The first month of the new year gone already - time flies when you're having fun. Here's whats been keeping us busy this month...

Today we have the second of our stunning peacock themed real weddings to share. Photographed by Seattle based Meg Ruth, Hannah and Dick's garden wedding at the Cottage Creek Inn was packed full of crafty and creative DIY projects. Maybe I'm just biased because this wedding uses my two favourite colours, turquoise and purple, but I think this is one of the prettiest weddings we've had the honour to feature on the blog. Enjoy.


Hannah and her mother made some stunning floral clips in peacock shades to give to all the girls. And if you head over to Meg Ruths Photography blog she has a lovely step by step you can follow to make your very own!


The details and DIY projects put together by Hannah and her mother are amazing. Vintage dressing tables with typewriters were set up as stations for guests to leave messages and tips for the new couple. And the colour coordinated dessert bar was to die for.


Hannah and Dick even used one of 'i do' it yourself's peacock guest books as their welcome sign for the reception, a great way to set the scene for the peacock prettiness to come.  Congratulations guys and thank you for sharing your beautiful day.

Pic by Powers Studios

The phenomenon began with the fingerprint (or thumbprint) tree, where guests leave their print as a leaf on the tree. A lot more fun than the usual guest book that will probably end up on a shelf gathering dust. When your fingerprint guest book is finished it becomes a beautiful piece of art to hang on your wall. The peacock is a stunning alternative - guests leave their fingerprint to act as the eye of a feather. It's also a great option if you don't like the idea of using ink, friends and family can sign inside a feather instead.

Pics Cage and Aquarium and Alexi Shields Photography

Ink and pens
Fine art and scrapbooking pens are best for guests to sign with, try Faber Castell and Memory Marker. To leave their print guests just press their finger onto a coloured ink pad then inside a feather. There are plenty of cute ink pads available from art shops and craft stores. We prefer moment dew drop inks which can be purchased here. Other brands to try include colour box. Go crazy with colour or just have one or two shades, it's up to you but you might want to consider where you will be displaying the peacock after the wedding and pick something that will work with your decor.

Is it messy? 
No, just have a pack of wet wipes and a towel handy so guests can quickly clean up after and be more inclined to participate. A bin or basket nearby is good for the used wipes too. Or use it as a signature peacock only.

How much will it cost? 
A print ready file from the 'i do' it yourself shop personalised with your names, date and colour choice only costs $20, then you just need to have it printed. Printing costs will depend on the size you need, paper and print method but here are a few examples*:
Officeworks •Small $2 •Medium $15 •Large $26
But of course the small sizes can just be printed at home on a sheet of nice thick paper. Ink and pens are only a couple of dollars.

Where to print?
For paper we recommend using a fairly thick stock, art or matte is good rather than high gloss.
Flat and digital printing is better than colour copying or laser printing, try to avoid any printing method that uses toner. We have had many customers successfully print onto canvas too, it is a more expensive printing option, but it will be ready to hang. Remember to choose 'not' to wrap the image around the edges of the canvas, or it will zoom in on the print giving you less room for your fingerprints and possibly even chop the feathers off. You can use an online PDF to JPG converter if your printer only accepts JPGs, such as convert-my-image.com/PdfToJpg or pdf2jpg.net selecting 300dpi.

For worldwide shipping up to 16x20" and A2 sizes try www.creative-monsoon.com


How quickly can I get one? Turn around time for a design on 'i do' it yourself is only a couple of working days, more often than not you can get it the same day! Your local printer will be able to whip the final thing up in a few days, some will even offer a same day service, so it's great for that last minute wedding idea.

