This DIY wedding I have for you all today is absolutely gorgeous! Not only does it take place at a pretty awesome Texas barn venue, but all of the vintage DIY details reflect the bride and groom so very well! And the images by Kelly Hornberger Photography are just stunning!  Rebekah, the lovely bride, will be joining us today to provide a little insight into her wedding…

What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?

I didn’t have any family or friends in Texas, so I didn’t have a strong network of people able to delegate wedding tasks/needs to while I was planning. I’m also a bit of a control freak so wasn’t very good at handing over responsibilities to friends and family when they flew into town the week of the wedding. I had everything planned out myself, with my “vision” of wedding perfection. 

That being said, what ended up helping me the most was being flexible.  It’s necessary so that you can easily ride out the inevitable bumps that come up, even in your best laid plans.  Two days before my wedding, I ended up at Davids Bridal buying a last minute dress off the rack.  The dream dress that I had hired a seamstress to create for me ended up being finished late and when I tried it on, it was a hideous!  I didn’t waste time focusing on how such an important element of my wedding day had gone wrong; I focused on mentally editing my “vision” and finding an awesome Plan B wedding dress.  Don’t let society or other people’s expectations, issues, stress and worries hold you up or drag you down, just keep your “eye on the prize” and let it roll past you.

What was the most important thing to you when deciding who to work with for your wedding?

I handpicked all of my vendors.  It was important for them to be within my budget but it was more important that I felt comfortable with them.  I met with so many vendors that seemed distant, uninterested, self-absorbed or unwilling to be flexible.  The lack of customer service was shocking to me, especially when you’re interested in hiring someone for thousands of dollars!  I even had a photographer say he didn’t want to work with ME during my search for the right photographer!  I knew I didn’t want to feel like there wasn’t a connection and mutual understanding.  I wanted to enjoy working with them and feel confident that they would be there, be understanding and help make My Day easily come together.

Did any of your vendors do anything special for you before, on, or after your wedding day that you would like to share?

Kelly,  our photographer, is great at making you feel like you’re a friend instead of a customer.  She has been so accommodating! We felt special when she sent us little treats in the mail, such as an ornament for Christmas with our initial!  She really goes above and beyond and makes the experience more of a relationship than a business transaction.

What was your favorite thing about your wedding?

That is difficult because everything is so interconnected! The wedding photos were amazing but they would have been lacking without all the awesome decorations and I looked incredible but that is thanks to my makeup artist….so I guess my favorite thing was seeing it all come together and be wonderful and know that my friends and family enjoyed themselves!

What is your best piece of advice for other brides?

I found that communication is a big part of making sure everyone is on the same page.  Make sure that everyone knows exactly what you expect and want.  Even if they agree and sound like they know what you are talking about, keep touching base with them and going over the details.  Whether it is with your baker or your bridesmaids, be as clear and detailed as possible so that come the day of, there aren’t any surprises.  People interpret things differently. “Business Casual” might mean something different to your guests than it does to you and your caterer might consider a bag of cubed cheese dumped on tray with a horse motif to be a “rustic cheese display”.  

Wow, thank you for all of your insight Rebekah! I’m sure some of your advice will definitely help out some brides out there! And thank you to Kelly Hornberger Photography for sharing the gorgeous images of this wedding!

I’m of course just loving all of the details. The centerpieces, the escort card setup, oh and definitely those mini pies! And how great were those bridesmaid dresses with the cardigans?! I also love that this was a small, intimate wedding- seriously, those are always the best! Keeping things small definitely ensures that you will enjoy yourself!

So how about you lovely ladies? What do you think of this DIY vintage style?

Vendors who made it all happen…

I’m absolutely LOVING the bold, eclectic florals… and of course that sign-in canvas! How awesome is that idea?! Which detail from this wedding you like the most?

Vendors who made it all happen…

Well so I don’t know about you, but I’m a regular at Michaels. I’m surprised they don’t know me by name already! When Michaels contacted me and told me about these DIY projects on their site, I knew I wanted to share them with you all because they would be perfect for wedding details! Oh and they have the instructions and a list of materials for each project, so even if you’re not a crafting maniac, you can still make all of these details!

