August 5, 2020
You may not know, but I am ENGAGED + currently in full blown wedding planning mode!
It's been such an exciting process (at times a little stressful), but asking my bridesmaids might be one of my most anticipated parts so far.
Even before I got engaged I dreamt about who would stand next to me at the alter while I made the biggest commitment of my life. It was such an exciting thought to have some of my best friends there to support + celebrate with me. So, of course, shortly after David popped the question I began planning for a gift that would be aesthetically pleasing, represent the overall vibe of our wedding day + wouldn't break the bank!
I, by nature am someone who LOVES to spend money on other people. I knew I could easily drop $300 on each girl without blinking an eye - just to ask her a simple question! But, anyone who has planned a wedding knows that everything is expensive + if there is anything my mother taught me, it's how to get crafty!
I turned to Pinterest for inspiration + found so many adorable ideas. I took notes, figured out what I specifically liked best about each proposal + collaborated with my mom who is notorious for finding cheap alternative solutions that still look amazing!
THE BOX
One thing I KNEW I had to have was some sort of box. I wanted it to be simple, minimal + classic. I wanted each girl to have the anticipation of opening it + finding treasures inside. I also wanted to give them something they could re-use in the future that didn't have their name monogramed on it or something so specific to our wedding that it ended up in the trash after a few years. It had to be sustainable. That's where Hobby Lobby came in.
We found 7 small wooden boxes for $3.49 each at Hobby Lobby. A simple silver latch on the front, the rest wood - they were perfect. Most importantly, big enough to hold a succulent!
THE PLANT
Anyone who knows me, even in the slightest, knows I have quite a collection + love for plants. I think at the moment I have about 15 spread across my small 3 bedroom house. (Not counting the several that are fake, of course). If I didn't include a plant, it wouldn't be an authentic "Amandalyn" gift. A succulent was a MUST. Especially since we plan to travel to the desert for our wedding. It just made sense.
I found the tiniest potted succulents at Kroger for $3 each from Pope's Plant Farm in Maryville, TN. They fit inside the top left corner of the box like it was made to live there.
Now, I just had to keep them alive long enough to finish the boxes + meet up with each girl to give them away! (I might have a decent green thumb, but I don't have the best track record with succulents...)
THE CHOCOLATES
I struggled to figure out what to fill the rest of the box with. Pinterest proposed all of these amazing ideas. Skin care, nail polish, champagne glasses, flowers, candles, soaps - anything + everything girly you could possibly think of. Any of these ideas would have been cute. But, I knew I wanted something that showed off my very specific color scheme + hinted toward the bridesmaid dress colors I had picked out.
My mom suggested hand-wrapped chocolates! So, back to Hobby Lobby we went. I picked out 6 sheets of paper that fit my warm neutral desert color scheme perfectly. Those were about $2 a sheet. A bag of Hershey's Chocolate Miniatures was roughly $4 + we only needed one bag to give each girl 6 chocolates.
Who doesn't love chocolate?? Well, turns out the two Vegan Bridesmaids maybe don't want milk chocolate... So, I opted for a small pack of Oreos instead! It may not have been quite as cute as the hand-wrapped chocolates. But, the idea was still there + it was something they could enjoy!
THE SAVE THE DATE CARD + TAG
At this time, no one knew the date we had picked for our wedding. I wanted to include something that reminded them, but in a cute way! I saw a tiny print out of a calendar month with the date hand-marked with a heart on Pinterest + knew I had to include that!
My mom, being a graphic designer, created a print out of the calendar with "Save the Date" in a pretty cursive font at the top. She used the same curly font for the "Will you be my Bridesmaid" tags. We printed them at home on natural looking paper, hand cut each one + marked the calendar with a tiny red heart over June 5th, 2021.
This part was free to me, thankfully due to my mom's overwhelming craft room where she stores hundreds of markers, scissors, various types of cardstock paper + just about anything else you can imagine. But, even if you don't have your own at-home Hobby Lobby wonderland, this can easily be replicated with a Google document + a printer!
THE EMBELLISHMENTS
No gift is complete with out the embellishments.
Brown shredded paper from the Dollar Tree was only $1 per bag + I only used a bag + a half for all seven boxes.
The twine used to tie the box closed was found in my dad's garage for farming purposes, but it made the perfect natural touch to such an earthy surprise.
The orange dyed eucalyptus slipped under the twine on the top of the box was a decor piece I had in my home. Originally from Michael's or Hobby Lobby, but cut down to small pieces + added the most elegant touch to the outside.
The quartz crystal was a last minute addition. I began collecting crystals in my senior year of high school, completely fascinating by their supposed vibrations + healing properties. I thoughtfully charged each crystal in the sun for a full day, meditated good vibes over each one before placing it in the box. It really was a symbol of my heart.
Finally, came the day when I got to ask each girl to be my bridesmaid. For some, I planned a summer backyard hang out, others I traveled to see them. Each one completely caught off-guard, surprised + excited to be a part of a special time in my life. I couldn’t imagine doing this without them. I am so thankful to have so many amazing friends, even those who are not directly involved- I have experienced so much kindness, love + support all around!
When the time comes for you to ask your bridesmaids to join you on this journey, to stand next to you at the altar, to be a part of something bigger than any one person, just remember that it’s not about the amount of money you spend or the elaboration of the proposal. It’s about the love in your heart, the act of sharing in the excitement, + the honor of celebrating THEM as your friend.
BOHO BRIDESMAID PROPOSALS
Wooden Box - Hobby Lobby $3.49/each
Succulent - Kroger $3/each
Hand-Wrapped Chocolates - Walmart $3.48/bag
Cardstock Paper - $2/sheet
Save The Date Card - Free w/ Printer
Brown Filler Paper - Dollar Tree $1/bag
Jute Twine - Amazon $10
Quartz Crystal - Amazon $11 in bulk
Dried Eucalyptus - Hobby Lobby $7.79