The antidote to a cheap wedding, The Broke-Ass Bride delivers bad-ass wedding inspiration to turn your budget wedding into a kick-ass and totally unique wedding… because its not about how much you spend, its how you spend it!
You did not just slave over a year’s worth of crafting for your wedding just to throw it all away in the end. No way. I allowed myself to throw away certain items, namely the ones that I couldn’t stand to look at anymore. Case in point: flag and crane strings had to go.
But for the most part, reusing our wedding decor and supplies for our home has been working out quite nicely. In fact, I would go as far as to say our home has never looked more stylish than it does now. And for a couple whose home decor has consisted of everything Ikea for the last 5 years, it’s nice to see a unique, one-of-a-kind change.
2 bouquets, 6 vases, 2 record sleeves, 4 painted bottles, and a hot pink reindeer. All used at our wedding. All re-used to make our home pretty!
We even used our cake topper and a pair of photo lounge shutter shades as decor!
I call this one: "pimp my bookcase."
Neon drink coasters from the wedding are now water catchers for our plants!
And this one I will of course call: "pimp my windowsill"
My bouquet, a lantern, and a couple tins from the wedding: Now being displayed as decor in our bedroom. Underneath our Bowie "Heroes" poster, naturally.
More bouquets, bottles, and lanterns used as decor!
Make any DIY signs? Use them as wall decor. Sure, "Parking Hitchfest 2010" doesn't quite make sense in the context of your home... BUT it will serve as a fun memory for us until we get sick of looking at it.
More reusable DIY signage! Our "Food Truck" sign brings a smile to my face everytime I sit down to play piano.
Sure, we may not need to keep this "Photo Lounge" sign hanging around the house... BUT I wonder if another engaged couple would get some use out of it at their wedding???
You can also use your decor for functional purposes. I got the idea from Mrs. Broke-Ass herself (she’s so clevah!) about re-using our mason jars as drinking glasses. Just today I cleaned out all the wax from the jars (just use really hot water), washed ‘em up nice, and now we can use them for beverages!
These puppies are just *waiting* for me to pour beer in them!
And there I go! Reuse-ifying feels so good!
We also reused a few hand-painted bottles to act as book-ends.
Functional & beautiful!
AND lastly, we are keeping 2 of the 10 of our handcrafted beer bottle chandeliers to act as lighting for our dining area. We are hoping to use them as outdoor lighting… eventually… when we can finally find an affordable place in Los Angeles with a yard!
Home dining room lighting at it's weirdest... errr... I mean, "finest."
What the chandeliers look like all lit up! Can't wait to get a backyard!
Seeing all the wedding crafts come together as decor for our home has brought so much joy to my heart. I had planned from the start to reuse our DIY decor, and I am over the moon proud of ourselves that we actually followed through with the OG plan. I feel the payback on our investment already!
And for everything that we didn’t reuse — which was surprisingly very little — we will either Brideshare or sell. I will keep you all updated on everything we are selling/sharing. Please contact me if you would like to reuse any of our decor for your own wedding: i.e. bouquets, bottles, mason jars, signs, lanterns, etc. We’re happy to share!
How about you guys? Have any ideas for reusing wedding decor in your home? How about outside the home?
When I set out to DIY our wedding, I had no idea what I was in for. I knew there would be a lot of trial and error, mixed with hair pulling frustration, but I also knew that I was capable of pulling it off. My heart was certainly in it, my attitude was positive, and therefore I was able approach the difficulty of it all with an open mind and a smile. The one project that I have been working on since April (4 months, people) is our DIY bouquets. I declared these bouquets finished at least 3 different times. The first time I declared them “finished” was at the end of April after my “Hey, Bridesmaids! Let’s Make Some Bouquets!” Party. Here are a few shots of the bouquet in PHASE 1:
DIY Bouquets: PHASE 1
More of PHASE 1
This first night of bouquet crafting left us all feeling successful. I was truly impressed with what we did. But just days after that night, I started to futz with the bouquets again. I saw little gaps that needed fixing and pieces that needed gluing. This was to be expected, though. We were DIYing bouquets blind, pretty much. You see, at first, we did the “glue-as-you-go” method where we basically took some pretty crap and glued it to the bouquet handle base, trying our hardest to keep it looking spherical. I’d say for our first attempts, we did a pretty damn good job.