DIY Detail: Twine & Yarn Wrapped Vase

These twine and yarn wrapped vases are perfect for all of you rustic brides out there! I love the idea of grouping different sizes together to create a “centerpiece”, don’t you?

DIY Detail: Paper Bag Favors

Another detail that would be perfect for a rustic wedding… paper bag favors! These would be great for any style of wedding though- vintage, classic, modern… you can just accentuate them according to your wedding’s style.

DIY Detail: Hanging Yarn Lanterns

These hanging yarn lanterns are an awesome piece of decor, and perfect for any style of wedding! You could hang them from trees, in groupings over tables, or even as a big chandelier over your dance floor!

DIY Detail: Pail Favors

I think these silver pail favors are my favorite! They’re not only absolutely cute and something that guests can take home and KEEP, but they could also double as escort “items” or even placecards! I’m all about killing two birds with one stone when it comes to escort/seating and favors! You could even arrange these on your table to be incorporated as part of a centerpiece too!

I have an excellent surprise for you! Michaels is giving all of you 20% off your entire wedding items purchase! How great is that?! Click here to receive the discount coupon!

So what do you all think? Are you going to be making any of these DIY details for your wedding? Which project is your favorite??

Why do you see yourself as being Modern, Vintage, Classic, or Eclectic?

At Meg Baisden Photography, we are focused on documenting your wedding in a timeless, classic way. We want your images to relevant in ten years, twenty years, and one hundred years from now. We achieve that by capturing real moments – emotion, feelings, and connections between our bride & groom, their family, and their friends. We create bright, fresh work that reflects the current modern trends within the wedding photography industry, we add a mixture of vintage treatments, but the common thread throughout our work is a respect for the classic style of wedding photography that has remained en vogue throughout the ages.

What is your favorite wedding detail you’ve ever seen or created?

One of our favorite weddings details is more of a tradition… but it starts with a detail. New Orleans is known for its celebrations. Our favorite wedding tradition is the “second line” – a New Orleans tradition where the bride & groom lead a parade through the French Quarter. Guests, friends, and family all participate by waving handkerchiefs in the air. So the second line handkerchief is our favorite wedding detail to see in action!

What is your favorite store or brand?

Meg is a design enthusiast so her favorite brands would fall into the realm of furniture & home styling – Pottery Barn, West Elm, Restoration Hardware, Williams-Sonoma, Crate & Barrel, Ballard Designs… basically anything to do with home fashion… you’ll find it a catalog somewhere in our home!

What advice do you have for a newly engaged bride?

We always advise our brides to “be in the moment” first & foremost. This is true not just on your wedding day, but throughout your planning process. You’re waited your entire life for this experience. So savor it, and enjoy it!

What is your favorite thing about weddings?

We love the emotion of weddings. The tender moments, and tear-filled toasts. It’s what makes this job a true labor of love.

And definitely go check out more of their work in their ELV gallery, and then go to their AWESOME website!! So amazing! And remember- they’re based in Florida, but will certainly go ANYWHERE to shoot your wedding! :)

Meg Baisden Photography

email: meg@megphoto.com | phone: 850.455.7724
 website: http://www.megphoto.com | facebook: “Like” Meg Baisden Photography!

location: Florida, International, Louisiana | type: Photographer

style: Classic, Modern, Vintage | price: $$$, $$, $

We’re starting this week off with a modern, eco-friendly wedding from Shang Chen Photography. With a modern color palette of green and black, a bride with some fabulous style, and lots of eco-friendly details, this wedding is FULL of inspiration for you all. And to top it all of, the bride Joanne is sharing some her wedding planning insight with us too!

What (or who) helps you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?

We had so much support from our family and friends.  My Mom and (now) husband, Chris, helped to made a lot of my crazy ideas come true!  I had so many ideas and sources of inspiration for our wedding day.  My friends and family really helped to keep me calm and organized.

