DIY Centerpieces


Those of you that are frequent followers of the Dish know that I am not a huge fan of DIY weddings. Having said that, I also know that there are a ton of brides that are ready to take the hand-made plunge. Centerpieces seem to be a favorite. So here goes…

First my rant. If I see one more lonely little bowl filled with water and one or two floating candle I may just scream. The same goes for a single pillar candle surrounded by rose petals. If you are going to take on this project, how about using a little creativity girls? I am well aware that for most of you saving money is the object, but you are going to have to think outside the box a little for that. Also remember that the standard height rules apply: either tall enough to see under or low enough to see over.

The one on the left I found on Indie Bride: Simple, clean, cheap and easy. If you are going for that urban zen look you can’t beat it. Change the single flower to suit your style. An orchid would be lovely but a rose would look outdated.

The one on the right would work for anything either county or garden. It is simply a flat of wheat grass with flowers in water picks stuck down in it, tie a ribbon around the flat or wrap it in fabric. Easy enough.This one has daisies but change up the fabric and use tulips for spring or for fall use deep colored mums and sprinkle the grass with fall leaves.

We all know that everyone looks better in candle light. If you want to go this route the key is to mass the candles. See if you can order plain white or ivory pillars by the case. Get a case of several different sizes and mix them up on the table. Rent some inexpensive serving trays to put them on and fill in the rest of the tray with stones or coffee beans or even cranberries to fit your mood. Get creative. Tuck a single bloom in among the filler an BOOM, pretty, unique and reasonable inexpensive. Just remember to find out what your venues rules are regarding candles.

Another popular DIY centerpiece is to fill bowls with beautiful fresh fruit. The only problem with that is finding enough pretty fruit the day before your wedding. Plus if you buy that much fruit at the grocery store you may end up paying more that if you had had the florist do standard arrangements. This might help: limit you selection to two or three kinds of fruit that will be in season at the time of your wedding. Arrange with your caterer to order the fruit through their wholesale produce vendor. Rent the bowls. It’s worth a shot.

I would love to see your DIY centerpieces. So send them on.

(Vicki, please don’t hate me)

DIY Wedding Projects


True confessions. My name is Christine and I am addicted to crafting. With that little disclaimer out of the way it’s time to tackle the subject of DIY and wedding.

It is so easy for crafty brides to get caught up in the “I can do that myself” mind set. You see all these beautiful things (and their price tags) and the ideas start multiplying in you head like rabbits on Viagra. Stop! Wait! Don’t be that bride! Before you know it you are spending half your wedding budget at the craft store and turning your bridesmaids into indentured servants to get it all completed on time.

I understand the lure, the sirens song of making it yourself for an event this important to you. I also understand the financial realities of most brides. What we are at times blinded to is the true cost of the projects you take on.

The first thing most DIY brides consider doing is invitations. If you are only looking at it from a $$ point of view DIY may not be your best option. There are some unbelievable inexpensive invitations out there and many dealers that discount up to 50% off book price. No, these aren’t the most gorgeous, amazing invitations out there but they are cheap. Now if you want gorgeous and amazing DIY may be the way to go. If you have the time and skills you can DIY them but they will still end up costing you much more than cheap and basic. In the end you will have a very high end result with a high to moderate price tag and the satisfaction of having created it yourself.

One thing you must look at as you start getting the DIY bug isn’t how long it will take you to make an invitation but how long it will take you to make 200 invitations. You may end up cursing every little fold by the end of the project. And that is if you only took on one DIY. Suppose you also decided that place cards and favors to match your fabulous invitations were in order. Now you just added a few hundred more times of doing the same repetitive thing over and over and over and over….Are we still having fun?

Like I said, I’m a crafter and I’m sure I would not be able to resist the lure.

I say go for it, but in a very limited way. Pick one or at most two wonderful projects that won’t eat your life or your wallet and have a ball. Here is a really cool one I ran across on Something Old, Something New that I am DYIng to try. Happy crafting!


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