Martha Stewart has a Special Issue of her Weddings Magazine devoted to Real Weddings. Have you seen it? In typical Martha fashion, it’s gorgeous.
I’m going to give it to you straight: At first I couldn’t really tell how this “special edition” was especially different from a regular edition of Weddings. It has her “Good Things” section, lots of real weddings, and (my personal fav) the anniversary story on the back page. So what makes this so “special”?
It took me a minute, but I realized that every single idea and every single wedding was really real. Real couples, real tablescapes, and real handcrafted elements. Not a “styled shoot” to be found. Just a bunch of real couples executing real Martha Stewart-style crafts and details. (NOTE: I couldn’t tell if it was DIY from the brides or “DIY” for a wedding stylist)
{Heart!}
What I love about Martha Stewart Real Weddings “Special Issue” is that the weddings date back to 2007. That’s five full years! And each one looks fresh and classic. Even the that birch bark escort card holder from a 2009 Rocky Mountain wedding looks classic. The editors of Weddings thankfully did not hold their noses in the air and sneer, “Oh that idea has already been all over the internet and it’s so 2009!” No. They realized that each wedding is beautiful because all of the personal elements fit each bride and groom perfectly!
{Not such a big fan}
As a former budget bride (and who isn’t on a budget these days?) I kept looking at these gorgeous weddings and wondering what they cost. How much for those custom embroidered guest napkins? How about those calligraphed seating cards with a custom moss stamp; How much did they cost? Or, how much time did those parchment packets full of nuts take to do? Who did them?
Now I know that the point of these magazines is to inspire. It would be foolish to think that I would or should replicate someone else’s wedding—lock, stock, and barrel. But a time and cost estimate for some of those “Good Things” would be nice.
{At the end of the day…}
At the end of the day, I pretty much love this special edition. I know I’ve already said it, but it bears repeating: Some of the weddings that Martha is publishing (or re-publishing) are five years old. These are beautiful, classic looking fetes with design elements that have been wildly popular on the internet, and some would argue, overly done and passe. We’re talking bunting, birch wood, and dessert bars.
But the fact remains that each wedding looks perfectly suited for the bride and groom. That’s what makes a wedding wonderful and classic. Your “perfect wedding” is not about finding the perfect craft, or the most unique design element. It’s about finding the perfect craft, or design element FOR YOU. Do that and your wedding will be a perfect as those that grace the pages of Martha Stewart Weddings.