Trend: Unique wedding registries

by Amy on April 5, 2012 in Inspired Ideas with 3 Comments

Wedding registry ideas

Perhaps you already have all the pots, pans, towels, dishes you’ll ever need in life. You’re not alone.

Many couples are entering marriage with a household full of stuff, especially if they are living together or are well past the post-grad ramen phase of their lives.

That  also means the traditional wedding registry to help you outfit your new life together isn’t necessarily needed. So instead of trying to figure out if those porcelain salt and pepper shakers will ever be used, consider these cool wedding registries instead:

Foodie Registry: Love eating out? Choose from a bunch of restaurants and let your guests help you eat your way through your town.

Hatch My House: This registry allows your guests to help you save toward a down payment, renovations or décor for your future home. A cool feature is that your guests can see your dream house from the front door to the bedroom and purchase a certain part of your house, like a door or window.

Honeyluna: Can’t afford a honeymoon? Perhaps your guests can help you out with a dream vacation. Select your destination and guests can not only contribute to your plane tickets and lodging but extras including spa packages, a romantic meal or day excursions.

I Do Foundation: If you want your wedding day to focus on giving to others, then consider a charity registry. This website allows your guests to feel good about giving back to charities that you hold near and dear to your heart.

Trend: Video Resources
for Hair & Makeup

by Sara Gray on April 4, 2012 in Inspired Ideas with 1 Comment

Part of planning a budget wedding is doing some things on your own. We usually advocate for splurging on a professional hair and makeup artist for the big day since they’ve got mad skills, but sometimes it’s just not a reality. If you’re that turbo-budget bride who just can’t swing it, fear not! Enter, as usual, the Internet. There are all kinds of talented ladies sharing their hair and makeup expertise online for you to learn. Watch these, practice a bit and you’ll be totally ready to beautify yourself on the big day — and for just the price of the products!

I love Lauren Conrad’s The Beauty Department for their blog and their videos. This video explains how to make a chignon when you have short hair (brilliant for brides!) Another of my favorites is the Milk Maid Braid, which would be amazing for a country wedding.

The MakeupGeek video tutorials are awesome, because they are very complete and I love how she copies celebrity looks and nails them so completely. I love the above tutorial for Mila Kunis’ Oscar look. I’m copying this one on my next date night!

One thing that most of us regular gals can’t swing is the application of false eyelashes, but they make such a huge difference on the big day! With a little practice and a YouTube coach, though, you can get the look yourself.

Happy primping, girls!

Signature Cocktail:
Thai Iced Tea

by Amy on April 3, 2012 in Inspired Ideas with No comments

thai iced tea

Nothing is more refreshing than iced tea on a warm day. But sometimes a regular black iced tea just won’t cut it for a fancy wedding day. This is where Thai iced tea comes in. With its mix of spices, milk, sugar and vodka, this is a unique drink to get your party started.

You can easily find pre-mixed powdered Thai tea mix at your local Asian grocery store, but making it with real Thai tea leaves (also found at the Asian grocery store) provides a fresher taste and only takes a tad more effort.

thai iced tea

Cocktail color: Orange. Personally, I don’t think this is the most attractive-looking drink, but the unique taste makes up for it.

Taste: Strong black tea with hints of tamarind, cardamom and other spices topped off with some sweetness.

Best for: Wedding menus that incorporate spicy dishes.

Recipe:  2 ounces vodka, 2 tsp. Thai tea leaves, 2 ounces water, 1 tbsp. simple syrup, 2 ounces evaporated milk. Use these step-by-step directions from the Cooking Channel.

Extra tip: Not a tea drinker? Try this Thai iced coffee recipe.

Introducing Guide 6:
The Intimate Beach Wedding

by Sara Gray on April 2, 2012 in Planning Guides with 1 Comment

An Intimate Beach Wedding

MarryThis! planning guides

MarryThis! planning guides

It’s the beginning of a new month, and that means a brand-new guide from MarryThis! This time, we tackle a timeless idea, a destination wedding at the beach. It’s simple, elegant and lots of fun.

MarryThis! planning guides

MarryThis! planning guides

MarryThis! planning guides

In addition to the launch of this newest guide (our sixth!) we have a brand-new guide download page which makes downloading all our guides an absolute snap. So if you’ve held off in the past from downloading guides due to the long registration process, come over to the new downloads page and grab them all. We promise, it’s seriously easy.

