My florist.. is the shizzle.

My artificial flowers for my Bridesmaids and my bouquet were ready to be picked up yesterday. Talk about ABSOLUTELY STOKED! with how they turned out.

Without much more blabbering on my behalf. Here they are: Group shot!!

The Girls bouquets! (I put the BMs dresses next to it so you can see the contrast)

Here's mine!!

What are you doing for your bouquets?

Coastal City Bride - Charis xx

Thank you..

Awhile ago doing the first mock up of the programs I had come up with a cute thank you. With the new program.. I decided the poem wasn't going to cut it. And I wanted something more meaningful. I found this online. AMEN for the Internet!!

(I just cant remember where I sourced it tho. Sorry!)

We are going to use this, its heartfelt.. and it really is ...well us! :D

"Marriage is not a culmination. It is a beginning. A beginning of a life that will grow and change in ways more wonderful than we can imagine.

Many years from now when we look back on our life. Love and this day, we will remember that flowers, music and food were not what made this day so special. It will be our memories of sharing the beginning of our life as husband and wife with you - our friends and family.

Having you here with us today has made our wedding truly wonderful. Understanding that life holds many momentous commitments. We thank you for sharing in one of our happiest."

I wanted to show you a picture of it on the program BUT my camera disagreed otherwise.. it ran out of batteries!

What are you using on your programs?

Coastal City Bride - Charis xx

Favor baskets.. My ninja

Scratch Ninja cat.. maybe thats where my motivation is hiding.......

So I'm running a little out of steam and instead of lining these baskets like I wanted to.. I mainly just wanted them out of my way ha ha.

I did two of them. Which should hold all our favors.

These baskets were cane and light brown in color originally. For some reason the week I went looking for baskets I couldn't find them in black. So I decided I would I spray paint them. With spraying them with a 'flat black'. I waited for them to dry. Printed small signs, rounded the corners. Punched holes in them and threaded red ribbon through and secured it with a glue gun

Pretty simple.... not much work involved.. While they are not what I originally planned. The attitude for this project is that 'that will do'. I cant be bothered.

I'm sure you have some DIY projects that you put off, will this was one of them and I don't know why. :)

Coastal City Bride - Charis xx

Guest Book... ha your like a merry-go-round.

So instead of a traditional guestbook I was going to have a mazanita guest tree... epic fail, scrapped that and went to a wishing guest board I posted it a few months ago and I thought that was the end of that..

Not! The more I looked at the board.. the more I didn't like it! So back to the drawing board and I saw guest books like this! and decided I wanted the same....

Photos courtesy of amariem25 off http://www.weddingbee.com/



So I started my search for templates... and one of the brides from weddingbee.com posted this and was sharing this as a template, so this is what I'm using, the only difference is that ours is orange and has our name up the top of each page.



I printed out the guestbook sheets and I love it. However it isn't photographing that well. All to do now is finish decorating the album but I wont start that for another week or so. My friend Susie is going to help me :) So I'll post it up when that's done too, so you get the full affect.

In addition to our non traditional guest book I made these direction signs to sit on the table.

They are framed using black plastic frames from a discount store for two dollars each,and the mini easels I used were a dollar each. Thought they were pretty cute once completed!!

Total cost $9.00


and Yes I am aware that I used the wrong 'Your' in the last frame and it has been fixed since taking the photos! oops!

Simple! (however, its taken me 10 months to get here!) What are you doing as your guest book?

Coastal City Bride - Charis xx

My cute little pail buckets for my buttons...

or rather large button balls!
Last week for $5.00 a pop I found these little buckets... I was looking for white ones, but I couldn't find any!! I found these that blend together quite well with my button balls.

So for 5.00 I couldn't refuse. So the button balls will sit on top like pictured, and be located in the garden (if you look a few posts down you will see what I mean lining the aisle...) Group shot!!

I will remove the handles as it makes the button balls sit kinda awkward. :)

Even tho they aren't white like I pictured in my head, I'm very happy with these as the alternates.

Anything you really wanted get changed? and your happy with the alternative?

Coasta City Bride - Charis xx

GM ties, how hard is it to find a shade of red???

Well I armed myself on the trip to our capital city with MOHs dress for the wedding, FHs shirt (same color as the grooms) and BOY WHAT A MISSION!!!!! to find a tie!!! well three ties.. but still..

After the 4hr drive I headed straight into the capitals busy CBD. I walked through 10 stores with FHs shirt and MOH dress... (people must have thought I was weird, comparing every tie to a shirt and dress) ..11th store...2hrs later...

SUCCESS!!!!

Exact shade of red... but a little on the pricey side(I was hoping for 20.00AUD each but purchased these babies for 40.00AUD each.) But i figured for the exact same shade of red, I wasn't going to risk spending hours to find something cheaper!

