We’re so excited to share with you this DIY project by Ez that we found on her blog, Creature Comforts.  These little beauties have tons of potential not only for wedding décor, but also as fashion accessories, gift wrap accents and so much more!  The process to make these peonies is rather lengthy.  So, while we will cover the highlights here, we encourage you to visit Ez’s Creature Comforts Blog and watch her tutorial videos.  You can see Ez’s full DIY Peony tutorial by clicking here.

Materials You’ll Need:

-          Candle

-          Lighter or Matches

-          Chiffon or Lightweight Satin in peony colors – white, soft to bright pinks, and vibrant fuchsia (fabric MUST be polyester)

-          Fabric scissors

-          Embroidery thread in yellow

-          Sewing needle

-          Barrette, hair comb or hairpin (optional) – for hair accessory

-          Pin back (optional) – for brooch

-          Double sided adhesive dots (optional) – for gift topper

Project should be performed in a well-ventilated room

Step 1

Cut out (5) circles (shapes do not have to be perfect) out of fabric. (5) circles = one flower. Circles should range in size from 3.5-4” in diameter. Top circle of flower should be a little smaller than the rest.

Step 2

To create the petals you rotate each circle over an open flame. Fabric will curl when exposed to heat.

Step 3

Once circles are curled you will cut slits on all four sides of circle, being careful not to cut all the way through petals.

(Note: We found Ez’s Steps 4 & 5 the following steps to be tedious and quite dangerous, so we decided to skip it. Use your best judgment and make the project your own!)

Step 6

Create a yellow pom-pom for the flower’s center.  You can view a video tutorial on how to create the yellow pom-poms by clicking here.  You will sew this pom-pom onto five layers of petals to create one flower.

Step 7

Once the flower is complete use these little cuties however you like!

From Jen:

I recently used these peonies as napkin rings at a couple’s shower! The bride is using peonies on her wedding day so I thought this would be a unique and fun way to incorporate her favorite flower while still having that handcrafted touch! She loved them so much we are using the fabric peonies on her wedding day alongside the real stems!

Event Credits:

Coordination, Design & Styling: Jen Rios Design

Vintage China: Rent My Dust Vintage Rentals

Event Location: Lost Oak Winery, Burleson, TX

A few words from Allison:

Meet Sarah and John. They met through mutual friends and bonded while watching “The Office” together and began dating about a year after being friends. Sarah fell in love with picture of the glass bottle wall in Deep Ellum near the Hickory Street Annex in Dallas, Texas. Because she’s an artist and art teacher, she wanted to do a powder paint fight for the second half of their engagement session. She was inspired by seeing photos of one on Pinterest. I was so excited to see how their session unfolded and I’m so excited to share these truly romantic and fun engagement portraits with you!

Thank you Allison for sharing such a unique and fun engagement session with us and our readers. We love it! Be sure to stop by her site to see more amazing wedding images and her blog. She blogs frequently and you will be able to see weddings galore from this gal. Congrats Sarah and John, we wish you a lifetime full of love and laughter and may each day be better than the last!

Timing – if you are drawn to those dreamy golden natural light portraits, you will need to schedule your session around that time of day with your photographer. There is a time of day we photographers call the “golden hour“.  Its a magic time of day when the sun is closer to the horizon and the hues are warm and soft. The light is more diffused and the shadows are longer. This time of day is a great for those romantic shots you are yearning for.

image courtesy of Tara Swain

Wardrobe & Theme – we are seeing a lot more thought go into the “theme” and outfits with portrait sessions. The internet is your friend if you want to see what different outfits will look like paired together. Knit fabrics are the best to keep the wrinkles in your clothing from showing. Steer clear of lighter colors on areas that are not your best asset. The lightest part of the image is where your eye is naturally drawn to. We say coordinate, but not match. You can even create your own style boards on some clothing websites. Bring everything together with accessories! As for a theme, we say keep it unique to you. If you enjoy reading books, bring along some books. If you have a HUGE love for animals and your pets are your fur babies, bring them along. If you are thrill seekers and search high and low for carnivals and theme parks, ask your photographer if you can have your session at one of those places. Imagine three words to describe your style, your relationship and your personalities … combine these words to create a perfect session (with help from your photographer of course).

image courtesy of Arden Prucha

Professional Hair and Makeup – Yes. Do it … Set the curling irons and makeup down, a great makeup artist can make you look and feel amazing and your confidence will translate beautifully in the images. These are not your everyday pictures and you will be wanting to hang them in your home and give them to family, so splurge on this item.

Lastly, just have fun … you are spending time with your best friend and soul mate. You will cherish these images for years to come!

Purple and Green Wedding Cake:  The Cake Divas

Purple Bridesmaids Dresses with Green Flowers:  Juniper Floral Design          Image Courtesy of Barbara Alessandra Photography

Purple Clutch:  Hatty and Moo

Black Tux with Purple Tie and Boutonniere:  MichaelAngelos The Event Company       Image Courtesy of Todd Pellowe Wedding Photography

Purple Centerpiece:  Burton Floral & Interiors        Image Courtesy of Tracy Turpen Photography

Purple and Sage Green Lounge Seating:  Image Courtesy of  Imaginative Studios

Purple and Green Wedding Invitations:  Image Courtesy of Barbara Alessandra Photography

Purple Pumps:  Image Courtesy of D. Bryant Photography

FREE Printable Garden Stripes Invitation Suite!!

