Tree Love: The Willow

Ive always felt that the weeping willow is the most romantic of all trees. It just oozes drama and soft affection which makes it the perfect backdrop for intimate couple wedding or engagement photos or an even better wedding ceremony cite. I love this anniversary photo shoot by Becca Dilley Photography in Minnesota.

 

If you have a special willow tree in your love story, our guest book fingerprint willow tree is just the design for you! Elegantly drawn with streaming tendrils coming from an asymmetrical tree body, this lovely design is the perfect place for your guests to make their mark on a special day. The memories will live forever as artwork on your wall. This design is only available in sizes M-XL. 

Order yours today! 

 

The extra large guest book fingerprint willow tree, just another BDT Handmade Original.

Up, Up, and Away Nursery!

Hot air balloons are so colorful and whimsical! I love catching a glimpse of them in the distance when driving! As a child I remember thinking they were the greatest thing ever. Here are a few inspirations for a hot air balloon themed nursery, baby room, play room, baby shower or birthday party. Enjoy!

Check out this DIY paper hot air balloon mobile pattern here. 

Come Fly away with me, Pillow Cover from Olive Handmade on Etsy.com

Add some color along a wall, behind the crib or across a window with this DIY fabric streamer (also great for wedding cake backdrops).

Up! cupcakes with sprinkled cake pops on top!

A poppy red and aqua color palette is so fun and perfect for this theme and would work for boy or girl rooms!

This balloon wreath is so fun!

Check out this clever use of paper lanterns!

So many of our balloon designs would work dashingly in a nursery along this vein. Find the one that speaks to you most to welcome your little love today!

On the go! New Design: Red Getaway Scooter Couple with Thumbprint Balloons

Its always exciting when a client's vision inspires a new product to offer to more possible couples. This sweet red scooter is the perfect getaway vehicle for a cool couple of newlyweds donning helmets and shades. Strings are drawn tied to the back of the scooter, flying behind them so that they carry the mark of their loved ones in tow.

This idea came to us from a couple in Australia. The design is now for sale in our shop and comes in red, though we could change the color of the scooter, upon request.
Book your vintage Vespa today then come on over to BDT Handmade and let us make you a personalized guestbook that will blow your guests away!

We were inspired by these stylish rides!

Photo by Kailey J. Flynn Photography

Client Wedding featured in Southern Weddings Blog

I just love all of the creative weddings that our alternative guestbooks are a part of. Its especially exciting when they recognized by such a wonderful publication as Southern Weddings! This sweet bride was married this spring in Charleston in a beautiful and perfectly southern seersucker wedding gown. Oh and she also used our classic twisted oak guestbook fingerprint tree to commemorate the special day. Enjoy a few highlights here and hop on over to her feature in Southern Weddings for the full dish. http://iloveswmag.com/2013/08/21/seersucker-and-pink-wedding-by-pasha-belma/

What a dress!

On THE Dress: Before we went dress shopping, my mother bought several wedding magazines and passed them on to me. I found an amazing dress in Southern Weddings: The Libertine by Ian Stuart. I called my mom as soon as I saw it and told her I had found my dress. She asked me to describe it and said, “When I saw that dress, I knew it was the one for you.” I called several stores trying to locate a sample in blue and we went to see it a few days later. Since I had chosen such a distinctive dress, I decided to keep it a secret from everyone except my parents until the big day. On the morning of our wedding, I had the photographer and videographer capture my bridesmaids’ reactions to my dress.

I love the idea of an Adventure Book for your marriage, what a sweet way to join bucket lists, and create a life of complete adventure. How well this would go with our Up! inspired guestbook thumbprint balloons as well!

 

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? We decided to stick with tradition and not do a first look. I am glad we made that decision because my favorite part of our wedding video is seeing my 6’8” husband stand on his tiptoes trying to see me above the crowd before I walked down the aisle.

Reception details:

The finished guestbook fingerprint tree in our beloved twisted oak design by BDT Handmade. https://www.etsy.com/shop/bleudetoi/search?search_query=twisted+oak&order=date_desc&view_type=gallery&ref=shop_search

For more details, visit Southern Weddings Blog.

Steamin' right along

Back in April we had the pleasure of attending, and working on, the lovely wedding of Claire & Eddie in Savannah, GA. It was a peachy keen affair and so unique to the couple. Check out their wedding, featured today on Grey Likes Weddings.

Their ceremony was in a picture-perfect, charming country chapel surrounded by spanish moss, while the reception was in a bona-fide train museum (a perfect setting given the groom is an engineer). For this special couple we developed a train themed guestbook to match the setting. This carefully crafted drawing is complete with a steam engine, hopper, passenger car (with their pets in the windows), and caboose.

Each of the guests left their fingerprints (or thumbprints) above in smoky shades of grey and blue to look like the puffs of steam coming from the engine. Now it hangs proudly in their home as a memory of that special day.


We were so happy with how it turned out that weve decided to offer the unique designs for a variety of your most special, train loving events.



My nephew, who turns 3 this month, is obsessed with thomas the train (and anything train related) and will have a smaller version of the personalized fingerprint steam engine at his super fun birthday party.

This product is the perfect special touch to a birthday party for your favorite train loving toddler. We can personalize markings on the side of the train to commemorate the special celebration. The train shown below has the year but you could also add something like "____ turns 3" or "Conductor ______" in addition to whatever text you like below.

