Message in a Bottle Wedding Favours

Build the sense of intrigue surrounding your big day with a secret message in a bottle. Roll up personalised messages to your guests and leave them as favours at each place setting, or use them to send your save the dates. Perfect if you're planning a nautical or vintage wedding. These sets are from Minature Rhino and include stoppered vials, a charm of your choice, paper and a little cloth bag. If you want to do your own DIY project, then check out Coloured Bottles for a lovely selection.

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DIY Wedding Ribbon Ideas

On a recent trip to Newcastle to visit my Dad, he took me to possibly the best shop in the world. It's called RE and it's a wonderful world of wedding inspiration. I'll be featuring many of their gorgeous products over the next few weeks, but let's start with these heavenly ribbons. Add them to your wedding invitations, favours, vases and wrap them round your wedding bouquets and buttonholes. They're a fantastic way to brand your big day. Don't worry if you can't get to the north-east, they deliver.

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Alternative Wedding Buttonholes

*I just love these!*  I've already featured Kikichoo's badges as an idea for wedding favours, but these cupcake couples are perfect for the wedding party. At £1 each, they're a lot cheaper than floral buttonholes, and come in cute pairs and different colours, so you can match up your bridesmaids and ushers. It's one way to drop hints about who you think should get together on the dancefloor!

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Why Eco-Chic Brides Love Burlap

Just because it's slightly rough and ready, doesn't make burlap any less chic. In fact, it's its naive rusticity that makes it this season's fabric of choice for eco-chic weddings. Made from vegetable fibres, it's often used to make sacks to transport coffee beans, and it's these bags that are super-easy to recyle into gorgeous accessories and favours. Perfect for a couple keen to be green on their big day.

Product Credits {from top left} - 1. My Adobe Cottage, 2: Lilmissi, 3: The French Nest Co, 4: Ginie Lee, {from bottom left}, 1: Lilmissi, 2: My Adobe Cottage, 3: Funky Shique

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Custom Wedding Favour Bags

Whatever you choose for your wedding favours, I'd be tempted to house them in these cute little muslin bags. Discovered on one of my many wonders around the wedding web world, they're made by the lovely ladies over at The Wedding Chicks, and they come in a dozen pretty designs. Personalise them with your wedding date and your names, and fill them with sweets, a handmade biscuits, or little keepsakes. You could even stuff them with lavender to make DIY scented bags. The numbered bag would make the perfect Save the Date, or send it as an extra detail with your wedding stationery. If you're not keen on the designs - you could always buy your own via Etsy, and personalise with a stamp.

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Wedding Reception Inspiration: Ice-Cream

With all the hot weather we've been having, my mind has turned to summer weddings, and how to make them stand out from the crowd. Vintage sweet buffets have been a hugely in vogue for the last couple of years, so why not try a twist on the trend, and organise a vintage ice-cream buffet. Encourage your guests to pick their favourite flavour, add a topping or two, and top it off with a cute personalised wooden spoon - super-easy to DIY thanks to this letter set from The TomKat Studio Shop. I'm loving this shoot by Eat Drink Chic, complete with free downloadable candy-pink striped stationery.

Buy your ice-cream supplies from The TomKat Studio Shop or from PaperMash in the UK.

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Unique Etsy Weddings: Jolly Edition Wedding Stationery

Every day this week I'm introducing my secret UK Etsy wedding discoveries. We've had a fantastic response so far - please do leave comments with your own favourite Etsy sellers. Today we're all about hand-painted wedding stationery by Jolly Edition, run by married couple, Laura and Tom in Cambridge. Together, they design beautiful, custom wedding stationery and bespoke wedding portraits, with a fun, vintage feel. I love the personality they bring to their work - their wedding stationery is truly a work of art. Don't miss the Jolly Edition website, including fabulous dog-walking cards and cat portraits!

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Have You Heard Of The Wedding Handkerchief Tradition?

Are you planning a traditional wedding? There are so many British wedding traditions, it's hard to count them. At our wedding, we mostly created our own traditions {read our DIY service}, but we did recreate a Russian wedding tradition by fastening a padlock around a fence at our wedding venue {see my blog post}. It was a lovely private moment between the two of us - the myth being you'll stay together as long as the lock lasts. Another lovely tradition from the Southern states of the USA involves hankies! It's all based on a wedding fable claiming that if a bride cries on her wedding day, those shall be the last tears she sheds about her marriage. So in America, bridesmaids and brides often give each other handkerchiefs as wedding favours or presents. The tradition has spiralled, and now even wedding invitations come printed on handkerchiefs. Check out my Pinterest board for more ideas on how to incorporate this wedding tradition into your big day.

{Picture Credit} SeafoamSAFARI sells stunning vintage handkerchiefs

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Paper Wedding Cakes & The Perfect Wedding Favours

Mmmm cake. And double-mmmm, cake without calories! These gorgeous paper cakes are a simply genius idea for packaging real wedding cake or for favours. The clever people over at Imeon Design handmake each one, and will customise it according to your desires. Chocolate, carrot, victoria sponge, nothing is beyond them. The best thing is that they're only $30 each, which works out as just over $2 a slice - yum! As you scroll down for the pics, you might notice the strawberries....I know they're not cake, but I loved them so much I couldn't leave them out. I think they'd be perfect as favour bags for a summer wedding.

