{de Lovely Idea} Free People's DIY Light Bulb Vases

You know here at de Lovely Affair, we are all about practical planning, recycled decor, DIY wedding goodness, and getting the most out of your skimpy wedding budget. So when I found this just adorable idea reusing old light bulbs...yes light bulbs, as flower vases, I knew that this little project was right up your alley. Gotta love great recycling/upcycling ideas and the best part is that everyone has light bulbs to donate!

Photo via Storyboard Wedding

Thinking to try your hand at this darling hanging light bulb vase? Free People has an easy as pie step by step tutorial for you. Get your supplies ready: dead light bulb, floral wire, wire cutters, your favorite ribbon (even though they used fabric) and of course flowers!

DIY LIGHT BULB VASE FROM FREE PEOPLE

I could definitely see these at both outdoor and indoor weddings or family events. Imagine hundreds of these pretties hanging over a dance floor or Newlyweds table? Will you be that ambitious bride? Well, get to collecting those bulbs cause this is one de LOVELY idea! 

Happy Crafting,

PS You can find MORE de Lovely Ideas over on your Pinterest page. Hope you'll join me!

{Top 10} Roses & Wedding Bouquets = Always in Style + I Blame Pinterst!

Wedding Roses on My Mind

Happy Tuesday! I am a pinning fool these days....hard not to do when there are SO many amazing photos and wedding ideas out there just waiting to be snatched up. Like this random bouquet of exquisite garden roses I found on Facebook (here's our FB fanpage for you to LIKE)...I adore garden roses, or are these cabbage roses, and in half a second flat I am off in a Rose wonderland, perhaps never to reemerge. I blame Pinterest.

Photo via Martha Stewart Weddings

Roses are the most popular and dare I say most romantic wedding flower there is. They are timeless, classic and never go out of style, which got me thinking: how many types of roses are there? Surely there has to been every flavor rose for every flavor bride...the bouquets we see are so varied, personal, and just down right jaw dropping.  With that in mind, here are my Top 10 Favorite Rose Wedding Bouquets simply cause I am in the mood for some pretty.

Cherry brandy roses anchor this vibrant multiflower bouquet! This couple is definitely going for color.

Photo via Brown Bunny Flowers

Pretty blush pink English roses, look like peonies when closed but definitely a rose when they open.

Photo via The Sweetest Occasion

Soft yellows, peaches, and ivories - reminds me of a creamsicle + baby blue ribbon, a perfect combo!

Photo via My Life is Brilliant

Color palette: brown, burgandy, and ivory. The Black Bacarra Rose was a perfect choice! I adore the use of an embellished ribbon to add some light and bling.

Photo via Snapdragon Studio

Chic, sophisticated, understated ivory bouquet.

Photo via One Wed

Peach continues to be one of the hottest wedding colors! Love this peach bouquet with Apple Blossom Amaryllis, Juliet Garden Roses, Peach Hyacinth and Ruffled Peach Lisianthus.

Photo via Wild Flowers Inc.

A romantic clutch of roses, geranium leaves, and passion vine 

Photo via Martha Stewart Wedding

Roses and Succulent bouquet wrapped with jute twine.  Ranunculus, berries, curly willow and billy balls add texture and visual interest. Very California to me!

Photo via Apple Blossoms Floral Designs

This lush bouquet of ivory and blush garden roses is so sweet and romantic! 

Photo via Zest Floral and Event Design

An ideal bouquet to usher in Spring! 

Photo via Posies by Pippa

Rustic hand gathered wildflower bouquets with oddly shaped floral accents MAY be all the rage, and unique non-floral bouquets MAY be topping the popularity chart but roses will always rein supreme when it comes to weddings. Some couples are shying away from roses these days because of the expense but I say, go DIY with your wedding flowers. Purchasing from floral markets or online wholesalers like Global Rose will get you a TON of bang for your buck plus pretty roses.

Oh and FYI: there are over 100 species of roses, in three groups with hundreds of more hybrid variations...oh wait, another site says 150 types in seven groups....and yet another says the Alba Rose has been around since the 1st Century. Well I guess that proves my theory, there are as many varieties of roses as there are wedding themes! Here is a great resource for some of the most popular roses.

What type of rose is your favorite? Would you consider going DIY with your wedding bouquet? For great DIY ideas, check out my Guest Post on Wed Loft blog on How to Reduce You Wedding Flower Cost! You'll be glad you did.


