How to Transform Recycled Bottles into Wedding Bud Vases

I have always been really bad about keeping things I think are "cool" to use in future artsy projects. Usually, junk will sit unused for about a year before inspiration hits me and I decide to make something with the things I have saved. When it came to items for the wedding, I hoarded like a mad woman. I had several Rubbermaid containers in my garage filled with "stuff" that I could possibly use for making decorations - and one huge container held a ton of recycled glass bottles.

I think it was the summer before the wedding my brother gave me a huge crate full of small juice bottles because they were "cool". I took and kept them thinking I might make a bottle tree one day for my garden, but actually they were a saving grace when I needed multiple vessels for various wedding items.

About 4 months before the wedding I realized that I needed something to hold table numbers, greenery, and signs for my cake table. Now of course I could have used picture frames for the table numbers or simplified the design but I really wanted to use all those saved bottles. They were just too cute to not at least try to make something with them! I also loved that the bottles I had were clear and allowed just a little bit of colored light to pass though. Perfect I thought for an outdoor ceremony!

I ended up making 3 different kinds of bottles and I made WAY more than I should have - however I did end up using every single bottle I made. Here is a tutorial of how I transformed recycled bottles into gorgeous accents for my wedding!

How to Transform Bottles into Bud Vases:

For this project you will need:

* Recycled Bottles - I used three kinds of bottles: San Pellegrino Citrus bottles, Martinelli Sparkling Cider bottles, and two large green Reisling bottles.
* Jute or Hemp Cord - I had some left over but to buy new they are $8-$15 a roll
* Small Flowers or other Embellishments - I used tiny vintage rosettes I had already and wooden bird cutouts from Hobby Lobby (They were about $5.00).
* A glue gun and hot glue for the embellishements
* Nail polish Pads
* WD-40

The first thing you will need to do is make sure your bottles are VERY CLEAN - inside and out! The bottles I used once contained sugary drinks and I wanted to make sure since they would be outside they would not attract bees or ants! I soaked all the bottles in hot soapy water and for the most part the labels came right off. The wine bottles were a little tougher and they needed a bit of WD-40 to lift the adhesive.

Once they are dry you are ready to start embellishing! However - you might want to stop a second and not screw up big time like I did. I began wrapping hemp cord and tying it around almost 10 bottles when I realized there was BLACK LETTERING printed on the neck of the San Pellegrino bottles! *UGH*!

Not wanting to get stinking WD-40 all over the hemp cord I just tied onto those bottles, I went and grabbed my tub of nail polish remover pads by Elf. They do not contain acetone so they do not smell bad at all. These took the black lettering off the bottles without any residue or foul odor!

 

Anyway, after I wiped the lettering off all 20 of the San Pellegrino bottles I wrapped hemp cord around the necks and secured them with a simple bow. If you notice these bottles have a hint of blue in them - it is very faint but it was a lovely color. I thought these were a little too rustic as they were for my decor, so I decided they needed a touch of vintage to make them fit the theme better.

These rosettes were from the 1970's. I bought these from a flea market and they came with a bunch of small plastic doves and metallic rings. I had them forever knowing one day I would use them and low and behold! These were all on wire stems that I cut, then I glued these directly onto the cord with a dab of hot glue. Like I said before I made 20 of these with the intent to use them for table numbers.

I had 6 of these lovely green cider bottles that I tied with with the same cord but instead of rosettes I used wooden birds for embellishments. I made these with my cake table in mind since I had a tiered tray with birds on it as well. 

I will say at this point I was very proud with how all these turned out, but then I had second thoughts about those 20 light blue bottles I made. They were in fact light blue - nothing else in my wedding was blue. My mom also said several times that the green bottles were WAY cooler - which I will admit they were...but I also only had 6 green bottles and we had 20 tables. I actually tried to find more of these cider bottles to no avail so I was stuck. HOWEVER, it must have been fate, a stroke of genius in my subconscious, something when I realized those vintage rosettes MATCHED the rosettes on the back of my wedding dress... 

At the last minute I also wrapped hemp cord around the necks of two wine bottles and embellished them with the same pine cones I used when I made the boutonnieres. When it was all said and done and everything was in place it looked very professional - and fancy.

Truth be told no one knew or paid attention that the rosette bottles were blue. They were PERFECT for the bird table numbers I made and they looked so elegant with my birch wrapped vases and fresh fall flowers. The whole table ensemble was set off with round wood cuts (my lovely husband cut them all) and the swirl table overlay. 

And yes, I am going to brag a bit. Everyone in attendance said my cake table was the fanciest they had ever seen. And I will admit - it looked like something out of a magazine. My green bottles were perfect holders for my "flavor sticks". We served cake balls instead of a huge cut cake or cupcakes and we got them in several flavors. The galvanized and chalkboard sticks were only $0.99 each from Michael's and my mom wrote the flavors on them with a chalk marker. The tall wine bottles held dried greenery with gold swirls to create height. 