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Key to My Heart Wedding Favours

Keys are romantic. Love letters written on keys are beyond romantic - in my view they're up there with Shakespearean sonnets and a good old proposal on one knee. That might explain why I've fallen hook, line and sinker for this cute laser-cut key, or it might be because I love all of Mister Rob's work. Pick up the limited edition keys from his online shop here, or pop down to his Colombia Road shop in London.

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Introducing Foto Noir - Luxury Wedding Photo Booth

When it comes to your wedding, the one thing I can guarantee, is that it will pass far too quickly. Our wedding lasted nearly 10 hours, but it still feels like it was over in a flash - everything sped up once we'd shared a couple of glasses of champagne! You're going to want as much photographic evidence of your wedding as possible, and while your wedding photographer will take all the lovely official shots, in my view a wedding photobooth is a must. Foto Noir is a luxury photobooth, which takes flattering {and hilarious}, black and white portrait pictures. Its subtle design fits in with every wedding style, even {as in the picture below} if your wedding is at The Savoy! Install it at your wedding reception and your friends and family will love it - we only had an old polaroid camera at our wedding, so I wish we'd discovered Foto Noir before our big day. The pictures are printed at the reception, so they work as brilliant wedding favours, as well as fabulous momentoes of your wedding day. Based in London, Foto Noir are happy to install their photobooth anywhere in the UK - book them now for your wedding day!

Picture Credits {above} Rebecca Goddard Photography, {all below} Foto Noir

Picture: Foto Noir neatly installed at a wedding reception at The Savoy.

Fabulous examples of Foto Noir pictures.

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Green Living Wedding Favours

Before the Big Day is all about finding new and unusual ideas to make your wedding stand out from the crowd. So I'm always on the look out for something different, particularly when it comes to wedding favours! This wedding trend from the US has completely caught on in the UK, and normally I always recommend foody favours, because then they never get wasted. However, when I spotted these cute LIVING favours by Gem Sprouts, I couldn't resist them. I reckon you'd probably only want to give them to your female guests, but they'd work perfectly at a garden wedding, or a botanical, eco-friendly themed big day. What do you reckon?

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How To Make Your Wedding Guests Look Cool

The moment I spotted these incredible wedding photo props, I felt the rush of wedding blog excitement. I had to share them with you! They would make for the most hilarious pictures, and even your shyest guest couldn't fail to get involved. Create a fancy dress prop box next to the photo booth at your wedding {my favourite is Foto Noir}, or place a different one at each table setting as a wedding favour. You could even have themed tables - distinguished moustaches on one, wacky glasses on the other. Buy these from Live Love Laugh Lots. P.S. I know I went a bit overboard with the pictures here, but I couldn't choose which one - they all made me happy! There's even more sets on the website!

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Seriously Cool Modern Cake Toppers

Got something to say? These seriously cool cake toppers will add a dollop of Danish chic to your cupcakes and canapés. Whatsmore, they'all double up as fabulous photo-props for your guests - particularly the moustaches, which come in several styles and sizes, from Mexican to Bearded. Designed by crafter Sarah Goldschadt from her home-studio in Copenhagen, you can buy them from her Etsy shop, Goldylocks, or pick up the DIY templates from her website.  

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Easy Lavender Wedding Favour DIY Project

Copying doesn't come easily to me - I was never one to look over my classmate's shoulder during a maths test, but when something as gorgeous as this tumbled into my Inbox, I couldn't resist! Cotswolds-based textiles designer Charlotte Macey sent out a DIY project for cute lavender sachets via Daily Candy, and I simply have to pass it on..... Wouldn't they make the best wedding favours? Charlotte promises it's easy-peasy, with no crafting experience required, so check out the instructions below. Never picked up a needle? Buy ready-made hearts from Charlotte here!

You’ll need:
Handful of lavender ♥ An old shirt or patch of fabric ♥ Needle and thread ♥ 1 cute button ♥ 1 pretty ribbon ♥ Piece of card approximately 15 cm by 10 cm ♥ Pinking shears

1. Pick a handful of lavender from the park {don’t get caught, and don’t blame us if you do}, bunch it together and hang it upside down to dry in a cool, dark place for a week. Once it’s dry, remove the buds with your hand.
2. Make a heart-shaped template approximately 9.5 cm wide and 13.5 cm high using a piece of folded card. Trace around the template onto two pieces of fabric, then cut with pinking shears. Sew button onto the middle of one.
3. Lay one heart piece on top of the other and loop ribbon in between to create a hook (any length you like), then pin it all together.
4. Sew around the heart, approximately 0.5 cm in from the edge, leaving a 4 cm gap on one of the long sides of the heart. Remove pins.
5. Fill with the dried lavender buds and sew the last few centimetres of your heart to seal it up.
6. Hang your creation inside your wardrobe to keep hungry moths away from winter clothes or place it under your pillow for a peaceful night’s sleep.

