DIY Decorations (Walls & Ceilings)

One of the hardest things to work out about a wedding is the budget. Unfortunately one of the first things that tends to get  cut due to budget is the location. A high class place can end up costing up to tens of thousands of dollars that you just can't always afford. So instead of going incredibly into debt for a nice location or sinking into despair due to the basketball hoops or ugly walls of your unwanted location just think about what you can do to fix it!


There is always the option of doing an outside wedding but the you have to worry about the weather. Will it rain, snow, be too windy? For those of you who don't want to risk it here are a few ideas as to how to spruce up a place inside inexpensively and easily.

Walls

There are so many things that you can do to help cover your walls. It all depends on your budget. If you have enough cash you could always do an inside tent or drape fabric but that can still become too expensive and some places don't allow you to hang things from their walls. A great way around that is to only to some areas and to put up supports. For instance you could use a trellis as a support for certain areas and hang fabric from those areas. When thinking about fabric think about price. Don't spend $6 a yard when you can go to the sale areas and pay only $1 or $2 a yard for something very similar.

You can also use mirrors. Strategically placed full length mirrors tilted against walls can really add some class and can make a small room seem bigger or a poorly lit room seem brighter. Pictures of the couple or even of relatives on their wedding day can also help create a beautiful space that will also give guests something to do. Either hanging them up on walls or on the trellis give it a gallery sort of feel while having it displayed on a table can make it have a more casual feel. If you don't feel like showing pictures of yourself choosing ones that you enjoy or even other forms of art to display can help make the place feel a lot more personable and help guests get a peek into both of you as a couple.

If you are desiring more of a garden feel you can keep the trellis up or even just bring in fake or real trees and bushes. Borrowing or renting a fountain is a great idea for this sort of wedding. The running water and general splendor of a fountain give it a secret or upscale garden feel without much clean up. Outside benches and tall light posts also are great!

Ceiling

Basketball hoops or typical gym ceilings can make a classy wedding seem impersonal and distract from your other decorations. To avoid that you don't need to cover all of the ceiling, you just need to give something to draw the eye to. One great way is with renting or buying used chandeliers. They are very upscale and great for lighting! If you want the same idea but more casual you can also find at craft stores wicker balls of various sizes with lights already strung into them for relatively cheap.

If you want something a bit more casual you can also hang strips of fabric across the top with a rope tied from one end to another. The pieces of fabric don't even need to touch. If lighting is a worry you can also run strands of clear lights up as well.

If that is too much fabric to deal with a great way to make it even more affordable is to get a white parachute and hang it from the ceiling. You don't have to get a real one. Even making a large circle of any color and hanging it from the center of the room can really make a huge difference. Hanging icicle lights around it is also a great idea for making it even more special.

Just remember that what you do is a description of both of you as a couple. It doesn't matter if you want it casual or if you want it formal. You can make it into your dream with a budget you can afford if you put forth a little effort. A great website for decorating ideas for a cultural hall or odd venues is http://weddingsunique.wordpress.com/ They specialize in this sort of stuff and have beautiful pictures of some weddings they have done. Have fun and go crazy!

The Dress

Almost any women would agree that the most important part of the wedding is the dress. It can be trying though finding one that fits right, is the style that you want, and is in a price range that you can afford. Altering can be expensive so when you are choosing a dress think of what style fits your body type best. Almost any style will work with any body type but you have to know how to make that style fit yours.

Apple Shape

For the woman with an apple shaped body it can be difficult to find a dress that you feel beautiful in and can ignore your "imperfections" while wearing. When choosing a dress a few ideas to help you minimize these insecurities think of a few of these tips.

• V-necks can help you bring a narrow focal point and will make you look slimmer because it creates a vertical visual line
• Wearing an a-line dress or an empire waist will make you look smaller because it will flow away from the body without creating extra volume 
• Use textured bodices to camouflage imperfections or insecurities
• Find a dress with beading, belts, sashes, and styles that draw the focus around your waist to one particular thing

Pear Shape

Women who  have a pear shaped body tend to feel insecure due to carrying extra weight on the hips. When shopping for your dress play up the top to emphasize a small waist and feminine shoulders.

• Look for a dress that flows away from the hips instead of clinging to it.
• Use embellishments to show off your waist or bust
• A scoop or boat neck, sleeves, and off the shoulder styles can help broaden the shoulders and create balance
• A ball gown the emphasizes the waist, including a flat front style without a full skirt can make you look balanced and really play up how skinny you are!

Hour Glass

As a woman with an hour glass figure you have such a beautiful curvy figure you just need to accentuate your assets.

• A mermaid or trumpet style dress with the skirt flaring out around the knees shows off your curves with class.
• The corset will support a large bust and can help accentuate your curves even more
• Wearing a scoop neck or strapless will help keep your silhouette soft 
• If trying to keep it modest wear a short jacket. It will keep you covered and still show all of your curves

Rectangular Shapes

Women with a rectangular figure tend to look more athletic and lean. Most women would kill for your body and you  just need to know how to find a dress that shows  how feminine and beautiful you are.

• Wearing a modified sheath dress will create a soft outline and can smooth over all your curves to accentuate them
• An empire waist dress or any dress that has embellishment around the bust is great because it accentuates your bust and can make it look larger    

Plus Sized 

Love your shape! Embrace all of you and remember when looking for a dress that you are beautiful. Just remember the key in finding your dress is support.

