
Picture perfect couple don’t you think? Today’s wedding a total DIY that’s going to knock your socks off with inspiration ideas, not to mention a lovely couple to go with it. Kathryn fell in love with Lucas’ quiet sense of humor and as she says it, “they’ve haven’t stopped falling since”. The colour combination of grey and yellow is so chic right now and I have to admit it’s one of my favorite. I absolutely love the fact that they pulled decor items from various places and how they came together to create a custom event. And the use of IKEA fabrics to complement this modern wedding? Genius. Photography is by the ever sweet Sheri of Capture It! Photography .



What was your inspiration behind your overall wedding decor and colour choices?
We wanted something with a mix of modern and vintage and I loved the grey, yellow and white palette. I wanted something that I would be able to integrate into our home afterwards. From there, Google was my best friend, there was a ton of inspiration online.


What was your favorite moment from your wedding day?
Definately the vows, we each wrote our own. In those moments, I am sure I fell even more in love.





Do you have any advice for other brides-to-be?
The planning should be fun! The day goes by soooooooo fast, it can’t be perfection that you are going for, or you will miss the important stuff. Live each moment, take time to appreciate your husband and the moments that this magical day will give you if you are paying attention. Oh, and find a deal – they are out there!

[Edmonton & Area vendors]
Photography: Capture It! Photography
Bride’s dress: Paloma Blanca from Bridal House
Groom’s attire: Zara
Florals: Kate Ashton
Ceremony and Reception: Shalom Park
Bridesmaid dresses: Bryan’s
Second Photographer: Elizabeth Vanderbij
Paper Lanterns: Asian Import Store
Linens: IKEA , sewed by Bride’s friend Kristie
Chair Covers: Borrowed from Bride’s friend Kelsey
Yellow Lanterns: Dollar Store!
Favors: Wonderful Wedding Warehouse and candy from the Bulk Barn
Yellow napkins: Plates and Napkins
Vases: Mixture of vintage milk glass (Kijji, Ebay, Value Village), painted Dollar Store vases and ceramics from Ikea.
Hairpiece: Bridal House (in Edmonton)
Rings: Spence Diamonds
Necklace: Aldo Accessories !
Marriage commissioner: John Moffat
Hair: Chantz (Chantelle)
Makeup: Faces by Dannica

Lynzie of Love by Lynzie joins us again for a monthly DIY feature, sharing how you can create modern cacti planted in tin cans that can be used as place cards & favors. All photos are by Richelle Hunter .

-mini cactuses (we found ours at Home Depot and Ikea)
-potting soil
-clean tin cans
-neon coloured string
-double sided tape or hot glue
-toothpicks
-neon paper


Apply a small portion of double side tape or hot glue to a clean tin can. Starting at the top of the can, affix the end of the neon string to the tape or glue and begin wrapping the string evenly around the can. We created a random pattern alternating between orange and pink string. Finish each piece of string by pressing it firmly to the double sided tape or affixing another small dab of glue. Be sure to keep all glue/tape in one line along the back of the can for a cleaner look.


Fill the bottom of the can with potting soil. Transfer your cactus from the original packaging to the can. Remember, cacti don’t need much water so a drop or two will do. Add a bit more potting soil around the edges of the cactus until the can is full.


To make the name flag, we used a font called “Channel” that we found for free online. We printed names onto the neon coloured paper and then cut around the names in a pendant flag shape. Using a small piece of double sided tape, roll the name flag onto a toothpick.

Insert the toothpick into the soil et Voila! And inexpensive, colourful and double duty place card and favour.

