Wedding Recap: Gifts for the lil ones

Personal photo

Our Flower Girls (minus one) and our ring bearer

We had four flower girls. There was no way I wasn't going to include my four nieces. They're just too adorable and we have both known them since they were born. So what do we get little girls ages 2-7 years old? Nearly all of them are flower girl veterans. They have all of the flower girl books and picture frames from previous weddings they've participated in. 

Since our wedding was an adult reception, except for the kids in the wedding party, we gave our flower girls little items they can enjoy and keep them busy on the wedding day. This included Disney coloring/activity books and crayons, as well as bottles of bubbles (Dollar Store, yo). I also put together a DIY wedding coloring book, courtesy of bridalbuds.

And as an extra little gift, I gave them each freshwater pearl stud earrings from etsy seller Orien Jewel. They have a promotion that offers free 6.0 freshwater pearl stud earrings in the colors of your choice for each referral you make to their store.

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 For our ring bearer, who was a little older, we decided to give him what he asked for...we thought giving him something he'd appreciate would be better than giving him something we thought he should appreciate (can't really see him digging a T-shirt that says "Ring Bearer") . So we got him a Bakugan set (apparently the new kid fad in toy collectibles. Our ring bearer loves those things!).

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With an Amazon.com GC I won in a giveaway and the Orien Jewel promotion, we only paid for the girls' coloring books, crayons, and bubbles...all less than $5!

Dressing the Wedding Party: Wear it again

I'm afraid David Tutera and all those wedding etiquette gurus will have a fit once they hear my stance on wedding party attire--I don't care. Really, I don't. Ok, maybe a little. We set a color and dress length for the bridesmaids, and basically told the groomsmen to wear whatever we chose at Men's Wearhouse (seriously, with the guys, just telling them what to wear would be much easier than making them choose). Other than that, everyone else can wear whatever they want. I don't care what color socks or cuff links the men wear, I don't care what jewelry the women pick (although I did suggest gold to match our colors). And get this, I even told them they can wear what they already have! Some will say I'll feel differently when I see the photos, but I can't imagine a slight deviation of color coordination or style ruining my day.

I'm not a big fan of matchy-matchy wedding parties. Don't get me wrong, it looks great and I admire them, but it never interested me to spend time worrying about coordinating down to minute details--jewelry, shoes, silhouette, hair. We have a few more members in our wedding party with 6 sponsors (a Filipino wedding custom where individuals assume responsibility to offer spiritual and emotional support for the couple). With 8 bridesmaids and groomsmen, the mothers and fathers, flower girls, ring bearer and sponsors, I would go crazy worrying about what every single person is wearing!

But here's a rundown. Our bridesmaids will wear their dresses of their choice (my only requirements were they had to be the same color and length). Here's what each of them chose.

 

Eden Bridals

Same color - Amethyst- but all different styles. Am I worried about that? I actually like how each dress really captures each bridesmaid's personality and I think they all look great. One bridesmaid is wearing a maternity dress she'll have hemmed into tea length. It's also a different fabric (none of the maternity gowns came in satin), but no, it's not the end of the world. Ignore what David Tutera says, no one will care or notice.

The groomsmen are wearing matching suits with plum-colored ties from Men's Wearhouse, similar to this:

But my father, the male sponsors and our ring bearer are wearing barongs, traditional Filipino formal wear made of jusi, or hand-embroidered pineapple fibers.

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Most of them already own their barongs (from previous weddings and formal occasions) so I didn't see the need for them to buy new attire. Barongs can be quite expensive in the states as the fabric is imported from the Philippines.Why not give them excuse to wear their barongs again? Besides, our ceremony will involve traditional Filipino components, so it seemed right to allow the Filipino men to wear their barongs if they wanted to. We told the female sponsors to wear whatever they want just as long at it's church appropriate for a warm, summer day. They could color coordinate with the wedding colors if they want to, but I'm not going to check on them.

We haven't picked the flower girl dresses yet, but I'm leaning toward something simple, like this except with a plum-purple sash:

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When my mom asked me what she should wear to the wedding, I told her, "Whatever you want, Mom." She gave me that sideways, "No, really," look. I told her, "Seriously, whatever you think looks good. I trust your judgement." After a pause that said, "You're not much of a help," I said, "Why don't you wear your kimona?" Kimonas are traditional Filipino formal tops also made of jusi fabric. Like barongs, they're also pretty expensive in the states. They're hand-embroidered and the details are really quite lovely.
My mom was surprised that I was letting her wear her kimona again. She did wear it to my sister's wedding 7 years ago. I told her she can wear it only if she paired it with a different skirt (the skirt she wore to my sister's wedding was a bright lilac and would clash with our wedding colors--yes, the only part where I'm picky!)

