Search results (tags) for: "bridal"

Seller How-to: Bridal Shows

2008-06-13T12:37:00Z

Well Sellers, I just finished my first bridal show and it was well worth it, I think! Other than hearing two of the worst reception singers sing, loudly, and often, it was a lot of fun. Things sold, I have custom orders to work on, and I'll certainly do it again next year.

I thought I would write this post for those jewelry designers who have thought about the bridal venue but haven't yet exhibited at a show. They're just my own observations and thoughts, but I hope this will helpful.

One of the main things that holds jewelry designers back from participating in bridal shows is the cost. Shows in my area (Maryland) run from $400 and up for a four-hour show. That can make you swallow hard. To get past that initial dollar figure "yikes," you have to look at the show as a marketing venture more than an immediate selling venture.

Most shows give each vendor a list of the brides who attended. While you don't want to spam the heck out of anyone, you CAN craft a good "thank you" letter, and consider an incentive — a discount, a free pair of earrings with purchase, something that makes the letter or postcard WORK. If the list included emails, be very careful — I personally would only use that email one time, and then never again without their permission. So use that email to SAY something, and ask if they'd like to get your email newsletters (include a link they can click to subscribe) or would prefer snail mail.

If you don't have a web site, set one up to get the most of your booth fee. Unlike craft shows, bridal shows aren't really a buy-now venue; I did have people buy things, but for the most part, brides are in the looking phase. Many haven't even chosen their dresses or colors yet. If they don't have a web site to go back to, you've lost even the thought of a sale. And think about it — if you make jewelry other than bridal jewelry, you want to gain a repeat customer — someone who will visit your web site over and over.

You really don't need an elaborate booth set up for a bridal show — a big pro. If you want my long-drawn-out booth design email, just click here and let me know what your interests are and I can give you technical stuff. Give your work some levels — put busts on wrapped boxes or get creative with pedestals (a pretty plate on top of a glass vase, etc.) and let the jewelry speak for itself.

So, you pay your $400-500-whateverhundred bucks, you have a pretty table, gorgeous jewelry — now what?

Well, don't be surprised if no one buys. Do NOT take that as a negative (see above about not buying right now). Have lots of cards or promos — preferably ones with photos of your work on them, to help jog their memory — and let them know what you can do. If you're big on customization, tell them. If you specialize in a genre of wedding (beach, renaissance, etc.), play that up. Flexibility is really important in the bridal business, I believe, because every bride wants it to be Her Day.

OK, the day is done, what's next? What can you do to get your name out there even more?

If you’re good at networking (and I am rather not, I get nervous), doing a bridal show can give you some great connections. I was approached by a dress boutique owner about displaying some things in her store, and if I’d been braver, I would have approached other boutiques (I do much better via email, I get way shy in person — I think it’s the whole fear of rejection thing — easier to take via email). Instead of asking stores about taking your work on consignment to just sit in their showcase, suggest they use your services as a “dresser” — when they change their window displays, see if they’ll let you dress the mannequins with your jewelry. (That would work for a regular boutique, too.)

If you have a website with a bridal section, consider having a Bridal Links page, and exchange links with local businesses — florists, DJs, etc. The key is to make sure they put YOUR link on THEIR site as well.

Network with wedding coordinators — they refer brides to all sorts of services. Cultivating a relationship with one is a great way to get business.

Wedding Gift Guide | Wedding Category | Wedding Showcase | Handmade Wedding Series

Big thanks to limamike for sharing her how-to with the Storque. You can see her original post on her blog.

Handmade Weddings: Almost there...Crucial Last Minute Details!

2008-04-11T01:19:00Z

As we wrap up the Handmade Wedding Series, littlethings1 reminds us about some of those little details that will make your whole wedding come together!

The date is nearing, the chapel is booked, caterer is set, and the bridal party has been chosen. Hopefully you've stuck to your budget.

Many brides are now looking for a personal touch to add to their wedding celebrations by having custom and handmade details, as a way to show your own personal touch. Perhaps you've been DIYing some decorations, but trust me, you don’t want to be hot-gluing things the day before the wedding! The most important thing you can do is to have everything completed for your wedding day several weeks in advance, and to plan everything so your wedding day is stress free from last minute details! If you're running out of time and want to get some handmade items, do a search on Etsy.com for one of a kind handcrafted decorations to purchase for a one of a kind statement. A few custom ideas are:

engraved or hand painted votive holders:

cjoglasswareandgifts

flower-girl baskets:
BrassPaperclip adapts vintage doilies into baskets:

Or have her carry a pomander by EverythingButTheRing!

Here's a classic one from foreveryoursflowers:

ring bearer pillows:
EasterYu's dear ones with birdies

Sophisticated silk one by ShopBub

Another fresh option from tinarie21

cake toppers:

custom ones by tikiarnold

Whimsical topper by simplysweetbydawn

melabo's artistic squirrel and groom topper

Don't forget the pesky "something blue":

earrings by JenniferRydinDesigns

GarterLady

Having personalized bridal party gifts can show your bridesmaids and groomsmen that their support is truly appreciated. A few of the most common gifts include personalized watches, jewelry, flasks, and money clips. Some more original ideas include such things as one of a kind gifts suited for the individual; you can use Alchemy for custom orders. Here's an article with some tips for groomsmen gifts, and also this post about bridesmaid gifts.

Last, but not least, don’t neglect one of the most important items: thank you cards. A sweet note with a hand written appreciation of the gift received.

by dutchdoor

by woodenapples

Have a fabulous wedding day!!

Wedding Gift Guide | Wedding Category | Wedding Showcase | Handmade Wedding Series

Handmade Weddings: Thoughtful Gifts for Your Wedding Party with ruralabandon

2008-04-09T16:18:00Z

And now a word of advice from the woman that so often has to hold her tongue — the bridesmaid! ruralabandon tells the Handmade Wedding Series the Dos and Don'ts of another wedding tradition: thank you gifts for your bridesmaids.

Brides have enough to think about when planning a wedding. Seriously, although I'm ashamed to admit it, I’ve seen that show Bridezillas! Not everyone has the funds to hire a wedding planner, and those who do still seem to agonize over every little aspect. So take some advice from a seasoned bridesmaid about one detail: the bridemaids’ gifts. Here are some simple Do’s and Don’ts to help any bride pick the perfect gifts:

Thank them in style with these beautiful letterpress tags by FullCirclePress.

DON’T give gifts that only work when matching the dress – think about this one. Is it really a gift when you are buying something to match a dress the person is likely to never wear again? This type of gift says "I don’t trust you to wear appropriate accessories with the dress I picked out."

DO give gifts that match the person – think about each individual and buy accordingly. Is there a memory you share? An inside joke? Buy something that will really touch their heart or make them chuckle.