But then I decided I wanted different colors than the materials I had on the bouquet. So instead of starting from scratch (which would have ended up costing us nearly as much as a set of real floral bouquets), I decided to paint over what I had. And this is what I came up with (you may recognize this picture from my previous DIY Bouquet post):
DIY Bouquets: PHASE 2
I truly loved this phase of the bouquets. In fact, after I completed said “phase,” I believed it to be the last and final. But no. I decided I wanted lighter colors. So I started painting again. And the I decided some of the bouquets didn’t have the right shape, so I began to reshape. And then I looked at a picture of a real bouquet, and I decided that the handles on my bouquets looked skinnier than everyone else’s. And I didn’t like that. So I found some soft cardboard used to pack fragile things with, rolled them into cylinders, then glued them to the current handle. Then I noticed that “real” bouquets have some sort of ribbon or lace wrap around the handle. So I went and bought some lace ribbon, wrapped it around the handles, and pinned it.
Annnnd 80 glue gun burns later, this is the final look of the bouquets:
DIY Bouquets: PHASE 3 - The (Actual) Final Phase
My bouquet: PHASE 3
PHASE 3: Complete.
I am very VERY happy with the end result. Don’t get me wrong, I would have been happy with the phase 1 result, but since I had time to tweak and perfect, I was able to let the bouquets evolve into my original vision.
Lessons learned:
There is no right or wrong way to make a DIY bouquet.
Do not feel pressured to make your DIY bouquet perfect on the first go-around. Give yourself time to let the bouquets evolve.
It’s ok to be a perfectionist — just make sure you give yourself enough time to be said perfectionist. I finished my bouquets 5 days before the wedding, people. This perfectionist likes to cut it close… So starting four months prior to W-Day was a must for me. Assess your perfectionist tendencies and plan your DIY bouquet plan of attack accordingly.
If you do not plan on painting your bouquet, make sure you pick colors you like and want to commit to. My bouquet colors changed completely from start to finish. Just look at Phase 1 compared to Phase 3. Same bouquet, totally different look.
Do a glue test to make sure everything holds. For example, hold your bouquet by the handle, upside down and shake it a tad. If it feels loose, it’s not glued down enough. Don’t wait until the last minute. You’ll find yourself in a hot glue gun mess.
Build from the center of the bouquet out. This way you can decide layer by layer how big you want your sphere to be, and you will have an easier time keeping the sphere even and symmetrical.
Make the handle of the bouquet LAST. I made 3 different handles before I landed on a style that worked. Trial and error: get used to it.
What are your DIY lessons learned? Anyone have similar experiences with crafting their bouquets? Have they evolved as much as mine have?
Dudes! Earlier in June we returned to my beloved hometown New York City, baby! The moment we touchdown, I am always filled with waves of nostalgia and excitement. My first mission, without fail, is to get a bit of that primary food of my youth, New York Pizza. Whenever or wherever we go, I can sniff it out like a blood hound with a lust for lactose (OK, so that doesn’t sound very appealing). But this time pizza was going to have to wait… because the moment we landed, we were in for a much more high-end adventure.
We arrived in NYC a few days earlier than we had planned because of an invitation from The Plaza Hotel for a special bloggers’ luncheon. Yup, pizza was gonna have to take a rain check ’cause baby’s gotta enjoy the finer things in life for a moment (you know I love you NYC Pizza, I’ll be back in 24 hours, don’t you worry).
Broke-Asses in the City
To walk into The Plaza, at any time, is an exciting moment. It has been a staple of grandeur for my entire life and for a long part of the history of New York…. and this was Dana’s first experience. Walking past the the iconic horse-drawn carriages, up the steps, through the revolving door that opens to a grand hall where tea is being served…. It’s grandeur. It’s history. It’s New York romance, and has been for a long long time. So to come home with an invitation to the The Plaza was something very special indeed.
