Tag Archives: Etsy

Our Favorite Etsy “Will You Be My Bridesmaid?” Cards

It’s no secret that we spend a lot of time on Etsy. What’s not to love about a marketplace that promotes creative makers and artists? In addition to finding something beautiful and unique, you can feel good that you’re supporting a small business, many of which are female owned. Here, some of our favorite “Will You Be My Bridesmaid?” cards recently spotted on Etsy.  
Will You Be My Bridesmaid cards

Don’t you just love a card that tells it like it is? The cute illustration and cheeky message on this card from Julie Ann Art will bring a smile to your future maids’ faces.

Will You Be My Bridesmaid cards

Add an element of surprise with this scratch-off card from Inklings Paperie. The metallic gold pops (excuse the pun) against the soft petal pink and the dainty illustration is so sweet.

Will You Be My Bridesmaid cards

We’ve become a little bit obsessed with gemstones as of late. (Have you seen our You’re a Gem party inspiration board? It’s perfect for a bridesmaid ask party.) So it’s no surprise we heart these gemstone-dotted cards from WildHeart Paper. (And similar here.)

Will You Be My Bridesmaid cards

Allie Ruth Designs had been printing vintage hankies with “Will You Be My Bridesmaid?” for awhile, but discovered that women had trouble incorporating the pretty linens into their everyday life with the bridesmaid message. Problem solved with this hand lettered kraft envelope containing a delicate heirloom handkerchief. Feel free to stuff in a few more surprises as well. (Update: This shop seems to have closed! Find similar designs here and here.) Will You Be My Bridesmaid cards

Because honesty matters, we adore this card from Patterson Paper. Just don’t fall pretty to these overdone Pinterest-inspired bridesmaid poses!

Best of Etsy: Pastel Pretties

Take a look out the window. See snow? Again? Or it’s just really freaking cold? Girl, you are not alone. As a little pick-you-up, here are my fav recent Etsy finds, all in cheerful pastel hues to make you feel like springtime is already here. Whether you’re a bride searching for the perfect gift for your bridesmaids or a party planner on the hunt for bridal shower favors, these pretty accessories and thoughtful pieces are perfect for bringing a little sunshine into the mix.

I’m a little bit obsessed with the blend of delicate pastels and a modern geometric triangle pattern on this cotton pendant necklace from The Fox and Fig.

You can seriously never have too many vases—they’re stylish and useful. I especially love the organic feeling of this teardrop shape from The Object Enthusiast, with the modern pop of metallic dots to add color and shine.

Wouldn’t this be perfect for a “Will You Be My Bridesmaid” gift? The gem-shaped soaps from Vice and Velvet are crafted through a cold-process method the uses at least 50% olive oil, plus organic rice milk, macadamia nut oil and Australian pink clay.  The prism necklace gets a whole new look, cast in concrete that gives an almost industrial vibe and offset with delicate lilac and sunshine yellow. (Similar here.)Artwork is one of my favorite unexpected gifts. For a unique bridesmaid favor, ask Milk Foam to create a perfume watercolor for each of your ladies, showing her signature scent. The resulting piece will be personal and totally one of a kind.

Bridesmaid Gifts Under $30: Our Favorite Bags and Jewelry from Etsy

Many brides like to choose bridesmaid gifts that their maids can wear to their wedding, but I also love the idea of just choosing something fun that you know your girls will love and that they can mix into their daily ensemble. Bags and jewelry are always welcome—what girl doesn’t love a handy new tote or a little extra sparkle? Plus, one size fits all and lots of Etsy vendors allow you to purchase assortments of different colors and prints. We rounded up our favorite bridesmaid gifts under $30 from Etsy.

