I've long loved the red and blue color palette that's most appropriate to national holidays like the Fourth of July and Memorial Day. And there are so many lovely DIY projects that are fun, easy, and especially appropriate to Fourth of July weddings.
First Row: Hostess with the Mostess | AlphaMom
Second Row: The Long Thread
But Should you Have a Holiday Wedding in the First Place?
I mistakenly had my wedding on Memorial Day Weekend.Memorial Day came early in 2009 and. after much back and forth and date changes, we finally decided on May 23. I assumed that the 23rd was the weekend before Memorial Day. Wrong!!! The invitations were already send out and RSVPs rolling in when my Uncle replied that he had made "Memorial Day weekend plans months in advance." I was bummed, but there was nothing to be done at that point. We didn't send out save-the-date postcards and waited until the typical eight-weeks before the wedding to send out invitations. Too late for many would-be-guests to change plans. While some of our guests found the three-day weekend a convenient time, others couldn't break their long-standing plans, some of which included plane tickets and cottages that were booked over six months prior.
Top and Bottom: Twig and Thistle
Right: Style Me Pretty
While there are many reasons I wouldn't recommend a holiday wedding for many reasons (hotel rooms and air fare are more expensive, resort areas are more crowded, and many guests may already have long-standing plans and won't come to your wedding,) there are other reasons that make a holiday wedding a delight (guests have an extra day off, you have a ready-made theme–if you want/need one– and you may be able to save on decorations, if you're planning on going with the same theme.)
Resources for Deciding to Have a Holiday Weekend Wedding
- "Planning a Holiday Weekend Wedding" on Boldly Yours
- "Should You Have Your Wedding on a Holiday?" on Project Wedding
- "Holiday Weekend Wedding–What's Your Take?" on BridalTweet
- "Hosting a Wedding on a Holiday Weekend" on Pop the Questions
- "Is It Rude to Get Married on a Holiday Weekend? WeddingBee Boards
- "Holiday Weekend Wedding–Is It OK? Indie Bride Boards
Other Do-It-Yourself Ideas for the Fourth of July
Festive Paper Lollies
These are actually super easy to make. All you need are some pretty scrapbooking paper, maybe a fun craft stamp, some paper doilies and a few charms or scrapbooking embellishments. Hank and Hunt did a fantastic video tutorial that covers paper lollies as well as other projects you can do with a scoring board or bone folder. Check it out over on The Sweetest Occasion.
Easy Red White and Blue Labels
Check this out! It doesn't get simpler than this: a paper bag, pretzels, pinking shears for the top of the paper bag, popsicle sticks, pretty paper, and decent handwriting. ABC, 123!!!
Festive Poms
OK, a little warning here. I want to say these are super easy, but my experience with Martha has been that it looks easy enough, but when a mere mortal tries to replicate a Martha craft it ends in tears and fugly hideousness. You'll have to tell me how these work out. Looks simple enough though. Fold a piece of paper, cut fringe into it, unfold it and wrap it around a bamboo skewer to secure. stick a few in sand-filled jars and you have yourself non-floral centerpieces.
Super Simple DIY Wedding Cake Decorations
This is my absolute favorite, and I can vouch for how easy this type of cake decoration is because I've done it. You can order a plain fondant covered cake at considerable savings since the decorations can cost the cost of your wedding cake to skyrocket. One of the easiest ways to dress up your wedding cake is to add ribbon around the base of each tier. White the cake pictured looks like it has fondant stars, you can get the same effect with pretty scrapbooking paper and a craft punch. Easy-peasy!
One last thing I love about all of these crafts is that if you change up the colors and use different shapes, each project can suit any wedding theme. Happy crafting!