With Whipped Cream and Cherry On Top: Making boring gifts fun

Have you ever struggled to find the right gift for a bridal or couples shower or a wedding present? Registry gifts can be so boring. I mean who gets excited about a set of towels really? And gift cards (although greatly appreciated by the couple) are even worse. That's when the urge to go off registry kicks in, and once it does it's hard to fight. But your practical sides reminds you that sticking with the registry or purchasing a gift card are the most sure fire ways to make sure that the betrothed couple gets something they can actually use.

I'm reminded of a FRIENDS episode where Monica and Chandler receive a particularly hideous punch bowl. Upon Chandler asking if they can return it, Monica states that there is no receipt so where would they return it. Chandler then says, "I was thinking maybe to the street... from the balcony?" :-) You don't want a similar conversation to go on about your gift. So, I encourage you to stick with the registry or gift cards from the registered stores.

So, how then to solve the dilemma spicing up boring gifts? Well, I have two suggestions for you today, and I'd love to hear the creative ways you have solved this problem.

First we have an idea for that old stand by of a set of towels. Well, actually it's two sets of towels but you get the picture. For a while now I've been hearing about the "diaper cakes" that have been making their rounds through the bridal showers lately. It's a simple idea. Cloth or disposable diapers are rolled up and stacked on top of each other to resemble a tiered cake.



(Source)

So I started thinking, why can't I do this with regular sized towels for a shower????

Well, I jumped on my trusty Google and started searching. Come to find out I'm not the first one to have this idea. After obtaining some inspirational images and downloading some instructions, I ordered the double set of towels and crossed my fingers.

When they arrived I immediately sat down and started working. It was amazingly easy to do. Simply fold the large towels into thirds and roll up. Do the same with the hand towels and the wash clothes. Then stack them on top of each other and decorate with silk flowers, ribbon, and anything else you think looks pretty. Having a creative block, then simply flip through a few pages of wedding cake pictures on The Knot and you'll most likely have more inspiration then you've ever wanted! So... what did my towel cake look like? Well, please excuse the crappy picture. After all that work I only got one picture of it and it's not the best, but...



But that's not all! With two showers back to back for two couples, I had another opportunity to get creative. This couple doesn't know quite yet where they are going to be living. On top of that they are both young and therefore really need everything. So, with Charlotte just getting a new IKEA (sound the angles, aaaaaaahhhhhh!) they simply requested IKEA gift cards.

Well, I couldn't just give a gift card, because, well... I'm just OCD and crazy like that! While at IKEA to get the gift card and introduce my mom to the awesomeness that is IKEA, I spotted my favorite type of flower vase. It's short and rectangle and awesome! There is something about the shape of this vase that makes even a flower futz like me into freaking Martha Stewart. So, I decided to pick it up and figure out how to package the gift card in it. That way they got what they really needed, but I was able to pass on some of the wisdom I had gained as a spouse. (Although two whistles, one for each, to blow when they feel that a fight is getting out of hand and becoming unfair would have probably been just as wisdomuss.)

I filled the vase with tissue paper and made a paper rose to fill the vase. (Paper flowers, especially roses, are incredibly easy, just time consuming. So, if you have a wonderful, amazing, selfless husband like mine who is happy to "crinkle" paper petals for you, you are extra blessed!) I then slipped the gift card in the back of the vase. And wrapped some matching paper and a tag to the front. So what did it look like?



Don't ask me why I forgot to get pictures of the towel cake but remembered to take this one outside in order to get awesome artsy pictures! I, myself, don't even understand the inner workings of my brain sometimes.

So what creative, fun ways have you all found to package sorta-kinda-boring gifts? We'd love to hear! Happy Friday everyone! I hope your weekend is full of creativity and joy!

Pretty Maids All in a Row

One of the dreaded wedding tasks for a couple is always choosing the bridesmaid dresses. I mean, really, who decided that putting all of your friends, of different shapes, sizes, and colorings, into the exact same dress (and possibly a floppy straw hat, if you're my mom) was a good idea? Where did this unusual tradition start?

Was it an insecure bride who wanted to insure that none of her friends looked as good as she did?

Was it a vindictive bride who wanted to inact revenge on all her ungrateful friends?

Was it a practical joke loving bride who was tired of hearing her friends gasp in terror, "OMG! We're wearing the exact same dress!!!!!!!!"?

In reality, the tradition goes back significantly farther than any of my guesses. In ancient Anglo-Saxon Brittian, evil spirts and kidnappings of the bride were considered real threats. So, the bridesmaids wore the same thing as the bride in order to confuse anyone who hoped to bring ill will to the couple. Additional note: This is also why the bride stands to the left of the groom, because then he had his stronger right arm free to ward off attackers.

So, since we no longer have to worry about kidnappings and most of us are farily unworried about evil spirits interupting the ceremony, are matching bridesmaid dresses really necessary? The answer is a resounding no! But what other option is there and doesn't it look bad? Not in the least.

