DIY Bridesmaids Boxes

I really believe that every part of your wedding needs to be special. Every aspect is a way to be sentimental and stand out. I mean, you only get one chance at everything. There are no redos. So why not go all out?

That's how I feel about asking your friends to be in your bridal party. Oh sure, you can just ask them casually ... or you can be inspired and do something special that they will really remember.

That's exactly what my Twitter friend Lydia did. She asked her girls first, then she presented them with these beautiful bridesmaids boxes. I'm in love with them.

DIY Bridesmaids Boxes

What You'll Need:

• Wood boxes
• White marker
• Fake flowers
• Light up ring
• Star decals
• Ribbon
• Blue scrapbook paper
• Spray paint
• Barefoot pink moscato (That's what she used. You can grab your favorite)
• Label stickers
• Ring Pops
• Glue

What You'll Do:

Remove the little clasps on the box and fill the holes with glue.

Spray paint the boxes.

Although it looks like she used chalkboard to write the names on the boxes, it's actually not. It's a mix of printed and handwritten, so I'm going to let Lydia explain exactly how she did it because modifying her words might make it a little confusing:

The font is called KG Eyes Wide Open and I downloaded that for free from dafont.com I changed it a little in Photoshop white color then added a thick stroke so it would be an outline, printed that out, and then on the backside of the paper, shaded it with pencil, then traced it onto the scrapbook paper (this is the best and easiest way to do this and get awesome font styles!) The inside, I kept it in its regular style. Then outlined with the marker, I love that it kind of looks like a chalkboard, my cousin actually thought it was! I was able to slide the scrapbook paper into the top part of the box and fit it under the wood; I did glue it just for extra measure.

Tie the light up ring around the "diamond" with the ribbon, then glue the ribbon to the box.
Add a Ring Pop.

She even created the labels for the wine in the same font. The text up top says The Smith-Jones wedding (okay, no, it doesn't, but just pretend the bride and groom's last names are Smith and Jones and you get the idea). She put a small maraca image on both sides of the text because, if you remember, this is the same Lydia planned a Tex/Mex/Fiesta wedding (and the reason behind my Fiesta Wedding Inspiration Board). Her colors are navy, white, and pink, so it was great for her to incorporate her color scheme into these.

They're really adorable. Imagine receiving one. Is there any way you could say no to being her bridesmaid? (Actually, she told me she had verbally asked them months before this, just to make sure they wanted and were able to be a part of her big day, and she gave them these beautiful boxes later as a surprise).

In case you're curious, I "proposed" to my bridesmaids when I asked them to be a part of our wedding party. You can see that in this post.

Be sure to tweet Lydia at @lgtz85 and let her know you saw her amazing creations on A Bride On A Budget.

BRIDAL BABBLE: How did you ask your friends to be your bridesmaids?

Need a bridesmaids thank you gift?
Check out our Top Ten Bridesmaids Gift Ideas post.

Fall Wedding Inspiration Board

I wish I could just sit around all day and plan weddings. It wouldn't even have to be mine. Actually, I think I'd prefer it wasn't.

See, we had a beach wedding and everything was beachy. But right now, it's fall ... and all I want to do is think about fall weddings. All the browns and burlap.

Since no one has hired me to plan their fall wedding, I window shop for fall wedding ideas. Seriously. I open tabs online and plan imaginary weddings in my mind.

If you're planning a fall wedding, I put together a fall wedding inspiration board. You can find my favorites below and take a peek at our fall wedding Pinterest board too.

Fall Wedding Inspiration Board

Fall Wedding Inspiration Board pins: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Fall weddings need to incorporate things like naked wood and colored leaves. That's what makes fall so special and what will make your wedding stand out. Start that as soon as your guests walk into your wedding with these rustic real wood place cards. What's great about them is they double as photo holders so your guests can use them after the wedding too.


What about your decor? You should absolutely go with these cinnamon-stick wrapped candles. They're so easy to DIY. I've actually been meaning to make them for our home (and then blogging it, of course). But, a quick DIY:

What You'll Need:

• Cinnamon sticks
• Glass candles
• Glue gun
• Ribbon

What You'll Do:

• Glue the cinnamon sticks around the glass candles.
• Add a piece of ribbon, tie it in a bow, and add a dab of glue to hold it down.
• Display at your wedding welcome table, on the bar, and on your tables.

