Tips & Tricks Thursday: Accessories

Maybe you naturally gravitate towards accessories or maybe they're just another item on the wedding planning checklist.  Either way, accessories are a great way for you, your partner, and your wedding party to express themselves in their own ways.  Different cultures also have their own accessories and traditions as well. With so many accessories to choose from, here are some tips and tricks to get to know some of the latest trends. 

For ladies, accessories could include pieces for the head/hair, earrings, glasses, necklace, bracelets or bangles, a purse, a garter, and wonderful shoes. For the gents, consider hats, glasses, ties or bow ties, boutonnieres, suspenders, a handkerchief, a tie clip, cufflinks, a cummerbund to make your look unique.

Head

Gents, whether it's vintage or brand new, your head can be dressed up with a stylish hat.

For the bride, traditional veils continue to be popular. If you want to save some money or want to create something unique, making a veil can be a great DIY project. In Tuesday’s post we talked about making your own facinator and here are some other culturally-inspired headpieces.If you're not interested in a veil but want something on your head or in your hair, consider a tiara, hair vine, or a barrette? Bridal hats are a cool alternative headpiece that can have many different looks.

Looking for that “something borrowed”?  Why not canvass your family and friends for a fun something to wear on your head or in your hair at the wedding?  Remember to try it on with your dress, suit, or tux to figure out if it works.  If you wear glasses (or even if you don't), vintage glasses can add some flair to your outfit.

Feet

Looking for that “something old”?  Grab a favourite pair of shoes or shop for a used pair, then spice them up to give them a new look for the wedding. Ladies, whether you plan on wearing sandals, flats, or 3” heels, there are various ways to add some personal pizazz to your shoes.

• If you've found the perfect pair of shoes but it's not quite the right colour or you want to add some glittery goodness, check this or this out.  The second link also walks you through giving a vintage-style shoe a (new) vintage look.
• Accessorize your shoes with ribbon or flower shoe clips or fabric.
• Monogram the soles of your shoes with your or your partner's initials; a small touch that is especially great if you might be photographed sitting down.
• Check out Figgie Shoes for a very personalized painted pair of shoes.

Everything In Between
Cufflinks can be custom designed by a local jeweller such as Magpie in Ottawa or made like this or this using cardstock, epoxy resin, and or this using some wire and rivets.  You can find cufflink backings or blank cufflinks through Etsy (search DIY cufflinks).

A handkerchief is a fashion accessory that can also be quite practical. The hanky is a classic reusable tissue! Make your own from fabric around the house or buy one at your local department or vintage store.

Looking for that “something blue”?  Add a blue accessory to your ensemble. How about choosing flowers or a garter with some blue in it.  If you're doing a garter toss at the wedding but you'd like to keep a garter as a keepsake, remember to have an extra one on hand.

How to Tuesday: Accessorize!

This week we're focusing on making your own accessories for your big day. Whether you decide to make one of these great accessories for yourself or with the whole bridal party it is a fun way to get crafty and show your own personality! We've got ideas for both the bride and groom, and these ideas could be expanded to include your whole wedding party.

DIY Style for the Gentlemen:
One fabulous idea for adding a special touch to your groom and his groomsmen is by creating custom ties that match the colors and theme of your day. Threadbanger has a fabulous how-to for creating bow ties out of old scarves here!

If you're looking for a way to adorn the little guys that'll be participating in your special day, these no sew bow ties are also incredibly cute for ring bearers in your party.
DIY Bow Ties from Bowties and Bliss

A simple and easy way to encourage the men in the party to get crafty is with their own monogramed ties. If there is one colour all the men are wearing in the party, grab some fabric paint and stamps and have them create their own unique designs adorned on the tie. Paper Sparrow has a great tutorial on how to hand stamping different types of fabric.

For The Ladies:
There are literally so many possibilities when it comes to DIY-ing accessories for your big day. From jewelry to fascinators, shoe clips to handbags, the sky is truly the limit.

Over the past few years, fascinators (little fancy adornments for your head, often featuring feathers, beads or rhinestones) have become a massive fashion trend. Now, thanks to the Royal Wedding, they are more popular than ever. Lots of great designers are coming out with new concepts and ideas but if you are looking for a simple and do it yourself project, there are some great tips on fascinators.

If you'd like to take a cue from the Royal Wedding, check out l. A play on the Royal Wedding Fascinators -
P.S. I Made This's DIY Royal Wedding Fascinator tutorial, via Fashionista Alternately, Wedding Bee has a great wedding fascinator that can be worn simply or with a veil for the bride to be here.

