If you’ve been following thus far, let’s keep it going (and conclude) with all of the non-fashion items that played a big role on my big day. In my opinion, it’s the small details that can drive a bride crazy. Today, there are tons of DIY brides or brides who just want to save a buck or two. Here are some websites and things I did to add that little touch to my wedding.
When getting married, being a printer’s daughter is a huge plus! All of my printing needs were taken care of (by myself of course). Fortunately, I knew a thing or two about graphic design so I was able to design my invitations myself. I did, however, need envelopes. I have lots of experience creating invitations for weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, birthdays, you name it. My go-to online stores are Envelope Mall from Chicago, IL and Cards & Pockets from South Easton, Massachusetts for all my envelope, cardstock and pocket needs. They have a vast selection of stocks from kraft paper, metallics, neons, pastels and so much more. In my experiences, their prices are the cheapest. Envelope Mall, I find is a better choice for larger quantities, while Cards & Pockets caters to small to large quantities.
I found some luck finding my translucent/vellum and grey mailing envelopes at The Papermill Store. Don’t be afraid to order paper swatches before you make your big order. All these websites allow you to order swatches because we can’t always rely on our computer screen.
Yes, being a printer’s daughter makes printing cards easier. However, sometimes you have to weigh out the pros and cons of making your own versus ordering them from another company. For my bridal shower thank you cards I decided to try Minted. I had signed up for an account and received a free credit so I gave it a try. Browsing through their large collection of cards was a little overwhelming because there were just so many lovely designs to choose from. Ultimately, I chose Dappled designed by Olivia Raufman – a personalized rose gold foil print on kraft-like paper. It arrived carefully packed, exactly as pictured on the website.
Why didn’t I make this myself? 1) I do not have the capability of doing foil print 2) I didn’t have to order materials 3) Prices I thought were reasonable and most importantly 4) Time was of the essence. It felt really nice to receive this package promptly with no assembly or work required! Overall, my experience with Minted was a plus.
Deciding on what to give for favours took some time. I always loved the idea of giving a donation on behalf of my guests to an organization but, I still felt like I wanted my guests to be able to take something home with them and use. Finding something useful was key for me. One evening, I was shopping at my favourite store, Marshalls (yay!) and came across a water botter with an infuser. I loved it and knew right away that I could try to make my own version.
Voila! After several weeks of browsing through Alibaba.com, I found it. Alibaba is a source for exporters to sell their goods. Products are made in China and you can pretty much find anything you want here. The downside to this website is that many exporters are looking to sell large quantities and therefore, have large minimum order quantities. If you’re having a large wedding, I would take a look here. If you need less, I would suggest checking out AliExpress which is a sister website of Alibaba but for lower quantities (Prices may vary). You can create one login account to access and purchase from either website. Since I was ordering over 400 pieces, I was able to find what I wanted from Alibaba. The prices were great but do remember, items coming from overseas will have customs fees, higher shipping (in most cases) and require more time for shipping.
I also ordered these paper straws from AliExpress and had a great experience. Shipping was speedy and free! Like all websites, I still recommend reading reviews and checking all shipping policies as they will vary from vendor to vendor. Through my process, I contacted several vendors for quotes and they all responded in a timely manner.
I am a big fan of Shutterfly and making photobooks. Yes, I have all my photos on my phone and my computer to look at, but it’s just 100 times better when it’s published! For my guestbook, I wanted guests to sign something that I would be able to keep forever. You all know how much I love my cards. This guestbook would be like one big 30-page card! We also had engagement photos taken and I thought it would be a good to have those photos displayed also. I have always used Shutterfly for my photobooks and decided to try a new website for kicks. I went with Blurb and was very happy with my book. Their software for creating the pages was easy to use and the overall quality was very good. I have to say the main advantage is that their Canadian website offers cheaper shipping and shorter delivery times.
Thanks to Pinterest, I knew I had to get my wedding guests some dancing shoes! What a brilliant idea to have flip flops on the dancefloor. And, what a horrible idea it is to pay full price for this brilliant idea! Brides, if you have the time, plan ahead and time out this purchase. I bought my flip flops at the end of two summers ago when summer clearance happpens. Joe Fresh had these on sale for $2 each in my colours, grey and black and enough quantities to avoid me going to multiple stores! I would also check Old Navy for their clearance also. My mom loved the idea and I assume my guests made use of these because there were none left at the end of the night.
Any wedding or party is always in need of some ribbon, bags, and tissue paper. Do you hate settling for the tissue paper colours at the dollar store or buying twenty rolls of ribbon because there’s only 3 yards in a roll? Well, I have some solutions for you. When I first walked into a Creative Bag store, I was in party planning heaven. I told my friends about it right away, while I was still in the store. Don’t let the name fool you because it sells more than bags. We’re talking a huge selection of bags, boxes, ribbons, name cards, lanterns, tissue paper, wedding favours, tags, and more. I snagged these gift boxes for my bridesmaids here. Creative Bag is a Toronto area based store but of course, has an online store as well.
Another great website for party planning necessities is Paper Mart which is based in California. Their selection is even larger than Creative Bag as they also offer containers, shipping materials, and other paper items. Ribbons from both stores come in spools of 25, 50 or 100 yards depending on widths at significantly lower prices. I don’t even want to imagine how much it would have cost me to buy ribbon at Michaels or a fabric store for all my favours, and my 75-feet aisle runner.
Friends, that concludes my series on my wedding finds! I hope that you have gathered some helpful tips for your own wedding and party planning needs. Please do share any tips and great sites you have come across in your own search. I would love to hear more!
Until the next party (or wedding! Kidding.)
It’s the Little Things That Matter… If you've been following thus far, let's keep it going (and conclude) with all of the non-fashion items that played a big role on my big day.