DIY Feature: Easy Beaded Bracelet from Cutediys

Today, I'm featuring a cute bracelet DIY from Cutediys, a new DIY website run by Pooja. Thanks so much Pooja for your DIY submission! I love this project idea for your bridesmaids! Especially if they're going to be mismatched. You can easily replace the beads with rhinestone strands as well, if you're looking to bling up the tutorial. From Pooja: I started this blog because I wanted to let people know that with a little creative thinking, you can practically make anything and everything at home. Whether it be for brides on a budget or just someone looking to "get their craft on", cutediys.com is website for everyone! The unique thing about Cutediys is that I feature video tutorials on YouTube that help the reader understand the DIY project better. My main goal at Cutediys is to make the reader feel that crafting can be easy, affordable and a lot of fun!

For the Groom: Allen Edmonds Neumok shoes

My husband has been searching for months for nice brown oxfords. And I really do mean months. I've spent more time in the Nordstrom men's shoe department than some of their sales people and I am not proud of that. But I did get a chance to check out some shoes that would look amazing on a groom or his groomsmen.

Photo: AllenEdmonds.com

One of my favorites is the Allen Edmonds Neumok Wingtip Oxford. And speaking of Nordstrom, they are in the midst of their Anniversary Sale, and the Neumoks are $100 less than normal price. A steal.

If you're not familiar with Allen Edmonds, just know that you're making an investment in a pair shoes that can last a decade if treated right. They are handmade in the USA out of premium leather and sport a hot-cork sole that molds to your feet over time. Give them a few wears (seriously it takes 3-4 wears to break in), and they will fit like a glove. And as the sole or shoe wears out, you can send it back to Allen Edmonds and it'll come back like new for a fraction of the cost you paid for new shoes. Check out this video. You're not just buying a shoe for one day, you're buying one for a years to come.

A rule of thumb is shoes as ornate as the Neumoks are not formal enough to pair with a suit. But that is an old man's rule. These shoes look amazing and would look just as amazing with a suit as they would with a pair of nice jeans. The colored laces add a little pop (though they do come with neutral laces) and could be a great finishing touch to the ensembles of the men in your wedding.

Photo: AllenEdmonds.com

The Neumoks come in various colors as well, including brown, olive, navy and red. You'll surely be able to find a color to satisfy. 

Do you have any other shoe recommendations?

Wedding Hair and Makeup Video

Adorable wedding hair and makeup tutorial video from BHLDN.

Mini Whisky Bottle Favors

How adorable are these?!

They can act like wedding favors and escort cards, too, which make them even more awesome!

Like em'? See more wedding favor ideas on our Pinterest!


Photography: Annie McElwain Photography, Coordination, Design + Florals: Bash, Please

Wedding Boutonnières + Flower Guide

I love this wonderful DIY tutorial by Maddie Eisenhart, Managing Editor at A Practical Wedding, that teaches you how to make a boutonnière! Click the image to the left to view the entire tutorial. Combine the tutorial with this wedding flower guide from BHLDN and have all you need to make boutonnières for your entire grooms side of the bridal party.

Linda + Brad: Real Engagement Session

Today, I'm featuring a real engagement session. What prompted me to share this session, wasn't that there was a huge amount of DIY ideas for an engagement session, or simply that Linda and Brad are adorable. But, more so that the session is a perfect illustration of how sometimes less is more and at the end of the day all the little details that go into a wedding aren't as important as the relationship between you and your partner. Plan an engagement photography session that centers around places you love and have fun with your future husband or wife! Thank you so much to Linda for sharing your story with us! Congratulations to you and Brad! From Linda: Brad and I met almost seven years ago when we both worked at a Chicago Loop restaurant. Funny enough, our first encounter was nothing like love at first sight. We saw the bold, stubborn, loud characteristics in one another right off the bat. But slowly, through working together and living in this big city we came to be friends and find feelings beneath that friendship. Though we had moved away from Chicago, we returned so our friend and incredible photographer, Blythe (http://blythecollins.blogspot.com/), could run our photo shoot. She knew me very well and us as a couple, so we asked her to suggest sites which she thought would have good character for a shoot. Since Chicago was woven into the fabric of our meeting and courtship, if you can call it that (though we're not very old school), we wanted it to be evident in the photos. We even wanted to feel it as we spent the afternoon together. Blythe took us to an alley which had cobblestone street pieces and a huge iron garage door. It was, symbolically, also located near the seminary where I studied for my Master's degree (Moody Bible Institute). Cool! We shot a series beneath the Brown Line train tracks, which I used to ride to visit Brad at his apartment. So Chicago. And we finished at a quirky used book store in Old Town called Open Books which is vibrant, colorful, and had a huge stuffed gorilla, by chance. Brad and I, about 3 years before we decided to get married, talked seriously about getting married (and decided not to). But we donated to a gorilla relief fund and "adopted" a gorilla. Her name was Segasira. It was the first unified thing we did together. And we were a couple who never lived together before marriage, so our gorilla daughter, Segasira, was this unity symbol we had. Somehow, I think it was always an indicator that we were meant for one another. Brad and I were married on October 8, 2011 in Palos Park, IL, just outside Chicago on a stableground. We had a Western themed wedding and processed into our ceremony on horseback, wearing cowboy boots and (Brad) a holstered gun and hat. It was such fun. Since being married, I've learned that Brad doesn't mind eating his food lukewarm. I always love my food to be piping hot, right out of the oven. But, Brad is never in a rush to get down to business at dinner. I can't believe I never knew! Share your story with us here!

Mark + Ash - Video short story

mark + ash // short story // 10 november 2012 from Humdrum Films on Vimeo.

Inspiration Board #39: Beach Wedding

My big sister is getting married in October! Eeep!
As her beach wedding is fast approaching, I can't stop thinking about beach details!
I had to post a beach inspiration board today. And it's a long coming update!


(From left to right: starfish pins, ring box, personalized sign, beach wedding gown, beaded seashells sash )

Maid of honor takes speech to another level

If you haven't seen this great maid of honor speech, you should. What's the best you've seen?