MarryThis! planning guides

Freebie Friday! Charity Favors for Fashionistas

by Allison on March 30, 2012 in DIY Projects, Free Printables with 2 Comments

Sock ball charity wedding favor

Happy Friday, friends! This is the third installment of our Charity Wedding Favors series, and I have been SO excited to share this favor with you! Today’s favor will keep your guests’ tootsies warm AND benefit your community. After all, what better way to celebrate your love than by spreading it around?

I, for one, am NOT a fan of monogrammed or personalized wedding favors. Personally, I would rather spend money on something my wedding guests would actually use. Like socks. Everyone wears socks. 

These adorable sock balls are perfect for the practical, fashionista bride and are to be accompanied by a donation to your local Dress for Success outlet. If you’ve never heard of Dress for Success, it is a WONDERFUL charity that gives business suits to disadvantaged women to help them during job interviews. There is most likely a center in your area.

Never fear, budget brides! Not only are these favors super cute, they were also REALLY inexpensive. Read on for the how-to and a price breakdown!

Sock ball charity wedding favor

Fashionista Charity Favor

What you need:

  • Socks (both men’s and women’s — have a guest list before you start shopping)
  • Shoelaces (in matching colors)
  • White heavy cardstock
  • Sewing pins (optional)

1. Download your free, ”Dress for Success” charity tag printable. Customize and cut out each tag and set aside. Would you rather donate to a different charity? No problem! Visit our printing FAQ page to learn how to add the charity of your choice to the printable in Adobe Reader (it’s easy!).

2. Get a pair of socks. Turn one of the socks inside out (photo 1). Stuff the inside-out sock into the other sock.

3. Start at the ankle and roll both socks together outward (photo 2). Roll for a few inches and then pull the remainder of the sock (that isn’t rolled) to keep your ball tight and uniform. Roll and pull until you get to the end of your sock (photo 3). A small piece will be leftover, but don’t worry! That will be the bottom of your favor.

4. Tie a bow around your sock ball with a shoelace (photo 4). Just wrap the sock how you would wrap a present. I had to wrap my shoelace around an extra time so the tails weren’t too long.

5. Slide the corner of the printable under the bow’s knot. Secure with a sewing pin (optional). I would definitely recommend this extra step if you are transporting and placing these favors out yourself.

Sock ball charity wedding favor

Cost Breakdown:

One of the BEST parts about this favor is the cost. Or should I say, lack of cost. I bought all of my socks at the dollar store. YUP. The dollar store. And you know what? They weren’t made of gross or cheap material either (I was just as shocked as you)! Here’s the scoop:

  • Pair of Socks: $1
  • Shoelace: $2 for 2 pairs (4 laces total)
  • White cardstock: .25 cents per sheet (12 tags on a sheet)

Grand total per favor: $1.52! (And your guests won’t just throw them away when they get home!)

I hope you love these charity wedding favors as much as I do! For me, the best part is that this favor can work for ALL of your guests … men, women AND kids!

Well ladies … what’s the verdict? Leave us a comment and let us know what you think! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Contrary to popular belief there IS a correct way to give a charity favor. Make sure to check out our guidelines to keep your charity wedding favors in check (scroll to the end of the post). Most importantly, remember to have a little fun with your favors. After all, giving should make the giver feel good, too. For those of you who are giving charity favors, or have in the past: Thank YOU for your generous effort to make our world a better place. The world could use more brides like you.  :)   

Budget Tablescape:
Painted Flower Pots

by Sara Gray on March 29, 2012 in Inspired Ideas with 4 Comments

On Monday, I showed you how to create these cool painted geometric flower pots — today I’m showing you how to create a budget tablescape from them! Potted plants make ideal centerpieces because they can be gifted to guests afterward, they’ll last way longer than cut flower centerpieces and you can pick less expensive plants which will make a big impact on your bottom line.

Budget Wedding Tablescape

Budget Wedding Tablescape

For this centerpiece, you’ll need your own painted pots (see the DIY tutorial here) plus some fun plants to fill them. I chose heather, a small shrub, and Corsican Mint, which is a ground cover plant that offers a nice punch of green. These are both very affordable plants (about $5 for the heather shrub, and $2 for the mint). Pair with a pop of color in the napkins you choose and a fun table number and you’ll have a winning centerpiece.

Budget Wedding Tablescape

A Wedding Setting: Chocolat

by Allison on March 28, 2012 in Inspired Ideas with No comments

Chocolat wedding inspiration board

Let me break this movie down for you. Johnny Depp  + a quaint French town + chocolate = one of my favorite movies of all time. Maybe it’s the gorgeous country side or my love for all things sweet, but Chocolat was just BEGGING to be my inspiration for today’s Wedding Setting!

