You picked your perfect Maid of Honor (MOH)… or so you thought! But now, your best friend isn’t doing the pre-wedding duties that you thought she would. She’s not picking up your calls, and she’s too busy to help with your DIY invitations. Maybe you haven’t heard a peep about the bridal shower that she was going to plan, or she dropped the ball on some other duty that the two of you discussed. What should you do? Here’s a game plan that you can follow that will help you keep your wedding plans on track, while keeping your relationship in tact, too!

Communicate — Even if it’s Uncomfortable

When your older sister, the woman you chose to be your MOH, blows off dress shopping for the second time that month because something with work came up, it might be tempting to just say, “no problem” and let her off the hook. Don’t! Instead, be open about how her actions make you feel.

Communicating feelings is challenging — especially if you really wish everything was just going smoothly. Don’t ignore your feelings. If you feel like your MOH is shirking her duties, blowing you off, or prioritizing everything else in her life before your wedding, you have to speak up. Explain your perception of things, and see what she says.

She might be overwhelmed with work or relationship problems of her own, and therefore unable to be there for you like you need her to be. If that’s the case, it’s best to know sooner rather than later! See what you can do to make her duties more manageable until her personal stressors are done with. If she’s blowing off dress shopping because of a big work assignment, get clear on the fact that she’ll be dedicated to her role again once the project is done. In the meantime, invite another bridesmaid along when you try on gowns.

Check Yourself

Be honest about your behaviors. Have you been overwhelming your best friend with late-night texts about how much you’re freaking out about your big day? Have you been snapping at her, due to your own stress? Have you been assuming she has the cash for certain financial obligations, without asking her? Look closely at your own behaviors. If you find some that have been, ah hem, less than perfect — change them. It’s never too late to change, forgive, and forget!

Relieve Some Pressure

Being a MOH is a major time, money, and energy commitment. If you sense that your MOH is no longer showing enthusiasm about her duties — or neglecting them outright — it might be because she has too much on her plate. The initial excitement of being asked to be your MOH might have fueled her to say ‘yes’ to things that she’s not comfortable doing, like planning a bridal shower for twenty women, some of whom she barely knows. Help her delegate some of the duties that feel heaviest to other friends and family. Say something like, “I’ve noticed you haven’t sent out invitations to the bridal shower yet… my friend Dee from work loves party planning, so I’ll ask her to take care of it.” Watch your MOH’s face light up with relief!

Offer Alternatives

If none of the above steps work, you might have to offer your MOH an out. You’ve tried communicating, modifying your own behaviors, and taking some duties off of her plate, and she’s still not coming through for you. Maybe she’s really not up for the job. Tactfully give her an opportunity to bow out and be a bridesmaid instead of your MOH, and assure her that your relationship won’t change because of it.

Now that you have some strategies to use, do you feel better about your own MOH situation? Leave a comment, below.

Feathers can be a staple of your boho chic wedding decor. Pop a few in a glass jar for a quick and easy DIY table centerpiece, hang them from dream catchers, or place one on top of each cloth napkin to perfect each place setting. To make feathers even more beautiful, add a bit of gold paint and shimmering glitter to the tip. Here’s how!

Step One: Gather Supplies and Set Up Your Space

Gather together your feathers, glitter, paint, a paint brush, and painter’s tape (masking tape will also work). Then, cover a work area with newspaper, to protect the surface from getting messy. Lay out your feathers, and apply the tape at the spot where you want the glitter and paint to stop, and the natural feather to begin. One third of the way down the feather looks nice. Apply the tape in a straight line across the feather, or even at a diagonal.

Step Two: Paint and Glitter

Once the tape is on, you will brush paint onto the feather in  several thick coats. While the paint is still wet, shake on some glitter. Let this dry, flip the feather, and complete the other side.

Enjoy your pretty feathers! How do you plan on using them? Share your ideas in the comments section below!

Unless you’re having an unplugged wedding, you’re going to want to have a wedding hashtag. Why? Here are some reasons to consider.

