I know it’s the heat of summer so it may seem too soon to be thinking about bundling up with warm beverages. But as many brides know, you need to be picking out all your wedding details at least a season ahead of the actual ceremony so you have a chance to order it and put things together (and order a backup plan if necessary). So in the spirit of my purple, green and brown fall wedding plan I have chosen two very simple and do-it-yourself wedding reception elements.

truffles instead of wedding cake

I absolutely love the idea of having truffles in lieu of a wedding cake. They are easy to eat, simple to clean up and even more delicious to eat. Plus these truffles come with do-it-yourself directions to keep within your wedding budget. You can also make these a few days ahead of time so you don’t have to worry about assembling these cuties the night before your wedding. I love the modern bride option of skipping a huge, tiered wedding cake and these tiny delectable bites offer so many shades from my wedding color palette.

hot cocoa packet favors

And once you’ve started incorporating rich chocolate into your ceremony, why stop? Send your guests home with another easy do-it-yourself project – hot chocolate mix and red wine hot fudge favors. Check out Nonpareil’s online magazine for other great wedding tips and ideas.

I recently posted a few pictures from Martha Stewart’s top 50 wedding tablescapes so this may seem repetitive. But I think having just written about them has made me more observant of them now because so many cute ones seem to be popping up all over the place. I absolutely love these reception table decorations from MadeByGirl’s own wedding and couldn’t resist sharing them.

L-O-V-E it.

table setting perfection

They match natural outdoor elements with crisp and classic dishes, glassware and fabrics to get this refined, organic setting. It’s absolute perfection. And sticking the escort cards as leaves in top of the apples is both highly functional and cohesive. My favorite elements – if forced to pick just two from the number of perfections shown – would have to be the LOVE dishes full of chocolate covered strawberries and the wheat grass filled vases.

guest view of the table setting

Also, they did it all themselves from a bunch of stores you can likely find locally, like Whole Foods and Michael’s Crafts. This proves you can have over-the-top elegance and style without an over-the-top budget.

Guess what I found? More do-it-yourself garlands! You may not share my enthusiasm, but I love them. Crafty projects + hanging from ceilings and trees + pretty decorations = making me a happy girl. I might just need to throw an outdoor party so that I can make some of these strands this summer. These are great for outdoor weddings – you can decorate the path to your ceremony or have them hanging in nearby trees for the reception or use them to decorate the backdrop of your vows.

pom pom vines

These floral garlands could easily be used in any outdoor wedding. Simply change the color of the flowers to match the natural surrounding foliage or the color theme for your wedding. And the cutouts are such basic shapes, you could easily make these on your own (or with your bridesmaids) in an afternoon.

light up pennants

These light up lantern garlands seem a little more complicated, but equally doable. And how cute would they be for a dusk/evening ceremony and reception? Love it.

Another do it yourself project inspiration, though this time I’ve come out of my Martha Stewart Weddings comfort zone. These flower wreaths are adorable and look completely do-able, but they come without directions. Don’t let that scare you away – if you like them, be ambitious and creative! You can tackle this project on your own.

paper flower wreaths

These paper and fabric wreaths add a feminine touch. Since they’re a do-it-yourself project, you can customize the colors and fabrics to match your wedding color palette. And if you don’t like the wreath, simply straighten the curve and turn these into garlands instead. The key to designing these light and airy wreaths is to combine colors, textures, flower shapes and sizes.

It might be a little ambitious to try and make enough of these for your wedding reception. The quantity and detail combined seems daunting. So instead, why not include these in your wedding rehearsal? Make this into a decoration for the bride or her bridesmaids’ to carry down the practice aisle. Or scatter a few around the usually more casual and laid back rehearsal dinner decorations.