Shown here with fingerprints in stormy-sky blue, weathered wood blue and frayed burlap brown. Pumice stone grey and antique paper tan would also be great (shown on the wedding train above). For the wedding train, we added the love birds to the top of the caboose, for a sweet added touch (not shown above)

Get on the train and get your today! Request the steam engine only design for smaller parties (15-30 guests on a 11x14" size x-small or 30-70 guests on a 15x20" size small paper) or the full train with three cars for larger parties (up to 200 guests). 

Available at our etsy shop today!

For more pics of Claire and Eddie's beautiful day visit Jade + Matthew Take Pictures.

Claire & Eddie's wedding vendors: Photographers: Jade + Matthew Take Pictures // Ceremony: Whitefield Chapel at the Bethesda Home for Boys // Reception: The Roundhouse Railroad Museum // Bride’s dress: from an antique clothing store in California // Florist: Garden on the Square // Paper Goods: The Nimbus Factory(the bride’s design boutique) // Desserts made by the bride’s dad // Bride’s jewelry: Modern Pixie // Guestbook: Bleu De Toi // Groomsmen Ties: 8 Commander (the bride’s brother) // Lighting: K& H

That Summer-Time Mason Jar Glow

It really amazing the way good old-fashioned mason jars have made their way into the wedding world as a touch of something home-grown and comforting among the formal elements of a usual wedding. When we had our wedding almost 3 years ago, all of our flowers were in blue and green mason jars.

BDT recently added a new design just for the summer! Each guest's fingerprints make up a firefly for that beautiful glow. What a fun way to light up your wedding memories!  

Order yours today! http://bdthandmade.blogspot.com/p/request-your-custom-order-today_13.html

Via Emmaline bride today, here are a few more creative ways you can infuse your special day with this old-world touch:

"Whether you love mason jars or you’re not a fan, this is one wedding trend we don’t see disappearing anytime soon. It’s no surprise, either: mason jars are inexpensive, versatile, and extremely functional. (When’s the last time you saw a wedding favor do double-duty as an escort card AND a drinking glass like mason jars can?) Mason jars can be used in a variety of super-simple ways, such as pairing mason jars with water and candles to create DIY centerpieces, by adding striped straws and name tags for instant escort card mason jars, or serving up decorative jars with homemade jam as a crowd-pleasing wedding favor. These are just a few of the ideas we love":

photo credit: our labor of love via a low country wedding

Mason Jar Wedding Ideas

One of my favorite ways to use mason jars is in the ceremony. Decorate the aisle with hanging mason jar flower arrangements, as shown in this sweet example.

photo credit: saskia m photography, flowers by melanie benson floral, spotted via elizabeth anne designs via pinterest

Use Jars as Decor

It’s amazing what these little jars can do in terms of decor. For instance, you can use mason jars to display vintage photographs, like so…

photo credit: jessamyn harris via oh lovely day

… or decorate a backdrop with whimsical ribbons and jars…

photo credit: anushe low via style me pretty

photo credit: jen rodriguez, styling / planning by events redefined via style me pretty

The easiest way to use a mason jar: a vase. Holy wow, these flowers are gorgeous by the way (beautifully designed by April Flowers).

Mason Jar Favor Ideas

This is hands-down one of the cutest DIY ideas we’ve seen from a Real Wedding yet: mason jar cookie favors with illustrated tags of the bride and groom! Check out the full wedding here: it is simply gorgeous. Another favorite? Cherry pie in a (smaller-sized) jar. Amazing.

photo credit: jen huang via inspired by this

photo by britt renee photo, styling by the sunday sweet + dear lola letterpress, via style me pretty

A sure crowd-pleaser: homemade jam, honey, or another delicious treat in a (small) jar. by the cherry grove

How about gifting candles to guests in delightful mason jars? We love functional favors.

by oil and wax

Mason Jar Drinking Glasses

Mason jar drinking glasses has to be one of the most popular uses for these jars at rustic weddings. Mason jars as drinking glasses gives guests that hometown, down-on-the-farm feel you just can’t get from a traditional glass. Plus, these jars can do double-duty as mason jar escort cards, too, so guests can actually use them both during and after the wedding. (Don’t forget fun straws… many guests (myself included) don’t like drinking directly out of the jar.)

photo credit: cyn kain photography
via southern weddings

photo credit: lane dittoe,
styling by joyful weddings and events
via style me pretty

Mason Jar Lanterns

Incorporate lighting into your reception with ease. We love these hanging mason jar lanterns…

photos + styling by haute papier via the sweetest occasion

You can also (easily!) create your own mason jar lanterns for a romantic glow at night. All you need is a mason jar + long-burning candle. Just place the candle in the jar (or use LED battery lights for less fuss) and place on each table near the centerpieces – of course, not too close where fire hazards could occur.

Mason Jar Handmade Accessories

Don’t forget to incorporate mason jar details throughout your wedding day. We love these mason jar wedding favor bags by Clementine Weddings…

by clementine weddings

by clementine weddings

Last, but not least, use a new adorable mason jar firefly design exclusively from Bleu de Toi Handmade as a beautiful and memorable guestbook for your special day. You, and your guests, wont ever forget it!

Available in a variety of sizes in our shop

Want more mason jar ideas? Check out the full post at Emmaline Bride blog here!