The Confused Millennial’s Guide to Wedding Details

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The Confused Millennial's Guide to Wedding Details rachel ritlop the confused millennial brooke images
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Today's Wedding Wednesday post is all about the details. When thinking about my wedding day I always wanted those perfectly pinnable images, but totally found myself scrambling a month from the big day to pull them all together. So this is The Confused Millennial's Guide to Wedding Day Details.I am going to be walking you through all the DIY projects I took on during wedding planning as well as the amazing vendors I teamed up with to make my vision come to life (and hopefully help you bring yours to life too)!

I am going to be walking you through all the DIY projects I took on during wedding planning as well as the amazing vendors I teamed up with to make my vision come to life (and hopefully help you bring yours to life too)!

We used glass shadow boxes with moss in the bottom from West Elm for our rings, guest book, and thank you cards.

After today's post, Wedding Wednesdays will only be one Wednesday a month! Wednesdays will focus on more general relationship stuff as well as Wanderlust posts when I have something!

HEADS UP: At the verrryyyy bottom of the post is all our wedding music, if you want to scroll down and hit “play” and listen while you read ?.

DIY PAPER GOODS:

When I was looking at our wedding budget, I quickly realized one of the easiest ways to cut costs was to DIY the paper goods. We decided to skip save the dates for two reasons: 1) we “had” to invite almost 200 people, but we really only wanted 50 people at our wedding, without save the dates many people could not make the trip to our destination wedding and 2) $$$.

So when it came time to choose wedding invitations I had all the beautiful photos from our engagement session to work with. I looked through your traditional wedding invitation websites, pinned a few that caught my eye and I felt like I could recreate, then purchased a font from Creative Market. I spent some time playing around on Photoshop and ordered a test print from Catprint.com. When I got the final product I realized it didn't feel “balanced” so I tweaked the design and this was the final product:

Catprint is seriously amazing! Their user inner face kind of stinks; but their customer support is beyond awesome (I accidentally CANCELLED our invites and called them in a panic because our wedding was in 5 weeks and we didn't have invitations, they printed them and got them to me in under 48 hours)! Also the quality of their extra thick card stock is amazing! Just look at the thickness of these:

I decided to DIY the envelopes to match the invites. This time I used Canva.  I actually don't have a picture of. But basically were simple white envelopes and classic looking black and white flower stamps.

When it came time for menus and seating cards, I also did these myself and printed them at home. I got the brown paper off of Amazon and used the same paper for the seating cards (NOTE: I made the mistake of ordering business card size brown paper for the seating cards, but no printer can actually print on paper when it's already cut that small, I called every local printer and they all said they would need to do a big sheet and cut them that size – so don't buy small cards thinking you're going to avoid cutting them!)

Instead of a traditional “thank you book” we asked guests to write us a note (which I also put together):

I got a bunch of these picture frames actually for the gift table and also did a “with us in spirit” table for loved ones who passed away. These are Umbra's prism frames and I am obsessed with them!

Groomsmen Gifts:

We did matching wooden watches and bow ties.

The bowties were actually from WoodTon, based in the Ukraine. Volodymyr, the shop owner was amazing to work with! He was very responsive and put together this custom order for us.

Gift for the Guests

The biggest hit of the wedding with guests were the Pashminas from Alquimia Shop. The were SO beautiful and came with the bows and cards already finished. Guests loved these! They are really soft too.

For our welcome bags we got chapstick, Advil, and sunscreen from Amazon and chips and cookies from Costco. Inside of each welcome bag I included a welcome note which I made:

And this super cute itinerary from Lemonseed & Co. Angela was amazing to work with, super fast turn around and the quality of these were stunning!

Signage Through The Wedding

Instead of programs we did a chalkboard sign which I picked up for $25 from Kirkland's which was a total steal! It comes in white and brown.

All the rest of the signage throughout the wedding came from Z Create Design. They have so many wonderful goodies to choose from! We opted for the table numbers that sat on the table, not even thinking about the potential of wind!