Have a beautiful day,

PS If you want more great bouquet ideas, head over to our Pinterest page for beautiful inspiration.

{Real Wedding} Renata & Fabio - Brazilian Beach Wedding

Real Wedding - Renata and Fabio at Itamambuca Eco Resort, Ubatuba, Sao Paulo - Brazil

My favorite day of Beach Wedding Week! I seriously love this gorgeous Real Wedding we found over at Para Ti Novia because first, it takes place in Brazil, my second home, and second, it is exactly what a beach wedding should be. Sun, surf, friends and family, and gorgeous surroundings. Be prepared to be smitten!! All images from Brazilian photographer Ale Borges. Obrigada!

Renata and Fabio met through mutual friends initially but were only friends for the first year, even though they both knew they had feelings for the other.  I love that they started officially dating the day before Brazilian Valentine's Day. So sweet!

As Renata says about the proposal: We are not very formal. We didn't even get engaged. In January 2009, friends of ours came to visit. They talked about how they had gotten married and how important the celebration was to them. All the positive vibration on it. So we decided to get married. Simple as that!

In Renata's own words: Everything was very spontaneous. We are surfers and wanted something very clean, beach style, hippie chic and natural. We choose the local typical flowers. Good for the budget and matched perfectly with the place.

 

The beach is already pretty and special for us so we didn't need much to make it beautiful. In Brazil, at New Year´s eve we wear all white. We believe it brings positive vibrations, purifications and peace. 

We didnt want anything too big , we believe “ less is more”. Clean and simple but at the same time sophisticated. Less means less money too. We focused on the importants things, location, food and fun.

I love all the personal touches Renata and Fabio added to their wedding. Here are a few from Renata: The bride came in a boat, the mothers brought water from the ocean to bless the rings, my father read a poem and my father in law the “corintos 13”.  A friend read a letter written by her and made every one cry. The priest told me to give a petal of my flower to everyone, so we did small pieces and give to the crowd.

 My favorite picture of the whole bunch!                                              

This wedding is exactly what we think weddings ought to be; full of family, friends, fun with lots of pieces of personality. Renate and Fabio chose to infuse their celebration with all their favorite things, the beach, the water, the sand, and Brazil. From their all white attire to their water ring blessings, they followed their hearts and passion, stayed on budget and focused on the important things.

Thank you to photographer Ale Borges for the photos. You can check out all the pictures of Renta and Fabio's gorgeous wedding HERE.

What personal or cultural touches will you add to your wedding celebration? We'd love to hear your ideas, so leave a comment below.

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Have a super de Lovely weekend!

{Thrifty Thursday} She Who Wears Flowers in Her Hair

For my wedding, I purchased baskets full of faux flowers thinking I might use them to embellish the wedding in some way, maybe the wedding arch in the arbor - which actually was completely covered with grape leaves, signs around the grounds - only had time to create one, the poles in the tent at the Commander's Mansion - there was way too much color going on after we were done, so not needed. Now I have a whole plastic tub full of $1 a stem flowers and nothing to do with them.  

Except I have now decided to wear them in my hair! I started wearing the extra broken off stems from our centerpieces making during my wedding weekend, cause I couldn't bear the thought of them going to waste, even though we bought a hundred from Global Rose.  It continued though my wedding, I wrote fuchsia orchids similar to Mr. J's bout. I instantly fell in love with how the bright, vivid colors spruced up my dark hair, made my appearance come to life, made me feel a little more put together, like a great pair of earrings.  I have a little flower vase in my bathroom with a full spectrum of colors and styles from which to choose on any given day. Sort of like dress up. The look smacks of fancy Spanish ladies in twirly skirt and hair piled high, lovingly adored with colorful blooms. It feel very Latin to me and make me feel slightly exotic.

So my new thing, that little something that makes me me, is a lovely fake bloom stuck in my bun, my ponytail or behind my ear. Maybe I am out of fashion or behind the times, but I am not sure I care. It makes people stare, smile, maybe even laugh behind their hand, but only cause they don't have the guts to be a little daring in an adult world that seems to prefer leaving fanciful things to the young. I want to be known as She Who Wears Flowers in Her...and I do just because I can. 

So here's to guts and flowers and coming up with a great way to reuse your DIY project products!

Kerri Russell

Garcelle Beauvais 

Courtesy of Lulu's Hut