Fabulous Product: Rustic Muslin Favor Bags

Looking for all the details on where to get these awesome muslin favor bags (and many other cool products)?  The post moved over to Tikkido.com.

Fabulous Product: Daisy Shaped Chocolate Covered Oreo Mold

I'll get back to the butterfly party and tutorials tomorrow, but I just saw these and had to share!

I'm a huge fan of edible favors in general, and I just love this new product from Fancy Flours.  A mold for making daisy-shaped chocolate covered Oreos!

Delicious!  Beautiful!  Easy!  Wouldn't these be a magnificent, easy, inexpensive DIY favor for a wedding or really any party?  A gorgeous addition to any dessert table?  These are so adorable they completely justify the ridiculous number of exclamation points I've used in this post.  I really wish I'd had them for the butterfly party--though I would have had to figure out how to keep them from melting in our heat.

Fabulous Product: Crystal "I Do" Shoe Stickers

I absolutely love the little touches at a wedding.  These clever stickers from Your Happily Ever After definitely qualify:

Rhinestone "I Do" stickers from Your Happily Ever After.

Just stick them on the bottom of your shoe, and don't forget to flash them for your photographer!

I love the idea of using these stickers as the "something blue" in a wedding, but they do come in a wide variety of colors as well.  I don't think I would have been able to resist the purple ones for my wedding, had such clever things been around ten years ago!

Fabulous Product: Printable Treat Bags

I saw these new products from Print Your Party and just flipped.  Printable glassine or craft treat bags!

So slick!  So elegant!  So completely custom and professional looking!

And you can do them at home!  Printable collections are getting really amazing and versatile.  Oh, how I wish any of this had been around when I got married!

PYP sells both the blank bags and the graphics designed to go on the bags.  How simple to make, yet how striking!

Love love love.  What an easy way to create an absolutely gorgeous custom presentation for your goodies.

Fabulous Product: A Sweet and Customized Return Address Stamp

Sitting down to address all of your wedding invitations is a daunting task.  I put it off until I absolutely couldn't any longer, and ended up with the most clawed, cramped hand by the end of the evening.  I can't get behind how some people print out sticker labels for their wedding invitations--that's just a little too mass-mailer-advertisement for me.  But I can completely get behind these darling return address stamps from Note Trunk Stamps + Paper to ease the burden of writing everything by hand.

So sweet, but somehow elegant at the same time.  I love these designs!  And this is an item that you'll be able to use for years to come (at least as long as you're still living at the same location), unlike most items bought for a wedding.  

Some purists insist on everything on the envelope being hand-written.  But with custom stamps that look this good?  I say stamp away.

How to Make a Custom Cookie Cutter

Looking for the custom DIY cookie cutter tutorial?  It's over at Tikkido now.

Elevation: The Key to a Gorgeous Table

When creating a display table--whether it's a dessert table, a buffet, or a merchandise display--the fastest way to make it look interesting and professional is to create different levels of elevation.

The classic catering trick is, of course, to put boxes under some pretty fabric.

Photo by Upper Crust Catering.  Look how much more lavish and interesting that looks than if all the platters were on a flat table?  It's also an easy way to incorporate beautiful fabrics in smaller quantities than it would take to make an entire tablecloth. 

But my very favorite way to create elevation is with cake stands.  They're available in an astounding array of designs, from elegant to whimsical to rustic.  You can even make your own, like I did for the Cornish Fairy party I designed:

 

 But they're also readily available from current retailers, antique shops, and artisans, so if you're not crafty, don't despair!

For versatility, you can't beat a set of white enamel cake stands like these, only $57 for the set on Amazon!  (Want!  Are you listening, Santa?)

Or for a gorgeous eclectic look, you can't beat these designs from Crafty Clementine on Etsy and Wedzu:

 

Can't you just imagine a gorgeous display full of complimentary vintage pieces? 

Adding elevation quickly takes the table design to an entirely new level, if you'll excuse the pun.  Such a simple trick, but one that creates such dramatic results!  That's the kind of tip I like best.

Fabulous Products: Artistic Cookie Favors

I've already shown you some of the remarkable work done by Sabrina, the incredibly gifted owner of A Cake Dream, when I showed off her amazing Swarovski accented cake.  But she does so much more.  We've all seen cookie favors, but look at these (literal!) works of art.

