Money-Saving Monday: Pronovias Inspired Etsy Dress

Wonderxue

Pronovias

Ok, I've been MIA for a few weeks but I'm back with your money-saving Monday find.
I am a proud member of the Etsy handmade and vintage community and wanted to be sure to feature my fellow handmade artisans and designers. This week I would like to feature a handmade seller, Wanderxue. This impressive shop has a great selection of designer inspired dresses and low price-points.
It was hard to pick a dress to show you due to the large number of dresses already reserved. I fell in love with this Pronovias inspired gown the second I saw it. I actually like the Wonderxue version better than the designer version. The sweetheart shaped feather bodice covered with white feathers, and tulle skirts makes this piece truly ethreal. And at a price of only $388 it fits any  budget.

Anniversary Special

Last Wednesday was my husband and I's 3rd wedding anniversary. Because of our busy schedules we were not able to do anything romantic. A tender and kiss and hug had to do for the day, but we made plans for a date this coming weekend.

Just last night I found myself looking at pictures from the last three years and realized how drastically things have changed. When we were married I was still working in The City in the fashion industry, but was soon laid off. I was also pregnant at the time so we opted to get married at the courthouse and save money for  our new family.We had a reception a month later in the event room of my sister's building in midtown. Back then and even now I am so glad that we did it the way we had. I don't think that I would have handled the stress and excitement of planning and executing a wedding very well at that stage of my life.

You would think that writing a blog about weddings and making couture veils would cause me to long for a grand affair with all the bells and whistles. Actually I am just as excited if not more excited about being a part of so many other people's weddings. To make something that speaks so intimately to a bride that she wears it for the world to see is my dream come true.

This veil pictured above is the veil I made and wore to the courthouse September 25th 2009. It is not only the anniversary of me and my husband's day of matrimony, it is also the anniversary of my love affair with beautiful bridal things. So cheers to Beyond A Veil! May we have many many years and memories together.

Love, Kiara

Money-Saving Monday: Manzanita Tree/ Wishing Tree

So I bumped into this great discount craft supply site while researching my Babies breath post. The site Save On Crafts sells everything  from preserved flowers to LED lights from 20% to 50% off of retail price.
I clicked on their "specials" button and was delighted to see a faux 4' Manzanita tree for only $45. This tree, which usually sells for $120, comes black but can be easily painted any color to fit your wedding decor.

With Halloween just around the corner these pieces can be used for a Halloween themed wedding or party. Or how about brown for an autumn themed affair with flowers dotting the branches with your wedding colors. My one main tip would be to wrap a plastic bag around the base to protect it from paint splatters. Then consider painting the base also incase the black looks to severe with your new look.

I would personally paint it white and add some salt while the paint is wet to give it a whimsical winter look to it. Then I would hang crystals to a few of the branches to add elegance. What would you or will you do with these great buys?

Here are some ideas I found on Pintrest.