On the day of our wedding, our caterer from Different Tastes and the event coordinators at DeCordova Museum really kept the event running smoothly and ensured that each of the special details we wanted as part of our wedding day were included and showcased for our guests.

What was the most important thing to you when deciding who to work with for your wedding?

From day one, Chris and I knew we wanted to have a personalized and uniquely “us” wedding.  This importance to detail and personalization was part of every decision we made about the wedding, including which vendors to work with.  Vendors are there to help make your dream wedding come true so it is so important that they understand you and are willing to listen and give feedback about your big day. 

Did any of your vendors do anything special for you before, on, or after your wedding day that you would like to share?

Our photographer, Shang Chen, knew so much about Chris and I before even meeting us face-to-face (we lived in different parts of the country!).  We had video chats and a plenty of email exchanges about how Chris & I met, the wedding vibe we wanted, photos we loved, our wedding day timeline and so many other details.  Shang coordinated a photo shoot with us a month before the wedding too, so on our wedding day we were very comfortable with her photography style and she really made us feel at ease.  We feel so lucky to have so many beautiful photos of our wedding day.

When it came to food, we personalized our wedding day menu – New England Fish & Chips, Pesto Chicken Pizza, beef filet, and butternut squash risotto – and our caterer, Different Tastes let us!  None of our food items were on their menu, but they were willing to work with us and make our menu come to life.  Guests loved the food and our cupcakes in place of cake.

Our florist really understood our love of fresh herbs and simple flowers.  Our DJ helped outline the perfect music atmosphere, in addition to playing only The Beatles during our “Beatles Cocktail Hour,” and introducing the bridal party and us “Fenway Park style.”

What was your favorite thing about your wedding?

Getting married!  Chris and I exchanged vows that we had written to each other and taking the oath to spend the rest of our lives together was absolutely my favorite part of the whole day.  We were able to celebrate our love with family and friends and had the most amazing night of our lives.  When we returned from our honeymoon, I loved hearing from guests about how much they loved the personal details from the wedding from our journals, guest book fingerprints, the cacti favors, to the bar menu, to the table numbers and table settings.

What is your best piece of advice for other brides?

Figure out what is important to you and your fiance on your wedding day, and remember it!  There are lots of opinions and inputs from family and friends, and while their thoughts and feelings are so important, you need to remember that is it YOUR wedding day and that you and your fiance are who matters the most on that day.  Stay true to yourselves and your wedding day will be the most amazing experience of your whole life! 

Love love love Joanna’s advice! Thank you for sharing all of your insight with us Joanna! And thank you to Shang Chen Photography for sharing all of the gorgeous photos too!

I absolutely LOVE the herb container centerpieces and the escort cacti! Such awesome eco-friendly options, and all things that guests can take home and enjoy after your wedding! And how about Joanna’s shoes?! LOVE! So what do you all think of these eco-friendly details? Love them as much as I do?

Vendors who made it all happen…

Photo by Vitalic Photography

Photo by Larissa Nicole Photography

Alicia of A&P Designs created these fringed escort cards to match all of the other paper products. It was as simple as just attaching fringed crepe paper to the backs of them, and BAM- you have a plain escort card made into an AWESOME one! I used two ladders as my anchors, and tied felt fringe garland to them. I painted clothespins to match the shoot colors, and wrote the table numbers on them. And then the cards were attached to the garland using the clothespins, and voila… you have an escort card garland! This is an incredibly easy concept that can be done for your wedding, and it doesn’t take much setup! Plus, your guests will have lots of fun finding their names and taking their cards off the garland! ;)

What do you all think of the escort card garland? Will any of you be using this concept for your own wedding?

Happy weekend! See y’all back here on Monday! :)

What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?

I would have to say my mom. She took care of all the less exciting items that I did not want to do so that I could concentrate on the “fun” details! Since we did not use a wedding planner we were a little nervous about making sure that all the necessary preparations were covered but my mom bought several bridal books which proved to be very helpful in all stages of the pre-wedding process. Even though my mom does not live in the same city, thanks to the internet and many phone calls, we were able to plan the perfect wedding.

