Now that it’s getting down to the wire (T minus 17 and counting), I’m trying to figure out my accessories.

Bridal headpieces come in all different styles and designs but I think I’ve narrowed it down to two I really like. One, the mantilla veil, I think is a little more formal and I think I’ll wear one like that for the ceremony. But for the reception, I don’t want to be weighed down by a veil, but I would like a little fancy in my hair.

I’ve decided to wear my hair down, something like this, but with tighter curls:

I love the idea of a casual headband dressed up for the occasion. It should stay put and hopefully I won’t have to fuss with a comb or bobby pins while I’m cuttin a rug on the dance floor.

The steal option would involve a little DIY, but it shouldn’t be too involved. I’d by a regular headband and just wrap it in ivory ribbon before securing the flower to the headband.

Splurge ($675):

Source: Jennifer Behr Bridal Collection

Steal(~$55):

Source: Etsy Seller jennypickle

So I need a little reassurance before I order the steal flower. Help me out here – should I do it?

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Technorati Tags: Bridal Headpiece, DIY, fascinator, feather, flower, headband, Headpiece

Everyone’s been asking me how I want to wear my hair for the wedding. Up until this point all I knew was that I wanted it down as opposed to an updo. After looking around the web though, I keep coming back to the same style with only slight variations. Loose curls – that is all.

Sanaa Lathan

Gabrielle Union

Viola Davis

Taraji Henson

Nia Long

Nia Long

Kerry Washington

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Technorati Tags: Bridal, Hair, hair style, hairstyle, Headpiece

If you missed the first 50, you can find them here:

101 Ways to Save on Your Wedding: 1-25

101 Ways to Save on Your Wedding: 26-50

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51.    Search the internet for DIY videos done by other people. You can find them for everything from bouquet arrangements to cake baking. DIYnetwork.com is a good place to start
52.    Grow your own flowers for your wedding. If you start early enough, and grow flowers native to your region, you should have plenty to use in bouquets or centerpieces
53.    Use fruit as centerpieces. Apples, Oranges, Pears and Lemons have good color and are far less expensive than flowers. Plus, what your guests don’t take with them, you can donate to a local food bank
54.    Search etsy.com for handmade goods that are unique and customizable. Some items are just as expensive as mass made goods, but if you do a little digging you can find some good values
55.    Watch wedding related forums and message boards, especially those local to your area. People will often post about their good experiences with little-known vendors who offer a really good deal. Theknot.com and partypop.com are good places for this
56.    Stay on top of your budget. Keep all your contracts in one place so you know exactly where they are if you need to refer to them. Question every line item to be sure it’s something you should be paying for
57.    Keep a spreadsheet or use software to manage your budget. Know exactly how much you owe each vendor and exactly when that amount is due
58.    Sew your own garter
59.    Rather than pay someone you don’t know to officiate your wedding, ask someone close to you to become ordained. You can do so online without much trouble.
60.    Instead of hiring a and or a dj, enlist the help of a friend and use your iPod to keep the crowd entertained. Create your playlists beforehand and have your friend keep an eye on it.
61.    Plan your wedding yourself. Wedding planners are nice when you can afford them, but if you’re working with a tight budget, you can take on the role yourself.
62.    Be willing to compromise on the food you serve your guests. Lunch is always cheaper than dinner and buffets are generally cheaper than plated meals. Work with your caterer to find the best balance between your ideal situation and your budget
63.    Everyone wants whiter teeth for all the pictures they’ll be taking on their wedding day, but instead of splurging for zoom whitening, use a drugstore kit. It may take a little more effort, but the results should be comparable
64.    Find non-bridesmaid dresses for your bridesmaids. Just because they’re not labeled as such, doesn’t mean they can’t be worn as bridesmaid dresses. Shop department store websites, where they’ll usually have a decent amount of stock and in many different colors. And chances are if it doesn’t have the bridesmaid dress label, your girls will be more likely to wear it again.
65.    Ask only your closest friends to be your attendants. The more attendants you have, the more you’d spend should you choose to give them gifts.
66.    If your ceremony or reception venue are already very ornate or make a statement by themselves, go light on the décor. Years from now, no one will hardly remember what your centerpieces looked like
67.    Use address numbers from the hardware store for your table numbers
68.    Use saveoncrafts.com for DIY supplies
69.    Keep all your receipts for everything you buy. You may not use something and need to take it back. You’ll want to get back every penny you can for it.
70.    Shop Black Friday sales the day after Thanksgiving in brick and mortar stores for deals on things like craft supplies, dresses and shoes.
71.    Shop Cyber Monday the Monday after Thanksgiving online to find deals similar to those on Black Friday
72.    Take advantage of free shipping for anything you order online, even if it means you have to wait a little longer for it. Patience is a virtue
73.    If you have a vintage feel to your wedding, visit antique stores and flea markets to find deals on décor. As a bonus, you can use the pieces in your home after the wedding.
74.    Use a site like bagborroworsteal.com to find jewelry and other accessories for your wedding day that you might not be able to afford otherwise.
75.    Use a wholesale club like Sam’s Club or Costco to purchase flowers for your DIY bouquets and centerpieces

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Technorati Tags: Bridal, Candleholders, Candles, Detroit, Florist, Flowers, fonts, Hair, hairpiece, Headpiece, Invitations, letterpress, Makeup, postcard, Save the Dates, Shoes, veil, vendors, Wedding

