Etsy's Handmade Blog
Handmade Weddings: A Guide for the Bride (and Groom)
Story by paperstories
Published on March 18, 2009 in How-To 		Photo by

paperstories

Are you getting married, but feel lost in a sea of big name bridal magazines filled with traditional and often cliché wedding ideas?  If so, you may not know where to turn for touches such as that vintage gown, that one-of-a-kind button bouquet, and what about those handmade cufflinks?

After you have perused the many amazing vendors on Etsy, if you find yourself still in need of some guidance, here is a handy list of some valuable resources. Instead of the bridal mags, why not save some trees and go cyber instead? These are some of the many amazing blogs and websites that make it a point to source those unique and creative touches for your big day:

BRIDE TO BE - Mini Jot and Go Recycled / Upcycled Journal Notebook
by ivylanedesigns, $6.


If you still prefer the printed page to the digital type, here are a few books that may give you a spark:


For those who like to get some exercise while planning a wedding, you may be tempted to attend one of those big bridal fairs you see advertised on television.  What a great way to sample some cake, watch a fashion show and pick up some business cards!  However, many of the exhibitors at these types of event may not appeal to the more unconventional couple.  So what is a gal or guy to do?  Check your local city paper for any events in your area that may have interesting artists or designers.  Try a local craft fair or two.  You may just find that one of the jewelry designers at the show has an amazing bridal collection or your favorite paper goods company also does a wicked wedding invitation.  To find a craft fair in your area, you can look to resources such as the Indie Craft Show Directory. 

"Indie I Do" craft fair in Vancouver, courtesy of Tracey Heppner

Alternative bridal fairs are a new trend, which cater especially towards the non-traditional couple.  These are great places, not only to shop, but also to exhibit if you are a maker of anything potentially wedding related.  So far, the few lucky cities hosting such an event are Vancouver’s  Indie I Do, Unbridaled Expo in Philadelphia, and Indie Wed in Chicago.

Hopefully this list provides you with a few options for finding those distinctive and personal touches for your special event.  If you know of any other resources, feel free to list them in the comments below!

Handmade Weddings Series | Vintage Wedding Items | Weddings and Celebrations Gift Guide

 

Tags Anti-Bride Guide, blogs, bridal, bridal fairs, bridal shows, Chicago, craft fairs, craft shows, DIY Bride, DIY Wedding, Eco-Chic Weddings, guides, Handmade Weddings, Handmade Wedding Series, HOW-TO, indie, Indie Craft Show Directory, Indie I Do, Indie Wed, Offbeat Bride, paperstories, Philadelphia, planning, resources, shopping, tips, Unbridaled Expo, Vancouver, weddings
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75 comments     Login to add your own!

March 18, 2009 at 3:54 p.m. LaveMeSoapCo

if i had only know etsy before i got married. this is awesome!

March 18, 2009 at 3:59 p.m. uncharted

great resources!

March 18, 2009 at 3:59 p.m. CustomKids

I wish I knew about it when I was married to. But, my brother's getting married next month and I will definately refer him to this link!

March 18, 2009 at 4:01 p.m. FlanneryCrane

Great Resources and Selections.

March 18, 2009 at 4:02 p.m. Doodlage

Great article!
Oh, and Me-me-me, I have the rocks that can be personalized!!! Or if your LOVE is just written in stone ;)
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?...
Custom orders are more than welcome :)

March 18, 2009 at 4:03 p.m. sandali

Love the peddle idea -- yeah, your wedding should be exactly what you want it to be -- the more natural & create & the more you the better !! Many blessing to all the new brides to be ;)

March 18, 2009 at 4:10 p.m. gloilocksandbody

I have a wedding coming up! ... neat ideas :D

March 18, 2009 at 4:11 p.m. dogties

Great article...
Wonderful items!!

