A great thing about weddings (or any party really) is that they are an opportunity to put your personal stamp on every detail involved- from the cake to the flowers to the music. While vendors are often hired to take care of of the big ticket items, smaller aspects can have just as big of a visual impact when done thoughtfully.
I’m going to write here about some of the things I made for the guest table, entrance table and main reception table for our wedding in October. I had already completed the invitations months earlier, so I did have a thematic framework set, though I didn’t want to just make repeats of what everyone had seen.
I did utilize the same combination of Paper Source paper (Super Fine Soft White, Night and Opal) as the invitations but I purchased varying widths in the same burgundy ribbon and then also in a burnt orange to play with. I did test several combinations of layering with the translucent blue ribbon and the thick satin ribbon until I decided on how each card would be presented. Though the idea behind each card was the same, the final look for each was slightly varied.
Instead of making a bunch of programs that would invariably be lost or forgotten, I decided to make one large program that I put on an antique-inspired stand. Since this was a focal point, I used a beautiful floral patterned burgundy ribbon that I layered under navy satin. It was definitely different from the other plainer ribbons I had used, but coordinated perfectly.
One of the most difficult projects I had was making signs for the two different sized birdcages that acted as card box and “wishing well.” Designing the cards wasn’t so hard as figuring out how to affix them in a way that was both sturdy and unobtrusive to the eye. It ended up being a combination of tape, bows, and, if you can believe it, painted brass round head fasteners.
One last thing I want to talk about is something I didn’t make, but I’d like to give a shout out to the awesome Etsy crafter who made our fabulous pen: RubyDollCreations did a great job and one guest even commented it was the most “elite” pen he had ever used 
Here is one DIY tip for a makeshift pen holder at your guest table- fill a small glass with pebbles, seeds, or (as in our case) potpourri so the pen has somewhere to stand and be placed.
Here are some final pics of how everything looked together:
Great Blog entry. Some day someone will discover you and hire you to do creative editorial writing!