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Jessica McClintock

So we found a long, plum-colored satin skirt at the Jessica McClintock outlet for a mere $16. (If there's one near you, check it out. You'll find discounts on evening wear -- including bridal gowns and bridesmaid dresses-- for 75% off!). MOB dress: check!

The mother of the groom is also wearing the dress she wore at her daughter's wedding, a champagne-colored gown with a matching jacket (my dress is white, so no worries about the MOG wearing a neutral color). The father of the groom will wear a tux he owns and wears to formal occasions. Seriously, I'm happier knowing members in my wedding party didn't have to spend an arm and a leg, or buy an entirely different outfit for one day. I'm glad that some can actually wear outfits they've worn once before again. Am I worried about clashes of Filipino traditional and western traditional? Am I worried about a mixture of styles? Or maybe that the MOB and MOG won't look like twins on our wedding day? No. Because in the end, they'll all wear something they like, feel comfortable in and truly reflects each of them. I think that would make a far more interesting photo than one cookie-cutter, matching fest.

Vendor Spotlight and GIVEAWAY: Dawn Dalto (CLOSED)

Love Plate

Our next Vendor Spotlight is someone I've been really excited to share with you for some time. If you plan on sending your ring bearer down the aisle with a pillow, you might reconsider when you see photos from Dawn Dalto Ceramics. Hailing from Asheville, North Carolina, Dawn makes a variety of ceramic arts, including the increasingly popular ring bearer plates. The concept is new to me, but they've been catching on in the wedding world for some time. Held in the little hands of your ring bearer, they make a lovely photo op! And while your pillow might go in the attic or in a box after the wedding, your dish can hang on the mantle or on the wall -- a wonderful keepsake!


As the host of this giveaway, I received a ring bearer plate from Dawn. As soon as I opened the package, I was impressed with how adorably small and lightweight it is, a perfect fit for your lil guy! Since our ring bearer is a little older, I thought it might be something different for him instead of a poofy, feminine pillow. Our dish came with an impressed slogan: "Live, Love, Laugh." The color of the wording and the borders give off an elegant aged, antique look. The dish also comes with an organza ribbon where your rings can be safely tied. Dawn can also customize some of the plates with the couple's names and wedding date. Sold at reasonable and affordable prices, these dishes are a great value (considering you can enjoy them long after the wedding). Delicate, beautiful and sweet, Dawn's dishes make a lovely touch to your wedding, as well as a timeless, decorative piece for you and your FH to keep!
I've always been facinated with ceramic arts and pottery and here, Dawn explains the intricate process. Introducing, Dawn from Dawn Dalto Ceramics!

Live Laugh Love Plate

What got you started in making ceramic items?

My partner, Les Powell of Smoking Turtle Studio is a ceramic artist. We had been together for about 3 years when I accepted a position at Odyssey Center for Ceramic Arts as the Assistant Director. I have always been an artist, but just hadn't considered clay. Well, you can't be exposed to it day after day without finally having to get your hands dirty!

How long have you been making these products?

I started in ceramics 4 years ago. I began seriously developing a product line and marketing my work about 2 years ago.

What made you decide to create wedding items as well?
My sister Tonia of http://meandmatilda.com. I may be the older sis, but she has some serious business savvy! We were discussing markets that people will always have a need to spend money on. Weddings is one of them. I wrote a blog post about it a little while back called "Married, Buried, Barking & Born" http://dawndalto.net/cart/?p=165

I've heard of ringbearer pillows, not plates. How did you come about making these?
It began with my sister again. I make a line of little "Day of the Week" kitty dishes and she thought they would be the perfect size for Ring Bearer Dishes. The concept is not new. One of the first to offer them was Paloma's Nest. I loved the concept, but wanted to make sure that what I was offering was unique and different from what was already available on the market.

Ring Bearer Dish in Damask

Why plates instead of pillows?
It's a keepsake that lasts. They can be used on your dresser to hold your rings and jewelry and they can also be hung on the wall by the ribbon.

Your products are all handmade. Can you tell me a little bit about the process?
Every piece is handmade by ME. I roll out a slab of clay, cut out the dish and then hand stamp, screen print, and sometimes carve the design. Then I form the dish. The clay is then allowed to dry and then it is bisque fired to remove all water and harden it. Then depending on the dish a color wash may be applied and washed off. It is then glazed and refired to higher temperature.

Tell me something unique about your products.
Most folks are surprised at how light they are. They measure 4.25"x4.25" square (approximately-they are handmade afterall) and fit perfectly in your little Ring Bearer's hand

*Any other information about yourself or your products you'd like to share?
I don't just make Ring Bearer Dishes. I have 3 different product lines. That is what keeps it fun for me (a bit of diversity) In addition to the Ring Bearer Dishes I create custom dinnerware and handcarved tiles and wall boxes.

