This morning I read an article discussing the merits of a co-ed shower (the article focuses on baby showers, but applies to any kind of shower where two people are getting gifts), and I immediately felt very old-fashioned, and to be totally honest, kind of stupid.

Image via Glamour and Grace HI everyone. Sorry I have been MIA for awhile. To be totally honest, I've just had a pretty severe case of writer's block. For awhile, I've wanted to take the blog in a different direction, but I haven't been quite sure where or how that would work.

Image via Bella-Fiori Events.

Rose petal aisle runners are beautiful and classic, but unless you're a florist, you may not know just how many petals you need to achieve the look you see all over Pinterest. That's where Petal Garden's "Petal Quantity Calculator" comes in handy: input your coverage type, area and aisle length, and it spits out just how many petals you'll need to achieve the look you're after for your wedding.

Labor Day is this weekend and pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks are right around the corner (!!!!!!), which means that Fall is almost upon us. This has been a hit and miss summer for us Northeast Ohioans, and I for one am excited to break out the boots and sweaters and cozy up to Fall.
I know that there are a lot of Fall Brides out there getting ready for their last month (or two) countdowns, who may be looking for some last minute crafts to add that special DIY touch to their weddings. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Greet your guests with a cute Monogram berry wreath on the doors of your reception hall.
The first can be purchased on Etsy, the second could easily be made with more stems to achieve a fuller look.

Image via ElegantWreath on Etsy

Image via Cara Wilkerson on e-How

Want to make the monogram too? Here is a SUPER AWESOME tutorial using dollar store items:

Image via InMyOwnStyle.com

In case you don't know, here is a handy guide to monogramming.

2. Use some pumpkins or gourds for nice Fall accent pieces on a gift table, cake table or escort table. Click the image for a DIY tutorial.

Image via Green Wedding Shoes.

Use a tutorial like this one to make a gold leaf head chain:

Image via Chic Steals

It's been awhile since the last round up, so here are some new deals just waiting to be scooped up by you budget Brides!

Happy Monday everyone!

Buying a wedding gown or bridesmaids dress online can be scary; you just never know when it is going to show up or how it is going to look.

My beautiful talented cousin Cassandra is getting married (yippee!) and is tossing around the idea of having a modern twist on a Midsummer Night's Dream for her theme (she is so creative).

I've said it before and I'll probably say it again about a hundred more times, but the real reason I continue to have readers on this blog is because you Ohio Brides out there love your country weddings. Us Midwestern girls just love the thought of throwing on cowgirl boots and glamming up an old barn.

Cake is cake. So why spend thousands upon thousands?

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes....the baby in the baby carriage!

Hiii. Sorry I have been neglecting the blog lately, but here is proof that I have been hard at work getting things ready for the shower this weekend.

I've been passing this adorable little brick building on my way home from outings for months now, and even though there is a giant sign on the side that says "Available for rent," I've never bothered to stop or call. Shame on me: I'm a bad blogger.

Hi everyone!
Sorry it has been so long. I have been working on some other projects, one of which I'm excited to share with you today!
I have the privilege of being the matron-of-honor in my dear friend Lisa's wedding, and along with that comes the fun of planning her bridal shower. The shower is coming up soon, so last week I went and walked through our venue and got to work on designing/putting together/mailing out the invites.
I love sparkles (what girl doesn't?) and have fallen in love with pink and gold. I've been collecting ideas on Pinterest for months now, but have arranged some of my favorites into this mood board:


top left, middle, top right, bottom right, bottom left
The shower doesn't necessarily have a theme, but the plan is for it to be girly and fun. Invitations are important because they are the first taste your guests will have of the festivities, so I wanted to design something that was elegant but whimsical, and, of course, heavy on the pink and gold.
I scoured google and pinterest for clip art and fonts, and found some really great stuff.
Here is how they turned out:



I was so excited about the cute Vintage Seed Packet stamps that are out right now. Aren't they great?
I found the clip art for the lace background via ClipArt ETC, manipulated the image to make it symmetrical and changed the color tone.
The fonts used were:
Basic Title Font
Lavenderia
Bergamot Ornaments
KG Flavor and Frames
I purchased all of the supplies (gold doilies, cardstock, envelopes and gold washi tape for the envelope seals) at Hollo's Paper Craft in Brunswick for around $25. I made about 50 invitations (SO CHEAP). The most expensive part was postage (yuck).
I can't wait for next month and have been compiling all of my ideas and stock piling supplies.
P.S. here is the venue space:

