WEDDING BLOG

Looking for gift ideas to thank your bridesmaids for all they do? Here are a few fun options I’ve run across recently that span the style gamut from sweet and sentimental all the way to purely practical. Every girlfriend is wonderfully unique, so find each of them a thank you gift to suit their personalities.

Etsy shop owner Hazelnut Cottage handcrafts these romantic looking customized pendants, perfect for the girl who loves pretty, pretty things. Choose your own wording to express what you appreciate about her, and the accompanying pearl, stone or charm to go with it.

While you’re at it, check out Hazelnut Cottage’s custom bridal bouquet charms. Tie one to your wedding bouquet and then treasure it as a little keepsake forever after.

Over the past week I’ve been burning the Lazy Lemongrass candle and soaping up with the bar of Lemon Milksoap that I received from Nettiescrub, and they are such a treat! Each item in this line of spa goodies is handmade in Southern California with 100% natural ingredients, and have lovely scents like lemon, lavender, peppermint, grapefruit and mandarin. Shop their online store and treat your girls to a couple of these fun little gifts, because really, who doesn’t love decadent beauty products?

EXCITING UPDATE: Junbug readers receive 20% off their order, and free shipping! Just write in the comments section during checkout that you found them on What Junebug Loves and you’ll get the money refunded back to your credit card. Thanks Nettiescrub!

Jewelry designer and Etsy shop owner Gemmafactrix makes fantastically simple rings that are great to wear alone or stacked together. Her bold mod Bubble rings come in all different colors, and her Bauble ring is made of sterling and brass for a delicate, organic look. Give away one or give away a bunch, they are sure to please your fashion savvy friends.

For your girlfriends who are eco-aware, I love these reusable grocery bags from Envirosax on BrightandBold.com. Choose the style of prints they’ll like the best and give them a handy pack of five for use anytime, anywhere.

Weddings offer so many possibilities for creative decor and favor ideas that it’s always nice to see great examples of what’s possible. Bliss! Weddings Market is a superstore of pretty packaging, decorations, gifts, ready-to-give wedding favors and DIY supplies, and they have a fantastic photo gallery of specific DIY wedding projects complete with thorough how-to instructions from their Creative Director, Cheryl Galvez. From aluminum tins and paper takeout boxes to glassine envelopes, lovely labels and customized ribbon, they’ve got it all and they know just how to use it!

Here’s one of their creative DIY “bride” ideas for displaying your ceremony program on one of their bamboo hand fans. Perfect for a warm summertime ceremony or beach themed wedding! Check out the Bliss website for lots more!

Materials:
Bamboo Fan
1 8-1/2″ x 11″ Patterned vellum paper
1 8-1/2″ x 11″ Solid paper in a coordinating color
Scissors
Glue dots or glue strips (do not use regular glue or tape)
Computer and printer
1-1/2″ wide colored double-faced satin ribbon

Instructions:
Using a glue strip cut to the width of the ribbon, affix one end of the ribbon to the neck of the fan. Wrap around the length of the fan’s handle. Adhere the other end of the ribbon to the bottom back of the handle. For a clean look, make sure the ribbon’s end is at the back of the fan away from view.

Design your ceremony program using your personal computer. Print it directly on to decorative vellum paper available at your local arts and crafts supply store. Overlay the vellum paper on top of the solid color paper. Having a solid color paper underneath the vellum makes the text easier to read. Using your scissors, cut around the ceremony program. In this example, I chose to cut around the program in a wave-like fashion to match the beach-theme wedding I envision for this idea.

Using a glue strip at the top and bottom of the vellum paper, stick it to the solid paper beneath it. Again, use two glue strips to adhere the 2-layered ceremony program to the fan itself. I found that glue dots or glue strips adhere nicely to the natural palm leaves of this fan.

I also love their huge selection of shapes, sizes and color combinations for pretty customized hangtags. These have a million uses for weddings- on favors, gift bags, out of town welcome baskets, seating cards, thanks you gifts, programs; the list is endless! Thanks Bliss!