Rita & Bridget's Super Fun & Sorta Nerdy Ceremony

Bridget and Rita...just married!

When I met Rita and Bridget I adored them on the spot. They were sweet and funny, and my kinda people! Needless to say, I had fun creating their wedding ceremony. 

This winter wedding took place at Old Towne Hall in Crystal Lake, providing a warm and intimate setting for this fun and unique event. 

The brides created a whimsical and welcoming atmosphere with all of their DIY touches. From the flowers adorning the tables to the seating arrangements, Bridget and Rita put their personal touch on all of the details. 

Their ceremony was so much fun to write and included some nerdy references, lots of love, and even a unique unity ritual of their own creation. Rita and Bridget are craftsy folk, so they each created a piece of work for the other. (I'm especially impressed that they were able to keep these a secret from one another!) 

After their vows and the ring exchange, they each opened the artwork the other created for them. They then placed these pieces side by side, inside a frame, which they sealed shut together. In the piece on the right (created by Bridget) you can see their silhouettes in blues and purples, huddled over a coffee cup, commemorating their first date at a coffee shop.

While this was definitely my favorite part of the ceremony, I loved that they were willing to include some nerdy references, including Harry Potter and gaming. I mean, they did first meet at a bar game night, playing Cronikole.  

Their unique and personal touches were evident throughout the venue. For example, instead of individualized seating, guests were grouped at tables, according to their association. So, there were family tables, as well as tables for co-workers from the framing shop, and friends from gaming groups. Hence, the "Framers" and "Gamers" table. 

What's not to love with these two?!?! 

Bride selfie!

Bridget and Rita were such a joy! The rehearsal the day before was full of laughs, so I knew we were going to have a great time on the big day. Boy, was I right! The ceremony was full of laughter (even if one of the times it was because no one got our joke), and even a few tears. Most of all, it was full of so much love. 

Rita and Bridget, I wish you all the love in the world. Keep making each other laugh and keep shining your light.... and "I forget the rest." 

See You at Indie Wed - This Saturday!

Who's going to Indie Wed at the Ravenswood Event Center on Saturday? I AM!!! And if you're getting married, you should, too. 

While I won't be a vendor this year, I will be there visiting my pals and checking out all the amazing wedding goodness! Click HERE to see all the fantastic artists you'll get to see - and meet. 

Click HERE to get your tickets online.

See you there....

Rashonda & Steve's DIY Wedding at Floating World Gallery

Just realized that one of my favorite couples, Rashonda and Steve, were featured on the Styler's Studio blog! Could these two be any cuter?! 

Check out the blog for more pix of their fun, funky, DIY wedding at Floating World Gallery. Some of my favorite details? They collected vintage place settings for the reception, which was catered by food carts! And, their friends and family pitched in to decorate and help with the details. One of Rashonda's former students even took part in the ceremony. 

A wonderful wedding day for two incredible people!

Photo by Styler's Studio

DIY Flower Crown

Just saw a tutorial on Offbeat Bride with showing how to make your own flower crown for your wedding. 

The process is pretty easy and the results are so pretty! 

Check it out HERE, my crafty friends!

Beautiful "Fish and Bird" Wedding

Look at this gorgeous wedding, inspired by the Tom Waits song, "Fish and Bird." It is featured today on the Wedding Chicks blog.

When Janelle and Chris were first dating, Chris sent Janelle a note with the lyrics to the song. This became the theme for their gorgeous backyard wedding. 

There were so many amazing elements, including succulents (!!), a jellyfish backdrop, and even pie.

Not only do I love all the beautiful details of this couple's wedding, but they happen to be two people I know and absolutely adore.

Congratulations, Chris and Janelle! I wish you a lifetime of love, laughter, joy, and game nights with friends! 

Check out the full gallery of photos by Julia Franzosa Photography (one of my favorites!) HERE.

Green Wedding Tips from Sierra Club

I just came across this post on the Sierra Club website - 10 Steps to a Green Wedding and wanted to share.

The article had some great suggestions, including:

• Avoid "blood diamonds" in favor of vintage rings, or even wooden bands
• Choose a venue that require less travel 
• Serve organic wine
• Use a florist that offers local flowers and greenery

One of my favorite tips was celebrating your marriage with a shower of biodegradable confetti!