A Cake Dream used the amazing artwork of the artist Karen Sloan of Wall Flower Studio to create these edible masterpieces.

Wouldn't those make absolutely gorgeous favors, or a fabulous addition to a dessert table?  Are you using scrapbook paper to create some of your decor or invitations?  How about a coordinating cookie?

And who could possibly resist these gorgeous chocolate-covered oreos?

Think beyond the cake when you're talking to your baker.  I love consumable favors anyway, and these are truly spectacular examples of what can be done.  

Fabulous Product: Black Friday Edition

I've been wanting these black amethyst cake stands for years now.

Alas, I did not buy them when they were readily available, and I haven't been able to find the set for almost two years now.   I tried to convince myself that I didn't really need more cake plates.  Silly, silly me.  I have wanted these exact plates at least half a dozen times in the past couple years, and I've always regretted not buying them.

That's why I was so happy to find these custom cake plates made by Sarah's Stands.

They're available up to 22" in diameter, too.  Do you know how hard it is to find large cake plates like that??  Those large sizes are often needed for wedding cakes, and they are incredibly rare.  

I would buy one (or more!) of these gorgeous custom cake stands and use them all the time, but I understand that I'm not like most people.    My husband teases me about my cake stand fetish regularly.  ;-)  Love the look but don't want to foot the entire bill for the cake stand?  Most cake decorators I know are passionate about great cake stands, too.  Send your decorator the link to the shop, and see if it's something he or she would like to have in inventory, and just rent it for your wedding.  It's worth asking, at the very least!

Fabulous Product: Colorful Crinolines!

I can't tell you how much I wanted a lavender crinoline to go with my wedding gown (which had a lilac sash) when I got married nine years ago.  I loved the idea of seeing flashes of color as I danced the night away.  Alas, I couldn't find anyone offering such a product back then, and had to make due with boring white.

If only designers like Ann Swank from Swank Underpinnings (what a perfect business name!) were around when I was getting married. Look at this beauty!  What a fun, fun way to have "something blue" in your wedding wardrobe!

The petticoats are custom-dyed, so the color possibilities are nearly endless.  Already have a crinoline?  Swank Underpinnings will dye it for you, for an incredibly reasonable price!

I love the personality that pops of color add to a wedding, and this is one of my very favorite ways to do it.  Let's hear it for pretty petticoats!

Fabulous Product: Customized Galvanized Tubs for Beverages or Centerpieces

Sometimes I stumble across something so fabulous that I feel the need to plan an entire party around it.  The gorgeous customized galvanized tubs from Brody and Ma definitely fall into that category.

They're obviously fabulous for filling with ice and beverages.  But why stop there?  How about using a smaller one as a floral container for a centerpiece?  Filling a tub with inexpensive flip flops for the ladies who want to keep dancing, but have reached the end of their tolerance for high heels?  Filling a bin with toiletries and emergency needs and setting it out in the bathroom (sewing kit, lotion, mouth wash, hair spray, etc.)?  

Since fabric is used to embellish the tubs, the options are basically limitless, and you could easily find something perfect for any wedding scheme.  What a gorgeous way to carry the theme through all of the decor!

And best of all, they're really a great deal.  I have a very strong DIY streak, and as soon as I saw these I started googling wholesale galvanized tubs.  Between the cost of the materials and shipping and handling (not to mention labor!), I'm definitely ordering from Brody and Ma whenever I have a need.  (Need?  Who am I kidding.  I'm just looking for any excuse at this point.  LOVE.)

Fabulous Products: Shoe Clips to Customize Your Ensemble

Somehow, it seems when you're shopping for something specific, it's impossible to find.  You might find all sorts of other marvelous things while you're at the shops, but not the thing you're looking for.  Shopping for wedding shoes took me months, and though I liked my shoes, they weren't quite what I wanted.  I settled.

Why not take matters into your own hands?   I'm not suggesting cobbling your own footware, but rather embellishing it.  Even if you don't have a crafty bone in your body, there are a wide variety of beautiful shoe clips out there that can add just the right something special to a basic shoe that's the right height and is comfortable for a night of dancing, but doesn't make your heart flutter.

Check out these ethereal flower shoe clips from Etsy seller ClaudiaBradley:

Fabric and Pearl Flower Shoe Clip

 Don't those just beg to be worn for a wedding?  And for only $14, what a deal for such added panache!

