Do you know how easy it is to make your own all-natural solid perfume? All you need are two simple ingredients, along with some essential oils and you are good to go!

Solid perfumes are perfect for carrying in your purse; unlike traditional perfume, you don’t have to worry about spills! Why not make solid perfume to give as favors at your wedding or bridal shower?

We love the look of  metal slide top tins (you can buy them here), but you can also use traditional lip balm containers, even lockets.

We used lavender and lemongrass essential oils to scent our perfume. (This recipe fills approximately five tins.)

To make solid perfume you will need:

• Two tablespoons of grated beeswax
• Two tablespoons of coconut oil
• Few drops lemongrass essential oil
• Few drops lavender essential oil
• slide top metal tins

Place coconut oil into a Pyrex measuring cup.

Add beeswax.

Melt mixture in microwave.

Add approximately 30 drops of lavender oil, followed by a few drops lemongrass oil. You will need your nose to guide you through this. If you want the perfume to smell more like lavender, only use a drop or two of lemongrass oil.

Carefully pour melted mixture into tins.

Aren’t they pretty?

The mixture will harden as it cools.

Add lids. That’s it! Pretty simple, huh?

*Post contains affiliate links.

An intimate wedding was something that appealed to Ali and Jonathan, but it was their decision to host their event at a restaurant that really solidified their decision to limit their guest list to 75 people. Making meaningful choices, such as having Jonathan’s dad officiate the ceremony and Ali’s cousin play violin, also made their day extremely special.

Here’s what photographer A.J. Dunlap  had to say about Ali & Jonathan’s wedding:

“Walking into their ceremony felt like stepping into The Secret Garden. The intimacy of their day matched the feel of the venue perfectly. Their ceremony and reception were filled with soft hues of mint and blush. Calm and beautiful. Her full length bridesmaid gowns were the perfect compliment to the pink peonies & hydrangeas. Their first look, oh my. Those emotions under that tree were too much for this photographer’s heart.”

Ali, 32 & Jonathan, 31

Location: Chapel Hill, NC

Wedding Date: May 30, 2015

First Wedding or Second Wedding for the bride? First

First Wedding or Second Wedding for the groom? First

Number of Guests: 75

Wedding Cost: Approximately $20,000

Wedding Ceremony Location: Weathervane

Wedding Reception Location: Weathervane

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

We knew we wanted a unique location for the ceremony and reception and so we found our location first which did somewhat limit our guest list. Having a smaller size helped us to connect with our guests and not feel like we were on display. We were able to be ourselves and really be in the moment.

What are some the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?

The biggest challenge was limiting our guest list to fit the space. In the end, however, we loved that we got to sit down and talk to all of the guests. The location being a restaurant had a few challenges and so we worked closely with Lauren, the wedding coordinator at Weathervane, to help make it feel more intimate and private.

Did you have any ‘issues’ with the small guest list from friends and family? If so, how did you address them?

We were honest with our parents from the beginning about the size limitation and definitely got their approval first to make sure that we didn’t leave any family out. We were really lucky that we didn’t have any issues about our guest list.

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

We tried to make the ceremony personal. Jonathan’s dad officiated the wedding so that was really special to have him standing up their with us. Ali’s cousin, professional violist, played the ceremony music.

What were the highlights of the reception?

One of the things we really wanted to have was good food and cake and we were not disappointed! Our DJ, Brian Darocha, was great and got everyone out on the dance floor and also helped facilitate the night. We were able to go to every table and spend time with all of the guests, which meant a lot to both of us. Also, everyone we worked with was talented, professional and experienced so that we were able to relax and enjoy the night without worrying what to do next. Our photographers, AJ and Kyle Dunlap, were fabulous. Beyond taking amazing pictures of the day, they also were key players in helping the night go smoothly.

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding?

Knowing that we had a special connection with everyone that attended the wedding. Throughout the whole event we felt that we were sharing a genuinely joyful experience. The intimacy really helped us feel connected to our guests. There was a moment near the end of the reception that the two of us were dancing in a circle surrounded by our family and friends. Seeing how happy everyone was for us was a moment we will never forgot.

What advice do you have for couples who are considering an intimate wedding?

Wedding planning will inevitably be stressful at times. The one thing that we continued to remind ourselves during those moments was no matter what happened that day at the end we would be married to the loves of our lives. That’s really all that matters.

