Guest Post: Wedding Planning Tips from The Real Housewives of Bucks County

Hey there! We're Monica & Jess, otherwise known as The Real Housewives of Bucks County.  Hmm... Are they drama queens? Do they DIY plastic surgery? You can find those answers and anything else you may or may not have wanted to know about us and our DIY adventures over on our blog. www.realhousewivesofbuckscounty.com 

I have to admit something right off the bat... it's been a while since my wedding, ten years in fact.  However, Jess and I just spent a relaxing week in Mexico and we had fun talking weddings and what we loved and what we'd do differently if we each got to do it all over again (don't worry, we're both happily married!)  Through our beachfront chats, we came up with a few ideas to share with you!

Wedding Tidbits from RHBC
Look Local. Adding elements that represent where you're from or where the wedding is taking place  can add personality and character to your special day. We're from Bucks County, PA and if you've never been it's a pretty awesome place.  Using reclaimed barnwood in a wedding would be the perfect Bucks County touch.  

We have destination signs like the one above in our etsy store, but we got to thinking it would be awesome to use them to designate bride or groom's side, or point the way to the reception.  Jess recently hosted a 40th anniversary party for her parents and she got fresh lavender from the Peace Valley Lavender Farm and with a little DIYing she had a beautiful centerpiece (that smelled amazing) and reflected where her parents spent their last 40 years! 

Go Vintage I think it's awesome to look back at wedding pictures from the 80s. Seriously, if you're ever having a rough wardrobe day, Google "80s bridesmaids dresses" and you will instantly feel better! So, thinking of going vintage, I'm not thinking puffy sleeves! I'm thinking of bring in a few items from the past.  I love a wedding that's on trend, but adding some vintage elements can make it feel timeless as well! There are about a million ways to use skeleton keys (we actually used them in our most recent Nate Show Episode).  You could use them as invitation accessories, but I also would like using just a key with a small tag for table assignments.

Source: Uploaded by user via Lisa on Pinterest

I'm currently obsessed with vintage bicycles, but these wedding pictures could get me into typewriters big time.  Am I alone or do you think these vintage elements add something awesome!?!

And of course we can't write a post without a DIY...these spoons weren't vintage, but after a little DIYing, you can totally trick your guests.  Check out Green Wedding Shoes for all the steps.

It's Eclectic (boogie, woogie, woogie... sorry, couldn't resist the electric slide playing through my head as I typed that).  This is probably the biggest thing that I took away from our Mexican wedding chats... you can mix it up a bit at your wedding.  Sometimes, I think we can get overly caught up in our theme or color pallet that we say no to some things we really like.  No other day in your life, is more about reflecting who you are as a couple than your wedding day.  I don't know about you, but Eric and I are more than just exact fall colors and Gerbera daisies, and I wish we hadn't been afraid to break the mold a bit and add things we liked.  Check out this aisle runner from Green Wedding Shoes. I mean it's awesome and man is it filled with personality.  I don't even know the bride, but I kinda think I'd like her! 

When we were planning, I remembered thinking, "Okay, the cake has to match my fall colors" and it matched, but it wasn't my favorite... I was bound by the theme.  How much would I loved a fun, whimsical cake like this one?  

Source: 100layercake.com via Robyn on Pinterest

The definition of eclectic is deriving from a diverse range of sources... I'm pretty sure everyone's love story comes from bits and pieces of here and there and why not let your wedding reflect that too?  I promise if you fill your day with things you love (even if it doesn't match perfectly) it's going to come together just right... kinda like your love story.  

Rebecca, have an amazingly wonderful, over-the-top awesome wedding day! We're so happy for you and can't wait to hear all about it! Thanks so much for having us!