Another idea for the ladies is to have them all work together a few weeks for the wedding to create their accessories together. Whether it is a necklace or hand painted bracelets, working together on one theme with different varieties is a great way to get everyone working together.

What you may need:
- Jems and stones.
- Sterling silver chains
- Clips or clasps
- Beads
- Feathers

No matter what you decide to DIY, when shopping for accessory supplies, be sure to check your local craft stores (such as Michael's), or pop on over to Etsy (the internet's DIY shopping mecca), which is a treasure trove of supplies!

Happy DIY accessory making!

Meet Our Vendors: Accessories!

When it comes to your special day, adding special accessories to you, your groom's or your bridesmaids' outfits is one of the ways you can truly personalize your wedding. Handmade accessories provide brides with the opportunity to customize their day in a way that reflects their personality while supporting small, local businesses. At Wed By Hand in 2012, we'll have a variety of vendors on hand to help you accessorize yourself, and we're excited to introduce you to each of them!

Magneties
While most of the wedding hype gets focused on the bride, we simply cannot forget about all the tie-wearing folk! Combining a love for drawing with screen-printing, Magneties offers a spin on a traditional wedding accessory. Each design created by artist Annabel Dubuc, finishes with an “elegant yet hip necktie”. Custom orders for entire wedding parties are available, where clients choose from a variety of designs, inks, and tie colours. The images used can be drawings or photos (that are then photoshopped), combined with water based inks (good for the environment, hello!) and quality soft microfiber, resulting in a truly unique accessory for members of your wedding party as well as special friends and family members.

chelsy anne jewelry
A self-taught mother of two, chelsy anne offers simple, eco-modern, silver jewelry made with semi-precious stones and fresh water pearls. Her delightfully intricate pieces offer a wide range of accessories, from hairpieces to earrings, and a bridal specific jewelry line. Her number one tip for the bride is not to “let the dress compete with the jewelry. If you have tons of detail at the top of the dress do statement earrings over a statement necklace.” Having finally found her niche as a jewelry artist, seeing her pieces you can tell that she is influenced by love – and what would be more appropriate as an adornment for a bride?

Flights of Fancy - Photo By foodiePrints
A bridal bouquet that can be dismantled and transformed into hair pieces or wardrobe enhancers!? What? Oh that’s just a creative option possible from Flights of Fancy – creations and custom hair accessories from Kate Arnold. Using everything from reclaimed vintage buttons, jewelry, sparkles, feathers, and more. With an emphasis on the affordable, Flights of Fancy hopes that a custom piece can be found to suit any individual in your wedding party; mothers of the groom, a boutonniere for the dashing gents, bridesmaids, and beyond. The one-of-a-kind pieces range in all sizes as well, from “tiny flights for glower girls to large statement pieces for very bold brides!” Consultations are recommended so that flights can be created with the bride’s vision of her special day in mind. And with any luck, the gorgeous custom pieces can be worn again!

Higashi Design
Pulling inspiration from bridal gowns, a bride’s personality, the shape or colour of a crystal, or even a tight deadline, Higashi Design produces individually tailored and personalized jewelry and headpieces. Melonie got her start making wedding jewelry after a friend asked for a handmade tiara. She made the crossover from the world of high tech to full-time jewelry making and has “been riding a great wedding referral wave” ever since. Using semi-precious stones, Swarovski crystal and freshwater pearls set in either sterling silver or 14K gold-filled; Higashi Design offers pieces blending the simplicity and harmony of her Japanese heritage and some intricately detailed designs. Taking into account each bride’s personal taste and budget, she even provides complimentary gift-wrapping – one less thing to worry about!

Bel Bridal
Bel Bridal offers variety of handmade bridal accessories that range from vintage glamour to modern chic and a combination of the two. Owner Isobel's selection of accessories are designed to change any outfit into something special. Each of Bel Bridal's designs are created by hand with loving care and all are unique and special.

urbanite jewelry
Owner and designer Krista Leben designs jewelry that’s fresh and modern. urbanite jewelry's simple, modern and sophisticated designs are perfect for the bride who wants something unique for her and her bridesmaids. Urbanite’s pieces are designed with the philosophy that simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication in mind, and Krista’s styles appeal to a wide range of women—from brides to junior bridesmaids to the mother of the bride.

Welcome to Accessories Week!

