Colorado Wedding by Christina Kiffney Photography

Okay, can I just tell you ladies something?  This Real Wedding has been a LONG time coming on Bona Fide Bride, and frankly, I couldn't WAIT to share it with you.  Why?  Not only was it captured beautifully by the one and only Christina Kiffney (love her!), but because the bride and groom successfully pulled off the 'at home' wedding every girl has dreamed about since, oh, age five.

As a wedding planner, I know how much work goes into an at-home wedding.  I just know.  The tent, the rentals, the logistics, the exit signs required by the town, coordinating the cook tent location with the caterer to ensure your food is still hot by the time it gets to the table... and to look like it all just naturally 'happens' that way, to boot. 

Laura and Rob did all of this while aiming for a very important goal; keeping their guests comfortable and the moments memorable.  I think it's safe to say they succeeded.  From Laura's gorgeous gown to the group of children having a grand old time, we love every little detail about this wedding. 

From Christina:   "Laura and Rob celebrated their wedding at their beautiful mountain home that they prepared for months ahead of time to create a lush, intimate surrounding for their guests. The natural feel of the wedding showed through in the decor, lighting, flowers, cake, and even the pretty little flowing white flower girl dresses. Yet even in this outdoor mountain setting, their grace and elegance still shined through."

Photography: Chistina Kiffney Photography  |  Floral Design: Boulder Blooms

Gown: Priscilla of Boston - Denver  |  Cake: Gateau Bakery

Submitted via: Two Bright Lights

Kristin @ Bella Bridal Consultants

for Bona Fide Bride

Cupcake Liner DIY Crafts {they're a piece of cake!}

Hi there! I’m Sarah from the wedding blog A Paper Proposal | Inspired Weddings, and I’m happy to be a guest today on one of my very favorite wedding blogs – The Bona Fide Bride (duh)! If you’ve visited me over at A Paper Proposal before, then you probably know that I have a particular fascination with paper. Even if you think I’m crazy, you have to admit – it seems as though there isn’t anything that you can’t do with it! As brides continue to incorporate paper into their wedding and event decor in more unconventional ways (beyond the standard invitation, of course), the more imagination we lend to otherwise basic items like lined paper notebooks, polaroid photos, ribbons and one of my personal favorites, cupcake liners. Those little paper cups really are a wonder, aren’t they?!

If you’ve been around the wedding block once or twice, then I’m sure you’ve seen cupcake liners used as décor before. Admittedly, it’s not a super new concept, but I’ve been seeing some great do-it-yourself ideas lately that I thought I’d share with you guys today. If you’re interested in trying any of the projects out for yourself, I found lots of cute cupcake liners at Shop Sweet Lulu, Hey Yoyo, Emerald + Ella and The Birthday House.

Credits:

Fun floral straws  /  Cupcake-Paper Carnations for gift wrapping

Candy cups  /  Popsicle drip catcher

Tootsie Pop paper flowers  /  Summer succulent garden

Number wreath  /  Funky wall art 

Potted succulents

More DIY Tutorials Using Cupcake Liners

Hang a wreath in your home during the holidays, or consider hanging them on the backs of the bride and groom’s chairs at a wedding reception.

Strung party poms and pomanders, because it just felt wrong leaving them out of this roundup.

String cupcake lights above your sweets table at your reception. I found several DIY projects for this one via Ikea Hackers, Real Simple and Curbly.

Top your jarred wedding favors with cupcake liners in your favorite color or pattern.

Class it up even more with a garland of cupcake liners, white lace and fabric.

Just for fun: Cupcake flowers and a crepe paper flower bouquet.

Leave a special message for each of your guests with a cupcake liner fortune cookie at each place setting.

I thought this sweet heart would be a great decorative addition to a bridal shower.

I thought this was interesting – whimsical and somewhat modern at the same time. A piece of wall art using large orange thumbtacks, paper doilies, and cupcake liners.

Since cupcake liners are obviously made for cupcakes, why not kick it up a notch?

…and even more party decorations via Babble.

Be sure to hop on over to A Paper Proposal for more paper inspiration!