Pics: Remington Photography and customer photo

1. Use quality paper. Ink is wet and we all know what liquid does to a sheet of normal paper, it bubbles. So make sure you have it printed onto quality thick paper or cardstock. 
2. Test it first. If you can, get a sample of the paper you plan to print on and test it with your ink. Make sure you like the effect before getting your peacock printed, and check it after an hour or two to make sure the ink has dried properly on the paper. If you don't like the look or the ink and paper react funny, just change your paper stock or even try a different brand of ink. 
3. Ask your bridal party or family to start things off or do it yourself as Ricky and Sarah did above. A big empty peacock might be a bit confusing and no one likes to go first. Once a few people have had a go it will be easy for others to follow. 
4. Always have an ample supply of pens. If you want guests to sign make sure you have back ups. Nibs can clog up with ink if people write over fingerprints when they aren't dry enough, run out or run away with a forgetful guest - so have plenty of spares. 
5. Display instructions. Let guests know the process or just that it's your guest book alternative with a sign. There are loads of free signs to download from the FREEBIES section on the creative monsoon website. 

*Please note print prices are an example of research we have done and are subject to change

Who doesn't love sprinkles and chocolate? We're loving this trend of chocolate dipped party spoons, perfect as wedding favors served with a hot drink at the end of the night. And it's really easy to make your own.

Delicious Delicious Delicious (pic below) has a great little tutorial to follow, as does Sweet Polita (final pic).
You can even create some peacock feather inspired spoons. Start with melted milk or dark chocolate as the base or try white chocolate with some food colouring. Add another layer in the middle with the help of some coloured icing and use a smarty for the centre - finally a use for those blue smarties!

Our peacock fingerprint guest book was such a hugh success last year, we've added a few new designs recently, so here's a bit of an update.

You may have come across fingerprint or thumbprint trees, a popular trend at weddings. Guest book peacocks are a stunning alternative to this. Guests leave a fingerprint to act as the eye of a feather, sign there name in the feather, or both. A beautiful keepsake of your big day.

Shown above, from the top, is the stylised peacock, for the best effect the birds body and the background colour are the same. Second is the realistic peacock body, the colours here can be any from our selection and there is even a white peacock option. Lastly we have added a new design this month with a pair peacocks and a pretty paisley pattern. All are available from the 'i do' it yourself shop.

Head on over to Flour Box Bakery to see their amazing photos for icing these beautiful peacock cookies! Such a treat.

If you loved the look of Elisa and Daniel's beautiful peacock wedding, here's how to get it. With a stunning colour palette of paradiso, gold, crisp white and light grey.

1. Simple feather peacock boutonniere for the Groomsmen, US$10 from The Headband Shoppe.
2. Peacock feather rubber stamp from www.123stitch.com
3. Stylised peacock guest book $20 from 'i do' it yourself
4. Glitter I DO shoe stickers in light blue, US$8.49 from The Panache Bride
5. Pearl and rhinestone bridal head piece, US$160 from Lulu Splendor

Today we have the first of two gorgeous peacock themed weddings that we are going to share this month. Held at the Tega Cay Golf Course in South Carolina, Elisa and Daniel's big day was big on colour and fun.


A bold shade of dark turquoise tied everything together, in all the little details from the groomsmen's ties and bridesmaid dresses, to the table decor and chair sashes. Such a stunning shade especially when combined with crisp white.


And of course there was a pretty peacock feather motif for the day. Elisa and Daniel chose one of 'i do' it yourself's printable peacock posters  - each guest signing their name inside a feather. They even had a peacock feather guard of honour as they left.




A big thanks to Seek Joy Photography for their beautiful photos.
web: www.seekjoyphotography.com 

Wedding bouquets can be a real expense, especially something as extravagant and beautiful as a big cascading arrangement. But head on over to spider flower for their step by step peacock bouquet which worked out at only $35! WOW!

To kick off the new year we're going to take a look at one of the most popular party themes ever - we've done it before (March 2012) with a more elegant vintage vibe. But this time we're going to embrace all the colour and fun of a peacock party!

Credits: Backless peacock wedding dress via Love it so Much. Purple and turquoise bouquet by HaileyLundborgPhotography. Table setting with peacock place mat via Project Wedding.
Peacock coloured plates. Fingerprint or signature peacock guest book by i do it yourself. Peacock crackers, pick some up next Christmas. Cascading bridal bouquet with peacock feathers from Spider Flower with step by step guide. Peacock eye cookies from Flour Box Bakery and another great guide to make your own. Stunning table setting combination of purple and turquoise with green ribbon from HWTM.

Colour Palette: Sushi green, purple and turquoise.