Perfect for a White Christmas wedding–this wreath and the tutorial on how to make your own is courtesy of the amazing Kristen over at her  Domestifluff blog.  The detailed instructions and pictures are easy to follow.  I made a cute pink one for my daughter just to test it out!  (Picture to follow…)

This one comes from a reader of Style Me Pretty’s who submitted these lovely kerchiefs she found and added her own personal touch.  Included are the instructions on how this fab bride took something lovely and made it her own.

(*photos courtesy of StyleMePretty)

It is very easy to get caught up in the fun of planning your own wedding but if you’re not careful, things will add up quickly.  From buying your wedding gown to feeding your guests, you need to keep track of all your expenses so that you know where your money is, where it’s going and where it’s gone.

Many templates and worksheets are included in a wedding organizer should you choose to purchase one.  If you create your own wedding organizer binder, you can download a free spreadsheet template online (there are many different ones available; choose the one that is easily customizable so that you can add or delete any expense categories not necessary to your event.  Microsoft Office online has one here.

Or create a basic sheet out of one of the many worksheets bridal magazines include as inserts or articles.  Make copies of these and put them in your 3-ring binder and update every time you visit a vendor and discuss money.  Any time anything changes, make notes on your worksheet and date it.  When you pay something, add this to your worksheet.  This will quickly get you into the habit of keeping good financial records for your wedding so  that you are not surprised by any expenses or fall short in any category.

The beauty of these chargers is that even plain they still look fab for a Fall wedding.   But the DIY Network has a great tutorial using these basswood country planks from Walnut Hollow and woodburning your monogram to show through clear glass plates at your wedding.  Simple and very cute!

Whether you’re planning your wedding in Chicago because you think it’d be a great time or because it’s your hometown and you have tons of family here, you’re still at a disadvantage.  Planning a wedding from out of state means you have very little access to the vendors you are considered other than phone or email.

I have many brides who book me site unseen because of our phone consultations, but hiring a planner unseen is very different from hiring a venue unseen.  When you’re looking through magazines and online photo galleries, you need to remember that everyone is putting up their best front.  You don’t know what a venue is like until you see it; you don’t know what the neighborhood is like around that venue.  Same goes for many other wedding vendors you’re considering for your special day.  So keep these thoughts in mind when planning your Chicago destination wedding:

1. Have a strategy for your visits.

Because you may not have many chances to visit (most of my brides come to town twice before they get married) you need to have a good action plan in place to make your visits as effective as possible.  Make sure all the vendors you plan to visit are routed near or on the way to the next so that you are using your time to its best advantage.  You do not want to waste your time going uptown to downtown and then back uptown.  You’re wasting valuable time.

2. Take pictures

I always take pictures of venues and surrounding environs when I do site visits.  Whether it’s a ceremony site or a reception location, I want to get a feel for what they look like naked and in the daylight.

3. Get referrals from vendors

If you fall in love with a particular photographer after you meet her, chances are pretty good that you’ll fall in love with someone she recommends to you.  Try to do this at every vendor you click with.  We all have worked with many different vendors and can make your life easier by taking the guess work (and time involved researching) out of finding that next great vendor.

Begin your wedding planning with a vision so that when you do visit Chicago, that precious amount of time you have to spend on planning your wedding will not be wasted by visiting vendors that don’t fit your style or budget.  You’ll save yourself a lot of frustration if you plan your visits thoroughly.

Found this on the fabulous The Bride’s Cafe blog and wanted to share because it’s not just easy, but it easily sparks some different and further design ideas.

I am using burlap and twine for a wedding in November and will use her platform idea to make different-sized risers for the centerpieces using burlap.  Also, instead of terracotta, you can use cheap cylindrical vases of various sizes and use twine, burlap and even the paper to make a really cute luminary.

Click here for details on how to do this DIY project.

Favor ideas for country themed or barn weddings are sometimes too ordinary for the unique bride.  You want the feel of country with the warmth of the season but you don’t want something cheesy that will ruin the homey feeling you’re trying to create and give your guests the feeling that they’re really attending just another wedding.

These lollipop pies are just the thing to put that stamp of creativity on your wedding.  This post from Luxirare has detailed instructions on how to create these lovely bits of goodness. Your guests will love how fun and tasty they are and you’ll love how easy they are to recreate!  And with the many different flavor and wrapping options such an idea brings to mind your uniqueness is left intact.  No more leftover goofy salt and pepper favor shakers that no one wanted to bring home.

I love letterpress because it just makes stationary look that much nicer.  But-yes, it’s a bit pricier.  Now, there’s a way you can save on cost and have the stationary you want, just the way you want it.

While not available yet (it will be in stores this fall) Lifestyle Craft has alineup of letterpress kits for the DIY bride.

So I’m doing a November wedding with an “earthy” theme and thought it’d be cute to do the couple’s initials in some sort of Fall inspired greenery/leaves. So I took to the web to get some ideas and came across a couple that are simple to recreate and gorgeous in execution.

Two separate posts doing the same thing so here they are:

Abby Larson of Style Me Pretty (pictured below)

And this one on The Grosgrain Bride’s Blog with more details on supplies and pictures.

I had been searching for custom boutonnieres for one of my grooms when I came across the name Fritts Rosenow from the amazing Anne Chertoff’s blog.  These fab boutonnieres are truly unique but why stop at boutonnieres? While these are great for a DIY bride to get her creative mind racing, they should also offer great ideas for bridesmaids bouquets.

The boutonnieres can match the theme of the wedding and the bridesmaids can be a bigger representation of the miniature boutonniere.  Or have each boutonniere specific to each groomsman.

Got a tech geek?  Easily make a boutonniere for him by running to your local craft store and grabbing up some bendable wire (the wire used for jewelry works great , wire cutter, ribbon (whatever color you want), and glue gun.  Hit up a computer shop for some leftover or stuff they’re throwing out (computer chips, wires, keyboard keys, flash drive, etc.).  Create the stem with the wire and use the ribbon to wrap around the stem.  Add the accessories you picked up at the electronics shop with the glue gun and you’re set!

And do the same for your girls!  The easiest thing to do here is to get one of those bouquet holders (available in the wedding aisle of your local craft store) and a styrofoam ball and glue your accessories to it.  Pretty it up with gems and baubles in colors from your wedding or that would complement the your ladies dresses.

I’ll post a couple samples of stuff I make by the end of the week.