White Wedding Inspiration Board

Whenever it gets cold and my Facebook friends start posting photos of their snowy homes, I get Billy Idol's White Wedding stuck in my head. So, it seemed fitting that I would put together a White Wedding Pinterest board.

White weddings can be so classy. The best way (in my opinion anyway) is to have mostly white decor and then accent with shiny metallics (silver, gold, or pewter). It will look so classically romantic that way. Stick with baby's breath (which is really classically popular) and white hydrangeas. Your flowers will look beautiful, will match with your theme, and they'll be really cheap.

White Wedding Inspiration Board

I picked six of my favorite pins from our White Wedding Pinterest board (there are a lot more on the board itself, so definitely take a peek). I labeled each of the photos above, then linked to them below, so you can quickly go to those pins and repin them to your wedding planning boards.

White Wedding Inspiration Board pins: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

I love this tablescape above. The gold accents make the white wedding look beautiful. And the gold chairs and gold silverware are a plus. Plus, if you look closely, the guy in the background is also wearing white so that's a bonus (the guy next to him in black, not so much). I love the white tent with the white lounge couches under it too.

I'm such a fan of Venetian hours. I mean, who doesn't love unlimited desserts? If I could have had a dessert-only wedding, that would have been the dream. That's not reality, though, so you just have to incorporate more desserts into your wedding, like these marshmallows. Dip them in white chocolate then in white nonpareils (while the chocolate is warm). Simple and delicious.

When you're planning a white wedding, you definitely need white invitations. Sites like Minted make this really easy. You can search invitations by color, so that will limit what you have to look at. You can also create custom colors on the site too. There are invitations that allow you to change colors, so just pick white and whatever accent color you like best to create your perfect white wedding invitation.

I love the drapery on this chair, but even more, I love the pearl brooch that's holding it together. It so beautifully matches the silver chair. And I bet there are more silver accents on the table. With a white wedding, it's these simple accents that will stop your white wedding from completely looking washed out.

I love baby's breath for boutineers and bouquets for a white wedding. They're a lot cheaper than other flowers since they're generally just filler. Plus, it's easy to put these together yourself (since you don't have to worry about how various flowers will flow together). And baby's breath holds its white color when you dry it, so that makes preserving these really simple.

A white wedding wouldn't be complete without a white wedding cake. The one above is so simple from the back and beautiful from the front. Be sure to position it with a wall as the backdrop so none of your guests stare at the boring backside all night. If you wanted to dress it up a little, silver fondant pearls around the tiers would make this a bit more glamorous.

If white's not your thing, check out our other wedding inspiration boards below:

• Blue Wedding Inspiration Board
• Green Wedding Inspiration Board
• Fiesta Wedding Inspiration Board
• Shark Week Wedding Inspiration Board
• July 4th Wedding Inspiration Board
• Football Wedding Inspiration Board

BRIDAL BABBLE: What pin from our white wedding inspiration board is your favorite?

DIY Candy Apple Bar

Weddings are fun and full of love ... but they can also be filled with a lot of time sitting in chairs. If you don't give your guests a reason to get up from their chairs, they might not. That's why it's important to have different rooms for your guests to enjoy, or games (cornhole is super big right now), or an action station. Or, if you're planning a fall wedding: a DIY candy apple bar.


I pinned this one onto A Bride On A Budget's Pinterest page years ago because it looked so fun. And easy.

And every fall, when I start thinking about what every fall wedding needs, this candy apple bar pops into my head again. That, and having an apple pie instead of a wedding cake. And I don't even like apple pie. I just like the idea of having it at a wedding. Just serve me the cold ice cream and hot caramel, thanks.

DIY Candy Apple Bar

What You'll Need:

• Apples
• Candy apple sticks 
• Sternos
• Caramel baking bits
• Chocolate melts
• Nuts
• Crushed peppermint candies
• Chocolate pieces
• Sprinkles
• Glass bowls (for the last four items)

What You'll Do:

Stab the apples with candy apple sticks and set them on a plate. Have someone do this before your wedding. They can actually spray them with lemon juice and it will slow any browning caused by the stab.

