calling boston photographers!

{each photo links to its shop}

my dear friend is eloping to boston this friday (!!) and i am *thrilled* to go join them as a witness. i would love to find an amazing boston photographer who might be persuaded to donate an hour of their afternoon this friday, july 17, in downtown boston, to photograph a tiny wedding of four low-key people.

i can offer a permanent text link on the blog, a post about the experience, plus a gift certificate for dinner. can you recommend anyone who might be interested and available? if so, kindly let me know by wednesday, etsywedding (at) gmail -- if you are a photographer, please include your website.

thanks so much, everyone!
xox
j

wedding DIY contest, updates, et cetera

{ vanessa's pick: jacky earrings by loellamedina }

yesterday's etsy finds email, "my american gothic wedding", expands on vanessa + mickey's wedding posted last week, with vanessa delving into all the etsy details -- it is seriously wonderful. great ideas, and lots of etsy sellers to check out!

also, may be old news since i've been away but just in case, etsy and marthastewartweddings.com are running a great DIY wedding photo contest where you can submit photos of your wedding crafts. see the site to enter through september 1, 2009, or get more info and rules -- MSW is featuring the best photos online, and your craft might just get featured on martha's show.

also, check out the slideshow with marthastewartwedding.com's favorite etsy crafters. so much etsy love! here are links to a few also featured on etsy wedding: 5eizen, blanca monros gomez, the english dept. and enjibeck.

i just so happened across this great-sounding contest at hiphostess -- win four beautiful kiwi green pashmina shawls, enter by july 31.

finally, my disclaimer du jour: the day job is once again trying to swallow me, so please be patient with posting this week and next.

just for fun, here are some of the etsy crafters picked by marthastewartweddings.com:



{each photo links to its shop}

fourth of july wedding

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at least in the states you'd have fireworks and a day off for your anniversary...

see also last year's fourth of july post.

an etsy wedding: vanessa and mickey

{ vanessa and mickey's gorgeous etsy wedding }
photo credit: dave robbins

hooray! best wishes to vanessa, editrix-in-chief of the storque, etsy's blog: not only is she newly married, martha stewart weddings has a glorious feature on her etsy wedding up today. wishing vanessa and mickey all happiness!


photo credit: dave robbins

wedding party: men's gifts under $20

{ walnut and maple money clip by holcombswoodworking }

D. writes me with a challenge:

I am not having a bridal party, but I have a friend officiating, another as a musician, another as DJ, and readers... oh my. I want to give them something as a token of my appreciation, but they're mostly guys (so jewelry is hard, unless I have something different for the girls), and the biggest problem is we're pretty strapped for cash. The wedding is this August, so we don't have much time to save for gifts, either...

I'm hoping to spend 10-15 tops per person; something handmade (of course); something unique. Cufflinks are out (these guys aren't the kind of guys who wear cufflinks)... I'm totally at a loss.

can you find unique handmade gifts for random wedding helpers for under $15 each?

yes! yes. some of these are traditional, some unique, some just plain random (firestarter!)... you said no cufflinks, so i included the pair below if useful for other folks searching for similar. will post a separate post for ladygifts.

for your friends, readers, bartenders, photographers, djs, all under $15:








{each photo links to its shop}

also for readers/writers, there is a world of printed/gocco'd moleskine notebooks, many customizable and under $10.

and a few more ideas, for $15-$20:




{each photo links to its shop}

or you could always get handmade frames and put photos in as your token of appreciation:




{each photo links to its shop}

what do you think? other ideas? post links?

men's handmade + vintage wedding hats

{each photo links to its shop}

rachael and her fiancé were having trouble finding a men's summer hat that didn't break the bank. she loved the ones at magar hatworks (see men's collection) and asked me to see if i could find more options.

etsy has lots of men's vintage hats, if you can luck into the right size -- not so many on the handmade side, plus you have to wade through acres of knit. chachashouse and magar are the best so far, with a couple off-etsy handmade options below. (anyone have other suggestions for great handmade hats?)

barbara feinman millinery
worth & worth hats

pommesfrites: upcycled flask safes

{ hollow dictionary flask safe }

the very talented kristen of pommesfrites not only gives me the opportunity to tell everyone (again) how fantastic austin texas is and how not coincidentally i'm from there (and claim it even though i moved when i was 13....) ...

let me start over. the incredibly talented austin-based pommesfrites upcycles wonderful unloved books into even more wonderful best man/groomsman/bridal party gifts. these remind me of the speakeasy trend of late -- bring a little prohibition to your library.

for your teetotalers, she makes book safes, money safes, and all manner of non-alcoholic alternatives.

kristen has graciously offered readers a *20% discount* on book flask safes -- just mention etsy wedding in your note to seller and she will take care of the rest.

etsy wedding would also like to take a moment to remind everyone to drink responsibly and with others. share. be safe with your flask safe. xo.





more at pommesfrites.etsy.com

wishing you all peace and love

{each photo links to its shop}

from the mailbag: photo contest, 100-mile menu, SF dream wedding

it has been a crazy week, and only wednesday. so much going on in the world. revolution. huge freelance project. housequake.*