Make her smile and remember all those trips to the ladies room together with this Ladies Room Necklace by rotorcaps.

DON’T give manicures and pedicures before the big day – they can take care of that. (And don’t worry, they won’t come to the wedding with florescent yellow nail polish.) Although according to a recent Storque article, neon IS making a comeback.

DO give personalized bath and body gifts – think of the person’s favorite scents, colors and personality, and buy accordingly. For example, if the person is into natural products, why not give them a gift basket with organic bath and body items?

This Aloha Gift Set by soapboxhawaii is perfect for the bridesmaid that longs for sand between her toes.

DON’T buy a t-shirt, tank top, or sweat suit with BRIDESMAID written across it. Britney did this, and we all saw how that turned out!

DO buy something they can use long after the wedding – whether it be a nice pair of earrings or a special purse, make sure it is something they will use and cherish.

Think about sending a special message with a practical gift. Check out this pocket mirror by dcdesigns.

DON’T buy each person the same gift – this screams sale at Big Lots! You chose your attendants because they share a special place in your life, so personalize things a bit. This doesn’t mean monogramming a key chain either.

This bridesmaid prayer candle by gagavida will let your bridesmaids know that the dresses could have been way worse!

When it comes to gift giving one thing always rings true: the best gifts have a personal touch. The good thing about buying handmade is the intrinsic value of a personal touch. You can even use Alchemy to do custom, personalized orders. So, 'SHOP ON!' Brides and Bridezillas…a gift from Etsy will probably make them forget all about that horrible dress you made them wear.

Wishing all the lovely brides a beautiful wedding day and a wonderful life filled with love and joy! Oh…and one more thing…I am sure your bridesmaids' dresses are smashing.

Wedding Gift Guide | Wedding Category | Wedding Showcase | Handmade Wedding Series

Handmade Weddings: an Etsy Wedding with shoofly and scenicartisans

2008-04-06T13:26:00Z

Here's the latest real wedding story in our Handmade Wedding Series, shoofly and scenicartisans.

I'm shoofly on Etsy, the groom is scenicartisans, and we're both artists. We met in the lobby of the Shakespeare Theatre admin offices on my first day at work in 2000. He was the props painter/sculptor and I was the new graphic designer. We come from very different backgrounds and we decided to incorporate elements from our different cultures into our wedding- to do so, we went straight to the people who knew us best for help, our dear friends of course!

I’m a graphic designer, so all of our printed materials had to be perfect.

My parents hired a calligrapher in Lebanon to write our names together in Arabic. I took that and combined it with our names in English. That set the tone for all of our printed material.

Each of the invitations was a handbound booklet made of handmade papers, printed on an inkjet printer, hand trimmed and bound together with ribbon. I used a variety of papers, so each guest's invite was slightly different. I printed everything at home and used My parents, brother and scenicartisans as an assembly line. After many sleepless nights, trimming lessons, and paper cuts, the invitations were done!

For wedding favors we had handmade pouches filled with little Lebanese goodies: chocolates, Jordan almonds, and a blue heart-shaped glass evil eye for good luck. My parents traveled to Damascus where they selected traditional fabrics, and hired artisans to make the pouches.

Magpiedc , a dear friend of ours did all of our flower arrangements. Two days before the wedding we
visited flower warehouses and picked out everything. Lots of lime greens, reds and oranges.
Magpiedc wrapped the stalks in a bonnet that was a gift when I was born for my bouquet.

...And my mom wrapped all the glass vases in ribbons.

Our cake was made by theatre artisan extraordinaire Marie, who's work can be seen on Broadway, the Kennedy Center, the Seattle Opera, yeah, pretty much anywhere! The cake was a giant chocolate truffle. Pure yum. Marie decorated the cake with ribbons, and together with magpiedc, made our awesome cake display.

My wedding dress has quite a history. In Lebanon in 1970, my mom and her designer picked the fabric and pattern piece by
piece and designed the dress together. Shortly after my parents married, they moved from Lebanon to New York City, and the wedding dress stayed at my mom's house in Lebanon. The house was bombed and taken over by squatters, and my mom thought her dress was gone. But a few years ago, she found it crammed in a corner of her childhood closet. She took it to the cleaners, and it came back looking new again.

We're not sure what happened to the original head piece, but Marie ended up constructing a new one for me using the buckle that had been on the front of the dress. Marie had to sew me in to hide the zipper!

Even though I would have loved an outdoor wedding in the woods, we ended up going with a wedding in Downtown DC. We got married on the roof of the Hotel Washington in April of 2004, overlooking the Washington Monument and White House.

Between the ceremony and the reception we snuck away for a break and take fun pictures in the city. Walking around all dressed up was the most surreal thing ever. People wanted to take pictures of us, they asked for our autographs (probably because we looked like rock stars!), cars were honking, the crowds were wild. We could have pretty much done anything we wanted and gotten away with it.

The weather couldn't have been more perfect, and just like any other lovely Saturday in DC, the date happened to fall on a major protest weekend; IMF/World Bank on Saturday, and Code Pink on Sunday.

There was a huge sea of bicycle cops on Freedom Plaza. We asked politely if we could take pictures and next thing you know, I'm sitting on the bike and scenicartisans and I are handcuffed together. I laughed so hard I cried. I’m looking forward to explaining these pictures over and over!

Even the music was handmade! scenicartisans worked with my brother on playlists, and then it was all mixed together and streamed through my brother's ipod. At dinner, we walked in to the theme song from the Muppet Show. Why?, why not? It's time to play the music! It's time to light the lights! That's why!

We pretty much did everything we possibly could do ourselves. If my mom was given the chance, she would have even cooked the whole dinner. She actually did end up making hommos and olive tapenade, and my dad made bagel chips!

Oh how I wish Etsy was alive when we were planning our wedding. I would probably have had letterpress cards, or maybe even gocco printed them all. Yes, I do still think about all the fun things I could have done if only I had my print gocco back then.

Our wedding was four years ago, and then I did exactly what my mom did with her dress, I just packed it all away. Thanks to this Handmade Wedding series, I decided to dust off my albums to re-remember how hand made it all was. And now my mom has you to thank for my wedding pictures she's waited years and years for!

Your wedding only lasts a few hours, and then that's it, all you'll have are the memories. Have fun!

Wedding Gift Guide | Wedding Category | Wedding Showcase | Handmade Wedding Series

Handmade Weddings Party Duel: Arctic Luxury

2008-04-03T16:13:00Z

Which wedding is better — an affordable and casual affair in the sticks or an Arctic diva fantasy where money is no object? You decide! Vote in the comments below!