Thanks Sarah!

xoxo Kristin

The New Balloons

We're so thrilled to be getting back into the swing of things with our blog, as we're just oozing with all this wedding amazingness we're just dying to share!  We wanted to kick off the week with a blast from the past... a darling decor idea you wrote off when you were twelve, but should seriously reconsider: the balloon.

With a sleek new shape and a variety of shades your birthday parties never knew, balloons are back and totally bridal-worthy.

Some of our favorite fresh design ideas:

Lace
A little less 'cutesie' and perfectly pretty.

Photo: Amanda Wilcher

Styling: Rhiannon Nicole of Hey Gorgeous Events

Big Top Beautiful

An inexpensive way to add a bit of whimsy for those who look up.  

Source: Poppytalk

Photo: Unknown (let me know if you do!)

Photobooth Fun

Give your photobooth an unexpected twist.

Photo: Conor & David of Workgroup

Source: Geronimo! Balloon Troopers

Softness and Dimension in Numbers

An empty room is a perfect backdrop for an engagement shoot when filled with balloons of a soft, singular color.

Photo: Brittany Esther

Height

When you have a high ceiling (or no ceiling) and your table needs some height, balloons bring it.

Photo: Ellie Grover

Photo: Unknown (let me know if you do!)

Styling: Amy Atlas

Kristin @ Bella Bridal Consultants

for Bona Fide Bride

DIY Lanterns

Hello Bona Fide Bride Readers! Alicia, here from The Charity Wedding! I am more than delighted to be here with you today and give Kristin a much needed break. Since we are heading into the weekend I thought it would be fun to provide a DIY tutorial just in case you had the crafting itch this weekend! This project would be perfect for your wedding, your next party, or even just for home decor. These would be a fun addition to an office space or even a nursery! With a simple switch of the colors, they could fit in to any event or space. The project is from Martha Stewart.

You'll need:

• A Paper Lantern- available at most craft stores
• Tissue paper
• Double stick tape or glue
• A Bit of patience!

Cut the tissue paper into circles or try to buy it already cut. Start by sticking the circles to the bottom of the lantern and work your way around. Overlap the layers as you go.

Continue sticking on the circles...

Once it is completely covered, you are done!

You could easily make different sizes, use a variety of colors, or even use different colors on the same lantern to create an ombre effect! I will definitely be trying this! Imagine how lovely it would look with lights inside of it!

Thanks Alicia!

xoxo Kristin

Inspiration to Reality: Sparkle & Blush

Hello Bona Fide Bride readers! I’m Gaby of Cap Classique (a blog all about weddings in Cape Town, South Africa). I’m super stoked to be guest posting for Kristin here, and since her blog is all about showing how to put inspiration into practice, I thought I would create a buyer’s and DIYer's guide to one of my inspiration boards, Sparkle & Blush. The idea behind this board was to incorporate the current trend towards glitter and metallics in a soft, romantic way. I ended up using a palette of pale pastel pinks and greens, accented with gold, and I absolutely love it! Here’s how to recreate the look for your wedding.

Top row (l-r): Bride and groom (Jose Villa); teacups (AveryHouse); glittery dresses (Edyta Szyszlo); cake with crown topper

Row 2: Bride with gold bracelet (Our Labor of Love); glitzy table setting; escort cards (AveryHouse); bride with sparkly shoes (Kellie Kano); pink lemonade (Alice Hu Photography)

Row 3: Cherry blossoms; macaroons; glitter; hearts (Joielala Photographie)