If you want a little bit "more" on your tables, these centerpieces are for you. Go with a slice of a tree (which yes, is a thing), adorned with mini pumpkins, acorns, burlap-wrapped bottles, and twigs. It all screams fall. It's also a lot that you might be able to collect from your own backyard -- and that would definitely help save a few bucks.


You know I'm a big fan of signature cocktails, and you would be completely missing a great opportunity if you didn't serve apple cider at your wedding. What would make this perfect is also having a "spiked" station at the end of the table. That way, your guests could choose either regular apple cider or a spiked version. Either way, it'll be a tasty option that most weddings don't offer.


Speaking of tasty options, a candy bar -- especially one with s'mores and candy apples -- will be a great addition to your fall wedding. If you have one, be sure to pick up a cute fall(ing) in love banner. I love any sort of play on words, so of course, I think you need to incorporate this. Plus, every fall after your wedding, you could hang this banner above your fireplace. It'll be a cute decoration and a reminder of your wedding.


What about the rest of your decor? I like burlap and lace for fall weddings. It's part rustic, part elegant, and all fall. Be sure to ask your venue if they have something like this. Many venues will actually save items for the next brides (we actually picked up mini plastic champagne glasses because our venue didn't have any and then left them for future brides). If your venue doesn't have them, you can actually purchase burlap and lace chair sashes. That's much easier than buying all the materials and DIY'ing them.


What are you thinking for a guest book? You could go with a thumbprint tree, but I just think that is really overdone. But play on that. Pick up a tree branch canvas and a small leaf paper punch. Use that to cut leaves from card stock, then have your guests sign their names and glue them on to the tree. That's definitely something you can hang in your home year round.


What about a send off? Put sparklers in a basket and have your guests light the night. It'll be a great ending to a great wedding.


If they send you off with sparklers, you should send them off with blankets. Seriously, that's the perfect fall wedding favor. Put them in a wire basket with a "Please snuggle" sign and your guests will melt.


Don't worry. I didn't forget about the cake. How gorgeous is this rustic fall wedding cake. Like I said, fall weddings need to incorporate things like naked wood and colored leaves. Your cake should have those things as well.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Which fall wedding idea is your favorite?

Planning a fall wedding?
Check out our Fall Wedding Invitation Ideas.

Personalized Flower Girl Puzzles (and an easy DIY)

I am a big fan of making even the smallest part of your wedding special. You only get one chance at it all, so don't settle for mediocre.

Not even when you're asking a little girl to be your flower girl.

When you're asking her parents (which you need to do before you ask their daughter), fine. Be boring. Call them, which is actually pretty rare and special on its own. But when you sit down with the little girl, make it special, make it something she will remember, make it a puzzle.

My friend Danielle's brother is getting married and both her daughters were asked to be flower girls. That in itself is adorable, but the puzzles that her future sister-in-law had personalized from BoutiqueEclipse on Etsy are just so sweet.

You can order the ones above or browse through personalized flower girl puzzles on Amazon. If you're feeling crafty, I actually figured out a cute way that you can DIY these too.

DIY Will You Be My Flower Girl Puzzle

What You'll Need:

• Blank puzzle
• Markers
• Stencils
• Child's purse

What You'll Do:

In the center of the puzzle, write something along the lines of "Will you be my flower girl?" 

Then, around the blank space, freehand (or use stencils) to draw a pretty picture. Make sure you have some part of the design on every piece. That will make it much more fun for the little girl.

Break the puzzle into pieces and put it in a small bag or purse (personally, I would do this or this one, but your choice).

Ask the child to assemble the puzzle and read (or help read) what it says. It will be so adorably cute, so get ready!

BRIDAL BABBLE: Would you DIY a will you be my flower girl puzzle or would you prefer to just buy one?

Having a flower girl?
Check out our Everything You Need To Know About Flower Girls post.