Category: Sister’s Wedding

DIY Wedding Ideas II

On By jmoncierIn DIY, Sister's Wedding, Uncategorized2 Comments

A while back, I blogged about my sister’s wedding, you can read about it here.  The wedding is less than a month away and we are so excited!  As I was going through the wedding planning check list, I realized it’s been a long time since I’ve blogged anything else about the big day.

Honestly, it’s been awhile since I’ve blogged at all.  So busy with life and everything going on that I guess I just haven’t made time to put pen to paper, or in this case, keyboard to word doc.  Blogger’s block I call it.  I finally turned on my laptop this morning and decided to share another DIY wedding idea.

To complete the flower girls’ look, we decided on cute flower crowns.  Flower crowns aren’t just gorgeous, they’re a simple way to add an elegant touch to any look.  They’re inexpensive, available online, in stores like Claire’s, or you can make them yourself.  Just google “how to make a flower crown” and you’ll find plenty of blogs, articles and video tutorials on how to DIY.  Here are the sources I used to get started:

Click here for step-by-step instructions.

Or check out YouTube here for video tutorials.

Look at these beautiful flower crowns:

I spent less than $12 on materials to make three flower crowns (and I still have lots left for other crafts.)  Materials can be found at any craft store or your local Walmart. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Floral wire
  • Floral tape
  • Wire cutter
  • Real or faux flowers and/or greenery

The article or video above provide detailed instructions, but here’s a diagram.  It’s so easy!

My daughter and I made them together.  I added some champagne colored beads to the flower crowns for a jeweled look.  They turned out nice, this one is my daughter’s!

Flower crowns are so versatile!  Bridesmaids, flower girls and even brides can wear them, and they can be worn for other occasions as well.  You can make a simple crown using baby’s breath, or go crazy and add flowers of all colors, shapes and sizes.  The best part? They’re cheap, quick and easy.

Stay tuned for my next blog and find out what we did for centerpieces.

Advertisement

DIY Wedding Ideas

On By jmoncierIn DIY, Sister's Wedding, Uncategorized4 Comments

The one thing I’ve (re)learned about planning a wedding is how expensive weddings are!  Even though I’m only planning my sister’s wedding, and not paying for it, I still want to help them save money and stick to a budget.  As my sister and I have been tackling the wedding planning checklist, we go over needs vs. wants, and try to come up with ideas to save on expenses.

In the age of the internet, social media, YouTube tutorials and hashtags, there are so many Do-It-Yourself wedding ideas out there.  Pinterest alone can show you a plethora of things you can do with a mason jar!  If you’re a little crafty, creative, and have the time, there are ways to save money by doing things yourself! 🙂

When discussing what my sister envisioned for her flower girls, I recommended tutu skirts.  I got this idea from a friend who got married a few years ago, her flower girls were the cutest little things in their fluffy, blush pink colored tutu skirts!  I looked them up online, and found that tutu skirts are actually a pretty common alternative to traditional flower girl dresses, and just as beautiful (if not more)!  Initially, we thought we would order a skirt for Cienna who will be a flower girl. Then I got to thinking that with plane tickets, hotel stays, rental cars and other expenses, wouldn’t it be nice to make one and save money?  (I’m a planner, a saver and I’m pretty crafty, I can figure this out!)  Check out these cool videos I found on YouTube on how to make a tutu, here!

Cienna is technically old enough to be a Junior Bridesmaid, but tutu skirts can be worn by younger or older girls.  Either long or short, what I love is that they’re simple yet very beautiful!  How pretty are these flower girls?!


     

So, with plenty of time before the wedding, I wanted to make sure I could pull this off.  It’s one thing to do a little research, but what if I make something that ends up looking atrocious?  Lol!  I ordered the materials and got to work…

IMAG3682
Getting started!
IMAG3683
First layer done, working on the second layer.

