HOW TO PLAN A WEDDING IN 3 MONTHS

One of my best friends is engaged (my maid of honor in our wedding) and is in the process of planning her wedding. I love wedding planning, and am over the top excited about this one. I planned my wedding in 3 months, not on purpose, but it just worked out that way for us; a date happened to be available and all our vendors fell into place. I realize this is both rare and hard to do in the age of pinteresty-perfect weddings, and I wanted to offer my best tips for planning a wedding on a short time frame (and on a budget). 

1. Know your vision

For me, this was easy. I had a clear idea of what I wanted the day to look like, from the venue to the flowers even before I started the planning process. I always dreamed of an outdoor wedding at my grandparents' lake house, and our date happened to be available. We booked it immediately, and I could check off the ceremony site, reception site, and wedding date all in one phone call.

2. Get organized

From there, I made lists on lists on lists. The checklist suggested by the knot proved to be too in-depth for me and overwhelming, so I created my own thanks to searches on Pinterest and wedding planning books. I had spreadsheets and highlighters, and I was as organized as I possibly could have been to stay on top of all the details. 

3. Make a decision, and move on

If you are the kind of person to second guess your decisions, now is the time to not do that. With only three months to plan, for each detail, you weigh a few options, make a decision, and move on. Becoming decisive will be your best asset in efficient wedding planning. 

4. Delegate

For tasks that can be completed by other people, ASK THEM. Your bridesmaids are great resources for running errands or helping make DIY projects. Your fiancé will likely feel useless unless you give him specific tasks to complete, even if that just means grocery shopping or doing other errands you don't have time for. Utilize all the help you can get. 

5. Hire a day-of coordinator

When we asked people about their wedding planning experience and their best piece of advice, we'd hear over and over again about those magical day-of coordinators, and the rumors are true. We got married outside and had a completely DIY ceremony and reception, so I knew this was key player for us. We got married in a tiny town in Northern California (population 2,000) and I hired Jodi Drysdale of CES Weddings and Events in the nearest bigger city, and she was the best investment I made for the wedding day. More than just a day-of coordinator, Jodi was an amazing resource that helped me find multiple vendors, went through all the details to make sure I had thought of absolutely everything, and helped our ceremony and reception run smoothy. A good day-of coordinator is my number one recommendation for brides on their wedding day. 

6. Pick a color scheme/theme

Determining your style will give you a framework for planning, everything from your attire to your bridal party, to the food and decor. Our wedding has a rustic/preppy/lakeside feel to it, some of those details played out in navy lace bridesmaid dresses, simple and neutral flowers for the bridesmaids, a giant, loose, mostly neutral bouquet for me, grey suit bottoms for the guys with navy checkered shirts and no jackets, my hair was down, we ate tacos, and danced outside under strands and strands of lights. I loved seeing the vision come to life, and it was so very fitting for us as a couple. I love that there are a thousand ways to have a wedding, and your day gets to be however it works best for you.

7. Have fun

As stressful as it was to pull off really quickly, it was mostly a fun stress. I really enjoy the process of planning for all kinds of parties, so it felt natural to me. If wedding planning just isn't your thing, hire on someone or enlist the help of a friend who loves to do it. The day is really all about your marriage, not the color scheme or the striped straws, and if you can remember that one piece, it will make the whole day much better. See more on how to handle any wedding catastrophe graciously (hello, pouring rain) in this post here. 

Holiday Wrapping DIYs

I'm teaming up with Candice Hackett of Ivy and Tweed to bring you lots of holiday DIYs this season. Candice graciously offered to photography a variety of projects I'm completing. See previous post on DIY embossing here.

Gift giving is one of my love languages, and wrapping up the gift is just as fun for me as thinking of the perfect item. These three DIY gift wrappings are sure to get you started on some creative ways to wrap your presents this holiday.

BLACK PAPER + CALLIGRAPHY TAG

Supplies needed: hole punch, paper cutter, scissors, tape, edge rounder (optional for corners), baker's twine, gift tag or other calligraphy/lettered art in a holiday saying.

Step 1: Wrap gift in black paper.

Step 2: Cut out lettered phrase (this Christmas card of "JOY" is hand-calligraphed by me and available in my etsy shop)

Step 3: Hole punch photo and string baker's twine through. 

Step 4: Tie around gift.

Step 5: round corners if desired.

Simple but elegant!

HOLIDAY STAMP WRAP

Supplies needed: holiday stamp (available here), scissors, tape, kraft wrapping paper, baker's twine, baby's breath (not pictured, I added it in later)

Step 1: Stamp in an "non-perfect" pattern all over your paper. Re-ink your stamp periodically to get the "ombre" effect. 

Step 2: wrap with twine and add baby's breath! So simple.

PHOTO ON KRAFT

Supplies needed: photo, paper cutter, tape, baker's twine, hole punch, paper

Step 1: wrap with paper

Step 2: wrap a grosgrain ribbon around the box and tape in place. 

Step 3: round corners of photo and tape on.

Another amazingly simple, yet thoughtful and well-designed, holiday wrap!

Proof that simple is beautiful, and that it doesn't have to be red and green to be merry and bright.

Happy holidays! 

DIY Embossing

There are a few ways to emboss, some involve metal plates similar to letterpress, and some involve ink, heat, and embossing powder, but the results are essentially the same: adding a raised touch to paper goods, instantly upgrading them from standard to luxurious. 

In this DIY, I'm using a heat embosser to dress up the envelopes for my holiday cards. Read on for details.

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

-paper or envelope

-stamp (this monogramed one is available in my shop here)

-pigment ink pad (I like Color Box, also it's very important that your stamp pad is PIGMENTED ink, it won't work with other types of ink)

-embossing powder (similar here)

-heat embosser (mine is Paper Source, similar for less here)

STEP 1: Press your stamp into your ink pad. These pigments inks are loaded with ink, and the sponge is soft, so start with a light touch.

(paper makes me happy)

STEP 2: Press your stamp firmly onto your paper or envelope.

STEP 3: Working quickly, while the ink is still wet, place your envelope over another piece of scratch paper, and shake your embossing powder all over it. Use a generous coat of powder to ensure you've covered your entire stamp, and don't worry about wasting embossing powder, you'll eventually pour the unused portion back into the container.

STEP 4: The powder will have clung to the wet ink, and the rest can be shaken off. Do this while you sing along with Taylor Swift. Make sure you SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE really well :)

STEP 5: Turn on your heat embosser, wait a few seconds for it to warm up, and hold a few inches away from your paper while you melt the embossing powder to the ink. Move the embosser around your design slowly, and you can see the color start to change where it's melted. This gold ink and powder is fabulous that it has a slight sheen to it, almost like a foiling effect, perfect for holiday cards. 

Another tip here: place two heavy books on either side of your paper or envelope to keep the sides from folding up due to heat exposure. 

It's finished! Embossing is the most stunning in person, because you can run your finger over the design and feel the difference in textures. I love this technique and am excited to incorporate it on my Christmas envelopes this year.

Have you tried this technique before? Would love to hear your experience!

Photography in this post by Candice Hackett

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