Bake it Pretty

I recently discovered Bake it Pretty.com and instantly fell in love, they have so many adorable things for cupcakes, candies, and chocolates. It's really hard not to fall in love, especially for this sweet tooth!

Some of their products would make an adorable addition to a wedding shower, reception, or any party really! Here are some of my favorites...

Deer cupcake toppers, goodness these are cute! Just imagine an arrangement of cupcakes at your reception with these little fellows hanging out on top. I think it would look great with a whole herd, one deer per cupcake. Or make it equally lovely by mixing it up with some trees and flowers to make a nice little forest of your dessert table. 

I have a thing for mushrooms, so I find these little guys quite irresistible!

They also have a darling assortment of boxes and packaging, all of which would make great gift boxes for the bridal party, or favor boxes.

 These strawberry baskets are so cute and their uses endless, I thought they would be great filled with flowers for a center piece, or lined with fabric and filled with fruit or some snack for the guests to munch on, all sorts of things!

And now for my absolute favorite discovery at Bake it Pretty, candy buttons! First things first, full instructions for making them are on the Bake it Pretty blog, find them here!  

They would be great favors, although they are almost too cute to eat! I also think it would be super cute if you used them to decorate a plain white cake. It would be very simple as many bakeries allow you to order a plain white cake, then just use royal icing to "glue" on your buttons. And since the buttons are a do-it-yourself project you can custom make the colors to match your wedding exactly. I really want to try this out, and will certainly share it with you when I do! 

Enjoy!

(all photos are from bakeitpretty.com)

One Thousand Paper Cranes

Once Wed featured a real-life wedding in California where the bride and groom assembled 1,000 paper cranes to decorate their ceremony and reception cite. 

The best part about this wedding is that it was put together with a $3,000 budget. You will love all the beautiful details of their ceremony and reception, read about it in two posts at Once Wed, here and here. 

(Photos by Kirsten Ellis)

FEATURED WEDDING: Chelsea from Itty Bitty Birdy

Many thanks to Chelsea of Itty Bitty Birdy for being my very first featured wedding! All of her pictures are so beautiful , I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
Name: Chelsea Ann Redinger
Wedding Date: 6/23/2007
Location: Union Town, Washington
Number of Guests: 100
Approximate Budget: $10,000

What was your inspiration for the overall look and feel of your wedding?
I wanted a whimsical country style wedding.

What was the best aspect of wedding planning?
This is tuff…The best part was seeing my vision come to life.

What was the worst part of wedding planning?
Budget concerns – we were told that we could keep whatever didn't spend for a down payment on our first home. I was very conscientious about where every dime was spent. I remember wanting these pretty chairs for the reception but finally I just decided that chairs were far less important than my goal of owning a home.

What was the thriftiest aspect of your wedding?

Location was probably where we saved the most money. My mother really wanted me to consider a vineyard wedding but I was determined I was going to get married in the same church that my husbands grandparents were married. I also wanted to have a barn reception. We were able to use a barn that was donated by my husbands' great uncle to the city for an artist studio. It was the first wedding reception in the barn. We also rented the old nunnery to keep my immediate family. For all this we paid around $1500

You can save a lot of money in smaller rural areas in general. I found the prices for services and goods to be generally half of what I might have gotten in Portland Oregon where I live.

The smartest thing you can do is hiring a wedding planner. Spend a little to save a lot! Having a wedding planner really helps for finding the right photographer, baker, musicians… and having them their the day of the wedding takes so much stress off you and your entire family.

I created all the decorations for my reception. I collected such items as antique candlesticks, milk glass, and birds from thrift stores for 6 months. It was great because I was able to use the decorations from my wedding afterwards in my own home. Almost every room has a little token of the most memorable day of my life. I was shocked at the price for photography. I was finally able to find a young college student who didn't have a ton of experience, but I loved his portfolio and I was really excited to see what he could do. I couldn't have been more pleased with his work. He was extremely professional and had some great ideas for unique shots.

