A Twist on Traditional Boutonnieres

On Thursday I posted about non-traditional necklaces for the bride which you can read here. I think bold necklaces are a great way for the bride to make a statement but why should she have all the fun? I found this idea on Pinterest and thought it was a super unique and creative way for the groom to stand out. These boutonnieres are playful, colourful and will surely make a statement.

I would add a ribbon or something to the background to make these boutonnieres look more like boutonnieres instead of looking like the groomsmen stole the ring bearers toy before heading down the isle.

What do you guys think? My favourite is definitely Iron Man! It also took me a moment to realize the last figurine was Jesus!

Bold Necklaces for the Non-Traditional Bride

Check out these bold statement necklaces. A definite 'do' for the non-traditional bride.

All photos can be found on my Pinterest page for more information! I can also look at these pictures on my new facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/EatDrinkandBeMarriedEvents

Centre Pieces for Under $100

Good Morning Loves!
One of my goals as a wedding coordinator is to be able to create fabulous weddings on a budget - a champagne wedding on a beer budget if you will. I have recently begun doing some mock weddings for under $10,000 and I while it is a lot harder than I thought, it is definitely do able! While doing a mock wedding yesterday I came up with this fairly inexpensive idea for centre pieces. The cost will be under $100 for 20 centre pieces (one for each table and then two for the head table) This price is for 150 people which will be seated at 19 tables including the head table. 


I hope you guys can picture this! Hopefully one of these days I can start doing tutorials which would make this a whole lot easier. 


I found this vase from IKEA for $2.99

Then using a vinyl stencil (I planned on using a damask stencil  found at the dollar store) with Armour Etch (glass etching cream) you would create an etched pattern on two opposite sides of the vase. Follow these directions here on how to use an etching cream. 

To finish this centre piece off  add a piece of ribbon (purchased at the dollar store) in one of the wedding colours around the top part of the vase. Use a glue gun to attach the ribbon together and finish off with some gemstones or pearls (also purchased at a dollar store) glued to the seam of the ribbon. 

Total cost breakdown including taxes:

• IKEA vases: $67.57 
• Amour Etch: $20.19 for a 10oz bottle. Make sure to check your local craft stores like Michael's if you're in Canada because you can often find 40% off coupons which would help to lower this cost.
• Ribbon, clear gemstones, damask stencil: $3.96. 
• Glue gun, glue sticks and tape: free because I already own them but you can buy these at the dollar store as well. 

Total cost: $91.72! 

I do realize that these are very simple centre pieces so you could always add candles, a flower pomander, rocks, flowers, etc. Even with an added feature these centre pieces will still be extremely affordable! Maybe do a monogram of your new initials or even number the vases to act as your table numbers. The possibilities are endless!

Marriage Advice #2

Hi Eat, Drink and Be Married Readers! I'm so excited to share my post with you

today!

My name is Paige and I blog over at The Eloping Stethoscope where I blog about my

newlywed life mixed with nursing school.

I want to share some of my tips with you guys for having a happy marriage.

Cody and I met just last year on a blind date...sort of. We were really just back ups

so that our friends didn't feel so awkward going out by themselves and we were both

dragged along. We hit it off right away and we literally talked all night long. The next

day, we saw each other again and it kept going just like that.

Eventually, I brought him over to my mom's to go swimming. He claims that I

really wanted him to meet my family, but I just really wanted to go swimming. Hah.

Anyway, my family insisted that he really liked me and you could tell by the way he

acted around me. Of course, I brushed it off.

Not even a week later, he had to go to annual training for the army. Before, our

agreement had been that we wouldn't see each other much after that because he was

going to be busy with the army and possibly getting deployed and going to nursing

school.

One night, we had been drinking a bit and hanging out with friends when he let it

slip that he really liked me and wanted to be with me. Of course, the next day he

didn't remember so a couple of nights later, I drank a little bit and insisted that we be

together. He agreed and of course I remembered the next day.

We didn't see each other while he was away at training, but when we got back it was

the same as before he left. Just three months after meeting and dating, we moved in

together.

Two months after that, on Christmas Day, he proposed and I said yes.

Our original plan was to get married in May 2013 but we decided that it wasn't what

we wanted and we decided to elope in Gatlinburg, TN in May of this year. It was

wonderful and perfect and exactly what we wanted.

Getting our marriage license!

Now that you know a bit of background, I'm going to give you my tips to a happy

marriage, no matter how long you've been together. Of course, I can't say I'm an

expert on marriage, but I have been around the block a time or two when it comes to

serious relationships!

This is how Cody and I make sure we stay happy in our relationship and our marriage.

1. Be realistic about what you want in a relationship. Don't give into lofty ideas of

a wonderfully, romantic man because it's not likely to happen. Men aren't fairytale

princes. They don't even know how to act like one, because they likely didn't watch

fairy tales when they were younger. Instead, decide for yourself what you can

compromise on and what you can't. This will go a long way in any relationship, not

just a marriage.

2. Always make time to go on dates. Between school for both of us, army, cooking,

cleaning and other obligations, you can imagine that Cody and I don't always have

true quality time together. After a date night, even if it's something simple, we always

feel refreshed and more in love than before.

Looking up drugs in the drug book for nursing school

3. Have fun together. What's the best recent night that you can remember? Mine is

pretty simple. Cody and I watched "21 Jumpstreet" and we laughed our butts off and

then ended up talking about dumb things we did as teenagers. Eventually, we were

laughing and he was tickling me and I was showing him how I used to do flips on my

bed when I was little kid. It was seriously the best night and we were totally refreshed

the next day.

