Bridesmaid Gifts.

I have never been good at finding gifts for people. I am totally at a loss as to what to get my five bridesmaids as gifts. As if trying to find them the perfect dresses [three of them being overseas] wasn't hard enough. But I want it to be perfect. I want them to feel incredible, and I want to spoil them for being so incredible!

I like that everyone is so unique, so why should you get them all exactly the same gift?

Here are some gift ideas for your beautiful, unique bridesmaids!

earrings, bracelet, tea service, fabric heart necklace, Sense and Sensibility [penguin classics edition], Customised Diary, Headphones.

Macarons VS Cupcakes

Cupcakes -

1, 2 & 3

Is it possible to beat a miniature cake with delicate decorations? Until recently, cupcakes enjoyed an unchallenged reign as most trendy sweet treat.

They can be individually boxed as favors that you can personalize with icing and decorations relating to your theme, or you could create a cupcake bar with multiple flavors. It would be a lot of fun to supply a variety of butter creams and have guests decorate their own dessert!
Check out the divine Cupcake Parlour of Christchurch, Tempt of Wellington and Bella cupcakes of Auckland.

Macarons-

4, 5 & 6

Macarons are huge! Some would say they are the new cupcake. (Although I still love cupcakes best...maybe) Imagine a towering pile of pastel deliciousness on your dessert table. I love the tri- coloured favors pictured above stylishly displayed in the cellophane packaging.
J'amie Les macarons of Christchurch...yes! she's local!!...offers a few ideas on her website.
Her beautiful macarons can be custom coloured and flavored to suit your theme. Alternatively try Macherie of Auckland .

I've made my argument for both of my favorite treats. I'll let you decide for yourself which decadent delight you prefer! L xx

Cupcakes by 1- french kiss 2- babycakes 3- sprinkles Macarons by 4- mark it with g 5- rowel photography  6- bobbette and belle

Carnivale

Oooooh I love the sights and sounds of the fair. The colours, the food, the atmosphere! You couldn't choose a more fun filled theme. Here are some ideas on how to achieve it.

♥ Start with primary colors like red and blue and add brights and candy hues.

♥ I love the idea of a hot dog stand, serving mini hot dogs and snowcones.

♥ How cool would it be to set up games like darts. You set up a board of bright water balloons and have prizes for those who pop them. That should keep them amused while you have your photos done.

♥ Hang lots and lots of colourful bunting flags, ribbons, and streamers like these fabric streamers

Candy sticks,red shoes and sweet tickets,-via hostess with the mostess, Wee girls- Kaiya Eve, girl with balloons and candy apples- the cherry blossom girl, couple with lollipop- wedding paper divas, place cards-,  Popcorn favor- martha stewart, cupcake papers- pink frosting 

Fare thee well, chair covers...

Outdoor Weddings, and alternative locations as we know, are the big thing right now. And though {thankfully} many venues and locations are able to supply you with nice chairs, some fail miserably in this department, and seem to think it is okay to offer a selection of white and green plastic patio chairs as ceremony seating.
Some {not many, but some} Wedding venues can sometimes be rather lenient, and will allow you to hire in chairs from another vendor - some even work in conjunction with hire companies - which allows you to select some more attractive chairs for your guests to be seated on. It is at extra cost, but if you are anything like me, every little detail is important, and you want your wedding to be a stress free as is possible! 

So today, I bring you a board free of chair covers and organza bows.
I know it's been done before, but I can't get enough of it!

Below you will find some great alternatives to school-chairs and faded-plastic patio beasts.

Images; sofa's, assorted chairs, hay bales, hay bales, benches, blankets, assorted chairs

D.I.Y Clutch.

I have made 7 clutches of varying sizes in varying fabrics, in the past two afternoons.

I have pieces of fabric and old clothes, I get bored, and I decide to make something. This time it was simple fold-over clutch purses & trinket bags.
I like to think of myself as a creative person, but am not so sure that I actually have any "mad skillz". I pretty much just make the project up as I go.
Most of them I will probably gift to friends. I'm not sure what I will do with 7 clutches!

The reason I tell you this, is because I think it is an awesome Idea for DIY Brides! How about giving your bridesmaids a little clutch each? Big enough to hold essentials for the day {lip gloss, compact} and she can re-use it for every day, popped in her handbag to keep her makeup together!

As I said, I have no mad skillz, I literally created a rectangle, from two coordinating fabrics, {with interfacing to stiffen them} and took it from there!
I decorated with buttons and lace, and am pretty happy with how they came out.
There are a couple larger ones {which would fit passports and tickets/travel info. Cute way to keep organised when going overseas!} and wee ones {which fit mascara, pens, lipgloss, etc.} and a really tiny, cute one! {perfect for keeping your tampons from spilling all over the place from your handbag!}

Heres a few pictures for you to have a looksie at.
I am rather proud of my achievements!

This clutch is super soft, so that it can roll up to hold pens & a notepad, or whatever tickles your fancy, and ties with a little black ribbon! {see below!}

This one was an old t-shirt which I got hair dye all over. Shame. But it's now a handy travel pouch!

