Category Archives: Jewelry

The WHY of DIY Wedding Projects

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Photo courtesy of www.InviteByDesign.net

If someone were to ask you, “Why are you planning to DIY a wedding project?” what would your answer be? To create completely personalized items for the big day? That’s actually the #3 most popular reason, according to our recent trend talk survey. I would have placed it at #2, right after ‘To Save Money,’ which — no surprise here — is the #1 response, getting 88.8% of the vote. You’d think that one-of-a-kind, personalized projects would be the only other option, but the #2 spot goes to “To include something very sentimental, personally-made by someone special.”

Brides today hold sentimentality and meaning close to their hearts. Who makes the project, and the love put into it, adds a tremendous amount of meaning to this hand-made wedding element…both on the wedding day and forever after when the item lives on in their keepsake collection, and is captured for eternity in the wedding photos and video. Grandma’s hand-made veil with the lace edging is priceless. Mom’s watercolor design for the wedding programs is not only breathtaking, but monumentally sentimental now and in the future.

And let’s not forget the groom…the projects he works on are ultra-special, because he’s giving you a gift by making something for your wedding day. Grooms want to be involved, in a much more hands-on way than picking designs off of a website…so they’re designing wedding invitations and programs, making their ceremony trellis or chuppah (and brides are right there constructing as well!) and even graphic-designing their monogram logos for the pattern-projecting gobo lights at the reception.

Every project he works on gives him a sense of pride and ownership, and here’s a smart tip: whatever your groom is working on, whatever you’re working on together, take tons of photos and video of your shared DIY project as a phenomenal keepsake. Grab up some leftover paint color samples and printouts of his designs to stow in your keepsake box as well.

Another top result in our Trend Talk survey, at 29.3% of the votes, is “It would give the mothers something enjoyable to do.” Moms want to contribute to the wedding plans. They imagined your wedding day since you were a baby, and since current trends have Moms pushed out of the planning since the grooms are full planning partners (unlike decades ago when it was the mom leading the planning, with the bride along for the ride,) it rescues her joy when you ask her to DIY a project or two.

Moms are working on decor items, accessories for the bride (such as making jewelry or wraps,) making edibles, and so many other projects, and it’s becoming a trend for the moms of the bride and groom to work together on a project as a fun way for them to bond. (They have to be the types to cooperate, though, since you don’t want power clashes!) And it’s also becoming a big trend for Moms to DIY items for the celebrations they’ll be hosting — such as engagement parties and rehearsal dinners – to save money, add their personal touch, and yes, Moms say they want to show off their skills at their own soirees. You want this time to be fabulous and fun for her as well, so you might find yourself at her kitchen table, gluing tiny Swarovski’s on her hand-made invitations to the morning-after breakfast, sharing quality time together.

We’d love to hear why you’re planning DIY elements, if your groom or moms are making anything, and what these hand-made-with-love elements will add to your wedding celebrations.

Would you buy a used item for your wedding?

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Photo courtesy of KellyMJewels.com

When I first thought about this question, visions of browsing through consignment shops popped into my head. There, I could find all the coats and jeans and  handbags I could ever want, but I never thought of the housewares section. That’s where the real gems are, as far as wedding decor items are concerned.

Our recent survey shows that 90.5% of brides and grooms would buy something for their wedding that’s secondhand. Most said they’d wear secondhand jewelry, and I can attest that the consignment shop has a tremendous amount of pretty bracelets and necklaces for under $20 apiece. Veils, too, can be found in consignment shops, and they’re also bought from friends who were recent brides. It’s a great way for Bride #1 to recoup some of her bridal expenses, and Bride #2 gets a budget-friendly ‘Something New-To-Her’ that no one in their circle of friends and other wedding guests would remember on Bride #1.

But let’s get back to the other realm: decor. In the survey, most of the write-in answers centered on decor as the respondents’ choice of their ideal second-hand buy. If the item is in good condition, it’s a Yes. We’re talking platters, domed plates, teacups and teapots, and many of the wedding coordinators I talked to for this story say they hit the flea markets and the consignment shops, Goodwill and the Salvation Army to find chargers and sets of china, plates, vases and other items that celebrity wedding coordinators use in their magazine showcases…but those items cost 99 cents apiece.

Since most brides and grooms are on a budget, they’re losing the ick reaction about using secondhand items and considering it smart to go on a hunting expedition, or cue their coordinators to go on their behalf, to round up pretty decor items that can shine as-is, perhaps in vintage or rustic style…or that can be dressed up with a coat of shimmery paint or embossed glass effects, then grouped to dazzling effect.

Of the survey-takers who would buy used items, 98.5% said they’d do it to save money, and another sector — 35.8% said that using second-hand items works within their values of eco-conscious planning. These used items are being repurposed, recycled. They’re getting new life at the wedding. And then there’s the circle of wedding couples who love the idea of showing off unique, one-of-a-kind, or discontinued items that none of their friends are going to have at their wedding. A tremendous amount of brides would likely say they fit into all three categories.

And then, when their wedding is done, perhaps they’ll sell their weddingwares to the next lucky bride and groom who also want to save money, be unique and creative, and repurpose items. That domed platter gets to go to two weddings.

Which kinds of items would you buy used for your wedding? A veil and headpiece? A wedding dress? Jewelry? Or are you among those who would stick to decor items? Share with us your secondhand wishlist…