It's no secret that us gals love our accessories. If you've got a girlfriend, fiancee or bestie on your holiday shopping list, you're likely to find her coveting one or more lovely little accessories. From purses to shoes, from jewelry to scarves, accessories are an easy way to change the look of an outfit with just a couple of quick changes. A simple little black dress can go from drab to fab with the addition of some bubbly baubles, and the addition of the perfect clutch can make your evening out seem that much more fabulous.

When it comes adding special details to your wedding day, accessories are the perfect option for incorporating an added touch of elegance, funkiness or fun. Whether it's dressing your groom up with a custom tie or adding a pop of colour with customized wedding shoes, accessories are a great way truly let your personality show through. What many people don't often realize is that accessories also offer the perfect opportunity to work with local, handmade companies -and- keep costs down. Veils, jewelry or ties can cost you a fraction of the what a mass-produced equivalent will run you, and it also gives you the opportunity to create something custom and unique with a local vendor. We often hear from brides who attended previous Wed By Hands that really enjoyed the process of customizing their accessories with our awesome vendors rather than just picking it up from a big box store.

This week we'll be showcasing unique ways that you can incorporate handmade accessories into your wedding day. From fancy fascinators to gorgeous jewels and seriously sick screenprinted ties for dudes, Wed By Hand's got you covered in the accessories department!

Workshop Wednesday: Planning Your Wedding Day Photography

This year, we’re so excited to have have so many great photographers at Wed By Hand to offer you advice for your wedding day.  Amna Hakim we will hosting one of our photography workshops and definitely has the talent and experience that you want to hear about.  She has been an Ottawa based photographer for 4 years, photographing a variety of lucky couples.  Amna finds the most common questions she gets from her brides are about how to plan their wedding day pictures with their photographer.  So, saving you time, and from stress, which in turn will get you the most from your money, Amna will be showing how to be completely prepared for your wedding day pictures.

Amna travels extensively for her work, and absolutely loves what she does, “I get to be a part of people’s lives at one of their happiest moments and I feel honoured to be able to preserve this for them.”  Amna’s photographs are colourful, dramatic and at times playful capturing the true essence of the emotions of the day.  

In Amna’s workshop you’ll learn the importance of planning your day with your photographer, and all the answers to your most important wedding day questions such as, how long the getting ready shots take, how long the portraits take, and how important is it to have an engagement shoot.  You’ll also have time to ask Amna for her expert opinion too, and I’m sure some of you have questions you’ve been dying to get answered.

With Amna’s experience, knowledge and friendly demeanor you’ll walk away with all the knowledge you need to hire a great photographer, perfectly suited to your needs.  As well as how to communicate with your photographer, prepare for your shoot and ask all the right questions, making the most of your wedding day photos.  

Workshop Wednesday: DIY Photo Albums

Looking for a way to preserve your wedding photos? Want to do it in style? byfield~pitman photography owner Ben Welland will lead a DIY Photo Album at the 2012 edition of Wed By Hand. Ben will teach you how to create professionally printed coffee-table style photo books from your wedding pictures. Ben will show examples of different photo book styles by several high-quality, low-cost companies, and he’ll teach us how to use free programs so we can make your own. With a slideshow and detailed step-by step guide, brides and grooms will have the tools and know-how to produce professional quality bound photo albums for their families and friends after the wedding.

About Ben & byfield~pitman photography: Owner Ben Welland launched byfield~pitman photography in 1997. He graduated from Algonquin’s photography program in 2000, and is now a full-time professional photographer. Along with a team of 4 other top notch photographers, Ben shoots at about 15 to 18 of those 20 weddings a year, and says “it's part of who I am now. Being at weddings almost every Saturday of every summer for the better part of my adult life has become my "normal". I really love the work. And that passion comes across when I speak about wedding photography (and photography in general!)”

Ben’s work has been featured in Ottawa Xpress, where he’s been working since 2003, and more recently, Capital Xtra!, Guerilla, Dharmaarts, and Voir. This workshop will be a great way to pick an expert's brain about how to preserve the memories from your wedding for years to come!

With countless engagement and wedding photos left from the big day, there are endless possibilities of what to create and what to do with them. Instead of letting them sit in a box and never re-live their true beauty we have brainstormed a few great ideas and picked out some DIY projects to help you get started on using your photos to their true potential. We have included some DIY tips and steps to create your own great projects with your own photos.


