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Our guide to exquisitely handmade weddings is custom-made for the couple that wants to throw a memorable event. We found so many ways to make it personal - from handmade invitations to tips on finding the best wedding goods on Etsy.

Please take a moment to peruse our list - we made it specially for you!

Featured in Beading Daily, this incredibly lavish necklace was created by Linda Davy and is a play off of her signature piece, here done in wedding colors. It's loaded with Swarovski crystals, freshwater pearls, and glass flower and leaf beads. The close up view reveals the level of detail and skill that went into creating this unique necklace. Perfect for a simple yet elegant dress that lets the jewelry take center stage. It should provide inspiration (or perhaps a little intimidation) for you DIY bridal beaders!

We've talked about tiaras and updo's, hairpins and bridal combs, but for the casual bride who mostly just wants to keep her dratted hair out of her face, it could just be that a simple hairband is the easiest way to go. Hair bands have moved past the schoolroom, and can be as dressy or as simple as you want.

You can go classically simple with a delicate wire, either plain or strung with pearls. You can go prep-pretty with satin band and flowers. You can go glitzy with crystal, or frou-frou with feathers. Whatever style you're after at your informal wedding, a hair band can match it.

We love, love, love these dresses! They're unique, they're gorgeous, and they have attitude!

The spaghetti-strap dresses by etsy vendor ktjean are custom made to your specifications. But they all share these common traits:

• Lace overlay on the bodice
• Alternating, silk, lace and chiffon layers
• This is key: The layers are left raw and unfinished for a truly handmade look

You can go as luxe or casual as you like, as the vendor will make your dress with whatever materials you choose.



More views after the jump:

Jean Campbell of Beading Daily offers these tips for surviving your DIY wedding jewelry experience.

First, enlist beadly helpers. Consider throwing a bridal beading party and include friends and family members who have some talent in the DIY craft arena. Bribe them with food and libations if necessary; you'll need the help.

Second, make up a portable tray with beads and equipment for one project. Keep it nearby so you can work on it whenever you find a spare piece of time.

Third, Campbell recommends rallying your dressmaker, florist and/or wedding planner to help with the finishing touches. If you can get this kind of service from your vendors, then you rock!

Finally, prioritize projects so that if you really can't get to it all, you've at least got the most important pieces done. And, in that vein, Campbell also reminds us not to be too much of a perfectionist. It's the little imperfections that make handmade jewelry both beautiful and unique.

Chapeau de Gateau creates some of the most exquisite cake toppers in the wedding industry. Each topper is handmade from fine Japanese Mokuba ribbon and is packaged like the miniature work of art that it is. They can customize each piece to match the mood or theme of your wedding: From sweet pastels to glamorous metallics, we're impressed with the sheer variety of what they can do. In addition, they can work with you to coordinate your topper with centerpieces, table accessories, favors and any other decorative elements that can be enhanced with ribbons.

Take a look at a cake topped with a Chapeau de Gateau - isn't it smashing? Click through our gallery for more inspiration:

Today's dress isn't technically a dress - but it is lovely! Etsy vendor abstractpretty tempts us with her Romantic (yes, with a capital "R") pouf skirt. Isn't it dreamy?

What we love is that you can pair it up with different tops for different looks. She has a boatneck Audrey top for a gamine look, a sweetheart top (above) fit for a princess, and our favorite - a lace-up corset for a chic rocker look.



See examples of each look after the jump:

If you like to DIY your own jewelry and you're looking for just the right bead pattern to accessorize your wedding dress, here are some places to look. First, the Beading Daily Online store has several great patterns for wedding accessories from necklaces to bracelets to purses. Second, Ready to Bead has hundreds of jewelry patterns and kits to offer. While they may not be bride-specific, you may find the perfect style to create using your wedding colors for the perfect look. Another great resource is Bead Pattern Central, which features an easily searchable assortment of intricate and modern patterns. Finally, many online stores that sell beads also offer patterns for free. Try Fusion Beads and Fire Mountain Gems for starters.

