Here’s how it works:

Members of the Wedding Team—these are artisans who make wedding-related items, from jewelry to favors to décor, and more—have donated a selection of their wares to the event. Purchase a donated item and the proceeds (minus Etsy and PayPal fees) will go directly to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund. It’s that simple.

The items themselves, on the other hand, are intricate, elegant, fanciful, fun and unique. Check out, for instance, this delightful floral headband—perfect for your most fashionable flower girl.

Flower Headband

Or how about these filigree and glass-pearl earrings? We think they’re a very pretty pairing for an ivory bridal gown, and also great for a bridesmaid gift.

Filigree and glass-pearl earrings

And weren’t we delighted to find this clay-flower accent arrangement from DK Designs (remember when we blogged about Martha Stewart discovery Diane Phillips way back in November?). Those peach-hued English roses and creamy magnolia blossoms? Hard to believe they’re not real flowers!

Clay Flowers

You’ll also find cupcake pick tags (cute!), wedding signs (handy!), coffee cup corsets (darling!) and other wonderful wedding extras. So check it out and pass the word along. Haiti needs our help, and Etsy’s got a terrific opportunity to give it.

If you’ve got the desire to set your feelings to music with a beautiful, professionally written song that will bring your gathered guests to tears (or possibly to their feet for a little dancing, if that’s your thing), Felice Keller Productions can make your wedding dreams come true. Keller, a music industry veteran and recent bride herself, taps into some pretty amazing talent to get the job done. Her writers include hit-makers and Oscar-winning songwriters who have penned tunes for the likes of Faith Hill, Clay Aiken and Johnny Cash among others, and she expertly matches writers with to-be-weds to create genuine music magic.

Keller can also provide professional vocalists and musicians—her artists have shared the stage with music superstars including Etta James, Melissa Etheridge and Michael McDonald to name a few—to perform your personal song at your wedding. Or you can let one of Houston’s own fabulously talented bands do the honors.

This kind of personal attention and professional songwriting doesn’t come cheap: Prices start at $5,000 and can soar to the six-digit range depending on the celebrity status of the songwriter you want and which “extraordinary add-ons” you choose. But if you’ve got the budget, a custom song written exclusively for your once-in-a-lifetime occasion is an incredibly special way to celebrate your love, and a truly unique keepsake that will let you relive the emotion of the occasion over and over and over again.

We highly recommend you check out Keller’s own recent wedding video montage (scroll down on page for video link), featuring “Here Today,” a moving ballad custom written for Keller by a songwriter for country star Faith Hill. And have a tissue or two on hand.

Looking for an unforgettable gift for the love of your life? Keller’s services also include The Rockstar Experience, which lets ordinary human beings collaborate with famous songwriters, record their own song in a professional studio, or simply enjoy rock star experience in either Los Angeles or Nashville (VIP club access, fine dining, Champagne—you get the picture). Rock on.

Rachel Ray’s a big fan of Harvard Sweet Boutique—she featured their sinful chocolate chip cookies on her show as the “snack of the day,” much to gobbling guests delight. Your guests, too, are sure to cobble. Um, can you add us to the invite list—please?

To get a sense of her wedding couples’ invitation needs, Chi asks clients to bring in “albums, magazines, pictures of things they like—as much stuff as they can.” She also inquires about their wedding flowers, color palette and bridesmaid dresses. From there, Chi sets to work. “I get really into creating textures and patterns,” the veteran designer notes, and Chi’s passion for her work shows in her finely wrought representations of peonies, peacocks, butterflies and clematis vines.

When it comes to printing techniques, Chi says she’s a sucker for letterpress—the relief-printing technique that produces beautifully textured invitations, often with an alluring vintage feel. But with the expense of letterpress, it’s no wonder Chi says that these days, “I’ve started doing a lot of embossing,” which provides a pressed-dye texture similar to letterpress, but at a lower price point.

To view more of Chi’s designs, visit Hello & Co.’s invitation gallery, and remember that each one of the styles you see is totally customizable—your design will be yours alone. Which is exactly what you deserve for your wedding, Houston bride.

We’ve compiled some of our favorite ideas for you, and put ’em in this post!

