Cry me a river... well, okay :)

Looking for a another unique accessory to add to your wedding ensemble? Why not add a little something 'old' or 'blue' in your wedding purse by purchasing a vintage hanky. One of my favorite ETSY sellers, Hankylady, has a huge selection of beautiful and well-taken care of vintage handkerchiefs.

Check out this one, just posted this weekend. For only $18, it's a perfect 'something blue.'

A++ for Goose Grease

So in this bad economy it's up to us brides to find creative ways to save money and not go TOO overboard....in fact, blogs these days are buzzing with creative ways to do it yourself, or find cost effective alternatives to pricey bridal items.

Case in point? Our rehearsal dinner cake.

Being that my fiancee is in the Navy, I REALLY wanted to order one of Mike's Amazing Cake's speciality cakes. I mean, look how fabulous this hat cake is! Problem? Yes! For a cake to feed only 20 people, the cost was over $150. Even if I could stomach that, the shipping cost (almost another $175) was enough to set me WELL over my budget.

Cost effective SOLUTION? I worked with Goose Grease (who was featured in this last issue of Martha Stewart Wedding) to create these one of a kind cake toppers. Our venue already provides a cake, so rather than have another 'grooms' cake, we're just going to decorate the existing cake with our fabulous goose grease cake toppers.

I have to give a shout out to the ladies at goose grease... not only did they do a FABULOUS job, but they were SO amazing to work with. I sent them photos of my fiance's uniform, and of what our dog, etc look like and they replicated it almost exactly.

Looking for a cost effective, but incredibly unique cake topper? Be sure to give the ladies at goose grease a call.

PS: they also do miniature cupcake versions... how cute these would be on top of a cupcake-tree.

Battling against cold feeet

So, it's a well known fact that i'm an ETSY addict. But when I came across these gems I actually laughed out loud. THIS is exactly why ETSY is so fabulous... I mean where else can you go to find such unusual and customized gifts that help complete any fab. party/wedding/etc.

So yes, I immediately added these to the cart. I mean, my fiancee couldn't live another second without these funny socks... right? :)

Check out Erin's shop - she's also got customized socks for the father of the bride, and the father-in-law to be.

Happy sock shopping!!

ETSY addict

How do I love ETSY? Let me count the ways.... agghhhh, who am I kidding, my ETSY shopping cart is a joke. I'm definitely an ETSY-addict. So from one addict to another - here's a fun idea for your wedding. How fabulous is this customized cake stand from Vesselsandwares? Affordable and such a great keepsake that can be used after the wedding. How FANTASTIC would it be to eat the top of your wedding cake a year later, and put it on this stand???

LOVING IT!

A CLUTCHING must have...

If you haven't yet heard of Rowena of RedRubyRose then you've definitely got to check out her ETSY shop. I had the pleasure of working with Rowena to create custom clutches for my bridesmaids (sorry... since there are a few of them that read this blog.. I can't spill too many beans). BUT, I can share with you some of her fantastic new designs. I can't say enough about RedRubyRose. Not only is Rowena a pleasure to work with ...but she sent me samples of the fabrics and customized each clutch! Her design aesthetic is unmatched - I love her prints and the way she places the prints on the bags. Not only are these fantastic additions to a wedding.. but think of the possibilities! Can't find a bag to match a special dress..?? WALLA, RedRubyRose surely can create something that will turn heads. Doesn't everyone need a special honeymoon clutch ;) ???

(PS: Not only is each piece hand made in the UK, but she's got the most fantastic packaging... every element is so very chic!)

Check out this new bag... Yes, I'm drooling over this one.

And I actually purchased this one for my mom... it will match perfectly with her dress!

And if I could manage it in the wedding budget... I'd love to have this one. How fantastic is the pop of color in the lining?

Clutching Must Haves

Okay, so I might already have somewhat of a 'thing' for clutches... but I just saw these on ETSY and had to post these. I love the girly look of EmmaGordonLondon's clutches. They'd make a fabulous bridesmaid gift - and I imagine could easily be customized to match your wedding (or any stellar outfit!)

You've got to check these out... (drooling over this!)....

And this one...

And if you havent' found a bridal clutch yet... This is pretty fantastic, and only $65!

Happy Shopping!

Recipe for Success

Another fabulous ETSY find (read:: I'm a serious ETSY addict)... how fantastic are these recipe cards? A big thanks to Bridal Buzz for pointing these out!! What a cute idea to include these at a bridal shower - or even including in an invitation instead of a guest book.