If you'd like to present your bridesmaids with a handmade (but original!) gift -- one that is fun and will definitely be put to good use -- then try making a cork board out of real corks for the nearest and dearest in your life. It requires you to either knock back as many bottles of wine as you can stand or to browse Etsy -- a fantastic all-things-handmade Web site.

It's easy enough to put one of these boards together on your own: just uncork your favorite bottle of Chardonnay or Merlot and then keep uncorking until you have enough corks to fill a perfect-sized frame. Then apply a little hot glue.

But if all that wine is too much to take on yourself, you can either invite over a backup team or choose your favorite style from a variety of Etsy stores. Regardless if you make it or purchase it this really fantastic thank-you gift can be adorned with any of your favorite pictures of you and your closest gal pals.

Your bridesmaids can hang it on their bedroom or office walls, and they will certainly appreciate receiving something that was made with a little extra effort.

An outdoor wedding can be the height of romance: the flowers, the blossoms on the trees, the delicate scattering of rose petals which mark the aisle, the gentle breezes lifting the bride's veil a little ... All so romantic.

Less romantic are the flies buzzing around the food, or, worse, settling on the cake! Whereas food can be kept under wraps until the last minute, if you want your cake outside with your outdoor reception, you're going to have to have some way to protect it from flying varmints.

You could put it inside a screen-sided dining tent, of course, but for a little romantic flare, how about a tent made from a large market umbrella and a lot of tulle? Full instructions can be found here.

Wouldn't this make the perfect centerpiece for a bridesmaids luncheon or a garden party reception? This lovely creation was made by silkwormflorals on etsy. The artist has arrangements in teapots, as well as other clever uses of silk flowers. Filled with silk flowers, as shown, it would be a long-lasting keepsake which you could use over and over again.

Unusual containers for floral arrangements can give a whole new feel to the event, either formal, frivolous, informal, whimsical. Look in the kitchen, the garage, the craft shop. What could you use?

Use your own teapot filled with fresh flowers, and you can keep the arrangements until the flowers wilt, then reclaim the teapot for its original purposes. Either way, it's a minimal-waste item with a whimsical, pretty touch for a summer afternoon event.

An exquisite droplet of shimmering beauty, these individually hand-crafted glass hearts burst with rich, deep colors. Each heart is about 40 mm, or a little over an inch and a half long, and have a large and sturdy loop to hold a chain (not included).

Although each heart is different, with over 50 to choose from, you're sure to be able to find a few that will work with your wedding. And at only $17 each, they won't be breaking the budget!

An enterprising bride from Canada made jewelry for herself and her bridesmaids, using an adaptation of the Crystal Cascade pattern from Rypan Designs. This intricate and beautiful pattern features a beadweaving collar with fun dangling "twigs." One of the best things about making your own jewelry is that you can choose the exact colors you want. Here, the bride used vibrant pink crystals on the ends of the "twigs" to match the flowers in her bouquet. She also coordinated the look with matching earrings and a bracelet.

This lovely band isn't strictly intended as a wedding ring -- but why not? For the couple who enjoys the great outdoors, or who has a taste for individuality, who likes being creatively "different", these rings are perfect!

Hand-crafted of sterling silver, each "pebble" in the band is a drop of silver, individually hammered and soldered in place by the artist, Lana Doolaege. At $135, it's a great price for a hand-crafted luxury item. A ring you could treasure for the rest of your life, not just for its sentimental value and symbolism, but for its one-of-a-kind artistry.

As we've said before, our love for Etsy is well documented. And during exquisitely handmade week, it's the perfect time to tell you about the Etsy Storque Handmade Wedding Series.

In April, Etsy ran a month-long series about buying handmade items for your wedding. They had no shortage of great ideas and items to choose from.

For instance, did you know about Alchemy? From Etsy: "Buyers can post requests for custom handmade items, and then sellers bid on the opportunity to make the goods." How about that for amazing handmade things for your wedding? You'll be sure to have items that no one else does.

There's so much great stuff over there. You really should take a look. You might find you want a customized poetry bangle. Or maybe you need help choosing a wedding album and guest book. We'll be going back for more goodies to share with you. But don't forget you can find a lot of incredible items by just searching "wedding" at Etsy.