Inspiration Board #18: A Spot of Bling

I've never been the type of girl to be into sparkly things, but when I ended up wearing a dress that not only had rhinestone clips on it, but also had a million sequin rounds that made it super sparkly in the sunlight. I absolutely loved the look. The following are a few great accessories from some of the blog's sponsors that add a wonderful splash of bling to your wedding accessory palette.


(photo credits from left to right: original headband, flower clip, crystal earrings, hankie, spot of diamond pendant)

Inspiration Board #17: Wedding Bands for Men

Are you looking for a more unique wedding band for your groom than just a solid sleek look? We got our wedding bands from Satomi Kawakita, a New York City based designer, and we absolutely love our rings. I especially love how Joe's ring isn't that sleek perfect look, but is hammered and imperfect, and lovely. The following are some other great wedding bands, including one from Satomi that I absolutely adore, and that are a good option for those looking to have a more unique wedding band for their groom.


(photo credits from left to right: bark ring, gold ring, leaf ring, sleek dark diamond ring, hammered personalized ring)

Personalized Groomsmen Cigar Boxes

I love this set of six personalized mustache cigar boxes, a perfect groomsmen gift idea from Dazzling Express. They have a perfect grunge affect for those closest the groom.


(photo credit: Etsy.com)

Beauty & Fitness: Bread and Better

Do you like sandwiches? A lot of people think that sandwiches can be high in calories because they contain bread, but in my opinion a sandwich is one of the healthiest and low calorie lunches you can eat, that is as long as you don't fill it up with bacon or the like. For great sandwich ideas that all look equally scrumptious, take a peek at the chart below!


(photo credit: Pinterest)

Beauty & Fitness: Maybelline Makeup Lessons

Are you planning on doing your own wedding makeup or having a friend do it for you? Check out Maybelline's makeup lessons on their website for chic and natural ideas, as well as a few more impacting looks! You can choose lessons based on the level of complication, occasion, mood, even the color palette you're looking for. Super groovy.


(photo credit: screen shot of Maybelline's lessons page)

Thought Bubble Pillows

Are you looking for a cute wedding gift? I love these puzzle piece pillow cases from uVinyl on Etsy, perfect for a whimsy couple that just fit together!

Our Sponsors #1

Have you visited some our sponsor's shops yet? I am so thrilled at having such a great list of sponsors for The Handmade Wedding and I wanted to share a few of them today a little more in depth. Thanks to you all for your support.

1. Petit Beast

Petit Beast has a variety of air plants all perfect for an outdoor or beach wedding. They're cute, whimsical, and fit in great with a more nature-themed wedding. If you're unsure what to use as centerpiece or are looking for something to hang in a canopy where you are having your wedding ceremony, check out these air plants. You may find the perfect fit.

2. Book Craft

You'll find really awesome handmade paper goods made from vintage books at Book Craft. You can find an array of really beautiful paper flowers that you can add to a wreath, to favor boxes or add them to your centerpiece idea. This is a perfect shop to visit if you're having a vintage themed wedding.

3. Woomi Pyo

Woomi creates really beautiful accessories in one of my favorite wedding colors, white. So if you're having a winter wedding, or just want to keep all your accessories white, check out Woomi Pyo for well crafted and lovely designs.

4. La Boom!

La Boom is the ultimate whimsical wedding stop. You can find amazing handmade light boxes and displays to use as centerpieces or random decor. She also creates really cute cake toppers. If you're looking for unique wedding decor for a carnival or just whimsical themed wedding, definitely visit La Boom.

5. JL Weddings

When I got married, I got my garter set from JL Weddings. Jennifer is a great seller, and the garter I received was adorable, so I am stoked to have her as a sponsor for The Handmade Wedding. Her garters range from silk collections to peacock feathered designs, so if you're looking for a garter that looks fabulous, check out JL Weddings.

To view our entire list of sponsors, you don't need to look very far. Just peek a little more to your right.

Inspiration Board #16: It's A Name Thing

A wedding is all about the celebrating the Mr. & Mrs. that just tied the knot, and I love personalized wedding items that celebrate this. The following are some of my favorite handmade finds that include some personalized touches.


(photo credits from left to right: invitations, soap favors, Mr. & Mrs. signs, personalized ring, name monogram)

100+ DIY Wedding Projects from Austin Wedding Blog

We're thrilled at having one of our DIY projects recently added to Austin Wedding Blog's list of over 100 wedding DIY wedding projects. The list included our rustic style centerpiece cans DIY. It also included projects like a just married banner from Peonies & Pearls and a DIY for making marbleized favor tags from Project Wedding.


You can view the entire list of over 100 projects by clicking HERE.

Real Weddings: Christianne + Robert

Hello loves! I hope you've had a great weekend and an amazing finish to the first month of 2012! Today we have the first of our February real wedding features, a lovely DIY wedding photographed by the talented New York lifestyle and wedding photographer, Angela Cappetta. Thank you Angela for sharing this beautiful wedding with us! And congrats to Robert and Christianne!

From Angela:

Robert and Christianne met in grade school when they were children. The friendship and love grew over the years. They were married in Bucks Country, PA in a centuries old Quaker Meeting house. The Quaker marriage emphasizes a lifestyle of plainness, however, Christianne and Robert interpreted this age old custom in their own way. Throughout the wedding, they interjected aspects of their personalities into the Quaker traditions. There is no excessive music or singing, but there is a history of members of the Quaker faith standing when they feel moved, to explain why the wedding and the couple is meaningful to them. Christianne, a violinist, asked a friend to play a short violin piece before the vows. As a non quaker, I never felt like I didn't know what was going on. A congregation member graciously explained everything as the wedding progressed. The famous Quaker handshake is how one knows the wedding is over. After the couple shakes the hand of the officiant, they are married! After the couple and witnesses sign. every one in attendance is asked to sign the simple but beautiful hand made Quaker wedding certificate.

One of the most remarkable things about this particular wedding is that Christianne, a trained and experienced fashion designer, made both of her wedding dresses, one long for the meeting house, and a short one for the reception, and all of the bridesmaids dresses. She even made her head piece and the ring pillow. I would go to her studio in the weeks ahead of the wedding and I'd see the dresses on the dress form in varying states of completion. She tried certain hemline and draping treatments, not stopping until the sewing was to her aesthetic satisfaction and done. She even had her grandmother's engagement ring bent into a heart to wear as her wedding pendant as a sweet and personal talisman from her family.

What I will remember most about this wedding, besides the beautiful location, is the utter warmth among all of the people who were there. Even little Maria, the bride's god daughter, all of 11 years old, made a special speech in her cowboy boots and taffeta dress, wooing everyone with missives explaining how much she loves her family. Christianne and Robert had a marvelous day, and I won't soon forget how much love and care they put into every aspect of their day.

Sunday Love Tunes