March 18, 2009 at 4:20 p.m. JenniferRydinDesigns

Great article! I love doing custom jewelry for weddings. :)

March 18, 2009 at 4:25 p.m. MewPaperArts

Have you seen the FleaMarket via Vintage Glam??? It's a great place to post FREE wedding classifieds for items you're looking for, or selling from your wedding--from gowns, to table decor!

http://vintageglamblog.com/classifieds/

March 18, 2009 at 4:27 p.m. sugarspicepaperie

I love weddings! That's why I am in the wedding business! OOAK invitations in my shop!

March 18, 2009 at 4:29 p.m. CutieDynamite

Beautiful! I love making custom headpieces for my brides!

March 18, 2009 at 4:30 p.m. quinnep

a great wedding photog friend of mine got me into etsy where i started posting my custom save-the-date doodles! weddings can be SO creative and expressive! all of the amazing resources on etsy offer limitless options!

March 18, 2009 at 4:36 p.m. paperstories

Glad everyone likes the article. Make sure you wedding crafters check out those alternative bridal fairs. They might be a great place to show off your goods!

P.S. that top picture is me, Paperstories, and seller Horvatron getting married in an antique store under all the chandeliers. ;)

March 18, 2009 at 4:39 p.m. TwistedCrystals

LOVE this, thank you for sharing with everyone :)

March 18, 2009 at 4:44 p.m. voleurdebijoux

Fabulous article and wonderful selections! :)

March 18, 2009 at 4:49 p.m. chitownamy

A Practical Wedding: http://www.apracticalwedding.com/ is a great resource for indie vendors and inspiration.

March 18, 2009 at 5:01 p.m. maryjanefrances

stunning!
check out my wedding things too~
<-----------------

March 18, 2009 at 5:05 p.m. EmmaGordonLondon

Lovely article - the more unique a wedding the better!

I've been making lots of clutches for brides and bridesmaid gifts recently.
I am loving getting into the whole feeling of their weddings, seeing their dresses and learning about their colour schemes for custom pieces.

March 18, 2009 at 5:14 p.m. TheCottageCheese

I have a fantastic 1970 Bride's Magazine in my shop (with Cheryl Tiegs cover). It has inspired me - now it can inspire another bride-to-be! I am so excited about the blog and website links here. I'm going to be busy reading all night!

March 18, 2009 at 6:17 p.m. OhFaro

Love all the wedding articles!

March 18, 2009 at 6:54 p.m. bhangtiez

lovely stuffs & ideas...i made a head-piece 4 my wedding, macrame of course...check out da pics on my site! Happy weddings everyone...& I wish I knew ETSY when I got married too...but I'm glad I know u know...go ETSY!

March 18, 2009 at 7:40 p.m. invitesbyjen

I have been obsessed with weddings ever since planning my own! Now I get to be a part of people's most cherised day all the time -- I make handmade invitations -- remember that with handmade they are made your way!!

March 18, 2009 at 8:14 p.m. EpicBones

yes!! i want mine just like that!

March 18, 2009 at 8:23 p.m. MGMart

Lovely pieces. If you are looking for a head piece, please visit my store.
♥ PETALS ♥ Wearable Art Jewelry & Wedding Accessories ♥
All the best~Marianna

March 18, 2009 at 8:27 p.m. odiliafu

Great resources!! If Etsy was there when I got married, it would be wonderful. Now, I would definitely recommend this to my girl friends. Oh, I have one necklace that would be a nice wedding gift
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?...

March 18, 2009 at 8:27 p.m. ShiStudio

Handmade weddings - just say "I do"! We love outfitting wedding parties with our custom made accessories. We'll give you the choice of many amazing silk brocades, or we can work with fabric from your dress or any material that is meaningful to your wedding.

March 18, 2009 at 9:51 p.m. warblerzine

shameless self promotion alert: i just started an etsy wedding blog recently:

http://idoalready.blogspot.com

March 18, 2009 at 9:54 p.m. AAngels

Great articles! Love alreadys reading about this area of etsy.
Please visit my shop-----cool Ring Bearer Pillow

March 18, 2009 at 10 p.m. EyesOnMeJewels

These are beautiful ! Love it! Wedding seasion is coming, congratulations to all the upcoming weddings !