A wedding bloggers’ luncheon, hosted and catered by Great Performances, and featuring chef de cuisine Marc Spooner’s picks for the latest trends in wedding menus, under the vaulted ceiling of the Grand ballroom, was just the way to describe this return home… GRAND.
David Beahm Design presented a table scape of bad-assery
Floral kick-assery, compliments of Floralia Decorators
A Broke-Ass tip courtesy of (the great) David Beahm Design: mirrors make everything bigger and better. A similar display to these can be broke-ass-ified with sparing, simple blooms or by letting bountiful candles speak for themselves. Reflective surfaces and sparkling light turn a simple display into one that is magical and bigger than life.
We also learned that alternating high and low centerpieces is an easy way to add drama and variety to your tables… (just make sure the tall ones go above people’s heads so they don’t block their view), and that a fun new trend is to mix round and rectangular tables to spice things up!
After learning about tablescapes, we were onto the grub, er… culinary trends (and boy did we eat this part up!)
The tray-passed hors d’oevres gave me a bit of a food boner (is that ok to say when writing about this place?). The Plaza gets all its produce from an organic farm that they own, which is better for your belly and the earth. We especially loved these crispy potato skins filled with sauteed mushrooms and fava beans. We were psyched to hear that more and more couples are requesting organic and sustainable produce from their caterers… go team green!
Chef Marc Spooner shared that other recent trends include tray-passed small bites and dessert options, which encourage guests to mingle and meander (with the added bonus of saving money over plated dinners). People love miniature bites of popular comfort foods like burgers. Once you pop, you can’t stop! Oh, and these wee frozen popsicles? Eff YES.
To finish off the event, we were lead down to the Rose Club where we all shared a glass of champagne. This is perfect spot for an afternoon drink or a late night after-party. There is an elevator right there in the bar, so you can bid adieu to your guests and stumble straight to your room. The only time I get to do that… is when I’m drunk in my kitchen. Can I get a what what?
The whole wedding blogger crew at the Rose Bar (aka: It's hard out there for a Hubby)
It was an incredible return home. I thought a slice of NY pizza was surely my next meal. Ah… but there was more adventure in store for the first day home. Stay tuned…
PS – Big ups to our girl Anne at Aisle Dash for helping organize such a great event!
When Devon from Eco-Proper (such a fabulous site!) contacted us about her heirloom handkerchief rose project, we jumped at the chance to feature it here. It’s absolutely perfect for weddings, affordable as all get-out, eco-friendly enough to earn you serious karma points, sentimentally sweet, and has so many possible applications!
Can you imagine a bridal bouquet made of family handkerchiefs? What a beautiful handmade wedding accessory. Le sigh! Dress embellishments? I swoon! Boutonnieres? Yes, please! Headbands for your bridesmaids? Oh my! Corsages? I die! Or even, (gasp) for non-floral centerpieces? They’d be gorgeous scattered on a table, or attached to manzanita branches. Oh man, I wish I knew about his when I was still engaged!
It would be so simple to find handkerchiefs for this project on the cheap…. at flea markets, thrift shops, or that trunk in the corner of your grandma’s attic. And remember, recycling old handkerchiefs like this makes for a green wedding! Or get really creative and invite your guests to send one from their family which you can incorporate into your wedding for some seriously meaningful decor. The possibilities are endless, and the process easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. So what are you waiting for? Say hi to Devon, then get crafting!
PS – have you completed our survey yet, and entered to win some sweet-ass prizes?! Time’s running out!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lucky me! I was given an entire stack of antique handkerchiefs that belonged to my grandmother, her mother, her grandmother, etc… (at least, I know they came from family). For my wedding, I wanted to incorporate family heirlooms and what better way to use these than to make a bouquet from them.
What you’ll need:
- Handkerchiefs
- A needle
- Some thread
- Beads of any sort (costume jewelry pearls were used here)
Here are the steps:
1. Fold the handkerchief in half to form a triangle…Fold back over itself until you’ve folded completely, accordion-style (shown above) *this is great way to give the look of more petals, and you can leave a little of the tip hanging out to grab for extra “stem” support
2. Starting at one end, begin with two folds and then start rolling
3. After rolling a rose center, continue to roll while twisting the remainder of the piece away from you. This creates the petals. …Once you get to the end, you can grab this piece to secure the entire flower or use it to create a leaf later
4. At this point, you will need to put a couple stitches through the “stem” of your rose just to make sure nothing will move around. I used a pearl at the end of the thread just to hold it tightly and add a little something.
