For the Bridal Bazaar one of our budget concsious ideas was to have a DIY wedding favor.  Here’s what I came up with!

After surveying countless options I decided to go with the Martha Stewart Candy Boxes, which I purchased at Michaels.  But I only decided to use that option after I found the perfect chocolates from Cost Plus World Market!

The Martha Stewart set comes with the box, the oval label and foam spacers for between the label and box.

To have the boxes match the decor of the table setup, I purchased a sheer gold ribbon as well as a green ribbon and orange ribbon.  My plan was to have half the boxes accented in the green and the other half accented with the orange.  Both the accent colors were a bit bold so I actually layered the gold ribbon over the accent ribbon…I think it looked great!

The very first thing I did was print the labels.  This was time consuming because I wanted all of them to be identical and centered.  Martha’s folks thought ahead and included test sheets that you can print until you get the formatting just right!  However, their printing utilities are not all that great.  The online version was difficult and the Microsoft Word download needed a lot of tweaking!  I got it just right though!  You can download my template here!  You may need to make adjustments for your own printer.

After the printing was done, I forged ahead and made my boxes!

I used the double sided tape to secure the ribbons and label as I layered them.  I placed a square of tape on the box, then put the accent ribbon down and wrapped it around until the ends of the ribbon met.  I made sure the piece of tape was big enough for both end of the ribbon to stick to it.

I placed another piece of tape over the ribbon ends, then layered the gold ribbon over in the same manner.

I then put a few pieces of tape on the back of the oval (only in the center though) and then placed that on the box…voila!  I chose not to use the spacers they included, but you can if you want.

Here is what the boxes would cost if you decided to do them for your wedding…click here to download the PDF. I make no guarantees about how much this project will actually cost you, but I figured I could at least share what it would have cost me!

I worked the booth for the San Diego Chapter of the Association of Bridal Consultants this past Sunday, and it was great!  So many San Diego brides and grooms came out to see what the San Diego Wedding Community has to offer.  I chatted with so many happy couples, their friends and their parents and I wish every one of you the best as you make your plans and say your I-Dos!

Here’s a peek at what our booth setup had to offer!

We had some budget friendly ideas in mind as we designed this lovely table.  I think one of the biggest concepts was to really talk to the florist you want to hire.  Tell them what you can spend, what your colors are and then have faith in your florist to deliver a beautiful product!  The florist we used was able to deliver this centerpiece to us for only $25.00 using that exact idea!  She had carte blanche to pick the flowers that were in season and lovely but not terribly expensive.

I was so excited about how great everything turned out!  And stay tuned for details on the favors!!  They are a DIY project and I’ll have all the details here!

Tomorrow is the Bridal Bazaar at the San Diego Convention Center, and is a great opportunity to see all things bridal!
If you’re just starting on your wedding plans, this is a great time to get new ideas and discover what you may still need to polish off your wedding plans!  Caterers will be present giving samples of their delicious food, bakeries will be there will cake samples, and florists with brilliant ideas will have samples on display.  Bring your camera to capture what inspires you!

Fashion Shows will be 11:30am, 1:00pm and 2:45pm.

Go to the Bridal Bazaar website to purchase your tickets or download a coupon.

Concession stands will be open selling soft drinks and snacks, but if you prefer to stroll through the booths with a glass of champagne then cruise over to the fashion show stage.  There is typically a bar setup there selling bubbly!

Bridal Bazaar
San Diego Convention Center, Hall H
111 W. Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA

I will be helping out at the Association of Bridal Consultants Booth (#908).  Stop by and say hi!

We live in San Diego and have some of the best beaches in Southern California.  Its only natural that people would want to get married at the beach!  There are some things to consider though:

Courtesy of HereComestheGuide.com

• Permits: You have to get permits to reserve any of the public spaces in San Diego.  That grassy knoll at the Embarcadero south of Seaport Village…permit required.  La Jolla Cove Park…permit required.  Beaches surrounding Mission Bay…permit required.  Do your homework.  Permits are not that costly, but if you don’t have one, then someone can rain on your parade the day of your wedding.
• Parking: Living in San Diego, we all know how difficult parking at the beach can be.  Make sure you’ve picked an are where you can reserve a parking lot.  Your guests will appreciate it!
• Setup: Are you going to have chairs on the sand?  If so, make sure you discuss this with your rental company.  Walking in sand can be difficult and then having to haul chairs on top of that can be even more so.  Some rental companies will charge extra for the setup simply because of the extra manpower needed.
• Music: Live Acoustic is the easiest way to go.  Why?  Because a DJ or amplified group of musicians will need speakers and power.  And you’re not likely to find an electrical outlet in the sand.  So if you decide to go with a DJ or amplified group, then make sure they know the setup and how much extension cord they will need.  There is a possibility you will need a generator if there is no power source nearby.
• Sand: It will get everywhere!  So make sure your guests know about the ceremony in the sand.  You can even supply sandals for anyone that may have forgotten!  Put them in a beach bucket and you’re set!
• Wind: It may be windy.  Very windy!  If you intend to have programs for your guests, don’t put them on the chairs or a table.  Have someone handing them out to guests as they arrive.  And if you DO place them on individual chairs, then use shells or river rocks to weigh them down.
• Bathrooms: Our fine city does the best they can with maintaining the public restrooms along the beach.  And while your beach-side wedding ceremony may only last 20 minutes, your guests will probably be there around an hour.  Do you really intend to have your Great Aunt Susie use the public potty?  If you have children, older adults, or a large party then you may want to see what your options are for a portable restroom.  I don’t mean the plastic Andy Gumps that don’t flush!  Portable restrooms can be as nice as your own home bathroom.  Its worth looking into if only to make your friends and family feel more comfortable.
• The Bride’s entrance: It is meant to be a climactic moment.  In theory, the doors swing open and there’s the bride!  Stunning, radiant and beautiful!  The crowd oohs, aahs and sighs and the groom tears up.  It becomes anti-climactic when the bride has to walk in plain sight for 3 minutes before she reaches the aisle.  Consider creating space.  Talk to your rental company about what options you have for pipe and drape or sections of trellis.  You may not literally have doors to enter from, but you can still create an environment that will allow you to make an entrance!

There are venues around San Diego that have beach areas for your wedding, the Hotel del Coronado comes to mind.  But for those of you thinking outside the box, these are definitely things you want to keep in mind as you plan your day!

Courtesy of WeddingWire.com

Los Angeles is just a hop, skip and a jump away so don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to get your hands on a Monique Lhuillier gown for your wedding!

The Sample Sale is Sunday, July 19th from 10 am to 6 pm at the Los Angeles Store.

Not in the market for a wedding dress?  Some Ready to Wear items are included in the sale!

Check out the WeddingWire Blog for more details!  And if you do tackle the sample sale, tell me all about your fabulous purchase!