Vendors:

Venue: Weathervane

Photographer: A.J. Dunlap Photography

DJ: Brian Darocha, Unlimited DJ Service

Cake: Simply Cakes

Hair & Makeup: Stephanie Sevilla

Florals: Southern Season Floral

Dress: Alfred Angelo

Shoes: Adrianna Papel

Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas

The moment we set eyes on this New Orleans Styled Elopement Shoot submitted by Ashley Holden, owner of N-joy Weddings + Events, we knew our readers would love it!

Here’s how N-joy Weddings + Events describes the shoot:

The story of this inspiration shoot is a love story.  We were inspired by the romantic nature of an elopement and wanted to create a unique inspiration for couples hoping to bypass the stress of planning a wedding reception.

We imagined that this bride and groom wanted an intimate ceremony in a beautiful location.  A 200-year old abandoned fort was the perfect place to showcase a beautiful elopement. Nestled on the coast just to the east of New Orleans, Fort Macomb offered a romantic backdrop.  The pair read their vows inscribed on a scroll and shared some champagne and a slice of cake.   We can imagine these two living a beautiful life together.

We made the vow scroll by heat transferring the words cut by a Silhouette onto the fabric. The small one-tier cake with silver accents was encircled by blue thistle. A painted watercolor announcement matched the cake.

Gorgeous setting, gorgeous couple, gorgeous photos by Lance Nicoll Photography. What more can you ask for?

Cake: Sweet Stirrings

Dress: Blush Bridal

Event décor, Styling, Announcements: N-joy Weddings + Events

Hair & Makeup: Verde Beauty Studio

Models: Hedy and Ethan Castille

Photographer: Lance Nicoll Photography

Tuxedo: After Five – http://www.tuxedojunction.com/Store/tuxedo-rental-batonrouge

Venue: Fort Macomb, New Orleans

At your reception, a tall bouquet or sculpture could prevent your guests from chatting with other guests across the table. No matter how gorgeous the centerpiece, we think this is a major wedding faux pas! Thankfully, there are so many beautiful options for smaller centerpieces, such as the terrarium. We love terrarium centerpieces so much that we’ve rounded up eight of our faves from Etsy.

Let start off this list with a diamond shaped terrarium by NojaGlassDesign. Diamond decor is a trend on its own right now, so why not combine it with our love of terrariums!

This gorgeous terrarium by theZenSucculent reminds us of the the Enchanted Rose from Beauty and the Beast.

Another great option is this geometric terrarium by Waen. The plant could easily be replaced by tea light candles or flower petals.

Sleek and modern, this light-bulb shaped design by WeddingBoxWhatNots makes for a perfect centerpiece.

This teardrop terrarium by theZenSucculent would look so romantic filled with small fairy lights or vines.

For a more original take on the terrarium centerpiece, this house-shaped design by Leosklo is a great choice.

With an open vase concept, this design by PinkSerissa would be perfect to use for a bouquet of flowers, or to fill with something that suits your wedding decor, such as pearls or confetti.

Finally, this smaller, three-piece set by PinkSerissa is a perfect downsized alternative to the previous option, for those who may want multiple small centerpieces instead of one large option.

*This post contains Etsy affiliate links

“Macaron lip gloss that only takes a minute to make? Are you for real, you say?”

Indeed, we are! Not only do these cuties take only a minute to make, they are inexpensive!

When my daughter discovered adorable macaron containers on Etsy that can be used for homemade lip gloss and lip balm, I knew instantly that they would make perfect bridal shower favors – especially for a spa themed bridal shower.

Filling them with homemade lip gloss is a breeze. We created pink lemonade lip gloss for our macarons. Here’s what you will need to make this one-minute lip gloss:

• White unscented petroleum jelly
• food coloring
• flavor (we used lemon oil and raspberry flavor)
• Macaron containers (there are several Etsy stores that sell them, including this one.)

Place two tablespoons of petroleum jelly into a bowl. (This will fill 3-4 macaron containers.)

Add desired color (we used gel food coloring) and mix well. It doesn’t take much food coloring to color the jelly – so go easy on it!

Add a few drops of raspberry flavor.

Add a few drops of lemon oil. If the scent is not strong enough, add more flavor until desired scent is achieved.

Stir well.

Carefully spoon lip gloss into containers.

Smooth with a butter knife or spatula.

And there you have your awesome macaron lip gloss!

Stack them up on your bridal shower favor table and watch your guests swoon!

*This post contains affiliate links.