiful sandlewood hand fans for the ladies




Orchid centerpieces with LED uplighting by Proline Trading


A two tiered head table is a perfect fit for a large wedding party

Photo credit: Daniela Ciuffa Photography