So you thought the embossed eraser invitations were awesome? I know I did. But would you believe me when I say that there’s an even cooler wedding invitation?
The awesome duo, Larissa and Trevor of Ambient Studios in Toronto, got married! So what do you get when you put the minds of two photographers who were planning their wedding? Invitations like these…


Congrats guys!
{Images courtesy Ambient Studios }
Double dose of a personal update? Indeedy!
I thought some of you might be interested in seeing one of my DIY projects that I spent all day Saturday doing.
Anyone who knows me well, understands that it’s one of my dreams to do invitations for a living, so naturally, I was thrilled at the chance to create my own save-the-dates! After spending the past couple months dreaming of a unified “brand”…yes, this is what wedding planning has come to, I literally squeezed all my creative juices out for this one. To be honest, save the dates are your first impression to anyone who is invited to the wedding. But it’s also an opportunity for you to showcase your personalities in an informal way, as compared to the formal invitations.
So after seeing PLENTY of invitations in the process of running this blog, I was stuck with WAY too many ideas. If it was possible to have 10 weddings, each with a unique save-the-date, I would have!
I found that the designing process required the most effort. I knew I wanted something clean, modern, fresh and simple, yet keeping in mind my original colours of green, black & white. Simple right?
So after numerous drafts alongside my caramel macchiato (!) and the company of Tyra…

I came up with this!

The blurred part at the bottom of the card is the web address of our wedding site, where there is information on where guests can stay and where/when the wedding will be held.
I must say that I’m really proud of it because Jason actually loved it as much as I did. Considering we usually have opposing tastes, I considered it a mini-victory.
And really, who doesn’t love envelopes named after wasabi?

Have your guests buzzing about what a sweet couple you make!
Materials
– Ribbon of your choice
– Mason jars of any size
– Honey to fill each jar
– Personalized Wedding Labels – wedding favour labels
Tip: You can go to a famers market and purchase honey already in Mason jars without labels. Then all you need to do is personalize the jar.
.
Steps

1: Thoroughly wash and dry mason jars and lids and fill them with honey.
2: Secure lid and tie personalized ribbon around the top of the Mason jar.
3: Peel “Thanks for Bee-ing Here” sticker and place in the centre of the jar.
A bee theme is adorable for a garden wedding. Add other bee themed items with a “Meant to Bee” wedding thank you card and mini magnet wedding favour .
For more Wedding Planning ideas, tips and trends visit TheRingBearer.ca

TheRingBearer.ca is a regular guest blogger of Wedding Obsession

Show your guest what a cute couple-ccino you are.
Materials- One coffee mug for each guest
– ½ cup of coffee beans for each mug
– One biscotti for each mug
– Ribbon of your choice
– Couple-ccino Stickers/Labels – Personalized Wedding Labels
– Single hole punch
Tip: Wrap your biscotti and coffee beans in cellophane so the favour is easier to transport.

Steps
1. Thoroughly wash and dry coffee mug. Fill with ½ cup of coffee beans. Fragrant coffee beans make the room smell wonderful.
2. Place biscotti in the mug.
3: To make the “Couple-ccino” labels sturdy, stick them on white Bristol board and cut them out.
4: Using the single hole punch, make a small hole on the sticker for the ribbon to pull through.
5: Secure “Couple-ccino” label around the handle of the mug using ribbon of your choice. Tie the ribbon in a bow and cut loose ends.
For more Wedding Planning Ideas visit TheRingBearer.ca

TheRingBearer.ca is a regular guest blogger of Wedding Obsession
I thought I’d give a litle post on how easy it is for you to create a chic, modern menu for your wedding reception. To be honest, the menu itself should have been the easiest item to create, but when you’re wedding a-type like myself, it’s the designing that takes a lifetime. For my menus, Jason and I tried numerous shapes but ended up loving the long and vertical layout. I chose a white because it would be a nice contrast to my black napkins and the green writing would pop when you read it.
I chose a heavier linen paper which gave the menu a richness that I wanted. Now, while I created these suckers on Adobe Illustrator, this can be EASILY created on Microsoft Word. Create your document in portrait style, create two columns and type away! Be sure to add little tick marks at the top and bottom center of your document so you know where to line your paper cutter so you can cut it in half, vertically. Afterwards, all you need is lots of persistence or loads of hands to help you cut all the menus.
While I chose menus for each individual guest, it’s also great to have one or two menus placed at the centre of the table for your guests to see. I know my decision wasn’t exactly the most eco-friendly but I chose to conserve elsewhere. I wanted the guests to feel special like they were in a restaurant and liked the look that they created.
And with the menu, I just had to share some images of our reception food courtesy my friend Wilmer. The Art Gallery did an AMAZING job with the presentation. My fave? The curried sweet potato soup. I could eat that all day…yikes, now I’m getting hungry.