What was the most important thing to you when deciding who to work with for your wedding?

Do your homework and do not be afraid to ask questions. Be sure to pick a good photographer. I chose Kristen Weaver. Thanks to her and her incredible photos, Matt and I will always have a beautiful album of pictures that remind us of every moment of our special day.

Did any of your vendors do anything special for you before, on, or after your wedding day that you would like to share?

Casa Feliz and its entire staff were amazing. The wedding was supposed to be an outdoor affair but at the last minute a light drizzle appeared. Effortlessly and without any disruption to the guests, our outdoor wedding quickly became an intimate indoor wedding with the main room ablaze with candle light and flowers.  The floral arrangements by Greenery Productions were beautiful and tied everything together; they brought tears to my eyes. People are still talking about the feast that Arthur’s Catering provided for the reception. From the delicious hors d’oeuvres to the various main dishes, there was something to please everyone. Imagine our surprise when at the end of the night we were handed a big box of food to enjoy for several days to come.

What was your favorite thing about your wedding?

Ummm…..everything. Looking back I would not change a thing.

What is your best piece of advice for other brides?

Relax and enjoy every minute.  It all goes by so quickly.

Don’t you love Michelle’s description of the intimate setting awaiting them after they were forced to move inside? Proof that your back up plan may just end up being the perfect one. Thanks for sharing your day with us, Michelle. And a big thank you to Kristen Weaver Photography for showing off these lovely photos!

xo-Kristine

Vendors who made it all happen…

In a nutshell, this article shared tips for brides on how to negotiate with wedding vendors. While I was reading it, I felt sick. Uncomfortable. Even scared! It was telling me to pit other vendors against each other (which definitely goes against the apples to apples concept of comparison- and has happened to me before… it’s NOT cool!). The article also suggested asking for a discount, pretending like you’re not even interested, and even practicing your negotiating skills! WHAT. THE. HECK?! I would never have done any of those things when I was a bride!

Side note: I myself was a VERY curious bride. I wanted to know all of my options for how to do things, what the right and wrong ways were, and when I needed to do them. But I was also extremely timid. I didn’t know what things were supposed to cost. I didn’t have someone to tell me beforehand what they had spent on their own wedding rentals and services. I didn’t have enough information to be well-informed. And so, I approached this uncertain territory with one fact that I knew for sure: the wedding vendors were the ones who knew best (for the most part) because this was what they did for a living! As it turned out, I still didn’t have all the answers after my wedding, which is why I took a wedding planning class, worked in the wedding industry, and am now here sharing my insight with you all! :)

Photo by ELV member, Moss + Isaac

Well here’s what I think…

When it comes to your wedding, negotiation should be considered a BAD word.

So let’s put this bad word, negotiation, into “real world” perspective, shall we? (Because for some reason, we all tend to forget that wedding vendors are real people and real businesses- I was 100% guilty of this!)

Negotiating with a wedding vendor about the services that THEY offer would be like…

… your boss coming to you demanding that you give him or her a portion of your next paycheck.

… ordering a steak at a posh restaurant and then telling the server that you only ate half so you just want to pay for half.

… telling the saleswoman at a Kate Spade store that you really love that yellow handbag that costs $300, and you only have $150, but you really really want it!

Putting things in this kind of “real world” perspective helped me understand wedding vendors a bit more, and it also helped my brides- so I thought maybe it can help some of you! Because like I mentioned before- for some reason, when I was meeting with vendors and planning my wedding, I didn’t quite see wedding vendors as the same as all the other businesses out there. It was weird, but it was true- and I’ve continued to see evidence of this in the time I’ve spent working within the industry.

