Wedding Bells are ringing!

Happy Friday and long weekend everyone! Here's something I have been meaning to post about for months! (::Slaps hand:: Bad blogger!) 

Anyway, Patrick and I are hoping to make this wedding reflect us as much as we can. We never want it to be cookie-cutter, and it is important that we have our upbringing and family life as an influence on our day. Thus, the bells. Growing up, we lived with my Grammy on my father's side. She always collected different bells and displayed them all over our house; crystal bells, porcelain bells, painted bells and copper bells. Each different from the next, and each coming with a story. As a little girl, I was fascinated with them. As often as I could find something to stand on to reach them, I would ring them, their clappers tinkling merrily with each wobble of my little arm. So, I had the idea: Why not place them on our tables for the guests to ring? (There are traditions of ringing tiny wedding bells for the newlyweds to kiss, sometimes the bells are replaced with clinking of glasses). 

Since the bells are my grandmother's and very sentimental, I had to figure out a way to ask the guests to ring the bells without them thinking they were favors (which are totally different and nomable, for a later post!). So I thought to make some little tags to tie on to each bell. From the Crafter's Paradise, Michael's, I bought a tag-shaped punch and got down to work with some cardstock.

I used a heart-hole-punch to tie them to the bells. But they
seem a little small huh?

So I found some pretty design-paper and cut some
more tags out.

A LOT more.

Next I fashioned the plain cardstock tags and the design-paper
tags together to form a bigger tag.

Needed a little help from Elmer's and Bridesmaid Abbie!

Ta-dah!

But what should they read? I wanted them to be polite but firm that the bells needed to stay on the tables. With a little help from the boards of Weddingbee, I was able to decide on something I think really works! 

The front reads: If you'd like to see a wedded kiss, ring the bell for lifelong bliss!

And the back reads: These lovely bells were graciously lent by Micah's Grandmother. Please leave them on the tables. Thanks!

They're going to be such a beautiful and special part of our wedding reception. I'm so happy to add such a personal touch. And the tags were a quick little project to tie them (see what I did there) into the look of our reception. I'm so excited! (I'll make sure to post pics later of the bells all complete with their tags. I have none now because they are sitting in a box in a room of my parents' house).

How are you tying your family into your special day? 

Best,

Micah