I'm not one of those girls that grew up mythologizing every aspect of my wedding. In fact, I hadn't even really thought about it until just recently! However, once the idea came to me, I knew it was a winner. Thus, my fantasy wedding came into my mind: a winter affair (I hate sweating!) in a paradise of crisp weather, Sweden. This wedding has no discernible price tag: I'm pulling out all the stops! Just try and stop me, mom!

The wedding would take place at the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi, 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden.

This unique hotel (and church!) is constructed completely of ice — a modern igloo, if you will. Tres chic! And completely worth the price.

It's luxurious and pretty darn cold, so I'll need a dress with some longer sleeves. This 40's style dress by joanshum is just my style.

...Plus a fur coat by mailonfurs to keep me warm. Also, I'm a bit of a bling lover, so maybe no conventional ring: just a huge bangle by rcjewelers. (I'll be wearing gloves, so this will fit over them quite nicely.)

Some sexy mukluks by will keep my feet toasty.

My man will wear only the finest in shirts. White, of course — also, a fur coat.

Only the best cufflinks for my honey!

We will also buy a polar bear to act as our "ring bear." He'll carry the bling down the aisle in style. (Inquire at your nearest polar bear dealer for prices.) Also, a narwhal bringing the ring on its tusk could also be a creative addition. (Thanks, BornPaz!)

Post-ceremony, we'll grab our venison and many bottles of champagne and adjourn to watch the Northern Lights. We'll also bring buckets of diamonds to throw on the ground so we can make snow angels. So romantic and epic! Also, Sigur Ros or Bjork will be playing, because they're trippy and from a cold climate.

When the night finally comes to an end and we adjourn to the hotel, our suite awaits. Not bad, eh?

Which wedding would you rather attend? Leave it in the comments! Luxury or on the cheap? It lies in your hands!

Wedding Gift Guide | Wedding Category | Wedding Showcase | Handmade Wedding Series

Handmade Weddings: Mosey Makes a Custom Gown

2008-04-03T13:00:00Z

Here is just one story of a handmade dress for our Handmade Wedding Series. Mosey, who also makes fuzzy and wooly warm things, has made a truly personal and summer dress for her friend Aline.

Making a custom wedding dress can be a great collaboration. I love to involve the bride-to-be. I start with a sketch getting her feedback and going from there.

I also always want to make sure I take her to the fabric store and have her feel some of the possibilities. For someone who doesn’t craft, explaining the weight of raw silk or how layers of tulle will affect the final garment can never do as much justice as letting her get her hand on the raw materials.

That being said, I love keeping a few things secret as a little treats for the bride. In the wedding dress pictured I snuck the ‘something old’ into the design (got them from the brides mother)...

...as well as the ‘something blue’ bit of ribbon in the underslip.

They were all little finishing touches I made just after the last fitting.

For such a delicate garment the fit has to be just right. So the fitting become a very important part of the final dress. You can take measurements and work from those all day, but when the real girl tries on her dress there are always slight adjustments that need to be made. I need to make sure it fits and feels just right.

I especially never want the bride to feel stuffy, but do want her to feel elegant and wrapped in something that was stitched with care, just for her...(and in the case of pin tucking,handstitches, many tiny ones).

It’s very special seeing the final project in motion. Almost like putting on a play, the dress rehearsal is never as magical as the real thing.

And in the end I’m very glad to have played my own small part.

Wedding Gift Guide | Wedding Category | Wedding Showcase | Handmade Wedding Series

Handmade Weddings: Bags and Shoes with JuneBug

2008-04-02T15:45:00Z

Wedding planning can be overwhelming, no doubt about it. From the inspirations to the invitations, from the contracts to the catering, there’s an awful lot to keep track of. Luckily, in the midst of all those details there is a shining light of pure creative fun — your wedding day fashion! Are you a traditional bride, or a whimsical romantic? A punk princess or a quirky creative? Anything goes when it come to your style, as long as it makes you feel fantastic.

Your wedding dress will most likely be the starting point for your wedding day look, but it’s super easy to add on from there by playing with your accessory choices. Shoes and handbags are the perfect items to liven up your look without straying too far from your comfort zone. Your shoes are hidden under your dress, but make delicate and dramatic special appearances as you walk down the aisle, twirl on the dance floor and give a little jump for joy. Your handbag won’t always be in your hand, but having it nearby and carrying it when necessary will add extra dashes of fashion fun.

When shopping for your wedding accessories, there are a number of things to keep in mind. Practically speaking, you should think about your locations, weather, time of day, level of formality, etc. Is your ceremony on the beach or in a grassy garden? Then stilettos probably won’t work well. Try a pretty sandal or go barefoot for the ceremony and save those fabulous heels for your reception on firm ground. Are you throwing a black tie evening affair? Then comfy wedding flip-flops aren’t for you, go all out with dramatic formal pumps to heighten the elegance of your look. Is your wedding an all-day celebration with a lot of traveling and changes of location? Consider some fancy jeweled flats instead of a traditional high heel to save your feet from exhaustion. Is the weather warm enough that your makeup’s in danger of running? Be sure your handbag is big enough to carry extra makeup and blotting papers for quick beauty touchups throughout the day.

Once your practical considerations are out of the way, there’s nothing left but fun! Etsy has all kinds of fabulous shoes and handbags to fit any kind of wedding under the sun. I love all the vintage options and alternative designs that add texture and interest to a traditional color palette of white, cream and metallic.

Top row left to right: 80s vintage shiny silver and gold pouch clutch purse from decades; Vintage SELBY flats with GOLD detail from allencompanyinc; 60s vintage mod silver clutch purse from decades.

Second row left to right: Whiting and Davis silver mesh circle disco purse from ikonic; XL frame pouch with pearl dots, velvet and ruffles from oktak; Vintage gold floral evening bag from FromRagsToBags.

Third row left to right: Jasmine envelope clutch Grecian print from BlueOrchidBags; Vintage 70s gold peep toe t-strap party heels from sweetwatervintage; Heirloom lace butterfly purse from angelsandoutlaws.

Bottom row left to right: Vintage 60s white patent leather and crochet t-strap heels from BlackRavenVintage; Miranda Venetian white clutch from leighannkline; Vintage 50s metallic brocade babydoll shoes from moonbeamsandmemories.

Accessories are the perfect opportunity to add splashes of bold color to any wedding look. Whether it’s with a delicately colored handbag, or a vibrant and bright pair of shoes, you can’t go wrong with these exuberant products.

Top row left to right: Vintage 80s fuchsia french leather heels from OurLadyoftheUnderpas; Yellow and white pouch from oktak; Vintage purple snakeskin heels from vintageair.

Second row left to right: Pleated clutch in peacock from bespokeboutique; 40s/50s Victorian velvet stilettos from ultraretro; Mini frame pouch with Japanese mums on blue from oktak.