The look was simple enough to blend seamlessly with the decor and yet not unsophisticated or cheap in appearance. Any bride wishing to do something similar for their wedding could use whatever bottles you may have in your recycle bin! Instead of using hemp cord you could use ribbon or even beads strung on a wire. If you were doing a beach theme you could use clear Bud Lite with Lime bottles for a fun twist, or if you are into craft beers you could clean them and keep the labels on the outside. Perrier bottles are tall and have an interesting shape or you could purchase different bottles in a variety of colors from a craft store.

My goal in creating these bottles was I needed something where the cost was minimal, they would be easy and quick to put together, and easy to store and transport. I was able to do almost 30 bottles in less than two hours. I also did these 4 months before the wedding so they were ready to go on the big day. I felt like the overall look was very elegant and wedding appropriate for what little time and money that went into this project.

Band vs. DJ - Who to Pick for your Wedding

Joe DeBiak Entertainment

When it comes to planning a wedding, entertainment is one of the most important elements to consider in regards to your guests. People attend weddings for three reasons: Food, Booze, and Dancing. Basically if you eliminate one of those three things, you are going to have some pretty bored guests. Now, I have no issue at all in having a dry wedding. I do not drink so I honestly would not care at all if there was no liquor at my wedding. However, if you opt to have a dry wedding you should really bump up the entertainment aspect to get your guests involved on the dance floor. Let's face it, a lot of people consume a few drinks to loosen up and bring them out of their shells. BUT, a really great band or DJ can do the exact same thing without resorting to guests slamming the bar during cocktail or appetizer hour!

All For One Entertainment

Initially, we thought we would be using a DJ for our wedding. DJ's are a dime a dozen in the Indianapolis area and the prices of some range so wildly you really do not know the difference between one or another. Why is this guy $250 for 6 hours and that guy is $1000 for 8 hours? The truth is, unless you KNOW or meet with them, you really have no idea. My first encounters with entertainment vendors happened at bridal shows. I must admit, I was not immediately impressed with some of the things they did or offered. Several of the vendors at the Indianapolis bridal shows had packages that included laser lights, fog machines, projected images, etc. Or a bunch of stuff you would see at the CLUB and not at a wedding. I don't know about you, but I do not want my wedding to feel like a bachelor party in Vegas.

Another thing I took issue with was that a lot of these guys were really young and did not have a lot of experience. I have heard horror stories in the past about some local DJ's attributed to their youth. My mother hired a DJ for a work function some years ago and the "kid" who showed up was intoxicated. He also had no idea how to work a crowd of older people and proceeded to treat the event like a rave. As the night went on he became very insulting to guests who would not get up and dance and it was a total nightmare. We were also told about several mishaps at the Muncie bridal show by the event coordinator at the Horizon Center who said she personally does "damage control" in regards to DJ's because so many of them have showed up intoxicated or proceeded to drink while they were supposed to be playing music.

Martha Green Project

After hearing about the issues at the Muncie venue, I was less enthusiastic about having a DJ and was leaning more towards a band. One of my mother's former classmates and long time friend Martha Baker Green sings in a band and I swear she is the white Aretha Franklin. I thought how amazing would it be to have a live band at the wedding!? I also thought it would be unexpected and something guests would remember. However, when I got to thinking about all the other stuff we would need music for, I started to think having a band might not work.

Obviously a band (in most cases) is not going to have a sound system because it is not necessary. This is a problem though if you need to have a sound system for your outdoor ceremony. Most of your DJ's will have extra speakers, wireless microphones, and other things you will need for your officiant and of course the bride and groom so everyone can hear your vows. There is NOTHING worse than having an outdoor ceremony no one can hear!

Brideorama

Another issue you run into with a live band is that you will not have any music playing for when you walk down the aisle, during cocktail hour, or in the "down time" when the band takes a break. Also, you will typically find a band will only play for 3 hours on average at a wedding. They will also play for about 45 minutes to an hour then take a 20-30 minute break in between. So, if you have guests really getting into the music and are dancing, it is a downer to have to completely stop for half an hour. You would also need to curtail your reception schedule around when the band would play. This can be a problem if you have your wedding in the early afternoon because if you serve food at 4:00 for example and the band starts at 5:00, including breaks the band might only play until 9:00. If you still have guests wanting to party it up after that, you would need to arrange an after party somewhere.

I attended a wedding a few years ago and they had a live band. I must admit it was slightly awkward to not have any music playing during cocktail hour. The venue did have an indoor PA system to play the traditional wedding march for the aisle walk, but again their ceremony took place indoors. The band really got people moving on the dance floor, but after their first break that was the cue for many people to start leaving. I know we used the lull in the party to make an early exit because quite frankly the band was LOUD for the size of the room and we had headaches by the end of the night. So, if you want your guests to stay the whole length of your wedding, you might want to consider having someone play music the entire time.