• Stay Organized: If you come up with a unique wedding hashtag early on in the wedding planning process, it can help you  organize all of the fun wedding party photos and snippets of news that are shared about your big day. This is useful for both you and your guests.
• Build Excitement: A wedding hashtag can help you get guests excited about the upcoming celebration.
• Make Guests Feel Included: When guests use the hashtag, they feel like part of the fun. When guests feel included, everyone benefits!
• Capture Candid Photos: You’ll get to see some candid shots that would have otherwise flown under the radar. Chances are, you would miss the post that your partner’s old college roommate made, which included a hilarious shot of your partner busting out a dance move. But if the post is marked with your hashtag, you can easily find it with a quick search!
• Share with Absent Guests: Guests who can’t make it can join in — at least in the online world! All they have to do is share a message or photo, and include the hashtag. They can also search for the unique phrase you’ve decided on, and get to see all that has been shared about the engagement, wedding, and reception.

So… are you convinced? Are you going to have a wedding hashtag? Leave a comment below!

The bohemian look is all about being true to yourself rather than following convention. It blossomed in the sixties and seventies, along with the hippy movement, because the free-spirited boho way of life aligned with the peace and love centered hippy values. When you’re choosing your gorgeous boho gown, remember that you don’t have to stick to convention or traditions. Just be you! Follow your inspiration, and dress in a way that makes you feel beautiful, free, and authentic. Here are some style ideas to get you started.

Flowing Fabric:

Go with a gown made of delicate vintage lace, organic cotton,  gossamer mesh, or another textile that moves along with you as you gracefully dance through your day. Nothing stiff, binding, or constricting, please!

Show Some Skin:

If you’re going to get married somewhere warm, think about ways that you can tastefully show a bit of skin. Consider an off-the-shoulders gown or strapless gown, or a two-piece look that combines a cropped top with a long, sweeping skirt. Another option is an open back with accent jewelry that hangs down your back instead of your front. Remember — you can stray from conventions and march to the beat of your own drum!

Bell Sleeves:

Boho gowns that have full-length sleeves that open up at the wrists creates an angelic, or fairy-like look. Both airy and romantic, this wedding gown sleeve style can work for a warm or cold weather wedding.

What does your dream dress look like? Describe it in the comments section, below!

Are you an introvert, planning for your big day? Here are some ideas that will help you keep the wedding planning, and the actual day of your wedding, pleasant instead of a nightmare. It’s your day, and you should enjoy it! Instead of dreading the small talk, speeches, or being the center of attention, use these ideas so that you can look forward to saying ‘yes’ to your soul mate!

1. Have a small bridal party — two to four maids of honor only.
2. Plan for some alone time on the day of your wedding — even if it’s just an hour or two, it will help!
3. Have an intimate ceremony and reception, with close friends and family only (or, elope!)
4. Instead of a reception with loud music and dancing, plan something on the quieter side.
5. Looking for a wedding venue? How about a museum or a library? These may appeal to your quiet side.
6. Delegate communication tasks to extrovert helpers; perhaps your mom can handle sending the invitations, or your talkative cousin can be in charge of greeting out of town relatives.
7. Just say “no” to speeches. Being nervous about giving a speech might ruin your experience of the day!

Are you an introvert bride? Which one of these seven ideas do you like the best? Let us know, below!

Wedding favors — should you have them, or not? The wedding favor is a little memento to give to your guests, to help them remember your day. Often times, the favor is something practical that the guest can use — like a bottle opener, a baking whisk, a little house plant, seeds for the garden, a fridge magnet… you get the idea! Or, it could be edible. Usually (but not always!), it’s customized in some way to make it unique to your wedding. These little items take some thought and planning. If you’re already overwhelmed with details to plan out, here’s some good news for you: you can skip the wedding favors! They are completely optional.

Reasons Not to have Wedding Favors

Not sure if you want to have wedding favors or not?  If you’re on the fence, here are some reasons to say “no”, and skip this extra touch.