5. Because the center of the rose was a little awkward looking, I decided to pull some beads through the very center to bring it down into the rose. Also, I was able to use some pearls from my family’s costume jewelry to add an extra touch.
This really became a rose with the last addition and a little fluffing! Even if you don’t add beads to the center, a stitch bringing the center down really makes a difference.
(to see the steps in action, watch this nifty slideshow!)
Also, if you have a handkerchief with a beautiful design in one corner, let that corner be the last bit left when you are rolling and you can use it to create a little leaf. Beautiful! I am well on my way to a bouquet!
*On a side note, I didn’t actually do any cutting of the handkerchiefs. So if I wanted to reclaim them for other use or just sentimental value, all I need to do is just cut the stitching!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peep more of Devon’s eco-excellence at Eco-Proper.com or follow her on twitter: @ecopropoer
Blingers with a hard “g,” that is. I am fo’ sho’ treating myself to a hard-earned mani/pedi once the wedding gets here. I usually wear black nail polish, but I don’t think that color is going to fly with my gown. So I had to look into alternative colors. Colors or designs that looked elegant, but had a lil bit of funk and a whole lotta pop. What I found was a bevvy of blingerific fingernail looks. Here’s the most blingy of the bling:
Thass some blaaang
This bride wants to take a ride on your discostick.
I like my cake like I like my finger-bling: Just a slice.
Or try your hand at the funkiest of the funk:
Two-toned hottness.
Or use nail polish as a color pop opp. I am all about 80s neon these days. I found these hot shades and thought they’d look pimp next to a neutral or a brightly colored bouquet:
Funky finga'z
Wouldn’t these colored nails look amazing with this bouquet:
Neutral nails look beautiful, but neon would have been balls rad too. Bridal Bouquet: Wild Bloom Flowers, Apex Photo By: Azul Photography, Raleigh
Or try on some metal-inspired colors:
Dark in color, yet still elegant.
Sparkly copper. Doesn't it look fab against those diamonds and crystals? I think this color may be my winner!
How are y’all doing your nails for the wedding? Are you brave enough to rock some “Blingers” on your wedding day?
I am very excited to share today’s post with you all. It’s been one helluva a journey, but I am finally ready to reveal the DIY bouquets we’ve been working on since April for my handmade wedding! After countless glue gun burns, hours of hair-pulling frustration, painting and re-painting, trial and error, then more trial and more error, then more trial and more error once again… the goal to complete 8 DIY bouquets has been accomplished. *Dusts shoulders off like a pimp*. Hopefully this provides you with some wedding inspiration of your own. Here’s the loot:
Seven beautiful bouquets, for seven beautiful ladies.
Here are a few up close and personal:
I made that!
Yes, that is a red lion "leaping" through the bouquet. Have you met me yet? My name is Wacky.
This one showcases cranes made out of magazine pages, then painted. Looks pretty funky fresh if you ask me.
And without further ado, here is MY bouquet, The Ultimate Ball of Pretty:
If I told you how many hours I spent making this thing, you wouldn't believe me. I don't even believe it. Let's just say I'm glad I started MONTHS ago...
Here’s a few more glamour shots of my bouquet, because, let’s face it, it’s just too awesome to not show off its curves:
The top of the ball. I am in love with the colors. In LOVE!
And you know what the *best* part about these bouquets is? They are 100% re-usable. In so many ways. I can Brideshare them… Ladies, let me know if you’re getting married in Los Angeles after July 31st. These babies could be all yours for free… as long as you promise to give them back to me when you’re done Hey man, I want to decorate my apartment with them after this whole wedding thing is over! But my absolute favorite part about these bouquets is that they are going to double as part of our centerpiece decorations at the wedding. Here are just a few examples of what we may do:
Blue ball jar + Cardboard packing coaster + Bouquet = Centerpiece magic!
