Welcome to WEDding WEDnesdays!

I'm keeping the momentum going with an ambitious undertaking:  posting photos + projects + montages from our wedding (and the year and a half planning beforehand) every Wednesday, until forever--there is that much goodness to share.  I'll even share some ideas and projects that didn't make the cut, but deserve honorable mention.

Our wedding, which took place on October 3, 2009 in Sacramento, was very much representative of our daily life: chock-full of DIY projects, recycled goods, hand-me-downs, and personal touches.  All while staying within a four figure budget.

To start, I'll share a cheap and easy DIY project I did for my bridesmaids.  I knew I wanted them to wear dark chocolate and raspberry hues, and a touch of whimsy to pop against their somewhat simple dresses.  I found their dresses at J. Crew (the "Audrey embossed cotton beach dress" in chocolate) on sale for under $70, and their shoes at Payless for under $15 (not including my AAA discount and the BOGO sale going on at the time).

The shoes I had initially found as a model for a more realistic pair were the Bettye Muller wedges shown below from anthropologie for $368.    

Gorgeous, but yikes!  One pair cost more than all four girls' outfits combined--including dress, shoes, and accessories.  Determined to find a similar shoe, I looked for months.  Nothing.  So, I snapped out of it and realized I could recreate this look on my own--for cheap.  And I did!  I found a comparable shoe at Payless--my MOH 'V' tried on, strutted, and approved--bought a box of metal safety pins, and two bunches of faux flowers at The Dollar Store, and created this:

Pretty good for an under $20 project, huh?  Then, I went back and forth over whether or not to take it to the next level and add some greenery from the flower bunch... I ultimately went with 'more is more' in this case, and the girls were given these to wear:

I decided to share this particular project first after seeing V wear them (sans flora) to my house last night for a much-needed visit.  I was tickled.  I've also learned that all my bridesmaids have worn their dresses at least once since the wedding, which is really spectacular to hear.  V actually asked my permission to wear her's to church a couple of weeks before the wedding, which I didn't mind one bit.  :)  

My hopes are that these posts will inspire you to take on your own wedding projects, not only to give you something to be proud to showcase on what may be the most important day of your life, but also to have enough $$ for life after the honeymoon.  It's no secret weddings have morphed into out-of-control-crazy-expensive-events, but there are ways to keep yourself from falling victim to overspending.  You certainly don't want to experience buyers' remorse about something as wonderful as your wedding, now do you?  That was a rhetorical question. 

One last tip:  stay far far away from wedding magazines.  I didn't buy a single one, and I am glad I stuck to my guns.  Their voodoo will have you convinced you need to hit every Bridal Expo in a 50-mile radius to find and book your vendors.  Lemme tell ya, it's bull.   A better idea would be to check out some fantastic wedding-focused blogs to get ideas from other real couples whose agenda does not include profiting from your event.  Some truly amazing blogs in this arena are: The Green Bride Guide, The Bride's Cafe, 100 Layer Cake, snippet & ink, and I have to stop there or I'll be here all day...

...Stay tuned for more wedding goodness. delivered to you. every Wednesday.