Sunday Brunch: Amazing DIY Pillows for a Reception Lounge

Happy Budget Brides!!!

The weekends is a great time to start DIY projects. Just think you grab your morning coffee, weekend paper and catch a seat on the couch. As you go through you find the Michaels (or craft store coupons) in the Sunday paper you can clip them out and make your way there.

Here is an amazing DIY project from the ladies of I Love To Create Blog via Ashley from Bride on a Budget. These pillows are so cute and can be made at a low cost. They would make a great addition to a bathroom bench, reception lounge area as well as the perfect souvenior from your special day.

Check out the entire post here.

Making the Ordinary Original.... Macarons

Happy Monday Budget Brides!!!

Over the last couple of months a friend of mine has been discussing with me some of the details of her friends' weddings. She was a little taken back because she had shared her own wedding details with this friend and come to find out those details was definitely in the friends wedding so it got me to think. Two brides can definitely have the same idea but what makes the ideas special is originality.

Below are two images of a Macaron Tower with sparkles sprouting out of it. The Macarons are definitely ordinary but the flair of the tower and sparklers is so original.







Here are some ideas to make your Ordinary Ideas Original.


1. Decide on a theme and emerse your entire wedding in it. For example, if you and your fiance love Chinese food. Emerse yourself in the Chinese wedding culture and incorporate those details in your wedding. Maybe have a 10 course meal, wear a red kimono reception dress or create a invitation in chinese with a decoder feature.


2. Having a black tie wedding make it a masquerade theme and provide the masks. Your guests will love it.


3. Take a favorite dish you love and incorporate it into your wedding. Mr. Budget and I love his grandmother's receipe of Jewish Salad so we'll probably have it has our salad course when we get married.



So Budget Brides, what Ordinary ideas are you/ have you made orginial? And if possible let us know what your budget was.



Images via Swanky Tables via Cherry Blossom Girl

Treat Your Bridal Party..... Whoopie Pies

Happy Monday Budget Brides!!!

I have seen Whoopie Pies in all of the candy bars lately. I have never tasted them but they look oh so delicious. So I thought that I would share a recipe with you that I found on My Baking Addicition. As many of you may know that getting together your bridesmaids for meetings or wedding duties can be hard and expensive if your feeding them in payment for their time. I think desserts are many times a low cost way of giving your party a treat without breaking your wallet.




My Baking Addicition used the recipe below for Valentine's Day but they can be used for any occasion. So whip up a batch for your bridal party and send us some pics. You may see yourself on the web. LMBO

Red Velvet Whoopie Pie Recipe

1 Tablespoon of Unsalted Butter
1 Cup Cake Flour
1/3 Cup of Unsweeten Cocoa (not Dutch process)
1/2 Tablespoon of Salt
2/3 Cup of Canola Oil
3/4 Cups of Granulated Sugar
1 Large Egg
2 Tablespoons of Red Food Coloring
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla
1/2 Cup of Buttermilk
1/2 Teaspoon of Baking Soda
3/4 Teasppon of White Vinegar


Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place spray foil liners with non-stick cooking spray and place on a cookie sheet.

2. Whisk cake flour, cocoa and salt in a bowl.

3. Place oil and sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer and beat at medium speed until well blended. With machine on low, very slowly add red food coloring. (Proceed with care it may splash) Add vanilla. Add flour mixture aternately with buttermilk in two batches. Scrape down bowl and beat just long enough to combine.

4. Place baking soda in a small dish, stir in vinegar and add to batter with machine running. Beat for 10 seconds.

5. Place 1 tablespoon of batter per foil heart pan.

6. Place in oven and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 10-14 minutes. Let cake cool in pans for 10 minutes. Then remove from pans and cool completely before frosting.

7. Slice the cakes in half and frost the inside with cream cheese frosting then sandwich the cakes together. (You can decorate the edges of the cream cheese with sprinkles)

Directions to Make Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8) Ounce of Cream Cheese, Softened

3 Tablespoons of Butter, Softened

1 lb of Confectioner's Sugar

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Abstract

Using a mixer blend of the ingredients together until smooth and creamy and spread between layers.

So Budget Brides, what budget options have you used in terms of feeding your bridal party?

Image and Recipe via My Baking Addicition

Amazing DIY Rose Shoe Applique

Happy Thursday Budget Brides!!

I found this amazing DIY tutorial to make Rose Applique for shoes on Wedding Bee courtsey of Mrs. Cola. These shoes would be a great addition to spice up a wedding gown or bridesmaid dresses. Now I love this idea just at the toe section of the shoe and maybe a few roses at the ankle. But if you model that saying from Texas, "Go Big or Go Home", then these beauties are right up your alley. I'll have to contact Mrs. Cola to find out the cost but I just couldn't wait to share these beauties with you.