Jean Picard, regular Weddings in Houston contributor and Master Bridal Consultant (that means the international Association of Bridal Consultants has designated her one of the very best in the biz), is a big fan of the pre-wedding bridesmaids tea.  Check out her planning and décor tips, menu suggestions and expert tea-making tutorial right here.

We discovered Vivabox at a very cool gift show and just had to spread the word. Our past post on this lovely little gift concept gives all the details on how to choose a Vivabox for each bridesmaid (they’ve got manly ones for your groom’s dudes, too), how they work and where to buy.

Doing the destination thing? Have a look at these sweet silk cosmetics, brush and jewelry bags from Neiman Marcus. We love the vibrant colors and personalized-initial option, and your maids will love packing these for wedding-destination travel!

Whether you plan to wed in town or afar, these super-chic clutches are a perfect complement to any bridesmaid outfit (just check out the range of colors and patterns—amazing!), and a great gift from you to your gals.

Of course, every bridesmaid appreciates a little pre-wedding pampering. And what better way to relax and indulge with your maids than with a group spa outing? Treat your bridesmaids to a day of massage, mani-pedis and divine face/body treatments at one of Houston’s top spas, and you’ll come out smelling like a rose!

Psst, Houston bride: Haven’t picked out your save the dates, wedding invitations, place cards, programs, or thank you notes yet? We’ve got a secret for you: There’s a new stationery studio in town, and it’s filled with must-have paper treats for discriminating Houston couples.

If you’re looking for fine, one-of-a-kind paper products and invitations for your big day, head straight to Pressing Events in Memorial. This elegant shop caters to Houston brides who understand that save the dates and invitations set the tone for a wedding.

Pressing Events specializes in Letterpress Paperie designed by in-house artists. Alternatively, you may opt for letterpress invitations by southern California’s Wiley Valentine or The Lettered Olive of Charleston, South Carolina. Letterpress isn’t your thing? Don’t worry: Pressing event also offers thermography, embossing, and engraving for all of your custom wedding stationery needs. Did we mention that Pressing Events designs your stationery just the way you like it?

From the moment you enter the small shop, you’ll know you’ve come to the right place. The studio itself screams elegance, and the knowledgeable staff are brimming with creative ideas to help you translate the visions in your head into an invitation, save the date, or program that will make your guests say, “Wow!”

And if you’re still looking for parent gifts, attendant gifts, or a gorgeous guest book, Pressing Events can help you with that, too. The shop has a small but lovely collection of fine gift items, photo albums, and monogrammed guest books that will remind your guests of the most beautiful invitation they’ve ever received—yours!

The Soap & Paper Factory makes natural scented beeswax candles, stationery, soaps, bath powders and more, then wraps their paraben-free, phthalate-free yummies in eco-friendly, recyclable, totally beautiful packaging.

Soap & Paper Solid Perfume

We especially love S&P’s solid perfumes—little travel-size, purse-size pots filled with heavenly fragrance in solid form. Made from pure jojoba and beeswax, in aromas including Jasmine, Gardenia and Orange Blossom, S&P’s solid perfumes make great take-home goodies for girls of all ages. And they’re pretty enough to fit right in on an all-dolled-up tabletop.

Soap & Paper Beeswax Candles

We’re also fans of S&P’s divine scented beeswax candles, packaged in elegant Italian glass, which can be cleaned and reused for water, wine or your favorite Chardonnay. Yay!

Looking for something special for your bridesmaids’? The Soap & Paper Factory does amazing custom gifts, too.

Mar Y Sol Heart Clutch

We love our bridesmaids. We love doing good for the world. We LOVE Mar Y Sol’s simply, sustainably gorgeous little clutches (and so do the likes of Daily Candy, Glamour and Lucky, by the by).

We came across Mar Y Sol while dropping in on brides’ chats about which bridesmaids’ gifts were the biggest hits with their girls. Sure, we heard about all the usual stuff—pashminas, spa mani-pedis, earrings, etc. But these raved-about clutches really stood out, and here’s why: Not only are they beautifully designed and incredibly chic, but they are fair-trade bought and handmade in Kenya and Madagascar by local women artists using a combination of traditional weaving and contemporary techniques. Whenever a bride-to-be (or anyone for that matter) buys a Mar Y Sol bag, that purchase contributes to the artist’s economic independence and generates funding for community projects—what a beautiful way to celebrate the spirit of sisterhood with your ’maids, Houston bride.