Ecofetti offers confetti that is environmentally safe - and comes in a variety of colors, as seen below.

How fun is that? 

So, as you plan your wedding, keep in mind that there are many options that will allow you to have a wonderful, unique event, and still remain environmentally responsible. 

DIY Wedding Ring Bowl

How cute is this?! Head on over to Intimate Weddings for complete instructions to make your own ring bowl! This is also a sweet little piece that can serve as a lovely keepsake.

Recycled Wedding

Getting married and need some stuff?? Wedding's over and don't know what to do with all the left-over stuff? Head on out to the Great Wedding Recyclery on April 28th! All the details will be available soon at The Green Wedding Alliance's website. 

Fun, Flower-less Bouquets

As much as I enjoy flowers, not everyone is into the idea of carrying a bouquet on their wedding day. So, I always love seeing ideas for alternatives to the traditional flower bouquet. 

I just came across this article from Equally Wed, which has some great suggestions! 

Here's my favorite...... the lollipop bouquet!

Be sure to check out all the great ideas HERE. And for you DIY folks, this should be right up your alley.

DIY Project - Ringbearer's Pillow

Hey all you folks with mad sewing skills - check out this great project from Sew 4 Home. This darling pillow has a little sparkle and shine, and a whole lot of SWEET! You can find the instructions HERE. 

Sara & Nate's Wedding at Greenhouse Loft

Yay! The Greenhouse Loft Blog featured Sarah & Nate's April wedding! 


Here they are with their fabulous cupcakes from Bleeding Heart Bakery. How can you not love this couple??


I had so much fun working with them on their ceremony, which included a tree planting ritual and readings from Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss. This is one awesome couple! 


The picture above is from the Greenhouse Loft post - see more photo goodness HERE.

Gia & Keenan's Steampunk-Inspired Wedding

I am fascinated by th steampunk movement and so excited that it has made its way into weddings. So, you can imagine my giddiness at having had the honor of officiating a ceremony for a steampunk-themed wedding this past February. Not only did they plan a cool wedding, Gia and Keenan were great to work with. They were so laid-back and made the process easy - and really fun!

The wedding took place at Tazza Italian Ristorante in Homer Glen. Gia's cousin, Rose, who happens to own the restaurant, went all-out with the decor. Each of the tables were adorned with a clock- and gear-embellished centerpiece. 


And the piece de resistance? The unbelievable fabulous robot cake topper - made by Gia's cousin. She surprised them with the cake topped just before the ceremony (see pix below).

Robot cake topper - the clock even has the start time of the ceremony!

Surprise! Gia & Keenan see the cake topper for the first time

Each table had a different centerpiece

Place cards for guests

Gia was the calmest bride ever - here she is doing her friend's hair before the ceremony

Love the details on the card box!

Keenan's very cool hat

Another view of the robot couple

After the ceremony - all smiles!

Many of the guests got into the steampunk theme

Decor for the bride & groom's table - love the vintage bicycle clock!

Congratulations, Keenan & Gia! It was such a joy to be a part of your incredible wedding! I wish you all the best!

Contest for 2012 Brides - sponsored by Michaels

I just came across this contest and wanted to share the information with you. 


Michaels is sponsoring the "Customize Your Wedding" 2012 Bride Contest!

The Grand Prize winner will receive: 

• Michaels™ Custom Invites products and services - up to a $2000 value
• Round trip-airfare To Dallas for for two, plus three days, two nights meals and lodging
• $500 Michaels gift card to spend on custom framing 
• $500 Michaels gift card to spend on floral products and services
• One 12" by 12" 20 page hardcover wedding scrapbook (up to a $50 value).
• Photographs and/or video clips of the Grand Prize Winner's wedding will be featured on the MiDesign@Michaels™ Custom Invites website.

Click HERE for all the details, including rules and more info on prizes. 

The deadline to enter is March 31st. Click HERE to enter.

Tie the Knot with a Handfasting Cord!

Another of the rituals I will be demonstrating at my Indie Wed workshop will be handfasting.


