The first girl I asked was Kristen.  We met during college when we spent the summer doing missionary work.  That summer everyone that worked together created a bond that will last a lifetime! Kristen and I immediately became close and have remained best friends.

The second girl I asked was Jennifer. Our mom’s met while they were pregnant with us. I like to say my best friend’s mom is my mom’s best friend. We grew up together. I think our bond is special because we’ve been through SO MUCH. I mean, how many people in your life have been with you through the trials of teething and potty training, all the way up to wedding planning?

The last girl I’m having as a bridesmaid is Kinsey, J’s daughter. She’s an amazing young woman and I’m thrilled to become part of her family. She’s drop dead gorgeous and as sweet as can be.

I knew I couldn’t just make impersonal phone calls to ask these girls to be in my wedding. It seems like such a significant question! So, I googled “will you be my bridesmaid” cards and couldn’t find anything that really knocked my socks off! I decided to head to Michael’s and concoct my own!

I found a picture online of a drawing of a dress, I don’t remember where I found it, but I loved it! I knew I’d have to incorporate it! I also used a $1 ice blue ribbon and a couple sheets of paper from the scrap booking aisle. And some monogram stickers. I wrote a poem to each girl which I attached to the back, I ended them each with the phrase…

“On my wedding day,
I will need you more than ever.
Please say you’ll be my Bridesmaid
…. and my friend forever”

This is the final product. They must have liked them because they all said yes! ? Did you ask your bridesmaids to be in your wedding in any special way??

I found 150 slightly used wedding bubbles for $1! Yay! I haven’t really decided if we’ll be one of those “bubbly” couples… but for a dollar it was worth having the option!

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I also found a pair of wedding shoes at the same yard sale.  They were worn once by a MoB.  They’re Kenneth Cole, with rhinestone straps.  $60 originally.  And, delightfully, they only have a slight kitten heel.  I LOVE high high high heels. But I hate being taller than my man.  And can’t imagine towering over him on our wedding day.  They are a just a tad tight across my toes.  But I figured they’d either stretch out, or I’d give them to MY MoB, who has more dainty feet than I!  Due to J’s expert haggling I got them for $7!  Much more logical than the $900 Christian Louboutin bridal shoes that I’ve been lusting over!  I mean, who even sees your feet!?!?

Here are some of my favorites – prices range from $425 to $950 or so (two of there are under $500!)

I’ve searched high and low to find black and white damask linens. (Yes, I recognize that my priorities might be slightly scewed, as we have no date nor venue… but I digress.) Other damask brides have gone to great measures and great expense to get their ideal table linens. They fret over the exact right pattern of damask. Whether it is white on black or black on white. They have their pattern SILK SCREENED onto fabric. They enlist MIL’s to sew countless runners. And have them re-sew them if they are slightly off center. They spend $20 per runner. Or buy $15 yard fabric from some fabric wholesaler in China.

I have to say, after reading their stories, I was ready to throw in the towel and go with some other color scheme.

That’s where my beloved Craigslist comes in. I have no idea why I was searching under the “Household” tab, probably searching for SOMETHING wedding related! And I came across a post for a black and white damask bedding set. This woman was selling her King sized comforter, pillows and curtains. Thankfully she sold me her curtains seperatly… as much as I love damask I’m not so sure I want to sleep on it… For $30 I got four LOVELY panels of curtains. They are BEAUTIFUL! I am going to cut each panel into three runners (or have my wonderful, beautiful, talented mother do it!). 12 runners for $30! Not too shabby! Maybe I should rent them out to those ladies that are on their way to the silk screeners…

J and I are both television producers at the same television network. In fact our offices are right across the hall from each other… which I think is cool… But our co-workers probably get sick of me yelling out “J come here I have to show you these custom monograms/bridesmaid’s bouquets/centerpiece mock-ups”… who am I kidding, I’m sure he gets sick of it too, but the wonderful fiancé he is, he rarely acts disinterested!

At the very beginning of our relationship J and I were in St. Louis, my home town, for an even our television network was putting on.  Since the event was in my hometown I went as an attendee, he went to work.  I drove 10 hours to get there.  He flew non-stop 1 hour to get there.  The girl I drove with ended up getting ill and flying back, so I was stuck by myself to drive 10 hours without any company.  J offered to give up his quick and easy flight to join me on the loooong drive…  in a compact car!  His sacrifice spoke volumes to me.  That’s the official moment when I knew he was the “one”!

I had the same aha moment when J and I were shopping for rings.  I put one on that I thought was way out of the budget but “knew” it was the “one”.  I felt like Cinderella when I tried it on.  And felt like the luckiest girl alive when he popped the question with it!  I still catch myself staring at it!  And I still feel like the luckiest girl alive!

