A unique ring

ENGAGEMENT RINGS!!! Where should you even start in a world forcing diamonds down your throat! If you want a big 'ol diamond for your engagement ring may as well stop reading now, you won't need help finding one. This post if for those who want a less traditional pick for your engagement ring. There are so many reasons NOT to pick a diamond, social responsibility, to be unique, to incorporate birthstones, gemstones are also said to have certain energies to help enhance certain things in your life (love,wealth,fidelity, etc). In our experience shopping around town at the jewelery stores proved to be very frustrating, often the associate works on commission and they were very pushy and not very interested in my special concerns for my ring just wanted me to spend the most they could talk me into or in some cases they were very rude about my opinions on my ring insisting diamond was the only appropriate choice, I didn't lose hope I just left the stores and shopped online. I wanted something no one else had, something special to me and that represented my personality. Now I am also gearing this blog toward couples on a budget, we were on a tight budget (being 23 w a fiance in school and working part time doesn't leave much open in the way of finances) we knew what we wanted to spend on the engagement ring and that is important, before you shop know your price, and know what you won't go over, no point in falling in love with something you simply can't afford. One fun part of buying a gemstone is that since they generally are less expensive than a diamond which opens you up to a BIG HUGE GLITTERING stone, and who doesn't want to feel like a Princess with her jewels everyday?!!!  Just follow what you know you want for yourself, your ring is just that YOURS. A daily reminder of the love and commitment you and your partner share, and that love is special. I ended up falling for the twilight mystic fire topaz for my stone, it perfectly captured the sunset of the night we were engaged and I was in love with it. Is it the most expensive ring? No way. Do I feel my husbands love every single time I look at it, absolutely, I would be crushed if I ever lost it, and THAT is what is important. So if you too are thinking you'd like a chunk of sapphire, topaz, quartz, turquoise, ruby, amethyst WHATEVER then GO FOR IT, don't let anyone make you feel "weird" because you didn't fall into line with the rest of the diamond crowd. Let your love SHINE....on your finger!

 The company we ordered from was Sylva Rocks, they are a cool jeweler based out of North Carolina, besides cutting the stones they hand make everything there at their shop,they are able to to keep costs down and provide beautiful jewelery. They specialize in mystic fire, I have ordered my ring and a pair of earrings from them and they have been great to work with both times, and both items ordered I couldn't be happier with.

My engagement ring, from Sylva Rocks

These are a couple other sites I have found with great non-diamond rings, at affordable prices, hope these help get you started!


http://www.sylvarocks.net/ 
 Topaz ring from Sylva Rocks


http://www.earthstreasure.com/
Sea opal ring from Earth Treasure

http://www.bluenile.com/  (these guys are a bit higher priced but stunning jewelery)
Morganite ring from Blue Nile



If you have some DIY or unique wedding content you'd like to share please email me at mallyleigheakes@gmail.com, I'd be so happy to have it to share. 

"All you need is love, love is all you need"

<333

Mal

How to make program fans!

   One of the DIY projects I did, was to make the programs a fan for our guest to use to cool off with while they sat in the August sun, waiting for the ceremony to start. I really loved this for our summer wedding because it was a triple hit, programs, a favor, and entertainment for the guests. This was a somewhat time consuming project so if you're going this route I'd start about a month before the wedding just so you can take your time and they won't look rushed, and also in my case I had to re-do them 2 times because of wedding party changes, so you'll want to make sure you plan for that was well. Also you can save yourself money by planning ahead and using weekly in store coupons to buy the supplies for this project, if you haven't signed up for email coupons DO IT! They come in handy for trips in between weekly adds! Ask a sales associate if they accept competitors coupons, I found most places do. This is a great project for begining crafters, if you can tape or glue you can do this one!!

Supplies (these can all be found at your local craft store)

*Scissors; to cut ribbon

*Hand held hole punch

*4.5"x6.5" and 5.5"x 7.5" card stock (found in the scrapbooking section), you will need 2 pieces of both sizes per fan, they come in all colors, the number of packs you need will depend on how many programs you make for 100 programs I used 2 of each pack. I liked a basic white to print on for the 4.5x6.5 paper and a colorful paper for the larger size.

