DIY Projects: PHOTO HEAVY

REPRINT from my other blog - ORIGINAL POST DATE 10/20/2008


Okay, blogger family! I need your opinion.

Dues to a few reasons that I will list below, I have chosen to take on some projects as DIY for my wedding. However, my wedding planner who I absolutely adore, respect, and admire doesn't think that it is a good idea to take on all these projects. She keeps telling me that I am going to have enough to do with my time and that I will not want to be worried about such things. Also, she says that if my reasoning is financially related, the projects I have chosen are not the ones that will make the biggest dent in my budget. They are the ones least worthy of my precious time, that it would really make that much of a difference. I'm a little torn and scared. She also tells me that in a few months, I am going to just want to call someone and say is it ready instead of going home after a long days work to look at a craft project.

Please offer any insight that you may have on these projects, my reasoning, and what my planner is telling me about my decision.

Reasons to have my DIY projects:

1. Because I am a crafty person
2. I have 18 months, long enough to make mistakes and recreate if necessary
3. It will be my vision, not someone else's
4. It will be sentimental
5. It will calm my nerves
6. It helps me feel like I am making progress I can see
7. allows me to use my creativity
8. Stress reliever
9. Save money

My DIY projects:

• Monogrammed Aisle Runner
• Programs
• Ring bearer pillow (I love to sew)

This will be one of my latter projects so just in case I don't get to it in time, I can just run out to Wal-Mart and grab a traditional one.

I love this fabric from http://www.hancockfabrics.com/ but I am still very open to this.

and these next few I found on http://www.amazon.com/

and I also found these on http://www.fabrichouse.com/.

And lastly, these two very nice ones from http://www.fabrics.com/.

• Design and Printing of "Guest Blessings" cards (We are not having a guest book but instead the cards and a large decorated glass vase)

This is the idea for the Guest Blessings table items. This picture is from http://www.myjeanm.com/. I have a vase from my grandmother and it will also serve as a memorial item. I still am not set on a design for the cards but I'm thinking maybe a monogram.

• favors (Just painting a gold "H" on blue votive holders, wrap in tulle circles with a bow, pre-tied, you just stick it on)

These are the votive holders I am going to order form http://www.candles4less.com/. I am getting a few boxes of the blue ones and a few boxes of the yellow ones. They are only $4.46 for a box of 12 and I am going to paint the H using a stencil from Micheal's.

• My bouquet and Bridesmaid stems (they are not having bouquets but calla lily stems with draping ribbon.



• Hotel welcome baskets

I am pretty set on ordering these from The Lucky Clover Trading Company because they have really great prices and quality. I really like the shape of this basket (.55/each) because it is round.......

but since the baskets don't come in color, I am going to have to do something simple like tie a blue and yellow ribbon around it to make it nice. Which means I may need a basket with a handle. Something like this (1.25/each, also from The Lucky Clover Trading Company).

• Design and print Table Cards (They are going to be very plain but we are using objects instead of numbers to assign tables so I can't just go buy them somewhere)

• My veil

I want a cathedral length, 3 tier, veil such as this one shown on http://www.atelierolenasveils.com/

I'm also doing my own make up the day of the wedding (I was a make-up artist for 5 years)

I think that's it. So, I'll be waiting for your responses!