Nerd Love

In honor of tomorrows premier of The Dark Knight Rises, I have decided to totally geek out on everyone and write a post dedicated to my fellow nerds out there in the universe. As Dr. Seuss says, "“We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.”
So, here are some ideas about how to share your nerd love with your friends and family on the big day (and heads up, lots of these ideas use recycled, reclaimed or otherwise earth-friendly ingredients).

These boutonnieres can save the world
Here's one for the dudes, so they can wear their nerd love on their sleeves (well, technically their lapels). The first ones are obviously made from action figures (which if you are any kinda nerd, you will have plenty of ), and the second one is actually a flower made out of comic book paper. Rad!

 These shoes are made for totally Geeking out!
Brides make a statement by showing off some awesome shoes under your gown! Or make your bridesmaids match your nerdiness with shoes like these:

You're invited to dance awkwardly and share trivia/movie quotes with us!
There are all kinds of awesome ways to invite guests to your nerd themed bash. Here are just two options: a personalized comic 'save the date' and an old school Mario game themed invite.

 CCCAAAKKKEEE! om nom nom
Love of dessert is something that can unite all nerd subgroups, whether they are into Dr. Who or Y the Last Man. So here are some awesome ideas to get you started: 

My gift to you is epic AWESOMENESS
Trying to narrow down which amazing favors to add to this little list was difficult. There are so many talented nerds out there making far too many cool things that would make for great wedding favors, for instance:
Harry Potter themed candy...chocolate frog anyone?

 I remember loving viewfinders when I was 5 and I still love them now. I cannot be the only one

 These adorable little guys are actually plush mini microbes. Yes, you can say someone got gonorrhea at your wedding and totally not feel weird about it

 Tiny little Pac-Man candy...too cute. Now to find a tiny little person to play this machine....

 Felted and/or knitted things are great...make them in miniature and they're even better

I would totally write more on this topic, but I have to go work on my Penguin costume for the Dark Knight Rises premier tomorrow at midnight! Woo
So Part 2 to be continued

Time for Brunch!

 Most people think of a  wedding as an afternoon to late night kind of affair. Let's think outside the box a little here people. You do not need to go for the traditional dinnertime reception with  a dance afterwards, what about brunch? People love brunch. It is the equivalent of second breakfast,except it is totally acceptable to have an alcoholic drink with it. And it sounds pretty darn fancy too. Plus the food choices are endless. 

 Here are a few reasons why a brunch wedding could be a good choice for you:
1. They tend to be cheaper- because you are not spending as much money on a full dinner, you can save money on food, also brunch food tends to be less expensive anyway. You will save money on alcohol because people won't be drinking as much at that time of day, and if you choose not to have a dance (which many brunch weddings do without), you save on DJ fees etc.

2. A small, less formal ceremony- brunch ceremonies are relatively smaller, more casual affairs in general. So if you are looking to have a more easygoing kind of day, brunch may be for you.

 3. Less time to stress- if you have an early start, then you don't have time to psych yourself out during your run-up to the alter. If you are getting hitched at 10am, then you won't have as much time to freak out about hair,makeup,schedule etc and maybe you will just forget about cold feet.

 4. No long wait times for guests- the entire wedding day can be filled with multiple gaps and wait times for your guests, what with photo sessions, lag times in between ceremony, dinner and reception and long parties. So why not keep it simple, have the ceremony, a brunch afterwards, and save your wedding party photo shoot for after the festivities.

Inspiration Board: Green Forest

Foodie Favors

Fact: most wedding favors are lame. Sorry brides and grooms, but it just had to be said. I don't ever remember one that I have liked or kept for longer than a week. Unless you are the parents or close family of the couple, you will probably throw out or lose the favor they gave you, or it will be trapped in their junk drawer forever. 

Here are some tips on what NOT to do for favors:
1. anything with your face on it
2. a couple mints or chocolate kisses wrapped in tulle
3. monogrammed matchbooks
4. shot glasses
5. teensy rectangles of the wedding cake (also usually wrapped in tulle) 


Do you know what I do want to see as a favor, (and I don't think I am alone in thinking this either): FOOD. Anything edible is a win with me. You can monogram the hell out of it, so long as I can eat it, drink it, or put it on food in some way. So I have comprised a little list of some of my favorite edible wedding favors. I'm trying to start a revolution here people, go with me on this one! 


