This September one of my very best friends is getting married and I have been recruited to help with all things “pretty.”  Jebb and Ally’s wedding ceremony will be a small  and intimate affair at the home of a friend, followed by a larger cocktail party on the roof of one of their favorite restaurants. The entire affair promises to be lovely from start to finish, filled to the brim with love and laughter. It also promises (or so I have promised them) to be done within a very strict budget. This means most of the “pretty” details will be done by the three of us and whomever else we can sweet talk into helping.

The happy couple are both book lovers, but Ally most of all. So we have decided to add some bookish flair to this celebration. Here are a few of the ideas that I have collected of fairly simple, beautiful and inexpensive book inspired crafts that I think would add just the touch to both the ceremony and reception without being overly “themey.”

Hanging Books & Lanterns.
Since the reception will be in the evening, outdoors and on a rooftop where there are already party lights hanging, adding a few hanging books and jar lanterns around the perimeter would be a great way to personalize and dress up the space without taking away from the existing downtown vibe.

Matchbook Party Favors
This is an easy party favor that could be made while catching up on all those t.v. shows I DVR’d during the olympics. Buy the matchboxes in bulk from a large chain store and then use thrift store books to cover the matchbooks. Add personalization by stamping the top of each book with the new couples initials.

Bouquet
Jebb and Ally’s wedding is in late September and I think this bouquet would be the perfect late summer/early fall combination. Also, we can make the dollars stretch further by mixing handmade paper flowers in with fresh.

Paper Heart Confetti
Another super easy project for any party. Simply put on a chick flick, grab a heart punch from and a stack of vintage book pages and get to punching. Spread these out down the aisle, on table tops or toss them over the couple during their first dance.

Bookish Centerpiece
There are a lot of beautiful book inspired centerpieces out in the world wide web, but I chose this one because of it’s simply beauty and elegance. I love the thick satin ribbon tied around the stack of vintage books. Again think thrift stores and garage sales when shopping for books to use for these projects. For the centerpiece look for height and heft. Old law books are perfect. Don’t love the colors? Cover the books with brown craft paper and create your own titles on the spines.

The Pom Pom
Golly I love a pom pom. These would be cute toppers for cupcakes, boutonnieres for the groom and best man,  or made larger and mixed into the floral arrangements scattered around the reception.

While I am thinking of these crafts specifically for a wedding, each one could be customized and altered for any special occasion – birthday, anniversary, or baby showers, just to name a few. All you need is some old books and a full DVR and you will be able to create most of these crafts as easy as A, B, C.