Thailand Wedding Planning

Another thing you must consider is your guests and what they like to listen/dance to. My fiance loves motown music and jazz. For me, if I am going to dance I like disco music and modern pop. We both agreed that while we eat we would like old jazz and blues playing. I know for a fact not many people like this kind of music and prefer R&B, pop, or rock & roll. I like all kinds of music but again, I do not want my wedding to feel like a club and I do not think it is appropriate for "dance" music to be played during the meal. Most of our guests I think would prefer a live band because the majority of our guests are going to be older people - in other words people who will NOT dance. On the other hand, the young people in attendance will probably dance and I am not sure if people would dance to a blues band. I know our groomsmen like to bust a few moves, so ultimately I want the people who will actually be DANCING to have a good time.

Another issue you get into with bands is generally they only play one style of music, cannot take requests on the fly, and unless prior arrangements are made they will not make announcements such as the entrance of the bridal party. This can be an issue because the bridal party entrance usually takes place before the meal begins. Some people also like specific music to be played for the garter/bouquet toss, "funny" groomsmen dances, choreographed dance numbers, wedding games, and so on. A band for obvious reasons will likely not be able to do any of this.

High Society Music

Ultimately if money were NOT an issue, I would hands down have both a band and a DJ at our wedding. My biggest concern is having a PA system outside for our vows to be perfectly honest. Many couples with extra cash to burn for this part of their wedding do opt to have both a band and a DJ for the reasons I stated before in regards to PA systems for vows and for cocktail music as well as announcements and for late night dancing. However, if you do this you will be paying full rates for both vendors. Some couples who have both are able to get really great deals because they know someone or the bride has a bother in the band or whatnot. On the other hand if you are not able to get a "deal" with the vendor you are working with you should expect to pay MORE for a live band versus a DJ. 

You also have to take into account that you will need to add EVERYONE in the band to your meal list! Bands typically have 5 members and 2-3 assistants who come with them to weddings. You will need to provide food and refreshments for ALL of them. Whereas a DJ, who will also need to be provided with food and drinks will likely only have one person with them maybe two. If your plated meal is $40 a head and you add in a few drinks and cake you just added about $400 to your music budget if you go with a band.

On a side note, for some reason lately I have gotten a lot of Groupon offers for DJ packages. This might be forecasting for graduation parties and the like, but some of them are REALLY great deals! But again, without meeting with the actual DJ/MC I would be concerned about the maturity level of some of the younger guys and how they would act in a non-club setting. 

While both my fiance and I really love the idea of having a band, we are still milling over the "what-to-dos" in regards a PA system, music to play during cocktail hour, music after the band leaves, etc. We would also need to hire someone to man the computer or iPod player to make sure things were cued up as well. If it ultimately seems like it is going to be a bigger pain to have us provide our own music during down time, we will go with a DJ instead.

Using Plastic Utensils at a Wedding

WEBstaurant Supply Store

This is FAKE silverware...yes is it plastic! I think this is the coolest thing to happen to outdoor dining in recent years - especially for weddings. My fiance and I decided early on we wanted a buffet style meal. We are leaning towards BBQ because everyone generally likes it and it is not as "stuffy" as a plated meal. Not to mention it is WAY cheaper to go with buffet anything than have a plated dual entree meal. And when I say way cheaper it can be $15-$30 less per plate to opt for buffet. 

However, we did not want it to look super cheap and just use the generic clear or black plastic utensils. Not only do I feel that your run of the mill plastic utensils should be reserved for birthday parties or back yard picnics, but most of your guests will probably think this too. I think the metallic silver looking utensils are a perfect bridge to the gap between cheap and practical! The WEBstaurant Supply Store sells boxes of "silverware like plastic" knives, forks, and spoons much less expensively than GFS or the party supply stores around town.

But, of course I had to find something cheaper...I was able to get packs of these utensils for $1 at Dollar Tree (It might be "Deals" in your state but they are the same company). So, a 3 piece place setting for 4 people is only $0.25 per setting. I went ahead and bought enough packs of these for 150 place settings because when I had to call Dollar Tree Corporate about the plates I will be using, they said once they are out of certain items they will likely never get them again. Although the ones from the WEBstaurant Supply Store had fancier stems at the base, I will be making silverware sleeves out of burlap and you will never see the bottom of the utensil until they are being used.

Daveynin - Flickr

In another blog post I did I outlined the pros and cons of using various kinds of plates. Well there are some cons to using plastic utensils - no matter if they are white, clear, or "fake silver". The biggest pro for me is that you just throw them away when you are done. They are not heavy, there is no washing, and they are cheap. And, for most foods that appear on a buffet, you will have no problem whatsoever using plastic utensils. 