We stumbled across these adorable printable invitations on J. Bartyn Design & Manfacturing’s website.  We love the stripes (who doesn’t?!) and the fact that they can be used for any event, not just weddings.  So, if you’re looking for the perfect bridal or baby shower luncheon or wedding invitations with coordinating table numbers, etc. – Then these are perfect for you!  And they come in four fabulous color combinations:  Apple Green & Black,  Grapefruit & California Poppy, … [Read More...]

We stumbled across these adorable printable invitations on J. Bartyn Design & Manfacturing’s website.  We love the stripes (who doesn’t?!) and the fact that they can be used for any event, not just weddings.  So, if you’re looking for the perfect bridal or baby shower luncheon or wedding invitations with coordinating table numbers, etc. – Then these are perfect for you!  And they come in four fabulous color combinations:  Apple Green & Black,  Grapefruit & California Poppy, Limon & Gingersnap and last but not least, Robin’s Egg Blue & Slate.

Here’s a bit from J. Bartyn’s website about the invitation suite:

“In collaboration with Annie at Marry You Me and designer Cambria Evans. J.Bartyn is pleased to present the following design template for FREE DOWNLOAD! The file is set up for 8.5 x 11 inkjet or laser printing, so all you have to do is add your text in an Adobe program (Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat Pro), and then print.

If you aren’t Adobe savy, you can order custom set typography from Cambria by emailing us at jbartyn@me.com Prices from $55-$125 for the entire suite -depending on complexity of text.

For a PDF with a custom colorway to match your wedding or event, the cost it $20.

(p.s. We were working on creating a version of the design where you can add text in word, but are now working on a PDF where you can input text in Adobe Reader!–it is a lot simpler than word.)”

Click HERE to go to J. Bartyn to download these beauties!

Happy Hump Day, Lovelies!!!  We have a special treat for you today… You see, today is mine and Tyler’s three-year anniversary!  So, I’m going to get a little personal and do a short feature on our wedding.  Just because I’m in a reminiscent kind of mood and I felt like sharing.  By no means was our wedding anything extravagant, but it suited us just fine and most important everyone in attendance had a blast.  (And for those of you who don’t know, Amy was our wedding photographer!  To make a long story short, we enjoyed working together so much on my wedding that we decided to go into business together and create Groom Sold Separately!)  Tyler and I were married on May 9, 2009 at Oakmont Country Club in Corinth, Texas.  So, without further ado, I give you our wedding:

Happiest Anniversary, Tyler!!!  I love you more now than the day I married you.  You are the best husband and father and am I so thankful God brought you into my life.  I love waking up next to you everyday and laying down next to you every night.  I will love you as long as I live - Always and forever, no matter what.

All images courtesy of Amy Karp Photography

image by Steve Koo

Using a few stories to memorialize your relationship is always a plus. Add a few of these to round out your great wedding speech!

Here’s to the groom, a man who kept his head even while he lost his heart.

Here’s to the new husband, and here’s to the new wife, may they remain lovers, for all of life.

Let your love endure beyond the last sunset.

May thy life be long and happy,
Thy cares and sorrows few;
And the many friends around thee
Prove faithful, fond and true.
May your voyage through life be as happy and as free
As the dancing waves on the deep blue sea

May your love be added, may it never be subtracted, may your household multiply, and may your hearts never be divided!!

Here’s to wedding advice from the more experienced married couples. Check out Selma & Kenny Wedding Toast :

Yellow and Teal Bouquet:  JL Designs            Image Courtesy of Aaron Shintaku Photography

Yellow Hair Fascinator Birdcage Veil:  Image Courtesy of Studio Mathewes Photograph

Teal Tie with Yellow Boutonniere:  Grenwich Floral Design                    Image Courtesy of Vis Photography

Yellow and Teal Tablescape:  Image Courtesy of Dana Grant Photography

Teal and White Wedding Cake:  The Cake Studio NYC        Image Courtesy of Antonis Achilleos Photography

Mustard Yellow Peeptoe Pumps:  Bandolino          Image Courtesy of Henry Photography

Antique Teal Frame:   Image Courtesy of Mark Brooke Photography

Turquoise and Teal Bridesmaids with Bride:  Yellow Floral Bouquets by JL Designs        Image Courtesy of Aaron Shintaku Photography

Teal and Mustard Yellow Wedding Invitation:  Susan Huang, San Francisco            Image Courtesy of KT Merry Photography

GSS Wedding Trends: Succulents & Air Plants

Happy Thursday, Lovelies!!!  Only one more day until it’s the weekend!  We have absolutely fallen head over heels in love with succulents!  They are so versatile and lend themselves to a multitude of looks: vintage, rustic, modern… Sigh… We just can’t get enough!  Their sweet shape and the fun texture they add to floral arrangements and décor has opened the doors for desert plants of all shapes and sizes to enter the wedding and event scene. Image Credits: Potted … [Read More...]