FCW Favorite Finds: Beauty Posts

In my opinion it is always best to go with professionals on your wedding day for hair & make up.  However, there are so many pre-wedding events (engagement party, engagement photo session, bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, etc.) that need extra styling, which could break your budget if you use a professional each time.  Luckily for brides, there are many resources online to help kick your game up a notch.  I've picked a few of my favorite recent beauty posts for brides to experiment with for the big days before the big day.  Enjoy!  

#1. Sweet halo braid.  This look has come a long way from Heidi references thanks to celebrities showing it off lately.  The Wedding Chicks give a great tutorial on how to halo your hair.

#2. False eyelashes.  Offbeat bride posted a great article on demystifying the technique of how to (correctly) apply false eyelashes.  This one gets me everytime and I'm very psyched to try this girl's advice.

The Second Biggest Question After The Proposal

Asking your nearest & dearest to be in your wedding party is a big deal, especially for the ladies.  I love the idea of making this a celebration, not just asking someone over text.  I did a post on grooms asking their friends to be in their wolfpack and here are 3 terrific ways for the brides to ask their best gals.  Enjoy!

#1. Make it memorable. There are so many sweet cards on the market (this, that and this one with a gift) and then there are a few items that create a great keepsake.  I love the idea of wine labels with your own photos or creating your own card to add an extra pop of personalization.

#2. For the above & beyond bride- DIY bridesmaid boxes. When The Wedding Chicks posted about these adorable Will You Be My Bridesmaid boxes, I kind of squealed for joy.  An honor this important needs to be presented in a big way and if you are up to this DIY task, crafting a special momento is the perfect expression of love.  Be sure to include bridesmaid dress ideas, a list of their duties and a countdown timeline to the big day.  

#3. Bridesmaid photo shoot.  This "Will You Be My Bridesmaid?" photo shoot featured in Style Me Pretty is a fantastic idea.  Professional photo shoots are such a rare treat, why not indulge your gals?  This could be a surprise shoot to ask your bridesmaids or scheduled to honor your favorite ladies in the world.  Keep the theme simple so all of you can enjoy the excitement.

The Quick List: FREE Stationary Templates!

Who doesn't love free stuff?  Especially when wedding planning!  Sporadically the wedding blogs I follow will have links to free stationary templates.  Instead of just posting each individual link, I wanted to get a bunch in one place for you.  Enjoy!

#1. Thank You Cards. Love Vs. Design has some great templates for weddings, this template comes up a winner for these sweet thank you cards.

#2. Save The Date Cards.  The Wedding Chicks are my go-to for awesome free templates as well as great items in their retail shop.  I adore the simplicity of these std's, especially the full tutorial for those DIY-hesitant like myself.

#3. Wedding Invitations.  Download & Print has some fab options for free templates, such as this one I love.    

Knowing When To DIY

Personalized and cost effective are two words that come to mind when most brides decide to take on DIY projects.  In reality, "Do-ing It Yourself" can be overwhelming and stressful if you take on too much.  So how do you know what will be a great project and when should you leave it to professionals?  The main rule is to consider the actual amount of time/energy/money needed for the project.  Ask yourself if your bridesmaids available to help, can it be finished in a weekend, is this project really going to add to my wedding and are you really saving money by DIYing?  When DIY projects succeed, they are spectacular personal items with real sentiment.  On the down side, I did once see a reality tv bride stressed to the max scrambling to finish individually painting 200 mini pumpkins for her escort table the day before her wedding- who needs that hassle?

DIY items can range from decor to attire to favors to stationary.  The main areas brides should stay away from DIY are the vendors- especially forgoing professional photographers, caterers and rental companies. Any web savvy bride can find multiple DIY posts on wedding blogs each week.  Here are a few of my recent favorites.  The Wedding Chicks have a whole DIY section and frequently post on their blog DIY wedding details.  Like this post detailing how to make your own birdcage veil, this post giving instructions on how to make your own strawberry jam favors, or this post on how to create custom drop earrings.  Another one of my favorite blogs, Hostess With The Mostess, posted this floral DIY, making your own country chic decor.  This post on no sew bow ties is perfect for adding some prep from Style Me Pretty.  Last but not least, Ruffled blog showcased upcycling vases & lanterns.  Enjoy!

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Inspiration Station: The Wedding Chicks

I'm pretty in love with any website that continually is putting out inspiration in a very attainable way.  Enter The Wedding Chicks who are always coming out with new ideas, real weddings, sweet deals for brides and free DIY templates.  Because they rock.  And here is the latest, their 2012 Save the Date template.  And for those of you still needing Save the Dates for your 2011 wedding, here you go.  As I mentioned, TWC are full of DIY-friendly activities and even have a section for free downloads of their amazing templates.  We're talking table numbers, invites, menus, and more!

This is clearly a website run by people who really care about all things wedding related and especially trying to make the planning process easier and more enjoyable for the bride.  The Wedding Chicks shop has a variety of awesomeness (see below) and I particularly love the 'real brides' section that gives insight to the planning process as brides go through it. So check them out and let me know what you think.  Just try not to spend hours upon hours losing track of time on this website.  Because that is exactly what happens to me every single time.  Enjoy!

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