Set up the sternos to heat the caramel and chocolate.

Put the toppings in their own bowls.

Let your guests have at it.

Please, someone make a candy apple bar for your fall wedding and invite me.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What toppings would you add to your DIY candy apple bar?

Green Wedding Inspiration Board

I've been slowly putting together a color-based wedding planning board on Pinterest for each color. It's a lot easier to plan your wedding once you have a color or theme in mind. Once you have one, start pinning. You don't have to think about using some sort of wedding board template. Instead, just pin as much as you see that fits. You can edit your pins later and delete the ones that don't fit, but cast a wide net at the beginning. If you're planning a green wedding, our green wedding Pinterest board will get you started. So will our green wedding inspiration board below.

Green Wedding Inspiration Board

I picked eight of my favorite pins from our Green Wedding Pinterest board. I've labeled each of them so you can quickly go to those pins and repin them to your wedding planning boards. There are pins that didn't make my board, though so definitely check out our full board here.

Green Wedding Inspiration Board pins: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

We have to kick off the green wedding inspiration board with a green tablescape. It's gorgeous. Absolutely stunning. I really can't get over just how pretty it is, mostly because I'm not usually a fan of so much green at once. It often isn't playful and looks one dimension, but the table above has just enough hues to really be spectacular. From green napkins to green wine goblets to the green centerpieces. This styling is worth copying.

There's something so special about a chair sash. You can just simply tie them around a chair, or you can use them more like drapery. Either way, they just dazzle -- and cost a lot less than chair covers. Just be sure that your chair sash is securely fastened to your chair. You don't want it falling to the floor every time your guests get up (and then have your guests potentially tripping on them).

Groomsmen really don't get enough credit. They have to rent whatever tux the groom (or the bride, really) choose and wear it. And yes, the bridesmaids do the same thing, but women tend to enjoy dressing up more than guys do. So when your groomsmen are willing to wear bright green ties, pocket squares, and retro sunglasses with green arms for a photo, you know your groom has some good friends.

The groomsmen shouldn't have all the fun though. Green can be super flattering for your bridesmaids. I absolutely love the green bridesmaids dress in that photo. So much so that I don't mind the funny flower and bow in the middle. I think I love it so much because, by some magic of a parallel universe, her shoes match perfectly. What are the chances?

If you know me, you know I absolutely loved colored heels for weddings. Anything else is a missed opportunity. So these mint heels are absolutely perfect if you're having a green wedding. Plus, they'd be excellent to wear at a Kentucky Derby party after (mint juleps anyone?).

A green wedding definitely needs green favors. Start with a green favor box and fill it with whatever you like best. The photo above uses white and green French almonds, but, personally, I would go with green M&M's instead (mostly because French almonds are a fancy way of saying Jordan almonds, and no one I know who has gotten married after 1985 has been a fan of Jordan almonds).

The cake above is stunning. It's so pretty that I don't even mind all the floral around the bottom tier (I've just never been too keen on flowers on a cake). It's green, but pretty subtle. Plus, the trees behind it have me thinking this was for an outdoor wedding, and this is perfect for that. 

If you're having a ceremony at a venue that isn't a church, there's a chance that the setting needs a little dressing up. That's easy. Just tie a colored ribbon to the chair at the end of the row. Be generous with the ribbon and make sure it goes to the floor. A short ribbon won't be as dramatic and won't have the same impact as a long one.

Personally, I think green weddings work best for March, but green is the color of luck. And you always want to be lucky in love, so green can work year round.

If green's not your thing, check out our other wedding inspiration boards below:

• Blue Wedding Inspiration Board
• Fiesta Wedding Inspiration Board
• White Wedding Inspiration Board
• Shark Week Wedding Inspiration Board
• July 4th Wedding Inspiration Board
• Football Wedding Inspiration Board

BRIDAL BABBLE: Which of the ideas from our green wedding inspiration board is your favorite?