At the Wedding: Create a Guestbook with your Engagement Photos

What You'll Need:

+ 1/8-inch-thick acid-free paperboard
+ White glue, a special synthetic glue available from art stores or bookbinding suppliers
+ Four sheets of decorative or handmade paper and 20 sheets of white, ivory, or cream paper
+ 1/4 yard of bookbinding cloth
+ Two yards of strong ribbon that won't fray easily
+ Needle with a large eye
+ Hammer and four nails
+ Cutting board and metal ruler
+ Your favourite photos

1. Cut the 20 sheets of paper to fit your book's desired size (in this case, 11" x 15"). Your book can be as thick or thin as you like, depending on your taste and budget. I chose this size because it's half the size of the paper I bought, so I could just fold the sheets in half and cut along the fold.

2. Cut two pieces of paperboard for the book's front and back covers. Add 1/4 inch to the size you've chosen for the inner sheets (11 1/4" x 15 1/4" in our example). Then, cut a strip from each cover that measures about a fifth of the cover's width. This book is 15 1/4" wide, so I'll cut off a 2 1/2" or 3" strip. You now have two pieces of each cover. The two thin strips will be the binding strips, the area of the cover where the book is bound together.

3. Cut out two pieces of bookbinding cloth that are big enough to cover the binding strip and extend a couple of inches into the other piece of the cover, leaving one full inch all the way around to fold over. Our cloth measures 13 1/2" x 6 1/4."

4. Lay newspaper over your work area. Align the two pieces of board (binding strip and main board) spaced 1/4 inch apart. Glue the cloth to the board, making sure to leave 1/4 inch between the pieces and allow the one-inch border of extra cloth to hang over. Flip the glued board over, neatly fold over the cloth edges, and glue them down. (Tip: It helps to trim the corners for a neat fold.) Repeat this step for the back binding strip and cover.

5. Next, cut the paper for both book covers. The pieces should overlap the point where the bookbinding cloth ends by an inch; leave an inch on the other three sides for folding over (for our book, 11 3/4" x 13 1/2"). Glue the paper to the front of both covers, then fold it over and glue the one-inch edges to the inside. At this point, you have one side of both the front and back covers completed.

6. To make the inside of the covers neat, attach a sheet of decorative paper to hide the folds. Cut two pieces of paper (about 1/4 inch less than the size of the covers), and glue one piece into each cover.

7. Whew! You made it this far -- now it's time to put everything together. It's a nice touch to use a sheet of decorative paper for the first and last book pages. Gather the papers for your book and place them, like a sandwich, between the two covers. Make sure they are neatly arranged. Hammer four evenly distributed holes in the center of the front cover's binding strip. (Tip: Leave a nail in each hole to keep everything lined up.) Tightly thread ribbon, jute, or string through the holes, as simply or as elaborately as you like.

8. Now add your photos with double sided tape within your guest book. You can also add photo corners to add an extra special touch. These can be purchased at Walmart, Michaels or any scrapbooking store.

9. If you like, you can also buy pretty paper frames and put them around your photos or around the areas where you want your guests to write.

10. And you’re done!

Read more: DIY Reception Ideas: DIY Wedding Guest Books - TheKnot.com



With your Wedding Photos - Unique Photo Book

Photo books make great memories! If you order digital prints, use them to make one using these following sites. All you have to do is: Upload your photos, edit the content, and click order! They are often customizable to suit your needs, require almost no effort and are gorgeous.

Shutterfly
Mix Book
Walmart Photocentre



With your Wedding Photos - Thank You Cards

What You'll Need:

+ 8.5″x11″ Sage cardstock from Michael's or online at http://www.paper-source.com
+ 5×7 envelopes, also from Michael's or online at http://www.paper-source.com
+ Double-sided tape
+ MS PowerPoint (or Photoshop, inDesign or Illustrator)
+ Color printer

Instructions:

To create the collage:

1. Start by drawing a 5.5″x8.25″ white box in PowerPoint. To do this, go to “Insert –> Picture –> Autoshapes”. This should pull up the autoshape menu. Click on the button with the shapes, select the rectangle, and draw it on your slide.

2.Right-click and go to “Format Autoshape”, which takes you to various options that allow you to specify the size and color.

3. Once you have done this, insert your photos into MS PowerPoint by accessing the “Insert” menu and selecting “From File…” Select the files. This can get a little messy if your photos are very large. You may have to patiently find the corners of the photos and then resize each one so that you can see them all on one slide.

4. Once you have inserted all of your photos and can see them all, you can adjust the size of each image and arrange them inside the white rectangle as you prefer.