Click here for Rose Shoe Applique Tutorial.

Images via Mrs. Cola on Wedding Bee

So Budget Brides, have you created an DIY projects for your wedding? If so, what were they?

What do you think of these shoes? (Remember to be kind! This is a fellow Budget Brides work of art.)

Also if you don't mind sharing, send us an email to info@thebudgetbrideshandbook.com with DIY Projects in the subject line and you may just be the next DIY feature on The BBH.

P.S. Thanking Mrs. Cola from Wedding Bee for an amazing post.

Super Cool & AFFORDABLE Place Cards!!!

Happy Wednesday Budget Brides!!!

I found this super cool photo place card on a blog called Libby James. Libby actually featured The BBH on her blog Tuesday to our surprise. Anyways, this polariod place card is an amazing and affordable way to create place cards that represent you and your fiance. Below the picture you can find the items you will need to recreate this look.





Items Needed for this project:

• Polaroid Camera
• Polariod Film
• Place Card Holder

Want to take this project to the next level?

Many couples opt to have a photobooth or photo table. You can turn your place cards into favors by setting up a photo table at your wedding where guests can take pictures of themselves and place them in a photobook for you and then have a picture of themselves to remember the night. Talking about killing to birds with one stone. See below for a listing of what you will need to accomplish your photo table.

Items Needed for Photo Table:

• 2 Polariod Cameras (You may need more depending on the number of guests. I would say 1 for very 75 guests)
• Polariod Film (I would allocate about 3 pictures to each guest.)
• 2 Photobooks (You may need more depending on number of guests.)
• Pens & Sharpies (Having pens & sharpies available gives your guest the opportunity to leave you messages of love and well wishes.)

Need Pricing? Come back tomorrow for a full follow up on how to make this project work in your budget.

So Budget Brides, what do you guys think of the photo place cards? Is this an idea that you would incorporate into your wedding?

Image via The Bride's Cafe

Post Idea via Libby James

S'mores Wedding Day Favors in Honor of ........

Happy Wednesday Budget Brides!!!

In honor of National S'mores Day here are some fun DIY projects for a super sweet and gooey wedding favor. This DIY idea is perfect for an outdoor barn fire wedding or even a wedding full of sweet tooths. Have fun making them and the mess that follows.

DIY S'mores are a fabulous favor for your wedding guests and relatively cheap to put together.


Here are a list of things you will need to achieve this project*:

• Marshmallows
• Graham Crackers
• Chocolates
• Clear Packaging Bags or Boxes
• Ribbon and Signage Cards of your choice
• Skewer Sticks

* Note: These items can be bought at your local .99 cent store or big box retailer like Sam's, BJ's or Costco. You can also find the packaging items at your local craft store, Michael's or online at Nashville Wraps.

Below you can find more fabulous ideas and diy projects to create your very own S'mores Favors.

DIY S'mores via Project Wedding

DIY Smores Project via Wedding Bee

DIY S'mores Project via Elizabeth Anne Designs

Another great idea is a S'mores Bar very similar to a Candy Bar or a Dessert Bar. Hmmmm maybe an idea for another post.

So Budget Brides, what do you think about the S'mores favors idea? Would you do it? What are some other food favor ideas that you would consider for your wedding?

Donuts + Weddings = Cool Favors

Happy Monday Budget Brides!!!

Have you ever been to a morning wedding and been so hungry? Well two Thursdays ago, I went to a civil wedding ceremony at City Hall for a very good friend/sister. Before we went to the clerk's office all I could think of was a good NYC street vendor coffee and a donut. It made me think about a post I saw from Style Me Pretty via Marry You Me about donut favor bags. I would have loved a warm donut and coffee that early in the morning. (It was actually before 9:00 am and I have turned into a person who is not a lover of mornings.)


So if you have an early morning wedding and want to provide a great snack for your guests this is a perfect option.


These amazing donut/treat favor bags were designed by Katherine from Twigs & Thistle. Check out here blog she really has amazing ideas for all types of parties.

Images via Style Me Pretty

Download the the DIY instructions for the favor bags here.



What do you think about this idea? If you are having a morning wedding, would you consider providing a small snack to your guests before the wedding?

Sunday Brunch: Pink Ruffle Cake

Happy Sunday Budget Brides!!

I am usually a holiday baker and not much a lover for sweets. But the cakes that I am seeing on the blogsphere are making me want to put on my apron. The cake below looks so amazing and yummy. I wonder if it would look just as good in another pastel color. Hmmm, maybe a Sunday afternoon project.

Image via Martha Stewart

Love this cake? Get the recipe here.

