Favors, Yay or Nay?

I'm so torn on what we should do for wedding favors, or if we should have them at all.  On one hand it's always fun to get them at a wedding- especially edible favors!  On the hand, does anyone really notice if they are missing?  Or, would it be better to do a charitable donation rather than spend money on a favor?  A few ideas we have had are succulents (in keeping with our rustic theme), coffee in small burlap bags (from the amazing coffee shop we went to in Savannah the day after we got engaged, points for being sentimental?), or DIY s'mores bags (because who doesn't love s'mores!).

Plus it would be a shame to waste these adorable tags I bought! :)

 Future or past brides, help me out!  What have you done, or what are you doing for your wedding?

credit: 1, 2, 3, 4

Rock Candy Wedding Inspiration

This is the most amazing photo to start off a Wednesday morning.

If you have been to Inspired Collective, you will know that I am having a major infatuation with rock candy right now. Fall or spring, rustic or glam, rock candy fits into any category and the uses are literally endless. From thank you's to escort cards and to create hanging installations behind candy tables or in the ceremony space, I literally have so so many ideas up my sleeve.

These colors are so inspirational, aren't they? In case you are looking for a resource for Rock Candy, I got mine from Amazon. I got both assorted colors and all white, and paired one of each (white and colored) for favors.

Credit: Cake, Coffee, Eat me, Rock Candy, Place Cards, Drink

Crafty Wedding Favors

I love it when lovely brides call asking for some advice and ideas for the best favors. This one wanted something simple and inexpensive that is still really cool. I found some simple ideas that are perfect for crafty brides that want to create a statement with their guests.

Credit: Honey, Bags, Matches, CD, CD, Bags, Smores

Ribboned Wall vs. Ribbon Ceiling + Inspired Collective Plans

I am busy these days looking for the perfect details to fill Inspired Collective and make it just dazzle. I have two obsessions at the moment. The first is to create a badass ceiling installment for the shop to everything come together. The second is to pretty up a some wall space and really get the attention of walkers-by. Part of the issue there is that I also have quite a bit of furniture in the shop right now, and though I am trying to sell some pieces off, I do need some of them to stick with me!

So, here is the inspiration. Ribbon Walls. yep, yep! I know, yet again totally late on the chain, but this is the first time I have been able to use this inspiration to my advantage. And I am just dying to do it.

Credit

I could take the time and effort to ribbon the entire ceiling and hang some market lights and things, followed by a big chandelier.

Credit

The second option is obviously to use the ribbon and make a wall. I have a space that I sort of need to do something with and a ribbon wall would be perfecto! Obvi I can't do both though :) Talk about over-kill!

Credit

Credit, Credit

So here is the dilemma....

Ribbon is DAMN EXPENSIVE! So to do either of these two ideas would literally cost hundreds of dollars. :( No fun. So if anyone has any really awesome resources for finding ribbon on the cheap, I am definitely all ears to recommendations. The other option is fabric pieces. But I guess either way I look at it I can expect to be paying out a bit of dough to create the awesomeness that I want for the shop!

Any suggestions, ideas, resources etc. that anyone wants to bestow?

Frames Used In Weddings

Setting up Inspired Collective has turned me onto all sort of awesome new ways to make a wedding even more awesome. I decided long ago that a photo wall was necessary in the new spot so for the past month I have been hitting up garage sales and antique stores in pursuit of a perfect combo of unique frames to fancy up our white wall.

I have seen frames used in weddings plenty of times, but my love grew as I found more and more uses for empty frames and garage sale frames. I have collected quite a few without spending a pretty penny on any of them! It is definitely something can can be done for a fairly good price, and the uses are endless both in a wedding, then at home! (Don't even get me started on photo walls at home....I die for those!)

Visit our brand new website to find out more about Bride Love and our DIY Rental Marketplace.

Obsessing Over :: Watercolor

Watercolors. Oh how I am fully obsessed. Not only does it add color, watercolor has a way of adding yet another wonderful texture to your palette. And this one I'm loving for all you Spring 2012 brides, especially with paper products, but as you can see, there are many ways to add in these elements.

Credits: Tags, Paint, Ribbon, Cake

Dessert Bars + The Awesomeness of Backdrops

A long standing trend is obviously the dessert bar, and these are just killer examples. I love the idea of an epic backdrop like reclaimed wood or brick or even ribbon, oh how I love the ribbon. This is always a great way to display desserts. I hope this is a trend that takes out cakes all together for a fun and fresh way to enjoy many different desserts during the wedding.

Credit: 1, 2, 3, 4

Creative Escort Card Ideas

The thing I love more than anything is getting e-mails from brides. And luckily for me I get over 15 every day. I love hearing about the plans, the design ideas, the questions and of course the woes. I just hope I can help solve some of these problems that are just part of the planning process! I received an e-mail from a girl looking for escort card ideas. Oh escort cards, my utter favorite things along with table numbers. Why? Because if you get those right, you haven't gotten it all right. To put time and attention into something so small is only a representation of what the whole thing is going to turn out to be. Thus the importance of finding the most awesome thing you can.

Here is what I did:

My dad turned this armoire into the perfect escort card holder by adding those letters and the chicken wire. Not to mention, he carted the thing all the way down to Carmel and back up after the wedding. It now sits in our home holding books and records and awaiting the day when it turns into the armoire of the baby bean.

(PS: The keys, kraft paper tags and clothes pins are all for sale.)

So I guess it is no surprise that I love anything with clothes pins. Srsly, I'm obsessed. So these are all super awesome ways to display those awesome escort cards you have. Something as simple as stamping your initials, adding paper or fabric to them, or anything else simple can add a lot to the look.

Here are a few other ideas. The type writer keys are awesome, and even more awesome if you are doing a type writer guest book! And for those mason jars, I would do something extra which would be putting the name on the front then adding a stir stick to the glass with a little stamped number saying what table. Awesome.

Credit: My escort cards, lace, hearts, clothes pins, door, typewriter, mason jars

Etsy Wedding Favorites

I ended up ordering a very few number of things from Etsy for my own wedding, and I just can't believe that! I definitely should have used Etsy as my right hand man (or girl....or site if we are being honest here!) during the planning process. The pricing versus the work it would take to do it all yourself is definitely worth it. I guess that because I have started to add just a few items to my own Etsy shop I started getting really into Etsy as a whole. Here are a few of my wedding favorites that I stumbled across. Enjoy, and shop it up!

Just Married Sign

Bride Hanger

Photo Props

Garter Belt

Wedding Favor

Wooden Sign

{Fab Decor} Coffee Filter Wedding Inspiration

I so was not aware of the possibilities of coffee filters until now. OMG people can be so darn creative with little round papers meant for the amazingness that is coffee. Dying paper is pretty easy. I used water and coffee and an oven. It was time consuming to say the least, but it became practically second nature after a few months. Anywho, this gave me SO many ideas for future decor. This first shoot is totally incredible. I'm loving every piece of it.

I have recently become really obsessed with hanging fixtures, and these poofy ones are even better than I could have pictured. The lamp was made from coffee filters.

I am always loving bouquet alternatives. I guess because I had 7 bridesmaids and wasn't interested in spending hundreds upon hundreds of dollars on bouquets for them. I'm telling you, 7 is A LOT! So these are sup awesome paper bouquets that would look so great with some good looking BMs.

Pastel filters? Ummm yes please. All these are so wonderful and would look so great decorating a ceiling every now and again. I love the take on paper pom poms, different, yet the same. Faves! Anything with clothes pins has my vote.

Source, Source, Source, Source

Lastly and most definitely not least, a dress made entirely of coffee filters! OMG.