*1 box crafting popsicle sticks, I liked the wide ones better to grip, they came in a  box of about 300 which was plenty for my project

*Spools of ribbon cut into 4-5" strips, the number you will need depends on how many you are making and it will be 2 pieces of ribbon per fan I think I used 6-7 spools they come in varying yards some spools have 6yds some had 10yds so you will just have to see how many you can cut off a spool.

*Double sided permanent tape, I found tape the way to go because waiting for glue to dry really slowed this process down , although the tape is a bit more expensive it will save so much time in the long run, and the amount you need depends on the number you are making, I made 100 fans, and went through about 9-11 rolls.

*Misc embellishments are totally up to you, BE CREATIVE! I found self adhesive jewels that resembled my engagement ring and self adhesive flowers to spice up the back of the program in the scrapbooking aisle as well

1. Get yourself organized so you can have an assembly line set up, it will have you tearing through these if you're set up with everything in order of how they are made (a buddy sure helps one can assemble the fan while one adds the print outs and embellishments)

2. You'll need to format the front of the program, I used Microsoft word, it takes a little tweaking to get things just right, but you should be able to set the page parameters to the size paper you need, once you have the text looking how you want and worded how you want you can print out all those to be ready, then the same for the back; format the puzzle if that's what you are doing or add a picture or more wedding information to the back and get those all printed out

Once you have all the pages printed it is so simple to assemble the fans.

3. Take two of the larger pieces of card stock and lay them in front of you.

4. Take a popsicle stick, lay it down on one of the pieces of card stock so about 1/2 is hanging off the edge and tape the stick so it won't slide. 

5. Put tape in an X shape on the other piece of card stock and press the two pieces together so the stick is sandwiched between them.

6. Place and X of tape on the back of each of the smaller printed out pieces of card stock and tape one to the front and one to the back.

7. Punch 2 holes in the top on the now taped together program, take one piece of ribbon and stick the two ends through each hole going the same direction then tie a bow, take another piece of ribbon and poke it through the opposite direction to make a bow on the opposite side, this should leave you with a bow on the front and back, that way each side looks complete; trim the tails of the ribbon of they are a bit long, otherwise they will smack people in the face, and you want them crying for the right reasons!!

8. Add your embellishments, I personally think self adhesive is the way to go here, no glue to smudge up your nicely printed programs and soooo fast and easy, the choice totally depends of your theme, I just went with jewels and flowers!

Then you're done!! How easy was that!!

If you have some DIY wedding content you'd like to share please email me at mallyleigheakes@gmail.com, I'd be so happy to have it to share. 

"All you need is love, love is all you need"

<333

Mal



This is the front of the finished program, the flourish on the bottom I just added from the clip art gallery and it happened to be in colors that matched already, I added the little self stick jewel (which sort of looks like my ring) for interest and bling on the front




To make a puzzle for the back use this site, very fast and easy and FREE, WOO HOO! Also you can see how I put bows on the front and the back I thought this made it look a little more polished, also adding the little self stick flowers for a pop of color and sparkle made it more fun.









All you need is love

Welcome sign made by my Father in law Duane

Thanks for checking out our wedding August 28, 2011 at Scenic Beach state park. When Kev and I sat down and talked about what was important to us on our wedding day we both agreed we wanted something fun and comfortable for our guest, we wanted everyone to have a good time, not JUST us, for it to be a day not just about our love, but about all the love in our lives that has brought us to this point. We are both outgoing people and wanted lots of color, so there really wasn't a "color palette" (GASP!) just the beauty of WA state and tons of flowers and tie dye . At a wedding?! Yes, at a wedding.  I'll follow up with "how to" instructions on the projects you'll see I did in this post, but for now I'd just like to get it all out there! Also, all of these photos are from Ashley Wise, she is the sweetest girl, and did a great job documenting our day.

Program fans with the stand painted by my mom

As you approached the ceremony area there was a hand painted program stand,which was a shepherds pole and a hanging plant holder and a painted apple basket to hold the hand made program fans, it was a really warm day so we wanted to let our guests be able to sit and fan themselves and keep cool while they waited for us to start. I also put a word search on the back to help keep people entertained, to make the puzzle, I just used a free online puzzle generator. We kept decorations down to a minimum and just let the background of the water, and mountains speak for themselves.

