From Alana…

My mother arranged all of our centerpieces for the reception and our tables were each named after a different Metro Stop on Montreal’s subway system. On the back of each name was a little write up of how each stop related to our lives in Montreal. For our place cards we placed a green apple at each setting and attached each guest’s name with a pearl pin.

In lieu of a traditional guestbook, we used a photo album and had guests write their well wishes on various sheets of 4×6 patterned paper, which we were later able to slide into the album alongside a few photos from our day.

Thank you for taking the time to listen to our story and look at our photos. Alex and I had an amazing day full of memories that we will cherish forever!

And thank you so much to Alex and Alana for letting us TELL your story!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Guest Books, Table Settings, Wedding Cakes
Post categories: Budget Beautiful

Instructions on making journal place cards…

Materials:
Assortment of Decorated Papers (various craft stores)
Ruler
Blank Journals
X-cto Knife/Scissors
Printer or Alphabet Rubber stamps (local craft store)

Here’s the step by step:

Gather a bunch of decorated papers from your local craft store. Spread your journal open and measure from back cover to front cover, including spine. (13 inches.) Add 3 inches to total length. (16inches) My papers came in sheets of 12″ x 12″ so I cut them in half and glued the pieces together to form a long book jacket. Measure 1.5 inches at each end and fold inwards. Wrap jacket around your journal to create folds around the spine area.

Rubber stamp guest names on the spine area. (I created a template on my computer and printed the names using my epson printer) Wrap jacket around journal and rubber stamp table number/grade on it.

***

The polaroid guestbooks are the best way to incorporate a little personality and fun into an age old tradition…

Instructions for the polaroid guest book from the designer…

I bought fabric vintage fabric in my wedding colors, and my dad made a frame for it to hang from. We provided two polaroid cameras for guests to take pictures of themselves in front of the backdrop. Then they taped the photos in my guest book and signed a message. It was a great way to remember all of the guests who made it to my wedding, and was a lot more informal than a traditional guestbook.

Stay tuned…more to come!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2007. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Chewing The Cud, Guest Books, Place Cards
Post categories: DIY - Other, DIY Projects

To Make the Vintage Guest Book…

I created a beautiful custom book this summer for a bride who wanted to utilize her grandmother’s collection of antique Reader’s Digest books for their guest book at their wedding reception. we handpicked vintage pages and combined them with blank pages and rebound the whole volume to create a one of a kind guest book. This happy couple had a photobooth at their location and with gluesticks handy, guests simply pasted their photos into the book to create an instant scrapbook effect.

With or without a photobooth or bookbinding skills, I think this same guest book idea can be molded into an easy do-it-yourself for any bride to be.

01. simply go to your favorite local rare bookshop, your attic, ebay, or your grandpa’s bookshelves and choose a wonderful sturdy antique book. one that is deliciously thick with a lovely cover and magnificent spine. pages should be well intact and not too fragile.

02. if you want a few sporadic blank pages, simply cut pretty stationery to size and paste onto the pages. blank pages aren’t necessary. it’s all the more fun to leave a thick marker or calligraphy pen on the table and allow your guests to write between the lines and scrawl their CONGRATULATIONS in cursive across the printed page. a bit like marking up a precious yearbook.. the mingling letters will add charm.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2007. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Guest Books
Post categories: DIY - Other, DIY Projects, DIY Wedding Decor