We’re especially fond of the fresh, elegant Gigi collection, which includes one design with a butterfly closure, another with a contemporary take on the sunflower and still another accented with a carved wood heart to show your bridesmaids how much you love ’em.

Mar Y Sol Garden Clutch

If you’re still a stickler for the traditional mani/pedi gift, go ahead and pop a gift certificate for a local spa inside one of these beautiful, eco-friendly bags. We guarantee your ’maid will instantly be among the most fashionable girls in town!

Mar Y Sol Sunflower Clutch

One of the sweetest, simplest and most enduring favor options is a beautiful box, filled with goodies and assembled with love. Whether you pack it with luscious truffles, jelly beans or other candies that coordinate with your wedding palette, breath-freshening mints, bath beads or flower seeds, a pretty, personalized favor box will show your guests that you appreciate their love, and won’t break the bank.

Worried about having time to fold, fill and fancify all those little favor boxes in the days just before your wedding? Ask your maid of honor, sibling or a dear friend if she’ll take on the task. Let her know you will consider it her wedding gift to you and your betrothed—and a most sincerely appreciated one, at that. Whomever you assign to assemble your wedding favors, make sure that person knows exactly where and when to drop them off at your reception site, especially if your venue’s staff or decor crew will need to incorporate them into dining-table place settings.

Here are a few of our favorite favor box ideas to get you inspired!
We can’t decide which paper boxes from The White Aisle we like best—they’re all so lovely. Pictured here are Cherry Blossom and Vintage Dandelion designs from their contemporary collection. The White Aisle also offers boxes in silk paper from Nepal, Jaipur paisley paper handmade in India and Thai-made, baroque-style mulberry paper, among others. Purchase them already assembled and filled with truffle pairs or candy, or assemble them yourself with whatever your heart desires!

Photo Courtesy of The White Aisle

For a great selection of cool, contemporary, super-stylish favor boxes (not to mention tins, jars and even miniature suitcases!) nobody beats Beau-coup. Our top picks? For spring and summer weddings, we love these darling polka-dot boxes…

Photo Courtesy of Beau-Coup

…while autumn weddings will be well served by these seasonal leaf designs:

Photo Courtesy of Beau-Coup

For sheer variety, our vote goes to Bliss Wedding Market. Gable boxes, popcorn boxes, tote boxes—they’re all here and all reasonably priced. Check out the fancy oval favor boxes in jet-black paper with white trim and black grosgrain ribbon—a perfect choice for your formal wedding reception:

Photo Courtesy of Bliss Wedding Market

We at the Houston Wedding Blog come across a lot of good bridal party gift ideas in our line of business (and will always share the best of them with you!), but when we encountered Vivabox at a recent gift show in Los Angeles, we were truly impressed. These themed gift boxes give recipients a “taste” of the good stuff, then allow them to choose the items they want most, making them a great gift choice for groups of people with different passions and preferences, who all share one thing in common: our eternal gratitude.

Here’s how Vivabox works:

Vivabox themes include Wine, BBQ, Spa, Coffee and Fragrance, among others. Say your groom-to-be selects the Wine Vivabox for his best man. That lucky lad will receive a sleek, well-designed box containing a copy of Wine Spectator magazine’s must-have guide, Essentials of Wine, and a menu of wines from which he can select six choices that will be delivered to his door. Your groom’s right-hand man also gets a subscription for 12 issues of Wine Spectator magazine. How cool is that?

Want to lavish your bridesmaids with luxury fragrance, but don’t know which scent each girl prefers? The Fragrance Vivabox contains 10 designer-fragrance samples–five for her, five men’s scents she can try out on her guy (ladies’ choices include Dior J’adore, Lolita Lempick Fleur de Corail and Juicy Couture) and a gift certificate she can redeem at Sephora for one full-size bottle of the perfume of her choice.

You get the idea.

What we love about these versatile boxes is that they allow you to show that you know your bridesmaid or groomsman, but they also give the gift recipient the freedom to choose what he or she wants for himself or herself (without the impersonal quality of a gift certificate). What could be a more thoughtful token of your appreciation, Houston bride?