For a while now brides have been giving their bridesmaids some choices. One of the first trends to emerge was the same color, same fabric, same length, different dress style look. Like this one from The Knot.



Now brides have started bucking all the traditions. For instance this one broke the cardinal rule of no one wearing white at the wedding.



How sexy and beautiful do those lovely ladies look?!

Some brides are sticking with one dress and allowing their bridesmaids the choice of color.



And some are giving them a color or color scheme (like fall tones of brown, orange, and red), and letting them run with it.



Most of us have been in the situation where we have been asked to spend a LOT of our hard earned money on a dress that, even if beautiful, will most likely sit in the back of our closets for the rest of its life. Thankfully, as you've seen, many brides are becoming more considerate to this delema. But if you want to guarantee that your bridesmaids will end up with something they will wear again and you are having a fairly formal or evening wedding, consider the ever classy little black dress. This is really the only sure fire, I-want-my-bridesmaids-to-wear-their-dress-again, solution. Even if black isn't in your color scheme, accents can always be added to tie everything together, and if the guys are wearing black suits or tuxes then it will all flow regardless. Not convenced that it will look cohesive? Take a look at this picture of Ms. Avacado's (from Weddingbee) girls in their stunning and stylish dresses.



I love this picture for many reasons, but my favorite is that it proves that modest doesn't equal frumppy! As a member of the Church of Laterday Saints (LDS), the bride has a conviction about being modest which includes no bare shoulders. Although I'm not opposed to bare shoulders, I AM pale as can be and hate spending the entire day tugging on a strappless dress. For those girls like me, there is another option!

In striving to be gender neutral, keep in mind that all these tips can be applied to any/all women involved in a wedding party regardless of which side of the couple they stand on or the gender(s) of the couple getting married. I've only used "bride" and "bridesmaid" for simplicity sake. :-)

So what do you all think? What are your favorite trends in wedding party attire? How about any dissaster stories? (Cue picture of my mom's poor bridesmaids in their floppy hats! :-P)

To cover or not to cover. That is the question.

Most people who know me well, know that I'm a tattoo enthusiast. I love them. I love them on me; I love them on other people; and I even love them on brides! I know that some of you are thinking that I have truly gone crazy, but hear me out for a minute.

For us tattoo enthusiasts, our tattoos are more than a decoration or accessory. Every time I walk out of my tattoo shop, I feel more like my true self. I always feel like my artist has revealed something that was always there just unseen. They are truly a part of who I am. And I know that this is how other tattoo enthusiasts feel as well.

Since I am a firm believer in weddings being an expression of the couple, and the individuals who make up that couple, I guess it's no real surprise that I LOVE tattooed brides! Take a look at these gorgeous images and you may come to the same conclusion.





Photographer: Jonathan Canlas Photography



Photographer: Frank Amodo



Photographer: Closed Circle Photography



Photographer: Allebach Photography

If you are a fan off tattooed brides (or off beat weddings), then you may already be familiar with this next image as she seems to be one of the most famous tattoed brides on the web!



Bride's Website

If you have now become a fan of tattooed brides, consider heading over to Offbeat Bride, my go to blog for everything off beat. Just like other wedding sites, I like some weddings and ideas better than others, but the one thing I love about the weddings featured on Offbeat Bride is that each couple is unique. They don't pretend to be someone they are not, they are just honest and true to themselves.

Rock on tattooed brides and grooms! Rock on!

So, what do you think of the images? What do you think about showing tattoos at a wedding?

The Perfect Match

Wedding favors can be a fun, yet tricky, detail. They can be a supper fun element that helps tie your over all vision together. On the other hand, most people either leave them there, take them home and throw them away, or take them home and put them in a drawer or memory box. I encourage couples to seriously consider what they want to do when it comes to favors. For some, ditching the entire thing is the way to go. For some, making a donation to a beloved charity is the way to go. For others who really feel that having something for guests to take come is an important part of a wedding, there are some great ideas for things that will be worth the money spent.

I was at a wedding a couple of years ago where the bride and groom had a coffee bar and gave guests a glass coffee mug as the favor. It worked wonderfully. We had a nice, large coffee mug to use for the reception and then to take home. I'm actually drinking out of it right now as I write this blog.

For Jeff and Bethany, we had already decided that since they were having an evening reception, having sparklers for their exit would be a beautiful and inexpensive idea. So when they mentioned that they really wanted something tangible for their guests to take home with them, I knew exactly what they could do.



Personalized match boxes make a wonderful wedding favor. They are inexpensive. Well very inexpensive. They are an easy DIY project, and they are something useful that guests just might use after they leave. I'll leave you with just a little more inspiration. All images from www.theknot.com



And finally a template for making DIY personalized matchboxes, Here

May I Introduce...