(not to equate the three, of course. what's going on revolution-wise is remarkable and humbling. odd to twitter about my 1000th follower this week when people are using it for life and death...)

thus, briefly, are a few tidbits from the mail:

of note in the northeast: the philadelphia wedding project is 6 photographers banding together for a giveaway for one lucky couple getting married in 2010 or 2011. check out the extensive rules (oddly no NY, FL, or RI residents allowed...) and then tell your story by August 31, 2009.

for NYC folks interested in the local farm-to-table and eco-catering scene, great performances and edible manhattan are having fundraising events celebrating the 100-mile menu starting july 15, proceeds benefit the sylvia center.

for all you west coasters, there's the san francisco dream wedding giveaway -- ok, ok, so the contest doesn't *start* until august 4, but you can take a sneak preview and get details. wedding date is may 14, 2010.

plus i just discovered all these emails from the week i was on vacation, and i missed some great opportunities. what wedding blogger vacates in june? an accidental one, friends. will try to respond, if you're still hanging out there...

*more on housequake in a future post!

brooklyn recap: renegade, pop-up chapel, more

{ new york love gocco print by artsharkdesigns }

finally, a moment of peace. since i was vacating, never got to my full posts about brooklyn on the 6th -- an epic renegade craft fail -- delayed in town, missed meeting etsy blogger-in-chief vanessa, and then my phone battery died mid-tweet. so much for live coverage.

(twitter heresy: it was more fun without. thanks to beth + sam for coming to keep me company!)

plus wanted to feature the brooklyn pop-up wedding series with brooklynbride, theweddinglibrary, and martha stewart weddings' brooklyn pop-up chapel. was especially sorry to miss l.a. dj the flashdance... check out the pop-up shop, brooklynchapel.com.

finally, here are some of my favorites from renegade:

heatherjeany (see also this post, from 2007) -- custom gocco wedding invitations and prints

nervous system -- seriously some of the coolest jewelry ever. this necklace, for example. see how it's made....

up in the air somewhere -- unusual ceramics, but check out the paper bowls, they're amazing in person.

max steiner design -- especially these cufflinks -- the pattern is an "unfolded" origami crane, perfect for a wedding.

non-wedding-related but friends, beth and seth of familydinnerforone (t-shirts) and dc-based jon wye (t-shirts and screenprinted leather).

here's a full list of brooklyn artists. renegade san francisco is july 18+19 and chicago is sept. 12+13.








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geezees custom canvas giveaway

thanks again to everyone who voted!

emie, if you're willing to share a photo of the final canvas once it's all set, we'd love to see it :)

also if erica is willing, we'd love to see your canvas as well.

N and dairy princess, will send you a pair of onesmallstar earrings as my thanks -- if you like one you see let me know, etsywedding (at) gmail, or i will happily make you a custom pair.

finally, thanks from all of us to stephanie of geezees for suggesting this giveaway and donating her time and talents! she is truly wonderful to work with -- geezees.etsy.com and geezees.com.

last call: voting ends at midnight* ...

... so if you haven't already, please read the stories and cast your ballot.
thanks to everyone who has voted so far!

*U.S. eastern daylight time :)

top ten vintage wedding items on etsy: june 17

{ each photo links to its shop}

for those of you tired of contest: here's vintage.

contest news! everybody gets a vote

{ your words on 9x12" canvas by geezees }

this was impossible. there are so many beautiful, happy, inspiring comments for the geezees custom canvas giveaway that (after consulting with stephanie) i will try something new:

i narrowed it down to entries who are still planning their weddings, then picked these three offbeat ideas, and *you* can pick the one you like.

for everyone else, thank you so much!! stephanie has extended her 10% discount to friday if you tell her etsy wedding sent you, and she is also now offering gift certificates if you'd like a wedding gift for a friend.

here are the three to vote on:
------

Emie said...

These are amazing! :)
My fiance and I have an appointment scheduled next month for a photo session in a tree.
Sounds crazy, right?
our photographer found a beautiful tree standing in a lone field.
We are going to climb it and take a few pictures.
Why?
We want to blow up a big photo and put the words 'Emie and Pepe
Sitting in a Tree
K-I-S-S-I-N-G
First comes love,
Then comes marriage...
October 18th, 2009.'

This canvas print would be just perfect for our idea.

-----

N said...

I think I'd pick the photo of my fiance and I we took in Central Park, the day we got engaged... on our second date. I had flown in from London and he'd driven up from Montreal and to my shock and his, he asked me to marry him that morning. We're getting married this year (3 and a half years later) and I'd put that photo with the quote by Rumi:

Lovers don't finally meet somewhere,
they're in each other all along.

-----

dairy princess said...

We're going to enter the ceremony at an old historic ranch house by riding our bikes to the opening song from Juno up a long country driveway. I have this image in my head of us laughing and riding together with streamers and dust trailing behind.

I'd love a pic of that, streamers and all, with a line from our first dance, "In spite of ourselves," by John Prine: "In spite of ourselves, we'll end up sittin' on a rainbow."

-----

am trying out a new poll widget, please vote in the box below! (hopefully one will appear :) -- voting ends midnight EDT on thursday, 6/18.



