Wedding Details by Luna Bazaar

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

You know, as we post more and more real weddings, it's becoming really clear that those weddings where the details are tended to, really capture the hearts of our readers. Whether your budget is $5,000 or $50,000, guests delight in those perfect details...those thoughtful, and yet approachable, touches that make a wedding completely unique.

So, I'm always on the hunt for sources that sell great accouterments at a reasonable cost. I have a few to share with you today that have so many lovely accessories that will add that magical touch to your big day...

I am kind of obsessed with the wares found at Luna Bazaar...painted paper lanterns, rice paper tea light holders, fans, party lights, vintage votive holders. They have all of your standard party decor items and SO MUCH MORE. I love all of the hand painted items, like that great paper lantern in the top right corner. So chic, so much personality.

Here are some ideas as to how you can incorporate these pretty details...

If you're having an outdoor ceremony, hang five to ten paper lanterns among the trees.You don't even need to have them light up, to get that festive, romantic effect. With each lantern being $9.25, you can make a huge impact for less than $100. Pretty good.

For a Spring or Summer wedding, place a colored, paper fan on each person's seat at your ceremony. When the guests are using them, you add a pop of color to your decor, without having to spend additional money on florals or expensive touches. These paper fans start at $1.25.

Tea light holders, particularly the rice paper varieties, are perfect for large spaces...lining both sides of a path, along a garden wall, clumped together in a variety of colors and sizes on cocktail tables. Again, a completely affordable way to add a splash of color and a great impact.

Fill a vintage tin bucket or a wicker basket with white parasols that you and your girlfriends have hand-painted. I was at a wedding last weekend where the bride had done this using yellow paint (and we aren't talking masterpiece paintings here, just fun, whimsical designs in one cohesive color). The pictures are going to be so completely adorable with guests donning pretty parasols.

For indoor weddings, use the lanterns and candle holders as table decor. They work great clumped in different sizes, placed on the bar or scattered throughout a buffet table. If you buy smaller paper lanterns, they could also be used for actual centerpieces. Use floral decor on 1/2 of the tables, then place a cluster of 3 paper lanterns with a glass contained candle inside, on the other 1/2 of the tables. Super cute.

So now, I'm dying to know...what are your best ideas for adding inexpensive touches to your wedding style??

Comments

[Vanessa]

Instead of spending the extra money renting colored tablecloths, I'm renting plain white ones and buying a roll of fabric with my wedding colors incorporated into the print. I'm then going to cut large squares to drape over the tables, and when the weddings over I can use the fabric to creat throw pillows for my house afterwards.

http://www.amybutlerdesign.com

She has great patterns and prints!!

I also LOVE the look of mason jar candle holders, but instead of spending the money on the ball mason jars, I'm just going to save old sauce jars, clean them up and tie them with raffia and fill with sand and pillar candles. I'm having my wedding outdoors on the river, so the view itslef is already beautiful.

I'm also forgoing the wedding cake and having a dessert and ice cream bar. Ice cream sundaes have become somewhat of a tradition with my fiancee and I. I found the old fashioned glass ice cream dishes (the ones you still see at diners and friendlys) at the dollar store, so I'll be buying those to use as ice cream dishes and take home favors for our guests. I think its more thoughtful than the jordan almonds you usually see.

Well those are my cost savers, I can't wait to hear what tips the other readers have! I just LOVE your blog Abby, I read it daily!

[abby larson]

This is great! We are working on our new site, with great cost saving tips that give big impact. Keep the ideas coming!

[Michelle]

I was thinking of doing something similar. Sticking with the provided (and much cheaper) white linens, and buying fabric to roll out as simple table runners.

[Vanessa]

Also, since we're having an intimate ceremony and reception with just family and close friends (50-60 people) most all of our guests already know each other, so we're going to encourage mingling (and save money) by leaving out table numbers and place card holders.

