Handmade Wedding!

As promised, I am back today to post a few (or maybe more!) pics of the handmade components of our wedding day. Not everything was handmade by me; some things I purchased from Etsy, the cake was made by James, and even my family got involved. It wouldn't have been my dream wedding without a few handmade touches - it's the little things that really count, and when they're made by you, or especially for you, the little things become the things that are most remembered and most treasured.

So, without further ado, here's everything handmade...

First up is the stuff I made. A lot of the materials I used were bought online from etsy. If you're not familiar with etsy you best change that cos as a scrapbooker you will love it - etsy is your one stop shop for all things craft supplies!!! Knitting, quilting, scrapping, you name it. I found everything I needed from various stores on etsy, with one of the only exceptions being my stationary which I bought from Starfish Lane in Perth. They have an online store too.

Placecards and menus;


















I used this same twine for all our stationary from the invite to the favour boxes to the thank you cards. It is actually paper yarn! And it is awesome stuff - you can even knit with it!

Twine from etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/PaperPhine

Favour boxes;













Each guest received one of these small kraft favour boxes at their place setting at the reception. The girls got a pair of handmade pearl earrings and the boys a set of nautical cufflinks.

Plain boxes (and earrings) from http://www.etsy.com/shop/dutchpearl

Centrepiece;


















I made this using a vase from Spotlight, white gravel, and a few starfish. Done in minutes!!! I also had votives filled with the same gravel, two fish bowls and a few other bits and pieces.

Bouquet;













I'm no florist but I figured I'd give it a go to save a bit of money. Turns out shipping on the silk flowers was ridiculous but I didn't realise until afterwards so my bouquet probably cost as much as a fresh one. The plus side though is that I can keep my bouquet forever and it will always look the same as it did on my wedding day!

The flowers I used are silk Baby's Breath and dried Billy Buttons (Craspedia).

Dried flowers from esty http://www.etsy.com/shop/EcoLecticEvents

What made my bouquet extra special was that sewn to it was a vintage locket (my something old!) containing photos of my late grandmother and James' pop who passed away a few months ago. It made a few people cry knowing they were there with us on the day. It was very important to James and I that we recognise their presence.

Flower girl confetti;













Though not technically handmade, these were hand-gathered. Took me forever!!! Many trips to the beach, sitting on the sand while everyone else swam, getting sand under my fingernails! LOL! The things you do!

Ring bearer book;













This piece didn't quite eventuate as I had envisaged - I left James in charge of tying the rings to the book once all our guests had written their well wishes into it... but he left the rings in their boxes! LOL! Don't tell him I laughed!!! He'll kill me even knowing I told you all this!

Book from http://www.etsy.com/shop/braggingbags

Drink bottles;































James and his boss collected used juice bottles from the restaurant they work. I then cleaned and sterilised them, painted the lids with enamel paint, then finished them off with paper labels covered in contact to prevent water damage.

I then filled the bottles with handmade juices including Traditional Lemonade, Berry Cordial, Lychee and Pineapple Colada, and Earl Grey Summer Tea. I might share the recipes for those in another post.

Straws from etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/weddesigns?ref=seller_info

Confetti bags;


















I filled the confetti bags with Ecofetti given it was being used at the beach. It dissolves almost instantly meaning no harm done to the environment as a result of our festivities!

Kraft bags from etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/mrrabbitsir

Stamps from Stampin' Up!

Car decorations;













I HAD to make one of those can thing-a-ma-jigs for the back of the car. Just used clean ring-pull tins, embellished with ribbon. I also cut letters from white vinyl on the Cricut machine for the 'Just Married' sign on the back window of our car.

James also had a hand in making something for our big day... he made the cake!!! We had a lemon sponge iced with Royal icing. It was yummo! He may have lost his temper once or twice, and cooked the cake three times over, but the end result was gorgeous and tasted fantastic! But the best bit was smashing him in the face with a piece after we cut the cake! LOL!













From early on, I had really wanted a couple of handmade signs to mark the 'entrance' to our wedding ceremony and to signpost where there were drinks available for our guests, but eventually gave up on the idea due to our time running out too fast. Just days before the wedding, my brother-in-law asked James if there was anything that still neeeded doing... he set him to work making the signs!!! They turned out fabulous! It is funny cos my BIL never saw the picture in my scrapbook, yet the signs he made look almost identical!













The rest of the handmade things that were part of our wedding day were purchased from talented crafters on etsy. Each and every item was made to my custom requests and delivered in no time at all. I'd highly recommend any of the following shops;












Burlap table runner from http://www.etsy.com/shop/straightstitch













Clutch (photographed sitting in a basket) from http://www.etsy.com/shop/DavieandChiyo













My something blue was James' idea - a toe ring from http://www.etsy.com/shop/88Links













Bridal headband from http://www.etsy.com/shop/BeSomethingNew

Flowergirl headband from http://www.etsy.com/shop/DavieandChiyo













Baby bowtie from http://www.etsy.com/shop/MeandMatilda













Flowergirl dress from http://www.etsy.com/shop/sweetplume

Flowergirl basket from http://www.etsy.com/shop/RomancingJuliet













Dress from http://www.etsy.com/shop/yourfairytalewedding

If you look closely you can see that I wore a starfish/pearl/rhinestone necklace, pearl earrings and a pearl/rhinestone bracelet. All three pieces were stunning and were purchased from http://www.etsy.com/shop/plumbcrazy













A totally uneccessary buy (Seriously who actually needs a feather pen?! LOL!) but one I'm so glad that I made because it felt so luxurious using it to sign our certificate... pen from http://www.etsy.com/shop/JustPens

I don't have photos to share, but I also bought all my bridesmaid's jewellry, my garter, the family union medallions both the kids received following our vows and the exchange of our rings, as well as a couple of other table decorations including a wooden seagull and a sailing ship from etsy.

Mum says I'm addicted to etsy and she's probably right, but my wedding day was better for it! Having the opportunity to hand craft and to have handmade a number of elements for our wedding day made our day extra unique and even more meaningful.

I am so much addicted to etsy that I have decided I'll open my own shop soon! I'll let you know once there are things added to my store.

I hope this HUGE post has inspired you!

Until next time, take care and thanks for dropping by!!!