Or how about these silk beauties from BBCBridal:

They'd look perfect on the bride's shoes, or as a unifying element for all the bridesmaids (I was never into forcing bridesmaids to wear the same shoes.  I was delighted to have one of my bridesmaids wear leopard print flip flops, in fact!)

Or how about these sparkly, feathered clips from designer Nylora?  

What a fun way to add that something blue!  And I love how this picture shows how versatile shoe clips are.  Don't feel like they have to be positioned at the toe. 

Are you a DIY sort?  We here at Tradewind Tiaras have been known to sell Swarovski elements at cost so that a bride can make a pair of custom shoe clips that will perfectly match her tiara.   We're also happy to design something for you.  Have an idea?  Just ask!

DIY Project: Homemade Hot Cocoa Favors

Looking for the homemade hot cocoa favor/gift tutorial?  It's at its new home at Tikkido.com.

Homemade Cocoa Favor

Fabulous Product: Elegant Paper Napkin Rings

I'm on a napkin ring kick!  Check out these beauties from Paper Acorn.

I'm a sucker for any kind of paper craft, but these are just gorgeous!  You could write names on the napkin rings and they'd double as table cards, too.

Fabulous Products: Chalkboard Glasses!

I'm completely in love with these chalkboard stemless wine glasses from Pier One!

They're only $3 in the store, which is a very reasonable price.  But I've heard rumor that they're only $1 at Pier One outlets!  That brings them down into the same price as rental stemware.  Save on rentals, have a really cool, useful product at the wedding, and a favor all in one.  Awesome!

Feel like a DIY project?  Check out this awesome tutorial from The Inadvertent Farmer.

Beautiful DIY chalkboard paint canisters from The Inadvertent Farmer.

Fabulous Products: Pretty Hangers For That Perfect Gown

You spent hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars on your dress.  It's a work of art, and simply the most beautiful thing you've ever put on.  You've invested in a marvelous photographer, too, who takes the time to photograph your gown before you put it on in your getting ready shots.

After all the thought and effort you put into choosing your gown, and selecting the perfect photographer to capture these moments forever, do you really want your dress to be hanging on an ugly plastic hanger?

Many photographers carry a wooden hanger in their bag of tricks for just this reason.  But not all do, and sometimes the photographer might forget to pack the nice hanger.  The hanger is something most brides don't even think about, but you have an opportunity to create a beautiful picture, something worthy of that gorgeous gown.

Check out these beautiful photographs from photographer Kelly Maughan.

The bride made them herself to coordinate with the wedding colors!  Aren't they just gorgeous, and the perfect touch?  It's thoughtful details like this that really make a wedding stand out and capture my attention.  See more fabulous pictures from Christina and Brandon's wedding on Kelly's blog.

Like this look, but don't feel up to doing the work yourself, like Christina?  Sellers on Etsy like Out Of the Closet Hangers are happy to make them for you at a very reasonable cost.

For another beautiful, custom hanger look, check out these pictures from Tiarra and Trent's wedding, also captured by Kelly Maughan.

Gown shots like these just make me smile.  Such beauty, such thoughtfulness.  To get this look, check out designer Lila Frances's work:

or from Dawns Craft Store:

Banish plastic hangers!  There are too many other pretty options out there to leave that spectacular gown on a lackluster, cheap hanger.

Fabulous Product: Chic Invitations Printed the Old Fashioned Way

One look at my brief bio and it's pretty clear that I'm a big geek.  I love archaic and obscure knowledge.  I love learning for learning's sake.  I love dead languages and ancient technologies.   (I built a wood fired oven in my backyard!  By myself!  While I was pregnant!  I can get seriously obsessed with these projects.)

I think the women who run Starshaped Press might get me.  They create the most amazing wedding invitations and other printed paper products I've seen in a very long time.

It's not just that the designers at Starshaped Press are remarkable artists.  It's that they use a real, classic press.  Not just any new-computerized-digitized-make-a-single-plate press (ok, those are kind of cool, too, but not as cool as this).  An honest to goodness, set each letter by hand, use antique metal and wood type, set in a typecase, PRESS.

Just a bit of the marvelous machinery at Starshaped Press.

 That kind of dedication to the art, that kind of passion for the craft, is a sure sign of quality.  And just look at a few of their gorgeous designs.

Swoon.  Now please excuse me, I'm feeling a need to go re-read The Mysterious Stranger now.