Wanting a fresh, sophisticated and romantic feel for her wedding, Sara chose midnight blue and ivory as her colors.   Also incorporating some elements that represented the places and cities Sara and Anthony had visited during their 3 year courtship seemed natural as they both love to travel.  Their table assignments illustrated some of their favorite travel destinations which tied in with their hand drawn seating chart. Although Sara and Anthony live in Manhattan, the couple traveled to Sara’s hometown to host their wedding.  Together with 120 guests, Sara and Anthony celebrated their day at The Mansion on Delaware Avenue in Buffalo, New York.

The Details

Flower Girl Dresses by Sweet Plume

Flower Girl Shoes by Small Beans

Flower Girl Bracelets by Monkeys N Munchkins

Bride & Bridesmaid Monogram Robes by Monograms M and M

“Just Married” wooden sign for the back of our Bridal Party Trolley by Family Attic

“YAY!” sign that was incorporated into wedding party photos by Joyful Joyful

 Table Signs & Seating Chart by Bryn from Paperfinger

Photography by Robert Knight of Knight Studio

What was your favorite Etsy find?

Our absolute favorite Etsy find was our navy “YAY!” flag from Joyful Joyful. During our 15 months of planning the only phrase that came to mind was “YAY!” to express our excitement. This little gem from Etsy was loved and used by all. It was such a perfect and creative way to express our joy on our big day!

What’s the best advice you have for planning your wedding now that you’re on the other side?

Do not be afraid to think outside of the box and let your personalities shine!

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

My favorite moment of the day was just after our ceremony while standing with my husband on the balcony of our “get away” Trolley in front of our church. I kissed him and called him my husband for the first time and was as happy as ever that I had married my soul mate!

What creative (DIY) or personal aspects did you include in your wedding?

I am a very artistic and creative person.  It was important to me to have a few DIY aspects incorporated into our wedding day.  One of my favorite DIY was our twine wrapped masin jars that we filled with sunflowers as our centerpieces for our rehearsal dinner. It gave the room a rustic, creative, yet polished charm that brightened the room instantly!

Another favorite was our “Kick Off Your Heels” flip flop valet.  It was a chance for all the ladies to take a break from their heels and put on some dancing shoes and enjoy the night!

Even though Olivia and Aaron had a fall wedding they didn’t want to go with the traditional fall colors.  Wanting everything to feel simple and fresh, the couple chose creams and whites, with some blue and yellow accents for their colors.  The wedding took place at The Xchange in New York City.  180 guests shared their day.

The Details

Flower Girl Outfits by BellaBeanCouture

Photography by Loreto Caceres of Stylish Hip Weddings

What was your favorite Etsy find?

I was overjoyed to find the tutus. I had a vision in my head of our 6 flower girls in romantic princess-y tutus, and the ones that Faith at BellaBeanCouture made for them were so dreamy and perfect.

What creative (DIY) or personal aspects did you include in your wedding?

One of our favorite aspects of the wedding was the chuppah, which my mom and I worked very closely with our florist (Thomas Sebenius of Starbright Floral Design) to create. It had 6 strips of fabric attached to bamboo poles, which our close friends held up during the ceremony; after the ceremony, the fabric was attached to the columns in the space, decorating the area that became the dance floor.  We also came up with a new ritual during our ceremony. We handed out candles to every guest, and during the ceremony, all the candles were lit, making the whole space glow.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

What’s the best advice you have for planning your wedding now that you’re on the other side?

For me the key things were to make decisions by consensus with my fiance, to involve both of of our families in the planning process, and to try to keep in mind that the whole thing should be fun and not stressful. We did a pretty good job at keeping stress at bay, after a few fraught weeks early on.

Today’s wedding was inspired by 1940 vintage old Hollywood Red Carpet Glam, complete with feather hair pieces, bling every where and the bridesmaids having a “red carpet” run way train on their dresses.  As the Groom serves is in the military, the couple also incorporated their military life into their day by having Robert change into his Military uniform for some shots taken the Aviation Museum.  None of their guests knew about the wardrobe change until they got their “Thank you” cards.

The Details 

Bridal Gown Hanger by futuremrsredford 

Custom Memory Charm DesignsbyTami

White Goose Biots (Feathers) by pocketsaurus 

Custom Intertwined Monogram by jaimelody

Groomsmens Boutonnières, Bridemaid & Flower Girl Feather Headbands by Miss Janny

Photography by Tasha McAlary of  Weddings by Tasha

My wedding was full of DIY that I had done myself and purchased from other brides on Etsy. I did so many projects that included the card box, my centerpieces, and the monogrammed aisle runner. I had also made the the flower girls and bridesmaids feather headbands.  But the most creative and personal DIY project I did was the men’s boutonnières. At the wedding everyone was asking me where I had gotten such unique boutonnières. And of course they were not surprised when I said I made them. Since then I have had so many brides ask me how to make them. I had decided to make my own Etsy shop called Miss Paris Couture designs by Miss Janny.  I have had great success with this also. 

What is the most memorable moment of your day? 

