Tammy's DIY Planning Thread - at least 20 items, pic heavy & detailed!

[ndvidul]

Overall what our ceremony site looked like:

 

 

The chairs at the ceremony:  (Project pictured - Ceremony Programs)

Note: The Petal Cone Holders weren't able to be stuck in the sand in front of each chair like originally planned.  The wind was too high for that.  Instead, the wedding coordinator kept them in a basket and handed them out at the appropriate time. 

 

Judges Table close-up:  (Project pictured - Ceremony Programs)

[ndvidul]

Website

 

This project took me a couple of months.  I did a lot of research as to what I wanted on my website, and by research, I mean stalking other bride's AMAZING websites, especially Coconoir's!  (Gotta love you, girl!! )  I wanted the website done before I sent out the invitations, since they could look up all of the info they needed to make a decision on whether they were coming or not.  Also, there's an RSVP section on the website, so it saved us money in not making RSVP cards & buying stamps for those.

 

I wanted to use a free website.  At first, I started with theknot.com.  I was really disappointed in their lack of options as far as customizing the look of the pages.  So, I switched to weddingwire.com.  I'm REALLY happy with using that website.  I would really recommend it!

 

The welcome page.  It's flash player and moves the images one at a time onto the page - looks very snazzy and upscale!  They give you an option to password protect it for just your guests' eyes.... that's what we did.

 

Our home page.  A lot of the wording was from other brides on BDW!  Thank you so much for sharing your websites with me!!

 

Bride & Groom Page.  Coconoir had the awesome idea on her site of having the Groom write about the Bride and vice versa.  So that's what we did.  I think it's a nice touch.... and then it's also not like you're tooting your own horn so to speak.

 

Wedding Party page.  I used a lot of the "custom" pages on weddingwire so that I could make it look how I wanted.  I wrote about my bridesmaids, and Casey wrote about his groomsmen.

 

I hope this gives you some ideas for your own!

 

If you're looking for ideas for your own website, please PM me for the password to our site.  I'd love to be able to help you!  I don't know what I would have done if I couldn't have looked at other brides' sites!

 

Love,

Tammy

 

[ndvidul]

Postcard Reminders (for people to RSVP on our website)

 

So, as usual in weddings, not every one RSVP'd in plenty of time before our deadline.  And, as usual in weddings, it's crucial for the bride and groom to have an accurate head count of the guests in time for everything for the wedding to be made/paid for, etc.

 

We decided it'd be effective to send out a reminder for people.  We agreed on postcards since it fit our theme and was cheaper to make and stamp.  I believe they worked.  We did get more RSVP's afterwards, even though everyone still didn't RSVP. 

 

Top - The same image we used as the background to our actual burnt-edge invitation (in the bottle).  For the image, go to google images and search for "antique quintana roo map."  I added the compass and treasure X and path, as well as the saying at the bottom.

 

Bottom - I bought the antique postcard stamp at Hobby Lobby and used the brown Archival Ink large stamp pad.  Before I stamped them all, I designed the front and backs in Microsoft Word (with the antique map image on one side, and the message for the Postcard on the other) and printed them all out on leftover Resume paper from the invitations.

[ndvidul]

Bachelorette Party "Hangover Helper" Kits & Gifts

 

I thought it'd be nice to give the girls a gift, especially since I only invited my bridesmaids out for the Bachelorette Party. 

 

Hangover Helper Kits are hanging on the customized waterbottles I made, and the gifts are laid out on the table.

 

I got the idea for this in a magazine or online and HAD to do it for something for the wedding (I've been obsessed with kits ever since I was a kid, haha).  It really came in handy after our night, LOL!

 

The favor bags are from the Hobby Lobby wedding section.  The stickers come with the favor bags, and you just design them on your computer.  I added pink rhinestones that I found in the same section at Hobby Lobby.  The names are alphabet stickers I found at Hobby Lobby. 

 

I made the waterbottle labels following the instructions in Khris Cochran's book The DIY Bride Crafty Countdown.  I bought photo paper from Office Max, and designed labels in Microsoft Word.  I printed them and cut them out.  My Granny helped me get the labels off from the waterbottles (see pics below), and then I put the labels on and secured them with double-sided tape.  THEY ARE NOT WATERPROOF!  Just a head's up! 