You got a diamond, so why shouldn’t they? I’m quite taken with this stunning little bamboo ring (and it will be way more affordable than your rock, at $19.92).diamond bamboo rings | Etsy Bridesmaid Gifts Under $30 | Ultimate BridesmaidBrighten up their day with this soft vegan leather foldover clutch accented with a punch of neon yellow (and it’s a steal at only $26). 
neon clutch | Etsy Bridesmaid Gifts Under $30 | Ultimate Bridesmaid

I’m loving the bold graphic statement of these leather cuffs ($18), laser cut with tribal patterns (and perfect with jeans and a chambray shirt, don’t you think?). tribal leather cuffs | Etsy Bridesmaid Gifts Under $30 | Ultimate BridesmaidYou can never, ever have too many totes, especially delicate arrow-printed ones, made from recycled organic cotton ($24.50). arrow tote | Etsy Bridesmaid Gifts Under $30 | Ultimate BridesmaidMix and match these enamel-dipped brass feather hairpins with their favorite colors. Can’t you just see them tucked into a loose braid? ($10 each, plus buy 3 get one free!) (similar here)feather hair clips | Etsy Bridesmaid Gifts Under $30 | Ultimate Bridesmaid

Looking for a cute bag to stuff with bridesmaid survival gear? Look no further. Dotted with stars and trees, this linen pouch will double as a stylish makeup bag after your big day ($29.94). bag trees and stars | Etsy Bridesmaid Gifts Under $30 | Ultimate Bridesmaid

Bridal Shower Invite Roundup

I’m going to be real with you guys. Bridal shower and bachelorette invitations totally get the shaft, design-wise. Am I right? I mean, take a look at the wedding invitations out there: gorgeous, thoughtful, modern, whatever you want. Now try to find modern, pretty bachelorette invites. That aren’t pink and black. Or covered in bras. What is that about??

The point is, invitations. You need ’em. You’re going to have to weed through a ton of subpar options to find something really cute. Maybe I can help. Here are some of my new favorites, including picnic-perfect prints and a dual bridal shower/bachelorette invite that I’m totally obsessed with.

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My kind of floral and my kind of girly. This sweet seasonal invite would be perfect for a garden brunch or tea party. There are actually four different versions, each corresponding to a time of the year. While this one just screams spring with its strawberry pinks and kiwi greens, there’s a version with burnt orange and butternut yellows that would be perfect for fall.

bridal shower inviteThe perfect picnic invite from FourThings by CaBlue. The text is retro chic with a bit of a deco vibe and I especially love the leafy illustrations. Contact her on Etsy for a personalized listing.

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The abstract heart motif at the top balances the white space on the bottom, making this invite feel fresh and breezy. Plus, the colors are customizable so you can match them to your theme—coral and cobalt blue for a nautical look, or citrus and lime green for a bright spring feel.

KH_BridalShower1_PCWhat a great idea: a shower and bachelorette party set! So often the same person is throwing both events and the parties may even be grouped into one weekend. These invitations carry the color and dot theme throughout, tying the two events together visually and conceptually. I want to see more sets like this!

il_570xN.350936165Ah, stock the bar. One of my all-time favorite party themes. Just bring booze—none of those bar gadgets for me. Well, ok, glassware is all right. Pretty glassware. But mostly wines, please. I love the simplicity and bright pops of color in this version.

Will You Be My Bridesmaid Stamp

Let’s admit it: We’ve all swooned over those sweet “Will You Be My Bridesmaid” kerchiefs. You know the ones I mean: vintage printed hankies with a little message scrawled in the center. But almost $30 a pop, the price can add up pretty fast, especially if you have a lot of bridesmaids. So imagine my surprise and joy when I stumbled on this “Will You Be My Bridesmaid” stamp from Southern Fried Paper! You can DIY as many hankies as you like for the price of one from some other retailers! The stamp is available in a classic cursive and floral motif. Just purchase hankies at the nearest flea market or make your own with a few yards of fabric and some iron-on hemming tape.

Will You Be My Bridesmaid?