• You’re going for a minimalist vibe
• You’re having a DIY wedding and you have too many craft projects on your plate already.
• Your wedding is just weeks away, and you have a million more important things to do, like book a DJ and a photographer.
• You have a tight budget, and if you buy wedding favors you’re going to have to skimp on something else.

Did this help you make up your mind? Leave a comment and let us know: Are you going to say “yes” or “no” to wedding favors?

Wedding favors serve three purposes: they show gratitude to your guests, they help the memory of your wedding day live on, and they serve as decor. You’ll want favors that fit in with the theme of your celebration. Going for a boho chic look? Here are three wedding favor ideas that would work for you!

1. Wildflower Seeds

“Let Love Grow Wild” for seasons to come by handing out some wildflower seeds that your guests can take home and plant.

2. Sweet Jam

“Spread the Love” by giving guests natural, berry-filled jams to take home with them. Use pretty glass jars, artistic labels, and maybe even a bit of vintage lace around the top, tied up with twine!

3. Decorative Soaps

Beautiful handmade soaps make a fitting favor for a sweet, free-spirited celebration. Who wouldn’t love to get an organic, herb-infused, decorative soap? Favors should be practical — you don’t want to give something that will just end up cluttering your guests’s houses. A soap is nice because it can be used and enjoyed, but ultimately it dissolves. In this way, giving a bar of soap is similar to giving an edible gift; you know it won’t last forever, but it’s a nice memento while it lasts.

Did one of these three ideas tickle your fancy? Let us know which one! Drop a comment, below.

We know you’re excited to share your gorgeous wedding photos with friends and family. Now, how are you going to do it? There are so many options out there! From an ultra-modern digital wedding photo frame that will display all of your favorite shots on one little device, to an old-fashioned, cloth-bound book with black and white photos and handwritten memories… Here’s a collection of ideas designed to inspire you so that you can find the perfect way to show off your photos.

1. Use an Online Service

If you hire a wedding photographer, arrange to purchase the digital files of your photos. Next, choose an online site that will take those files and (miraculously) turn them into a gorgeous, bound album. There are many sites to choose from, including pikperfect, artifact uprising, milk photos, shutterfly (bet you’ve heard of that one!), and mix book. If you’re not sure which site to choose, make a short list of what you are looking for before you start browsing. Include your price range (albums can range from tens to hundreds of dollars!), whether you want hard or soft cover, and the size you’re looking for. Then start shopping around.

2. Create a Social Media Album

Maybe you’re looking for a way to show off your photos to everyone — not just those who will pick up a physical album. You want your long-lost elementary school friends, your work buddies, and your parent’s friends to see the shots that you’re so proud of. If that’s the case, share an album on social media.

3. Make a Slideshow

Another option for your digital pictures is to create a slideshow. Slideshows are fun because you get to add music to the background, and create a movie-like experience, similar to if you hired a video company, as each image flashes before the viewer’s eyes.

4. Order a Professionally Designed Coffee Table Book

Take your album to the next level by making it look like a coffee table book. The large size, high quality paper, and gorgeous page lay-outs will make this book really stand out. Leave it out on the coffee table so that when you entertain, your guests will have a chance to flip through and appreciate your special day.

5. Upload to a Photo Sharing Site

Photo sharing websites are so convenient! Have you heard of this? These are websites that allow you to upload your files and share them with friends and family. An example is flickr, and there are many more. Just search for ‘photo sharing websites’ and you’ll see them pop up! Instead of wasting time uploading high resolution photos into email or sending photos tediously through messages on your phone, you can create one album in the cloud, and then share it with your loved ones.

6. DIY Spiral-bound Book

Are you looking forward to being ‘hands on’ with your album? Break out the scissors and glue, and create a lovely spiral bound album filled with your favorite pictures. Choose a them for your book (perhaps stick with the theme of your wedding!) and stick to it as you design the overall look an each page. Start with a spiral-bound sketchbook with heavy paper for your foundation, and build up from there.

