Hypoallergenic Flowers

Via Molly: paper flowers! Paper Source has a ton of kits but they aren't very user friendly. Molly sent me the following 2-D alternative:

(By David Stark)

This brilliant idea spawned a search with the following results:

(very doable paper flower tutorial from dozi)

(tissue paper flowers and the Martha Stewart pom poms)

(not martha's MS pom pom as centerpiece, lit from inside with little LED lights)

(more tissue paper flowers from not martha)

Apparently the Martha Stewart pom poms can be mostly assembled and stored flat and just fluffed up when needed, so this is almost a definite project that will be happening. [edit] Another tutorial on these same MS pom poms from Nothing But Bonfires.

I also found these excellent alternative bouquets:

(vintage button and felt bouquet from Princess Lasertron)

(she sells kits in her etsy shop)

(another button bouquet from Lil Fish Studios)

Printable invitations

I haven't done any research on the cost of getting invitations printed, though I'm sure the upper limits = ridiculous. I'm very taken with the idea of printable designs, though, like those of Printable Press or pretty pretty paper.

("Mod Candy - World on a String")

("Mod Candy - Party Lights")

(pretty pretty paper - trees and typewriters)

Dan's got a typewriter, might be cool to use that somewhere

Planning consultations by phone

I know I've got Mama G to rely on, but I imagine that this could be a pretty useful service (emphasis mine).

Some of my particular perspective on weddings comes from having spent a chunk of my early professional life planning very large events. It's why I'm over gift bags, for example. Tons of work, tons of stuff, and 90% gets thrown out. Ugh. But, because I planned events for a living, I think that part of the stress around weddings is that event throwing is an actual skill, and when your asked to do it with no staff and no experience, it's a little effing stressful.

Well, into this void walks Silver Charm Events new Charmed Circle. Liz, the planner behind it all, is offering consultation phone calls (*affordable* consultation phone calls) to help you hammer out details, and answer your questions... like, where can I get an affordable venue in LA? And, I'm buying my own wine, about how many bottles should I buy? And, and, and. All the little things you want to ask someone but don't know who to ask? Liz! Consultations start at $25, and with a price like that, how can you go wrong?

On the other hand, I did find three NJ and one CT bridal magazines at a Hudson News in Penn Station. I guess us Jerseyans just need extra handholding.

Spirograph wedding

The first post of the new column at DesignSponge, "Beyond the Big Day." Cute and quirky, to be inspired by the spirograph, and I like seeing how the theme is translated for the different parts, though the photos feel just a little bit too obviously styled to me.

(So simple and clean-looking! We'd definitely be able to manage flowers at this level.)

(I really like typography as graphic design, I think.)

Wedding Pie

Of all the unconventional things we'll be doing, I wonder how high this'll be on people's list of things they're secretly appalled by. Although, most friends that we've told about this particular idea have at the very least been amused, so at least there's that.

I first saw this on The Seasonal Cook but I think Dan independently suggested it as well because he loves pie (what a wholesome All-American boy kind of thing, right?) and to save costs on crazy expensive wedding cake that doesn't taste that great anyway. We're thinking more of a pie tower, with just a small, one-level cake at the top to hold a pair of toppers and for the few people who do actually like wedding cake.

I would love for nearby friends and family to contribute homemade pies, or we can probably get a bunch from Costco or something like that pretty cheaply. Maybe I should create the label 'pleas for help' to help people help me.

[edit] Mama G had the following excellent idea: "little place cards with the type of pie and who baked it (Apple Pie – Old family recipe – baked with love by Grandma Mary)…recipe cards to add to your collection"

Dream Vendor: Saipua

Saipua is based in Brooklyn so they're nearby, but probably not feasible because what with Dan's allergies and all, flowers probably aren't going to rank too high on our list of things to plunk down money for.

If I were rich and marrying someone without pollen allergies (or marrying someone who is both rich and pollen allergy-free) I'd book Saipua in a heartbeat, though. Sarah's arrangements are always so...organic looking. Normally I think using 'organic' as a descriptor is pretty meaningless but I can't think of another word.

Maybe they'd be willing to do just a bouquet and I'll have the photographer and/or Amy takes tons of pictures of it. I don't know about the whole bouquet thing overall, right now it gives me a vague sense of touching on the whole purity thing again.

I also hope she starts up the 'weeder's digest' column in DesignSponge. Her post on DIY wedding flowers here, summed up as 1, keep it simple, and 2, choose one flower.

Flower laboratory

Via DesignSponge. I had that post bookmarked as general floral display inspiration, but they'd make cool centerpieces too. Of course, we've got the problem that nature's constantly trying to kill Dan, so...