• Look for simplicity. You will want dresses that minimize your waistline and create the illusion of smaller hips and thighs
• A halter top will support you and draw attention to the great bust that you have
• Keep beading to a minimum, and opt for flat beads instead of round ones
• A fuller skirt will mask your lower body
• Angled lines will minimize the fullness of your figure, so look for a dress with a dropped V-waist and a V-neckline. Princess and A-line dresses are the best silhouettes for you.

 Petite Frames

Adding the illusion of height is the hardest thing about finding your dress.  Just remember a few key points and you will be feeling tall and beautiful on your wedding day.

• Get a dress that doesn't have a defined waist. This will help you look taller because you wont be chopped visually in the middle
• Use detailing to your advantage. Beading and lace in a vertical direction will make you look taller and lean as well
• An empire waist or A-line will make you look taller and can smooth over any trouble spots on your body
• Avoid poofy dresses or dresses with too much embellishment. This can make you look even smaller if there is too much going on. 

When choosing a dress look for one that fits your own personal style and one that fits with the feel of you wedding. Also remember that you don't have to choose a white dress. If you are going for a more contemporary feel you can wear any color. Some of the most beautiful and fun weddings I have been to the bride is wearing a shorter colored dress. When looking for your dress just remember that you are beautiful. You can look however you want and that you need to feel confident in it. There are literally millions of dresses out there. That means that there are several that will make you feel like you are as beautiful as you really are. 

All of these dresses I found on theknot.com

DIY Weddings

When it comes to a wedding figuring out how to do things yourself can be the only way to make it affordable. From making your own food, to making your own dress or your decorations. Its all in the details and by doing it yourself you can make sure you get all of the details you want along with the price that you can afford.

You don't have to use real flowers for your wedding boutonnieres -- here are three cute alternatives to a freshly picked bloom -- all using buttons!

To create the yellow boutonniere:
• 1. Collect silver and yellow buttons of all sizes and shapes.
• 2. Arrange them one on top of the other to form mini arrangements resembling flowers. Use a green wire (fishing wire or those carried at craft stores works well) to thread through the buttons, holding them all together.
• 3. Gather all of the "stems" of your new little button flowers and wrap the green wire around it over and over to create volume.
• 4. Attach a safety pin to the back and you've got a little bouquet of buttons!

(See how nice this one looks against the light suit? It's a great summer pick but works well year round. Choose brighter buttons to contrast against the more subtle ones you're using.)

For the blue and white boutonnieres:
• 1. Gather fabric covered buttons with similar colors in a variety of patterns.
• 2. Cut out a little leaf shape out of a neutral color fabric (which should be the same for all of the boutonnieres).
• 3. Thread together the back of the buttons, attaching them to the leaf.
• 4. Take thin green ribbon and cover a short stick or bundle of toothpicks to create the stem.
• 5. Sew or tie the bundle of buttons to the top of the stick, creating the buds.
• 6. Attach a safety pin to the back and you're all set!

For the stem-less flower:

• 1. Cut eight pieces of ribbon, 5 inches long. Pick a cute pattern as this will be the “petals” and the main focus of the boutonniere.
• 2. Loop over the ribbon, gathering all of the ends in the middle. (A tip: it helps if you glue or sew the ends down to a small piece of cardboard so they stay together.)
• 3. Glue a similar colored button to the center of the ribbon so the ends are hidden.
• 4. Glue the safety pin to the back of the cardboard.
• 5. For reinforcement, go back and sew all of the parts together right through the middle.

Check out http://mydiyweddingday.com/ for some really great ideas besides just these ones!

Make your own invitations really cheap! If you want ones that are still high class and you just don't think you are the crafty type check out this fool proof way to make invitations inexpensive and easy!

Embossed Invitation

• 1. Get blank invitations of your choice from a craft store. Buy an embossing ink and color of your choice and choose a stamp or several that you like.
• 2. Print invitation location and names on invitations from your home computer. You can find wording and examples all over online and in any bridal magazine.
  
• 3. Stamp with embossing ink, cover with loose powder, and tap off excess powder onto paper so it can still be reused.
  
• 4. Blow dry with hair dryer and they are ready to go!

This is a great way because you still get expensive looking invitations for literally penny's on the dollar! Other easy ideas for making your own invitations include adding on ribbon or bows, buttons, or even just pictures as your background. You can even do them on old post cards or as movie tickets depending on your theme.





















One idea that I love and am seriously considering doing for my own wedding is a I-Spy picture game for on the table. Have disposable cameras on each table along with a wedding I-Spy list of pictures that you want to have taken. You can have anything on the list and you might even get your favorite photos from these.

Your list could include some of the following:

• A sweet kiss
• Big white dress
• Someone you love
• A white cake
• Twirling around
• Some fancy flowers
• A bubbly drink
• A great big hug
• A sparkly diamond
• Two people holding hands
• Some advice or thoughts from your own mouth (this can be made from wood or styrofoam and chalkboard paint to look like a comic strips voice)

There are so many things you can do and I look forward to sharing more and more ideas with all of you! Let me know if there are any questions you have or things you want me to look up. This is what I love to do!