1. Sparkly gold shoes are everywhere at the moment, and these are three of my favourite in different price brackets. {Top} Ash from Miss KG by Kurt Geiger {Centre} Christian Louboutin Lady Glittered Peeptoe Pump {Bottom} Miu Miu Gold Glitter Peep Toe Pumps
2. Bling up your wedding dress (or your bridesmaids) with a gold bolero or shrug. You can pick up some very cute ones on eBay from time to time, but I love this little number from Etsy seller Isla New York.
   {Gold sequined bolero shrug} Isla New York
3. Gold crowns make charming cake toppers (see my full feature on these here) and are a signature look for photographer Elizebeth Messina, who took the picture in the original inspiration board. These aren't easy to come by, but I've found this pretty option available on eBay - hm, may have to buy one of these myself!
4. For the featured picture, a square of sparkly gold material had been found, and you may have some luck searching through your local fabric shop. As an alternative, try making place cards or a runner from gold glitter card (available here or at all good craft stores). You can see an example of how lovely it looks here.
5. How pretty is this pink lemonade? You can find it at Trader Joe's. Or, if you'd like to make your own, Martha has a recipe. Place it in a large glass jar (pretty free downloadable labels here) or bottle it yourself, adding these printable labels.
6. These shutter escort card holders are so pretty, and you can make them yourself using these instructions.

Other DIY elements:

• Vintage teacups: The ones pictured can be hired here, if you're in or near Chicago. Otherwise, check out local vintage rental companies, charity shops, yard sales, eBay and the back of your relatives cupboards to create your own pretty collection of teacups for display or for guests to use. Or you could turn them into teacup candles and spread them out on the tables as part of the decor.
• Bead bracelet: If you love the look of this bracelet tied with ribbon, why not try making it yourself? This tutorial is for necklaces, but could easily be adapted, and there are lots more online.
• Pistachio macaroons: Lovely, delicious macaroons. But I'll warn you, they're difficult to make! (Which is probably why they're on the expensive side to buy.) If you still want to try, you can find a recipe here.
• Sparkle hearts: These are easy to create yourself. Either buy some of the glitter card mentioned above and cut hearts into them, or go old school and dust glitter over card hearts that have had a layer of glue added to them. You'll get glitter everywhere, but feel like a kid again. :) Add sticks and use as drink stirrers or place settings or even escort cards.

Thanks Gaby!

xoxo Kristin

DIY: Canvas Welcome Bags

A guest post by Chandra of 'Oh Lovely Day' comin' atcha... Have a great weekend everyone!

From Chandra:  Hey y'all!  Chandra from Oh Lovely Day here.  I'm so happy to guest post for Kristin while she is on a much needed hiatus.  I wanted to share with a DIY project I did for my own wedding.  I've been to a lot of weddings.  AAAAA LOT!  And as an out-of-town guest, I have always appreciated a good welcome bag.  So when I was planning my wedding and knew a majority of our guests were coming to California from all over, I vowed to make them as comfortable as possible.

I wanted to make my welcome bag a little more personal than the generic brown or colored paper bag with a couple of things thrown in.  I wanted them to include what I believe are necessities.  And I wanted them to be easy and inexpensive for me!

Materials for the bags:

• Canvas tote bags (from cheaptotes)
• Iron-on printer paper (from office depot)
• An iron
• A printer
• An image to print

We had a monogram that we included on our save-the-dates, invitation suite, and other wedding details, and I wanted to put in on our welcome bags.  I had to reverse the image so that when it was printed and ironed on it would read correctly.  I bought enough tote bags to accommodate each out-of-town couple or guest for our wedding.  I printed a coordinating number of monograms.  Then I found a hard surface (a table works well- an ironing board does NOT work as well).  Follow the directions on the transfer paper packaging.  I laid an old pillow case down on the table, put the tote on top of that, and placed the printed paper where I wanted it on the tote.  Then I ironed each image on until I had done enough totes for everyone.

Next you have to fill the bags.  Here are what I consider essentials:

• 2 bottles of water (this is the most important thing, and one bottle is NOT enough unless for only one person!)
• Snacks (in ours I included special K cereal bars, a bag of chips or crackers, and a small bag of Isabella's Cookies, which are made where we had our wedding and are my absolute fave!)
• Hangover helpers (tums, advil, etc.)
• A map of the area and activities & restaurant recommendations
• Mints and/or gum
• An itinerary of events, including any shuttle departure times (if applicable)
• Sunscreen (if in a beachy area)

Here is a picture of our finished product, complete with itinerary and other items with our monogram:

Total approximate cost per bag = $6

Making your guests feel welcomed, comfortable, informed, and hydrated....priceless.

