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?
Maegan over at Love, Maegan might not know it yet, but she is my new best friend. Her site is a phenomenal resource for fashion, fun how-to’s and girl-crush worthy style, but what makes Maegan so irresistible is her down-to-earth warmth. We asked her if we could share a couple of our favorite DIY projects of hers with y’all, and this one is perf! For all you Louboutin lovahhhhs out there (and I knows y’alls out there)… grab a pair of old strappy pumps and some spare fabric, get your craft on, and redirect that $6 hundo into something else (or save it altogether). People, with DIY as easy peasy lemon squeezy as this, you can afford to make ‘em in every color your heart desires!
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…I am so in love. I think the only thing they’re missing is the red heel. I cannot wait to wear them! {…ps: because they are removable, I can also wear them as bracelets/cuffs, hooked onto my vintage chain necklace or even in my hair …I know!}
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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!
Ring a ding ding. When I came across Tina H. Dee, who handcrafts bad-ass alternative, affordable unique wedding rings and custom gifts that your wedding party will be thrilled to rock. I took one peek at her etsy site and started writing this post. Its, like, broke-ass to the max.
Perfect for your unfussy fiance(e), or your own unfussy finger, these rings and things start at around $30, don’t go much higher than $150, and many are customizable. Personalizing rings and gift jewelry with people’s names, special dates or quotes is a bonus that even broke-asses can get behind!
This ring set below is $68. Yup, that’s right. And its gawgeous.
People. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Etsy is where its AT!
Erin Tavin is a bad-ass vintage shop owner with an eye for incredible fashion and funky-fresh creative spirit. I’ve adored her indie psedo-euro boho-gypsy cool-as-hell boutique since it opened in my very own ‘hood last July…. but now she’s online at etsy too, and debuting a special collection of Vintage wedding dresses that are so freaking hawt I could die. And they’re all under $1,000. I mean, come ON! Talk about a unique wedding dress!
With styles from Victorian to 1930’s through the 1970’s…. These literally make my knees weak. Please, someone, buy them, wear them, love them, and then send me the pictures! (or, um, can’t I just get married again?) Drink in this deliciousness, yo! (but careful not to drool on your keyboard).
How sick are those babies? Aoooooga!
While you’re browsing around, check out the rest of the cute vintage fashions, accessories, gifts and ephemera she’s curated at Tavin. I especially love the random little poems she includes in the etsy store for the item descriptions. So quirky and cute!
I’ve got a major girl crush on Erin for her exquisite taste, her entrepreneurial vision and her broke-ass friendly duds… and completely thrilled her collection of vintage wedding dresses is spreading its wings outside of her Echo Park store and is now available to the online masses! Which is your favorite of her gowns?
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!
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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!
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Peep more of Devon’s eco-excellence at Eco-Proper.com or follow her on twitter: @ecopropoer
We learned about Heather from Star House on etsy after her little handcrafted love birdies were featured in Juliana & Greg’s adorable stop motion save the date (if you missed it, check it out – so cute!). She wrote in to let us know she also makes cake toppers… and they’re super cute and indie! Toppers like these are certain to make for a unique wedding cake! And with rates starting at $38 for customizable, eco-friendly, handmade cake toppers… the price is really nice!
You can customize your topper to your liking. Heather lets you specify colors for your birds, select names, words or dates to be burned onto the design, or you can even have yourselves replicated in sweet wooden character form. They make perfect little keepsakes, and would be a really charming gift for just the right couple.
Her woodland creatures are so cute they’ll give the ever-popular bird trend a run for its money. (Can I get a high-five here, people?)
We also love their whole family portrait series, with options to add children (whether of the real or fur-based variety).
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!