This was the front of the programs, I just formatted the front in word, easy enough!!

The back of the fan programs, I included pencils in another hanging basket for people to use for the puzzle!

We had rented most of the park for the day, including the Emel house,this beautiful old house built in 1912 that you can rent to get ready in, we also rented the portion of the park right outside the house which has a great view, just a small walk through the woods and over a cool little bridge there is a large picnic area which we also rented. Kev and I both really wanted to have the ceremony and reception in the same place so this was perfect. Renting space at a state park is a great choice if you want to have an outdoor wedding, it's pretty inexpensive and the money spent is supporting the parks system. Most parks allow plenty of time for set up, and include things like chairs and tables and coffee urns which help save in rental costs!

The 100 year old Emel House, my Dad and the mountains August 28, 2011

Getting ready inside the "girly" room in the house, Christina doing my hair

My curls, and the hair piece custom made for me by my florist

 Kev and I decided to do a "reveal" before the ceremony, we didn't want to make our guests wait for us after the ceremony to do photos, we wanted to go straight to the party! Also, it was great to have a moment with each other just us, to look at each other and feel the excitement together. I had managed to keep him from seeing the dress, so I was sooo excited for this moment. I am not the white dress type of girl (did I mention I like COLOR) I knew I wanted something vibrant and unique but not a "prom" dress-NO TAFFETA! I bought my dress at The Wedding Bell, which is a sweet little wedding dress boutique, they set you up in a private area to try dresses on with chairs and room for who ever you might want to bring with you, I brought just the Moms. You have a sales associate all to yourself helping you get gowns on and off, and running all over the shop to find your dress. I couldn't have asked for a nicer shop, and I fell in love the moment I tried on my dress, I knew it was for me.

Kevin, apparently very deep in thought, about to see me in my dress, I had ACTUALLY managed to keep a secret, I thought that was a sweet tradition to keep, because clearly my dress wasn't traditional

About to see each other, this is the living room of the Emel house, such a sweet romantic feel

I just love this one, everyone peeking through the window at Kevin about to see me

<3

Checking the whole package out one last time before it's his forever : p

Now that we had seen each other and pictures were done,it was time for the ceremony to begin! It was just outside the Emel house, on the lawn of the beautiful scenic beach, surrounded by 100 of our closest friends and family members. Our officiant Mary, is a very special lady to Kevin and I. She is the mom of my BFF Jillian, who was my maid of honor, I've known her my whole life and always said she'd be my officiant one day. She led us in our wedding vows, and like a true Irish girl I had vowed NOT TO CRY,wouldn't want the mascara to run, so they were somewhat traditional non denominational vows spiked with a few funny moments, "to infinity and beyond" instead of till death do you part (how morbid!) and sending us off with "May the force be with you" (we both grew up on Sci-Fi). The ladies all wore Alfred Angelo dresses in colors to match my dress, ordered from Benita's Bridal, ask them for deals if you are ordering 4 or more dresses. They are very accommodating, willing to set up payment plans, and work with out of staters! Kevin, the guys, and the Dads all wore Calvin Klein tuxes from The Men's Wearhouse they all looked so sharp. On both the dresses and tuxes give yourself PLENTY of time for ordering. The girls all wore necklaces made by a family friend and jeweler Diane, who custom fused glass to form pendants for the girls. Instead of bouquets they all carried a parasol I searched ALL OVER for a colorful frilly parasol not made out of paper and finally found the perfect one to match all the dresses in the seasonal section of Joann Fabric. The guys all wore brooch flowers for the boutonniere. My mom, Kev's mom, and I had searched for them at antique stores all around the peninsula. All of us had matching "wayfarer" style sunglasses we got at Old Navy. My bouquet was a brooch bouquet I hand made myself from brooches I collected from family members, and some my mom and I spent weekends antiquing to find.I found instructions online, but made adjustments to the design myself to make sure it was REALLY well held together, so I'll post how I made mine in a different post. My shoes I saw first on Nordstrom's website, but then scored at almost half the price on shoebuy.com. My jewelery was minimal, I wore a matching mystic fire topaz necklace and earring set my Dad had given to my mom years ago, it matched my dress perfectly and my engagement ring is a big mystic fire topaz. The music for the ceremony was performed by my two long time friends Matt and Allison on guitar and flute, for the wedding party they played "Rocky Racoon", then I walked down the aisle to "Here comes the sun", and we exited to "When I'm 64". Now, for the photos from the ceremony.