My bouquet. Sittin pretty in a gift box that I covered in Chinese character paper and ribbon trim.
My bouquet in a wine tube carrier that I covered with Chinese character paper and laced-up ribbon.
The reason why I am more inclined to call these “balls of pretty” instead of “bouquets” is because the word bouquet implies real flowers. Well, at least in my mind it does. And I knew from the start that real flower bouquets weren’t going to be a possibility. So after much thought, I was able to boil the idea of a bouquet down to this definition: “Bouquets are just balls of pretty on sticks. They can be made out of anything you deem attractive to your eye. That’s it.” In case you are wondering what MY balls of pretty are made of… I started with a bouquet holder that set me back only 2 bucks. Then I glued some corks on it to create a good base, like so:
The bouquet's base. The heart. The center. The insides. The goo.
Then I started gluing like a mad woman. Here’s a list of materials I used:
Wine Corks
Champagne cork wire
Yarn/yarn balls
Ribbon
Paper bag grocery bag handles
Lace
Pieces from old jewelry
Plastic toy animals
Bottle caps
Brass brads
Paint
Mini finger skateboards
Foam flowers
Dried flowers
Fake butterflies
David Bowie pins
Even though this process was tedious to say the least, I would definitely recommend it for those who want a DIY floral alternative for a bouquet. I describe the process as tedious because you will need time to shape and build and color your bouquet to your liking… which, if you are like me, can end up taking a long time to figure out. Don’t try to get these all done in one weekend. Spread it out. Have a craft party and invite some friends over to help. Work on them a little at a time, and slowly fall in love with your creation!
When people who work in the industry get married, magic almost always ensues, so we’ve got an awesomesauce (and timely) real wedding feature today! It’s the stunning wedding of Suthi and Sanjay! Yep, the same Suthi of Suthi Picotte Photography who’s giving away a free wedding photography package with us (hurry, you can still enter!). For now though you can enjoy these gawjuss photos and take away some wedding inspiration too from this phenomenal green wedding!
We big puffy heart Suthi and her gorgeous wedding! Through her lens at work, she has seen her fair share of gorgeous dresses, decor, and inspiration… so she was well versed in inspiration when it came time to envision very own ultra fabbie wedding. Suthi had a tremendous entourage of wedding visionaries including florals by Holly Flora, event planning by Angel Swanson of Love and Splendor, and photography by Amy and Stuart. Suthi & Sanjay tied the knot in Los Angeles, and because they are both in the arts (Sanjay is a film producer), naturally their wedding was overflowing with creativity!
Serious eye candy for the stylephile in us all!
Suthi looks like a goddess while getting laced into her stunning dress
The absolute best thing about the wedding was that Suthi and Sanjay incorporated loads of colors and textures into their day. Suthi wore a dress that looked good enough to eat with all of its decadent layers of pleats and ruffles. Yum! She looks like a porcelain doll getting all laced up! I swear, this dress is one of my favorites ever, and guess what yo? You can rent this exact style of St. Pucci at a fraction of the cost at A One Night Affair!
Love this St. Pucci gown? You can rent it for $800 at onenightaffair.com!
Her colorful and trendy bouquet took a mix of colors and consistency orange orchids, green succulents, pink peonies, and deep wine colored roses and were tied together with a bright aqua colored ribbon. Y’all know I love a girl who’s not afraid of some color!
Holly Flora made sure that Suthi's bouquet was bursting with colors. Gorgeous!
They laced in some insanely fly personal touches, such as a beautiful vignette in the entryway complete with exquisite sari fabric, feathers, florals, old family photos, letters and peacocks. A vignette is the perfect eye-catching way to greet your guests and introduce your theme and overall feel of the event… and if you use objects from around your home or from your family/friends, it doesn’t even have to cost a dime!
I totes want my living room to feel like this!
A close up of the vignette reveals old family photos, letters, and personal items to make the display a beautiful expression of Suthi and Sanjay's history and family lineage.