Create fun to make thank-you favours your guests will enjoy.

Materials for each favour:
– Glue gun
– 5 Lollipops
– 7 inches
– 5/8 inch fuchsia pink ribbon
– 1 Felt Flowers with Diamonette ( WedShop # 8419 -06 )
– 1 Felt Butterfly ( WedShop # 8420-22 )
– 1 Mini White Pail with Handle ( WedShop # 8412 )
Three Easy Steps….
1. Using the glue gun; glue the ribbon around the top of the pail. Use the ridges on the pail as a guide to line up the ribbon.
2. Take one felt flower (or felt butterfly); glue in the centre of the pail – where the ribbon is joined by glue – to hide the seam.
3. Add five colourful lollipops and you’re done.
For other DIY crafts and wedding planning tools visit www.TheRingBearer.ca

TheRingBearer.ca is a regular guest blogger of Wedding Obsession

A simple potted arrangement can make a great centerpiece or favor for a wedding or shower.
It‘s quite easy to create and your guests will think you’re a pro when they see the finished product.

Materials
• Potted herbs or flowers of your choice
• Coordinated tin (potted plant will fit in)
• Decorative embellishments for tin: ribbon, monogrammed letters, fabric, themed picks
• Glue gun
Directions
The tins can be decorated in a variety of ways to match any theme. Below are a few samples to help you get started:
• Using a hot glue gun, decorate a clean dry tin with decorative embellishments, monograms or thank you labels.
• Place potted plant in tin.
• Decorate with ribbon and add themed wire clip if desired to potted arrangement.

For more craft and DIY ideas visit www.TheRingBearer.ca

TheRingBearer.ca is a regular guest blogger of Wedding Obsession
Part II of the silhouette DIY series, courtesy Tara Whittaker . (see part 1 if you missed it)
I asked my friend Nicole Westerlund , to create an invitation suite that could be printed and assembled by a layperson (like myself). Maybe you have a talented, designer-friend like Nicole who can create files for you and some loyal Bridesmaids who can be coaxed into a crafty evening with good friends and a bottle of wine? Nicole created pieces with a deco flare including a silhouette save-the-date, an invitation and an RSVP card. She sent me the files along with detailed instructions on how to choose paper, cut and paste the various elements together. I’ve always thought of myself as a crafty person but this project gave me a tremendous respect for the detail that goes into hand-made invites. The project evolved into something much simpler than Nicole originally intended, but I was still pleased with the end result.

These are the files that Nicole created in pdf format.
The supplies I used were:
1. Four different, but complimentary papers to print the files on. I chose papers with varying degrees of shimmer and different textures to create visual interest.
2. Envelopes for the invitation as well as smaller ones for the RSVP.
3. A variety of interesting stamps for the envelopes. Check out Send more mail for an eclectic collection of Canadian stamps.
4. Cutting board
5. X-Acto knife and extra blades
6. Paper cutter
7. Glue stick


The paper I chose for the silhouette cut-outs was glittery & gold. The images were printed onto the back of the paper, for ease of printing and to ensure that the lines didn’t show. Once the silhouettes were cut-out using an X-Acto knife, the images were flipped over.

I used a paper cutter to ensure crisp edges…

and a glue stick to paste the various elements together.


My advice is to have realistic expectations for yourself (and your friends) and choose designs that are less complicated. Don’t expect the same level of perfection from yourself if you are not a stationer by day. Nothing can match the quality of an invitation designer if that fits into your budget, but if you are a die-hard DIY-er, go for it!