PARTY PEOPLE!

The Emel House...THROUGH A FISHEYE LENSE (watch this so that's funny)

Necklace made for the girls, it was a different color every time I looked at it, the dichroic glass was so rad.

These are the boutonnieres for the guys

We found them all

at different antique shops

around the peninsula

Pink toes and bows

The bouquet

The ceremony...THROUGHA FISHEYE LENS

Mr.&Mrs. Eakes

With the ceremony finished it was PARTY time, we were SO glad we chose to have the reception at the same site, it made everything so fluid. The decorations were also minimal, but were vibrant,fun and welcoming. The main attraction of the decor was definitely my flowers. I wanted a free spirited very colorful spread of bright summer flowers, Kevin's grandma who had passed away a few months before the wedding,had a ton of old mason jars which we utilized as vases and for the lighting Duane was working on. Our florist Karen, was unbelievable, she came and did everything on site that morning, centerpieces for 26 tables, hanging flowers, sconces, boutonnieres, garlands, my hair piece, that women was ON FIRE that day. The cake was done by Bella Bella Cupcakes, we chose cupcakes so everyone could just grab and go and it left us open to multiple flavor options. The cake topper was custom made by "the coolest toppers", it was a surprise for my video game obsessed husband. We both LOVE a good summer BBQ so we had Mike's four star BBQ buffet style, sides made by parents (sometimes you just can't beat mom and dads recipes) it was DELICIOUS! There were picnic blankets and table runners made by my mom Mom and I from tie dye fleece from this great online fabric supplier. Since the reception was at a state park they have alcohol regulations, no liquor, no kegs. Which saved us money, we chose two different brews from local brewery Hales Ales, and tons of different wines picked up from Trader Joe's. We chose not to have a DJ and saved ourselves the money (and from hearing the hustle), instead we set up a stereo and Ipod with a mix we had put together of music we actually listen to together. While shopping at the local party supply store for napkins, cups, etc I stumble across a CUPCAKE pinata. I decided the time was now for a wedding pinata! It was always the most fun thing ever at birthday parties so we went for it, and it was worth it to get to hit something with a bat after a year of stressing about how the wedding would come together!!

Boutonnieres for the Dads and Grandpas, we wanted something masculine, they aren't really flower type guys

One of the beautiful summer centerpieces, as a thank you guest took home the arrangements

The wedding cupcake set up, I saw a hanging bottle spread online and used it as the inspiration for the bottles around the picnic area

Some of the girls enjoying a brew in the sun on one of the NO SEW fleece picnic blankets

Centerpiece and the tie dye table runner

Dedicated friends who showed up early to set up the decorations and buffet, the lighting hanging above was all made by my father in law Duane, we saw a similar picture online and he ran with it

Our custom cake topper, she even made Mario a red head, and the Princess a brunette for us, make sure to leave PLENTY of time to order as this is hand made and takes a bit to ship, but it's so worth the wait!

Custom flower garland home grown, and arranged on site, like all of the flowers by an amazing family friend, Karen

Sconce by Karen

Bud garlands hanging over the walls

The party shelter you can rent, and decorate!

Generally I'm not an advocate for baked good abuse but this was a good exception.

The groom gets his swing

CANDY! It was absolutely just as exciting as when I was 8!

And there you have it, OUR WEDDING! An entire year of planning into one day neither of us will ever forget and will always have very bright happy memories of. I hope you enjoyed and maybe even got an idea or two from this post. If you have a great DIY wedding I'd love to feature it, please email me your story and contents with photos to mallyleigheakes@gmail.com

"All you need is love, love is all you need"

<333

Mal

 Time for shameless wedding cheese, you know you came for pics.

Wine please??

Walking to the reception through the gorgeous green park

The "candles" were all flickering LED lights, so they looked cool and were totally safe