Treasurehunting…

After my blog about finding stately home inspired charity shop vintage, I thought I’d showcase a few other treasures you can find if you’re willing to hunt a little.

I love charity shops, partly because you never know what you’ll find and I like a bit of a challenge! You often come across unique and interesting pieces at knock down prices plus it’s a great way to reuse and recycle stuff. Most importantly though, anything you pay is going to charity!

Some examples of charity shop treasure:

Want a sweet table or ‘candy buffet’ like this one from weddingbee?

Candy buffet display- from http://www.weddingbee.com

Why not use random cut glass from second hand shops for your display? These are often much cheaper than newer jars (under 50p-£2 each) sparkle in lights really well and give a lovely unique feel.

These are crying out to be filled with colourful candy!

Or, if you’re inspired by a ‘look’ in trendy homeware/design stores- you might find the same one in a local charity shop. Some charities do new ranges, like the one below from breast cancer care. They might not be quite as cheap as second hand, but the money is still going towards a good cause.

50s polka dots make a great wedding or hen party theme. Above: from Chatsworth house farm shop. Below: Breast cancer charity shop

You can’t guarantee what you’ll get in second hand stores, so if you have very specific ideas and products in mind, then this kind of shopping isn’t for you. But, if you are willing to hunt a bit- there may be all kinds of treasure out there waiting to be snapped up!

Top tips for charity bargains:

• Don’t just shop in trendy areas. Charity shops in Chelsea probably won’t save you money (unless you want designer gear)
• Touristy spots and market towns are often quite good. I’ve found amazing charity bargains on holidays in Buxton (Peaks) Eaglescliff (North East) Cirencester (Cotswolds) and Craignure (Isle of Mull, Scotland)
• If you want lots of items with a specific look (eg cut glass or vintage tea cups) then send your friends example pictures and get them to hunt too. Come to think of it- you could make it part of a hen day treasure hunt!
• When the big day is over, consider re-donating left over table centers or even your dress/shoes back to charity shops ready for another treasure hunting bride to find. Spread the love, hope and charity!

Happy treasure hunting!

Some great UK charities that have shops:

Oxfam; Breast Cancer Care; Cancer Research UK; British Heart foundation; Salvation Army; MIND; Mencap; Scope

False economies- when DIY blows the budget

It’s really easy when planning a big event like a wedding to get caught up in the whirlwind of amazing DIY ideas. I check out new stuff on stumbleupon (great site if you like inspiration) all the time and often post ideas up on my blog.

BUT, since I’m all about budgets- a key piece of advice is not to forget to ‘cost’ your DIY projects. Some things may seem cute, and because you’re making stuff yourself you think it’s somehow ‘cheap’ or ‘free’. Not so. You are also only human and can’t do everything.

The cost of DIY projects can soon mount up

Here are two of the top ‘homemade bank-breakers’:

Invitations:

I was very tempted to get arty crafty with ours- but then I added up the costs. Blank Cards and envelopes for 150 invites + embellishments to go on top would come to at least £50-£100, maybe more depending on what kinds of cards/ patterns/materials you use (and that’s before you factor in the time taken to stick everything together). Our Vistaprint invites were free + P&P.

The same can be said for other stationery (service sheets/name tags) There may be cheaper options than getting tied up with ribbon and covered in glitter.

Homemade favours- Pots of jam/chutneys etc

There’s been a recent trend in giving home made treats as favours- which I think is both lovely and admirable. However- before you plan to slave over a preserve pan, don’t kid yourself that you are saving money. Sure- this will be a thoughtful and cute gift for your guests, but once you factor in the money for sugar, fruit, preserving kits and most importantly the jam pots themselves- this is not a budget option and it will take TIME. You are potentially looking at more than £2.50 per guest, which if you’re having lots of people really starts to add up. (Our favours were around £1.20 per guest, and included a £1 charity donation)

Don’t get me wrong here- I absolutely love crafty touches- and have saved lots of money on a few, like making my bouquet for example. I also really enjoy the process, so if you are one of those people who loves jam making, maybe you’ll relish (pardon the pun!) the chance to make up a mega batch to bless your guests.