Links where we can find out more of your work:
website: http://www.dawndalto.net
Blog: http://dawndalto.net/cart/?page_id=295
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?v=box_3&id=1093670993#!/pages/Dawn-Dalto-Ceramics/279707322436?ref=ts
Twitter: http://twitter.com/dawndalto
Etsy: http://dawndalto.etsy.com
1000 Markets: http://dawndalto.1000markets.com

The GIVEAWAY:
Dawn is giving one lucky reader a RING BEARER DISH of $32 value!

To Have and To Hold Plate


The RULES
1) Go to Dawn's Etsy Shop, Website or 1000 Markets shop and comment on your favorite item for one entry. This is mandatory! Contestants who do not do this will be disqualified. Remember to leave your email address or some way to contact you with each entry!

Additional entries (remember to leave separate comments for each additonal entry)

2) Become a new follower of this blog (1 entry)
4) Are currently a follower of my blog (2 entries)
5) Become a facebook fan of “I Do” Budget Weddings (2 entries)
6) Become a facebook fan of Dawn Dalto Ceramics (2 entries)
7) Blog about the contest and include a link to the giveaway. Each entrant must also include a link to Dawn Dalto's Etsy Shop in their post (3 entries)
8) Buy anything from Dawn Dalto Ceramics (5 entries)
9) Follow “I Do” Budget Weddings on Twitter (1 entry)
10) Follow Dawn Dalto Ceramics on Twitter (1 entry)
11) Tweet on this giveaway and include a link to this giveaway in your tweet (1 entry)
12) Grab my button and place it on your blog (1 entry)
13) Subscribe to "I Do" Budget Weddings emails (1 entry)

The deadline to enter this contest is 11:59 p.m., Friday, April 16, 2010 (PST). A winner will be randomly chosen and announced the following day. Good luck! (This giveaway is now closed)

Sorry, son, you're too old!

I have four nieces that I love to dote on, pamper and spoil. They are ages 2-7 years old and they are the most precious little darlings ever (OK, I'm biased). So, of course we had our flower girls. But we didn't know of any young boys to be our ring bearer.

For some reason, I thought they needed to be young, like barely-old-enough-to-walk-young. My fiance and I don't know of any male children that age. Since we we decided to limit the children at our reception to just the wedding party, we thought we'd just go without a ring bearer.

Then I thought of my 10-year-old cousin. I'm really close to his aunt (she's one of our wedding sponsors) and I would really like to include him at the wedding. But under our strict guidelines, we couldn't invite him. Then it hit me...why not make him our ring bearer? He's still a kid. If he's willing...why not? So I asked his mother and she was fine with it. Then I asked my cousin, and he seemed genuinely flattered. He said yes! Yay, we have our ring bearer!

But when I told a friend about the new addition to our wedding party, she laughed.

Don't you think he's a little too old to be a ring bearer? she asked.

Too old? I asked. Why would he be too old?

Well, don't you want cute little kids to snuggle to in your photos? she asked.

Whaaaa? I'm supposed to tell my cousin he can't be our ring bearer because he's surpassed the age of 'cuteness'? I'm supposed to tell a kid who hasn't even hit puberty and still plays with toys that he's too old to walk a pillow down an aisle? I'm supposed to tell my cousin he's too old for my photos???

Why don't you ask Amber if her son can be a ring bearer? my friend suggested.

Amber's kid? I don't even remember his name! Is he even old enough to walk? I say.

Well, he's really cute. He'd make a more appropriate ring bearer. Just make your cousin a junior groomsmen.

Seriously, what has the WIC turned us into that all of a sudden there are age caps for cuteness? Now all of a sudden I'm supposed add kids to my wedding party because they're cuter than the ones I really want in my court? That's s%#t! Besides, we already have four groomsmen and four bridesmaids. Why would I need an extra groomsman?

Silly me, I turned to the Web and typed in "age" and "ring bearer." Sure enough, I found varying opinions on the subject.

No older than 9, one commenter insisted.

This one was classic: Any older than 7 and they start to look stupid.

Really. That. is. what. she. said.

Unbelieveable.

Nowhere could I find valid reasons why ring bearers, or even flower girls, needed to be under a certain age, other than "they'll look stupid." By most accounts, in older days, these roles were filled by young men and women. So what difference would it make if I chose a kid slightly older than the so-called appropriate age? And if the child wants to be in my wedding party in the role I ask them to fill, even better, right? If I'm missing something, let me know. Otherwise, I think the flower girl/ring bearer age cap is crap.