Here they are;

FHs tie is being made out of the same fabric as my dress so no tie hunting for FH! (and can I say what a big sigh of relief that is, I couldnt do that shopping experience all over again)


Coastal City Bride - Charis xx

Sneak peak at page of the programs

arent they cool! I like it!

Coastal City Bride - Charis xx

The girls accessories!

I havent posted in nearly a week and so much has happened!!!

So I have finally completed the girls outfit- well minus a necklace.

I bought the girls a hairpin awhile back 9.95 each. They only require one each and their so pretty!

Earrings, the girls requested non expensive earrings but they wanted bling ones. So purchased those. 10.00each.

and picked up the girls black clutches last week. So I think the overall look is coming together.
If you can imagine Red silk dresses, and black satin peep toes a black pashmina shawl for when it gets a little cool due to the wind and these accessories, I think the BMs are taken care of.

Super happy with the purchases. Overall look for the girls are
$140 dollars each without the shoes. Girls are purchasing their own. So another thing ticked off the list!

Coastal City Bride - Charis xx

Button ball aisle decor. COMPLETED!!

I finally finished my button balls.

I only wanted six to line the aisle of were the girls and I are walking down. So if you can picture red carpet, the button balls themselves on white little pail buckets and raised from the ground and positioned like this

and imagine an archway at the end. White chairs to the left and right.. and arch way hanging in our initials.

If you pictured that ok, I think I might have just done my wedding planning right! Thank goodness these button balls are done! Here's a close up!

Do you like??

Coastal City Bride - Charis xx

My accessories..

I bought my bracelet about 3 weeks ago. I originally bought a majorly blingy bracelet (about a page post ago) which I adore, but I found this one and I think the pearl look goes a little better with my dress, rather than the bling. It was cheap but I'm not set about heading out and buying real pearls.

Also bought the earrings which I love. Figured they were a long enough so if I had my hair down you could see them glimmer or if up they would be pretty. I don't think I will wear a necklace. Still undecided on that issue!

Another thing out the way! yay!

How hard was it to find your jewelry?

Coastal City Bride - Charis xx

Less than 100 Days to go and second dress fitting

My second dress fitting is this Saturday.. and I am SUPER excited!! I cannot wait to see the end product.

On the weekend I went and purchased fabric to make the panel for the back of my dress. Found a pretty good match in color and it was supposed to be delustered satin, but I couldn't find any.. I found it in silk tho. $30 dollars more than expected but I really think its worth it, as out of that fabric she is going to make my FHs tie :) so it will be matching.

Yay! Unfortunately I didn't take pics of the silk, so you will just have to wait!

With just under 100 days out I am starting to get really amped towards the big day, I'm not stressing I just seem to be coasting. I really should be finishing big projects but I feel as tho I am on top of it all.

I have a cathedral veil. But I'm not sure if I like it really long, but I really like the lace work that's involved. So I'm thinking about getting that shortened! decisions decisions!

Coastal City Bride - Charis xx

Program Mock Up Take 2

So I had an email from a friend of mine asking how I was going with the programs.So I thought I had better try again!

Well my first attempt was posted about a week or so back, and I wasn't super happy with it. I'm having the hardest time making things flow through the wedding.

So a new idea took over. I took my flower design that I had on the invites and printed it on A4 sheets and cut them in half. Fold them punched the holes through and added ribbon.

Well first of all, the eyelet punch I bought, way too big!! making that ribbon disappear. The overall look tho is great. I love the invite design on there and the style. So I need to find a smaller punch. (I'm heading to the local craft store today)

On opening I would like it to be a bit like a book. First page just a monogram (believe it or not I'm having trouble designing my own, too picky!) and on the back of that starts the order of service bridal party and on the last page on the back, our thank you.

So I have started to get things finalised with the ceremony, I have been back and forth with our officiant but I still need to delegate of whose doing what. So until that's done I really cant print much. But I'm working on it!

Am I on the right track?

Coastal City Bride - Charis xx

Aisle Runner for my friend Jasmine

My friend Jasmine asked me to make her design for her aisle runner. Im happy to oblige and finished it today. :)

Looks pretty good I think :) Anyone doing their own aisle runner??

Coastal City Bride - Charis xx

My pretty headband

So on the weekend I travelled to our nearest capital and as well as hanging out with my brothers, I picked up this BEAUTIFUL and my god, do I love it. Alannah Hill (famous Australian Designer) headband.

Why am I getting so excited over a headband... well because it looks like this!

Absolutely 100% love this accessory! and cannot wait to wear it!!

Coastal City Bride - Charis xx