I am tragically behind on my blogging. Unfortunately, I have managed to acquire a cold in the middle of the summer. (What???) Yes. I have no idea how it happened, except that I've been running like a mad woman for weeks, and I work in an office that is probably 60 degrees while it's close to 100 outside. But anyway. Beginning to finally feel human again today! Woohoo!

I have a few blogs in the works, but today I would like to introduce you to Uncommon Weddings founding clients:

Bethany and Jeff

Bethany is a friend of a friend, and she and Jeff have graciously allowed me to blog about the planning of their wedding. There's so much that goes into planning a wedding, that many couples don't even realize what they are getting themselves into. That is why it is not uncommon for a couple to call a wedding planner in halfway (or less) through the process. Hopefully by blogging the process of their wedding over the next 11 months, people will be able to see what really goes into planning a wedding.

Bethany, Jeff, and I just had our second monthly wedding planning meeting, and we are all so excited about some of the elements of the wedding that are coming together.

First of all: Theme

Jeff and Beth are both very casual, down to earth kind of people, so we agreed that "casual rustic elegance" was probably the best way to describe the feel they were going for. Something like this.



Sources: 1 and 5, 2 and 4, 3

These two are an awesome couple and totally looking to shake things up when it comes to their wedding. One of the first ideas they were sold in was having a s'mores bar. Candy bars are one of the big trends in the wedding industry right now, but unfortunately are becoming a little over done.



So we decided that since they were having a back yard cookout and would have access to a large grill, that a s'mores bar would be even better! I started pulling images so that they could get a feel for what I was envisioning. Something kind of like this.



Sources: 1, 2, 3

And here's a wonderful one by Lindsey Nartker Designs



I'm thinking of including on the bar: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, mint chocolate, raspberry chocolate, regular marshmallows, coconut marshmallows, regular graham crackers, chocolate graham crackers, cinnamon graham crackers, nutella, peanut butter, and any other great ideas we come across between now and then.

When it comes to presentation, I'm thinking orange crates, wooden boxes, antique-y jars, and possibly these berry pint crates.



And at only fifty cents each, they are a wonderful, budget friendly option for presenting items at a rustic chic event. So, what do you think?

Why I Love Being a Wedding Planner...

Every time I considered becoming a wedding coordinator, the thought always seemed too good to be true... like it would be getting paid to eat cake (as my mama always said). And then today I found myself sitting in front of this!



OH YEAH BABY!!! That's a wedding cake tasting from the awesomest (another Bonnie word) Edible Art. I emailed them the other day asking if I could come by to introduce myself and see their work. Nancy emailed me back and encouraged me to stop by. She was so sweet and beyond showing me some of their designs and giving me pricing information, she also asked me if I would like to try some samples. [Insert favorite joke here.] They were SOOO good. I got to try the standard flavors, yellow, vanilla, chocolate, and almond. They were all so wonderful it was hard to pick a favorite, but the almond was excellent and surprising since I don't usually like almond stuff. And the chocolate tasted more like my grandmother's chocolate cakes then I've had before! It was wonderful, and they will certainly be included in the Uncommon Wedding's Little Black Book. (Any Style Me Pretty fans out there?) Anyway, so besides getting paid to eat cake, I also visited an absolutely breathtaking facility this afternoon, and had a wonderful time getting to know the facility coordinator out there. Expect a blog about that in the next few days! Hope everyone is having a great week!

Check out Edible Art if you get a chance! The do wonderful cupcakes and birthday cakes as well.

Tip: No matter how super fabulous the wedding cake is, eating it at 11am on an empty stomach is never a good idea! Always eat something before going wedding cake tasting so that the cake doesn't hit your stomach like a sugar brick. :)

And the Bride Wore... Colored Shoes

One of the biggest trends in the wedding world, and one that I'm absolutely in LOVE with, is for the bride to wear colored shoes to match her color scheme. Now I know that your great aunt Edna is rolling over in her grave as we speak, but really, who made the rule that dictated the bride must be in white from head to toe? Actually, I do more or less know the answer to that, and maybe I'll post a blog about it sometime. But anyway, first brides started carrying colored flowers which I LOVE as well. There is something about the contrast of the pure white dress and the colorful flowers that just pops for me. And now whenever the bride lifts her dress up a little, which trust me she'll be doing ALL DAY LONG, there is a surprise pop of color! Don't believe me, judge for yourself!







Images from Style Me Pretty





Southern Weddings Magazine

Besides the unexpected pop of color and the sense of attention to every last detail, wearing colored shoes has the added advantage of actually being wearable again! Wow! What a concept!!! Because really, even those of us who get more practical shoes and convinced our finances that they were worth the price because, and I quote, we'll "totally wear them all the time!!!"... who actually wears pure white shoes anymore? My pure white ones are still in the closet, right were I put them when we came home the day after the wedding.

So... what do you think? Are you as in love as I am?