Silver and Gold Starfish Escort Cards

I was trying to find a way to "fancy up" escort cards for a chic beach wedding this fall and I came across a pin this morning about spray painting shells. It looked a little too good to be true. But I figured I'd swing by good old Home Depot for some paint and try it out. You never know until you try right?
Well, this is how it went:

They turned out perfect!  I especially love the gold.  Although that starfish is a little on the funky side with its extra arm.

I used Rust-oleum Speciality Metallic Spray paint.  I think they were about $3.50 a can. It took about 20 minutes in the sun to dry well.
Level of difficulty: I did it, and didn't get angry or throw anything. So that makes it a 1 out of 5 (Five is like call in a handy man hard).
Confession: Now I want to spray paint everything. There's alot of paint left in these cans. Could be trouble.

How to make a faux lucite tray for about $7

There are some very cool lucite trays on Etsy like this one:

I found this blush & gold chevron lucite tray on Etsy

Today while tidying up in the studio I came across an acrylic box frame we had used for a last minute signature drink menu several years back. Then I came across a piece of glittery blue scrapbook paper and BAM! I had an idea I just have to share with you.
Here my friends, is the photo how to for a 3 minute $7 instant ceremony program tray!
You'll need:

• 8.5x11 acrylic box frame (about $5-$6 from any craft store)
• A 12x12 sheet of scrapbook paper of your choosing.  The heavier cardstock-type papers are obviously going to look better (about $1 from any craft store)
• Paper Trimmer
• 3 minutes

Here is your paper.

Take your paper and trim it down to 8.5x11

Pull the inside of the frame out. You don't need to be strong, its paper.  But if you want to make your fiance feel like a macho man, you can ask him for help {insert giggle here}

Slide in the paper you trimmed {the 8.5x11 piece, not the scraps. Just in case you were confused or are well into your favorite bottle of DIY-time wine}

Put in your programs

Smile because you're fancy and you have money left over for another bottle of DIY-time wine after all your hard work.  Bring a coupon to the craft store and you can probably save 50% and get your maid of honor a bottle of DIY-time wine too.

How to make your tablescapes better (+ maybe less expensive)

We're Having a DIY Wedding Sale

We're cleaning out our storage units!  We've partnered with Signature Florals and we're selling off tons of wedding decor to make room for new splendid items.  Stop by and see if there's anything that you can use at your wedding (or just around your house!).

Friday April 8 from 3pm-7pm and Saturday April 9 from 10am-2pm

We pretty much expect it to be the best indoor yard sale ever!

Thousands of décor and details to browse and buy: 

Vases - Crystals-Silk flowers - Tablecloths - Runners - Chargers - Candle holders - Candles - Lanterns - Stationery - Cake stands - Ribbon - Favors -Candy Buffet - Unique table decor And much more!

The sale will take place at 

The Resort at Marina Village

5971 Silver King Blvd 

Cape Coral, FL

Head to the Hope Ballroom

Free to Shop!

"Like" us on facebook (DIY Wedding Sale) to claim your Swag Bag

Friday April 8 3pm-7pm

Saturday April 9 10am-2pm

10% of our proceeds will be donated to Wish Upon a Wedding

For more info attending as a Bride, vendor, or general shopper please call 239.540.9029

or e-mail info@kellymcwilliams.com

Paper Bags at a wedding. No I haven't lost my mind.

They're cute, super inexpensive, and the possibilities are endless:
Lumiaries, Take-away bags (candy or late night munchie stations), petals for tossing...

Grey, Yellow and black Paper bag

This is the bag I designed for Photographer Bride's wedding.  Contents are a surprise.
This was super easy to make.  I designed the graphic and then just fed it through my laser printer. Then I just used a color coated paper clip and tied some ribbon on to make it pretty and add a bit more color and dimension.

P.S. Yes, those are the flowers I tweeted about this morning.