Third row left to right: Vintage lemon yellow leather from vintagethisretrothat; Medium frame pouch with green wallpaper and lavender velvet ribbon from oktak; Va Voom yellow raffia retro heels from RetroCycle.

Bottom row left to right: Pleated crème and green flower print clutch from bespokeboutique; Cherry red leather pumps from beatvintage; Gifted clutch bag from abibansaldesign.

Lucky for your girlfriends, wedding accessories aren’t just for the bride. Clutches make the perfect bridesmaids gifts for the ladies in your life that you love dearly. They are pretty and practical and are sure to be used long after your wedding day is done. You could choose clutches that match your wedding colors so they can carry them on the big day, or buy purses that are tailored to each individual’s tastes that they’ll love to use in everyday life. Don’t forget moms and grandmother, too: if you’re looking for thank-you gifts for all they do, buy them something with vibrant style they might not indulge in themselves.

The lovely and refined purse designs from redrubyrose would look equally gorgeous at a fancy wedding, or dressed down with jeans and a pretty top. Small graphic zipper pouches like the ones below from louloubell make great coin purses or handy little carry-alls for lip gloss, business cards or tech gadget wires and chargers. For a simple treat that’s useful anytime, the upholstery fabric and button clutches from shopmillie are a gift any woman would love.

Top row left to right: Poppy central silk-lined clutch purse from redrubyrose; Wood for the trees silk-lined clutch from redrubyrose; Podburst silk-lined clutch purse from redrubyrose.

Middle row left to right: Black damask zipper pouch set of three from louloubell; Pink coriander zipper pouch or change purse from louloubell; Red damask change purse or card holder from louloubell.

Bottom row left to right: Fabric clutch in baby blue from shopmillie; Fabric clutch in promenade from shopmillie; Fabric clutch in pink floral from shopmillie.

Your wedding accessories are simply icing on the cake. Have fun with your choices and add another layer of beauty to your wedding style!

Additional Resources:
ShopAMano.com
ShopTulip.blogspot.com
PoshOnMain.com
Isadoras.com
LulyYang.com
Junebug Weddings
What Junebug Loves blog
Junebug Fashion Report
Junebug Real Weddings
Junebug Groombug section

Christy Weber is one of the lucky founders of JunebugWeddings.com, an exclusive wedding resource website and online magazine. Through her years as a wedding photographer she’s seen hundreds of brides, grooms, kisses, cake cuttings, and tears of joy, and now as Lifestyle Editor and blogger for Junebug she gets to explore her true love of weddings, the fashion! Junebug even has Groombug, a section with advice and information just for the guys!

Wedding Gift Guide | Wedding Category | Wedding Showcase | Handmade Wedding Series

Handmade Weddings: DIY & Refashioned Dresses

2008-04-01T15:49:00Z

Dear Handmade Wedding Series readers: if you’re into the idea of making your own wedding gown or bridesmaid dresses, you're in for a world of challenges and ultimately — hopefully — exactly what you want! But where to start?

Well, there's one place in NYC that some of you may be familiar with (if you watch Project Runway): Mood Fabric!
Prepare to be overwhelmed! Before you venture out to your local fabric store, do a little brainstorming. We asked Burdastyle, an online sewing community where people share open-source sewing patterns, for a good starting place. Benedikta from Burdastyle recommends this pattern: the Cate Dress. There are a bunch of patterns for ladies who want to make their own bridesmaids dresses. She says patterns are easily adaptable to have a shorter skirts or alternate kinds of fabric. The Burdastyle community is there to give you advice, too!

“This simple yet elegant dressy dress is befitting for any evening event you attend or host. The guests will be charmed by not only your radiant personality, but also by your sparkling dress! Make it especially delectable by choosing a sheer fabric with sequins or lace and lining it in a luxurious silk charmeuse.”

Benedikta also sketched her idea for how the Cate dress could be adapted to be a white bridal gown.

She added a bit of a train sweeping down the back, which could be in lace or silk charmeuse.

Another important point: if you and your partner are two brides, there's an added benefit to going handmade. You can customize what you wear by having some elements go together without having to buy the same dress. Many same sex couples don't want to be too matchy matchy. One of you can also go with the classic tuxedo look. Here's a particularly adorable one from neneee:

One thing newbie sewers often need help with is picking appropriate fabric. There's nothing like going down to the fabric store and touching the fabric and seeing how it drapes. But there are some things to keep in an eye out for when doing your research.

I spoke with Brooklyn dress designer MinnaK about popular fabrics for bridal dresses. A good thing to decide early on is whether you want something flowy or more structured.

Here are some fabrics to get you started:
Chiffon: sheer with a matte finish.
Duchesse Satin: a more affordable silk satin, sometimes blended with rayon.
Organza: sheer, crisp in texture, and often used as a top layer.
Satin: very soft and drapey.
Silk: more expensive. And gorgeous.
Silk Charmeuse: soft and silky with a nice subtle gloss to it.
Taffeta: a stiffer fabric with some stucture, known for its interesting sheen and iridesence.
Tulle: the netting fabric made famous by ballerina tutus.

There are other fun things you can do, like play with textures or beaded fabric, like these:

Lace is much sought after, but the good stuff is usually imported from France and EXPENSIVE. Ask for the price by the yard. Lace can sometimes get up to $100 per yard!

You can also try adapting a vintage dress or finding a vintage pattern. Posh Girl Vintage (www.poshgirlvintage.com) is a “couture to street fashion” website with a gorgeously curated offering of vintage prom dresses and bridal gowns. You could get a vintage dress and adapt it to be more formal if that’s what you’re going for.

SkivvyLuLuVintage has a bunch of vintage dresses that could work for weddings.
Brigitte of Posh Girl Vintage notes, "Sometimes [the brides] tell me they alter them or add a cap sleeve but most of the time they want it original." Or just rock the original vintage style! She adds, “many women want vintage wedding dresses… Women are using all kinds of party dresses as wedding gowns… I get a lot of comments that it's eco friendly, too.” However, you have to be willing to dig, dig, dig: “Sizes are very difficult. People were smaller in the 50's, so sizes are limited most of the time.”

There are so many interesting shapes and textures when looking at vintage designs, and you definitely won’t look like other brides with out-of-the-box dresses.

Colorada, a dress maker in her own right, offered a few links to wedding related clothing or possibly bridesmaid dresses, mother of the bride, etc.

bonzie's whole shop has that neo-Victorian style.

AllieJDesigns' tutus can be sweet or punk rock. Depends on how you accessorize.

I'm a fan of MinnaK's Valencia dress in silk geogette.

