{Gettin' Creative} Gifts for Your Girls - Packed with Personality

Photo via Mario Badescu

You've waited until the last minute, hoping for inspiration. Admit it -- you are stumped on gifts for your girls, still looking for a unique idea to buck the wedding day accessory tradition. Well my lovelies, look no further than your girlfriend herself, to her passions, her fashion style, her favorite rainy Saturday activity. Bridesmaids are the important women in your life and a gift based on their individual personality is a true token of appreciation from your heart.

Here are some of our de Lovely favorites!

Classic: Birthstone necklace, Clutch in her favorite color with matching wrap, Charm bracelet

Entertainment: Favorite novel, first edition, Movie themed gift basket, Hard to get concert or event tickets



Style: Silk pajamas and robe, Gift certificate for upscale boutique, Day of beauty at her favorite salon



Crafty Creations: A hand bound photo album, Book for handwritten poems, Homemade spa treatments 

Food Fantasy: Sign her up for a cooking class, Enroll her in a wine club, Gift certificate for the gourmet food shop 




However you choose to honor your attendants, remember to tuck a sweet note inside expressing your gratitude.

What are some other gift ideas that pack a personality punch? Join us over on PINTEREST for these and other awesome DIY, multicultural, and budget boosting wedding ideas!

DIY Sprayed Bottles for Thrifty, Modern Wedding Centerpieces

{Create This}Very Martha Recycled Bottle Centerpieces

Happy Tueday, Lovelies! A little something different for you than I had originally planned but I am too excited not to share this awesome DIY idea I found at The Colorful Living Project. These spray painted bottles let the thrifty, eco-conscious bride have her reuse and recycle AND modern, chic wedding at the same time! They're cute, clean, and best of all, for a few of dollars, you can have totally handmade, very Martha centerpieces for your wedding reception or bridal shower.

Instructions and Pictures by Anna Naphtali.

These recycled bottles have been re-styled to be used as centerpieces, vases or gifts. Anna used IZZE bottles, but there are many bottles options that will work just as well.

1. Remove labels from bottles. ( You can soak them in hot water and dish soap for extra help)

2. Dry and clean

3. Pick your spray paint choices: Seen above is Satin Ivory. Spray!

4. Spray paint box carrier too!

Some spray painting tips... Cover area with newspaper or drop cloth first. Wear a mask or be careful not to inhale fumes. Don't spray into the wind!!! Wait for your first layer to dry and stick the bottle on your finger to get a good coat around the bottom sides.

(Me) And now to add color and variety! Same process, different paint and bottles. I like the varying heights for centerpieces to help create visual interest and dimension.

(Anna) I usually like matte finish, but the glossy texture on some of these gives them a nice new sheen. And baby jars make the cutest little mini vases or containers! Another idea for a centerpiece would be to take tons of different sized items and paint them one color and or have a line of vases down a table... you get the idea.

I do have to note, these are not "safe" to use for any type of liquid consumption. They just look cool and won't damage flowers or decorative pieces.

(Me) So there you have it, Lovelies! Cute idea right? Especially on a budget! You could do this for wedding centerpieces, parties, showers. Start saving your wine bottles, vases,  peanut butter jars! Check out this post using recycled glass jars for wedding decor. Thanks for Anna Napthali for the idea and photos.

What DIY projects will you be doing for your wedding? Big, small, we want to know! Check out all out DIY Wanna Do List on Pinterest. What else should we add?

 Make the world colorful,

{Real Wedding} Kerri & Dennis: Rockin' Wedding Reception

A Modern Love Story - Part 2

A wedding wouldn't be complete without a festive reception and some dance floor grooves! Kerri and Dennis ducked the stress of wedding planning and headed out on a Norwegian cruise liner to say their I Do's. A fab reception was the order of the day for our dynamic duo a month or so after in order to celebrate with family and friends. Kerri, lucky girl, got to wear her ever fashionable short wedding dress and incredible shoes from her official wedding day. Sigh. I like shoes. 

How ADORABLE is this couple? Thank you again to Cook Productions out of Andover, MA, for allowing us to share these Fab-You-Lass official reception photos! 

At the Beverly Depot, Beverly, MA.

She is super FIERCE and he knows it!

At Endicott College where Kerri studied.

Congratulations Kerri and Dennis and thank you for sharing your love story and wedding celebration with us! You two are truly one fun, fabulous couple and we could all learn a lesson from you - at the end of the day, remember that your wedding is all about you! In addition, a wedding cruise/post reception both make smart money sense, which is always a good thing in our book.

Thank you again to Cook Productions allowing us to share these reception photos and to Norwegian Cruise for the wedding photos.

Which reception picture is your favorite? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below or hop over to Facebook or Twitter and LIKE/Follow de Lovely Affair!

Happy Monday to you,

(Real Wedding) Kerri & Dennis: Sweet Engagement + Wedding Cruise

A Modern Day Love Story - Part 1

Sometimes there are those couples who are so authentic, genuinely sweet with their words and actions, easy to smile and laugh, and are so in love you just want to show the world. Meet Kerri and Dennis; they are THAT couple.  I know them through a friend and when Kerri emailed me her sweet story, I knew I just had to share it!

Ever thought of just canning all the wedding plans and you know, hopping on one of these big beauties to tie the knot? Well, that is exactly what they did!

