BRONZE BUDGET BRIDE

                                         

These fun and fresh candles would be perfect reception table decorations! I'm making mine out of lemons to match my colour scheme, but you could do this project with any citrus fruit. Here's the tutorial.

Materials:

1 dozen lemons
A sharp knife
1 pound of beeswax 
A package of candle wicks with wick holders
A melon baller
Citronella oil (optional)

1. Cut the lemons in half lengthwise. Sqeeze out as much of the juice as you can, being careful not to tear or puncture the skin. Use the melon baller or a large spoon to scrape out all the pulp. You want them to be as clean inside as possible.

2. Melt the wax in double boiler or a small metal bowl over a pot of boiling water. Remove from heat once it is completely liquid. At this point you can add a few drops of citronella oil if you like. It has a nice lemony scent and repels bug as an extra bonus.

3. Cut three inches of wick and tie a knot at one end. Thread the free end through the wick holder and pull until secure.

4. Dip the wick and wick holder in the melted wax. This will stiffen it and make it stand up straight.  Press the wick holder into the bottom of the lemon and let the wick harden.

5. Pour the melted wax into each fruit half. Voila, you have a candle! Let the wax set overnight, and that's it!

This tutorial makes 24 candles. Being made from fresh fruit, they look their best within a day or two of making them.

By the way, save all that lemon pulp and juice for homemade lemonade or cooking. I'm going to use it to make lemon risotto for the reception. Killing two birds with one stone, groceries and decor!





 

If you are setting up the food for your wedding as a buffet, remember that the spread should be inviting like the ones I've added as inspiration for you!

When I was busy planning our Caribbean Theme Wedding I remember it was so hard finding enough Seashells in any dollar store whenever I went to buy. They weren't available online either, well, not till recently. So, if you are looking for shells for your beach wedding decor, centerpieces etc then go and grab a case of 24 packs for $24.00! That's $1.00 each and it's the cheapest I've every come across them.

Since they are not online or in local stores on a regular basis I would encourage you to get them here before they run out!

Add a personalized monogram decal to a frame with a plain white backing to greet guests as they enter the reception. On the sign in table, have a large white board (sized to fit the frame) and have the guests sign & leave their blessings. After the BIG day, add the sign-in board to the monogram frame to create a custom piece of art for you to forever cherish in your home.

I can't belief I haven't told you about Luna Bazaar before because they sell the most amazing products and the costs are budget bride friendly too. Every item is full of personality because the colors are vibrant and the painted products are so intriguing.  There, you can buy lanterns in over 30 different colors and choose from Eyelet Lanterns (which are my favorite), Cocoon Lanterns, Bamboo Cuff Lanterns and more starting at $2.00!



The collection is truly impressive and the Painted Parasols, which start at $8.95, are a sight to behold. You get a choice of Printed, Paper, Chinese, Japanese, Guilded, Square, Rice Paper, Balinese, Nylon and SAA Paper Parasols! They are truly some of the most beautiful Parasols I've ever seen and perfect for a bronze budget bride.




What I also love are the colored, decorative, medicine, glass bottles because  they would be so pretty with just one or two stems of flowers and grouped together to make a centerpiece. For a rectangular table they could be set at least six inches apart running diagonally with a candle set in between each one. 

These bottles cost $2.95 each and as you can see they come in seven different colors.



The vases that are sold at Luna Bazaar come in the same beautiful colors and are $10.00 each! Keep in mind that the more beautiful the vase is the more "awe" your centerpiece will have and even baby's breath would look great in these vases which you can get 10 bunches of for $119 at fiftyflowers.com.

                       

If you stick around Luna Bazaar long enough you'll come across these the Lotus Candle Holders which make great centerpiece all on their own. However, if you rather  something smaller, in Luna Bazaar style, you can find over 300 different types to choose from including their guilded candle holders which I find to be so incredibly beautiful.



If you are looking for beautiful, unique wedding decorations to match your wedding colors and more, go see what you can find in Luna Bazaar's online store.

I really like this Fall Centerpiece featured on DollarTree.com! It's cute and a wonderful, budget friendly display for a Fall Wedding Table. The little pumpkins seen above are $1.00 each here on the website.

If you like the look but can't find cheap pedestals, remember you can always buy wine glasses for $1.00 as well and turn them upside down to transform them into candle stands like the ones in the cheap, wine glass centerpieces article.



You can also group them together and add some candles, elevated on candle sticks at the center to create a centerpiece fit for an elegant event.



Find tapered, glass candlesticks and red, tapered candles at your local dollar store. They will make a beautiful addition to any centerpiece you may want to create.

I love, love this table setting. I found this photo online at fiftyflowers.com in Jamie Gray's testimonial! What I love about it is that fact that the favor boxes are used as part of the decor  and it gave the room such beautiful pops of pink everywhere, (the pink and royal blue colors are gorgeous together!)

You can find many standard carnations in so many colors HERE , just look at how vibrant the colors are but you can make artificial carnations which is actually what is on the favor boxes in the photo above.



Just look how gorgeous paper carnations can be when you are all done.