We hired a small town florist to make the bouquets, corsages, and buttoners, but for the reception my mother and mother in law went to a flower field and picked beautiful pink peonies. They brought back 4 buckets for $40. You might try asking someone at your local flea market to supply you with flowers… try to research what flowers are in season before picking your flower or even wedding color choice. 

What was the biggest splurge for your wedding day?
My biggest splurge was also the cause of the most stress.

I had set a good portion of the money aside for my dress but I figured we would try a chain bridal store out with the idea that I might find something I loved for a bargain. We I did find a dress and on sale. Still the most expensive dress in the store but it was perfect, and it fit me like a glove. We ordered the dress and when it came in it was 2-3 sized to large. It was terrible. The alterations were never right and in the end it bubbled in places and was eventually made too small and I struggled to breath comfortably the day of the wedding. But the worse part was that they made me pay for all the alterations. And additional $300 dollars for a dress that was suppose to be ordered in my size. I would never recommend going to a commercial chain bridal
shop… I have heard this exact story from many others afterwards. 

Are there any resources you would recommend to brides who are planning their wedding now?
My biggest recommendation would be to look past the big name suppliers. Hire a self-employed graphic designer to do your wedding invitations, or a small mom and pop florist to create all your arrangements. I truly believe you get more personal time and care and in the end they will save you time, frustration, and even money. 

What is your fondest memory from your big day? 

Gosh this is an impossible question.

The simple moments… the moment my mother hugged me and said she couldn't be more proud, the tear in my fathers eye when he first saw me, my husband's clammy hands.

Wow you start to look back and you get butterflies and every single moment seems more special than the next!

The children… I carried one of my brides maids little girls on my hip almost the entire reception. She thought I was a princess and didn't want to part from me. I purchased fairy wings for the children and every once in a while I'd catch a glimpse of one of them fluttering
by. It was really magical.

What advice do you have for brides to be?
Just let it happen. Don't try to control every single detail. It will drive you crazy! Let things happen organically, let the color of the wedding find you with the flowers of the season or the perfect bridesmaids dress. Let friends and family get involved, even if their vision is a bit different than your own. A wedding is something that is so much bigger than you. You wont remember all the details but you will remember the love of everyone around you and how they all came together to make your day the most magical and perfect day – JUST FOR YOU!

Wedding photos courtesy of Isaiah Eyre, http://rival-photo.com  He is available for hire Isaiah@ieyre.com

Lovley Wedding Wear, on the cheap!

Wedding dresses can be much simpler than you might think. Going non-traditional can save you some big bucks and leave more room for your personality to shine through on your wedding day. A simple white sundress can suffice quite nicely for a quaint outdoor summer wedding, just think about spending less than $100 and having something you can wear again. Every time you throw it on you'll be reminded of that blissful day.

I have gathered the best white (and off white) dresses from all of my favorite webshops. There are some for all sorts of weddings and all sorts of brides...


#1 The beige chiffon Sunday dress from Ruche. Ok so it's not quite white, but it has a wonderful antique feel and would be an adorable dress for a small ceremony with your closest friends and family.

#2 embossed cotton lorelei dress from JCrew.I am a big fan of JCrew, although they do not typically fall into my clothing budget, I still enjoy their bright colors and classic designs from a distance. They have beautiful wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses, but if you are looking to spend a little less just take a look at their regular line of dresses. This strapless dress is so simple and classy, and the airy fabric would be so comfortable on a hot summer day.

#3 cotton poplin sydney dress from JCrew. Another classy number from JCrew. This one has a flattering fit and is perfect to wear over and over again. The color is actually called light pewter, so it's not white but it is so soft and lovely I had to include it.
#4 plaster & panes dress form Anthropologie. Oh Anthropologie, I just love this place. Everything is so pretty and inspiring. This dress is just gorgeous, creamy color, soft textures, simple + cute silhouette.
#5 Primorska dress from Anthropologie. Another beauty. I love the texture on the bodice of this dress and the subtle design on the skirt. There is actually a lot going on with this one but in a very endearing way, certainly not overdone! I love it!