But, there are some foods that will  not hold up well to plastic. Most crudites you eat with your fingers, so it is unlikely you would try to use a plastic fork to eat raw broccoli or carrots. We personally will not be serving salad at our wedding, but I feel like it is somewhat difficult to eat salad with a plastic fork. 

Fruits on the other hand can all be easily "stabbed" with a plastic utensil. Cheeses and meatballs also hold up well to the mighty plastic. You could also use toothpicks for this kind of thing as well.

We will likely be serving shredded BBQ for our entrees, and I have eaten this fare with plastic forks without issue many times. Fish is also very easy to eat using plastic - such as shrimp or salmon. You DO get into trouble when you are trying to eat chicken, ribs, or steak with plastic.

Flame Master Grill

BBQ at weddings has become increasingly popular with cowboy, rustic, vintage, and country themes. They just seem to go hand in hand! However, you have to consider most people who will be attending your wedding will dress up and look nice. When people are dressed up, they really do not want to make a mess with food - which is hard when you are serving a traditionally messy meal like barbeque. 

Some brides make this dilemma a "funny" thing and offer bibs and wet towels at the table. Others, like me, will simply provide utensils to be used to eat food traditionally eaten with the hands. 

Now, we will not be doing racks of ribs, but I have tried to eat ribs with plastic forks and knives before. It does not work...trust me...You look awkward for one because the men will just grab a rib and shove it into their mouth not caring they are getting sauce all over their face. But women will typically not do this at a wedding. So, they will pick and poke to get morsels of meat off the bone and it is just very difficult to do with plastic. You get into the same thing with roasted or fried chicken on the bone. What you end up with is a lot of broken utensils, wasted food, and hungry guests who will load up on sides instead of using their hands to eat a messy meal.

Sports Fans United

While grilled chicken breast is not difficult to eat with a fork - using a plastic knife to cut it is not easy. You spend so much time sawing away at your entree it will get cold before you can eat it. You can get around this by providing buns so you can eat a whole chicken breast like a sandwich.  

BUT, if you have steak you absolutely have to provide guests with a real knife. You can get by with plastic forks and spoons for sides but it is just too difficult to cut steak or pork chops with a plastic knife. 

You can get boxes of super cheap knives at the Dollar Store as well. They are less than $1 per guest, but well worth it if you want your guests to be able to cut their meal. We are going with already shredded chicken and pork BBQ to avoid this mess all together, but it is something that is often overlooked. In fact, as I was thinking this over and writing this blog I was watching Four Weddings on TLC and this issue came up. The ladies could not cut strip steak with their plastic knives so they just left it at the table. That is a lot of money down the drain due to poor planning in the utensil department.

Gospel Coalition

If you are eating an entree that requires a knife, you also cannot skimp on the plates. You cannot use paper or foam plates for steak or pork chops. Paper and foam are really not suitable for anything that is not meant to be eaten on a bun. 

Plates made of paper or foam will sag or break for one - but you will then STAB right through it with a real knife. This will likely soil your linens and make an unnecessary mess that will embarrass your guests. You have to be careful because while some of the caterers who do a buffet will offer china plates as an option, remarkably this does not include real silverware. So even with the china plate up-charge, you are still stuck with plastic utensils unless you ask.

The Verdict:

If you are wanting to stick with a super casual BBQ/grill fare, keep it simple and plan on guests using utensils for sides and not primarily for the entree. Anything on a sandwich will go over great. Beef brisket, pulled BBQ chicken and pork, fish filets like salmon, hamburgers, and hotdogs. Also think of having buns or rolls so people do not have to messy their hands or use a knife to cut tough foods. If you are going to have racks of ribs, steak, or pork chops, bite the bullet and just do china plates and real silverware. These foods will cost more than hamburgers and hotdogs anyway so it would be appropriate to splurge a bit. If your caterer wants to nickel and dime you for every metal fork and plate, keep the Dollar Stores in mind - you can get matching china plates for $1 each and flats of 50 pieces of stainless steel silverware for $10.

Wedding Favors - The Pros and Cons of Trinkets vs. Treats and the Fun Factor

I found these wedding favors a few years back on MyWeddingFavors and I thought, "OMG I MUST HAVE THESE FOR MY WEDDING!" Peas and peapods have always been a special thing for my fiance and I despite the fact that they usually bring to mind new babies and expectant mothers. We did decide to have a little bit of a pea pod theme incorporated into our fall wedding by using a custom made pea pod cake topper and green for one of the main colors. When I first found the above salt & pepper shakers I thought how cute would these be to give as favors?! Then I really got to thinking about it...

Fast forward to now as I am currently planning my own wedding and the idea of favors just seems a little unnecessary to me. In the past 5 years I have been to I believe 7 weddings. Each of those weddings had favors of some kind, but I must admit that I did not keep any of the non-edible favors. Three weddings had personalized votive candles. Each had their name and wedding date with a simple vanilla scented candle. While I took mine home and used it, I threw the votive away when the candle was through because who really wants a trinket with someone else's name and wedding date on it? At one wedding, the votive candles were so well incorporated into the couples tablescape that only a handful of the 200+ guests knew/realized they were supposed to take the candle as a favor!