Blue Wedding Inspiration Board

This is so crazy to say, but I didn't know anything about wedding inspiration boards until after our wedding. Vision boards, dream boards, inspiration boards ... I missed the boat on all of them. I'm trying to make up for that. I'm putting together wedding inspiration boards on Pinterest. I've been doing them for colors and for themes. Hopefully this blue wedding inspiration board will be a huge help when you're doing your wedding planning.

Blue Wedding Inspiration Board

We're kicking this off with our Blue Wedding Inspiration Board. I picked eight of my favorite pins from our Blue Wedding Pinterest board. I've labeled each of them so you can quickly go to those pins and repin them to your wedding planning boards. But be sure to check out the other pins that are on the blue wedding Pinterest board but didn't make the blue wedding inspiration board photo above. You don't want to miss anything!

Blue Wedding Inspiration Board Pins: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Blue can be any sort of blue. The most iconic blue is Tiffany blue. I don't know any woman who sees this color and doesn't automatically think of Tiffany's. If you are planning a Tiffany's-style wedding, this cake is perfect.

If your blue is a little less Tiffany's, you might want to go with a cake that's a little less severe with the color. A white cake with blue piping will do the trick. Or, check out the cake a little further down.


People always tell me they don't care about the colors of napkins, but when you're planning a wedding, they're really important. Napkin colors really make your tables pop. What most people don't know, though, is there are a ton of different ways to fold your napkins. I know, crazy stuff that you learn when you're wedding planning. When you're meeting with your venue, be sure to ask if you can get colored napkins and if they can be folded in the way you want. It can completely change the way your tables look.


If you can't get colored napkins, you can leave your centerpieces to bring color to your tables. This one is really easy to make. The key to this is the submersible battery-operated LED light. You can pick them up in your wedding color and drop them into a vase. It'll light underwater, which is cool. Place white flower petals in the vase as well and they will be illuminated in your colors. The batteries last for about a dozen or so hours, so you won't have to worry about the batteries dying during your reception. If you want to cover the light, I would suggest using water pearls. They're a lot cheaper than stones or gems.


Most cocktail hours have all high tops and that's the perfect time to introduce your wedding colors to your wedding guests. Drape blue tablecloths over the tables. You can do a little uplighting by putting battery-operated lights under the tablecloths. Make sure these are operated by batteries, not flames. You don't want a fire during your cocktail hour.


I told you there was another cake to check out. If you don't want blue icing or fondant on your entire cake, an ombre cake is an option. Plus, your guests will absolutely not be expecting this at all. I've honestly never been at a wedding with an ombre cake, so yours will definitely stand out. This goes really well with our ombre pine cone centerpieces too.

Personally, we went with a half chocolate cake. No one ever does that, so people are still talking about our cake -- nine months later. Go with an ombre cake and give your guests a reason to talk about your cake too.


Of course, if you have a blue wedding, you want to put your bridesmaids in blue dresses. There are so many shades of blue, so make sure your brides order the right color blue. In the photo above, all the bridesmaids have white flowers. But I think the bride sort of missed an opportunity with hers ...


... because these are beautiful.

Believe it or not, those are actually wooden flowers, corn husk flowers, and dried gypsophila flowers, not fresh flowers. That means you can actually keep these forever. If you want real flowers and also want to keep them forever, check out our post on how to preserve your flowers at home.


I'm a big fan of matching your heels to your wedding color. It's an easy way to add a pop of color to your outfit while still wearing a white dress. These glittery heels are so pretty. I would just make sure they're sealed. I wouldn't want any glitter getting on the bottom of your gown.

If you're planning a winter wedding, navy blue with light blue accents (also known as arctic blue) is the way to go. For a summer wedding, stick with more of a turquoise and riptide combination.

If you don't want a blue wedding, check out our other wedding inspiration boards below:

• Green Wedding Inspiration Board
• Fiesta Wedding Inspiration Board
• White Wedding Inspiration Board
• Shark Week Wedding Inspiration Board
• July 4th Wedding Inspiration Board
• Football Wedding Inspiration Board

BRIDAL BABBLE: Which blue wedding inspiration board image inspires you?