I finished these sample cords this morning. Yay! 


In addition to the workshop, I'll also have a cord at my table if anyone wants to see how it's done. Stop by and I'll help you tie the knot! 


See ya soon.

Indie Wed Ticket Giveaway!

Indie Wed is coming up very soon...... and I want to see you there.


So I'm giving away a pair of free tickets!


Here's the scoop:


Indie Wed is on Saturday, January 28th, from 10am to 4pm at the Ravenswood Event Center in Chicago (entrance is at 4043 N. Ravenswood Ave.)

Indie Wed will feature:

*two floors with 100+ vendors (like me- AnitaWeds!)

*food & beer tastings - Yum!

*musical & dance performances

*wandering models featuring spectacular bridal fashions

*swag bags for the first 50 people in line (for which I am making a very cute goodie bag, if I do say so myself)

*free workshops & lectures, including a workshop on personalizing your ceremony, called, "The Perfect 'I Do' for You" - presented by yours truly.

*and much more!

 Tickets are $20 per person at the door - but I have a pair to GIVE AWAY!

Interested? Here's how to enter the giveaway:

Leave a comment here at the AnitaWeds blog by this Friday, January 20th at 11:59 p.m. 

Include the following:

your first name & wedding date

why you're interested in attending IndieWed  

The randomly selected winner will be announced here on Saturday, January 21st. 


Good luck!

Robot Love

Earlier today I was looking at robot wedding cake toppers. Why? Because I like cake toppers. And I love robots.


So, in my internet wanderings, I came across this tutorial for making your very own robot wedding cake topper. Ya gotta love Instructables!


While it did take about a week to put together this particular pair of love-bots (each tiny part had to be individually painted), it only cost about $20 to make. 


It's a great way to save money - and make your wedding a little more YOU.  

Fall Wedding Ideas

My close, personal friend Martha has some great ideas for fall weddings. Everything from marzipan acorn garnishes to autumn boutonnieres.

But my favorite has to be a basket of leaves for the flower girl. Simple, yet so perfect.

Instead of dropping rose petals, your little cutie can toss colorful fall leaves on her way down the aisle. Not only is it completely adorable (and environmentally friendly!), the lucky bride will get to walk down a path of leaves.

And..... if you collect your own leaves - it's completely free. Better yet, let the flower girl do it for you.

Love it!

DIY Pumpkins!

Now that the weather has cooled down a bit (for now, anyways), my mind has been wandering to thoughts of fall....

Halloween costumes. Baking bread. Picking apples. Carving pumpkins. Making applesauce. Oooh, I can't wait for all that fun stuff!

In the meantime, I offer you this sweet, simple project for making your own little fabric pumpkins.

These darlings would be the perfect table decorations for a fall wedding! They can also double as wedding favors.

The pumpkins are super easy to make - you just have to be able to cut a circle (or an approximation of one), sew a few stitches (they don't have to be even), and glue on a stem. Easy!! Click here to see the step-by-step directions on Craftster.

Have fun! Just don't get made at me when you can't stop making them!

Place Card Ideas

I have officially decided to drop the facade and admit that, deep down inside, I love Martha Stewart. There. I said it.

And now that I have that off my chest, I can share this bit of loveliness with you:
Fabulous place card ideas!! Featured on Martha Stewart Weddings. these suggestions are unique, crafty, and practical. I love it!

And..... most of these ideas are project you can do yourself. It's a great way to add a personal touch - and helps spare the wedding budget!

I especially like the cheese and cracker starter - it's an appetizer and a place card!

It's also possible that I like it because I love cheese almost as much as I love cupcakes.

My other favorite is the fabric flowers, which double as boutonnieres for the guests. You can even have your tables color-coordinated!

You Shoulda Put a Ring On It...

Candy ring, that is. Check out these incredible candy rings featured on Martha Stewart Weddings!

And there's even a how-to. For you crafty folks out there, it looks like these might not be too tricky to make. (For you, that is. For me it would likely be a crazy, sticky mess.)

How fun would it be to have these as party favors at a shower or bachelorette party?

And if you have extras...... I WANT ONE!! Please. And thank you.