At other weddings I attended, the trinket style favors included matchbooks, drink holders, pens, and personalized bell Christmas ornaments, in addition to the votive candle holders. Some weddings also had more than one favor. As I priced out the adorable pea pod shakers as favors for myself - at 150 favors that would be a whopping $450 in JUST the favors - not including shipping. Personalization of the labels is extra as well, so really it would cost me about $500 to get these favors for my wedding. Not only is that WAY too expensive for my budget but really, who would want these or use them? They are porcelain and they are salt and pepper shakers. Of all my friends and family members, most of them use salt and pepper crackers that you get generic from the grocery for $1. Let's face it, most people my age will not ever go to the trouble of filling a salt and pepper shaker. As a vintage dealer, have sold quite a few S&P's to collectors but again, they are not typically used. So, unless you had a display area, these would be taken home and likely tossed in a drawer to be forgotten or handed over to Goodwill.

My mother and I were discussing favors the other day and she thinks this concept is so foreign, and yet I know many people who are adamant that something be offered at the table. My mother likened the idea of favors at a wedding to a gift bag filled with Crayons and candy you hand out at a child's birthday party. However, I do feel it is important to offer something as a "Thank You" to the guests. Interestingly, my notion that trinket type favors are on the outs with brides and guests alike was bolstered by a forum I found on WeddingWire where a person asked, "Do Guests Really Want Wedding Favors?". The overwhelming majority answered "no", but did agree that edible favors would go over better.

After sorting the pros and cons with various kinds of favors (which I will list below) I concluded we will do an edible favor - cookies to be exact. I really loved the idea above that I found on Pinterest. It had no link associated with it, but these are Anchor Hocking jars that you can get at Wal-Mart for $9.97 each. I personally despise shopping at Wal-Mart but the truth of the matter is that these 2-gallon cookie jars are MADE IN THE USA by Anchor Hocking and they are extremely nice and Wal-Mart has the cheapest price.

While this is a very nice and appealing display for cookies, the problem with a "buffet style" get-your-own treat bar is guests that over serve themselves. My mother told me while she was researching the cookie favor option, many brides regretted having a serve yourself cookie bar. Not only would guests graze on cookies all night long, but then they would take SEVERAL fill-your-own-bags home for coworkers, neighbors, and friends. It would never occur to me personally to scoop up handfuls of goodies at a WEDDING to pass out to acquaintances, but this apparently happened often enough for several online forums to be dedicated to it.  While the idea IS for the cookies to be eaten by everyone, it seemed that if people were given the option to "take at will", only about half of the guests would get any at all! To eliminate guests from packing 20 cookies into a bag designed to hold 4, we will be making our own personalized bags and place ONE at each table setting that will contain 4 different cookies. If there are any cookies left over, they will be placed on a platter alongside cupcakes and other various small treats to be eaten as "extras" for dessert.

Cookies are not the only treat where you can run into serving issues. You get into the same problems with self-serve candy and popcorn bars. If there are children at your reception, they will inevitably stick their bare hands right into jars forgoing the use of tongs or scoops to grab a treat. You will also notice that the glass jars above have lids - many couples do not take into account that the lids will need space to be set down while guests are serving themselves. You cannot really hold a bag, a heavy glass lid, and a scoop/tongs at the same time. This can also lead to placing bare hands into vessels which can be a HUGE turn off for some people. And do not EVEN get me started on chocolate fountains! Thank goodness they are going out of style, because I honestly cannot think of a worse thing to have at a wedding than a chocolate fountain. Not only will kids stick their hands or faces directly under the molten chocolate (I personally witnessed this happen at two weddings) but guests will not think twice about double dipping a crispy treat they have already bitten into. The fountain becomes an edible Petri dish in no time flat...GROSS! 

Anyway, without further ado, I will go over my pros and cons with various kinds of trinkets and why you might want to opt for an edible favor instead of an item.

The Place Card Holder as a Favor: 

The above place card holders were found at MyWeddingFavors and I thought they would be really cute for a vintage or steampunk theme wedding. If you are having a plated meal you MUST use place cards of some kind so guests know where to sit...but then using the holder as a favor? Why? I mean really, how many guests for one will WANT a single place card holder as a favor and two, who would assume this to be a favor? And yet, there are many sites that suggest using a place card holder to double as a favor. The holders above cost about $1.40 a piece or roughly $210 for 150 guests. If you were to go with an option like this, I would suggest you use them as part of your tablescape then resell them after the wedding.

Better Idea:  

Found at The Knot, here someone used real Clementine oranges or Cuties to hold the place card. Guests can eat these once they are seated and you can make your OWN little tag for the top really easily! You get, what, 30 oranges in a crate for $5 at the grocery? That is only about $0.16 per cardholder or $24 for 150 guests. You could use recycled paper you already have for the tags as well.

