That one time... when I DIY'd....

Well, I did it. I DIY’d. The bride who only planned to DIY her cake. But I didn’t do it alone! Oh, no! I enlisted the help of my maid of honor/BFF, and, eventually, my fiancé.

A few weeks back, while looking for wedding decor inspiration in Pinterest, I came across this DIY tutorial for colorful Anthropologie-inspired scroll garland. The tutorial seemed really easy to follow, and after pricing out the colored card stock that I needed (recycled, of course!) at a few local stationery stores and online, trying this on my own seemed like a great budget-friendly decor option. 

Read more at http://thebudgetsavvybride.com/i-try-diy-paper-scroll-garland

Where to Stay...

No Sleep 'Til... Brooklyn!

Staying the night in Brooklyn post-wedding celebration? Don't forget to book at the Sheraton or the Aloft! Book your room by May 20th to secure the wedding block discount!

Sheraton Brooklyn
Aloft Brooklyn

By Invite Only

What helps a couple set the stage for their wedding better than their invitations? For this reason, I was very excited to take on the task of creating an invitation for our nuptials that would give our guest a glimpse of what they would be in for on July 5th. As I’ve mentioned before here at BSB, Matt and I are all about bringin’ the fun. We want our friends and family to walk away from our wedding day saying, man, that was a great wedding! At T-10 weeks (eeeep!!), I’d say we’re well on our way to accomplishing that goal.

Read more here at BSB... 


A HUGE thanks to August Park Creative for designing us such incredible invitations!!

Gettin' Crafty with It

A sneak preview of my first wedding DIY project... Or, wherein Matt schools me and Francesca on making paper garland:

... stay tuned!

DIY for the Never Do It Yourself-er

I admit it — I’m not really one to do it herself. I am not a crafty person. I am in awe of crafty people. For instance, my almost mother-in-law. If she pins something to Pinterest, she will actually make it. And make it well. She’s like a MacGyver with a sewing machine. I made a pillow once in 7th grade. Other than the occasional button-to-shirt, which always looks a little bit off after, that’s all I can handle. Generally, I am of the mindset that if I have a choice between making pad thai and ordering it from a place down the street who makes it all day long and is essentially a pad thai expert, why would I risk putting the wrong amount of Sriracha in my food and potentially making it inedible. Being a New Yorker has spoiled me a bit in that way, I suppose — when literally anything can be steps from your door, you have to be pretty motivated to DIY.

Read more on The Budget Savvy Bride...

(not me)

A place to lay your head after partying the night away

Need or want a place to lay your pretty little heads after you've celebrated the marriage of two insanely awesome people madly in love? Well you're in luck!! I've secured room blocks at two lovely hotels in the Bk -- Sheraton Brooklyn and Aloft Brooklyn. The hotels happen to be next door to one another and less than one mile from the place where it's all goin' down, BLDG 92. 

If you're interested in booking, you can feel free to call either hotel (via the same number) to reserve a room -- 1.800.325.3535. Please let them know that you're with the Gillen/Binder wedding and you will be eligible for the (pretty significant) discount that I secured. 

A single king bed room is $179.00, and a two double bed room is $209. These rates are applicable on 7/4 and 7/5.

Or maybe you prefer a little less human interaction? Follow these links to reserve a room in our block directly from these exclusive Matt and Ashley are so cool urls!

Sheraton: https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/booking/reservation?id=1304030953&key=59055

Aloft: https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/booking/reservation?id=1304030965&key=A20B0

More information on each hotel can be found on the links below too:
 http://www.aloftnewyorkbrooklyn.com/


http://www.sheratonbrooklyn.com/

And then there are times when you remember why you're having a wedding

I won't lie, Matt and I weren't always on the same page about this wedding shindig. Over the last two years, I had really warmed to the idea of eloping. Primarily to avoid the stress of planning on a limited budget, but also because eloping seemed uniquely us. Matt, on the other side of this coin, saw us surrounded by family and our closest friends just enjoying ourselves and each other. When it's put like that, it was an easy decision.

A lot of elements about wedding planning have been challenging for me. Finding a dress was no fun. Finding a venue that we loved and could afford was even worse. But now that the biggest pieces of the puzzle are in place, it's easier for me to enjoy the process. I still find myself saying geez why can't we just be married already? often, but I've gotten excited about some things.

Our invitations, by August Park Creative. They're so obscenely cool that even Matt gave a reasonably enthusiastic yeah, I like those! If you know my fiancé, you know this is a big deal. He doesn't have an ounce of giddiness in him.

The music. Matt and I have had a great amount of entertainment in just tossing out ideas for our wedding playlist. References to 80's movies we grew up with? Obviously. The soundtrack we've chosen so far is pretty damn epic. It's pure fun. And maybe my new husband will even dance to some of it!

Alright, July 5th, let's do this.