As seen on Pink Stilettos

DIY Martini Bar from Sunday Suppers

Happy Wednesday Budget Brides!!

What is hump day without some talk about Martinis? Okay so I don't drink but when I did I was an Apple Martini girl. I found this great Martini Bar idea on Sunday Suppers. I thought this would be a great addition to an intimate wedding reception or a small engagment party.


The set-up that the wonder people over at Sunday Suppers put together was clean and very modern. I would have opted for some flowers, fruit and a little color but everyone can add their own special touch.




Sunday Suppers is a great company that marries cooking classes and dinner parties to top off a great Sunday evening. Classes are taught twice a month in a loft in Williamsbridge, Brooklyn by a chef with 14 to 20 strangers.


Here is a short bio from their website:


Snippet from Sunday Suppers


"Sunday Suppers are class-cooking-dining experience, pairing friends and food. The classes are held in a waterfront loft in Brooklyn, NY and are taught by local chefs. The food is market fresh, local and organic and the approach is to create seasonal and fresh meals together."





Click here for the entire post on this Martini Bar.



Below I thought it would be cool to add some of the DIY Martini Bar accessories that a budget bride can afford. Remember it's not how much you spend than it's about decor and layout.

Image via CB2

I found this pitcher on CB2 for $5.95 which is a great price and it holds 50 oz of liquid. In my research I have seen smaller decanters for twice as much.

Image via Dollar Tree

Found these martini glasses on Dollar Tree which are selling for a 12 for $12. Isn't that a steal and you can have them in your china cabinet for years to come.

Image from Dollar Tree

Here are some candleholders that can be use to hold your lemons, cucumbers and olives or any other fruit that you would like to add. Also selling for $12 for $12.

Dollar Tree is a great source for budget brides would are looking for vases, candleholders, etc at an awesome price.

So Budget Brides, what do you think about a Do It Yourself Bar? Which bar would you favor a margarita or martini? You know what was my favorite martini, so what is yours?

Some Images via Sunday Suppers

Target Invitations REMIXED!!

Happy Tuesday Budget Brides!!

I know that I have been gone for a while. I am still trying to juggle working crazy shifts and bringing you fabulous posts. I also went on my very own 4-day weekend staycation. I will definitely post on it later on this week. Well enough about me and on to the next.

Everytime I go to Target I love to browse the stationary section. It is a great way to see what's new and it gives me inspiration for new ideas. Since last year I have seen the Green Flat Invitation below and I thought it was so cute. One of my clients even used it as her wedding invitations. Click here to see post.

While roaming the blogsphere I saw the invite below from a great Green House Wedding. What I love about these invites is that the couple purchase the Target invites and made them their own by adding other creative details.

Image via Design Sponge

These invitations are so cute, right? I think the couple may have used a stamp to add more detail to the invitation as well as other stationary items such as ribbon and a trim cutter to create the "we are one" feature.



Below you can find the invitation that the Berti's used. Even though they didn't add any addition detail one thing they did have was raised lettering. I thought that this was a great option. It gave the invite and added touch as well as a great feel. I still have mine. I know I know I am a boarder line hoarder. Definitely need to make my way over to to my favorite design blogs (GIGS and Blu Label Bungalow) for organizing tips.

Image via Sharise Finley Events

Here are some great tips about store bought invites:

• Make sure you buy pre-designed invites that are on great paper.
• Try to determine the paper weight before buying. This will help you when you go to a printer for raised-lettering or more creative detail.
• Remember to used the creative resources at your finger tips. Don't forget ribbons, stamps and paper cutters which can take your design to a whole new level. (Sidebar: Always get the Sunday paper Michael's craft store always has a 40% off coupon.)
• When visiting your favorite retailer, ALWAYS stop by the stationary and clearance sections. You never know you may find invites and stationary on sale. Now that would be the perfect GOAL!!! (Sorry so into the World Cup right now. LOLOL)
• Always buy a little more than you need, open as you need it and then return the extra after the fact. This will help you just in case your local store sells out or you make some mistakes.
• Lastly, this should probably have been first create a plan and stick with it. You will definitely spend more money if you change your mind.
  
  

Image via Sharise Finley Events

What do you think about these invitations? Would you ever by invites from a local retail and then add your own touch?

Let's Eat Colored Cake....

Happy Tuesday Budget Brides!!

So I never ever heard of a rainbow inside of a cake. But when I saw this picture I thought this cake looked both intriguing and yummy. Ok so I really am not a sweets type of gal but this cake looks so delicious especially with the fruit on top. My mouth is watering as I am typing this post.

I cannot wait for a perfect occasion to try making this cake. I just don't know who I can make this for just yet. But I am definitely plotting on someones special day. So I cannot remember where I found this picture. So if you know please inform me so that I can give a photo credit. Also if you want to try a similar recipe visit Whisk Kid. She has an amazing recipe and was even featured on the Martha Stewart Show.