Bottle Openers: 

Also found at MyWeddingFavors are these really cute bottle openers. Bottle openers have become very en vogue as wedding favors in the past few years. I believe this might have something to do with the rising popularity of craft beers that have caps that actually come off with a bottle opener. But, unless you are drinking a craft beer I could not tell you the last time I opened a beer or soda that did not have a screw top. Now, I am not a beer drinker myself but we do get beers every once in a while to use for cooking chili. Not once have I ever opened one having to use an opener. You get into the same problem with corkscrews. Odds are, everyone who has wine in their homes already has 3-4 corkscrews so why would they need another? The above openers are quite pricy as well. They are a whopping $2.70 EACH so for 150 guests that would be $405 without shipping. 

Better Idea:  

Coasters! The above coasters I found being handmade from Etsy seller Vermont Branch Company. Most people can, do, and will use coasters. I use coasters at home because I have a glass top coffee table and they are great to have on hand for parties and holiday get-togethers. The above artisan coasters come out to about $3 each ($450 for 150 guests), but coaster are so easy to make yourself if you went with this as a favor option for your wedding. Coasters are a great option because what you can do is get CHEAP "tumbled" tile from a hardware store like Lowe's or Home Depot and you can customize them yourself for often less than $0.25 each. I bet you could whip up coasters for 150 guests at about $40 total cost.

Cute Yet Odd Kitchen Item Favors: 

In recent years bizarre kitchen related items have made their way into wedding favor territory. For example, the personalized honey pots above. Going in the vane of salt and pepper shakers, who uses honey pots today? I collect vintage honey pots and jars but I never use them since my honey comes in its own glass jar from the farmers market. Other items cropping up as favors are mini whisks, ice cube trays, silicone cupcake cups for baking, cookie cutters, measuring spoons, and so on. Unless you or your spouse are bakers or chefs and everyone was aware of that fact, I think giving a kitchen staple that everyone already has is just silly. The kitchen items also seem to be really pricy. The honey pots are $3.70 EACH or $555 for 150 favors.

Better Idea: 

Why not give ACTUAL honey as a favor if you want to use a cooking/baking theme for the gift? These small jars of clover honey can be personalized and are small enough for 2-3 breakfast uses. These come out to about $3 each or about $450 for 150 jars. Again, this is likely something you could get MUCH cheaper from a local bee keeper and you could tie your own twine around the lids and make your own labels. The same holds true for locally made jellies, jams, and salsas.

Things that Smell: 

It seems like today everyone has a "thing" with things that smell - and that "thing" is almost always negative. This includes soaps, candles, perfumes, sachets, potpourris, etc. Not only do you have to be concerned with allergies and headaches, but if you opt for something scented you can bet only a fraction of your guests will like it. For example, most votive candles that you can get at any of a zillion wedding favor stores online use vanilla as the scent - if you do not like vanilla you likely do not have an alternate smell choice. Soaps have become more popular for use in rustic themed weddings as well. The lovely burlap wrapped soaps above are sold by Etsy seller CountryChicSoaps. While these are homemade and probably smell really great, I am actually allergic to many oils people put into homemade soaps. For whatever reason they make my hands puff up, and I also have friends who are allergic to fancy soaps. At $1.65 each ($247.50 for 150) for the soaps above, this makes a really elegant statement...but it would not be appreciated if your guests were turned off by the scent.

Better Idea: 

Wedding seed packets! At WeddingPackets, they make customized seed pouches of your choice to offer as a favor. These are really easy for guests to use because most seeds you can just dump in the soil and lightly cover in the fall and they come up in the spring. Furthermore, most people like flowers even if they are allergic since they can be enjoyed by looking outdoors from inside your house. The ones sold through Wedding Packets are only $0.31 each or $46.50 for 150 packets. However, you could make your own for pennies each and create your own wildflower mix if you wished! 

The Verdict: 

Basically, I cannot really find much fault with edible favors. Especially with cookies - who does NOT like cookies? I know some couples want to make a statement with their favors regardless if their guests really can use/want them. But, as a bride on a budget, I cannot just throw money away on something I think is cute and not consider the appeal factor or usefulness for my guests.If you are the kind of person who thinks they really need to give an item since food and booze is a given at most weddings, think outside the box! There are many DIY tutorials to be found online, and especially on sites like Pinterest where you view many ideas at once. If Mod Podge and label making are not your thing however, you could turn the favor giving into a game! 

You could give $1 Lottery tickets as a favor and ask guests to scratch them off  at a specific time so the big winners can do a "victory dance" with the bride/groom. You could also have an online shop make personalized Fortune Cookies and have 3-5 have fortunes that say the guest has won a prize. Good Fortunes, Inc. will make up to 17 different messages inside their cookies and make custom logos for free. You can also get 500 cookies for $49 which is a steal (each of the 150 guests could have 3 cookies)! The "winning" fortunes could say you won a gift certificate to a nice restaurant or a mani-pedi for a female winner for example. You could also do a raffle and ask guests to "buy" tickets. 