With its beautiful, rich browns and bright, vibrant hues of red and turquoise (plus Euro vintage 1960s’ fashion) we think this wedding inspiration board would make a great jumping-off point for your Chocolat-themed wedding!

Chocolat wedding inspiration board

1. Marchesa Bateau Dress with Pleated Cape, $1,980 | 2. DIY Chocolate Hazelnut Spread Wedding Favors | 3. Cocoa-powdered initial wedding cake | 4. Air Mail Wedding Invitations, $2 each | 5. “Something Blue” Bouquet | 6. Kate Spade New York Licorice Suede Pumps, $285 | 7. And We’re Live Dress, $48

Inspiration: Tea & Sweet Treats

by Sara Gray on March 27, 2012 in Inspired Ideas with 1 Comment

Wedding inspiration

When we put together our Wine & Cheese Wedding Planning Guide, we knew there would be a few people whose taste it wouldn’t suit. Some people aren’t crazy about wine, and some people just flat out don’t drink alcohol. We get it. So, how about this for an idea?

You could have a morning ceremony and afterward, gather your friends and family to celebrate with a hot cup of delicious fancy tea, paired with sweet treats like waffle cookies and toffee. Sounds perfectly delightful to us. Here’s some products to get you started.

Wedding inspiration: Tea and Sweets

Bodum Bistro Mug, $14.95 | Trader Joe’s Belgian Butter Waffle Cookies | Lemon Sorbetti Loose Leaf Tea, $9.95 | Honey Dipper, $2.95

Ask MarryThis!: Momzillas

by Amy on March 27, 2012 in MarryThis! with No comments

moms and weddings

This month’s advice focuses on the woman that gave birth to us …

My mother is driving me crazy with wedding planning! I’m a very low-key bride but my mom is the total opposite. She’s a momzilla, calling me several times a week, sending me links to wedding articles, even texting me photos of “ideas” she has for floral arrangements and centerpieces. As an added bonus, my mom doesn’t exactly have my taste. While I want a casual, laid-back wedding, my mom is more into a high-glamour, girly theme. To make it worse, my parents are paying for the wedding, so I can’t help but feel vulnerable to her demands. I love my mom, but how do I get her to back off without ruining the relationship? – Libby of Nashville, Texas

Allison: Ok, I’m about to be THAT girl, so bear with me a second. First things first, give your nosy Mom a big ol’ daughterly bear hug and put an extra squeeze in there for me too, because many brides (I was one of them) don’t get the luxury of having their mom with them at their wedding. What a wonderful time this is for you! You have a fabulous partner who wants to spend the rest of their life with you, you get to throw a beautiful wedding with financial help, AND your mother is so excited for you she just can’t slow her roll. First world problems, sister. (End guilt trip.)

With that said, I do know how important it is for a bride to feel like she is attending her own wedding and not her mother’s. It sounds like you two are butting heads conceptually. Planning a wedding is hard and new ideas aren’t always welcome during this “brainstorming phase.” Tell your mom that you’ve got it covered, and you’ll let her know when she is needed. And you WILL need her. Believe me, when there’s only three weeks until your wedding and all you need are solid workhorses, Mom will be there stuffing bazillions of favors (that YOU picked out) and smiling the whole time.

Sara: I come from a family of strong women, so I totally understand your dilemma. When I got married, my mom wanted to be very involved too. Take her out to lunch, and let her know the overall style you have in mind for your wedding. Show her an inspiration board so she can see what you’re going for in a visual way. Then, be very specific on the things that are helpful to you and those that aren’t. Maybe once a week, set aside time to work on wedding planning with mom and let her know that during the rest of the week, you need to focus on work and her texts stress you out. She’s your mom — she’ll get it, just remember to be kind. She just wants to be part of your big day!

Amy: Moms love you and always mean the best when they do the things they do. However, when they are off track, it can be hell. There’s a few options here – you can be the strong-willed adult daughter who stands up to your mom and gets all bridezilla at her, declaring to her that, “It’s my day and I get to make the decisions!” but that probably won’t get you far and strain the relationship. It’s best to be upfront but gentle to your mom. Tell her that you love her help and ideas, but that you also want to put in some of your personality and style into your day. Perhaps compromise and let her decide certain items for the wedding, such as the flowers or centerpieces while you concentrate on one part that you really want, like the dress or the food. Family matters are always tricky especially when money is involved, but hopefully you have a strong enough relationship that you can be honest and straight-forward even when the situation is uncomfortable.