When DIY Turns Into D-I-Why Did I Do This (And why you can't Pinterest your whole wedding)

I was scrolling through Facebook the other day and one of my friends shared a photo of a very cute "balloon wrapped around a bottle" project. The next day, another friend sent me the same link. Two sightings in two days meant I was going to try it.

You wrap a balloon around a bottle and tie a ribbon up top. I even figured I would fill the bottle with baby's breath. And, as luck would have it, I had two small Krispy Kreme Iced Coffee bottles in the drying rack just waiting for a project.

Off I went to Walmart for baby's breath and balloons. I walked to the flower aisle ... no baby's breath. That should have been my first sign that I was in trouble. But, no worries, I thought. I'll just brainstorm and come up with something else. I went to the balloon aisle, grabbed a pretty pastel pack, and noticed swirl lollipops out of the corner of my eye. Perfect, I thought. I'll turn it into a lollipop holder for a candy bar.

I went to the candy aisle and couldn't find a single package of plain lollipops. Sign two? Should have been. I finally found a bag of caramel apple pops and decided to go with that.

I got home, set up everything on my porch (including my camera and its dying battery), and got ready to craft.

Nothing went as planned. I tried to wrap the balloon around the bottle, and it took me holding the bottle between my legs to get it to wrap. As I pulled it up, it snapped. It was too small for my small bottle.

I tried to salvage the project and decided to go with the balloon inside the bottle, wrapped around the top. But the balloon turned inside out somewhere along the way so it wouldn't stay inside.

So I decided to put the balloon inside first, then wrap the outside around the lid. If I couldn't cover the entire bottle, I would at least cover the twist. When I finally did get the balloon inside, it just looked like a basic project.

And I laughed.

I tried to salvage the project by finishing it and sticking lollipops in the hole the balloon created.

But there was no way that I, in my right mind, could encourage any bride to make this project for her wedding. And then I let out a sigh of relief because if I was planning my wedding, had my heart set on these, and this was the outcome, it would ruin me. I would just be so upset and struggling to make it work. Thank goodness this was just a blog post gone wrong.

But the truth is, sometimes, it just doesn't work. Sometimes a project you see on Pinterest ends up being nothing but a big fat fail. Your DIY turns into D-I-Why Did I Do This and making it work might take more time, energy, and materials than you have at your disposal. And that's okay. Just because you have an engagement ring, you don't automatically turn into Martha Stewart. It's not a magical piece of metal that awakens the crafty gene in you.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What DIY projects turned into DIY disasters for you?

Pin Of The Week: Waffle Bar

I love the idea of a Sunday brunch wedding. There are so many fun ideas that work only for a Sunday brunch wedding, like this week's Pin of the Week.

How fun is that waffle bar? It's so easy to set up too.

Roll out kraft paper across a table. Have waffles on white plates and set them up on one end. Add your favorite condiments (syrup, Nutella, peanut butter, etc.) on your first station. Set up toppings (berries, nuts, sprinkles, etc.) in white bowls as your second station. End with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. Use a Sharpie to write on the kraft paper with each "step" or "station" and your waffle bar is done.

This would be such a cute action station (which you know I'm a huge fan of) for your brunch cocktail hour -- or even great for your breakfast the day after your wedding.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What would you put on your waffle?

Pin Of The Week: Champagne Flutes With Gold Sugar Rims

I pinned this week's pin of the week a while ago, but sort of ignored it. See, it's champagne with gold sugar rims. And I left it alone because even though I have a recipe for edible glitter (baked sugar and food coloring), I couldn't figure out how to make it gold.

Turns out, you don't have to. Someone else did it for you. Seriously, you can buy gold sugar on Amazon. Yeah, it's a thing.

Using it is easy. To rim the glass, just dip the edge in water (or heck, a little champagne). Then, roll the wet edge in the gold sugar. Pour the champagne and you're ready to go. These would be so perfect for your wedding morning, a bridal shower, or at the wedding itself (or gosh, even to make Thursday a little more special).