JustVic's Ines dress would be perfect for bridesmaids, and she'd probably lengthen it for you for a custom wedding dress.

Wouldn't LaMadeleine's dress be adorable as a bridesmaid's dress? Colorada points out that "she has several custom and a design your own listings."

Janebonbon offers really pretty plus sized dresses and a custom wedding dress, too. I'm loving the special flowers and added details she does!

srbdesigns's A-line dress would work well as a bridesmaid's dress in a retro 60s-inpsired wedding.
Big thanks to MinnaK, Burdastyle, and Colorada. Good luck on the hunt, dear readers!

Wedding Gift Guide | Wedding Category | Wedding Showcase | Handmade Wedding Series

Handmade Weddings: Wild Gown Chase

2008-04-01T13:34:00Z

For a bride-to-be, what’s more exciting, really, than figuring out what your dress is going to look like? Well, yeah, there's that little thing of pledging your undying love, of course. But you really want to be wearing something totally unique that expresses yourself whilst promising to be another person's rock for the rest of eternity. Handmade Wedding Series readers should by now know about the merits of DIY.

But then it hit me as I actually started looking into the whole dress deal: I'm totally out of my element when it comes to making a custom dress. Yours truly is not a strong sewer. In fact, I don’t sew. At all. Love clothes, yes. Know anything about how they were made? Nope.

But with all the excitement over Alchemy combined with my penchant for thrill of the hunt, I’m on a mission to get a custom wedding dress. I did feel a bit like a fish out of water with the totally open possibilities for working with a designer to create a dress from scratch, so I met with local designer kcoline. She showed me an example of the process she went through to create a wedding dress for her friend (let's call her Francoise).

First, she had Francoise do some research, looking through fashion magazines and trolling Google image search and flickr for designs that caught her eye. They decided on a price-range up-front and then decided the actual price once they settled on a design and the fabric that would be used. They got together with all the reference materials she’d gathered and they found some aspects in common — even though Francoise still wasn’t sure what she wanted.

She had ben excited by a few dresses from the Vera Wang website. Another one of the images she tore from a magazine — while clearly not a wedding dress — had a certain old-fashioned, almost Renaissance feel to it, with some draping, sheer sleeves and layering toward the bottom.

Overall, it was important to Francoise that the dress be unique and that kcoline would be able to do something to include her own vision in it, too. After a couple weeks they got together again to see some basic sketches kcoline had done.

Some had that bit of a Renaissance flavor.

While some of the sketches were inspired by the Vera Wang styles.

kcoline also brought some fabric samples with a range of price per yard, textures, and colors so that Francoise could feel the textures and they could talk about things like how the fabric would drape or whether it would work color-wise.

In the end, the dress turned out to be something completely unique. Black velvet across the bust, a variety of fabric tiered flouncing at the bottom and lace sleeves for a bit of frill — these give the gown an old-fashioned twist. The shimmery fabric for the rest bring out a bit of modern glam.

Ok, so now to my brainstorming! I need to resist the temptation to talk about what I'm doing here on the Storque because it's all top-secret from my man, an oft Storque reader. Hush!

Wedding Gift Guide | Wedding Category | Wedding Showcase | Handmade Wedding Series

Handmade Weddings: Make your Wedding Your Own, Indie Style

2008-03-31T16:54:00Z

Jen of IndieFixx.com suggests a new term for our Handmade Wedding Series readers. Read on to get focused on supporting indie artists and crafters!

Today you will find destination weddings, diy weddings and all sorts of previously non-existent non-traditional weddings and I think it's fantastic. People aren't all the same, so why should they have to settle for cookie cutter weddings? Weddings are one of life's most memorable and significant events and they really should be a reflection of a couple's personalities and their desire to share their day with families and friends in any way they can dream up. So, for all those brides and grooms who want to make their day truly their own, I want to add a new type of wedding to the menu of non-traditional weddings — indie weddings.

Indie, or independent, weddings are weddings that utilize goods and services provided by independent designers, crafters, artists and artisans, as opposed to relying on mainstream wedding sources. Couples planning their wedding can decide to do everything indie or pick and choose as their needs and taste guide them. Whatever the case may be, there are many benefits in planning an indie wedding and I'm going to highlight the three most important.

1. Since independent providers of wedding goods and sources aren't trying to provide for the masses, they can afford to specialize and to cater to the niche audience. Which is wonderful for those of you planning a pirate-themed wedding. Arrr! If you really are planning a pirate-themed wedding, then you will be interested in these Etsy goods.

Like this Purple Skull Ring Pillow from shabeestitches.

Or this skull garter from PetereneDesign.

2. Another wonderful thing about indie wedding shopping is the wonderful world of customization. Customers who have their own creative ideas, but who can't or don't want to DIY, can find sellers who are willing and able to bring their ideas to life. In fact, many Etsy sellers plan their businesses around customization...Rainsend for one. Rainsend creates custom cake toppers for the bride and groom that work into their themes.

If you don't see your theme in her listings, you can contact her through requesting a custom order through her Alchemy page.

Another perk of custom orders is actually getting something that looks like the couple. For instance, Girning will create watercolor portraits from your photographs.

unlesssomeonelikeyou does work with custom art for save-the-dates, posters, portraits and wedding invites.

3. By far, the biggest benefit is cost. It can often be much less expensive to plan an indie wedding than a mainstream wedding. This is fantastic news for the wedding couple who now can save their hard-earned money for those other important and significant milestones in life — home buying and having kids. One of my favorite Etsy sellers, RobandLean, really helps illustrate this point. Contrary to what mainstream jewelry stores want couples to think, engagement rings really don't need to cost 'Two Month's Salary.' The gorgeous creations by Rob and Lean are just a fraction of the cost of traditional rings and no less stunning. I'm so happy that my friend Laura is planning on purchasing one of their rings for her upcoming wedding and I just can't wait to see it.

So, if you will be planning a wedding in the future, I do hope you think about planning an indie wedding and make your day truly your own.

Finally, here's a list of fun related resources:
Indie Fixx Summer Wedding Guide
Indie Bride
Indie Wedding Guide
Eco Chic Weddings
DIY Bride
Offbeat Bride

Handmade Weddings: Last Minute DIY Tricks for the Eco-friendly Bride

2008-03-30T19:40:00Z

These eco-tips from LadybugSF do a Handmade Wedding right! She has notions for making things yourself and also some upcycled picks from the Etsy marketplace — in case you want to go the "pre-owned" route. She's in the process of writing a book on greener weddings and you can find pieces on Vintage Indie and ...below! Enjoy and feel free to ask LadybugSF about any eco-friendly topics you suggest she explore.