Update: Image via I Am Baker


This cake also gave me a great idea to incorporating it into your wedding planning festivities. Maybe this recipe can be used as a wedding cake (your wedding colors), shower cake (her sorority's colors) or even a groom cake (his favorite sport's team colors). With the recipe being so easy that you can make it at home you will save a ton of money when it comes to dessert and your creation will be the talk of the day.



What do you think about this cake? Would you try it for a special event?

Fresh Fruit and Flowers Centerpiece for Under $20

Happy Thursday Budget Brides!!

Here is another great budget friendly centerpiece from Project Wedding. There's nothing like fresh fruit and flowers. I can just imagine the scent coming from that table.

Click here for the entire process.

Images via Project Wedding

Would you create a fruit based centerpiece for your wedding? What are your thoughts on this idea?

As seen on Jo My Goodness

Free Invitation Downloads

Happy Tuesday Budget Brides!!

I stumbled upon a great website that gives free invitation downloads. There are many there to choose from and the website is updated very frequently.

DIY invitations can be a smart way to go. If you can find a free download or template that you have fallen in love with. I would suggest that you try the DIY route. You can go to a website like Envelopments, Paper and More, Vistaprint, etc to find paper, envelopes and even printing services. In finding your own paper and envelopes this gives you the opportunity to print at home or go to a printer for something like raised printing.

So check out Download & Print to find a wedding invitation just for you. Anna Skye has really created a jewel that I know many Budget Brides will love.

Image via Download & Print, Lemon Love

Find the matching RSVP Card here

Image via Download & Print, Framed Monogram

Image via Download & Print, Scroll Frame

Find the matching Recipe Card here

Found Download & Print here

DIY Modern Centerpiece.... Utterly Engaged, Lindye Galloway & Aimee Grover

Happy Monday Budget Brides!!

Here is a great DIY video for making a modern day centerpiece. I love this idea. It is so modern and chic. What's so wonderful about it, is that you can create it well in advance before your wedding day and don't have to worry about any flowers dying. Also great for environment conscious brides who would prefer not to use flowers.

Take a look and tell me what you think. Would you create a centerpiece like this for you wedding?

DIY Centerpiece Modern Glam Utterly Engaged from Lindye Galloway on Vimeo

Edible Cake Decorations from Oriental Trading... A Budget Brides Dream

Happy Thursday Budget Brides!!

So last Friday the girl and I had a GNO (Girls Night Out) where we were totally engrossed in one of the ladies upcoming nuptials. Of course she had plenty of magazines and samples. So while I sat around and ate Papa John's (oh how I love it) I flipped through the current Oriental Trading catalog. And what do I find? Edible Cake Decorations!

I thought this was an amazing idea since November Bride's sister is making her wedding cake. Since that weekend will be absolutely crazy, this will be one more thing that November Sister does not have to create because it is already done.

The ides is also great for Budget Brides. If you watch Amazing Cakes or Cake Boss, they make fabulous cakes at fabulous prices. So maybe you budget is not over the top edible cake decorations could be a great option for you. The going rate for a custom made wedding cake starts at about $800 and skyrockets. So Oriental Trading as done all Budget Brides in America a great service.

Images via Oriental Trading

What do you think about DIY wedding cakes? Would you use edible cake decorations?

Fabulous Dessert Bar Under $40 from Bride Scouts

Happy Tuesday Budget Brides!!!

click image for larger view

Here is a great DIY project courtesy of Bride Scouts. Bride Scouts is the brainchild of two Canadians, one the owner of The Principal Planner and the other the owner of Monique Simone Photography. The ladies give all budget brides the opportunity to fill there desire to have an amazing dessert bar within a small budget. Below is a shopping list of everything you will need to recreate this dessert bar. Don't forget to check out your local Salvation Army, Goodwill, TJ Maxx, Home Goods and Marshall's for low cost jars and cake plates. You can get many of the containers well below $20. Thanks goes out to the ladies of Bride Scouts for this great idea.



Shopping List

• 1 Bag of Large Marshmallows
• 2 Bags of Heart Shaped Chocolates
• 2 Boxes of Sugar Donuts
• 2 Box of Oreo Cakesters
• Popsicle Sticks
• Mini Yogurt Pretzels
• Mini Marshmallows
• 6 Dollar Store Jars
• Pink Mints
• Mini Cupcake Mix with Frosting & Cherries
• Mini Merengues
• Heart-Shaped Cookies
• Sparkling Water

Check out the ladies over at Bride Scouts for a full recap.

Images via Bride Scouts

As Seen on It's a Jamie Thing