After you're done, you can use any extra sugar to decorate cookies, cakes, or cupcakes. Give them a little extra bling.

BRIDAL BABBLE: I'm obsessed with metallics right now, so I'm absolutely loving this. What do you think of these champagne flutes with hold sugar rims?

Pin Of The Week: Purple Shot Glass Candle Wedding Decor

I usually scroll through Pinterest quickly. Most pins start to blend in with the others and not much stands out ... until this pin.

I saw this week's Pin of The Week and originally thought it was some sort of two-toned candle. But then I read the description. The previous pinner said: shot glass + purple rocks + tealight candle.

So easy ... and so much cheaper than trying to find these two-toned candles. Plus, small tea lights like that will last all through your reception and they're a lot cheaper than buying full votives.

Purple Shot Glass Candle Wedding Decor

What You'll Need:

• Shot glasses
• Purple rocks
• Tea lights

What You'll Do:

• Fill the shot glass with the purple rocks.
• Remove the tea light candle from its casing.
• Place a tea light on top of the rocks.
• Light it.

So perfect, so pretty, and such a great example of a wedding project on Pinterest that is actually possible for your purple wedding decor. Sometimes it works out that items on Pinterest are actually possible to DIY.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Would you add this to your purple wedding decor?

Pin Of The Week: Engagement Wine Markers

I'm absolutely in love with this week's Pin of the Week. Check out these engagement wine markers.

These were from Etsy, but they sold so you can't buy them. I'm sure it's easy enough to DIY them, although it would be easier if you could find a diamond stencil. I looked on Amazon and couldn't find anything. I was playing around and drew one, so you could definitely do that.

DIY Engagement Wine Markers

What You'll Need:

• Cardstock
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Wine glass
• Heart punch (optional)
• Metallic Sharpie markers (optional)

What You'll Do:

• Trace the bottom of the wine glass onto a piece of paper.
• Draw a diamond.
• Cut out the shape.
• Cut an inner circle to create a band. Put a slice in the band portion so this can slide over the wine glass' stem.
• Use the heart punch to create hearts from the extra cardstock. These will look pretty when you decorate the table (and your craft will look exactly like the pin above).
• Use the markers to write everyone's names on the band.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Do you think you could make these engagement wine markers?

Pin Of The Week: Ring Shot In A Toy Car

It's been a while since I did a pin of the week post. I'm not sure why, honestly. I've been pinning a ton of great stuff on A Bride On A Budget's Pinterest page, but I stopped sharing it here.

I absolutely love this pin, though, so it's a great reason to resurrect our Pin of the Week post.

I just think this ring shot in a toy car is such an adorable way to photograph the rings. Most are just hanging on a flower or dropped in a champagne glass. This is so much better, especially if your groom is a car guy.

If you type in "toy car" in Amazon's search bar, you'll get a bunch of options. If you're in love with a specific car, you can search for that too. I would recommend really paying attention to dimensions before you buy it, though. Something like a huge Barbie car isn't going to work for this shot. And a mini Hot Wheels car won't work either. Something in between (without a roof) will give you a great shot.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What type of unique ring shots do you love?

Pin Of The Week: Jenga Guest Book

I wasn't sure what to do for our guest book. I was wracking my brain trying to come up with a cute idea. We actually ended up just going with a book. I found a guest book I really liked and we went with it.

If you're trying to come up with ideas, you'll love our Pin Of The Week.


Set out Jenga with a couple markers and ask your guests to sign a piece each. You can reread your guest book every time you play Jenga. That's so fun. Plus, Jenga is a lot cheaper than a traditional wedding guest book, so that's a nice way to save a couple dollars.

For more wedding pins, be sure to follow us on Pinterest.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What are you planning to do for a wedding guest book?

My Chat With David Tutera

I'm not wedding professional ... yet. My ideal dream job is to be a wedding planner, but I have to get through my own wedding first. And in order to do that, I have to make the right decisions along the way.

