If I were to tell you how many times I go on Etsy in a span of 24 hours, you'd think I was nuts. I'm so obsessed! Luckily, I have control over myself and do not splurge on every fabulous find. Etsy is a great marketplace to discover talented folks who produce amazing crafts and more. I also love how the store owners are so available to their customers regarding questions or concerns...there's something so special about the attention that they give you - that's why I keep coming back!

Here are a few of my favorites:

Oh, hi Rosie!

I was on the search for THE perfect flower crown for my wedding for several weeks before I stumbled upon Oh, hi Rosie! I contacted Sarah (the store owner) with a special request and she made it happen, no problem! This was the most important piece I wore on my tiny/big day. It made my Boho-bride dreams come true!

Lilimandrill

A HUGE thank you to our friend Cynthia Bon for her calligraphy work!  Oh, and thank you Mother Earth for providing the leaves! — ***A HUGE thank you to our friend Cynthia Bon for her calligraphy work! Oh, and thank you Mother Earth for providing the leaves!***

Okay, I have a confession to make. The only reason why Jason and I ordered announcements (just a few) was because we wanted to send something to the White House. I found out that if you send your wedding invitation/announcements to the President and First Lady, you get a memento in the mail! How neat is that?! Anyway, we wanted to spruce up our envelopes a lil’ and decided to do so with our faces!

This handmade, rubber stamp is so cool and it came all the way from France! J'adore! The package even came with a free heart stamp! Thank you lilimandrill!

Handcrafted Folk

I knew from the very beginning that Jason and I would incorporate our own vows into our ceremony. It just had to be done! Hey, if there is any time to be mushy, your wedding day is THE day! Handcrafted folk has so many options when it comes to journals and even better, they’re super affordable! We will treasure this little book for a lifetime.

I have a friend that got married last year. It was a beautiful wedding - so I heard. I wasn't invited. Well, I was, but not initially. What do you do when you experience a wedding invitation snub? My advice: cry a river, build a bridge and get over it.

I assumed I would be invited; that was my mistake. Never assume! When it comes to planning a large wedding, most couples and their parents create a series of guest lists. There's a list for the couple to be wed, which includes their individual friends, coworkers, and close relatives. And then there's the parents list, which is made up of THEIR friends, coworkers, and relatives.There's also a budget to adhere to. Sticking to the budget is a must! The best way to reduce costs when planning a wedding is to cut down the guest list (insert sad face here).

The guests on these lists are considered must-have attendees. There is an additional guest list that is compiled of people who are to be invited if and only if the must-haves decline their invitations. I'm not exactly sure what this list is called, but at the time, I called it the s#!^ list. And guess what? I was on it.

I had a great idea for a wedding gift, but wasn't sure if I had enough time to order it since I had yet to receive my invitation in the mail. I decided to contact my friend to find out the details. That's when I received the bad news. They informed me that I didn't make the initial list and that I would definitely be invited if they had room. I'm sure this piece of information was intended to lessen the blow, but it didn't. In fact, it made me feel a whole lot worse. Most of my friends were invited and I couldn't bare the thought of seeing all of them having a blast on social media. Being left out is no fun, but it happens. I just didn't think it would happen to me.

Instead of waiting around for a possible invite, I decided to make plans with my family who were coming in from out of town. I received a phone call about a week before the wedding; there were two seats available! Unfortunately, I had to decline. I'm better now and all is forgiven. It's kind of funny now in retrospect. It would have been silly of me to let one day ruin several years of friendship. Life is too short for all that nonsense.

I've learned quite a few things about wedding planning in the last several months. I understand that during this process, difficult decisions have to be made and people may get hurt or offended. There are outside factors that must be taken into consideration. It isn't easy for the happy couple either. So please, if this happens to you, don't take it personal. You never know what decisions you'll have to make until it's your turn to walk down the aisle.