School Sweethearts

The DIY Bride

With School back for the year it got me thinking about School Sweethearts. I can't even count how many crushes I had throughout school - all the different boys names I doodled in my notebooks and wondering if I'd ever be any of their Mrs.

Wedding Programs from Etsy

For some couples they are in fact School Sweethearts. They might have been in the same class in elementary school, or went to the same school and didn't hook up until later in life. Or sometimes, they are High School Sweethearts who've been together 5, sometimes 10 years before they tie the knot.

If you met your sweetie in school, check out some awesome ideas from some of the below fabulous sites.

Green Wedding Shoes

Ruffled Blog

Off Beat Bride

Snippet and Ink

Hip Ink Custom Invitations

One of our Friendors, Sarah of Hip Ink has recently launched an Etsy store. If you're a Bride planning your wedding and you don't know what Etsy is, I suggest you check it out. The website is like an online flea market and you can visit a bunch of different suppliers of almost any product! Many Brides and Planners turn to this site for favours, wedding party gifts, unique jewelery and stationery.

Sarah is known for her Couture line of custom invites. She designs each one with the clients requests in mind and creates unique one-of-a-kind invitations and stationery for their special day. Having a specially made invite can get expensive, so to accommodate and continue to share her love of design, Sarah launched the Etsy store.

There are a variety of pre-designed invitations available on her storefront that you can choose from and then edit to display all of your details. We especially like these two:

Check out all the other designs she offers here. And, if you want to meet with Sarah to design your very own stationery line for your special day, visit her website and drop her a line or email.

Your invitations are what sets the tone, mood and theme for your wedding, so be sure that they are personalized, unique and display your personalities.

Bridesmaid Gifts

You might know exactly what to get your Maid of Honour and Bridesmaids for being your right hand gals during your wedding planning and celebrations. Or, you might be completely stumped. There are so many options and ideas, it can be baffling.

Tried and trued is jewelry. You can get them a necklace or earrings that they can wear on your wedding day, or you can do something different. Maybe you want to get them all something a little different to match their personalities - maybe one likes wine, while the other likes cooking. Maybe one is a bookworm, and the other is more of a tomboy.

Giving personalized gifts always adds that extra touch and says 'thank you' far better than a standard gift - but that's just my opinion. Just be sure to give yourself a budget, and get creative!

Here are a few websites that I like for unique gifts:

Etsy - homemade, unique items that can be bought as is or customized to suit your needs.

Candied Soap Bakery - soap that looks almost good enough to eat!

Beaucoup - gifts that can be personalized and tend to be practical.

2011 Trend Alert: Broach Bouquets

I've seen them pop up on wedding blogs and in magazines. They are stunningly beautiful, elegant and colourful. A broach bouquet is a great way to incorporate your 'something old' into your wedding as well as pay homage to family heirlooms. Having a bouqet made with broaches is also eco-chic.

A broach bouquet is a delightful pairing to a more casual dress. Rather than beading, jewels and details on your gown, your bouquet is your 'wow' factor while walking down the aisle - other than your beaming smile of course!

To see some broach bouqets, how to's and learn about how much it will cost you to make one of these beauts, visit The Vegas Wedding Planner Blog, Belle: The Magazine or Calgary Bride Blog.

Also gaining popularity are Button Bouquets which offer more of a rustic, do-it-yourself feel.

If you don't want to make these bouquets yourself, check out Miss Jennifer Rae for Button Bouquets on Etsy. This website has fabulous vendors that you can order from and get items shipped right to your door step!

We think that this trend will crop up more and more this season. Email us if you are making or buying a broach or button bouquet, or if you know a friend who is. We'd love to see the pictures and feature them on the blog!

*Thanks to the above mentioned blogs for inspiring this post

*Images from MissJenniferRae and Belle: The Magazine

Hole in One!

Hostess with the Mostess featured this 30th Birthday party from Michelle at Crazy for Design. This theme can be used for young and old, male or female - as long as the birthday girl or guy likes golf!