For me there were so many great moments of my day, but for me it had to be when my Dad sang to me right after he gave me away. It was such and emotional moment. The entire church was in tears, all but me . Even Rob was filling up. I was so amazed that I was not in tears myself. However when I watched my dad take his seat. I watched him take his hanky I had made for him that read “Dad, to dry your tears as you have dried mine”. At that moment I realized what was written on the hanky and watching him dry his tears, and seeing my mom comfort him. Oh boy that was a special moment. And Yes I cried!!!! 

What’s the best advice you have for planning your wedding now that you’re on the other side? 

Every bride must join Weddingbycolor.com there are so many supportive brides on this site and the site is filled with 100’s of unique DIY ideas. This site is beyond helpful to the most extravert bride to the budget friendly bride.  Now that my day has come and gone my advice on your wedding day is that, you enjoy every moment embrace every aspect of the day. It does go by so fast. Do not rush through your ceremony or reception just to get the party. This is your day and its all about celebrating your love for each other, listen closely to all the stores from your childhood and laugh often. Take time to be with each other sneak off and be alone if only just for a moment!!! 

What was your favorite Etsy find?  

My favorite esty find was the photo charm that I purchased. In 2008, while Rob was serving 6 months in Afghanistan, Robs Dad suddenly passed away. To have Robs Dad be a part of our wedding, I decided to purchases a wedding photo charm. On one side there was his Dad’s picture and the other side it Read “I’m already there”. I surprised Rob by attaching it to a Ribbon and had it pinned to the left -hand inside part of his tux jacket. This way he was close to his heart on the most special day of his life. When we had got in the car after the ceremony Rob had opened his jacket and looked at me and said Thank you-. He never even had assumed it was anyone else, he just knew it was me and that I knew he had wanted his Dad to be there with us! 

The feel Christine and Merle’s wanted for their wedding was simple elegance mixed with vintage country.  They celebrated with 140 friends and family in a backyard ceremony and reception that took place at the home of the father of the bride.  Christine first heard of Etsy through a childhood friend, who sells her jewelry on the site. After browsing through through the shops selection she wandered off looking at other handmade items and instantly fell in love with Etsy!

The Details

Finger Print Guest Book by Bleudetoi
Ivory Chiffon floral fascinator by AmieNoelDesigns
Rose Ribbon Belt for Bride and Flower Girls by ProjectU
 Bride’s Ivory Pearl Bracelet by JMGjeweldesign
Photography by Jeremy Moe and Gina Wong at Zenphfolio

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

My absolute favorite part of our entire day was the look my husband had on his face every time he looked at me that day. No words could tell me he loved me more than the look on his face did. 

What was your favorite Etsy find? 

 My absolute favorite Etsy find was our Guest book fingerprint tree. We got soooo many compliments on how unique of an idea it was, and it looks beautiful hanging on the wall in our living room! Such a great way to remember our wedding and all of our loved ones that attended it!

What’s the best advice you have for planning your wedding now that you’re on the other side?

My best advice for any couple planning their wedding is to just follow your heart and do whatever best shows who you are as a couple, and don’t let other people influence your decisions.  

Sarah and Adam didn’t really have a theme or pick “colors” for their June wedding.  They just knew that they wanted to to be surrounded by beautiful wildflowers.  They credit their florist, Misty Mountain Too with doing a perfect job of incorporating the wildflower feel that they wanted.  They had just 35 guests witness their outdoor ceremony that took place at The Woods Walk in Crested Butte, Colorado.

The Details

Custom Calligraphy Table Cards by  perchpapiers

Bride’s Jewel Tone Green Embroidered Silk Clutch Purse by puck513

Swarovski Crystal Fresh Water Pearl, Brooch, Handmade Bridal Necklace by bethanylorelle

CUSTOM ring bearer bowl (TM)  by palomasnest

Photography by Alison White Photography

What was your favorite Etsy find?

That’s a really tough one. I think it would be a tie between the Sabrina necklace and the handmade custom calligraphy place cards.  Heather Burns of perchpapiers was amazing.  She used elements from our invitations in our place cards and they came out beautifully.  The necklace was a last minute find and I didn’t know if it would work.  When I tried it on with my dress I was thrilled- it was perfect.

What creative (DIY) or personal aspects did you include in your wedding?

Because in Colorado a couple can marry themselves, we just had to sign our marriage certificate to “get married” so we asked to my (now) father-in-law to lead our short, non-traditional ceremony. He did a great job! We had a ring bearer bowl made by a great Etsy find, Paloma’s Nest, for Adam’s niece to carry. We had it inscribed with “Smile, breathe and go slowly” by Thich Nhat Hanh and the date of our wedding.  Now I use it to hold jewelry by my bed.   We also did a thumbprint guestbook so people could really leave their mark!  That was from Etsy as well.  Lastly, for the flower girl (my niece) we bought supermarket roses and removed them from the stems. We put them into a basket we already had, and added a pretty bow.

What’s the best advice you have for planning your wedding now that you’re on the other side?

Keep it small and don’t stress! If you think you’ll feel overwhelmed, hire a wedding planner to help you. Rachael Gardner, of Crested Butte Events, was my personal lifesaver :)

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

Walking with my new husband down the mountain to the restaurant where our reception was. It felt as though the world stopped for a few minutes.