Just be aware of what the real costs are before you get knee deep in sugar, chutney and glue.

More delightful craftiness- A bit of Doily love!

I am sorely tempted to have a go at this wonderful idea from ‘more design please’. Its a variation on old school balloon papier mache but with a delicate twist- using doilies!

From http://www.moredesignplease.com

Instant cheap shades- with a cute vintage look! you could do them in different sizes and maybe even colours. I LOVE the possibilities here and if I’d have seen this before my wedding it would have been high on the ‘must try’ list.

I discovered recently that doilies can also be used to make very effective and pretty bunting. Here seen on greentreegoods, but having made some (slightly more traditional looking) myself recently- watch this space for a step by step bunting ‘how to’.

Doily-bunting from greentreegoods.blogspot.com

A word on gifts

Not on the list- and totally wonderful! An engraved chopping board from some neighbours

The subject of wedding gifts and lists can be a slightly tricky one. Even within british culture, opinions on gift etiquette vary. Lately I’ve noticed a few ‘wedding list’  and ‘wedding gift’ questions floating round on twitter, so I thought I’d share some thoughts and experience.

Deciding on a list can be hard because on the one hand, you are just delighted that people are making the effort to come in the first place (for some, it can be a huge cost already if they have to travel to come to the wedding) and so you don’t want people to feel obliged. On the other hand, if you dont make a list of things that you want/need (especially if like us you are genuinely setting up home) then you could end up with multiple salad bowls, mismatched linen, and non of the things you really need- not to mention the flowery coasters your great aunt thinks are ‘so sweet’ that will stay in a drawer for eternity.

There are plenty of gift list options for the modern couple- some, such as thebottomdrawer.co.uk offer an online service that allows you to pick gifts from multiple suppliers, and includes the option of honeymoon gifts or non-traditional gifts like getting your garden a make-over.

In the end though, since we didn’t even have pans or plates or duvet covers to start our home with, we opted for a simple list from John Lewis, which  meant the joy of seeing stuff in person and scanning what we wanted (such fun!). It also meant that the less internet savvy of our guests would also be able to pop into a store rather than have to order online.

I have to say, we were bowled over with how generous our friends and family were- we ended up adding to the list, and even then everything was bought, giving us an amazing start to our home.

My top tips for wedding lists would be:

• Think about what you genuinely need- get a list format that suits you. Do you want some things (eg suitcases) before the wedding? Make sure your list supplier can do that.
• Think about your guests- have a range of items at varying prices. Remember some people have spent lots just getting to your wedding and cant afford much more, whereas some people (especially family members) may want to get you something really special.
• Try to keep things as simple as possible for both you and the guests.
• Also- with that number of gifts, there are bound to be some things that break/ don’t work. Make sure you can take things back if needed.
• Say Thank you! (I’ll be blogging on this topic soon)

And finally, even with a list some people will probably want to get you something different. Here’s one of the ‘sweetest; gifts that we recieved- mostly because it was completely unlooked for and showed a lot of thought:

From my work colleagues: sweet art! Our initials in M&Ms with a collage from our service sheet around the edge. Very touched by the thought that went into this!

Beautiful birds nests and other such crafty things

Beautiful birds nests for beautiful bridesmaids maybe?

I adore these gorgeous necklaces featured on Sarah Ortega’s fabulous blog. Some DIY jewellry seems overly complicated and I can’t contemplate trying- but these are both simple and delightful!

The raw materials are really cheap too- so the final pieces should literally cost pence not pounds- fitting in with any budget. The value in these is the look and the thought that goes behind it. They are unique and thoughtful gifts that people will treasure.

Check out her blog for a full how to and maybe make your bridesmaids/friends smile with a little bit of classy homemade bling.