The elements, colours and textures used to create this themed party are pefect for a man. Simple, clean lines are far better choices than glitz and glam, especially for a 30th party for a dude.

Using original themed names for food & drink exentuates the theme

When planning a themed party think about the guest of honours likes, dislikes, hobbies and lifestyle. To save money, try incorporating items that you already own or can borrow from other guests. Make your own stationary/printables, or use an affordable online dealer like Etsy.

With the Oscars approaching this will be our last post about Birthday Parties for the series this month. We hope you enjoyed some of the theme ideas and have been inspired to host your own fete!

Need help? Mention you saw our "Birthday Party" series on the blog to get $100 off your first Consultation meeting with The Bride's Butler.

* post gathered from information & images found on Hostess with the Mostess

Top Trends, Ideas & Inspirations..according to The BB.

We're about to ring in a new year - where oh, where has the time gone?

2009 was a fantastic year for The Bride's Butler.
We had our first 'official' wedding as a certified, registered company, and executed 4 weddings in the year. Great start for a part-time business, I'd say. We also did some advertising like being an exhibitor at the March Welcome Wagon Bridal Showcase, and by participating in word of mouth gatherings like Rona's Ladie's Night and a Hamilton Business Network meeting. This past year, The Bride's Butler created a Facebook group, which is currently being transformed into a Facebook Fan Page which is a better format for our type of business. Please become a fan if you aren't one already!

So, while looking back at our achievements this year, it got me thinking about some of my favourite Wedding & Event trends, ideas and inspirations from 2009. Below are some of my favourites from the past year.

#1 - ETSY.com

I just love this website! It's pretty much like an online flea market for all things homemade and vintage. Search for specific items, or simply pick a category like 'weddings' and see items like veils, cake stands, jewellery, invitations and more all available for purchase. If you like the DIY look, but aren't all that crafty, ETSY is definitely the way to go to save time and money.

#2 - Flowers & Fascinators

Most brides are wearing their hair in a more natural style for weddings, so to add a touch of personality and class, many are adding flowers or fascinators. Fascinators are typically flowers with beads, crystals, tulle, and feathers. Sometimes they can have a small headpiece with a veil. Simple, elegant and beautiful.

#3 - Eco Friendly Chic

Everyone should try to make as many elements of their special event green; like using recycled paper for your stationary and paper goods, or creating menu items with food from local suppliers and giving eco friendly favours. My favourite favours for guests are either ones they can eat with little packaging, donations to charities, or plant/tree seeds and bulbs.

 

#4 - Bird Themes

Bird themes for weddings and special events (like Baby & Bridal Showers) this year seemed to have taken flight. Peacocks, doves, sparrows and owls have popped up in many event details like; stationary, napkins, favours, decor items and even in attire pieces - like garters, ties and fascinators.

#5 - Colourful Shoes

Dress up any outfit with a pair of colourful coordinating shoes. Add a splash of colour to that little black dress with a pair of pink, yellow or even animal print heels! Many brides will wear shoes that are their favourite colour, or that matches their bridesmaid dresses for that extra added style and personality.

Those are just some of my favourite trends, ideas & inspirations from 2009.

I have plenty more, but one more that comes to mind, and will always be a favourite for each and every year are - Proposals!

I love hearing how someone proposed, where they popped the question and how they told their family and friends the fantastic news. The Bride's Butler personally congratulates Jenn & Brett, Nikki & Mark, Christine & Chris and Kayla & Kyle on their 09 engagements.

Let's celebrate 2009 on New Years with happy memories of the past year, and with hopeful ambitions for the year ahead.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

BB Tip #7 - January is "Bridal" season. There are plenty of Bridal Shows to attend. You can find a listing at www.ontariobride.com. Wear comfy shoes, bring a reusable bag for all of the info you will gather and take labels with your name, address, phone number and wedding date for all of the contest ballots.

Remember, if you're feeling overwhelmed after meeting tons, and we mean tons of vendors, call us and we'd be happy to meet with you for a consultation meeting.

Pictures from: blog.weddingpaperdivas.com, blissweddingmarket.com, birdcageveils.com  & etsy.com