Pretty handy, don't you think?!

And Oh-so easy.

{With my amazing paint skillz}, I have drawn a couple of diagrams for you.

Two pieces of co-ordinating fabric. Mine were about 30cm by 20cm. {If you are making them for bridesmaid gifts, Why not tie them in with the theme for your Wedding?}

And two pieces of fusible interfacing, cut to size.

Iron the interfacing on the wrong side of the fabric.

Pin the two pieces right sides together.

Sew around, leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance, and a 2 inch gap so you can turn the bag right side out. Which, coincidentally is your next step. =]

Turn your bag right side out. 

Fold and iron the gap in on itself, and ladder stitch the hole together. Or you can cheat and machine along the whole edge in a pretty stitch, like a zig-zag or similar.

Decide how far you want to fold the bag. Have a good play around to get the proportions right, you don't want to fold the bottom too far and then have a tiny top that barely folds over.

Once you have decided, iron the folds, and then use a pretty stitch again, to sew the sides together.

Then fold the top over, iron, et voila!

If you like you can decorate it with buttons or bows, or even add lace..... possibilities are endless!

I hope that was easy to follow!

It is pretty straight forward if you have an idea of what you want. Feel free to play around with different ideas,  even round the end with a plate before sewing to make a scalloped top fold!

 Happy sewing!

Adornments.

First of all, Sorry Laura, for dropping the blog on you this week. I feel stink for that, but you provided some wonderful eye candy!
I am back! Slightly better. Bit of a troublesome cough, though.
And I am keen to get back into this blogging malarkey!

As I said the other day, my parents returned from England, and along with the laryngitis and flu, I also received a much better, much prettier gift. It is kind of known within the family that my grandparents are not coming to the Wedding. Which is a shame. My Dad's parents have both passed, and my Mum's parents are at that age where a 28 hour flight will be too much. So my Grandmother sent my Mum back with a set of her Pearls - for my something old.

It is a gorgeous 3 string of pearls, in a champagne/peach colour. SO vintage and SO yummy. I am in love with it!

I hadn't even thought about jewelery until I received the pearls.
Not for myself, nor for my Bridal Party! So I have been browsing the inter-webs, and have found some delectable accessories to share with you!
I find myself once again, in awe of all these creative people on Etsy and Felt, making necklaces and headpieces and earrings, and you name it. Not to mention all the wonderful vintage items for sale. I mean, just look at the 1930's engagement ring.... Shame I've already got one.

1930's engagement ring, pearl cluster necklace, leaf and bird necklace, headband, leaf brooch, freshwater pearl bracelet, polka dot stud earrings.

hair pins, tangerine stud earrings,  bracelet, spoon ring, leaf choker, cameo brooch.

Flower Tips.

I'm pretty sure that the Flowers are the hardest, and most worrying part of any Wedding, and not just for the Bride - Florists have had many panic attacks too!

The biggest problem - from a Florist's point of view, is Brides who have no idea what they want. Florists are there to help and offer advice and ideas, but we can't do all of it for you. We like to have a jumping off point, so coming into the shop and saying "hmm, well.... I like roses." doesn't really give much help, since there are so many varieties and colours.

One of the worst nightmares is a Florist being given no help whatsoever in the theme department and creating a painstakingly time-consuming collection of arrangements, only to find the the occasion being twenty guests in a backyard.

Florists also tend to become the target for Bridezilla meltdowns, yet we, of all people know how important flowers are to a Wedding, and how they ultimately tie the theme together.

We are there to help create the flowers for one of the biggest days of your life. We want to help. But it is hard to when you are having a pre-wedding meltdown.

So here I have compiled a list of what to ask of / bring to a Florist;

Your colour theme.

One of the most important things. Saying "I want Pink" just doesn't cut it. We want to know if it is a dusty pink, a rich pink, a fuscia pink, a baby pink. The more specific you can be, the better.

Paint swatches from Bunnings are FANTASTIC. If you find them in the colours you are having, grab a set for your Florist, so they can match the flowers for you.

Even better, is if you have fabric swatches from bridesmaid dresses, grooms suits, your dress, even Mothers of the Bride and the Groom, if you are having corsages.

via we heart it

Pictures!

If you have a picture in a magazine you can spare {or even copy} of the Wedding or feel you are after, slip a copy in with the swatches. The florist will love you.

Florists need to know what feel you are going for, so that they can cater to your needs with the flowers.

Having a casual, intimate Wedding? You aren't going to need Church decorations, pew-ends and sprays.

Pictures of bouquets help give the florist an idea of what style you would like. Ideally, the florist should have some Wedding Portfolio's, and a collection of Bridal magazines for you to peruse with them. But if you have found a picture of that dream bouquet - bring it along to you consultation.

here

Monies!

Do not demand a quote the first time you walk in to the florist. We need to know details, what arrangements you want, what sizes you want them before we can quote you. Every Wedding is different, and should be priced accordingly.