7. “Exploding Box” Album

If you’re super crafty, you can make an album that opens up from the center. This is not a DIY project for the faint of heart! Expect to spend hours measuring, cutting, and arranging each piece of the puzzle. The end result is well worth it, because you’ll have a unique album that’s fun and exciting to open up every time.

8. Narrate Your Story With Text

Yes, a picture says a thousand words… but you might also want to include some actual words in your album. Whether that means typing up a narration of your day and including it in your DIY creation, or typing text into your digital layouts — that’s up to you. The idea is to weave your story in with your pictures. You might even start with the day you met the love of your life, or the day you were engaged. What were you wearing, eating, feeling, or seeing? What funny or sentimental memories do you want to capture. Write them down and include them in your album.

9. Digital Wedding Photo Frame

We’re all familiar with photo frames that display one image. What if one frame could display dozens of images? That’s what a digital photo frame can do. Talk about saving space! This is perfect for those of us with a minimalist mindset.

10. DIY Scrapbook Style

Even if you’ve never tried scrap booking, you’ll likely have fun with this type of album. You don’t have to be passionate about paper crafts, we promise! All you need is a little time, a few fun decorative materials, and an album to fill with printed photos. Be selective about which images you include.

11. Crowdsource It!

Remember the days when it was popular to put disposable cameras out  at each table, at wedding receptions? These days, guests carry phones, so digital photos aren’t necessary for capturing those candid shots. But how is a bride supposed to wrangle all those hilarious candid shots? One way is to crowdsource the effort. Have guests snap away, and then share on social media along with a specific hashtag.

12. Make a Memory Box

A memory box is a just what it sounds like — a box of some of your most precious memories! Some professional wedding photographers will offer this option, so check with yours to see if it’s possible. You could also make your own memory box. Get creative!

13. Rustic Wooden Photo Box

If you had a rustic wedding, a wooden photo box could be a nice fit for you. Break out the box when you want to relive your day with those close to you — or even if you’re alone and in the mood for reminiscing!

14. Unbound Photo Album

You can order an unbound album online or from your photographer, or make one yourself. With this format, instead of flipping pages of an album, you will be able to hold each photo individually. This is great if you happen to want to share pictures with a big group. Instead of a stack of loose photos, though, the unbound album has a cohesive, unified feel to it. Each photo can be framed and presented in a way that makes it fit in perfectly with the others in the collection.

15. Quirky Playing Cards

Are you a fan of playing cards? You can order cards with your pictures printed on the back. When you break out the deck for a game of Hearts on your next camping trip, you’ll get to share your treasured memories with whoever happens to be around the table.

16. Magnets on Display

Line up a parade of your wedding photographs on the refrigerator, or send a few of these fridge magnets to your parents or grandparents. This is a fun way to think outside of the box when it comes to sharing your pictures.

17. On The Wall: Collage

Your album doesn’t necessarily need to be formatted like a book. How about arranging ten to twenty photos in collage format, and framing them on the wall?

Now that you’ve seen many different ways to show off your favorite photos, are you feeling excited? How are you going to share your wedding photos? Answer in the comments section below!

Is your wedding venue going to have a fire pit? That’s exciting! No matter what time of year it is, from a starry summer night to a chilly winter afternoon, a fire pit can be a fun addition to your outdoor seating area. Here are some tips to help you use this aspect of your venue to the fullest! Give guests a cozy place to hang out, chat, and toast marshmallows. Most importantly, stay safe. Here’s how…

Do: Know the Restrictions

Several days before your big day, check with the local fire department or town government to see if there are any fire restrictions in place. Check again on the actual day of your wedding, as this may have changed. If the area is dry and winds are high, there could be a ban in place, which means you can’t have open flames. Get the details from people who are in the know, and play by the rules.