[Helen]

We're using hurricane lamps from Butlers homewares (£9.99 for 40cm tall lamp!) with a pillar candle inside and a circlet of flowers around them as centrepieces. The white table linens will suffice, but I'm injecting the navy/cream colourway by cutting fabric lids for the mini jam jars that my mother in law is making jam for and tying them on with navy ribbon. There will be cream luggage tags with people's names on them attached to the jars as place names. We're not having one wedding cake, but each table is going to be named a different type of cake so that each table gets their cake for desserts instead. Also my fiance has written music to my favourite sonnet which will be performed in the ceremony.

[Kate]

I love that website! It's great!

I'm already married, but I throw tons of parties and am an event planner (just starting out), so this is a great find. I've been looking for the lanterns that have the curved ribbing in them forever. Thank you!

[Heidi @ Zenadia Design]

I love Luna Bazaar!! Thanks for the new find!

[Katasha {at} K Sherrie+Company Weddings]

I must have put some good karma out into the world this weekend!

I was JUST about to start my internet search for accoutrements for a pink and green, "asian-fusion" baby shower that I have coming up: and up pops this post for today! Thanks so much. I'll be sure to check out Luna Bazaar!

[Jennifer]

Some cost-savers we're using: I've ordered flowers from a florist for the bouquets etc., but they will be seasonal flowers and primarily one type of blossom. I love the impact of using a lot of one type of flower and one colour (very Martha) but it saves money too. We have a number of vases all in similar colours and sizes that I have picked up at thrift stores, and we are planning to fill those with fresh flowers from Costco, again using blooms of one type and one colour. We are both photographers, so one of the other decorations will be black and white prints of favourite photos we have taken. I am making cupcakes instead of having a traditional cake, and the favour will be little Rebecca Thuss-inspired booklets giving the details of an "interview" with my two children (this will be my second marriage) that talks about our relationship from their perspective. I am also making a wishing tree display for guests to sign cards and hang their wishes on the branches. I am decorating the branches with handmade fabric flowers in the colours of the wedding. It will be a small wedding, but with lots of personal touches and lots of involvement from friends and family. My future mother-in-law has offered the use of her house and garden, and the table linens are vintage tablecloths made by her grandmother. My future father-in-law makes wine, and will be providing all the wine for the reception. Several family members also helped with the bottling of the wine this year, so in the end I think we will have a contribution of some sort from every member of the family.

[Cyd]

I am trying to think of ways to infuse a lot of small details that singularly are simple, but collectively add interest and sparkle in a big impact kind of way. I loathe the idea of a cookie cutter wedding, but don't have any interest in spending a lot of money so for me it is all about creating something breathtaking on a budget.

As MOH for my best friend's wedding last summer, one thing I stumbled upon that saved her a TON of money (and will save me a ton too!) were bulk flowers at samsclub.com that were gorgeous, fresh and the entire wedding including bouquets and center pieces cost a few hundred dollars. We went with gerbera daisies in bright bold colors. Our bouquets were all white blooms and her bouquet was all red blooms. We held them together with simple florist tape, wrapped the stems in white ribbon and secured the ribbon in place with a long row of pearl head straight pins. For the reception, we each stuck our bouquet in vases along the head table. The rest of the center pieces were bright reds, pinks, oranges and yellows, and for vases we used tall pilsner glasses I found at a dollar store with a few crystal pebbles in the bottom. We used the vases first at the bridal shower and again at the reception and her sister will reuse them at her wedding this fall so my minimal investment has translated into at least three events. Nobody even knew they were pilsner glasses unless we pointed it out - each 10" glass was $1/each and I bought about two dozen or so.

[Anne Almasy]

These are all SO beautiful! Details like this with a handcrafted feel always lend something extra-special to the ambiance of the wedding. :)

[Vanessa]

Cyd-

I love your idea of buying flowers from Sams Club. I never knew they offered flowers! I will definitely be looking into that option.

I was also able to find some awesome odd shaped cobalt blue glass vases at the dollar store that I'll be incorporating into the decor at my wedding.

[carrie m]

i'm handknitting my bridesmaid's shawls. I've got 1 1/2 of 4 done with four months to go, so I think I'll make it in time. But I also want to make pom poms to toss instead of rice, so perhaps i've bitten off more than I can chew ...

[jackie w]

I love the paper lanterns idea! What is usually used to illuminate them? Christmas lights?