That’s only one reason that Karen Bell’s wedding gown is so remarkable. It’s also a rather ambitious DIY upcycling project. When Karen and her new husband Simon decided to tie the knot, they reasoned that since they’d both been married before in white weddings, they wanted to do something different. They decided to celebrate their hometown of Manchester, England across the Atlantic… oh, sorry. Flashback to that production of Hair I saw once. Anyway, yes, their hometown of Manchester, England where they both still live, and the football team they both support.

Over the years, Simon had developed a collection of Manchester-themed shirts. He handed these over to Karen who spent the next eight months at her sewing machine turning them into the gown shown above.

After the wedding, the happy couple went straight to romantic Etihad Stadium to watch their beloved team play. There is no word on whether or not the bride changed her clothes first.

Whatever the case, I do wish them the very best of British luck, and may Manchester City win often.

But not every bride is a DIY diva. Not every bride is good at all the things that go into making a wedding pretty and unique. Not every bride has the time or the inclination to create very much by hand. And you know what? Any one of those things is a good reason to leave the work to the experts and have it done for you.

And then there’s the bride who really wants to make at least one or two things, but isn’t certain what projects to pick. How do you choose what to make for yourself and what to give to a professional to do?

As per usual, I’ve got a few thoughts on the subject.

First off, think about what you’re really good at. Do you have a unique skill that could come in handy? Whether that skill is flower arranging, baking, sewing, woodwork, graphic design, or tying a really gorgeous bow, chances are you can work it into something to do with your wedding.

Think, too, about how you want your event to feel to guests. It’s easier to work the handmade into a theme of ‘rustic fun’ than ‘Tiffany’s’ just as a f’rinstance. In general, the more laid back you want things, the easier it is to make it work with basic level DOY skills. Since Mr. Twistie and I were doing a picnic in the woods, simple rustic foods and hand-tied sheaf bouquets were exactly what we wanted and easy for me to create with a couple helping hands. If we’d been doing Disco Glam, yeah, that would have been a bit less successful, I think.

Consider your budget and where you want to put the most money. If you’ve decided to put most of your budget into photography and a spectacular cake, then making DIY centerpieces can save you some money on decor, allowing you to stay in budget… so long as you plan thoughtfully. And that brings me to another thing most of us don’t think too hard about:

Figure out if it will cost more or less to DIY the project you have in mind. Yes, sometimes it actually winds up costing more, depending on what you’re trying to do and what resources you have to hand. If it’s going to cost more and it’s not terribly important to you to do the project yourself, then save yourself both time and money by buying. If it’s available cheaper, but it’s important to you to do it yourself, make sure you include everything in your budget and go right ahead.

Really consider the time available. If Mr. Twistie and I had decided to get married six months after he popped the question, I wouldn’t have been able to make my wedding lace. The lace took a year. The gown took another six months. There wouldn’t have been time. Most women are really busy on a day-to-day basis. Jobs, school, kids, hobbies, social lives… not everyone can do everything they need to do in a day and then add in two hours of working on making their own wedding invitations or sewing up fabulous linens for the big day. Triple the stress involved if the wedding date is close.

Making projects for your wedding is great fun, so long as you think carefully about what you’re going to do and how you’re going to do it. Pick your projects with care, and you’ll be able to enjoy them with pride on your big day.

I’m not a terribly sparkly kind of woman. I could have had a diamond – or any gemstone – engagement ring. I chose a sterling silver frog. I could have had any kind of embellishment on my wedding gown. I chose handmade silk lace. I could have worn any jewelry on my wedding day. Again, all silver without gems.

In general I’ve ignored nearly every style trend that sparkles for the better part of fifty years now, and I doubt seriously that I’m going to change on that. Glitter just isn’t me.

And yet I found myself intrigued by that sparkly purple sequined cake shown above. Why? Because the sequins are edible.

I’ve hated the cake jewelry trend of the past few seasons in large part because I firmly believe that nothing inedible should go on a cake. But if the sequins are edible… well, that’s kind of interesting.

Of course, a fully sequined purple cake isn’t for everybody. It’s nice to see on other sites that it’s more than possible to use the sequins subtly, as well:

… as demonstrated by this charmingly understated sequined cake posted at Cake Central.

The best news of all? I’ve found instructions for making your own edible sequins if you want to give them a go in your own kitchen, or at least get a better idea of what they might taste like before you instruct your baker to do the ultimate sparkly Vegas-themed cake for your reception. This handy tutorial at Confessions of a Scratch Baker should give you plenty of information to decide if this is an idea for you.

Me? I’m still not a sparkly woman… but I am a crafty one and an avid baker. Who knows? I may just have to give this a try sometime.

