sweetest templates

Find all of these lovely printed details over at Martha Stewart Weddings in the DIY section. Simply download, customize the templates and you're good to go. I love the lace backdrop for photos. And those cupcake towers are so sweet!

picnic in the park

Adorable DIY idea for a picnic-in-the-park reception or rehersal lunch/dinner. This would also be a lovely way to welcome out of town guests when they arrive. Details here at Projcet Wedding.

diy reception trays

Fabulous DIY idea from The Knot blog. Line trays with fun paper for the servers to carry during cocktail hour or for glasses of wine on the bar. These were done with wrapping paper and there are a zillion fun scrapbooking papers out there too. So cute!

paper lace garland

The sweetest DIY project! Wouldn't this be lovely for a bridal shower?? (from the uber-creative Livy from the lovely blog A Field Journal - how-to here)

cheerful diy

These bright and fun DIY centerpieces brought a bit of much needed cheer to my day. (We are in the middle of a major kitchen renovation and I am so sick of dust and dirt!). Run cans under hot water to remove labels then soak a block of florist foam in water for each can. I think these look best like those shown with just one flower clustered in each can but do your own thing! So charming. (photo: brides magazine u.k.)

diy seedling kit favors

Super cute DIY seedling favor pots from incredibly talented Livy at A Field Journal. She contributed this project to the Project Wedding site and you can find the link for the tutorial here.

diy linen flower facinator

Sarah over at the fabulous blog Classic Bride asked me to contribute a little project for her DIY week feature and the result was this pretty little comb. Linen flowers, glass pearls and a bit of tulle and so simple to make. Pop by Classic Bride for the how-to.

julie + todd

This couple used wonderful nature-inspired details in their NY wedding. Much of it was DIY done by the bride and her friends and you can see step-by-step details on lots of the projects on the couple's blog. They even had customized postage stamps made at zazzle.com. Adorable! (found this link on the one of my favorite wedding blogs Classic Bride)

diy monday

I found this absolutely brilliant favor idea over at Style Me Pretty and just had to share it here. These coasters are made with inexpensive ceramic tiles from Home Depot or Lowes and then fun papers are decoupaged to the top. They are a bargain at only about $1 to make a set of 4 and what a fun, crafty project for a Saturday afternoon with your bridesmaids! (find all of the how-to details here)

diy monday

We can't all wisk our friends off to a chateau in Provence for the big day but this wedding styled by Colin Cowie has some great diy ideas for us commoners. The aisle runner is a length of kraft paper that is scattered with green leaves and some spray painted copper. A great idea for a casual or beach wedding and you could scatter any number of things along it. Wild flowers, colorful paper- punched rounds in different colors or line the sides with beach rocks. White kraft paper would work too. And way less expensive than a fabric runner.

Another idea here that I love is using a tree to hold seating assignments for your guests. They used a specimen olive tree but you could use a potted tree or even bare branches in an urn for a spare, modernist look. I love the mood loads of candles create too. Buy glass votives at IKEA (or ask your florist to buy them wholesale for you) and piles of candles and put them everywhere!

(photos: colin cowie)

diy favor bags

Vane over at the Brooklyn Bride blog has put together a video tutorial for how to make these darling little favor bags. There is so much amazing fabric out there these days (Amy Butler rocks!) and this is a fun way to add a charming and eco-friendly touch to your day.

racetrack romance

Photos from Theresa and Jon's insanely charming wedding. The details all relate to the racetrack history of the Sarasota Springs' NY town where they held the wedding. The details I love most are the colorful lanterns hanging in the reception tent (inexpensive decor!) and that they chose to forgo the traditional wedding cake instead having a dessert table full of goodies from a local bakery. The bride is so lovely in her tea-length gown and don't get me started on those adorable flower girls!

(photos: Martha Stewart Weddings)

handcrafted shower

This charming bridal shower is from an older Snippet & Ink posting I found. The bride is jewelry designer Laurel Denise, a southern girl transplanted to NY city and her bridesmaids wanted to bring a bit of country to the shower to honer her roots. Everything was handmade by the them and it made the day so lovely and personal.