Thanks Chandra!  {Make sure you stop by Oh Lovely Day to show Chandra some love!}

xoxo Kristin

Plus-Sized Party Dresses

When I heard what Cris of Kiss My Tulle would be posting about today here on Bona Fide Bride, I almost squealed.  We're all wedding guests at one time or another, so whether you're plus-sized or petite, these ensemble ideas are just the ticket.

From Cris:  When it comes to weddings and what to wear, everyone seems to be fully occupied with the bride and her gown. Which is nice but let’s face it – if you’re a wedding guest, your bigger concern is what you’ll be wearing! Most everyone invited to a wedding just finds something pretty in their closet, slaps it on, shows up, and then gets to drinking (What?!?! Just me?). But what if you’re a plus-sized vixen? You may not even have something in your closet that would work for a wedding – especially those of the chic modern city or traditional black tie.

Well, never fear, m’dears! I’ve got y’all covered. I’ve rounded up two different outfits (one for a modern loft wedding and one for a black tie shindig) for you. Every item in these round-ups are priced for under $100 and are perfect for the plus-sized lady. Enjoy!

Outfit #1: A Modern Loft Evening Wedding

 

*1. ASOS CURVE Exclusive Jersey Dress With Cowl Neck. *2. ASOS Hammered Chunky Drop Earrings. *3. BCBGMAXAZRIA Brushed Sequins Oversized Clutch. *4. Stella & Dot Serpent Bangle. *5. ModCloth Patent Office Heel in Ruby.

Outfit #2: A Traditional Black Tie Wedding

 

*1. Suzi Chin for Maggy Boutique Sequin Shift Dress.*2.Stella & Dot Petra Fringe Earrings.*3. Glint Pleated Frame Clutch.*4. Sterling Silver Diamond Accent Tennis Bracelet.*5. Mossimo Black Itzel T-Strap Sandals.

Tres awesome, right? Now go forth and shop, y’all – tell your credit card I sent you!

Head on over to Kiss My Tulle and show Cris some love for her fabulous round-up!

Thanks Cris!

xoxo Kristin

Wedding Stationery {and the Art of Timing}

As many of you know, I am on a 'life' hiatus... so I couldn't be more honored and thankful that some of my fellow bloggers will be filling in for me while I am away!  I am thrilled that Jenna of Heartcarry Press and Little Bit Heart will be the first guest blogger in a series on Bona Fide Bride, and I couldn't wait to share her with you!

I'm Jenna, the Heartcarry Press part of Little Bit Heart, where we design custom papergoods. The most frequent wedding stationery questions we get are all about whens: when do we mail out save the dates? When do we start the invitation process? When do we order day-of papergoods? I know that your wedding paper can be a bit overwhelming, so at least knowing when things need to be done can be a great first step :)

Let's start with save the dates, since they're the first piece of wedding paper that goes out. These should be mailed 6 to 12 months before your wedding. If your wedding falls on a holiday (hello, New Year's Eve!) or if you're having a destination wedding, you want to be closer to the 12 month side. It's a good idea to start contacting stationers around 3+months before you'd like these to go out.

Once your save the dates are out, you'll move on to the next step: the invitation process. Your invitations should be mailed out 6 to 8 weeks before your wedding- we use 8 weeks as our guideline for our custom clients. Again, you'll want to get in contact with your stationer at least 3+ months prior to your mailing date, especially since your invitation suite will most likely be more involved than your save the date.

After the date is saved and the invitations are mailed, don't forget about those pretty paper details for your wedding day. This means your placecards, programs, table numbers, signage, favors... whatever you'll need on the day of. Timelines get a little tighter here, since you may not have the information for your placecards or program until the last couple of weeks before your wedding. Try to talk to your stationer about these pieces during the invitation process- they may want to order the supplies when they place your invitation supply order. 

Hopefully these guidelines will help you plan your papergoods timeline- happy planning!

Images:  Little Bit Heart

Thanks Jenna!  

xoxo Kristin