Finger Print Tree Guest Book

Invitations

Oh Martha kills me again with these gorgeous doily envelopes. Completely works with my chic delicate country vintage theme. I think the bright white doily envelope in a brown envelope with muslin colored invites would be divine. :) Here is the how to details:

Lacey Liners

Valentine's Day isn't the only occasion for paper doilies. Fashioned into envelope liners, they look chic, especially when paired with stationery in sophisticated, muted colors. To make, lay a 9-inch square doily face down, with a corner pointing toward you. Center invitation on top. Fold up bottom point, then side points, and finally, the top.

http://www.sparkleandhay.com/tuesday-paper-diy-rustic-chic-wedding-invitations

Map insert... Make your own map.

http://amyandjoeysbigday.wordpress.com/2009/04/06/making-your-own-map/

Budget... $10k doesn't go as far as you'd think

Budget Breakdown...

Flowers 10%- (Baby's Breath 100 Bunches) $1000
Reception (Food, Beverages, Rentals, and Site) 40%- $4000
Photography 20%- $2000
Attire 10%- $1000
Music 2%- $200
Invites, Favors, Transportation 10%- $1000
Unexpected 8%- $800

Cute and entertaining programs

I found this awesome diy for wedding programs that are fans as well as entertaining games!

http://www.intimateweddings.com/blog/easy-diy-wedding-programs-tutorial/

Materials for DIY Wedding Programs:
- A2 sized folded cards (or card stock cut to size and folded)
- Golf pencils , pre-drilled with holes wide enough for ribbon to pass through
- Popsicle sticks , also pre-drilled
- Scissors
- Needle with a large eye
- Corner Rounder Punch
- Thin ribbon
- Double Sided Tape

Note: A2 is a great size because there’s room for content, but they’re not so big that they’re floppy. If you go with a different size, make sure that when folded, the programs will be sturdy enough to write on.

Designing my programs was a snap with Microsoft Word. On the front, I put the basics – names, ceremony details, and bird graphics to match our wedding theme. To jazz up the back, I came up with three wedding related games for our guests to play while they waited for the ceremony to start: a Mad Lib, a fill-in-the-blank, and a word search.

I had tons of ideas for games that I ran out of time to use. How about a crossword puzzle, Sudoku, maze, or connect the dots?

Once you’ve designed your programs (making sure to fit the card dimensions), print the front and back onto the outside of the cards. I used my regular ink jet printer and had no problems.

To start assembling, open up a card and put double stick tape on three sides.

Then put double stick tape on both sides of a popsicle stick, covering about half of the stick. Center on the card and press in place.

Close the card, pressing to seal the edges.

Using the corner rounder punch, carefully round all four corners.

Cut a piece of ribbon that, when halved, is long enough to reach from the end of the popsicle stick to the end of the pencil, while still allowing enough slack to write on the program.

Thread the halved ribbon through the hole in the popsicle stick.

Use a lark’s head knot to secure.

Thread the two cut ends of the ribbon of the ribbon through a golf pencil.

Knot the ends to secure, then trim.

Here’s the back of a finished program. Word search, anyone?

And the finished stack of about 50 wedding programs.

Our guests loved them! I had people coming up to me during the reception to read me their wedding Mad Libs. We got such a kick out of the reactions to these programs — I’m really glad I took the time to do them. They were quick and easy to put together, and total cost ended up being around $25 for 50 programs. The hardest part was drilling holes in the pencils and popsicle sticks. I’m dangerous around power tools, so my husband very nicely did them for me. And isn’t helping each other what marriage is all about?

Amanda Colyer is a 24 year old cubicle-dweller in corporate America. She dreams of one day finding a job that will pay her to knit, quilt, and generally be crafty. You can see her various creative endeavors at dellastella. Read about Amanda and Ben’s Real Wedding.