March 18, 2009 at 10:06 p.m. bunnyboutique

Absolutely love the claycraft bouquet. What a smart ide for your bouquet. No need to stress about preserving the flowers afterwards.

March 18, 2009 at 10:17 p.m. LittleMamasDesigns

Fabulous finds! The caketoppers are so sweet:)

March 18, 2009 at 10:44 p.m. undertheroot

inspiring and preciously delicious!

March 18, 2009 at 11:14 p.m. liliswan

love this article and great timing too!

March 18, 2009 at 11:21 p.m. sherrytruitt

Such lovely things, I just may get married all over again. I'll keep the same guy.

March 18, 2009 at 11:27 p.m. rikkicondon

sent this to a good friend..thankyou.

March 18, 2009 at 11:51 p.m. GemmaBeads

Handmade is absolutely the way to go for a wedding, or any other occasion for that matter.

March 19, 2009 at 12:29 a.m. PipocaHandmade

I'd get married all over again to do it 'handmade'!

Hey, do you think these friends could be used as ring pillows?...I'm trying to think of every possible use for them!...

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?...

March 19, 2009 at 12:35 a.m. mylittlejo

Great article and cool ideas to pass on to all my soon-to-be married friends. Thank YOU!

March 19, 2009 at 6:08 a.m. valeasc

I am not getting married anytime soon but I devoured this article :) I like dreaming about that day!
Thank you ever so much!

March 19, 2009 at 7:15 a.m. BayMoonDesign

Being a "I love buttons" person, I adored the butoon bouquets. How cool!

March 19, 2009 at 8:26 a.m. weddingsosweet

This is a great article....I enjoyed it because I make pretty little things for your wedding day!
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=...

March 19, 2009 at 10:23 a.m. whichgoose

AH! I want to get married just so I can buy cute etsy stuff!! :) hehehe--kidding!

March 19, 2009 at 11:15 a.m. Hollyrocks

I am definitely going to get married etsy-style (maybe this summer if I'm super quick about it). Some of my family members think I am insane to not want a wedding that is traditional in every sense of the word. But I feel like I'd be a little insane if I DID want my wedding to look just like every other wedding I've ever been to.

March 19, 2009 at 11:45 a.m. worksofwhimsy

Such pretty things. I wish I had resources like these 17 years ago when I got married.

March 19, 2009 at 11:47 a.m. KalliopeJewelry

Ain't love grand? I've done a few custom bridal pieces, and it's heartwarming to work with an excited bride and make a special treasure for her big day!

March 19, 2009 at 12:18 p.m. ohmay

maybe a handmade wedding for my daughter....

March 19, 2009 at 12:20 p.m. topsyturvydesign

I LOOOOOOVE Offbeat Bride!
Ariel is the bomb!

March 19, 2009 at 12:40 p.m. EJPcreations

The Flapper Feather peice is adorable!!!

March 19, 2009 at 12:53 p.m. VintageinBohemia

I love those groomsmen ties! nice!

March 19, 2009 at 1:42 p.m. Tumus

I LOVE LOVE LOVE reading all these articles because with my wedding in October it's like sensory overload right now. Just when i think i see a great idea i'm set on I see something even more fabulous.

The key i have to remember is that no matter what it's going to be seriously awesome.

I'm making my own invites with plantable response cards so I can plant back all the happiness in my flower beds ^_^

I'm so excited green weddings are coming out into the open ^_^

March 19, 2009 at 1:53 p.m. lalala08

SO COOL! We need an "Indie I Do" craft fair in the Lehigh Valley!

March 19, 2009 at 2:27 p.m. galit

New wedding collection!
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=...

March 19, 2009 at 2:57 p.m. Thinkoutsidethebox

How amazing are the clay flowers from dkdesignshawaii?! I am blown away by each of her designs and still am in awe of the fact that they are created from clay!!

March 19, 2009 at 5:41 p.m. twigsandheather

http://www.weddingskulls.com.
Punk rock, Indie, rockabilly weddings oh my!
Great site.