I won’t spoil the fun and post a picture of the final product, or any pictures of Cienna trying it on, you guys will have to stay tuned for future blog posts, but here is a picture of the *almost* finished product:

IMAG3686
Almost done, will probably add some ribbon, maybe another layer?

This is a no-sew tutu skirt, I didn’t need any special tools or materials, just the tulle fabric, crochet headband, a ruler and some scissors.  It took about two to three hours to make because I was being extra careful, and trying to make it perfect!  At first, this was just a project to see if it would turn out, and I’m so pleased with the results. The best part is that they were inexpensive to make.  With less than $50, I made two and a half skirts!  There will be three flower girls so I’ll need a little more material to make the last one.  Now, we just need to find a good top to go with it.  I would recommend these cute tutus not just for weddings, but for birthdays, or for costumes too!  No need to spend a lot of money ordering one, this is a very easy and fun project you can do with your special little girl, just Do-It-Yourself!

My Sister’s Wedding

On By jmoncierIn Sister's Wedding2 Comments

I’m a planner.  I love planning stuff.  Events, vacations, meal planning, my workout schedule, financial planning, short term plans, long term plans, I’m a girl with a plan!  Perhaps it has a lot to do with my OCD and control-freak tendencies, but planning helps me to be prepared.  When we go on family vacations, I plan every detail, create an agenda, list of places we’ll eat at, things we’ll see and I even plan free time.  I wish I could plan things for a living!

I pretty much started planning my sister’s wedding before she even got engaged (maybe even before she had a boyfriend, lol), so imagine how excited I got when she got engaged last February.  Ecstatic!  Not only am I her maid of honor, but her make-shift wedding planner as well.  I dove straight into planning, we’ve already checked so  many things off the “wedding planning checklist” and we still have more than 10 months before the big day!

Here’s what we’ve accomplished:

My sister and future brother-in-law Brian set the date, and they’ll be married in June 2016, we researched a lot of different venues but they decided on this beautiful place:


Wild Rose Estate is located in Arlington, WA

Wild Rose Weddings @ Arlington WA Provided by: Wild Rose Weddings

Julienne and Brian are really into the outdoors, they love hiking, camping and backpacking so a garden wedding with majestic mountain views is really their style!

Before you can design Save the Dates and Invitations, you’ve gotta have pictures!  Jane Speleers did Julienne and Brian’s engagement shoot, she’ll also be the wedding photographer, she’s awesome!  Here’s one of the pictures from their shoot:

JS_ES_MAY_DSC_8636

Now onto the important stuff!  The wedding dress, duh!! 🙂  My sister went to a few different places and tried on dozens of dresses.  The most important thing for her was that she was comfortable in her dress, not just that it was a beautiful dress.  My best friend Josie who recently got married recommended BHLDN, (it’s pronounced Beholden, by the way) I went to the website and picked out some dresses that I just knew were “her style.”  With a lot of time left, she tried on beautiful dresses at two different places, but she didn’t feel like she found “the one.”  She made an appointment with BHLDN and tried on some dresses, and as soon as she found a particular dress, like many brides often say, she found THE ONE!  It’s been purchased and is waiting to be worn!  I won’t post which dress she chose, but here are some of their beautiful dresses:

Penelope Gown

Maelin Corset and Priya Skirt

34509968_011_a (1)

We haven’t decided on Bridesmaid dresses yet but my sister chose a champagne motif, it’s a nice, neutral, tannish nude color which is simple yet elegant.  Can’t wait to see what we’ll be wearing!  Here are some pics I found of “champagne” on The Knot:

6a414e0a 69c0 11e4 843f 22000aa61a3e~rs 729

Ee0fa0da d984 c96f 8c0f 78e7468fbe21~rs 729

My sister and Brian have amazing, wonderful friends…their bridal party will have people traveling from Florida, Missouri, and Japan to be there on their big day, not to mention family from all over too!  Don’t you just love weddings?  I can’t wait to share more about their wedding, stay tuned!