What the MarryThis! team is thinking about this month…

Allison: House hunting, herb gardens, German Chocolate Cake Bars

Sara: My trip to London next month, cherry blossoms and Zappos’ new wedding shop

Amy: Chicago’s warm record-breaking temperatures, fresh-smelling candles and spinach smoothies (don’t knock them until you try them!)

Horrible future mother-in-law? Not sure what budget-friendly means for a city wedding? Tell us your problems and we’ll do our best to come up with a solution. Three minds are better than one, right? Ask MarryThis! is a monthly feature, so send your questions to amy@marrythis.com.

DIY Painted Pots

by Sara Gray on March 26, 2012 in DIY Projects with 1 Comment

I love this DIY project today because it’s easy and it’s budget-friendly. You can also customize it to match your style and taste, in addition to the colors of your wedding. And best of all, the finished product can be a centerpiece, decorate your venue or be a gift to your friends and family who helped you make your wedding so great.

DIY Wedding Projects

You’ll need:

Terra cotta pots (choose your size based on what you want to put in them)

Acrylic paint

Foam paintbrushes

Pattern tape (like skinny masking tape, available at the craft store)

Glossy finish lacquer

DIY Wedding Projects

1. Paint a base layer on your pots. Let dry completely.

2. Make a pattern with your pattern tape. Go nuts! Make it your own.

DIY Wedding Projects

3. Paint another color on top of your pattern tape as you wish. Have fun with it!

4. Remove the tape while second coat is still tacky. Let dry, then coat with clear glossy lacquer to protect the surface.

DIY Wedding Projects

Come back Thursday to see a fun wedding tablescape using these budget pots as centerpieces!

Freebie Friday!
Food allergy place cards

by Amy on March 23, 2012 in Free Printables with 5 Comments

Free printable food allergy cards

We loved yesterday’s guest post from Marisa aka The Food-Sensitive Foodie about how to cater to your guests who have food allergies. It only takes one double dip of a chip to put your best friend into anaphylactic shock, so being a sensitive host is not only kind, but your family and friends will appreciate the gesture.

We decided to take Marisa’s advice up a notch and create these food allergy place cards. We know you can’t cater your reception menu to every food allergy, but you can help your guests out by letting them know what dishes to avoid. These cards cover most of the common food allergies, along with options for vegetarians and diabetics.

Feel free to use either or both of our place card options. In a buffet style meal, you can use one place card to check off the “free of” foods and set the cards in front of serving dishes. Or with a seated dinner, put the appropriate card in front of the guests who you know are allergic to just dairy, gluten, shellfish, etc. (And extra bonus points if you put the “I’m free of… nuts” card in front of your obnoxious uncle.)

Speaking of nuts, check out the Food-Sensitive Foodie’s blog today. Marisa made a special maple rosemary almonds recipe for readers that’s gluten-free and dairy-free. We know this recipe would pair nicely with our awesome and free Wine and Cheese Wedding guide.

Free printable food allergy card

Free printable food allergy cards

Enjoy your weekend, brides! And let us know how you use these food allergy place cards. We think they’d work nicely for a fun dinner party, too.

If you used our free printables in an awesome project, we would love to see your work! Send your photos to sara@marrythis.com for a chance to be featured on our blog!

Guest post: My, Your Wedding Reception is Delicious…
Even if I Can’t Eat Cheese

by Amy on March 22, 2012 in Planning Guides with 1 Comment

Today, we have our first-ever MarryThis! guest blogger. Brides, meet Marisa Voorhees aka The Food-Sensitive Foodie. Marisa is a Chicago-based health and cooking coach specializing in food allergies and helps individuals and families navigate the challenges of learning to live with food sensitivities, allergies, and intolerances.

MarryThis! Planning Guide

I am loving this month’s MarryThis! Wine and Cheese Wedding. A reception like this is beautiful, delicious and affordable. Who doesn’t love those adjectives to describe their wedding? You get to nibble, nosh, sip and schmooze without having to stress about when to sit down or if that main dish is ever going to get on the table because you’ve got to get dancing.

Even this Food-Sensitive Foodie (who couldn’t get a lifetime commitment from gluten or dairy) can appreciate the delicate and delicious simplicity of a wine and cheese reception. I mean, it’s just so beautiful and practically effortless – especially when you’ve got a gorgeous spread on the table with the bread slices fanned around the edges of the silver platter, huge wedges of Brie and Manchego, bunches of grapes begging to be picked, and trails of nuts running through all of these delicious treats. Pretty, right?

