Hi everyone!
Sorry I have been away for so long. I have really been struggling lately with finding things to write about! I would love suggestions and am open to whatever you throw my way...I want to write relevant content ;)
For today, I just wanted to share some advice about wedding etiquette. I collect vintage books, and one of my favorite kinds of books to collect are etiquette books. I think that in today's ever moving, ever changing world, it is important to remember our manners. As a society, and particularly as a generation, we have moved away from face to face interactions because of the ease of technology, and, unfortunately, this has made some of us a little more out of touch with how to act properly.
This is especially a problem (I've found) when it comes to weddings. I get a lot of questions from people concerning wedding etiquette, and I've become increasingly more surprised as I find out that many (MANY) people do not know the basic etiquette surrounding this big life event.
Of course, our society is changing. Rules that were once set in stone are no longer as practical, but there is STILL (and always will be!) a place for kindness and gentility. Therefore, I think that this will probably be the most important post I ever write for brides and brides-to-be, and I would really encourage you to check out these sites and make an effort to plan your wedding properly.
These days, we have glorified the bride to a fault, as now many young ladies believe their wedding day is all about them and that is certainly not the case. The wedding day is about you and your husband to be, but it is JUST AS MUCH about your families and guests. Brides who plan selfishly without accounting for the needs of their families and guests are setting themselves up for a lot of hassle and unhappiness. Read these articles, think about ways to incorporate the advice into your planning process, and you will end up with a wedding planning process that is happy. I guarantee it :)
Emily Post Wedding Etiquette
The Washington Post (and Miss Manners) On Love
Wedding Etiquette for Dummies
Wedding Advice via Elegala
Sometimes (not always!) saving money on a venue equals out to having to settle for something that is pretty plain.
Tallmadge Community Center
Virginia O'Casek Party Center at the Summit County Fairgrounds
The event room at Strand Theater in Wadsworth
Luckily, with a bit of elbow grease, you can transform a plain room into something beautiful. It just takes a little work and planning (but isn't true for everything wedding related!?)
Before. Photo via Head Over Heels
After. Photo via Head over Heels
As seen above, draping and lighting can do wonders. Unfortunately, if you're on a tight budget, you may not be able to swing draping and lighting. Perhaps you will have to choose one or the other, or neither...which is where I hope this post will come in to give you some good alternative ideas. Trust me, you can still make a space beautiful without spending a fortune!!
The key to making a plain venue more fun is adding some kind of extra texture. This is can be easily achieved by using ceiling decor (balloons, lanterns, lights) or wall decor. Make sure if you want to do either of these things that you:
a. make sure it's okay with your venue
b. make sure ceilings aren't too high and will allow for hanging (some industrial ceilings make it easy to hang decorations, but have heaters built in, making hanging a fire risk)
a. make sure it's okay with your venue
b. make sure ceilings aren't too high and will allow for hanging (some industrial ceilings make it easy to hang decorations, but have heaters built in, making hanging a fire risk)
Here are a few tricks and tips.
Ceilings:
1. If hanging from drop ceilings, the easiest way is to get magnetic hooks. You just pop a magnet on one side and hang the hook from the other.
2. Balloons are an obvious choice because you can just fill them with helium and let them float up, adding a nice texture. (see my post on balloons for cost effectiveness and other hints.)
3. Exposed industrial ceilings (without heaters) are your friend. You can use string or wire to hang things really easily.
4. To get that nice center drape found in so many of our Pinterest dream pictures, use hula hoops as your center gather point. This makes a nice circle in the middle, and you can hang bunches of lanterns or light up balloons in the middle for a faux chandelier effect.
Walls:
If you are thinking of draping your walls (or a wall, or behind or head table) then you will basically follow the same method for hanging from the ceiling.
Otherwise:
1. Command hooks are your friend. If your venue will let you hang from the walls (ALWAYS ask!), these are a nice option as they are small, easy to hide and easy to take down (and less pesky and damaging than tape or staples).
2. Fishing line is a good, cheap, sturdy tool for hanging anything.
Again, I know draping AND lighting can be expensive. If you have to choose one or the other, I would go with lighting.
Lighting can add drama and dimension to a room without costing you as much in set-up or details as draping (because it is really as simple as planning out where you want your lights to go and plugging them in).
Good example of wedding uplighting and head table backdrop. Image via the Broke Ass Bride
You can even rent lights from DIY uplighting. They will ship them to you, you set them up, and then send them back. All it costs is a $25 deposit and the cost per light ($19).
Now that you have at least a basic grasp of the concept, here are some of my favorite good ideas and tutorials. Happy decorating!
Draping and backdrop on a budget. Image Via DIY Weddings Magazine
Not so fussy draping and accent wall done with supplies from Target for under $100.
Beautiful DIY wedding backdrop made with cheap supplies. Image Via Ruche Blog
Awesome tutorial for this stunning backdrop. Would be a great accent wall.
Easy budget DIY draping made with hula hoops. Image via the Busy Budgeting Mama.
Draped canopy tutorial using crepe paper and hula hoops
DIY wedding ceiling draping tutorial. Image Via Mardi Gras Outlet Blog
Draped ceiling tutorial using poly mesh. This is a bit more complex than the other tutorials.
Wedding ceiling draping done with a parachute. Image via 100 Day Wedding
Drape effect achieved by hanging a $35 parachute.
Simple DIY ceremony backdrop. Image via Martha Stewart Weddings
Beautiful wall backdrop that can be made by hanging strips of fabric from a frame made of PVC pipe
Hanging mini lights makes for an easy ceremony or reception DIY. Image via Tumblr.
A little history and etiquette lesson today:
I think that I can say with relative certainty that most of us are on Pinterest (and when I say on, I really mean "obsessed-with").
It is cold in Ohio. This should not really be a surprise, but the cold comes after three days of 74 degree weather (yes, in January).
Needless to say, today's shivers have lead me to hunker down on the couch with the pup to reminisce about sunny days. I've been on Pinterest too much, which made me think about how I never blogged about my wedding. So I figured I would do that today (two and half years late, but better late than never right?)