Photo by ELV member, Kismis Ink Photography

Now don’t get me wrong… there CAN be a time and place for discounts and deals when working with wedding pros. BUT it should be on the wedding vendor’s own accord, and definitely not solicited. And I’m in no way saying to not to ask questions- questions are AWESOME and in most cases, the only way that you’ll truly get answers! In fact, I don’t know about others, but when I was a wedding pro, I LOVED when brides asked questions! I know I say this over and over, but when dealing with wedding vendors, remember- this is their livelihood. It’s how they pay bills and feed their family, just like you do with the money you make from your job. Put yourself in their shoes before you ask for a discount or something for free. Heck, they usually even DO give you something if you’re nice to them! ;)

So there you have it… why you SHOULDN’T be negotiating with wedding vendors! I think negotiation only belongs at car dealerships, in peace treaties, and in hostage situations. ;) This post also wasn’t me saying that all of you awesome brides out there do “negotiate”, but I just had to share this insight with you all. And yes, there are indeed times when you do negotiate with vendors… and in those cases, the negotiating is usually invited or initiated by the vendor. :)

I’m sure some of you have negotiated in some way throughout your wedding planning process though. For those of you who have, what was your own experience in negotiating with wedding vendors like?
 

 What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?

As a graphic design major in college I started collecting copies of Martha Stewart Weddings for design inspiration (and of course to daydream for my future wedding) years before I met my husband. I pulled a lot of inspiration from those magazines and all of the incredible wedding blogs, but I found Real Simple Weddings helped me start the planning process. Hiring Antonia Christianson as my coordinator was the best decision I could have made, and finding out she is a sorority sister didn’t hurt either! As a super detail oriented bride I followed her checklist and timeline religiously!! I genuinely trusted her team and knew that every detail of our wedding would be flawless with her in charge. 

What was the most important thing to you when deciding who to work with for your wedding?

Zach and I have very different personalities, I’m the serious one and he’s the goofy one. It was very important that we found vendors that meshed with our personalities. We chose each of our vendors because they were very honest with us, they truly cared about my vision and they were genuinely invested in making our day perfect.

Did any of your vendors do anything special for you before, on, or after your wedding day that you would like to share?

Our photographer was simply spectacular, from the first time we talked on the phone I knew that Kristin and I would be friends for life! When my contract arrived in the mail and I saw her detailed packaging I knew I had made the right choice! Shortly after our engagement session Kristin sent me my very first monogrammed wedding present that turned into my “wedding tote” for all of my paperwork and inspiration. Even though my monogram didn’t change it was incredibly exciting for me to know that the B was for my married name!!

What was your favorite thing about your wedding?

It is incredibly hard for me to choose my ONE favorite thing about our wedding!! Everything was perfect!! If I had to choose one thing I would say my favorite thing was our private last dance. Having that last few minutes to just take it all in with my husband was something I will never forget.

What is your best piece of advice for other brides?

First, find someone you trust to coordinate your wedding day. You will be so thankful when the day arrives and you can just sit back and relax!! Second, splurge on your photographer! Long after the day is over and for generations to come your photos will tell the story of your wedding day. 

I must say, those are some EXCELLENT pieces of advice Emily! Thank you so much for sharing your wedding insight with us! And thank you to Antonia Christianson Events for planning this beautiful wedding and Kristin Byrum Photography for sharing the photographs with us!

I love the elegance and simplicity of the centerpieces… and those bouquets are GORGEOUS, aren’t they?! I absolutely LOVE the orange and gray together… what do you all think of it? Are any of you planning a wedding using orange or gray?

Vendors who made it all happen…

We’re starting off with one of our Every Last Vendor members, Laura Ann Miller Photography, who is the sweetest person and an absolutely FABULOUS photographer! :)

In case you haven’t noticed yet, one of my FAVORITE details is the table number. I don’t know why, but it just is! For this table number, I created it around the fringe & layers theme that I had for the whole shoot. I simply used different sized strips of tissue paper (as I will explain for the “place-runners), adhered it to a piece of cardstock, which I also attached to a plexiglass plate (you can just do the cardboard- I just had to weigh it down a little), and put a cut-out cardstock number on top of it!