If you missed the first 25, you can find them here:

101 Ways to Save on Your Wedding: 1-25

——————————————————

26.    Sew your own veil with tulle from the fabric store
27.    Create your own hairpiece from silk flowers and feathers from the craft store
28.    Send postcards as Save the Dates and save on postage and paper costs
29.    Avoid letterpress printing for your invitations. Although it might be one of the nicest printing methods, it’s also one of the priciest.
30.    Use construction paper as one element of your DIY invitations. It will add lots of texture, with only a little expense
31.    Avoid hiring a calligrapher and use a computerized script font instead
32.    Limit the number of pieces in your invitation suite and save on postage, since it’s based on weight
33.    Use flowers that are locally grown and in-season and avoid the cost of flying them in during the off-season
34.    Use a storage or organization box or basket for your card box that you can re-use in your home after the wedding for storage
35.    Befriend someone in the event planning industry. They often have access to discounts to wholesalers and rental vendors
36.    Do your own makeup, hair and/or nails
37.    Have your hair, makeup and nails done at a cosmetology school like Aveda. The cost is lower and the results are usually just as good
38.    Design your invitations yourself and have them printed by a company like gotprint.com. Once you get them, add a little interest yourself either with embossing or a similar technique
39.    Serve cupcakes instead of cake. Cupcakes are often cheaper and can help you avoid a cake cutting fee that most caterers will charge
40.    Depending on your décor, you may be able to find some things at a site like Oriental Trading Company. While most of the items aren’t necessarily for a wedding, you might find a diamond in the rough
41.    Watch sites like craigslist.com and freecycle.org for free and inexpensive items that people are just looking to get rid of.
42.    Repurpose mason jars as candleholders
43.    Shop the brick and mortar outlet versions of your favorite stores like Crate and Barrel, Pier 1, and Pottery Barn
44.    Get your wedding shoes from the clearance section. This is easiest to do when they’re off-season, but make sure you check the clearance area often as the selection often dwindles quickly
45.    Support local business. They are often more flexible and willing to work with you to achieve your goals
46.    Barter services. If you happen to be a talented computer progammer, offer to create or update a website for a vendor in return for their services
47.    Let vendors know when you’re dissatisfied. They’re often willing to accommodate you and knockdown the cost, rather than risk a bad review or unhappy client
48.    Look for your honeymoon travel on sites like priceline.com, cheapcaribbean.com, travelzoo.com, and farecast.com
49.    Travel during the offseason for your honeymoon, even if it’s months after your wedding. Rates will be cheaper on airfare and your hotel
50.    Dafont.com and 1001freefonts.com offer a range of free fonts that you can use for your invitations and any other paper projects

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Technorati Tags: Bridal, Candleholders, Candles, Detroit, Florist, Flowers, fonts, Hair, hairpiece, Headpiece, Invitations, letterpress, Makeup, postcard, Save the Dates, Shoes, veil, vendors, Wedding

Now, I’ve seen other people do this, so I figured I’d try my hand at it.

Disclaimer: Never mind my hair or my t-shirt. Neither were prepared for this picture.

My DIY hair flower took me about 20 minutes to make and cost less than $5.

My supplies:

• One fake white rose (hold the dew drops please)
• One red and brown feather accent
• One button
• Needle and thread

First, I deconstructed the rose. This always seems to be the first step in other tutorials so I followed suit. It came apart pretty easily just by pulling the pieces. I was left with five individual layers of petals. Now that I had the extra plastic pieces out of the way, I re-layered my petals leaving them light, fluffy and open instead of tight and closed like they were at first.

Next, I took out my handy-dandy sewing bag. Now, I’m nobody’s domestic goddess. I don’t whip up full outfits in a single day, nor do own a sewing machine. I just happened to amass a large amount of random buttons, thread and needles and they’ve all ended up in this sewing bag. Anyway I used my white thread and just sewed all the petals together. It’s not a very neat job, but it doesn’t matter much because the thread is the same color as the flower and it’s very well hidden by the fluffiness of the petals.

Also in my sewing bag, I found a couple different buttons that I liked, but opted for the rhinestone button. I was a little worried that it would flop to much because the opening for the thread is only on the back side. The other buttons had true button holes where the thread would go all the way through and the button would lay flat. But I liked the look of the rhinestone button better so I went with it.

Since I’d already sewed the petals together, I used the same thread to sew the button into the center. I just made sure to pull the thread as tight as I could so the button would flop as little as possible.

After I had the flower and button assembled, I sewed on a feather accent I got from Michael’s. There has to be a better way to describe it besides ‘accent’ but I can’t think of it right now and that’s what it says on the tag anyway.

I used the same thread and attached the feather. My flower instantly went from sweet and feminine to a little edgy and feminine.

All in all, I like how it turned out. I do have one thing I might  try later though. My petals at the back of the flower are a little to loosey goosey and could easily get all tangled up if handled too much. I don’t have any on hand right now, but I think I might try some sort of fabric stiffener spray.

Who knows if I’ll actually end up wearing this flower (I’m constantly changing my mind these days) but it would nice with a birdcage veil. Just sayin’.

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• 4, 3, 2…. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days! (oops – this was drafted 1/19/2011)

Technorati Tags: DIY, feather, flower, Headpiece, veil