 

Granny helping.   She's 90 years old and absolutely one of the best people on this planet!!

 

The gift.  I made the M&M bags and tied them on with Bachelorette Party ribbon I found at Michael's.  For the M&M's, I bought the little baggies from Michael's, the M&Ms can be bought from Party City, and I made the tags on the same photo paper and just stapled them on.

 

I saw these "Bitch Bags" on Etsy and LOVED them!  The seller is PillowSewCute.  She gave me a great price on them!  I got the contents from Walmart's toiletry travel section. 

 

The girls really loved these!  As soon as they arrived, they begged me to open their gifts, and I made them wait.   I keep mine in my gym bag and occassionally use it in my purse! 

 

 

 

[ndvidul]

Bridal Shower Favors

 

I was an exceptionally fortunate woman in that I had three showers thrown for me!!  One in Arizona, where I grew up; one in Missouri, where we live now (which was a surprise shower thrown by my husband's family!  Me so lucky!); and one from my work! 

 

I was crazy in that I offered to help make the favors for the shower at home and the shower at my work.    But, in addition to my love for kits, I also have a complete LOVE for miniature things.  Which I think is why I LOVE favors at weddings, hehe.  Anywho...

 

The heart tins, Thank You labels, and heart jewel stickers were all from Michael's.  The blue candies were from Party City.  These were SUPER easy to put together.  To make 25 of them, I think it took just 20 minutes.

 

I made way too many of these for the work shower, since I didn't know who would come.  So, I actually took the leftovers to Mexico as favors at our reception dinner! 

 

The boxes, ribbon, and silver-lined labels are all from Michael's.  The Thank You stamp is also from Michael's, I believe. 

 

For the insides, I just bought mini packets of M&Ms from Party City.  They came in a mixed pack of plain, peanut, and peanut butter (like you'd buy for Halloween).  I chose these because I didn't want people to get grossed out if there were loose items in the boxes.... I wanted them already packaged.  It also made the process super easy!

[ndvidul]

BAM!  That's all of the items I made for our wedding! 

 

Now, as promised, here are some more pictures of our wedding!

 

Cocktail Hour. Project pictured - Centerpieces.  Flowers.

 

Another pic from Cocktail Hour.  Project pictured - Shepherd's Hooks Words.  NOTE: I didn't post about this project because our Best Man (below) was the only one who caught on and used them at our Cocktail Hour!  I made a bunch of words and put a lot of cameras out for people to make sentences and take pictures.  Haha, oh well! 

 

Reception Dinner: Bride & Groom Table.  Project pictured - Centerpieces.  Flowers.

 

Reception Dinner: One of our tables.  Projects pictured - Favors.  Centerpieces.  Flowers.

 

Reception Dinner: Cake Table.  Projects pictured - Favors.  Napkins.  (This is also another project I didn't feature on here.  I just bought napkins from Party City and stamped our initials and a starfish on them!  BAM!  Instant customized napkins on the cheap! )  Sand Dollar Confetti.  (made with Martha Stewart Sand Dollar paper cutter I bought at Michael's!  Got this idea from Coconoir!)

 

Just for fun, this is us cutting the cake!

[ndvidul]

I hope I've helped and inspired you!! 

Best wishes for all of your planning and making your wedding dreams come true!   

Lots of Love,

Tammy

 

P.S.  Our photographer was Octavio Montes.  Highly recommend him for the Cancun area!  Check out my review.

 

[Meagan816]

Tammy..you are so creative and talented. I LOVE all of your projects and can't believe you did them on your own. Great job!

[Mlite83]

Thanks for sharing - everything turned out wonderfully, I'll definitely be borrowing some ideas!  Your pictures are great too!!

[futuremrsparker]

Hi there! Your creations are BEAUTIFUL! I would love to do those, but simply don't have the time! You mentioned throughout this thread that you were thinking about starting to sell these things? I was just wondering if you have decided to do that? I would LOVE to be your first customer! My fiance and I are also getting married in Cancun in August of this year and I would to order around 10-15 passport books from you if you were interested! My email address is [email protected]. Let me know what you think!

Thanks!

Anna