The first time I was asked to be a bridesmaid, I cried. I didn’t expect to, but I just felt this wave of emotion roll over me and I started tearing up. It didn’t take much—just a phone conversation and a heartfelt request—but asking someone to be your bridesmaid or maid of honor is a special moment, so choose a personal way to do it. Make a special phone call to each of your ladies or meet with them in person if distance doesn’t stand in the way. There are also lots of beautiful invitation cards or small gifts that can serve as a keepsake for the moment. I think it’s best to ask verbally so you two can share a special moment. Then you can follow up with a card or gift to commemorate the occasion if you wish. Here are some “will you be my bridesmaid?” items I love.

Gorgeous letterpress cards from Concrete Lace.


I love the colors and loopy script on these Blooming Bridesmaid cards from BHLDN.

Another lovely letterpress option found on Etsy at Drippy Ink Designs.

If you’d rather not play the sentimental card, this one from Naughty Betty is hilarious.

Want to go a step further than a card? How about a bottle of wine or champagne with a custom label from Michele Purner Designs? (I almost prefer the groomsmen option. Mustaches!)

Invitations

Choosing invitations for Marisa’s bachelorette weekend turned out to be way more difficult than I expected. I didn’t think my criteria were too demanding. I wanted something classy and simple but fun. Marisa’s a graphic designer, so I knew the typography and design needed to be modern and clean. Little did I know that “modern” and “clean” don’t factor in to many of the invites on the market. Getting away from black and pink was almost impossible so we just embracing it in the end. But I didn’t want anything that overtly referenced lingerie or Sex in the City (you would be astonished at how overdone these themes are). Designers, there’s a niche here that’s under-represented in my opinion! Here are a few of my favorites that Alyssa and I tracked down after lots of searching and the invite we ultimately went with.

This one felt like a good balance between modern and vintage and the muted pink and black is subtle and still chic. It’s customizable but not custom, so the price is good. You can find it here on Wedding Paper Divas.

This one stole my heart. The chevron pattern feels so modern and the colors are tweaked toward gray and coral, which makes this invite feel sophisticated and unexpected. You’ll find these on Etsy and need to contact the designer directly for a personalized listing.


I loved that this one got away from pink and incorporated sparkle in a fresh way. The script feels hand drawn and the vibe is vintage modern. This listing is for a digital file and you can find it on Etsy as well.

Polka Dot Design is another good site if you’d rather set your own type rather than working with a designer. This invite is actually for a New Year’s party, but I thought it could easily be tweaked for a fancy bachelorette party.

If you’re going to go lingerie or kitsch, I think this is how to do it.The playbill lettering and ’50s pin-up balances perfectly with the cream paper and feels vintage without being busy.

This invite was our final choice. We loved the simple typography and the “All You Need Is Love” theme fit our bride perfectly. The hot pink seemed fresh with the crisp white instead of the black that I’d seen on so many other invites. Lisa from Blushface was also very easy to work with, responding quickly and sending us a few proofs until the invite looked just right. She also printed for us, which was something we were looking for.

In general, I recommend you shop around because prices can vary considerably. Print-on-demand sites like Wedding Paper Divas and Polka Dot Design are great for a budget and do have lots of options allowing for one-stop shopping and less time spent searching, but the templates aren’t completely customizable and I didn’t find very many designs that met my “clean and modern” criteria (the two sites I’ve mentioned were by far the best in that category). Designers can be more expensive, but not always. They also tend to have more interesting designs and will customize the invite to your needs. I found Etsy to be the best resource for this by far. Most of the designers on wedding website directories are looking for wedding invite orders, not smaller parties like showers and bachelorette weekends. Though I saw some amazing work, their clientele is focused on brides. Etsy invite designers were much more approachable for our purposes. Some designers provide printed files, but some don’t which means an extra expense. Alyssa and I used a board on Pinterest to display invites we liked all together, which helped to narrow our options and keep links at the ready for price comparison.

Please post links to invites you’ve found! I’m going to need ideas for the next time around…