But this is my first trip to the rodeo, as they say. So anytime there's a chance to chat with a professional -- for free -- I seize that opportunity. Like when BRIDES magazine had Peter Callahan on their Facebook chat and I asked him about wedding catering (since he is a caterer).

David Tutera is a wedding planner, so of course, I wanted to ask him wedding planner related questions. He was a guest on a  Twitter chat recently, so I asked ...

I was hoping he would say something like "limo" since that's still on my "to pay for" list. I actually have gotten a ton of feedback that says the same about favors. They're cute but not really needed, so says everyone. You don't need to give your guests a "thank you for coming to my wedding" gift, especially since you are paying upwards of $100 for their dinner, plus the extras (like a welcome bag). Personally, I love our wedding favors and since my mom DIY'd them, they ended up costing only $1.50 each. That's definitely budget friendly. And I just love favors in general. Honestly, I think you have to give them out at weddings. I'm a stickler for that. So I wasn't too crazy about that suggestion (if you need a wedding favors suggestion, though, check out our post: 100 Wedding Favors Your Guests Will Actually Take). After I asked my question, someone replied to it and I was attached, so I got to see that question and answer too (and since it pertains to budget, it fits A Bride On A Budget's vision too).
That is so very true. Our reception is about $150 a head, so if we can even cross two couples off the list, that's a savings of $600. And we aren't haphazardly giving out "plus ones" either. At the price we're paying, we really had to trim the list ... and I think we did a great job with that. If you don't feel like you can trim it, have an A list and a B list. Just make sure the B listers, if you find room for them, have enough time to reply. I hate when B listers receive a wedding invitation with an RSVP by date that has passed. There's nothing more tacky or that says, "You're a last minute invitee" than that. And finally, I wanted to ask him about Pinterest. It's a topic that we had at #BridalBabble a few weeks ago that was definitely one of the chattiest chats. It was great to get ideas from the wedding professionals who attend the chat and from engaged brides. But I wanted to see what David Tutera thought because, I mean, he's David Tutera.

I couldn't agree more. Actually, I did agree on my post about Pinterest. So a little free advice from the professional that I definitely agree with. Makes me feel like I'm on the right track. And, just a reminder to you: If you happen to see where a professional is answering questions for free (Facebook, Twitter, Snap Chat, etc.), definitely jump on it. It's worth it for the advice and the peace of mind. BRIDAL BABBLE: What do you wish you could ask David Tutera?

Pin Of The Week: Wedding Organization

My friend Jordan sent me an amazing idea from Pinterest on how to organize supplies for wedding centerpieces. I thought it was brilliant, so I tried to pin it.

"You've already pinned this," Pinterest said.

Oh. Well then.

This week's Pin of the Week is fantastic.

It's pretty self-explanatory. Create your table setting, snap a photo, put all necessary supplies in a box, and affix it to the box.

Clearly, you won't be at your venue the morning of your wedding to set up the centerpieces, favors, welcome table, etc. You have other things to do (hair, make up, photos, etc.). This way, you can assign the decorating to someone (either a relative, your wedding planner, or someone at the venue) and know that everything is being set up exactly as the vision you have in your mind.

And then you have one less thing to worry about. You know when you walk into your venue, your centerpieces and table settings and favors will be exactly the way you want and you won't have a mini breakdown because you wanted the favors in the center of each plate and instead they are where the wine glass was meant to be placed.

Because yes, when you spend months planning a wedding, placement of a wine glass really does matter.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Have you seen anything worth pinning lately?

Pin Of The Week: Invisible Ink For Your RSVPs

Wedding planning makes you neurotic. It also makes you feel really awful about all the things you accidentally and unintentionally did wrong.

Like the time I forgot to RSVP on time, so my card was in the mail when my friend called to see if I was coming or not. It's not that I meant to send it late; it's just what happened. But when someone missed the RSVP date for our engagement party, sending me into Stressville, I understood.

Or the time I forgot to mail my recipe card back to the maid of honor before another wedding, so I had to pack it with me when I flew cross-country (then slip it into the book).

Honest mistake.

Or the time you forgot to write your name on the RSVP card, but checked the box to say you were coming.