The ceremony and reception was held at the ever-hip Marvimon House – a convertible indoor/outdoor space. The ceremony was outdoors, with a gorgeous swag backdrop accented with Margiold garlands, weaving Indian tradition into their design.
Don't you adore their style? To die for!
But holy Holly Flora, how much do you love love love the tablescape?! The long and rustic wooden tables featured a bounty of myriad colors including using orange, pink, blue, and purple napkins to identify the tables (using color rather than table numbers or something similar) and an earthy moss table runner. Look familiar? That’s because this very wedding inspired our own wedding tablescapes! Moss is a surprisingly inexpensive and sustainable decor option that adds tons of bang for its buck!
All the vases and votives are from Holly Flora's exquisite collection of eclectic vintage glassware.
Take a moment to enjoy the whimsical florals, colors and textures. Now tilt your head to the side so you prevent drooling on your keyboard.
The varied heights of the vases and the differences in florals and tea lights create a visually drool worthy display. I love that not everything is so matchy-matchy. You can scour flea markets and estate sales you can create an eclectic and visually interesting display, even on a budget! Using bud vases and small vintage glassware for vases requires less floral expense as well because you only need one or two buds per vessel. Just combine various sizes, colors, and textures and you’ll create a truly beautiful and unique space that will be one of a kind without breaking the bank while being more eco-friendly. Plus after the wedding you’ll have a great collection for your home or to give as gifts!
The small details like this jade tiger add whimsy and drama. Everywhere you look you see some new detail!
This venue is truly decadent! The lighting and decor fit so perfectly.
Guests picked up truffles as a gift from a table decorated with mushrooms and amethyst.
This is one of my favorite wedding photos ever. It communicates such a sexy vibe and mood!
Suthi and Sanjay truly had a magical day with luscious details, texture and personality. Go ahead and take some of this inspiration for your own big day… I know I did! Be bold. Use color. Infuse your personality. Go absolutely wild and it will look incredibly decadent and personal!
This is a repost of a guest blog I did for my boo Sasha at Sparkliatti last month… but in case any of you missed it, here it is again! Enjoy!
I’m completely in love with creative and unique wedding ideas that won’t drain your budget! When Sasha asked me to bring some of my budget decor savviness to her blog, I thought, let’s get to the heart of the matter… or at least of the room: The Table.
Table decor can either be unique and memorable or fade into the background of a wedding – but whether you’re dropping $1 or $100 on it, why waste a chance to surprise and delight your guests with fun and distinctive design? I struggled for days to find inexpensive yet dynamic ways to spruce up our tables without busting our budget wedding, and today I’m sharing mytop 5 ways to save on money but stay rich on impact.
1. Having a rustic affair but want to give your tables flair? A large roll of kraft paper can serve as a no-muss sub for linens for much less. Don’t forget to toss some crayons near the kids’ seats…. or everyone’s seats for that matter! Instant interactive fun for your guests!
2. Prefer the feel of fabric? Buy a bolt of unbleached muslin or burlap fabric and use pinking shears to cut tablecloths or runners with character (and leave your sewing kit out of it)! Use baker’s twine to tie a rock into the corners of your tablecloths to help weigh them down.
3. Craft poms are my new obsession. Fill some clear glass bowls, vases or glasses from the flea market with the colorful bunch, or hot glue them to some branches in a vase, and check centerpieces off your list for pennies! Fill paper cones with the leftovers for a fun toss alternative to rose petals that will look whimsical and darling in photos.
4. Save the cost of vases altogether, and cut down on the number of flowers you buy. Pop the heads off some larger stems such as spider mums or orchids and scatter them along the center of the table with some smooth river rocks or seashells woven between them.
5. Bring the outdoors in for tables that add texture and visual interest. Use mosscloth for dynamic table runners or centerpiece elements. Its a natural and inexpensive way to wow your guests, and comes in various shades of green to suit your palette.
I took my own advice, and our guests loved the moss centerpieces!
I hope these ideas help inspire some of you to take your table decor to the next level while keeping your budget in check. Saving money on your wedding decor is often as easy as thinking outside the box! Now go, unleash your inner budget bad-ass and make your tables sing!
What’s your favorite outside-the-box saving tip for table decor?