When my husband and I married in 2005, there weren't many eco-resources. So, we had to be creative. I was just starting to become a crafty gal, so I made my own purse and a purse for my flower girl (from the bottom half of an old hot pink prom gown of mine) and all the jewelry for the bridesmaids and the mothers (from beads I had collected over the past years). For the reception, I combined as many of the paper goods as I could — and used the guest gifts as name tags, table markers, and gifts all-in-one. My husband designed the wedding flowers, and used mostly potted plants to keep that aspect low-impact.

After the wedding, we both wished there had been a book that had warned us about some of the wedding pitfalls (many financial) and guided us to eco-resources. So I began writing "Murphy's Law-Weddings" with real advice from twenty brides that included several money and planet-saving how-tos that I or the other brides had tested on our wedding days. Now I'll be spreading the eco-wedding word through Etsy, and through Eco-Chic Weddings and Vintage Indie, blogs where excerpts from the wedding book will be published.

Halfway through planning a wedding it becomes clear that weddings are unfriendly to your wallet. They're also often unfriendly to the planet, and yet every bride wants a beautiful, memorable day with special details. Fortunately, there are handmade ways to make your wedding eco-friendly — and take care of those little extras you forgot to put in your budget.

Purchasing bridal accessories in a boutique can add up to a startling figure (and not the one in the mirror). To cut costs, make your veil and consider purchasing vintage or repurposed jewelry.

A veil is easy even for a beginner. Purchase tulle, or cut some from the underside of a prom gown from the Goodwill.

A veil is a circle of fabric, but before cutting, determine the length needed; one-sixth of the circle will be folded into your hair. After the circle is cut, use a whip stitch to sew the edges of the veil, looping through and over the open weave. Make the stitches close together. To add sparkle, press clusters of adhesive rhinestones around the trim.

If time is short, purchase a vintage veil from Etsy seller BlueSkyBridal or poppyart:

Wedding jewelry is often a true racket. Save money and look eco-chic with jewels made from recycled or upcycled materials. Etsy sellers Enthral and Oceano all make gorgeous trashion. Here's some seaglass jewelry from Oceano:

And a necklace Enthral made from an upcycled button.

Boutonnières from a florist are pricey, wasteful, and may wilt in warm weather. So, choose a less expensive and more fun DIY ways to dress up his lapel.

An home herb garden can render thyme, rosemary, or sage for a simple herb boutonnière. This is the most simple, most masculine option. You'll need: three stems, floral wire, wire cutters, green floral tape, and a yard of narrow ribbon (green or brown are good colors for the ribbon).

A boutonnières should be about three inches in length, so cut your herbs to about three inches, then position them in a triad, and wrap the stems in wire, then floral tape. Wind the ribbon over the floral tape and secure with a strait pin. The pictured boutonnière was made from rosemary and deep green ribbon.

Or, for a more colorful option, create a one-of-a-kind rose ribbon boutonnière. You'll need: one half yard to one yard of 1 1/2 inch wire-edged (recycled or vintage) ribbon, floral wire, wire cutter, floral tape, thread, and a yard of narrow ribbon in a shade of green.

To make the rose, pull the wire ends of one side of the ribbon out, fold them so they don't slip back, and gather one side of the ribbon up. It should make a circular shape. Cut a four-inch piece of floral wire and fold it in half.

Roll the ribbon into a rose shape around the top of the looped wire, leaving a wire "stem." Sew the rose ribbon in place at its base with matching thread. Wrap the stem in floral tape, then in ribbon, and secure with a single pin.

Corsages or bouquets are traditional for mothers, but flowers are pricey, so save them for visual impact. Instead of a bouquet, give mothers and (soon to be) mothers-in-law gorgeous, handmade recycled silk poppy corsages from Etsy seller Foundling. The poppies would make lovely gifts for attendants as well.

A DIY option is to make corsages in your colors the same way you would make a ribbon boutonniere — only use two yards of ribbon for a larger flower and omit the stem.

After gathering the ribbon, twist it into a rose shape and hand sew in place.

Trim the ribbon's edges with beads for an evening look and add a decorative strait pin to the back.

A ring bearer's pillow is a last minute expense that shouldn't cost more than a few dollars in fabric and trim — hopefully in left-over fabric and recycled trim. Perhaps from Etsy seller GreenTrims or rayela's ethnic fabric remnants:

To do it yourself, you need a fat quarter of fabric, one yard of trim, batting or polyfil, a button, and a short length of ribbon to finish.

Cut two eight inch squares out of your fabric. Pin trim to one piece of fabric, then pin the fabric pieces face-to-face with trim between. Overlap the trim tails at a side, not a corner. Sew the edges leaving a two-inch opening on one side, not a corner. Reverse, fill with batting, and hand-sew closed. Finish by sewing a button on top, and tying a ribbon around it for the rings. You can even give the pillow to your ring bearer's parents as a thank you!

Guest gifts are notoriously eco-unfriendly, so consider an edible wrapped in recycled paper like organic chocolates from Dagoba (www.dagobachocolate.com). Their Tasting Square Box has the perfect bite-size chocolates. But remember, chocolate will melt on a warm day.

So, if you're a summer bride, seeds to grow in your guest's gardens from Etsy shop GraceGraphics are a perfect way to show your love for the planet.

GraceGraphics "Plantable Handmade Wedding Favors" can be customized for your wedding. Another seller who carries similar plantable gift cards is PaperPlanet. Here's an example of what a sprouting seed from the handmade paper looks like, from recycledideas's plantable cards:

Whether you purchase eco-items or hand make them with recycled materials, the details of your wedding will show both the beauty of your aesthetic, and of your heart.

Further Resources:
Ethical Weddings ethicalweddings.com/blog
Katie and Jamie Fewings began this blog when planning their 2005 wedding; it's filled with information on the ethics of each aspect of wedding planning.

Great Green weddings greatgreenwedding.com
This simple blog showcases new products and information by category.

Green Elegance Weddings www.greeneleganceweddings.com
This information portal has recommendations for eco-friendly weddings and great DIY ideas for green favors.

C5: Conflict-free Diamonds www.C5company.com
Meghan Connolly founded this conflict free/man-made diamond hub. No blood diamonds here.

Eco-Chic Weddings and Vintage Indie
Environmentally friendly and indie-centric posts about all things wedding.

Wedding Gift Guide | Wedding Category | Wedding Showcase | Handmade Wedding Series

Handmade Weddings: 1965 Blast from the Past with PetereneDesign

2008-03-30T15:29:00Z

The Handmade Wedding Series put out a call for bridal blasts from the past, and for vintage and retro fans, you are in luck. This week we have the clean-cut 1960s with PetereneDesign, a Pawtucket, RI native, who was married in 1965. In looking at these fresh-faced photos, I feel like they could almost be taken today at vintage-inspired wedding. Maybe it's the black and white that gives them a timeless feel, or maybe it's the classic style that PetereneDesign and her family created with the many handmade elements. Fittingly, she now sells vintage wedding dresses and custom garters on Etsy! Here's more...

