Hardware Wedding Projects

Everything I made myself for the wedding:

Invitations
Centerpieces
Wine Box
Arbor
Veil
Bride and Bridesmaid Bouquets
Groom and Best-men Boutonnieres
Cork Board Frame
Decorations
Stationary

The Invitations: I Printed out myself with an invitation Kit I purchased from a local Craft Store. It cost me about 90$ and was very labor intensive on the computer. I sent out over 180 invitations, but it was entirely worth it and I got a lot of compliments on them even though I didn't think people would really care to notice. No one could tell I made them myself.

Centerpieces: Thanks you thank you to the Friends of mine with an Unruly Curly Willow Tree in their back yard. They let me take two truck loads home with me. I then dried the branches out for 4 or 5 months and used them in my centerpieces and table decorations, as well as my Arbor.

I asked friends and family for spare clear vases and many came through. I also picked up a half a dozen at the local Salvation Army. For the filler I discovered a neat product called "Deco Beads", which are these tiny dehydrated balls of plastic that you throw in water and they expand and fill lots of volume. I bought tulle fabric and pretty plastic rock things that went around the vases to complete the look.

Wine Box: The Wine Box was something I read about online. You make a wine box and put two wine glasses with your wedding wine, and instead of using a guestbook you have everyone sign cards (ours were mini cards that looked like iPhones so they could leave us TXT Messages ) and throw them in the box, at the end of the night the bride and groom seal up the box and don't open it until their one year anniversary. Awesomely fun idea. I will go into extra detail on the "HOW-To" later.

ARBOR: Probably the hardest think to make was our Marriage Arbor. My husband and I, and later the Groomsmen, built it out of Bamboo poles you use in the garden to hold up trees. Then my Bridesmaids and I decorated it with Organza, tulle, and curly willow.

The Flower and Boutonnieres: These were very fun to make. You tube is the bomb! there are so many helpful videos. With a few practice runs I became a champ at the bouquet making and the boutonnieres were easy.

Veil: Hair Comb + Tulle + needle and thread + veil. SO EASY, and I felt so good wearing it because I had made it. And I used Champagne colored Tulle for an extra twist.

Hardware Wedding

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I apologize for the deprivation of blogging. I am a rookie. Over the Last couple months I've been busy getting Married. But I assure you I was constantly thinking about how much Hardware I was using in preparation and I was excited about being able to blog about it.

First of all, weddings are a lot of work. Someday a department in my Hardware store will be dedicated to DO IT YOURSELF Brides (Like ME). And I will have project ideas posted and maybe even instructional classes on how to make common Marriage Gear. Seriously, I can't even stand how good of an idea this is.

Ok, so you may be thinking "How much Hardware can a Bride really need?" Considering the entire industry out in our world that is dedicated to doing everything for you. Ya know, like the planners, and the florists, and the printing, and the rentals, and the Expo's, etc.

I figured out very early on that, the formation of your dreams and everything about your perfect wedding day is controlled and limited by your budget. And I had people tell there was nothing they could do for me with my "unfortunate Budget".

RED FLAG #1: These people don't want to help me. They just want my money.
RED FLAG #2: Most of these people (Not all..) Aren't in this industry because they like weddings and want to help people. The wedding industry is a Billion Dollar a year world. AND Fuck 'em because I want no Part of it.

So after much discouragement, many burst bubbles, and a few bridezilla moments... I had an enlightenment. Am I even this girl? Have I been dreaming about this moment for years? Am I that girl that listens to Martha Stewart's subliminal messaging?

Nope. I am a Hardware Bride, an Off Beat Bride, a DIY kinda girl, who has the tools and the love and the support to Do It Myself. Which is my Perfect, My dream, and I had the Best Wedding I could have ever hoped for.