With the lure of DIY playing an ever-present role in the wedding world, Amanda Auer of In The Now Weddings and photographer Jasmine Star wanted to rethink DIY projects in a modern way. So, in addition to creating a styled shoot, they have also provided lots of great inspiration for easy projects couples can do on their own to personalize their wedding day. I love that they focused on the bar area too – an important element for most couples, but probably one of the last things you think about, so I hope this inspires couples! The location is the Vibiana in Los Angeles – an old Catholic church. Thanks to Amanda for all the DIY element write ups!
Candle Holders
I knew the feel of this shoot was going to have an industrial/modern twist to it- so I became enamored with creating custom candlesticks from plumbing supplies [found at Home Depot] and mixing them into a display with actual traditional, formal candlesticks. Using clear oil candles in lieu of traditional tapers was just another way to modernize the feel. We simply stacked and glued each piece [after spending about 3 hours in the plumbing aisle at the old H.D.] together and then spray painted the creation a shiny white to give it a clean touch. I love how elegant the pieces appear when placed on the mantle! A new twist on romance for any fun-loving, uniqueness-craving couple!
Custom Clear Confetti
Since nearly everything in the shoot was monogrammed, I knew that my little “aisle poppers” had to be no exception. This project took me the longest to figure out- but was the most WORTH IT at the end. I printed full sheet, full color transparencies [yes, like you used for an overhead projector in school] at my local Staples. When I printed, I had already created a full sheet of just our little plus-sign monogram. From there, I used my 1″ round circle hole punch to create custom confetti that could easily be mixed in with our cardstock/solid color circles. I love the contrast, and this was such a FUN, EASY project with a lot of bang for the buck!! I mean- custom confetti?? Come on!!
The ceremony confetti tubes were merely shipping tubes [yes! You can ship these!] that we purchased from Uline. You can pick the end cap color and the tube is clear- which I instantly loved. From there we just punched the confetti and filled about 1/2 way full, asking the guests to shower the bride and groom by removing one of the caps and tossing the confetti UP as they walked the aisle!
The Bar
Even before I knew anything about what I wanted for the shoot- I KNEW I wanted to feature a bar. For most weddings, the bar area becomes as an after thought that is draped in black and masked with ugly. I felt like, since the bar is the gateway that your guests have for the reception – and somewhere they’re likely to visit a few times throughout the event – why not truly make it a focal point?
The floating shelves were made of neon plexi, the same as the bar front. I used stand-offs [which are typically used to mount signage to buildings] to give the bar front an inch of space between the neon plexi and the bar itself. That made the bright neon blue pop even MORE. We also utilized and industrial-feel rack to act as the shelving and bar back area. Then, we loaded up the top of the bar with drink stirrers, custom coasters, watermelon garnishes cut into plus signs, rock candy swizzles- and more!
The signature drink, named The Smitten Kitten [dying] was mixed by Jay’s Catering especially for us. The red grapefruit and blueberry garnish was a PERFECT fit for the shoot, especially accented by that neon blue straw! And yes, since the location is an old Catholic church, we chose to locate the bar area inside and in front of the former confessionals!!
Sticker personalization for box/bar elements
The easiest way to make anything feel 100% custom is to utilize the accessibility of vinyl stickers. That is where one of our favorite “anything-is-possible” vendors, Creative Media Print, comes into play. From the stickers on the popcorn containers, to the monogram cups at the bar, to the custom coasters [which were vinyl stickers as well], even to the monogram on the aisle runner. Each of these pieces class up the event a TON and were made with just one vendor who created vinyl stickers for us. Since the options are endless [we chose to print our colors onto white vinyl because we were working with a specific palette], it’s all about how creative you want to get! Simply find a vendor [or use ours!] to create vinyl stickers of whatever monogram you’re working with, and then peel and stick- easy as that!
the “relief kit”
The “relief kit” is an idea that my other designer, Rachel, and I came up with a while back [pitching to real life clients, essentially it's a "Hangover Kit"]. We have been doing “late night snack boxes” for a while now and we thought, what a fun twist for a party crowd! Essentially trying to give them all those fun, terrible “craveable” snacks that each person may need for the morning after. We knew a bloody mary was key, so we ensured to include the ingredients for it [just add celery!]; and from there, we added some aspirin and a salty and savory snack to boot! Monogramming each element of the package just took it one step further! This idea is a FUN favor and gift for those “hard core” friends that stay until the bitter end with you.
So many great ideas you can easily translate into your day! Love that!! Thanks so much to all these creative vendors…
photography: Jasmine Star // event design + graphic design + floral design: Amanda Auer for In The Now Weddings // venue: Vibiana // catering and cake: Jay’s Catering // specialty rentals: Found Vintage Rentals // rentals: Classic Party Rentals // multimedia prints, vinyl and projects: Creative Media Print // linens: La Tavola Fine Linen // hair and makeup: 1011 Makeup // bridal gowns: Jenny Yoo // veil: Erica Koesler from The Dresser // styling accessories: H&M, Nordstrom, Forever 21
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Tuesday, January, 24, 2012 
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