Advantages of choosing handmade Wedding Tiaras

My background is designing bridal accessories such as tiaras and wedding jewellery so it stands to reason that at some point I'll sneak a few blog posts in about handmade bridal accessories. This one focuses on the advantages of handmade wedding tiaras and the difference between these and manufactured ones.....

When you choose your wedding tiara you've got 2 options, you either chose something that was machine manufactured and often imported or a handmade tiara by a specialist.

Manufactured tiaras tend to be cheaper as they are mass produced and churned out quickly. 

Handmade tiaras tend to be a little more expensive because each one is made by an individual without the use of machinery.

However the main advantage of choosing a handmade one is that you can ask for what every you want. If you prefer another metal colour, ask, if you want to use another colour of crystals, ask, if the pearls are the shade you were looking for, just ask. A good tiara designer will be happy to work with you so you get the tiara that you really want. Something that's to your specification and your budget

Each handmade tiara is unique as even though they may have made the same tiara before human nature makes it impossible for a exact replica to be made by hand.

If you're looking for a bespoke wedding tiara, one created totally to your specifications than head over to my etsy store and click on the link for the "request custom item" (its half way down the left hand navigation bar).

Paper Wedding Bouquet

Ok so you might not have even considered having paper flowers as your wedding bouquet, but realistically why not.  You're not trying to imtate fresh flowers with silk ones instead you taking a traditional element of a wedding and putting an unique twist on it.

Over on etsy I've found loads of sellers who can make these paper wedding bouquets for you but you can actually make them yourself.  Just remember it will take time, so if you've got a few spare hours and a stash of paper in your wedding colours then go for it.  You can find plently of videos on you tube.

If you're not a crafter and still want a handmade wedding, then take a look at some of these paper wedding bouquets below and click through to see their etsy shop.

Black and White Wedding Theme

If you're undecided on your colour choices for your wedding theme, then you can't go wrong with black and white.  It's a simple classic combination and one where you don't really need to worry about shades or items not coordinating.

What's great about this colour scheme is that you could also add a shot of another colour without it being too over the top.  Additional bold colours work well such as orange, teal, red and emerald green.  Just a splash here and there will make a huge impact.

A black and white wedding theme also allows the bride to wear an alternative colour wedding dress and really stand out.

I've created a collection of black and white handmade wedding accessories and decorations, here's a small selection but all my choices can be seen here: Black and white wedding theme.

Source: etsy.com via Kerrie on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Kerrie on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Kerrie on Pinterest

Let me know what you think, and you can always visit my etsy store here: Handmade Bridal Accessories.

Easy Handmade Wedding Invitations

Many couple choose to make their own wedding invitations, for some it's about saving money, for others it allows them to create unique invites that allow their personality to shine through.

Here's a short video to show you how easy it is to create your own invitations in your wedding colour scheme.

Getting Wedding Ideas

There are plenty of places to get inspiration for your wedding but one I've discovered recently is Pinterest.  It's a visual bookmarking site.  Now this doesn't sound that interesting, after all there are loads of bookmarking sites but Pinterest is different.  Because it's visual it's easy to see what it is you've previoiusly bookmarked.  It also provides a link back to the original picture and allows you to add notes to your bookmarks.

The site uses something called boards to help you organise your bookmarks, think of them more as mood boards.  You can also provide a direct link to each board allowing you to get the opinions of others easily so if you've seen a few wedding favours and you want to share these with the hubby to be, send them a link to the board and see what they have to say.  In a world were we are so busy, it's something that only takes a minute and doesn't require you both to find time to sit down to being to whittle down your wedding planning ideas.  If you're wanting to see what a board looks like, then click here: Brown Wedding Theme.

Pinterest also has a search function built in so it's a great place to search for wedding related things such as wedding dresses or cakes.  Other's have found them already online, added them to their boards and you can repin them to your own board if you fall in love with them.  The best thing is that since the photo comes with a link back to the original site you will always be able to get the necessary information about the item, none of this "I saw it on the web, but I have no idea of where it came from or how much it costs."

Here are a few wedding related items that I found today on pintest.

Source: etsy.com via Kerrie on Pinterest

Source: projectwedding.com via Exclusively on Pinterest

Be warned though, there's so much stuff on there, you could easily spend hours getting lost.

You can join me on Pinterest here: Kerrie G's Pinterest.  At the moment there's currently a waiting list to get an invite to join the site unless you know someone who is already a member, so if you want a invite, then leave a comment below and I'll send one to the email address you provided when filling it out (I won't share this with anyone).

Have fun exploring

DIY Wedding Ideas

I've found some interesting ideas on the internet lately which you could handmake yourself for your wedding.  My favourite are these personalised vases which double up as guest settings and wedding favours.

You can get more information on these personalised wedding favours by visiting project wedding.

Instead of using them as vases you could also keep the lids to the jars and fill them with sweets or chocolates.

Orange Wedding Theme

I've been a little busy over the last few days, so I've not been able to post like I wanted but I did manage to put together a orange wedding theme on Etsy a few days ago so I thought I would share it with you.

As always click the image to be taken straight to the treasury.

Orange might seem an unusual colour for a wedding, but it's perfect for autumn.  It's a bold colour so make sure your personalities are bold enough to match.  You could always throw in some brown or cream to tone it down a bit if needed.

Red Wedding Theme - Handmade Items on Etsy

Just a quick post today to show you some of the handmade wedding items I found on Etsy a few days ago which would be perfect if you were having a red wedding theme.  The damask party favours are my favourite and even though the bunting spells out happy birthday, this can be customised to say any message you wish.

As usual to see all the items for this red wedding theme, just click the image above.

Winter Weddings

Today I thought I would share a treasury that I created yesterday on Etsy for all things icy and wedding related.

To see the entire treasury click the photo it will take you straight to it and don't forget if you're an Etsy user you've been able to leave a comment.

Bespoke Wedding Accessories

In a previous post I mentioned that one of the benefits of handmade weddings is that you're able to have bespoke items created just for you.

So I thought I would share one of my latest bespoke designs.  Here is a hairvine created for a specific bride who loved the style of a similar hairvine on a celeb but after contacting the designer found out that the piece couldn't be recreated so she contact me.

The bride gave me a few instructions, she didn't like pearls and it had to be long enough to be able to be wrapped around a loose high bun.  She had no budget in mind but sent some photos of things she did and didn't like and commented on the price.  This gave me a great idea of what she was comfortable paying.

With all this information I was able to draw her a sketch of what I thought she would like with the price and email it to her.

What I love about creating new designs with a specific bride in mind is that I get to challenge myself and work on something that I might not have initially thought off. I also tend to get very excited and prioritise the work as I can't wait to see how it will turn out. Plus I know I've got an bride eagerly waiting for the photo that I'll send once it's finished.  I can't help but get caught up in their excitement too.

I'm please to say she loved it, and it's nice to know I've been able to make someone very happy with something I've created. :)

If you're interested in having an bespoke wedding accessory created for you, this page might be useful: Bespoke Bridal Accessories.

I'd be interested to get your opinion on this hair vine.  Do you thing the design would lend itself to a smattering of freshwater pearls?  The crystals are clear AB which isn't to everyone's taste so would clear crystal be better?