I was at a wedding recently where the bride and groom had what I called a "tip jar or beggars cup" for a honeymoon. They placed a huge glass jug on the GIFT TABLE with a sign that said Honeymoon Fund. I thought this was the tackiest thing I had ever seen. I thought to myself, "Here I am placing the gifts I bought you from your registry on the table, and you are asking for another handout?" I mean I know weddings are expensive and the couple probably did not have much money left over for a honeymoon, but why be so forward about it? Some people thought this was "cute" but many people did not think kindly of the idea. 

I think a much classier way to go about this is to give guests the option to buy raffle tickets for a NICE item - and have the ticket money go towards a honeymoon or new house fund for the bride and groom. For example, say tickets are $1 each and each guest can buy as many as they like. The prize could be a $150 gift certificate to a fancy restaurant like Fogo de Chao or something like that. I bet a lot of people would drop $20 easily on tickets for a chance to win something nice, and it would go over much better than placing a jar on a gift table only to have guests drop pocket change and singles inside. Since we are not having a religious affiliated ceremony or reception I think we might do the Lottery ticket idea (some people can be very much offended by games of chance or gambling, the same goes for liquor as favors so keep this in mind). It would only cost us $150 and it would be a GREAT way to get guests involved on the dance floor!

Practical Wedding Place Settings on the CHEAP!

My focus of this post is to show the pros and cons of using certain types of plates for a place setting at a wedding and what I am personally choosing for my wedding.

My fiance and I decided early on to have an inviting, casual, outdoor wedding. Basically, my idea is to have "rustic elegance" as the theme but not have it so "frou-frou" that guests feel out of place. Most of the men at the wedding will be construction workers or farmers so the laid back atmosphere should go over well. The above image I found on Pinterest and I just love the moss/pine cone/bird decor with white plates! We are renting a massive tent for our big day and the reception will be held under it. I am hoping it will be sunny and 74 on our wedding day (hey, don't we all!?) so we can have an indoor/outdoor thing going on but October in Indiana can basically come with any weather condition you can imagine. Because of this, I did not want a caterer, guests, or any servers/attendants to be encumbered with dealing with china/glass dishware. My reasons for NOT going with china will be detailed below.

Now, all this would be different if we had wanted a sit down plated meal. If you opt to have a plated meal, generally a caterer will provide their own dishes and flatware and will deal with cleaning/storing them - some however offer this at an extra cost per person or per plate. When we looked into having a plated meal catered, it came out to about $25-$35 PER PERSON for the basic two entree/two side option. I am wanting to have this wedding as inexpensively as possible, so having a meal cost that much is out of the question. Instead, we are having a barbeque picnic style meal - which would better suit us anyway. The caterer we are going with does provide basic foam or paper plates. While this would be just fine if we were having a Super Bowl party or general get-together with friends, I feel that this sort of table setting would be too casual for a wedding.

This got me thinking of plate options. I knew right away I did not want paper plates. Despite the fact that you can get both round and square paper plates at Party City in any color you desire, I feel that most basic paper plates just scream birthday party and not wedding. Furthermore, when you are at a buffet piling on delicious eats the last thing you want to happen is for your plate to "sag" or bend. The inexpensive plates you get at the party store tend to be very thin and flimsy which leads to double or triple layering to make them sturdy enough. Not only is this wasteful, but impractical since the plates will be thrown away anyway. So, instead of each guest throwing away maybe 2 plates each, they are throwing away 6. Doesn't make much sense right? The "premium" plates pictured above I found being sold through an Ebay seller in "Embossed Citrus Green". While I LOVED these, they are $0.99 EACH when you add in shipping. Again, I do not want to spend $200+ on plates to be thrown away. PLUS, I would have to also buy dessert plates on top of the entree plates.

The next option is plastic. Again, like paper plates, with plastic you can run into the same problems with sagging and bending. Some of the cheapest plastic plates will also crack in the centers easily under the weight of food. Another problem with plastic plates is that they can get really hot if there is hot food on them - even more so than with paper. I remember being at a party last summer and I almost flipped a plate with baked beans on it because the plastic plate got so stinkin' hot in the center. Again, this will lead to people doubling or tripling the layers of plates creating unneeded waste. The plates pictured above I thought were SO cool - not really fitting with our theme - but SO cool nonetheless. They too were being sold by an Ebay seller and they are called "Luncheon Wedding Plastic Plates". I had a sticker shock moment however when I added in shipping, they were $1.60 EACH. The silvery lace on the outer edge commands a premium and they are beautiful - but really, if you are going to spend $1.60 on ONE plate, you might as well get china.

