I have tried Hydrangeas, now it’s time to try Carnations.  They’re very affordable and I love the fullness of the blooms.  Please pardon the visible rubber bands.  I ran out of floral tape and I didn’t get to wrap the bouquet handle with ribbon before I did the corset-type wrapping.

Unfortunately, to get the bouquet size I wanted, I had to use a lot of carnations which ended up being more expensive than the Hydrangeas I used earlier.  I spent $15 for 50 carnations.

The biggest advantage of using Carnations is that they last long. They lasted more than a week just being in a vase with water (no flower food).

I still don’t know what I am gonna do with our seating cards.  But I’ve collected a few inspirations and here they are!  Which do you like best?

Let’s start with nautical-inspired ones:

Seaside-inspired:

I’ve been back and forth with the idea of using nautical-themed seating cards or the classic style in our color motif, navy.

To save money, we’re planning to DIY bouquets… kinda like “create your own bouquet” thing .  I think my bridesmaids are willing to do their own . I don’t know exactly what flowers I like to use, but I’m definitely using white ones.

First up is hydrangea.  I got the hydrangeas from the NYC flower district for $10/6 bunches.  I only used 5 which was about a foot in diameter altogether, 6 bunches were too big for me.  Of course I had to use the knot on the handle too!

I love the fullness of the hydrangeas.  But since a bunch is too big, the stem is too thin.  I like my bouquet to have a thicker handle.  Maybe I could just wrap it more with the knot to thicken it.  However, I’m still not sure what style I like to use for the ribbons/knots for the handle.

It cost me just a little less than $11 including tax to create this bouquet:

Hydrangeas (5 bunches) = $10 / 6 bunches
1 1/2″ Satin ribbon (1 yard) = $15.99 / 50 yards – you can get this cheaper at PaperMart.com
Knot (2 yards) = $5.50 / 10 yards

Next up, I’ll be trying on carnations.  They’re inexpensive and when bunched together, they somehow create the same effect and fullness.

And you thought chalkboards are for classrooms only.  Nowadays, we see more of them at weddings.  Why?  They’re very useful from creating wedding signs to seating charts.  And the best part, you can just erase what was written and re-use.  It’s so practical, it’s great for an eco-friendly wedding.

Above: Spice up photo booth photos with personal messages on a chalkboard; a variety of chalkboards with people’s messages fills up those empty corners in a venue; hang a door sign to keep the boys from entering the bridal suite (or vice versa); the escort card stakes are perfect for a garden wedding; chalkboard place cards are easy to use and re-use; send guests away with chalkboard favor boxes with their names written on them

Above: A chalkboard seating chart is perfect for a beachside wedding; display a word puzzle to entertain guests during cocktail hour; chalkboard tags do double duty as napkin rings and place cards; write table numbers on mini chalkboards or chalkboard votive candles; keep the kids entertained with a chalk(board) fabric tablecloth

Above: Write your menu bistro-style on a chalkboard; label desserts at your dessert buffet with mini chalkboards; display cheeses on slate risers during cocktail hour; write your thank yous on chalkboard napkin rings or use as placecards; put up chalkboard signs to direct guests; say more in your photo booth photos with a chalkboard speech bubble

DO-IT-YOURSELF

If you’re having a hard time finding the right chalkboard for you, you can of course DIY!  You can use chalkboard paint, chalkboard contact paper, or chalkboard fabric!  The possibilities are almost endless.

Stay tuned for the next installment of my Chalkboards post - my collection of DIY Chalkboards.

I’m not a cake topper fan.  But every now and then I come across cake toppers that are just too irresistable.  This topper was the bride’s own creation.  She used it on her wedding stationery as well.  Isn’t it just too cute?  Photos were taken by the fabulous Kristin Spencer.

I stumbled upon this awesome nautical theme from Wedding Moments Magazine that uses red, white and blue color motif.  Isn’t it perfect for a seaside 4th of July party?  Happy 4th of July!!

Josie and Marko’s chic green and black color motif is the inspiration behind this board.  Same colors were also incorporated into their monograms.

I fell in-love with Rebecca and Akshay’s monogram colors while I was creating them, so I decided to create a wedding inspiration board based on those colors.

Kristel and Michael’s engagement photos make me fall in-love with NYC all over again.  The husband and wife photography team, Robert and Kathleen Trenske, beautifully captured the love between the couple and the beauty of NYC.  The shoot was done at Grand Central Station, Central Park, and the Brooklyn Bridge.