Wedding Planner Confession

I adore the look of DIY. Especially when I see gorgeous details on blogs like Ruffled.
I confess that I HATE the actual do it yourself part (i.e. glue guns, scissors and fancy paper cut in thirds, less one inch).
That's why I love that I have a team (Melissa & Courtney) that loves to do the crafty stuff:

(L to R) Kelly, Melissa, Courtney photo by impressions

and I order from Etsy religiously.
Do you have anything to confess?

Unique Invitation idea for the "other parties"

One of my favorite things about getting married is that there are usually several parties leading up to the big day.  I love the styling and planning behind all of them.  I was away from the studio the last couple weeks freshening up and taking a short break and of course I've come back with a million ideas.

This 1st one came to me in the check out line at Ikea.  I know, kind of odd (normal for me).  But you never know where you'll find inspiration.  So I found this set of wooden serving utensils at the "gotcha" bin; you know that bin that's impossible to pass up.  How cute is this set I turned into an invitation to a seaside potluck picnic lunch? Perfect for a casual affair, perhaps a picnic or brunch.  Or even a dinner party.  All you need to do to make it a bit more formal is replace the packing tape with a beautiful silk ribbon and mail the set in a pretty box.

Super Simple DIY:

1. Buy the utensil set
2. Use some ultra fine point sharpies to decorate and write on all the info
3. tape together with cute packing tape from Michaels
4. Bring to post office to have weighed and pick up the stamps
5. Mail just as is, no envelope or box required
6. Get ecstatic phone calls when the invitees receive their ridiculously cute invitations

Need a venue for your "other" parties? Check out this article I contributed to for Brides Florida magazine

Thinking outside the Card Box

For years I have seen the same old same old for the "envelopes" at weddings.  Pretty much always a bird cage or a mailbox.  The past year or so we've tried really hard tro come up with some boxes for Newlywed cards and well wish notes that fit into the design of the wedding.  Sometimes just a trip to homegoods is all I need.  This of course, is pure luck.  I got lucky today when I found this for Photographer Brides wedding.

Welcome Table

 For her welcome table we'll be placing well wish cards next to the card box as well, so that guests can leave sweet notes for them.

Well Wish Card Stack

Leave your well wishes and sweet notes for the Newlyweds

Be certain to have a sign explaining what the box and notes are for!

Well wishes and cards

Now, if you want to get crafty, here is a super easy way to add another touch of your design to your welcome table.  This Paper Mache Card box took about 30 minutes to assemble and 30-45 minutes to dry in the sunlight.  Instructions below!

Paper Mache Well Wish or Card Box

You'll need:

A bottle of water

2 bottles of elmers glue

Sponge Brush

Scissors

Decorative Paper

Mixing Bowl

Paper Mache Box

Drop cloth (or old pillowcase)

1. Cut the paper into assorted sizes (not smaller than 3 inch squares)
2. Mix 2 parts glue to 1 part water, mix until smooth and creamy
3. Highlight small areas at a time with glue solution
4. Place assorted paper pieces on box and apply a second layer of glue on top
5. Place outside to let dry

Pretty DIY tablescapes

I got together with Impressions Photography and AMC Video to produce this short video of some tablescapes several weeks ago. Here is my honest opinion when it comes to DIY. It is not easy and it is very time consuming, and isn't always less expensive. However, if you are having a very small wedding, perhaps just a table or 2, it can be worth your while and really fun. For these tablescapes I picked up all the candlesticks, cylinders, and vases from Homegoods. The roses are from Sams club, which you can order online.

If you aren't going the DIY route, looking at DIY projects you've found online at places like Wedding Bee, Style MePretty, and Snippet and Ink can be great to bring to your florist, wedding planner/designer, and stationer for inspiration!
Oh my gosh, I nearly forgot the amazing cake! Kakes by Karen let us borrow this modern creation from her studio bakery. I have to admit, I had a very difficult time trying to pick just one cake. She's so talented. And NO, I do not recommend DIY wedding cakes- ever!