Vitalic Photography sent over some gorgeous images…

Did you notice the slight “ombre” effect of the centerpiece containers? Catherine of Layers of Lovely did an amazing job with flowers, painting containers and vases in all different shades of blue, teal, and aqua. I loved that she gave me extra little vases too- I was able to “prettify” a few of the more plain areas throughout the shoot! Oh, and here you get a good glimpse of what I like to call “place-runners”… kind of like placemats, kind of like a runner… keep reading for more of a description on them!

Along with the fringe and layers inspiration that I had for my design, I also wanted to include a few tassels in the mix too. Of course I had to have some sort of seating detail at the table, so I attached placecards to tassels and tied them to the arms of the ghost chairs! [A little hint for the tassels... I used crepe paper for them- you know, the rolls that you can buy at the party store. It gave me the perfect width and was a little more sturdy than tissue paper.]

Ah, escort cards… another one of my favorite details ever! :) Alicia of A&P Designs added fringe to the edges of the escort cards that she created, and I created this ladder-and-fringe-garland backdrop for them. I attached the cards to the garland using painted clothespins, which I had also written the table number on. Essentially, the *realistic* concept would be that you would have several rows of a garland like this, guests would walk up, find their name (easily, because your cards would be in ALPHABETICAL order, and the clothespin would tell them what table they’re sitting at!

I was so lucky that the lovely model already had a pair of aqua heels… how perfect is that?! I always love a good pop of color under a dress, and especially this one by Claire La Faye! The detachable ruffle train made this dress the perfect choice for the shoot… especially when paired with the fabulous look of bright makeup and a fun, eclectic crimped hairstyle! And with Stella & Dot jewelry and a hairpiece custom-created by Carlee Sizemore, our bride’s look was complete! Oh, and how AMAZING is the vintage furniture by The Wooden Trunk?!  

 A few beauties from PT Photographie…

The ladder-and-fringe-garland backdrop that I used for the escort card display also served a dual purpose as a backdrop for the amazing cake by Gimme Some Sugar! I’m all about killing two birds with one stone when it comes to wedding details, and this worked out absolutely perfect! [Note: The fringe garland is actually made of felt and was made by the Etsy shop Ally & Aidan.]

Fabulous detail shots by Larissa Nicole Photography…

Oh and I HAVE to point out my favorite flowers ever… ranunculus. Seriously, the best flowers EVER! ;) And see those fringe tulips too? Even the flowers went along with my fringe theme! Awesomeness!

 And last but certainly not least, some beauties by Christi Falls Photography…

So now I get to finally explain my “place-runner” to you all! These babies were literally my babies. (Not to mention that I was traveling with them for nearly a week before even getting to Vegas… I’m still quite proud of the system that I devised to keep them from getting crinkled!) I wanted to do something a little bit different than what you normally see on tables. I love placemats, but I’ve done those before. And I love runners, but with what we were planning on for the centerpieces, I knew that a runner wouldn’t be seen too well. I wanted something that would sort of “define” the placesettings and also be a part of the tablescape… and so, I created “place-runners”! 

Using measurements from the table, I added a bit to each end so it would hang over the edge of the table. I used wrapping paper as the base of the place-runners, and cut them to the size that I wanted. Then, using various sized strips of tissue paper in my colors, I folded, taped, glued and fringed… adhering the pieces to the wrapping paper base. And yes, it took me FOREVER… I definitely wouldn’t recommending doing exactly this for a wedding, but I’m sure a version of it with larger sections would be easier. About 12-14 hours of folding, taping, gluing and fringing, I had my “place-runners” that incorporated the layers and fringe design elements of the shoot!

I have to give a big huge thank you to the photographers who sent me their detail photos, Laura Ann Miller Photography, Vitalic Photography, PT Photographie, Larissa Nicole Photography, and Christi Falls Photography! Aren’t they all amazing?! And isn’t it so cool to see how they all have different styles and got different takes on the details?

Hopefully all my detail descriptions will help some of you use these details as inspiration for your own weddings! If you have any questions about anything you see here, please leave a comment! And please do let me know what you think of everything! :)

To see the full vendor list from this shoot, please go to the full feature here! :)