Our wedding day was actually insanely windy as you can see from the table cloth here:

So windy in fact that we had to lay the “Thank you Sign” and picture frames flat and actually moved dinner inside.

That's right, no one sat at these pretty tables! Our photographers ran around weighing things down at the same table that wasn't getting blown away by the wind.

This “Mr. & Mrs.” Sign (below) was supposed to be pinned to our sweetheart table, but the wind wasn't having it. So instead we brought it down to the beach to take a few photos.

Wedding Songs

Ok so this is actually a funny story. Eric and I really did everything together as a team, but with all the DIY stuff I was doing he really only said “yay” or “nay” during the tweaks. So I decided to ask him to put together the wedding music (you know for the processional and first dance song). I made it very clear those were the areas we needed songs for… he ended up putting together a playlist of 200 songs. NO. JOKE. I was like WTF? So if you are like us, and looking for less traditional music, I want to share with you our wedding songs:

Eric's processional song (we played this for 1 min 25 seconds):

Then the wedding party walked down the aisle too:

Then I walked down the aisle too Lotte Kestner's version of Beyonce's Halo. I actually first heard this song in a restorative yoga class and started crying in the class. Everything about it is so perfect IMO. When I told Eric this was the song I wanted and played it for him, he started crying too… Weirdly enough, during our wedding ceremony and reception I didn't cry. I totally thought I would but the adrenaline and excitement and happiness of it all finally happening kind of took over (oh and I cried hysterically that morning so I think my tear ducts had dried up…)

Then for the reception the wedding party and we came in too:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/GGXzlRoNtHU

And for our first dance, I really wanted “Flowers in Your Hair” by The Lumineers. I tried so hard to make this work. But we just couldn't get a dance going that didn't look like a spaz fest. I even gave it to my friend who is an actual dancer and asked her to help me figure something out but we got nothing. But it's beyond perfect for us so I am just going to leave it here…

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZI5Xpl7H5O4

Instead we opted for another Beyonce cover… “XO” but by John Mayer. Our DJ created a minute and thirty second version for us to dance too which was perfect (I do not recommend you first dance being longer than 1 min 30 seoncds).

We asked our DJ to go straight from our first dance song to inviting everyone onto the dance floor for a classic:

Followed by some T. Swift and other pop songs to get the all-ages fun in before dinner. After dinner, it was pretty much just all our friends out on the dance floor so basically lots of 90s hip hop.

…. and with that, I hope I helped you get some ideas or find somethings you've been dreaming of!

Planning a wedding? Grab TCM's wedding planning checklist!

All photos from Brooke Images

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97 thoughts on “The Confused Millennial’s Guide to Wedding Details”

  1. Sarah Jean

    Rachel you had such a beautiful wedding! We ended up sending out free Save-the-Dates through email

    1. Rachel Ritlop

      Awe thank you Sarah! That was what we were going to do too if we decided to do them! But since we wanted to cut our guest list we decided no too. We did our RSVPs on-line too

  2. Jamie

    Your wedding was so Pinterest perfect! Loving all of the greenery, and the colors you chose!
    Obsessed with the shadow boxes for your rings, such a nice touch!

    xx, Jamie

  3. Kenzie Negron // sincerelykenz

    such an amazing post! love all of the little details that you did to make your wedding day perfect. I personally love the idea of having guests writing you notes rather than a standard guestbook! I also love the wooden watch/bowtie combo! Even though you came across a lot of wind, it still seems like such a magical day! x, kenz http://sincerelykenz.com

    1. Rachel Ritlop

      Thanks Kenzie! It was definitely magical! And hey, it didn’t rain during the wedding time frame that day so that’s a win! Actually exactly one minute after the time our wedding needed to end (because of outdoor music noise ordinances) is when it started raining!

  4. Amelie

    Such a lovely post! I love all of the details you prepared to make your day perfect! Your wedding looks so Pinterest-worthy! It looks absolutely beautiful.

  5. Brigette Collins

    This was SO CUTE!!! I love all the details that you put into it. The printed material is perfect! I hope your day was perfect minus the wind lol!