Not long after J proposed I found myself in a Michael’s (let’s be honest girls, isn’t that where most newly engaged diy budget brides find themselves!? Haha).  And came across this LOVELY black and white damask invitation set, by Brides.  I “knew” they were our invitations.  Despite the fact that I hadn’t done ANY invitation research yet, I called my mom and she bought every box in the St. Louis area, with a 50% off coupon.  Cheapo!  Can’t wait to find some great ways to make them a little more custom.  Maybe a belly band?  Or a great monogram?  Who knows, I just loved them and knew they would set the tone for our dreamy delightful diy damask wedding! 

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Okay 1 guess lol.  Actually, jewelry is one way that brides add often choose to a touch of blue to their wedding ensemble especially if it happens to work with your wedding colors. Of course, there are different shades of blue from soft tiffany blues to dark blue sapphires.  So for today – here are some gorgeous blue necklaces – click on the images to find them online.

Shown Here:  Blue Pearls from AmericanBridal.com ($28), Katie Holmes Inspired Synthetic Sapphire Necklace from Emitations.com ($55), Blue Topaz Rhodium Plated Flower Design Necklace from JewelBasket.com ($79), Colored Pearl & Crystal Jewelry from the Online Bridal Store ($36), Sapphire Chandelier Necklace from Portia Jewelry ($24)

My first step was to brain storm… what do we want our wedding to look like? Feel like? What do we want our guests to remember? What are our top priorities?

We decided that we want our wedding to be elegant, classic, and FUN! We want the food to taste good, but we’d rather spend a chunk of change on a band that can get a party started! We (I) want a show stopping dress, but not one that I’ll be paying for until I’m old and gray! Our first goal was to prioritize….

My second goal was to figure out what I liked in other girl’s weddings!

I’ve always been drawn to black and white damask (and black and white toile, but my bathroom is decorated in that… and I didn’t want my wedding to remind me of my bathroom! Haha!) So I typed “damask” into good ole` www.weddingbee.com and came up with so many beautiful options that I decided that was a GO!

So I am officially, ANOTHER damask bride! I certainly hope it’s not too “2009” to fit in to my desire for a “classic” wedding. But I guess most bride’s have to answer to their children someday “Yes, honey, I had damask table cloths, I know they are SO out of style right now . . . but at least my bridesmaids didn’t wear HATS like at your grandma’s wedding!”

Borrowing jewelry is another great way to save – and celebrities have been doing it for ages! Do you really think they actually BUY those multi-million dollar accessories they wear once down the red carpet?   The great thing is that there are now a number of services that offer jewelry rentals. Some that you may have heard of include Bag, Borrow & Steal and Adorn Brides were you can find designer fine jewelry at a fraction of the cost to rent for your wedding day.

Another service I discovered recently is BorrowedBling. BorrowedBling works a little differently. Members pay a monthly fee starting at $29.95 per month and can then borrow as many pieces from the collection as they wish at no extra cost!   This is a great way to keep yourself decked out in fantastic styles for all of your pre and post wedding events and of course the wedding itself! Here are a few pieces available from BorrowedBling.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I had a TOTAL Cinderella moment when I found my ring.  I was THRILLED when J presented it to me when he proposed, and still laugh that he said “I hope you’re not disappointed” right before he opened the ring box, in one last miserable attempt to throw me off!

Last May I went to a brilliant bridal show thrown here in Birmingham, Al, called Style in the Sky. Anne Barge (more on my Anne Barge obsession soon!) was there complete with fashion show and seminar and Sylvia Weinstock, and David Tutera were there too.  I was in total and complete bridal bliss!

At this bridal show I entered oodles of drawings.  One of them was for a $1000 gift certificate to Diamond’s Direct, the jewelry store where J bought my e-ring.  Right before they announced the winner I thought to myself “I’m gonna win this”, and lo and behold they called my name!  I couldn’t believe it!  Ah, the power of positive thinking!

I texted J right away and told him the good news.  I was shaking!  Barely able to push the buttons on my phone. Minutes later I got a text back from J that said “Sure you did, Sweetie”.  J, ever the jokester, thought I was playing a joke on him. *Sigh* It wasn’t until he held the gift certificate in his hands that he believed me!!

This Christmas Diamond’s Direct is having a special 20% off Holiday Extravaganza, everything in the store is 20% off, even my wedding band! For a couple of budget snobs like J and I the thought of using my $1000 gift certificate at the 20% off sale to get my wedding band practically makes us salivate.  *I sure hope they accept the gift certificate during the sale! Say a prayer they do!