Yes, that happens. But this week's Pin of the Week is a way to fix that.

I found this pin where someone used invisible ink to write "my money" on their money. Great ... but kinda useless. Until you think about it.

Let's say you used this invisible ink to write on the back of your RSVP cards. You can either write a number, which would correspond to the guest's name, or just write the name on the back. Doesn't matter because the guest won't see it. Then, when you receive an RSVP back that doesn't have a name written on it, you can just use a black light to check the back of the card.

Don't have an invisible ink pen and a black light? Don't worry. You can actually purchase a four-pack of invisible ink pens with black lights attached on Amazon.

Really, this idea is a good one. A great one, even. Even if you're not up to the stage in your wedding planning where you're sending out invitations, you should definitely pick up some invisible ink pens. It will save you a potential headache in the future, and, honestly, that's how I've been planning my wedding. Anticipating fires and putting them out before they even start. It's actually been incredibly helpful (and shocking because I've never been one who was known as a "planner").

BRIDAL BABBLE: How did you keep track of your RSVP cards?

The Pinterest Syndrome (and how to avoid feeling inadequate about your DIY skills)

Pinterest is the most amazing website if you're engaged.

It's also the worst thing to ever happen to a bride.

Here's the thing. When you get engaged, you have absolutely no idea what it takes to plan a wedding. You say yes to the ring, call all your friends, and then you start planning. You don't think about chair covers and centerpieces and wedding welcome bags originally, but there gets to be a point when you have no idea what to do so you consult Pinterest.

And Pinterest is there to comfort you with a plethora of ideas.

And then next thing you know, you're sitting in your living room on a Friday night, cutting out letters from cardboard boxes and wondering if maybe you could make your own table numbers.

Buy table numbers.

Don't sit at home and think you have to make everything. And don't try. If you don't make everything, don't worry and don't feel inadequate.

Not every bride is making everything. I honestly don't know a single bride who made everything for her wedding. I mean, how many brides do you know who cooked the food, make her own cake, and DJ'd the entire affair?

There are companies out there (I've come across a few) who you hire to design your table settings, to create your color scheme, to craft your centerpieces. These companies do have Pinterest pages, as do the brides who hire them, as do the guests who attend the wedding. There's a good chance that someone will take a photo, post it online, and it will get pinned. It'll circle around the Internet and get back to you. And you will pin it and think, "Wow. Someone made that. I should make it for my wedding."

Yes, someone made it. But maybe it was made in a factory in China. Or maybe it was made by a professional.

It doesn't have to be made by you. And that's okay.

You don't have to make everything. You don't have to plan every detail. You don't even have to have a reception. The only thing that is required of you is that you promise to love your fiance for the rest of your life.

That's what's most important: that you and your fiance will be melded together (by God, the minister, the justice of the peace, whoever) and you both are promising to love and honor each other from that day forward. You are throwing a party in order to celebrate and thank your friends and family for coming to the ceremony where you took a vow to love one other person for all of eternity.

If you made or bought your centerpieces, that's not what's most important.

Remember that.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What's the one thing that you absolutely refuse to DIY, no matter what? (Mine is my vows. I do not want to and will not write them.)

Pin Of The Week: Bridal Party Hangers

I run a frugal lifestyle blog called Drugstore Divas. And, on that blog, I got a chance to review a personalized bridal hanger.

It was awesome and I absolutely loved everything about it -- except the price.

Unfortunately, buying eight of them for my bridesmaids, plus an extra one for my mom and maybe my grandma, add up to be way out of my price range.

But I could make them, thanks to the idea I found on Pinterest, which is this week's pin of the week.

I actually quite love these bridal party hangers and think they would be awesome to have in the bedroom, with all the dresses on them, and take a lovely photo. Plus, I can't imagine they'd be all that very expensive (or difficult) to make.

Bridal Party Hangers

What You'll Need:

• Wood hangers
• Ribbon
• Sticker letters or puff paint

What You'll Do:

• Stick the bridemaids' initial on the hanger. If you're extra crafty, you can use puff paint. If not, a sticker works.
• Tie a ribbon around the hook portion of the hanger.
• Gift these to your bridesmaids.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What do you think about these bridal party hangers? Possible or impossible to make?

