musings from a diy bride :: greensboro wedding decor

I am so thrilled to have Jessica Goodenough, a recent Glessner Photography bride, as today's guest blogger! Jessica and her husband, Shane's, wedding was filled with tons of beautiful and personal details, many created by the craft-savvy bride herself. I asked Jessica to share with our readers some of the ways she was able to incorporate meaningful, personal touches to customize her wedding and how you can do the same. Of course, if you're not feeling as creative or ambitious, you can always have Jessica create custom items for you and your big day by visiting her Etsy shop, As You Fancy. Here's what she has to say...

Something Old

Like every little girl, I loved looking at my mom’s wedding gown in photos. I loved the dress, but I didn’t want to wear a circa 1980s wedding gown (complete with hat) for my big day. Instead, I incorporated the lace from my mom’s gown into my bridal clutch. Just some fabric glue on a clutch will get the job done, or you can order a custom, handmade bridal clutch here.

Something New

As I was planning the wedding, my cousin had a little announcement. “Surprise, I’m pregnant. Surprise, it’s a girl. Surprise, I’m due in three months.” This new addition to the family made me extremely excited and awakened my creative side. Now that I had a flower girl, I decided I would make, from scratch, without instructions, a flower girl dress. To make this blush dress, all you need is ivory and pink tulle, scissors, elastic, a sewing machine, and stretchy ribbon, or you can purchase it here.

Something Borrowed

Ok, so I may have borrowed a couple of DIY ideas from Pinterest, but let’s face it, not everyone attending the wedding is as obsessed with pinning wedding ideas as I am! No harm, no foul. One of my favorite additions to the wedding was this “Love” table that was set up in the lobby for cocktail hour. I asked all of my and my fiancé’s relatives to send me some pictures from their own weddings.  Once I received all of these photos, I printed them out, bought a ton of frames from the dollar store, and spray painted a “Love” sign from the craft store gold. The family loved it, and it added a special touch to the cocktail hour.

Something Gold (Who Likes Blue Anyway)

In my opinion, it is the little details that make the wedding special. I created a dinner menu in Microsoft Publisher and printed it out on card stock. However, the handmade napkin ring was the final touch on the place setting that really tied everything together.  This was one of the easiest DIY projects I gave myself... so easy that my fiancé could help! All you need is a wide ribbon and velcro. Cut the ribbon into 6 inch strips and stick the velcro on either end of the ribbon strip to form your napkin ring. Happy crafting!

Jessica Goodenough, originally from New Jersey, lives in Greensboro, NC with her husband, Shane, and their dog, Baloo. She is a graduate of Penn State University and Elon University, and a Sr. Financial Analyst at General Dynamics. In her free time, Jessica manages and creates new products for her Etsy store, As You Fancy. You can follow As You Fancy on Facebook here.