  6. Nicole Leith

    First of all, killer playlist! One thing that my caterer/aunt advised me for our wedding was not to use Pinterest as inspiration, but as a tool to realize your day. She has brides who use so many different ideas from weddings that the day ends up being a hodge podge and unrealistic. Your wedding looks like it was absolutely gorgeous, by the way!

    1. Rachel Ritlop

      Thanks girl! Yeah I guess I look at them as the same thing (your aunts advice), like I kept pinning the same image over and over without realizing it, so when I took a step back I could see the vision, and deleted the irrelevant pins if that makes sense?

  7. Mistle

    Love all of these details for the wedding!!! Everything came out so good. It’s so much easier these days to be able to DIY your wedding and a whole lot cheaper! I will need to check all of these out for when my day comes along.

    1. Rachel Ritlop

      Thank you! Yeah especially with running a blog and knowing your way around photoshop/canva! My invites costs only like $1.00 each, for the same quality/thickness on traditional wedding invite sites it was like $3.00 each!

  9. Tori Moore

    I love all of these DIY projects!! I’m a long way off from getting married but I’ll have to keep this post in mind for when the time comes!

    Tori

  11. Rachel Golden

    Your DIY’s look so professional! & your pictures are absolutely gorgeous. I love this version of Halo. I feel like I heard it on Spotify for the first time, but it seriously is so beautiful. It just feels so raw and real. You seriously look like you had the perfect wedding! I’m so obsessed with all of this!!

  12. Rachel G

    Your day was beautiful! My wedding was pre-pinterest (seems like there should be an abbreviation for that era, doesn’t it? Like BC and AD?). My sister is getting married this summer and we’re looking at designing invitations pretty soon!

    1. Rachel Ritlop

      HAHA I love it! I totally think that should be a thing! Good luck with the invitation planning! If you’re looking for a cheap print option definitely check out catprint! they even send you a physical test run before you order the whole batch! I did a lot of research on it. Their site is a little frustrating to use but customer service is helpful.

  13. Brittany L. Bergman

    Oh my goodness, everything about your wedding was gorgeous! I love how all the details work together to create a cohesive theme. I loved seeing that script font pop up in random places — such an elegant way to tie all your paper goods together. Also, LOVE your dress!

  14. allie blaising

    Wow girl–your wedding is literal goals! I love how cohesive everything was, and of course you both looked amazing!! 🙂

  15. Claire Melzer

    I’m getting married this fall and your tips are really helpful! I really like the table numbers and song choices!

    2. Claire Melzer

      We have about 9 months left until the wedding, so I have done some of the “Big” things like venue, caterer, photographer and I am picking my dress next weekend. But I haven’t gotten into the small details yet, I am already getting stressed thinking about all the little things that go into a wedding!

    1. Rachel Ritlop

      Awe I love it! It’s one of my favorites and when I played it for him he said, “that’s what I want to walk down the aisle to” haha I would love it! But I would only want to plan more weddings that were just like mine! haha I roll my eyes at the over the top cheesy ones

  18. Jenny

    All great details for your wedding! You make my dreams come true was our exit song for the ceremony and reception. Such a good song!

  19. Kelsie Kleinmeyer

    Hahaha these songs are awesome! I love them all. Your wedding looks SO gorgeous- I love all of the little details and the shadow boxes are amazing. I can totally see how the wind wouldn’t be thought of until the moment of- you totally made the most of it like you have to do in life sometimes!

    1. Rachel Ritlop

      Thank you! Yeah it worked out well though because we didn’t really have to worry about the rest of the music for the night since it was only young people after dinner

  20. Elizabeth Johnson

    I love the details! The lanterns with table numbers is so creative. And those bow ties are amazing! I love a good bow tie. My husband and I walked up the aisle to “You Make My Dreams Come True”. It was the perfect way to end the ceremony!