When I went to GFS with my mother and we were pricing out their plastic plates, I found their prices were comparable with online prices. They had "basic" clear plastic plates with a scalloped edge for $11.49 for a pack of 18. They were "OK" but with tax they would be about $0.65 each. The matching cake dishes were $5.99 a pack for 18 or about $0.35 each. I was pretty happy with the price being at about $1 per guest for dinner and dessert plates combined. But...well...the plates were boring, basic, and just not cute. They did not look elegant, or special, or interesting. And again, I was worried that they would be too thin and would need to be doubled and that would eat into costs unnecessarily. I was about to give up at GFS until I found THIS:

GFS sells these awesome packs of plates by Mozaik. The plates inside are quite sturdy plastic. They are white with a silver metallic edge, and you cannot tell they are not real china! At GFS, they have this 40 piece set for $9.99. It is a full service for 8 WITH "stainless steel look" utensils. There are 8 entree plates, 8 dessert plates, and 8 each of plastic knives, spoons, and forks. That comes out to about $1.28 with tax per guest. You can find these exact same plates online with a gold edge too, but they did not sell the gold version at GFS. Considering there are utensils with this makes it a great deal. BUT - I just knew I could get a better deal if I looked.

And I DID find a better deal on the EXACT same plates! I had a hunch that the Dollar Store might carry these...Some of the local Dollar Stores DO carry the entree plates - 4 for $1. They also sell the small dessert plates - 6 for $1 and they sell small packs of the stainless-look silverware. I priced it out compared to the boxed set at GFS and found that by buying the plates and utensils separate, it is about $3 cheaper for a 8 person place setting. The only issue with this is that often times, once discount stores like a Dollar Store or Deals run out of an item, they might not ever get more in. This month I am planning to visit all the local "dollar" type stores to see if I can score enough plates for everyone and get it out of the way.

One of the main reasons I wanted to go with these particular plates is because I really do not want people to throw them away per-se - but I want them to be thrown into a plastic bag where they can be dealt with later.

Allow me to explain. 

Initially, I had this grand idea that I would use mismatched vintage china plates for the wedding meal. I found this picture above on WeddingBee and it is pretty representative of my own vintage plate collection. This style of place setting is very on trend for rustic weddings and it would have gone with my theme perfectly. My every day plates are made of mismatched floral bone china that I have picked up over the years from yard sales and flea markets, so I had planned on just going on buying trips and picking up more plates here and there. But then I got to thinking...as a vintage dealer for 13 years I know the problems you can run into with vintage dishes. Here are a few problems you can encounter with using vintage plates:

Fragility:  

Vintage plates often have hairline cracks and crazing due to age. While this can be very appealing as a display on a wall or in a hutch, if you use them for food you have to be very careful what kind and how much food you put on them. Very hot foods can cause hairline cracks and fissures to open up and a plate can literally break in half as it sits on a table with hot food. If you have a weighty pile of food it can also cause a sudden break right down the center of the plate. If you have foods with sauces or drawn butter, it can leak through these cracks as well and dirty your table cloths and mats. Vintage plates are also often made of English bone china or Japanese porcelain and the second they "tap" another plate or glass they will chip.

Practicality:  

If you have 150+ entree plates and 150+ dessert plates, someone will have to be in charge of taking them into the kitchen and washing them. Unless you have a wonderful family member or friend willing to stand in the kitchen for 2 hours washing dishes, this will likely be more of a pain for YOU as a bride than what it is worth. Vintage plates make this even more difficult to address. Vintage plates cannot be put into the dishwasher. The high temperatures of modern washers will cause plates to bust and chip during a cycle even if they are not touching each other. You also cannot stack heaps of vintage dishes together and carry them together for the same reason. So, you will have attendants making many runs from your tables to a washing area where dishes will pile up until they can be washed and properly stored. I would imagine this would cause breakage of probably three-fourths to half of the plates in all honesty.

Storage:  

What are you going to do at the end of the night with 300+ plates? No, even more importantly, where are you going to store these before the big day? Since vintage plates are so fragile they really need to be wrapped separately and stored in something like a big plastic tub with a lid. As you would be making endless trips to Goodwill and flea markets collecting your dishes, you would need to make sure they were being stored so they would not get broken in the meantime.When I was looking for Ball jars for drinking I did find that some vendors in the south rent out vintage plates.

The Verdict:  

Because of all these reasons, I decided that the white plastic plates with silver rim would work best for me and my guests. I am also thinking that just in case they may not be sturdy enough that I might see if a simple plastic changer would help dress up the table. My plan is for people to "discard" the plates into bins outside where they can be bagged up and tied off after the meal to avoid smells or bugs. I will have no problem washing them myself the following day and either reselling them or renting them out. As a bride on a tight budget, I am going to maximize the re-usability of everything I buy for my wedding to recoup some of the expenses after the big day.