We asked onesmallstar to pull some favorites for us, since she writes an awesome blog of wedding-related Etsy finds called EtsyWedding.blogspot.com.

Oh dear. You could call me the accidental wedding tourist — I adore Etsy and was using it last year to help plan (procrastinate planning) my sister's wedding. What started innocently as a late-night bridezilla treasury through encouragement (thanks, pepperinapress!) evolved into an ongoing project — a little handcrafted publication, of sorts!

I meant to quit after the wedding. But... there are so many great things on Etsy... and so much bad (*expensive*) wedding cr@p in the world... and... here I am. It's been a fun way to 'give back' and be involved with the greater Etsy community, and one of its best rewards is hearing from folks when a post leads directly to sales!

So: EtsyWedding.blogspot.com rummages for bright, inspired, colorful, and original ideas. Etsy has so many shops and sellers that there's something for everyone — traditional, offbeat, goth, country, vintage — from super-high-end to budget-saving bargains — and the search tools make it easy to find something in your color or even in your town. Plus you can spend your wedding dollars supporting independent artists and designers, and feel great knowing your choices might just be enabling someone to have their dream job! One of my favorite parts of looking for new features is reading all the inspiring stories in people's profiles — from people all over the world — of how they started or why they love what they do. So much fun!

Here are a few samples of the *amazing* range of indie bridal goods out there — some from my blog and some new. They're listed how I originally intended to organize things: rock, paper, scissors.

ROCK:

bmjnyc's stackable 'beauty in imperfection' rings are intentionally slightly off, "as a reminder that precious gifts in our lives aren't always in plain sight and shouldn't be taken for granted" — yes!


For an eco-friendly option, check out this ring made from black coyol seed (from a Nicaraguan palm tree) and sterling by naturalezanica.

For the diehard DIYer, check out metalnat's killer zip tie wedding rings:
Other rock stars: robandlean have beautiful wooden rings; they and shadejewelry also do gorgeous modern tension-sets, and beyondtherockz makes this pretty diamond alternative.

That's not even touching on the vast server space being taken up by bridal sets and earrings and pearls, oh my. These sea urchin earrings from staroftheeast for a beach wedding, perhaps?


PAPER:

kissandtellcards — pocketfold invitations, with one of my favorite blues.
unlesssomeonelikeyou (above) designs brilliant poster invitations and portraits... mwilson and heatherjeany do great gocco invites. Plus there is more gorgeous letterpress than you can shake a stick at, if you're the kind to shake sticks at paper goods. They're cousins, really.

I hand-addressed my sister's wedding invitations. That was *dumb.* My recommendation: outsource! Especially to the talented pool of calligraphers on Etsy, including Laura of lhcalligraphy, above.
Ok, not *technically* paper: phunklab takes photos of the happy couple and turns them into awesome custom portraits on canvas — a sweet engagement or wedding gift.

SCISSORS:

I have the hugest Etsy crush on foundling's recycled poppies, like the corsage above. Love the idea of a red poppy in the hair, or on the sash of a white gown.

Ooh la la. Le mademoiselle by joanshum. For more amazing couture gowns, see minnak.
piperewan's garters: hot. The *only* garter I've ever seen I could imagine wearing. The one above is lined with light blue, for that whole 'something' thing. No way you'd throw this to the crowd — they can get themselves they own.

For the free spirit, there's the Jenny ivory lace chemise dress by iwillfly — can be worn so many different ways:
The sweetheart shape of missbrache's party dress is only half the beauty — it is *reversible*. Just think! A custom dress in your color that reverses to black? Bridesmaid re-wear nirvana.
It's not all for the ladies — hand-screened TieLab microfiber groomsmen neckties from toybreaker. Pick your color and design...

muchachak makes these great custom clutches in multiples for a bridal set or bridal party gift...

...And a little reminder, via buttonempire's lovely one-inch duo:

Being able to contact sellers directly and request something custom that exactly expresses who you are is priceless. You can use a direct Alchemy request to a particular seller through his/her shop or start your request for a custom item through the Alchemy tool.

A few quick tips...
For buyers — don't limit yourself to the 'wedding' categories and tags. A lot of sellers can customize things or make multiple sets if you're willing to go off the beaten path. For expertly curated goods, the Wedding Gift Guide is a great place to start. It *is* possible to register on Etsy, using MyRegistry.com or another multiple registry site; you can read the Storque's Review of such sites here. So don't count out handmade housewares, dishes, sheets — so much more personal than Williams Sonoma. (Although if anyone cares, I'd like the *red* stand mixer. The *red* one.)

For sellers, it's not enough just to tag something 'wedding' — it's a huge category. Be specific, and try to think how someone would look for just what you're crafting. (Make travel journals? How about 'honeymoon' or 'guest book'?) If you're able to make something in custom multiples or sets, say so in the listing. Also, great photos are key, but *especially* with paper goods, as is your spelling! Get someone to proofread if that's not your bag: when a potential customer sees typos in your listing for gorgeous invites, it implies carelessness and a lack of attention to detail. Bridesmaidzilla says: typos make me ANGRY. Raaawr!

Futher resources:
As many stars in the sky, as many jewelry shops on Etsy, there are an infinity of blogs and sites to help you dream up and craft your handmade wedding. If you haven't already, check out these sites:
diybride.com
idofoundation.org
offbeatbride.com
ecochicweddings.com
blog.thehandcraftedwedding.com

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