5. To insert text, go to “Insert –> Text Box”. Click somewhere outside your white box, and then type out the main message (which was just a simple “thank you” on the front in our case). Highlight the text, right-click, and select “Fonts”. Tip: Try to use a font that matched the one used on your invitations. Once you have chosen the color and sized the text appropriately, click on the edge of the text box and drag it to the location you want the text to appear.

6. At this point, everything on your collage should be in place. Click outside the white box, drag over everything, and let go. This selects every object on your slide. Right-click and go to “Grouping –> Group”. Then right-click again and select “Save as Picture”. Save it as a .jpg file.

7. The whole collage has now been turned into an image that you can edit and upload for printing. It can also be scaled for 4″x6″ photos. You can now bring your image to any print shop or upload them on their website. Tip: Try using a matte paper or even a paper with a linen finish for a fancier effect.

To create the backing:

1. Cut the card stock to the size of 9″ x 6.5″. Call around, you may be able to find a place that can cut the entire stack for you.

2. In PowerPoint, draw a 6.5″ tall and 9.0″ wide rectangle, in the same way as you did in steps 1-2 for the photo collage. Format the box (right-click on the box) and select “Format Autoshape” to have a clear fill and for the outline to be a dotted 0.25″ very light gray line.

3. Create the text using text boxes (see step 5 under the collages). Rotate the text boxes and arrange them as follows:
(photo 5)

4. Next, do a test print using regular white paper with you printer. This allows you to figure out how to feed your already-cut card stock into the printer.

Tip:
Check your printer for its settings, it’s possible that you may only have the option of inserting your pre-cut sheets flushed to one of the sides of the paper feeder. The test print may help you figure out that the box you draw on Powerpoint needs to be flushed to the other side of the slide (see image above).

5. After you’ve finished your test prints (hopefully it only takes you one try!), insert your pre-cut card stock into the printer and print however many copies you need!

6. And the last step, of course, is to mount the 4″x6″ photos on to the card stock, fold in half and write out your personal messages inside!

Tip: Try using Scotch’s double-sided photo safe permanent tape, it’s less expensive than mounting squares.

Remember, it’s more time consuming to write out your individual handwritten messages than it will be to make these cards, so make sure you allow enough time if you have a time frame in mind for sending out your thank you cards.

Written By Andrée and Heather, Wed By Hand Coordinators

Meet Our Vendors: Photography & Videography

This year at Wed by Hand we are featuring several lovely photographers all with their own unique style. Photography plays a huge role in how you can create, document and remember your big day. Without further ado I present to you our photographer roster!

AMBphoto by Anne-Marie Bouchard With ten years of photography experience, Anne-Marie decided in 2009 to start her own business. Working weddings gives her the opportunity to blend “all sorts of photography: landscapes, portraits, macro, high speed, candid, you name it – you get ALL this when you photograph a wedding.” All of these styles come together during the challenging, surprising and exciting event that is a wedding. Having worked in the business for many years has taught Anne-Marie the important lesson that “It’s ok to say no. I’m not the right fit for everyone and everyone is not the right fit for me.” This is because she understands how important it is to really build a relationship with the couple and be able to capture their magic. The days are long and the editing process can be longer but for Anne-Marie one of the best parts of shooting weddings is getting to know the couple, hearing how they first met, and watching them to fall in love all over again through the lens of her camera. As the official photographer of Wed By Hand, many of the photos you will see from our show come from AMBphoto.

Becca Wallace Photography Blending fine art work with commercial wedding work pulls together a unique set of images that can themselves be seen as works of art. Processed images are combined with watercolors, pastels, and resin resulting in enhanced details, colors, shapes and textures within each photograph. Believing that “everyone should have access to excellent, high quality wedding photos,” means that she has packages to offer couples with any budget. Becca Wallace Photography is artistic with a personal touch.

{First Kiss Films} Inspired by her father and getting an early start filming her first wedding at the age of 14, its no wonder that {First Kiss Films} creates unique multimedia for your wedding day. {First Kiss Films} specializes in hand-cranked 16mm and super 8mm film. In a world where much of our photography and videography have gone digital, owner Bridget's use of 8 and 16mm film is a truly special way to capture your wedding. The cameras capture onlooker’s attention with the classic sound, originality and beautiful designs. The film is processed, digitally edited and transferred and then charmingly packaged in a chic DVD tin. As one of only five companies across Canada creating lifestyle films using solely vintage cameras, not only will the experience be completely unique, but you can be sure that your wedding film will preserve the emotions and energy nostalgic to the retelling of your wedding day.

