Will You be my Bridesmaid?

I am not engaged, but I am shamelessly obsessed with weddings - I know it, my parents know it, and Kris knows it.  (To add on to my Valentine's Day love note to him... I love him because he sees how crazy I am for everything bridal, and he a) isn't scared off b) doesn't judge me c) thinks it's sweet and endearing)

To that end, I saw the most adorable, creative way to ask your girlfriend's to be a part of your wedding.  This "Will you be my Bridesmaid" box was originally featured on The Wedding Chicks whose awesome creativity inspires me daily.

I am TOTALLY going to do this when I am engaged, so I pray my best friends do not read this.  Here is the tutorial on how to create a super personal, super sweet, "will you be my bridesmaid" box:

Step 1: Buy cigar boxes from JoAnn's ($4.99 online)
These are extremely inexpensive, but there is some labor involved so if you are thinking of having more than 5 bridesmaids, this could start getting quite labor intensive...

Step 2: Remove hardware, lightly sand, and paint box the colors of your choice.  
Here, they used Sweet Cream and Blue Bahama.  I love this color combo since I always think of the saying "Something Old, Something New, Something borrowed, Something Blue" but this would look equally lovely with earth tones (creme and taupe) or girly hues (creme and peach) or if that's not your thing, go wild with bright colors.  Heck, its your wedding! I am not quite as artistically inclined, so for the cute scalloped detail inside, I will most definitely be using the stencil provided here.

Here, the "be my maid" is done with calligraphic adhesive letters - these are available at any craft store (Joann, Michael's, etc.)  They encourage two coats of satin varnish over everything to protect and finish the look.  How essential is this? I'm not sure, but since you are putting in the work, you might as well put in the extra few minutes so it looks "finished."


Step 3: Get the inside of the box looking as pretty as the outside
Here the box is lined with a vintage handkerchief, but you can use graphic fabric, lace... whatever you think is pretty.



Step 4: Get to work on the contents of the box
To lay out the details of the wedding, the bride-to-be created progressively longer postcard messages - one to outline the day, their role, the other girls and the dresses.  By making each note card longer than the last, the bride was able to cut and bundle the scalloped cards into a sweet stack.

You don't have to copy her notes word for word, but this is a good guideline for what to include:

Our Day: 

Gabe and I are getting hitched! Our wedding will be small, about 50 guests, but I promise you, we’re still bringing the funk! (in a fun way).  We’ve rented out the vineyard’s three houses from June 27 – July 1 and reserved your space for our bridal party (plus your hubby or guest). You can stay as long as you want without worrying about a hotel

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My Girls:

Let’s hope you all say yes or this could get awkward.

Becky: matron of honor – best friend extraordinaire, keeper of my most embarrassing stories, most likely to stop the ceremony to save a butterfly.

Dana: bridesmaid – amazeballs sister, logical ying to my emotional yang, most likely to call foul if I go bridezilla, ironically also most likely to cry a lot

Andrea: bridesmaid – kindergarten homie of two decades, witness to my most tragic hair years, most likely to bring me to tears by saying something ultra sweet and sentimental

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Your Role: 

I hear weddings can become a lot of work for bridesmaids.  Please don’t worry about showers or bachelorette parties, gifts or anything like that.  Your presence on my wedding day is all I need, truly.

As my bridesmaid, your only job is to feel beautiful, hold some gorgeous flowers, wipe away my happy tears, understand how much your presence is appreciated, and know how much I love you.

Basically you’re to have a complete blast, and maybe challenge me to a cake eating contest.

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Your Dresses:

More than anything, I want each of you to feel comfy and gorgeous! You are all beautiful in so many ways – what you wear should reflect it.

And who’s better suited to pick out your dress than you? Each of you will pick a dress that says “you” – I’m onboard for an eclectic mix of dresses if it means my best girls will feel fabulous.  Enclosed you’ll find a few paint chips to give you a feel for the colors I dig.  Dreamy aquas and blues.  Any shade within that color family will work for me.  I’ve included a few sample photos just to get your wheels spinning about styles but your options are pretty limitless – just a few guidelines to use while shopping:

   - Keep it short, around knee length, give or take a few inches

   - Go sleeveless – you have the right to bear arm

   - Try for vintage inspired look for feminine details like flirty lace, or a retro silhouette, anything that makes it sweet and breezy.

Also, we know that traveling to and being a part of weddings can add up, so Gabe and I would love to pick up the cost of your dress.  I’ve enclosed a gift card for $150 towards your dress and accessories – if you have any trouble using it, please let me know.

I’m still fence sitting on accessories and shoes, but will be sure to keep you informed!

Step 5: Get to work on the contents of the box

To complete the boxes, put photos for inspiration (inspiration for the dresses as well as the overall look and feel of the day), and paint chips as a guideline to the color scheme.  I hate to add this in, but I must - if you have a friend that is known to be overtly sexy, over-the-top, or has a "I'll do what I want" attitude, I would take special care to emphasize the look you are going for if a ton of cleavage or mini dresses don't fit in the vision you have for your wedding day.

So that's it!  (that's "it"... ha) - it is a lot of work, but what a special way to ask your bridesmaids to be a part of your big day. LOVE