Photo by Justin Bench
Like a lot of brides, when it came to my wedding, I had a vision. My then-fiance-now-husband Kevin and I wanted a personalized ceremony and celebration that included our community and focused on the theme that love is a great adventure, while still being budget conscious (hence how we wound up with 25 friends at a beachside Airbnb in Kauai).
And don’t get me wrong — we had a blast. But I realize now that I planned my own wedding with blinders on. Since then, I’ve come across some really awesome wedding resources, tools, services, and ideas I had never thought to even consider (and I seriously wish I had!). So while you don’t need these to live happily ever after, you sure might enjoy them:
1. Joint Email Account
If the idea of a shared bank account gives you the heebie-jeebies, you probably also don’t swoon at the idea of giving your partner access to your email. But when you’re wedding planning, even a small destination marriage creates a plethora of email with information you both need. Hence, joint-email address. Create a username together, and voila! You’re both in the loop in real time.
2. Help with a DIY Ceremony
Why was Vow Muse’s Gettin’ Hitched: A complete wedding ceremony with endless possibilities not a thing three years ago? I wanted a personal, non-religious, non-cheesy ceremony. After hours Googling terms like non-secular wedding ceremony, personalizable wedding ceremony, ceremony structure, and requirements for legal wedding ceremony, I still had no real idea what to say or how to say it. This ceremony toolkit would have been an amazing DIY wedding resource for our ceremony (not to mention for our friend who officiated) as it includes all the bits and pieces that go into a modern wedding ceremony, it’s easy to customize, and it’s formatted for easy (and fun!) reading.
3. Punky Invitations
At around $6 a pop, these hand-written, artsy notes might get too pricey for bigger groups. But had I known about Punk Post there’s no way I wouldn't have used them for my invites. Handwritten and drawn by artists around the country, these cards are unique, full of pizzazz, and ridiculously fun to open. Now looking to see if I missed writing any thank you notes...
4. Hire a Bridesmaid
Okay, so I didn’t have a wedding party — frankly, it felt weird to divide our friends up that way. But I might have made an exception for Jen Glantz’s Bridesmaid for Hire service. You can hire her to be your wedding coach, as a wingwoman offering moral support, or even to coordinate day-of (which you definitely need, no matter how small your wedding is. More on that later).
5. Confetti, Confetti, Everywhere
Custom confetti? Color me excited. The Confetti Bar makes custom confetti that is also biodegradable (a must!). They also offer five pages of confetti mixes that you can buy right off the shelf, with themes like Wanderlust, Unicorn Dandruff, and a bunch of scented options. (Plus their Instagram account is the picture of joy, literally...) I would definitely have used this as part of our decorations if I had known.
6. Vows as Art
Kevin and I spent time writing our own vows to each other. I love that Minted will take your vows and create a piece of art with them. Seems like a really sweet way to remind ourselves of the promises we made that day on the beach. And thankfully, this one is timeless, so I can actually use this idea now.
Are you planning a wedding?
Check out our DIY toolkits and check one thing off your to-do list!
Writer Tami loves collecting books, photos, stolen moments, recipes, quotes, and passport stamps. When she’s not writing, she’s probably organizing.
Cover photo by Sweet Ice Cream Photography on Unsplash