Not to mention if you have your wedding planned around Big Dates. i.e. Valentines, Mothers Day, Christmas... the week of, and the fortnight before the date, you sadly must anticipate prices to be much higher.

In addition, the Florist shouldn't really be giving you a figure on the first meeting, unless they have a selection of ready priced packages for you to choose from. A good florist will probably have at least two meetings with you.

Flower Freshness?

Flower markets are generally on a Monday, Wednesday, and a Friday. But some florists only go once a week. Ask your florist if they are going to get the flowers fresh for your Wedding.

For a Saturday wedding, A good florist will order ahead, and go on a Friday market to get the ordered flowers, and create the arrangements freshly the day before.

via we heart it

You are in charge.

Don't be afraid to ask for extra flowers. If you want to do some table decorations with loose flowers, plonked lovingly into an old jar, then do just that. Don't pay the florist for something you can do yourself, for free! Ask them for their expertise with the bouquets, but also to order some loose flowers for you to decorate with.

via we heart it

Be honest. Don't tell the florist their work is wonderful, when you are secretly dying inside from the hideousness of the bouquet. Ask them to change it. Tell them where you want it different. The florist is a person too, and accepting a bouquet you don't like and bitching about the florist at the wedding is going to give them a bad rep, when they probably could have done another one better, in no time, and no extra cost.

I hope these tips have helped with any flower woes you may have!

Grandma's Doilies never looked so stylish

Doilies.
Made of paper or Lace, are my current [or at least are this weeks] favourite inspiration.
I love that the obvious white goes with anything, and you could even dye them to match your theme. They bring a splash of elegance and whimsy to the occasion, be it lining the tray of a breakfast in bed, or adorning wedding table table tops, supporting floral arrangements. [plus, your Gran probably has a great stash of them in a cupboard somewhere to save you some bucks.]
So enjoy a little bit of doily inspired goodness below!





dress, adorable doily adorned favour boxes, runner, doily bunting, placenames, doily wrapped favours, invites, clutch bag

Wedding Ceremony Woes

I never realised how stressful wedding planning can be - especially for the bride - until I began to plan my own.

We have decided on a date in late 2011, yet I am determined to be super organised and begin planning things out, gathering ideas and thinking over my options in advance.

One of the biggest worries for me, is the ceremony.

I am atheist, though I was raised CofE, and the Mister is [non practicing] Hindu.

All I grew up knowing was white weddings, marrying in the presence of god etc etc.

But since I don't believe in "God" as such, and Vish is Hindu by faith... how do I go about the ceremony?

Having a non-religious ceremony? Celebrants.co.nz is your one stop shop for celebrants.

Our plan is having to go to India after the wedding, and have a Hindu ceremony in a temple with his family. Which I am very much looking forward to. =]

But the actual location for the ceremony in New Zealand is more the problem.

We are thinking of having the reception in a marquee at my parents house - they have a large garden - but I am not sure the garden is large enough for the ceremony as well, without subjecting the guests to staring at the back of a marquee.

So I have had a search around, and hope that this collection of some the favourite locations I have found, helps local brides with any similar ceremony problems they may be having.

Wilson's Mill Gardens 4.8 hectares of well-established garden, in Ohoka [near Kaiapoi, Christchurch] With a fairly reasonable selection of prices for hire of the venue; $250 for wedding photos, to $2000 for garden Wedding hire.

Information on facilities available for weddings via Christchurch City Council.

Any of the parks, beaches and wharves on the Banks Peninsula are free of charge for Weddings! [Though the council does prefer to be notified of any event scheduled] However, exclusive use is not guaranteed... they are public parks after all.

No fee applies at any of the CCC covered parks and reserves for Photographs only, yet again, booking is preferred [so the council feels involved!]

Other facilities available through the council include Mona Vale Homestead and The Botanical Gardens, which can be booked, but a fee applies for the exclusivity and three hours is the maximum booking in these two locations.

Vineyards [for example Darjon, Rosebank, Tram Road Vineyard] are another popular location for non-religious ceremonies, however I have found alot of them offer packages [which suit some brides] but not a lot of flexibility for people who have reception venues sorted, and just want a beautiful ceremony location.

With that said, it never hurts to talk to the vendor and come to some agreement. You only want to use the venue for a 30 minute ceremony and an hour of photos? They might offer you a discounted rate.

I hope this helps to inspire you for your wedding. Any other ideas or links are welcome! Just comment below, don't be shy!

And here's some inspiration from design sponge to get your creative juices flowing!

DIY Swizzle sticks

Your guests will fall in love with little details at your wedding like these swizzle sticks for their drinks!
All you need for these super sweet swizzles is...
- bamboo or wooden skewers
- cute pattered paper or fabric in your wedding colours
- double sided tape or really strong glue stick

All you do is take your paper/fabric and cut rectangles or diamond shapes to whatever size you prefer, (my rectangles were around 7cm x 3cm). You then need to either stick double sided tape across the back or use your glue stick. Then fold lightly in half and stick the corners together so they line up. Pop the skewer into the fold and press the paper together around it. Cut the skewer to length. Voila!