Pop! (if you are Canadian)  or Soda! (if you are American)
-Adorable right? Bright, fun, colorful, easily tied into a color theme and personalized.

Berries! 

-Perfect for a backyard summer wedding. Have your guests fill their own berry bowls at a great station, or have them pre-made with tiny little baskets/bags.

Tea or Coffee!
- I am a caffeine addict who also enjoys herbal teas, and these can be very easily made into wedding favors. Choose flavors that match your theme and your personality, and remember to buy organic and fair trade varieties.

Individual Picnic Lunches!
- I love this idea if you have a little more cash to spend. Plus, if the party goes til the wee hours of the morning, bam! you already provided some breakfast to your weary guests.

Jams or Jellies!
- Are you a canner? If so, this will be easy for you. If not, check out your local farmers market for yummy seasonal jams and jellies, which are super cute/come in a reusable mason jar/and are easy to customize.

Milk and Cookies!
- Milk and cookies are not just a child's affair now. Get fancy with it, go gourmet. Lactose intolerant? Almond milk tastes better anyway! Or you could do all the ingredients to make your own cookies at home.

Olive oil and Vinegar!
-A great idea for a foodie wedding. There are so many varieties of great oils and vinegars, you could do just one, or a pair, or even do a set with some delicious bread. Mmm.

Cupcakes!
- Duh. So hot right now. Who doesn't like cupcakes? Again, you could do them pre-made so your guests can dig in soon, or do cupcake ingredient bags for at home yummies.

Spices!
- Again, for the foodie in the group. A unique idea, and one that will stand out from the crowd. Also, super useful (because I know in my house, we can never get enough spices!)

Recipe Cards!
- Ok, so technically you can't eat this favor, but it is food related, and will lead to something delish down the road (hopefully). Maybe get the mothers of the bride and groom (or the grannies!) to write down their favorite recipes, and have them made into cute cards for your guests.

So, hopefully you got some inspiration from these ideas, and you won't be going with the old faithful shot glass as your wedding favor in the future. While there are loads of other options for non-edible favors that are probably "greener", I do like to eat, and I think food is one of the most important aspects of a wedding. If your food (or your foodie favor) is awesome, people are gonna talk about it.

Pack Your Bags

When I was a kid, I owned two vintage suitcases, one blue, one brown. They both had matching ruffled satin interiors, and one had a little mirror inside. I filled them with Barbie's extensive clothing collection, books, markers, anything I might need for a night at my Grandmothers. So I love when I see vintage luggage incorporated into wedding decor. It can be used in so many different ways, and is super easy to find in thrift stores (or if you are in Halifax, on the sidewalk!).
So I wanted to show you dear readers a few interesting ways to use luggage for your very own green wedding!

1. Card Holder: pretty simple. use it as a place for guests to put your "happy wedding" cards.

 2. Seat Number Display: a more interesting way to display your guests seat numbers.

3. Dessert Table Stands: cake stands are awesome, but so is luggage. 

4. Table Centerpiece: unexpected unique centerpieces are the best, because sometimes flowers just aren't enough.

5. General Decor: whether you are going with an aviation theme, or your reception is being held in an old train station, or maybe you just have a thing for old suitcases, incorporating luggage into your room decor adds a cool touch

6. Welcome Packages: these are always a good idea to have in the rooms of guests who are coming from away to be in the wedding party or just attending. fill them with toiletries, maybe some snacks, and other items they might need

7. Photo booth Props: these are very trendy to have at weddings right now. so why not add to your theme and have vintage luggage be part of the background in your own photo booth, or store cute props in one.

8. Drink Holder: why not make your bar/buffet area adorable too? fill a suitcase full of mason jar drinks or bottled pop

9. Seating/Tables: if you have a little time on your hands, and some serious DIY spirit, you can make some pretty amazing chairs and tables out of old suitcases. interesting seating areas scattered throughout the reception space creates a more dynamic, lounge type atmosphere. maybe this could be a wedding gift for/to your significant other?

10. Guestbook Table: these can be pretty boring sometimes, so why not jazz it up a little. decorate the table with a suitcase, have your guests write you letters on an old typewriter etc. 

Ok. So there are 10 ways to use vintage luggage in a wedding. Who knew right? I am a big fan, hope you are now too. I'm sure there are lots more ways to use this idea, so feel free to comment on this post with more of your thoughts!

Bonus Idea: Suitcase Cake!