Weddings seem to be all about lace and pearls and all manner of frippery, and for those of us who weren’t all that into the girly stuff to begin with, it can start to feel pretty suffocating:

Frankly, drowned in a sea of pink roses and satin ruffles is not exactly the way I want to go out.

What about the kind of girl who prefers typography over calligraphy, functional over fussy, prosecco over champagne, thank you very much? For the unfussy, design minded bride, it can seem like there aren’t a lot of options.

It takes a little time and effort (although if you’ve ever spent a day kerning letters that’s not really a problem for you) but options, they can be found. So thank your lucky stars for Etsy, and the fact that, going for the unexpected and original is massively, makes you spit your celebratory prosecco out, affordable.

1. Custom Cake Toppers by Goosegrease

   These little wooden dolls are adorable cake toppers – personal, but modern, in a clean-lined Scandinavian sort of way.

   Even though wedding toppers are perhaps, a little old-fashioned, and a bit of a silly indulgence, I really love them because I think personal ones are an awesome keepsake to remember your day. A little statue of you and your boy in your finest sitting on the mantle is a much more unique than the ubiquitous, over-sized, wedding portrait.

2. Ruffle Dress by Lisa Rietz

   This dress is just plain gorgeous and that’s the bottom line. A wedding custom dress, in your size, for that price? Even more amazing.

   It’s white and it’s satin, and it’s got ruffles – so no ones’ going to think you’re a guest at your own wedding – but it does all of those things in a way which is fresh, clean, modern and just a little unconventional. It’s a dress that does everything the best graphic design should do – it expresses itself in a precise but intriguing way.

3. Unpearl Necklace by Smashing

   If you’re a designer, you probably find it a lot of fun to play around with, and subvert cliches, and the pearl necklace at the wedding certainly is one.

   This handmade piece brings a certain, unexpected, industrial, edge to the old-standby, and I love it.

4. Felt Fascinator by Chirichi

   A girl’s gotta have something silly and pretty on her wedding day, and what better way to fulfill that need than with this little concoction?

   The use of graphic black and white felt keeps it from straying into fussy and froofy territory.

5. Flipped Black Diamond Ring by Kate Szabone

   This is by the gal who did my engagement ring (and wedding band), and can I say?

   Genius.

   If I were a little more gutsy, I totally would have gone for something like this. It’s completely the opposite of what’s expected (a black diamond? Up-side down? Whaaaaat?) but gorgeous. Your friends will work themselves into a tizzy when the see it (PS: Black diamonds are dirt cheap, so you can rock something the size of a babies fist for the same price as somebody else’s boringly tasteful ring).

P.S. I avoided the whole invitations quagmire, because I’m thinking this bride has already got that down. This bride’s already got a signature typeface and monogram picked out, and knows her cardstock will be a pale blue Strathmore watercolour paper, and could also tell you the paper weight and envelope size, if asked. She does not need help with graphic design projects.

… She = Me, obviously.