To DIY or To Not DIY

DIY invitations from Martha Stewart Crafts: Do you have the skill, time & patience for this project?

DIY ribbon favor bags from Martha Stewart Crafts: Do you want to make & assemble these the night before your wedding?

Let's face it: the DIY trend for weddings is growing. Whether Brides want to save money or put their personal touch on their weddings, DIY weddings projects are popular. Google searches for the keyword phrase "DIY wedding" saw a 41% increase between 2008 & 2009, according to the April 2010 issue of BRIDES magazine. Of the most interest were invitations, programs & favors, says BRIDES.

I have a lot of opinions on DIY projects as a wedding planner & crafter. I caution Brides to choose their DIY projects carefully.

1. Take into consideration the cost, time & effort needed for each DIY project. Do you really want to visit the flower market; design & make your bouquets & centerpieces; place & deliver all the arrangements the day before & of your wedding? If you adore working with flowers, the answer is yes. If you don't, it may be worth every penny to pay a florist for your wedding flowers.

2. Consider your strengths as you choose your DIY projects: select the projects that make your talents shine. Are you handy with printing odd-sized paper your computer? If so, you may want to buy imprintable wedding programs as Michael's & print your programs at home. If your kitchen is merely a room that came with your house, baking homemade chocolate chip cookies as favors may not be the best idea. Don't take on a project you can't handle.

3. Never expect your friends & family to pitch in: ask kindly for their help. Your friends & family have busy lives too. Does Aunt Candy have beautiful handwriting? Perhaps you can ask her to calligraphy your wedding invitation envelopes as her wedding gift to you. Have Plan B ready if she politely declines. Don't assume Mom wants to shop, design & set-up your candy buffet; ask her nicely & be prepared for a yes or no.

4. Don't take on too many DIY projects: your time is valuable. If you're making & assembling ceremony programs, ceremony decorations, escort cards, table numbers, centerpieces, favors, cake topper & more in the packed days leading up to your wedding, will you have time to enjoy your family & friends who have come to celebrate with you? Choose a few DIY projects that matter to you & leave the rest to professionals or skip them.

Trust me, I LOVE to craft & I'm sure I will select some DIY projects for our wedding. I urge Brides to do the same because it's personal, fun & rewarding. However, I know when it's worth every last cent to trust a professional with the task. I will not be making our flowers or printing our invitations but I will be heavily involved in the designing of both. I also know when it might be wise to skip something. I'm not positive that we'll have favors at our wedding. Time will tell what DIY projects I tackle for our wedding.

When you're deciding to DIY or not to DIY, take your time & make wise decisions!!! Enjoy~

Book Church- check!

Our marriage ceremony location: The Church of St. Ann in Hoboken, New Jersey

The Grand Entrance of the Church of St. Ann

The big news is we have chosen & booked the Church of St. Ann in our hometown Hoboken, New Jersey for our marriage ceremony in January 2011. Exciting!

We decided to go the traditional route of a church ceremony & a separate reception. Once we decided to follow this path, it was a no-brainer that we would honor our Catholic upbringings & marry in the Catholic Church. We talked location a bit more & ultimately we didn't need to look too far from home. The beautiful Church of St. Ann is a mere three blocks from our home & we have attended Mass, weddings & our goddaughter's baptism there. We're honored to have our marriage ceremony in this special church.

As with most places in our beloved town of Hoboken, The Church of St. Ann is rooted in history. The parish began in 1900, the current church was erected in 1925 & officially opened in 1927. The church was meant to inspire all to praise God with its Romanesque architecture, towering marble alter, elegant stained-glass windows & rhythmic bells in the steeple. Hoboken has changed much throughout the years but the church has remained in its full glory. If it's possible, the beauty of this church has multiplied over the years; it's one of the most gorgeous churches I have ever seen.

I feel great now that we have our marriage ceremony booked at this church. Not only is the Church of St. Ann pretty, its people are kind & welcoming. I snapped a few photos of the outside of the church on this stunning March day & next time, I'll get a few photos of the inside. We're so lucky & blessed to get married here. Our wedding is planned for cold January but that fact doesn't stop me from envisioning walking through the streets of Hoboken to our ceremony . . .

Lovely Quote

Spring Bouquet featured on Real Simple; it makes me dream of glorious Spring days.

"Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end."

~author unknown

Pearl Pocket

The closed Pearl Pocket invitation with its cover design

This baby stands on its own!

Inside, the invitation is classic

The four enclosure cards are stacked neatly in the pocket

A glimpse at the enclosure cards designed to match the look of the invitation

In January, a Bride came to her invitation appointment armed with her friend's classic pocket invitation done at Koru Wedding Shoppe. The Bride loved her friend's pocket invitation (soon to be featured on this blog!) but she was concerned about choosing the same wedding invitation as her friend. Out came the Pockets album which is divided between classic pocket invitations & unique pocket invitations. The Bride spent the most time looking at the unique pocket options & eventually settled upon the Pearl Pocket invitation shown above.