  21. sandsunandmessybuns

    The details are by far my favorite part. Your wedding looks AMAZING! Those wooden bow ties are the cutest thing I’ve seen in ages. If you weren’t so busy blogging I’d suggest you become an event planner. 🙂
    erin | sandsunandmessybuns.com

    1. Rachel Ritlop

      Thank you!! Lol people keep saying that to me! even my wedding planner said it! haha but I honestly would only enjoy planning events that were my exact same vision haha

    2. sandsunandmessybuns

      I was an event planner for 3 years and it’s stressful work. It always ranks as one of the top 10 most stressful jobs. The lists will include military jobs, doctors, airline pilots, etc…then the next one will be “even planner”. lol And it’s so true!! That’s the best job I ever left in my life. lol

  22. Kristin C

    I seriously love EVERY SINGLE picture I have seen from your wedding. It was absolutely stunning. I love the way you used succulents on the tables, and I think you did a great job with your invitations!

  24. Whitney H

    Your wedding details are absolutely stunning! Music was the most important thing to me at the wedding and you totally hit the nail on the head with your picks. I wanted our first dance to be “First Day of my Life” but my hubby said it was too slow! He’s lame 😉

  27. Chelsea

    You are SO crafty! You seriously cant go wrong with Canva. I get annoyed with DIY, is it bad I’d rather just order everything? lmao

    1. Rachel Ritlop

      Lol no not at all! I was just shocked at the cost of paper goods (between invites, menus, seating cards, programs, etc.) that I was looking to get that wayyyy down. And I enjoy doing that stuff so whatever haha

  29. Elly Leavitt

    I am nowhere near getting married lol but I still love reading these posts if only for the beyond gorgeous imagery! i also love you for including dj khaled in your wedding hahaha

  31. Kimberly @ Berly's Kitchen

    You’re wedding was beautiful, and I love the music choices. Great ideas for DYI if my husband and I ever renew our vows.

  34. Sharon Glascoe

    I love all these details. Your wedding was absolutely stunning and the theme shinned through in every detail. By the way, our wedding party walked down the aisle to XO by John Mayer! Isn’t it a gorgeous cover of Beyonce’s song?! I am obsessed with it.

  41. Hannah Stark

    Your wedding is seriously a fairytale come true! You also look gorgeous in your wedding dress! Congrats!!

    xoxo, Hannah

  42. Alexis

    You have no idea how much I just appreciated this post! We are 3.5 months out and I’m starting to stress about the little details. I’m having a hard time determining the intro song at the reception and the flow of everything. You wedding was stunning!

    1. Rachel Ritlop

      Haha yeah I didn’t start stressing on any of these (except the invites) until 2 months out, so it’s TOTALLY do-able! I had a really hard time with the timeline too. We wanted a really lively and fun reception so we wanted to get everyone dancing for like 30 minutes before dinner and did speeches during dinner then dancing again. I know it’s a personal preference, but my husband and I always get really tired at weddings who go straight from cocktail into speeches and dinner and don’t start dancing until after it all… we don’t even want to dance at that point because #foodcoma haha

  43. Carly Ned

    Rachel, I always love your posts!! I’m no where close to marriage… but def pinning this for later! I plan to do a ton of DIY things for my wedding someday. Saves you tons of money!! Congratulations on planning your own beautiful wedding! Xx http://www.thecarlycollective.com/

  44. Ayanna

    This was so beautiful! For my destination wedding in Jamaica, other than the invitations, I DIY’d all the paper goods as well. And in our welcome bags, I included a under-water disposable camera and that was a hit.

  45. Hannah Stein

    Everything about this is absolutely stunning!! Those invitation people were awesome! I’ll pin this to my wedding board, even though I got married two years ago hahaha.

  47. Joy Lynn

    Oh my word, I have no words! I love everything about all your details. The watches and bowties are especially great. But your paper items too! Gosh what a stunning wedding!

  48. Kristine Circenis

    I appreciate this post. As someone who is still struggling to bite the bullet and start planning their wedding, I weirdly appreciate the details.

  49. Courtney Drew

    Every single detail is absolutely perfect. I just got engaged and I will be wedding planning for the next year plus…and I will 100% be referring to all of these details. I love everything. thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing.

    CourtneyDrew

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