Dessert tables are expected to continue to be a big deal in weddings. Variety is the spice of life, and a wonderful way to end a reception meal.

A further wrinkle on this trend that’s on the rise for parties that last late into the night is a second spread of snacks offered to guests on their way out. Doughnuts, cookies, sliders, coffee and cocoa… this is the chance to offer up a tasty final gift to your guests.


Alternatives to flowers are another trend on the rise. Paper, brooches, fabric, feathers… if it can substitute for flowers, someone’s using it. This is a great trend if you’re dealing with allergies or want to DIY your bouquets and centerpieces over time. But real flowers are hardly going anywhere.

More brides have been doing DIY projects for their weddings, and that isn’t changing anytime soon. Whether it’s to save money, add uniquely personal touches, or honor a family tradition, using your own hands to put at least a couple pieces of your wedding together can be tremendously satisfying.

Green is clearly the way to go in the coming year. From invitations of recycled paper to living plant centerpieces, to packets of wildflower seeds as favors, brides and grooms everywhere are getting eco-friendly and loving it.

More weddings than ever are happening in the great outdoors. Whether it’s a garden, a beach, the woods, couples are choosing the sky as the ceiling they prefer. As someone who had an outdoor wedding and loved it, I say go for it… just make sure you have a backup plan in case of inclement weather.

Of course trends are fun, but never follow one if it feels wrong to you. You should do what matters to you.

And so she figured out how to do it herself for something in the neighborhood of $10.00.

I don’t know about you, but I think saving $70.00 while coming up with a completely personalized item is well worth the time and energy spent on it!

There really are times when saving money can be fun.

Oh, and if your cake isn’t going to be either round or square, don’t panic! They include equally handy guides for tiers shaped like hearts, flowers, ovals, and paisley, too.

If you’re the one baking your own cake (or you’re giving the job to someone close to you who is a great baker but hasn’t done this level of work before), you can also find great tips on the site for how to construct, decorate, display, and even transport this all-important confectionary creation to your reception site.

There is a section of recipes, but I have to say they didn’t impress me much. Frankly, I would look elsewhere.

But if you need to find a speciality pan, pastry bags and decorating tips, or display items to get you going, Wilton is a great place to start.

Whether you’re looking to make centerpieces, design and make your own veil, or coming up with handmade favors, chances are you can find inspiration and instruction somewhere on the net. So I’m going to hunt down some of the coolest ideas and clearest instructions to help you get started finding what projects are right for you.

Today, we’re talking about flowers. I’ve been looking around and I’ve discovered some fun projects that nearly anyone can do.

First up, see that picture at the top of this article? Wouldn’t those be delightful on the tabletops at a spring wedding, particularly with a Japanese theme? They’re also origami. This is the sort of project you can do over time or organize a party to play with.

For a more last-minute project, eHow has a really clear and simple video class on tying bouquets. Trust me, I tied my own the night before the wedding, and it was simple. As long as you’re not trying to do something elaborate and tiered, chances are you can do your own if you’d like to.

How about these fun and fabulous fabric flower garlands? I could see stringing these while watching TV or chatting with friends over the course of weeks or even months. Find out how it’s done at Once Wed.

For something really different, consider freezing flowers in ice and displaying them around the room. You can find tips on how to do it at From Sparkly to Spouse.

Whether you’re going for sophisticated or down home, a riot of color or tone on tone monochrome, you can do all or part of your own wedding flowers. It’s all a matter of finding the right idea and practicing a little.

This one. It’s a freakin’ papercraft record player, for goodness’ sake! I’m less impressed that it kind of plays an original song written by the couple – Karen Sandler and Mike Tarantino – who sent it out than I am that you can even make a record player out of paper. That someone even conceived of this idea in the first place, and then someone – that would be designer Kelli Anderson who talks more about the whole project on her website – took that idea and rolled with it. Seriously. A papercraft record player interactive wedding invitation. Seriously… Doesn’t that just beat all?

Whether you DIY your jam wedding favors – champagne jam seems like a good choice – or get them in bulk from a factory production line, customized labels are the in thing. Popular slogans include ‘spread the love’ and ‘jam packed with love’, but I think putting your own twist on jam labels will make your favors more memorable.

You say you’re not planning a New York City subway themed wedding? No problem, just replace the subway card with anything. How about glittery table numbers or some other pretty thing?

All it takes are some nice flower pots – you could even use plain terracotta pots, homegrown wheatgrass, LED tea lights, and the table number of your choice.

Are you DIYing your reception centerpieces? If so, remember to scale your design to the size of your table so it doesn’t look dinky (or absolutely huuuuge)!