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DIY Wedding Fortune Tellers

One of the best things about meeting all the brides-to-be at The In-Wedding Show, was finding out what themes you are considering for your own wedding. Shabby-chic and vintage weddings are here to stay, as are butterfly motifs and vintage key themes. Wedding DIY projects were hugely popular - not least pom-pom making, and I'm predicting DIY weddings are a definitely a trend that's here to stay. One of the items on my stand that caught the eye of most brides, were my DIY fortune tellers. We included these at our own wedding, and my lovely husband designed and made each by hand - all 100 of them! The fortune tellers included fun facts about us as a couple, and inside, the menu for our evening meal. It was fantastic to see people working out how to use them as they sat down to dinner - they acted as a brilliant icebreaker. Make your own, by following the simple instructions below, or buy them via an Etsy seller like A Bespoke Touch or Kat's Crafts.

How To DIY Your Wedding Fortune Teller
★ First things first! Early on in your wedding planning, choose a signature font, and use it for all your DIY projects. It'll make everything look pulled together, and professional. At my wedding, we used a font called English which I downloaded for free from the internet. There's tonnes of free fonts available online, but be warned, once you start looking, it's impossible to choose which one!
★ Click for a fortune teller tutorial. When you click on the link, it'll automatically download the template onto your computer {the file is called 'cootiecatcher'}.
★ If this doesn't work, go to this link, click on 'Resources' and scroll down until you see Cootie Catcher {quite far down}. If you click on the link, it will automatically download the template.
★ Once you've downloaded the template and tutorial, all you need to do is open it in PowerPoint, and start adding your own details. Huge thanks to Gail Lovely for making this available.
★ You might have to practice a few times with the positioning of the words. Remember you can add pictures or symbols too! We added the name of our venue, the date of our wedding, and I Do!

 ♥ Want to see more DIY wedding ideas? ♥ Or how about wedding favour ideas? ♥

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Fun Origami Wedding Favours & Wedding Cake Toppers

As soon as a spotted these fun origami wedding accessories, I knew I had to feature them on Before the Big Day. There's something super adorable about the hearts and stars, and as a wedding blogger, I feel inspired just looking at them! They'd work brilliantly as cupcake decorations, or topping cocktail stirrers. Alternatively scatter them like confetti on your wedding dining tables, or place on neatly at each place. If you were feeling extremely extravagant, you could given throw them as confetti! Created by Coppleshop and sold on Etsy, they're a super-green wedding detail, because you can make them out of recycled paper. Learn how to DIY your own 3D origami wedding hearts, and 3D origami lucky stars.

♥ Want more DIY wedding ideas? ♥ Or how about wedding cake topper ideas? ♥

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Brilliant Cheap & Chic Bridesmaid Presents & A Competition!

Ever since one of my coolest friends chose Alphabet Bags for presents for her bridesmaids {pics here}, I've had a mega-crush on their fab designs. So when I discovered they'd launched a special range for weddings, I got very excited, and sent them a quick email promising a feature here on Before the Big Day. Imagine my excitement when they wrote back offering a fabulous Giveaway AND a Discount Code {sooo deserving of capital letters}. Win 5 bags from the Alphabet Bag Wedding Collection for you and your bridesmaids! All you need to do is Like Before the Big Day on Facebook, and leave a comment below saying which is your favourite bag. I'll announce the winner a week today {29th March}. Don't worry if you don't win, you can still get 15% off this week on bags, with the code BIGDAY.

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DIY Bride - Homemade Tissue Flowers

My preparations for The InWedding Show are in full swing, and all I can think about are the decorations for my Before the Big Day stand, and the room where I'll be hosting my special wedding inspiration sessions. It's just like planning for another wedding! I've been buying vintage props like this vintage typewriter, old apple crates, and crafting materials like peach tissue paper, colourful inks and heart-patterned straws. I'll be hosting four sessions on 22nd April, on the themes 'How to Make Your Wedding Fabulous {Themes & Colours}' and 'DIY Weddings Made Easy'. As part of my planning, I've been practicing my DIY skills, and I'm particularly pleased with how these little tissue flowers turned out. Made with nothing more than tissue paper, a toothpick and glue, they take less than 3 minutes to make! Check out the tutorial from fabulous crafting blog Oh Happy Day, and make sure you sign up for my wedding inspiration sessions when you buy your tickets for The In Wedding Show {only £3.50 in advance}.

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My Latest Obsession - Wedding Macaroons

I'm aware that I'm hugely behind the curve on this, and that the macaron-trend ship has well and truly sailed, but I've suddenly become obsessed with macaroons at weddings. It's part of my new love of colour and brights, which in turn is almost certainly a response to the endless grey of the English winter. Once hugely expensive, you can now by macaroons at M&S, making them an affordable treat, and a lovely present for a girlfriend who's invited you round for dinner. Of course, the Ladurée macaroons {or macarons in French} will always be the ultimate luxury, for the packaging alone! If you can't afford to give all your guests a box of macaroons as a wedding favour, why not try a DIY macaroon wedding cake?

{Photo Credit} Aimeentnguyen via Vintage Rose Garden

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