Nine Bridesmaid Dresses Ordered...Check!

These aren't my bridesmaids' dresses. :)

I am super-excited that I have all my best girlfriends in my wedding. These girls have been with me through various stages of my life--high school, college, work life, and beyond. While I trust each of them completely, I was still a little nervous that the bridesmaid dress-ordering process would be...chaotic...to say the least.

Well, it wasn't!

Here's what we did in five easy steps:

1. I chose the colors (petal pink for the seven bridesmaids; sangria for the two matrons of honor), the designer (Bill Levkoff), and the styles (seven different ones, from strapless to v-neck, and a bunch of other styles in between).

2. The ladies chose the style that they felt the most comfortable in. Then they let me know which style they wanted to go with.

3. I gave the final list to the dress shop. The dress shop was actually the same place my dress was purchased at. (PS: Having all the dresses be purchased from the same place allowed the ladies to get 10 percent off their dress prices.)

4. I gave the ladies a deadline to purchase their dresses and the phone number to the dress shop. This deadline was a few months out in advance so that they could prepare for the purchase, as needed. The dress shop was aware of when the ladies would be all calling and ordering their dresses.

5. The bridesmaids called and ordered their dresses at their convenience on the deadline day. There were no issues. Everyone knew what to do. And now the nine dresses have officially been ordered!

Once the dresses come in, I'll receive a postcard from the dress shop. From there, I'll go pick up the dresses and distribute them to my bridal party, or the faraway ones can even have their dresses shipped directly to them.

Simple. Efficient. Done. What's next...? :)

Our DIY Photo Booth Plan

A creative-looking frame-y DIY photo booth.

Photo booths at weddings are incredibly popular, and I completely understand why: They're so much fun! But my fiancé and I are on a budget, and we can't exactly shell out $1,000 (or more!) to have a fancy one at our reception for a few hours. Instead, we're planning on having a photo booth, DIY-style...

A good photo booth requires three simple things:

1. A camera
2. A backdrop
3. Props

I'm planning on using my old-ish digital camera, borrowing my friend's Fuji Instax instant camera and loading up on film, and encouraging our guests to use their smartphones to take pictures. That way, if one camera stops working, there will be plenty of backups. I'll also create an online photo album for all the photos taken with my digital camera, and let people know what the link to the site/page is in our thank you notes later on.

A backdrop can be as simple as a sheet on a clothesline.

As far as a backdrop goes, I considered paying $118 for a backdrop I found on Etsy. I also thought about creating a fabric banner to hang on a wall. Ultimately, however, I found a wooden room divider on good ol' Craig's List for just $35. My plan is to paint it white and then add large petal pink and sangria swirls all over it to match our wedding colors.

Then there's the best part: the props. First, I knew we'd need something to store them all in. When I had been looking on Craig's List for an old antique trunk to store wedding memories in down the road, I found a trunk I really liked. When I went to pick it up, the seller kindly threw in a second old truck for free. (Free? Yes, please!) I decided that the second trunk would be perfect for photo booth props.

When I told my mom what I was working on, she said she had a bunch of old-fashioned hats that I could use. She also gave me a large photo frame. Gathering other silly props will be a piece of (wedding) cake. One thing's for sure: Funny mustaches, glasses, and wigs are a must!

I'll take pictures of everything once it gets going, but I'm really excited about this project. The best part is that it will all be for a fraction of the price of a real photo booth--and just as entertaining, if not more!

All you need is a frame and your friends!