I started selling my own handcrafted traditional garters and vintage wedding gowns about five years ago. I noticed a trend toward Theme Weddings and that was the spark I needed to get my businss going: themes suggest fabrics; fabrics suggest charms; charms suggest even more themes. Then brides started making special requests. Today's bride knows what she wants right down to the color of the ribbon on her garter.

I especially like working on what I call "challenges." Some brides want me to enhance their family traditions. Some want garters that match their wedding gown or reflect their "Destination Wedding." I love it when a bride says "This may seem odd, but…" I know I'll be surfing the web for the perfect charms or hand dyeing ribbons and lace for just the right color combination. What could be more fun?

For custom garters, contact her through her private Alchemy. Here's the story of her 1965 wedding...

I didn't make my dress, but Mom and I made the bridesmaids dresses and mailed them to the girls to have fitted where they lived in other states.

The reception was at my in-laws house and garden, all the decorations which were very reserved where made or arranged by my mother-in-law from her beautiful collection of silver and china. The cloth on the cake table is really a gorgeous sheer curtain panel all scrunched up.

Since most of the reception took place in the backyard, my mother-in-law planned ahead and planted flowers that would be in bloom early in July.

And yes, my cousin Louise Marie, the girl in middle did catch the bouquet.

It's ironic that I'm selling handmade garters here on Etsy and I can't find the garter toss picture, or the garter being placed on Louise's leg.

Oh and I made my own garter too.

I made my "Going Away" suit. It was pale yellow shantung.

We drove off in my father-in-laws new red mustang convertible, 1965. Wish we had it now.
At least I still have the same husband!

Comment below if you have photos of a wedding from another era! Maybe we'll post them on the Storque!

Wedding Gift Guide | Wedding Category | Wedding Showcase | Handmade Wedding Series

Handmade Weddings: Hobocampcrafts' DIY Wedding

2008-03-29T12:01:00Z

The Handmade Wedding Series has been delighted to bring you some real weddings. And hobocampcrafts' self-described "hobo" wedding kept it so real with a budget of only $5000!

Many little girls dream about their weddings, but the idea of getting married never even dawned on me. So when my boyfriend got down on one knee, I knew I had a lifetime of planning to catch up on.

We had a budget of about $5,000 — a generous amount from my retired parents. Well aware that if we went over budget it was coming out of our pocket, we decided to keep our wedding fun and unique, but simple. We were inspired by a DIY wedding article in the now-defunct “Budget Living” magazine.

Collaging our own “Save the Date” postcards, we copied them onto cardstock on my parents’ color copier.
For the invitations, we bought long, chocolate-brown envelopes, smaller orange reply envelopes and a ton of pink cardstock, on which we printed the invitation, the reply card and the directions. Thank goodness for my husband’s inkjet printer!

My lovely sister-in-law (a former wedding photographer) offered to take our photos as her gift to us.
She did a great job and saved us thousands of dollars!

I wanted to make my dress, but I fell in love with a very inexpensive, classic dress. When I saw how expensive veils were, I laughed. No WAY was I paying $100 for tulle!

So I fashioned a cute little pinwheel-esque clip with lace and ribbons attached to a barrette. All of my bridesmaids wore inexpensive dresses in shades of mocha, latte and truffle, and we did each other’s hair and makeup.

We’re both movie buffs, so we chose to hold our ceremony at a local theatre built in the early 1900s. We figured it already had dramatic lighting and popcorn, so what more did we need?

We hired the theatre’s organist, who played old movie scores and Marx Brothers tunes as everyone made their way toward their seats. They even played the old ”Let’s go out to the lobby” film clip after the ceremony! It was a really fun, quirky touch that made the event feel special.

The flowers (kindly paid for by my mother-in-law) included some of my favorites: gerbera daisies and hyperion berries. The local florist gave me a flower-by-flower breakdown of price — each bouquet was about $40. We picked up the flowers two days before the wedding and invited my bridesmaids over to each construct their own bouquets. My mother and I purchased lace and ribbons in my colors to wrap the flowers in, and we also made boutonnieres for the rest of the wedding party, as well as some arrangements for the ceremony. Not only did we have a great time creating these, we saved a ton of money! It all came out to about $300, versus $800 or more for someone to make them for us.

Our reception was super laid-back, held at a local VFW hall for a mere $400. Our families enjoyed homemade punch and pastries (my mom studied Martha Stewart’s baking books), light fare and cupcakes instead of the usual cake. Somehow the sign fell off of the adult punch, so one or two of the kids MAY have had some bourbon. But hey — when you go handmade, some kids are gonna get drunk.

We made a seating chart by tacking everyone’s name and table number on a fabric-covered piece of foam board. For the table numbers, we scavenged our local library for discarded hardcover books, covered them with paper grocery bags (old-school!) and glued buttons on them in the shape of numbers. Some of the books had ridiculous titles and even more ridiculous love scenes, which our guests got a big laugh at. On the tables, we scattered 1-inch pins with hand-drawn self-portraits on them (printed by KateBlack.etsy.com). The tables also had disposable cameras candids.

Our guest book, which started off as a scrapbook, was transformed for about $30 into an adorable memory keeper, with tiny envelopes for messages and advice from our loved ones. After people left us a note, they could take home a small votive candle, which were decorated with Anais Nin quotes, and my father used his printing press to create tiny balsa wood wedding announcements.

Overall, we got great satisfaction out of doing so much of the work ourselves, and look back fondly on the handmade details. Our friends and family said they had never been to a wedding quite like ours!

Wedding Gift Guide | Wedding Category | Wedding Showcase | Handmade Wedding Series

Handmade Weddings: Custom Bridesmaid Jewelry with Maryink

2008-03-27T11:25:00Z

Your girls have your back. Maryink gives the Handmade Wedding Series some ideas for bridesmaid jewelry — great for the wedding and great for bridesmaid gifts!

Buttercream or fondant? Buffet or sit-down dinner? Pearls or diamonds? Readers, the choices when planning a wedding are endless. Luckily, you, the bride-to-be, often have help, in the form of one-to-several bridesmaids. They are your go-to crew for one of the most important events in your life, and I think they deserve pretty jewelry! Jewelry can complete your vision of loveliness, as well as serving as an excellent gift (or bribe!) for the help and support you’ve received during this exciting and stressful time. I would likely make my own bridal party jewelry as I do for other brides, but if I got into a bind, I’d delegate an Etsy jewelry designer for the job.