Hanging out on Beale St

4. Pick your battles. This is probably the cardinal rule. Do you think it doesn't bug

me that Cody throws his jeans on the floor when he comes home? Or that he insists

on having two rolls of toilet paper out in the bathroom at all times? It actually drives

me insane, but I don't nag him and that makes us both a lot happier. He doesn't feel

like he's always having someone on his case and I don't automatically focus on the

negative things that he does.

5. This one is going to sound lame and kind of crazy, but it works. I promise. When

we are mad at each other, we inevitably want to say something mean and hurtful,

instead, we say "I love you." I heard about it once in relation to siblings and basically

when they are mad at each other, make them say I love you until they mean it. It's

kind of the same with us except we don't literally say it over and over. Usually, one

of us will say it in a mean voice and then start laughing. It makes us realize that the

argument we are having is completely ridiculous because we really do love each other

more than anything else and no argument is going to change that.

Want to get updates from my blog? Follow me on Twitter or like me on facebook! I

will love you forever and follow you back :)

Facebook!

Follow @paigers91

I'm Sorry!

Hi Everyone!
I know I have been an awful blogger recently but life has thrown me a bit of an (expected) curve ball. My contract at my current company ended so I was super busy getting my desk ready before I left. I have also been working really hard on creating my website, ordering business cards and doing everything I can to further my business. Once I stopped blogging, it became really easy for me to stop and I apologize for that. I also apologize to everyone who has messaged me about doing a guest blog post on marriage advice. Those will be starting again on Tuesday! 


I have been so thankful to everyone who has put the time and effort into helping my business succeed and I am proud to announce that I just assisted in my first wedding (I will do a post on that later this week) and I am assisting in another wedding in September. Things for Eat, Drink & Be Married Events are looking up!


I'd love for you to check out my new website and facebook page and let me know what you think!
My new website: www.eatdrinkandbemarriedevents.com
My new facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/EatDrinkandBeMarriedEvents 


Anyways I am glad to be back and I can't wait to catch up with all of you :) 
Thanks for sticking around! 

Trash the Dress

How do you guys feel about "Trash the Dress" photos? I personally love them (although I really think it's safe to say that I love everything about weddings) I think they are a great way to continue the wedding fun after your big day is over and to get some amazing pictures. If you happen to be doing a destination wedding, I would strongly recommend doing your "trash the dress" pictures on the beach and in the water. 

1.) Blue Lens Photography  2.) Diego Munoz  3.) Artur Lastowsk 4.) Chris Boar

Marcin Labedzki

I wasn't able to copy any pictures from Joey Kennedy's website but go take a look! His pictures on Jamie and Steven's "Trash the Dress" are incredible! How amazing are the fountain photos?! http://www.joeykennedyphotography.com/blog/?p=1452

Jamie also is a wedding planner and has a very cool website: http://www.weddobsessed.com/

I will admit I spent a good amount of time looking at her website so give it a look! 

Certified!

I have officially passed my course and am a fully certified Wedding Coordinator through the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada! This is definitely just the start and I plan on continuing with courses, seminars and continuously learning as much as possible about the wedding industry. A big thank you to all my friends and family who have supported me while doing this; I couldn't have done it with out you! 

Marriage Advice Part 1

For all you fellow Canadian's welcome back from the long weekend! I hope you had a wonderful weekend celebrating Canada Day. I had an amazing weekend and I will be doing a recap on that later. Today is the first day on my new series on marriage advice. The first blogger in this series is the lovely and hilarious Amber from Bugs, Barbies and Wedded Bliss. Amber is always making me laugh and her blog is a favourite of mine. She is a wonderful mama to two absolutely adorable kids and is crazy in love with her husband, Jim. Amber's blog actually gave me the idea to start this series so I am honoured to have her as my first guest blogger! 

With out further adieu, 

Hey Y'all! I am Amber from

Bugs, Barbies and Wedded Bliss.

Sweet Mikayla asked me to share a little bit of my best marriage advice and I happily agreed!

Did you know I have a boyfriend...

If you have been following my little blog for a while, you know how big my husband and I are on Date Nights and Love Trips.

Jim and I have been consistent about keeping each other a priority since the very beginning but especially since we had our sweet little redhead, Jax.

We have been blessed to find amazing and trustworthy sitters and of course we leave the babes with my Mama or Sister-in-law when they are available.

We do Saturday night dates every.single.week. 

Even if we just feel like staying home and cooking a special dinner after the babes are asleep and watching a movie cuddled up on the couch, it is date night and we make it a priority.  There is makeup and cute clothing involved.

When you are dating and first married with no children, it is easy to keep all that lovey stuff going.  I miss so much being able to just pick up and go anywhere with no responsibilities or cares.  Before we had Jax and Aubree we were always on the go...to the beach for the weekend, or Atlanta, Birmingham, Vegas...we had no cares!  It was awesome!

This was our last trip before babies, we were in Vegas and I was a few weeks pregnant and didn't know it yet.  Thank God all the partying that had been committed didn't hurt the baby! I was pretty terrified at first when we found out!

We still have weekend getaways, I call them "Love Trips"

Cheesy, right?

It's different now, of course.  We have to pay sitters and call to check in and we miss them while we are gone.   But making time for us as a couple is important to us.  I love Jim so much and want him to be attracted to me and to see me as more than just a mom who cooks and cleans and takes care of babies.   There is more to me than that.

I am his woman and he needs to know that I am attracted to him and adore him and I want to stay the fun, sexy girl he met 10 years ago because that is who he was attracted to.  I know everyone is different but I just am so passionate about this!

Date your husband!  Be his girlfriend!

You will get so much in return!

I know Jim likes it when I dress a little sexy and it makes me feel good to know he still thinks I am hot and pretty.  Men need to be adored and women need to feel treasured...If you keep courting each other these things will happen!

Thanks for having me Mikayla!