But in this day of food allergy awareness, you might be thinking, “Oh. But Sally can’t eat gluten. And Missy is lactose intolerant. And isn’t Jenny dating that really whiny vegan? Ugh. I could never pull this off.” Turns out, with two simple food preparation steps, that Wine and Cheese Wedding that made your heart leap a little is still totally accessible. Here’s how:

food allergies

Create separation. If you combine on one platter for aesthetics (which is a-ok), then put additional servings on a separate platter. A platter of assorted fruits is just as pretty as those grapes that are hanging out with the bread and cheese gang on the other platter. And separate bowls of nuts and baskets of bread mean that people can fill their plates with safe foods.

Double up. This adds an additional layer to the first rule. Now that you’ve got the individual platters, along with those aesthetically pleasing combined platters, make sure you have separate utensils. I can’t use a cheese-y knife to cut fruit and guests allergic to nuts won’t be able to scoop up safe foods with the nut spoons. Have double sets of utensils so that it cuts down on food contamination. It will keep your guests and their tummies happy.

A little note on dips and dressings: We all have that uncle who loves to double dip, stick his fingers in the hummus, or soak his bread in the juices to get all of the flavor. That’s all fine and dandy when it’s on his plate. If there are shared bowls of dips and dressings on the table, keep one to the side for your food-sensitive guests so that they can stick their clean spoon in a non-contaminated bowl of delicious and not have to worry if someone already dragged bread through it, leaving a trail of tummy-churning crumbs.

In the end, it’s your wedding day. You don’t need to accommodate everyone and the truth is, those of your loving friends, who already know how to manage their food allergies, should take it upon themselves to have some back-up snacks (I never leave home without a small pack of almonds or an energy bar). But these little steps will make it more delicious for everyone. Oh, and if you have a guest with severe allergies, share the menu with them ahead of time, and gently encourage them to bring their EpiPen. That nifty little lifesaver fits perfectly in any wedding-worthy clutch.

Have more questions about planning a food allergy-friendly wedding? Feel free to email me at marisa.voorhees@gmail.com. Happy planning!

Want more of Marisa’s great tips (and yummy recipes)? Follow her journey of living a life with food allergies at marisavoorhees.com.

MarryThis! Planning Guide

Less than $1K:
Bohemian Bride

by Sara Gray on March 21, 2012 in Fashion with 1 Comment

Budget bridal gowns

Maybe you’re a bit of a free spirit, but you still want the flowing white gown for your wedding. I love the idea of incorporating some hippie-inspired touches throughout your look while still keeping it classic. This looks combines nude tones with gold and a fun, flowy frock with lots of lace to strike just the right balance.

Budget wedding ideas

Sue Wong Strapless Gown, $558 | House of Harlow Earrings, $25 | Melie Clutch, $73 | House of Harlow Feather Ring, $33 | Chocolate Blu Flats, $125 | Essie Nail Color in Au Naturel, $8

Inspiration:
Champagne & Berries

by Sara Gray on March 20, 2012 in Inspired Ideas with No comments

Wedding inspiration

Maybe you saw our Wine & Cheese guide and thought, “Why drink wine when I’m a champagne girl?” That’s where this inspiration comes in. If you want to fancy up your wine and cheese party, why not take it in a new direction with bright fun colors, juicy berries and lots of bubbly?

Here are some fun products to incorporate this new color palette and theme.

Wedding inspiration: Champagne & Berries

Essie Nail Color in Raspberry, $8 | Carolee Gold Pearl Bracelet, $35 | Steve Madden Coral Suede Pumps, $69.95 | Monogrammed toasting flutes, $59

Trend: The unofficial officiant

by Amy on March 20, 2012 in Inspired Ideas with 2 Comments

the wedding officiant

A few weeks ago, The New York Times published a trend article about how more couples are asking friends and family to officiate their wedding. I really love the idea of having someone close to you officiate a wedding especially if you aren’t keen on having a religious official marry you. Friends and family tend to know you the best, make you feel comfortable and can add personalized stories to your ceremony.

The article names a few ways that people get ordained to perform ceremonies, such as the popular Universal Life Church website.

My sister had an in-between option for their wedding. Instead of asking their friend to get ordained as a minister, my sister and her groom headed to the courthouse to get officially hitched by a judge. Later, they asked a friend to “act” as the minister during their ceremony in front of family and friends. I like this option because it is black and white. There is no real sketchiness about whether everything is official, plus it eased the couple’s jitters before the bigger ceremony.

However, I can see the downside of this in-between option. Getting married by a judge can be very unromantic. And you may not like the idea of having to think of your wedding day with family and friends as an act rather than a real ceremony.

What do you think, brides? Who do you prefer to marry you – a clergyman, an ordained friend or this in-between option?

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