-----

finally, one last note. stephanie and i were both so moved by the comment below from erica that we decided to go in together on a gift canvas for her, entirely separate from the contest. we are sending all our best wishes to you, erica -- write me at etsywedding @ gmail.

Erica said...

I got so excited when I saw this!! I have 2 that I have actually planned on buying from geezees, just waiting for the right time..

1. My roommate, and one of my bestfriends, married an awesome guy Sept. 6th last year. For their 1 year anniv I have been planning to get one of their wedding photos with the poem I Carry Your Heart on it..this poem was read at their wedding. They've always been there for me so this is my way of saying thank you!! :)

2. My fiance was in the army and went to iraq 3 times and lost 7 of his best friends... he was home for about a year and a half after the last deployment and was killed in a car accident Jan.28, 2009. I have a photo of him and some of the guys in iraq that I have wanted to get on one of the huge canvases with the words below...

"They shall not grow old,
as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them,
nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun
and in the morning
We will remember them."

I would probably just use the discount for mine and give my friend the giveaway if I won! :)

summer vacation

{each photo links to its shop}

hello all! a quick note that i am officially on vacation and the contest officially ends tonight at midnight. no internet access for the next couple of days but just as soon as i can will post the contest results!

thank you all for reading -- i hope everyone has a wonderful week, will be back next weekend.

xo -- jen

renegade craft brooklyn!

hello from the train! arriving in NYC today to see friends and head to renegade craft brooklyn, america's hipster paradise. i will be twittering tweeting on twitter all day if you're into that sort of play by play, so you can follow along, or (if you're there) please say hi @etsywedding! let's get a beer and a sunburn.

lights, music, wedding: sampler for the song-inspired

{ sheet music tea lights by carolinacottage }

i have a confession. i sing in an a cappella group. yes, that kind of thing like in college. and on "the office." yeah. i know.

for the last couple of years it was an on and off sort of thing, low key. now we have all these concerts and it's inevitable that i will end up on youtube, and this troubles me (haha, 'hear comes treble') greatly. and of course with theatrical people there has to be drama. this for me is soooo 1995 it is beyond expressing.

so we had two concerts this week, and my poor sainted boyfriend got roped last minute into running the sound board last night, one of his infinite talents as a musician. i saw a professional side of him i hadn't seen, and got to thinking how music is so much a part of both of our lives, in very different ways.

after the concert, talking with our dj friend, we ended up on the subject of weddings -- strangest song request, how far in advance people book -- (dj d-mac, DC-area brides -- can't recommend highly enough)...

then today, reading all the song lyrics people have posted for the contest this week, have been musing on how much melody and words bind us together, how much we navigate life by our songs. our music -- the song you make your own, the one that reminds you of when you met, or broke up, or got back together, or fell in love, or of why you're together in the first place -- the song you have to get up and dance to --

what's your song? i don't just mean first dance -- what's the song that you keep coming back to?








{each photo links to its store}

oops: on contests

hi. i want to apologize -- i don't think i told you all that we didn't win a camcorder. after all that buildup! no closure! camcorder tease.

i told twitter, but i didn't tell you, and that's not cool. especially since an amazingly large number of you went and signed up for the contest. we did great overall, just no prize -- thank you so much for trying!

(then again, if any of you won the honeymoon, it was worth it.)

with more favorable odds, there's this week's geezees contest (ends tuesday!) and then i have *another* great giveaway lined up next.*

*for that matter, if you have a wonderful etsy product that you would like to feature in a contest, let me know at etsywedding at gmail and i will happily consider.

i only schedule a few since i don't want to bore readers not interested in contest hoopla -- but you know what i like:
- things that are on etsy
- things that have character
- things that are beautiful, useful, well-photographed, eco-friendly, modern, customizable, exquisitely made, have a great story, or some combination thereof.

contest! win a geezees custom word/photo canvas

{ your words custom canvas by geezees }

you may remember a while back i posted this word-art canvas as part of a poetry sampler -- now stephanie of geezees has graciously volunteered one of her creations for a giveaway!

you're limited only by imagination: song lyrics, wedding vows, drawings, photos -- as a gift for self, friends, family -- pretty much anything you can think of, stephanie can put on a canvas.

the winner will select either a 11x20" canvas with words only, or a 9x12" photo and words canvas.

contest runs for one week! enter (via comment) by midnight june 9 by telling us what you'd put on your own canvas.*

and, if you decide you can't wait for a canvas, stephanie will give you *10%* off between now and the 9th by mentioning "ETSY WEDDING" in your note to seller.

see below for more general ideas, or check out geezees.com as well.






finally, i have to tell you about stephanie's *epic* patience, persistence, diligence, and friendliness. she followed up no fewer than 14 times over the past two months to help me remember, organize, and schedule this contest, and always in good humor. god bless. thank you for this fun giveaway!


*canadian friends, you are *included* -- i have offered to pay the difference in shipping to make up for the last-contest-we-didn't-win-that-excluded-canadians-but shall-remain-nameless (but i'm not bitter ;).

congratulations!

and another happy graduation, to my sister casey!