Kerri and Dennis connected online through a mutual friend's music page one Christmas Eve. They finally met after a few months of virtual friendship, but didn't make it official for almost a year. Kerri says "Truth is,  we were friends, we liked each other but it just never happened. Later, I kicked myself for waiting so long...there he was, my soulmate, right under my nose the whole time." Their  first date was exactly one year to the day they first met.

As Dennis tells it: I usually don't chase a girl. If I ask them out and they dont go, I dont keep asking. But I kept asking Kerri because I knew she was something special. And speaking of asking, did you hear the one about the girlfriend who accidently found a box of bling under the bed while her boyfriend was taking a shower? Yeah that's Kerri - so instead of the fancy, dancy romantic New Year's Eve proposal, he proposed right then and then when she came to confess. And the rest they say is history!

The thing I love about these two is they do it their own way!! Instead of buckling to tradition, they chose a Norwegian cruise to Bermuda as a destination wedding. Having both been married before, they wanted no fuss or major financial commitment, just an experience and celebration all about them! Plus they love cruises, and what better way to celebrate wedding AND honeymoon at the same time!

You know, if you are going to do it up, this is the way to go! Enjoy their wedding photos plus their official wedding reception at home a few months later, in Part 2 later today!

I love the Just Married sign on the back of Dennis's wheelchair. So sweet! 

Kerri and Dennis went on to enjoy the rest of their cruise in wedded bliss, no hassle, no fuss, great food, drink, and a warm tropical environment.....exactly what you want for your wedding day.

And what wedding is complete without a rockin' reception? Tune in today at 3pm EST for the rest of the story! But here is a little hint to tide you over.

Photo by Cook Productions

What do you think is the best part about getting married on a cruise? Would you ever buck tradition and say Ahoy? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below or hop over to Facebook or Twitter and LIKE/Follow de Lovely Affair!

Happy Monday to you,

{Freebie Friday} Wedding Printables to Boost Your Budget

WAAHOO FRIDAY! My very favorite thing about the wedding world today is the explosion of blogs offering up the good stuff - free DIY and printable wedding items. Everything from invitations to signs, save the dates to time lines, you can literally find anything if you Google it enough! Most printable items need your loving DIY touch and while you may not fancy yourself a craft maven, the alternative is a wedding cost the size of a down payment for a house.

Printable wedding goodies are good practical planning and will boost your wedding budget. Get on board with your printer, grab some paper from you favorite craft store, and get to downloading! Here are some of my favorites that I think would be a smart addition to any wedding.

Save the Date Cards
You can find an amazing selection of free printable, customizable Save the Date cards like this one over the Wedding Chicks - they are the best for free wedding printables! From Mad Men to Lovebirds, Bunting Flags to Mason Jars (yes, there is a Mason Jar Save the Date - totally cute), they have it all.

Click HERE for the download page.

Wedding Invitations
I think Bunting Flag ANYTHING is super cute for wedding - it screams fun and festive to me! Check out this Bunting Flag Wedding Invitation I found over on Love and Lavender. Not only do you get the invitation but also a response card as part of the printable package. They have so many great invitation choices, you are bound to find a perfect match for your wedding theme. Best of all - Free.

Click HERE for the download.

Wedding Day Mad Libs
Remember doing Mad Libs as a kid?? You loved them then so why not now too! Had to share this super cute, free Mad Libs printable from over at Love vs. Design. Looking for an interesting alternative to the boring "sign your name here" guest book? Why not these Mad Libs - they'd be a rockin' hit with guests and make a great keepsake book when done. Just print these cuties out, place at your welcome table with some nice pens and an instruction sign! Pure genius planning on your part!

Click HERE for the download

Guest Book Advice Cards

And for more Guest Book fabulousness, we head over Marry This! and their free printable Guest Book Advice Cards. I love this idea cause we all could use a little advice and we KNOW how much our friends and families want to give it. A great wedding keepsake! This download is a fun set of double sided customizable advice cards with an instructional sign! I am in printable heaven!

Click HERE for the download. And while you are there, check out their other amazing wedding guides and printables, like this Wedding Planning Timeline or Customizable Initial Tags.

Hand Illustrated Bride and Groom Signs 
These Bride and Groom Chair signs from Wedding Chicks are so adorable and a perfect addition to any garden or outdoor wedding! I love the colorful flowers and the hand drawn, DIY esque font - can you see these at your wedding? They are non customizable however change the ribbon and you've made them your own!

Head over to the Wedding Chick to print out these chair signs, which were designed by Loft Life Press 

DIY Wedding Favor Boxes

Last but not least, we have these super adorable and totally affordable DIY, printable Wedding Favor Boxes over at Style Me Pretty, designer by Twig and Thistle! TOTAL BUDGET BOOSTER! Do you KNOW how much favor boxes cost?  They have four different designs in a couple colors.  I'm sure you could find some crafty or computerized way to change the color if need be. These cute boxes would also work well for a bridal or baby shower...hint!  

Click HERE for the download. If you have a different design in mind, try this Love is Sweet DIY Wedding Favor Box. Download, Print, Cut, and Fold...Voila!

Hope you've enjoyed my Printables Round Up! We all know that weddings can cost an arm and a leg. Notice I said CAN, as in doesn't necessarily need to happen. I fully believe that with smart planning, good research, wise purchasing and a little elbow grease, you can help your wedding budget. Save some money with these printables so you can spend it on the things you REALLY care about most.

Which of these printables would you choose to help boost your budget? You can find these and so many more DIY ideas over at our Pinterest page. Won't you join us there?

Have a lovely weekend,