March 19, 2009 at 8:25 p.m. savoiefairephoto

Nice collection!

March 19, 2009 at 8:33 p.m. LorenaCatalaniMorata

AWESOME!
we just decided to get married IN JUNE of this year, and I'm definitely doing it etsy style.... which means i spend all my time checking out these articles and many etsy shops!!!!

March 19, 2009 at 9:25 p.m. Mattamorphis

How fab.

I love that little booklet.

-Matt

March 20, 2009 at 12:28 a.m. kharygoarts

If you decided to get married, please visit my shop at etsy to take a look of my custom made wedding cake toppers. Any design, any idea you have in mind I can make it. Unique pieces high quality!

March 20, 2009 at 4:43 a.m. asiajojo

Do you if want to find a serious supplier from China? Do you want to find reasonable price with the good quality? Hi friend donnt hesitant my dear friend. Welcome to visit www.asiahandbag.com www.good-handbag.com,we keep the price close to the costs of production. The quality of ours is as good as that of many other suppliers, while our prices are not high as theirs.

March 20, 2009 at 11:14 a.m. paperstories

If any of you folks are in the midwest, you should consider applying to be a vendor at the Indie Wed event. I am actually one of the organizers and we are looking for lots of great folks.....
http://www.indiewed.com

March 20, 2009 at 2:04 p.m. kottageon5th

I'm jealous that DIY is so popular! When I got married, it wasn't 'in'...now look how it's exploded! Great thing - since it keeps me in business too!

March 20, 2009 at 2:26 p.m. Waterrose

So many great ideas and what a fun way to plan a wedding!

March 21, 2009 at 6:16 p.m. george100

I was married on the 12th March and our wedding was made so very special by the fabulously lovely things made for me by the wonderful people of Etsy ! I was even inspired to make my own napkin rings !!! Being a novice cake decorator I even decided that my audience would not be as critical as one would imagine and so faced my fears and decorated my own wedding cake..it took me 9 hours over two days and the result was Fabulous !!! WONDEFUL ETSY PEOPLE I THANK YOU ALL !!

March 24, 2009 at 4:28 p.m. GreetingsthatGrow

Beautiful and I wish Etsy was around 7 yrs ago when I got married! I have purchased from Ivylanedesigns before and their notebooks are great! I love how customizable Etsy makes everything--even weddings! It is what hooked me as a buyer AND got me crafting and selling my plantables too!

March 25, 2009 at 7:57 p.m. KreatedbyKelly

Those of you that know me know I love doing weddings :) I blog about my wedding customs about 3 times a week!

March 26, 2009 at 6:05 a.m. designbymaureen

Really nice pics,really wonderful works!

March 28, 2009 at 3:42 p.m. 2212jewelry

muchas felicitaciones! muy buen trabajo de seleccion

March 29, 2009 at 4:40 p.m. themefragrance

Nice selection of wedding goodies.
Theme has perfect wedding favor perfumes!
themefragrance.etsy.com

April 3, 2009 at 5:06 p.m. Cheerupcherup

Also try snippet and ink, another great wedding blog:

http://snippetandink.blogspot.com

April 5, 2009 at 2:39 p.m. redonions

I was married 3 years ago. On a tight budget. I did a homemade wedding. I crocheted a ring pillow and my purse. I did my own flowers. My brother even made us a two layer cake in my colors and flavors. It was fun.

April 5, 2009 at 2:40 p.m. redonions

I still need to make a wedding album. I did make one for my brother and his ex- wife.

April 10, 2009 at 4:46 p.m. GemsandTreasures

Love the article. Wish I would have discovered Etsy before my Wedding! I love creating & designing Jewelry & Accessories from The Bride to the Flowergirls!

April 29, 2009 at 3:49 p.m. WeddingDecorOnline

I recently got married and the only magazine I thought was helpful for great ideas was Inside Weddings..all the other magazines were mostly adds. I love the online blogs and ideas at WeddingBee.

Aug. 19, 2009 at 1:22 p.m. babinka1981

Nice pics!

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