With thousands of jewelry shops on Etsy, you have the opportunity to find the perfect artisan for your bridal party jewelry. So, how do you go about making a custom order on Etsy? If you spend much time browsing here, you might have seen a jewelry designer whose style you admire, and maybe you’ve even bought from them before.

If you haven’t come across the perfect jewelry designer yet, start searching! With limited time to search a huge category, you’ll want to do a targeted search. You will get a pool of maybe a few hundred instead of several thousand.

From here, you will likely find shops that have other items of interest. I love new takes on pearls, so I entered “modern pearl sterling earrings” in the search box.

My results included this perfect pair from gemmafactrix.

Hopefully your chosen shop can do custom requests through their shops. If they can’t, but you have a vision of what you want, you may want to start a public Alchemy entry. In either case here are some things you should address:

What is the setting for your wedding?
This is where my fiancé and I have gotten stumped. Should we have a formal wedding at night? In a garden during the day, or on a beach? A June wedding, or dead o’ winter nuptials? If I did a nighttime wedding, I'd probably make something fancy for my bridesmaids, with faceted gemstones with shiny gold or silver. Then, I think about a little destination wedding on a Caribbean beach, and I would have to talk TaniaNovaCrochet about it.

For a garden wedding, I think I'd like Honeybee's willow pieces, all of which work well together:

What do the dresses look like?
If you have them, it helps if you have pictures of your bridesmaids’ dresses to show the designer. For my wedding, I'm thinking about my bridesmaids in dresses of their own choosing. Still, I'd need to know about necklines and sleeves. If the dress is sleeveless, a big bracelet or two would be cute. I'd definitely want to know about the neckline to make sure a necklace will hang properly. This lariat from ERMoriginals would look great with a deep v-neck.

What do your bridesmaids like?
Some of my friends have a definite preference of silver over gold, and others like both. Consider what the preference is with your friends. Also, physical things to address are pierced ears, and sizes so as to gauge approximate necklace and bracelet length. A bracelet made with memory wire from JUSTAGIRL27 can fit many wrist sizes.

So now you are confident your chosen shop can do custom Alchemy requests. If you’re not, but on the other hand, you have a vision of what you want, you may want to start a public Alchemy entry. In either case here are some things you should address:

What is your budget?
Having a dollar amount budgeted for the whole project is the easiest way to go. If you’re looking to work with a particular seller, you can get a good idea if he or she can work with you just be looking at the prices in their shop. If you’re doing a public Alchemy posting, you should do some research to get a sense of the price range. Hundreds or even thousands of dollars can be as easily spent as $50 on a bridal party set here; there is a huge range in materials and cost. Some things to consider when taking price into account: stones or beads, type of metal, and level of intricacy. If I were to make some casual pieces with vintage glass and sterling silver, they would be a fraction of the cost of pieces fabricated in carat gold and high-end gemstones, especially in today’s metal market.

How many pieces do you need, and when do you need them?
The jewelry designer will then be able to let you know the feasibility within your budget, and give you a time frame. The sooner you can figure this out, the better. There are usually many orders, kids, and even full time jobs that need to be accounted for, and the designer needs to plan accordingly.

How about payment arrangements?
It will be better for everyone if you put down a 50% deposit for your jewelry order, just like you are doing with all of your other vendors. It lets the designer know you are committed, and gives them the cash to buy materials. With Alchemy you can arrange the payment one on one.

Making it all hang together...
I think choosing one designer to work with is the way to go for your bridal party’s jewelry to have a pleasing visual unity. The collection of pieces can have the same theme but needn’t be matchy-matchy, i.e, everyone doesn’t need to wear the same pair of earrings. Choosing one metal type and using coordinating elements such as unique design features, gemstones or beads, makes everything work together while leaving room for individuality. I recently did a custom order for a client whose theme was gold with faceted pink sapphires and tourmalines. To break it up, I chose to compliment each piece differently using gorgeous pearls, citrine, and peridot.

Best wishes, congrats, and good luck finding the perfect seller for your bridal party jewelry!

Wedding Gift Guide | Wedding Category | Wedding Showcase | Handmade Wedding Series

Handmade Weddings: liskidder's Custom Ring

2008-03-25T14:40:00Z

Soon-to-be-newlywed liskidder is not just an Etsy seller, she's also a buyer! She had that super-important little thing — her engagement ring — made by fellow Etsian esdesigns. This all transpired before Alchemy was up and running, but if you have a hankering, esdesigns now takes custom Alchemy requests! Lis tells us all about it in this installment of the Handmade Wedding Series.

liskidder: I found Elizabeth Scott aka esdesigns through the Etsy Metal Team's website etsymetal.com. I was particularly drawn to two of her ring designs, Oro Verde Citrine Ring and Shoreline Ring and I decided to see if she would be willing to combine the two designs with a different stone. I convo'd her and told her, "I've been tasked by my fiance with designing my engagement ring. We got engaged a couple weeks ago and because he knows that I'm anti-diamond and pro-handmade he has let me take control of the ring. I love the ocean and my favorite color is blue, and think that the finish you do that looks like water is beautiful."

esdesigns: The items I make the most for weddings are my Keishi pearl lariats and the matching earrings. My Birch Bark ring has been used for a wedding band several times recently and I'm working on a custom order for some ginkgo pieces in 18k gold. Lis chose a design similar to some pieces I make often, so it wasn't difficult, and she was great to work with.

liskidder: I know next to nothing about gemstones, so Beth did all kinds of research for me to help me pick a good quality sapphire for the ring. She was so careful to make sure that the ring would be perfect at every step of the design process. For example, when the stone that I ordered arrived, Beth found an inclusion in it, and she sent it right back to switch it out for a flawless one. It was so awesome to know that I could trust her to take care of things like that.

esdesigns: I spend most of my time working with silver so having a chance to use gold and sapphire was exciting. The hardest part was finding the right stone. The sapphire I decided on has a slight greenish tone which fit with the ocean idea.

liskidder: When the ring arrived I literally held my breath opening the package. When I put it on, I was so excited because it was absolutely gorgeous, it fit perfectly, and it was exactly what I envisioned when I first contacted her. My fiance was really happy with it too. And I get compliments on the ring all the time, which is great because it allows me to talk about Etsy!

esdesigns: I don't know if Lis mentioned this already, but I'm working on a set of rings for her wedding, and they'll match her engagement ring!

Lis also had her invites does from fubabee. Lis and Beth's story reminded us of this Etsy Love Story by ArtWearbyCaron and MissMeander that we posted around Valentine's Day. Watch the video and prepare to be moved! If you had your ring made on Etsy, let us know about it in the comments below!

Wedding Gift Guide | Wedding Category | Wedding Showcase | Handmade Wedding Series