The Pearl Pocket invitation features a pearl shimmer folder with a 'window' showcasing the Bride & Groom's names. Inside, there is an ecru invitation & a pocket holding four ecru enclosure cards. Why four enclosure cards? In addition to the standard response & reception cards, the Bride needed accommodations & directions cards for her out-of-town guests. Pocket invitations keep all the wedding information in one tidy place. The Bride selected a traditional black script font to keep her invitation formal. Take a look above at her pocket wedding invitation!

This is the first time I have ordered a unique pocket invitation & I was impressed with the overall look. The sample is displayed at Koru & it's gotten a lot of attention. By now, most of us have seen the pocket invitation done again & again. The pearl pocket invitation is different & beautiful, a sure hit with wedding guests!

Wedding Planner & Soon-to-Be Mrs.

My well-loved Wedding Planner hoodie

I chose Sage Green thread in French Script for my hoodie

A Maid of Honor's gift to the Bride, her sister. This hoodie inspired me!

The Maid of Honor chose Turquoise thread in Brush Script. Love it!

The last time I saw my mother-in-law-to-be, she asked if I had ordered my Soon-to-Be Mrs. hoodie yet. I was stunned for a moment. I've enjoyed my Wedding Planner hoodie for so long that it was a bit of a shock to realize it's time to trade it in for a Soon-to-Be Mrs. hoodie! My Wedding Planner hoodie spends most of its time as a sample in the shoppe. Every once in awhile, I wear it on a cold day & for set-up & breakdown at events. Is it really time to retire it?

What color should I order? My Wedding Planner hoodie is my favorite color scheme of sage green & mocha. Surely I should have something different for my Soon-to-be Mrs. hoodie. I need to spread the good news in style! Hmmm.

Along came a generous Maid of Honor who ordered the Soon-to-Be Mrs. hoodie for her sister. This fun hoodie is a popular gift at Koru Wedding Shoppe for the engagement, bridal shower, bachelorette party or just because. At first, she wanted the classic bridal look of white & light blue. Ultimately, she decided upon white & turquoise for a slight twist on the traditional. The Soon-to-Be Mrs. hoodie arrived today & it's just right for a Bride. I was inspired!

Sadly, white is not my color. When I wear white, I invite disasters like spilled red wine & splattered paint. How cute will a mocha hoodie with turquoise thread be? I know my cousin who wore a gorgeous turquoise & mocha gown on her wedding day is wondering why it took me so long to see the obvious :-) I'm placing my order pronto & I will post photos when my very own Soon-to-Be Mrs. hoodie arrives!

And I refuse to retire my Wedding Planner hoodie. After all, I am a Wedding Planner & Soon-to-Be Mrs.!

Electric Invitation

The Electric invitation as it appears in the invitation album from Carlson Craft

A close-up of the intricate design

The revamped Electric invitation for my Bride

A close-up of the custom design

In honor of March & its coordinating color of green, I'm featuring a moss & expresso invitation today from the Exclusive Collection II by Carlson Craft. The Electric invitation is described as an exotic invitation with intricate details. As shown in the album, the invitation is merlot & expresso. The Bride loved the overall look but wanted something different for her wedding invitation. First, she wanted a more natural color scheme to fit with her outdoor, summer wedding. That was an easy fix with the moss & expresso colors. Second, the Bride wanted to adjust the design by placing the center detail in the upper corner & by creating a border on the bottom of the invitation. For a small custom fee, Carlson Craft was happy to oblige her wishes.

Something I love about the Exclusive Collection II by Carlson Craft is the colored envelopes & envelope linings. Check out the moss envelope & the matching envelope lining above. Such small touches with such big impact!

The Bride & I were pleased with the results! It's so fun to assist with creating the perfect wedding invitation!

Hello March

Adorable & yummy chocolate-covered Oreos featured on Real Simple

Let's give a warm welcome to March! I've always had a soft spot for March. First & foremost, March hints at the conclusion of winter, something I've been excited about since winter began. Secondly, as an Irish girl, I can't help but love St. Patrick's Day celebrations. Green is my favorite color after all. As far as our wedding goes, I truly hope we can make some big decisions in March.

My wedding goals are setting a wedding date & securing a ceremony & reception location. If I've said it once to a Bride, I've said it a million times to many Brides: Once you set a wedding date & secure your ceremony & reception locations, you will feel so much better. Then everything else will fall into place. I knew my advice was sound & true. Now that I'm experiencing it, I know just how true! I'm excited & anxious to have a wedding date & venues. Yet it takes a fair amount of time & work to get information from potential reception venues, visit those venues & decide upon the perfect venue. We're stuck on step one! Truthfully, I have a favorite but I feel each venue deserves consideration, plus my fiance needs to agree. As our wedding venue hunt intensifies, I will take you along for the ride. Stick around to see the search & the results!

Best wishes to you in March~