It’s happened to everyone:  You are attending the wedding of a friend that you know through work, your spouse or even a networking group.  Because you aren’t extremely close with this couple, you are seated at the “random” table, with all of the other people that don’t really know anyone else.  An awkward round of introductions happens and then silence prevails until the drinks start flowing.

I have the perfect solution to wedding seating chart awkwardness, and the best part?  It’s a DIY project that will cost you next to nothing!  These Topic Table Conversation Place Cards will get your guests laughing and chatting in no time:

What You’ll Need:

Computer Printable Place Cards (enough so each guest gets one!)

Your own creative mind

A computer and a printer

Instructions:

The idea is simple.  Simply buy your printable place cards and follow the instructions for running them through your home printer.  The creative part comes in with what’s actually on the cards!  Instead of just printing your guests name and table number, why not add challenging or thought provoking questions to get your guests chatting?  Some examples:

• If you had to be named after one of the 50 states, which would it be?  Why?
• If you had to choose one meal to eat over and over for the rest of your life, what would it be?
• If you could re-do your wedding, what would you change?  What would you keep the same?

What guests will be talking up a storm in no time!

Recently, we’ve noticed a trend in bird themed weddings.  Considering this, we’ve decided to do an full week series on all things feathered.  To kick off the series, we are sharing some of our favorite bird themed stationery designs from Wedding Paper Divas.

From L to R:  Two Birds Wedding Invitation; Enchanting Forest Wedding Invitation; Little Bird Wedding Invitation; Splendid Swirls Wedding Invitation; Delicate Humming Bird Wedding Invitation; Divine Doves Save the Date Card; Wedding Trellis Save the Date Card

From L to R: Spring Birds Shower Invitations; Perching Bird Gift Tag; Birds in Flight Place Card; Love Doves Save the Date Cards;  Hummingbird Garden Gift Tag

To view more bird themed wedding inivtations and stationery designs, click here.

A great DIY project requires only one tool:  a square piece of paper.  With this, you can make any number of Origami shapes that can be used in a variety of ways at your wedding.  Today, I’m focusing on the Origami Crane, a symbol of honor and loyalty in Japanese culture.

Instead of recreating the wheel, I’m going to share a great set of instructions with accompanying photos that can be found here. Although there are a number of steps involved, the process is really quite easy.  And then…voila!  You have a beautiful origami crane.

What’s really special about these cranes is the number of uses for them!  DIY Wedding Projects had a great idea for using the cranes as place cards.  Eco-Chic Weddings suggest stringining the cranes all in a row and hanging them from the celiing–the look is both elegant and modern.  New York Magazine featured a wedding that used the cranes as favors.  Twiggs Bakery and Coffeehouse has a cake on their website that uses the crane as a cake topper! And finally, if you want to really put in some effort, Trek Earth features a paper crane lantern.  (See all images below.)

I’m sure there are countless other options for utilizing the origami crane at your wedding.  Feel free to chime in!