I. can't. wait.

Let's be real: online shopping can be scary, especially when it comes to shopping for your super important bridal gown. Sizes can be all wrong, it can be a nightmare to ship, gowns are often made in China, which makes customer service virtually non-existant. And what if you get the dress and you hate it? Some online sites have no guarantee, and a complicated return process.
Knowing all of this, I'm excited to feature today's vendor, Simplybridal.com. They are an online retailer offering custom made wedding dresses at "I can't believe it" prices (read: most less than $600, some under $100). Sound too good to be true? Here's what I found in my research (and there are a lot of pros!): they are an American company (based in CA), they offer low prices, beautiful gowns made with quality materials. They offer custom sizing and an amazingly QUICK turn around (30 calendar days!!!), as well as a 30 day money back guarantee, all backed by the Better Business Bureau. They've been featured on Style Me Pretty, Wedding Chicks, and the SF Gate (the San Francisco Chronicle), all legitimate sources.
So, why so cheap? Simply Bridal aims to cut out the middle man, with the belief that weddings shouldn't cost the bride a fortune (a belief I can agree with!). Simply Bridal offers their product online, cutting out the cost of high end boutiques or salons, giving each bride a made to fit gown that is not only affordable but beautiful. Their styles are right on par with the latest trends, most likely because they employ graduates from FIDM (Lauren Conrad's alma mater) and FITNYC (big names in the fashion industry). Just take a look:
Simply Bridal Hannah Gown
Simply Bridal Iris Gown
Simply Bridal Emma Gown (my favorite)
Their website is also a great resource for brides looking for inspiration or trends, and it's easy to navigate. Each dress features several pictures and a video, so you get a good idea of what you're purchasing. They also have bridesmaids dresses, veils and accessories.
I could go on and on about the site, but you really have to head over and check it out for yourself.
In exciting news, the team over at Simply Bridal is offering Party for Less readers a special 15% off discount code that can be applied to any purchase! Just enter the code below in at checkout, but hurry, the code expires July 6th. Now is also the time to buy, as there is currently a limited time sale running.
If you make a purchase, let me know! I would love to see your dress in action.
Happy shopping!

Disclosure: This post was not sponsored. I received no compensation; all views and opinions are my own. All photos used with permission by SimplyBridal.com.

Well, if I've learned anything in the past week, it's that I have a lot of readers who LOVE real weddings. I had over 400 views on Brooke and Mate's wedding post the day I put it up! I will definitely try to bring you more real, local weddings. It's always fun to see the beautiful things that are happening close to home.
Today I want to share pictures from a wedding that I had the honor of being a part of as a bridesmaid. The bride, Kristina, is one of my best friends, and was a bridesmaid in my wedding, so I was thrilled when she called me to tell me she was engaged, and even more thrilled when she asked me to be one of her girls.
A little backstory: Kristina (the realist) met Tyler (the comedian) at school in Idaho. A few things you should know about Tyler and Kristina- they're both insanely smart, deeply thoughtful, best-friend-to-all faithful people. Everyone else saw them as a perfect match, except for Kristina, who initially disliked Tyler (I think because she knew deep down that he was meant for her). It took a lot of discussing, spending time together, Tolkien jokes and fervent prayers, but when they figured it out, it was a no-brainer. I'm thrilled to tears to see how happy they are together, and to see the beautiful relationship that God has built.
Their wedding was simple but filled with a lot of fun DIY details. Tyler just graduated and Kristina still has a year of school, so they didn't want to spend a fortune on their wedding day festivities. What resulted was a tasteful and appropriate celebration that was jam packed with a lot of fun. I've said this quite often and I'll say it again, YOU CAN have a beautiful celebration on a small budget, but you have to plan plan plan. A lot of brides get themselves into a lot of trouble because they want everything for less. I will tell you right now that it won't happen. The key to budgets is picking what is most important to YOU and cutting back where it counts (guest count and food are the two biggest).
Anyway, to the wedding!
Location: Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, a beautiful old church in Valley City (just outside of Medina) with a gorgeous brand new fellowship hall.
DIY details: hair, makeup, candle centerpieces, flowers, boutonnieres, food at reception
Best budget detail: Cake and punch with a twist- guests were offered two kinds of cupcakes with a myriad of toppings and frosting for a "build your own cupcake" bar
Sorry in advance for the pictures, my camera was in the shop for repairs so I only had my phone. You'll get the idea though :)
















Congratulations again :)
Location: Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
2233 Abbeyville Road
Valley City, OH 44280
(330) 483-3873
Dress: David's Bridal
Cake: Family Friend

I'm so excited to share the details of this beautiful wedding. Brooke has been one of my dear friends for years now, and her family is famous for their decorating and knack for throwing awesome parties (Mystery Dinners, beautiful showers, awesome firework filled Fourth of Julys- this family is pretty amazing). So, when Brooke announced her engagement, I was so excited to see what they would plan.