Pinterest didn't exist, Part II

Happy Anniversary to me (and Dave) today!  Let's jump right back into wedding DIY's, shall we?

Oh don't worry, this one is definitely framed in my living room.

This next DIY was actually used at the ceremony, and wasn't really so much of a DIY as a, "go ahead and do this for me because I don't feel like doing it myself."  Could I have done it?  Yes.  Did I feel like it? Nope.  All of my bridesmaids' dresses came with large shawls that we knew wouldn't be necessary in the middle of July.  My mom and I brainstormed what we could do with all of the fabric, because we obviously weren't going to let them go to waste. As I wasn't interested in spending thousands on flowers that we would look at in church for an hour and then leave there to wilt, we decided to use the fabric as pew decorations.  We gave the shawls to the seamstress who altered my dress, and had her cut them into quarters, run a cream ribbon down the middle, and attach a string to the top to secure them to the church pews.  Simple, beautiful, and it cost a fraction of what we would have paid for flowers or bows.  I even kept a few after the wedding, and I hang one on my front door during the spring months instead of an Easter wreath.  Every time I open the door, I get a happy reminder of a wonderful day.

Bonus!  You get to see my beautiful MIL in her gorgeous dress!

We also made a pocket square for Dave!

A few more from the church:  You have to do something with the front doors, right?  People need to know that something special is going to be happening!  We had two wreaths left over from my sister's wedding five years earlier, and all it took was a spool of cream ribbon, five minutes of my time, and DONE.

Sorry to steal your thunder, Mom.  I think you might have wrapped these.

Next up, church programs.  Most people do these themselves, as they are a quick DIY that most anyone can do.  Shoutout to my Aunt MB here for taking the reins and doing this for me.  Cream paper, orange writing, rolled and tied with ribbons.  Stick them in a basket with fabric, and you're good to go.  It's all in the presentation, my friends.

When my sister and I were little girls, we would always play in my mom's old room at my Nana and Papa's.  There were plenty of treasures there to keep us busy for hours.  One thing that sat in her closet for years that we didn't play with was her Just Married sign.  A dear friend had made the sign for her, and it definitely held sentimental value.  When my sister got married 10 years ago, I made a similar sign for her and my brother in law with updated colors to match their wedding.  When it came time for my own wedding, it was sign making time again.  I love that we will all have the special memory of having similar Just Married signs!  If you're artistic at all, paint a sign for someone you know.  They'll love you for it.

This is the only picture I have of all three signs- ignore the messy backdrop, please:)

Nowadays (meaning 5 years ago was forever ago in technological terms), most people create wedding websites that include important information for out of town guests.  I didn't make one.  Instead, I had these handmade packets ready for everyone who checked into the hotels in town.  Places of interest, directions to the hotel and reception site, and good eats were all included on my "treasure map" welcome.  You can make a wedding website and still do this if you want something to physically hand to out of town guests.  They won't refuse a pretty packet!

Enough already with the cream and orange, right?

It wasn't just my family and I that jumped on the DIY bandwagon for my wedding.  I had several "guests" that did as well.  I'll just let their picture speak for itself.

Yep.  Even wedding crashers know to wear orange.

Sigh.  What a great day my wedding was.  Full of great memories, and thankfully, great pictures.  I have to give a shoutout to my photographer Crystal Herry, too.  If you're getting married in the Central New York area, look her up...she did a fantastic job!!  

White men CAN jump.  Well, most of them, anyway.

One last picture to send you off with...

I really lucked out with this one.  The man, not the picture.