Pin Of The Week: Bridal Flowers

This is less of a pin of the week than it is a call to arms.

I found this gorgeous bouquet on Pinterest, so of course I pinned it.

I absolutely want them but, trouble is: I have no idea what kind of flowers they are and if they are naturally purple on the inside or if they are dyed that way.

I think they are calla lilies and I don't think they are naturally purple, but I'm not 100% certain.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Do you know what these flowers are and if they are naturally purple on the inside?

UPDATE: Turns out, they are Picasso calla lilies and I did in fact have them in my bouquet. You can see photos of my bouquet here.

Pin Of The Week: Father Of The Bride Canvas

I love my dad with my entire heart and soul. He is not just the most amazing man, but the most incredible person I have ever met in my life and I am so blessed to be lucky enough to call him dad.

I probably don't tell him that nearly enough, honestly if ever, but it's the truth. They say little girls want to grow up and find a man like their dad, but for me, I want to grow up and if I become half the person my dad is, my life will be a success. He is just the nicest, most genuine, hardworking, fantastic person you will ever meet. And he has such a knack of remembering things. He will remember your name, your children, what they do, where they went to college, where you work, who you were married to -- even if he only met you briefly at the ballgame. He genuinely cares about people and what they have to say and retains this.

He is an amazing human being.

So when I saw this week's Pin of the Week on Pinterest, I knew I had to add it to my list of things to make after my wedding.

I actually started tearing up when I originally saw it.

My dad absolutely will always be the first man I ever loved, and this is such an amazing way to tell him so because I definitely don't do that enough -- but this canvas print will do it forever.

When I hire a photographer for our wedding, I am going to show him or her this pin and say that it is most important that we get a similar shot during the father/daughter dance.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Be honest. Is this the most beautiful gift ever, or am I just waxing poetic because my parents are ten hours away and I miss them?

Pin Of The Week: Days Til She's Hitched Bridal Shower Sign

When I plan the wedding, I will have complete and total control of almost everything. The bridal shower, well, that's pretty much out of my hands.

Doesn't mean I'm not pinning bridal shower ideas on Pinterest though, including this week's Pin of the Week.

Photo Credit

I. Love. This.

You can totally make this sign, which I found at The Bridal Detective. Have a sign outside of the bridal shower that is a countdown til the wedding. By the time the shower happens, the wedding date will definitely be set, so as long as you have a bridal party that can count, this sign should be easy.

If you're not artistic, you can always do this in the form of personalized wedding napkins.

You can order them here with all your own customizations. Choose the colors you want and add your own text. Sure, traditionally these say the couple's name and wedding date, but most of these napkins will give you two lines of text to write whatever you want. Nothing's stopping you from writing: "55 days until the Miss is a Mrs." or something similar.

These are the sort of personal touches that I just absolutely love.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What personal touches would you like at your shower?

Pin Of The Week: Bridesmaids Pre-Wedding Photo

I've kind of become obsessed with Pinterest. I will just sit up at night, pinning. Yeah, pinning is a verb in my vocabulary now. That's how obsessed I am.

Last night (well, this morning at 3:15am), I pinned this bridesmaid pre-wedding photo:

Love this.

You get all your bridesmaids together and each holds a sign. In this case, they read: "Just" "wait" "till" "you" "see" "her". Six words.

Me? I have eight girls, so mine would have to be: "Just" "wait" "till" "you" "see" "her" "!" "!" Six words, two punctuation marks. Not as fun.

"You" "still" "have" "time" "to" "change" "your" "mind". Eight words.

I'm kidding, of course. But it is eight words.

The possibilities with this are kinda endless.

When you figure out what you want to say, snap a picture, and text it to the groom. Adorable.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Like I said, I have eight girls in my bridal party. If you have to come up with an eight word phrase for my bridesmaids pre-wedding photo, what would it be?