Addressing your wedding invitations can be one of the most daunting tasks as a bride; especially if don't have the best handwriting like me! :)  It is obviously easiest to hire a calligrapher but unfortunately that doesn't always fall within the budget.  So save yourself some money and DIY!  I found "Calligraphy for Beginners" on Project Wedding today and it seems like the perfect solution.  One thing to note is that this will most likely require a lot of patience if you want to get it right.

According to this DIY tutorial you will need the following supplies (totaling $10)

1. Speedball Oblique Copperplate Pen Holder $1.89 each
2. Pointed Nib like Gillott 404 $.76 each
3. Calligraphy Ink or Goache-watered down $8
   
4. Practice Envelopes or paper

For the detailed tutorial read the article here.  Good luck and please share if you end up trying it out!

images courtsey of Project Wedding

Monica and I are currently planning a green wedding reception in Seattle with a strict budget.  We have been exploring various eco-friendly centerpiece and favor ideas and I just can't let go of the idea of using herbs! The groom comes from a large Italian family and they will be serving Italian food to all their guests. Herb and moss centerpieces seem like the perfect fit for this reception given their low cost and compliment to the Italian food.  These images have been inspiring me. What do you think? We would love to know your thoughts!

You can even have a living moss ring pillow!

Images courtsey of Hip Hostess, Intimate Wedding, Snippet and Ink, Harrison Events,

In the Now Weddings, Amelia Occasions, Wedding Number Three,

Main Wedding Photographer and Kaboodle

When planning a wedding many couples choose to have their wedding during the summer months.  The summer is especially enticing because of the warm days, long nights and beautiful vibrant colors.  Although many of us enjoy the those sky-rocketing temperatures summer often delivers, the heat can often leave wedding attendants and attendees overheated and uncomfortable.  This got me thinking about clever ways of keeping your guests cool while still mainting the theme and styles of your wedding. 

Providing guests with decorative fans is a creative and inexpensive way to keep your guests comfortable during the festivities. I am absolutely in love with the idea of using fans as the foundation of your ceremony programs or primarily as wedding favors.   Instead of leaving your wedding favors on reception tables, why not give your guests something that will come in handy at the ceremony.  You can order pre-printed fans made from recycled material, or try making this a fun DIY project!  Here are just a few examples of super cute ways to mix and match fans with various colors and styles into your wedding programs or favors.  

Images courtesy of Hanson Ellis

Images courtesy of Hanson Ellis and  Daisy Days

Images courtesy of Etsy

One of our readers, Aileen was kind enough to share some beautiful photos from her eco-friendly wedding in Connecticut this past August.  They were married at Castle Craig in a lovely outdoor reception, which required no decorating due to the natural beauty of the grounds.  Aileen is a highly creative and talented individual and therefore was able to incorporate a lot of DIY projects that not only reduced the environmental impact of her wedding but also kept her overall wedding expenses down.  I was blown away when I saw all that she did!  Through her creativity and design she was able to incorporate her Japanese heritage and I must say her work paid off, as her wedding was absolutely stunning.

Cermony Location: Castle Craig

Not only were the flowers and decor eco-friendly but they also provided their guests with local, edible candies from Lamothe's Sugar House and kept their guests informed through their wedding website.  You can check out more photos on our facebook page but I thought I would leave you with a little advice from Aileen:

"It's your day. Do as you want and envision. Don't worry about breaking traditions or doing something new or unusual. The most important thing, in the end, is that you are married to the man you love and everything else is just window dressing. If you are having fun and enjoying yourself so will everyone else. And being different is fun! :) "

I have been doing a lot of research and work around eco-friendly wedding invitations, programs and escort cards the past few weeks.  I came across WeddingDna and thought this site would be a great resource for some of our DIY readers who are trying to reduce their wedding expenses.  Similar to a posting I did a few weeks ago on Sweet Penelope this website also allows you to download various invitation, program, save the date or menu templates for a $40.00 annual fee.  You can even design your own using the images they have provided.  Check them out and let us know what you think!