Do: Test it Before-Hand

Test out the fire pit yourself, to make sure you know how to light it. Or, delegate this task to the person who will be in charge of it during the party. The point is to know how to use it, instead of assuming that it’s simple. It might not be! Some fire pits have “on” buttons that are located in building interiors, or the pit could have a quirk that you need to figure out before hand (press the red button twice instead of once, and it lights!).

Do: Offer Cozy Extras and Treats!

The fire pit likely has benches or chairs around it, but instead of leaving it at that, why not add a little luxury? Put cushions on the chairs, and a stack of blankets for guests to wrap up in. Even if you already have a rockin’ dessert table inside your reception venue, consider putting s’more ingredients out, as well as some marshmallow roasting sticks.

Don’t: Rely on a Fire Pit for Providing Warmth

A fire pit provides a cozy, fun ambiance, but unless guests are within a few feet of the flames they’re likely not going to feel significant warmth from it. If you have a big group gathered around, people will likely hang back a bit to make room for everyone. Don’t assume that guests will be crowded close to the fire, feeling toasty! Instead, if it’s very cold out, give guests other ways to get warm — like the blankets, mentioned above.

Don’t: Leave it Unattended

Fire should never be left unattended. Make sure someone is in charge of shutting down the fire pit at the end of the night. This could be done with a button, if you’re using a gas-fed fire. Or, if the fire is fueled by wood, someone will have to ensure that the wood is sufficiently cooled, and that the fire is completely out. Delegate this task to a responsible friend or family member — preferably someone who won’t be drinking!

If your venue has a fire pit, use it! This can add an inviting, warm, friendly vibe to your reception. Did these tips make you excited about having some flickering flames at your reception? Leave a comment below.

You’ve been planning for your big day for months, or years… and now it’s finally approaching. It can be easy to get sucked into the feeling of overwhelm. There is a lot going on, and you want everything to go just right. Here’s a great acronym to keep in mind, as the big day nears: K.I.S.S..

What does it stand for? Keep It Simple, Silly! This is the perfect mantra to keep in mind on your wedding day — the day when you will seal the deal with a magical ‘kiss’! Here’s how you can keep it simple, from the moment you wake up until the moment when you make your grand getaway.

Keep your Priorities Straight

Your wedding day is about your union to your partner. Celebrate love instead of stressing over the details. If you stay focused on the priority of the day — celebrating love — you can overlook the little things with ease and grace.

What does this look like, in a nitty-gritty scenario? Think about your family dynamics. Maybe there are going to be people at your wedding who you haven’t seen for years, or people that you find it difficult to get along with. Instead of getting into your head about how to handle each tricky interaction, just remember that your guests are there to celebrate with you. Smile, thank them, share a laugh, and move on.

Let Go and Trust your Helpers

Don’t micromanage! Trust your photographer to get the shots you discussed. Trust your MC to make announcements at the right time. Trust that the caterers are going to put out the perfect meal. You’ve done a lot of planning and managing, and now it’s time to let go and trust that the people you’ve hired or asked for help are going to come through for you. If you relax and trust, your day will feel a million times less complicated.

Cut out Extras Beforehand

Hopefully you’ve already done pre-marriage counseling with your partner and figured out some of the roles and responsibilities of your future together. If not and you’re in the Portland area, you should check it out here to find someone near you.

Set yourself up for a simple, joyful day by cutting out wedding-day extras during the planning process. If the itinerary for the day begins to feel cluttered with things you don’t want to do, speak up! Maybe a ‘first look’ doesn’t feel right, or you’re stressing over the brunch that your mother scheduled. Clear your schedule and only do what feels right to you — not someone else.

Avoid overwhelm and anxiety by repeating the KISS mantra to yourself, Keep It Simple, Silly! Your day is about the love between you and your partner. Focus on that, and let the rest fall away. Set yourself up for success by cutting out unwanted extras in your wedding-day schedule, and then trust that all of your hard work is going to pay off.  Do you think you’ll keep KISS in mind, in the months or weeks ahead? Let us know if this was helpful in the comments section!