Monique Simone PhotographyUsing an editorial aesthetic to stylize her shoots, Monique Simone photography helps to put her clients at ease while providing a natural, fun, fresh set of photos. Offering personalized services such as hand-made books, custom production and retouching, and full film options really helps to give the couple final say on the overall mood and feel of their special day. Feeling like her craft is to “tell the story of weddings through photographs”, Monique Simone photography is truly able to provide photos that are made to measure, as opposed to the traditional cookie cutter shots.

Natalie Lyle Photography Natalie Lyle focuses on capturing of a story with a photojournalistic focus and expressive, natural, cinematic style. As a small photography business Natalie Lyle Photography can provide accessible and flexible packages to suit every couple and bring out the essence of their special day. Clients can rest assured that each image will be retouched with custom processes in order to suit the couple and their individual story. As she sees it, Natalie is sincerely honored to get to be invited into the preservation and commemoration of such a personal day.

Vanessa Dewson Photography + Design Need a break from all the hoopla that is planning a wedding? Why not turn to a vendor that can tackle more than one aspect of your special day? The answer is Vanessa Dewson Photography + Design. Working with Vanessa gives you access to a photographer with an eye for photos as well as printed materials. Vanessa also works while keeping the environment close to heart by utilizing digital photography, natural lighting as much as possible, rechargeable batteries, eco-friendly suppliers, materials and packaging from 100% recycled materials. Not only are the soft proofs of images and design concepts shown through in-person viewings, on-line galleries and email (good for the environment), but add that familiarity and personal connection that gets you through the stress of dealing with a million different people leading up to your special day.

Voulez-Vous Boudoir PhotographyMany people hear wedding photography and think of engagement shoots, groomsmen peeking out from behind trees or bridesmaids doing synchronized jumps in a field. Voulez-Vous Boudoir Photography offers something a little different: owner photographer Bri specializes in ladies boudoir photography. Each session is tailored to the client in order to bring out her vision, highlighting her sexy, naughty, or sassy side. Keeping in mind that the company’s motto is “Boudoir for real women by real women”, inhibitions and insecurities should be left at the door. Being one of the few Ottawa photographers who specializes specifically in boudoir, Bri and her team really go the extra mile – with outfit, jewelry and shoe consulting and shopping if necessary, with the goal of making her clients feel comfortable and at ease. Far from the traditional wedding photos, Voulez-Vous Boudoir Photography aims to leave each client with a heightened sense of confidence and a resonating beauty while embracing the sexy from within.

Post written by Thea, Wed By Hand Coordinator

Welcome to the Wed By Hand Blog!

Hello there! Welcome to Wed By Hand's brand new blog! I'm Krista, co-founder and co-producer of Wed By Hand, Ottawa's Indie Wedding Show. If Wed By Hand is new to your vocabulary, let me tell you a bit about the show: We are a DIY, handmade and eco-friendly themed wedding show. We are one of only 5 indie wedding shows in North America, and 2012 will mark the third edition of our show. Over the past three years, we have grown leaps and bounds. We started in 2010 with just 16 vendors, paired with another wedding show. In 2011, we struck out on our own and expanded the show, moving it to bigger and better digs. Our show now includes over 35 vendors, DIY workshops, tastings and more!

As we've grown over the past three years, we've not only expanded our show, but we've also expanded our team. This year we've welcomed 6 new members to the Wed By Hand crew who will be helping us grow and expand to show to include some new and exciting things this year. We can't wait to introduce you to the team, and to also share the new surprises we have in store with you. In the meantime, though, I'd like to let you know what this blog is all about!

We wanted a place to share what it takes to put on a show like this, and to showcase all the awesome vendors and wedding/craft professionals that we get to work with. We also wanted a place to share wedding and DIY inspiration. So consider this your one-stop-shop for not only getting the scoop on what's going to happen at Wed By Hand, but also to get some awesome ideas for how you can truly personalize your wedding.

Each week we'll feature a different theme which will match all of the most important facets of your wedding--from photography to accessories to food & more! We kick off this week with photography, one of the most important investments you'll make when it comes to your wedding day. Each day will feature a different column, giving you tons of ideas and inspiration each weekday!

We're so excited to share all of our wonderful ideas with you, and can't wait for Wed By Hand on February 11, 2012! Stay tuned! So much exciting stuff in store!