Bridal Money Bag

By Kristin

Money Bag

“Twenty- Thirty-grand. In small bills, cash. In that little silk purse.
Maron, if this was someone else’s wedding, sweet tonato!” – Godfather

Maybe you remember that line, maybe you don’t. Either way, it applies to this week’s bridal blog. While you are making your rounds talking to your guests at the reception, they are bound to hand you an envelope with a beautifully written card and sometimes a monetary gift inside. A money bag or money purse is a great way to hold those envelopes as you go table to table. It will make giving hugs, kisses, and handshakes easier as the cards get more numerous. When you are done greeting your guests, simply hand the bag to your Maid-of-Honor, Best Man, or parents to hold onto. At the end of the night they can then take that home with the other gifts for you.

The money purse is also a lot safer than a card box in that you don’t need to worry about a catering hall employee or party crasher stealing the cards. While you wouldn’t think on your happiest of days, nothing like that could possibly happen, it unfortunately can. Make sure you also inquire about wedding insurance, it helps for more things than just your location getting rained out or band not showing. Try Wed Safe at www.wedsafe.com

While researching a money purse for my own wedding, I was disappointed in the styles to choose from, all were very boring and too traditional for my more modern affair. I ended up not making one due to time constraints (I was still working on making my dress). I decided instead, to show you one based on a design for my friend and her San Diego beach side wedding.

Materials:

Note:  Items can also be ordered by phone.  1.800.9.MJTRIM ext 377

  • 16″ of ½” grosgrain ribbon (item #34377 in cream featured)
  • 1 yd.  25mm imported organdy ribbon in Lt. Beige
  • Button/tassel appliqué (item # 36930)
  • 16″ of 1″ heavy apron tape in natural
  • 1 piece 8 ½” x 22″ medium weight non-transparent silk blend fabric in a natural/champagne color
  • 1 yd 2mm imported rayon twist cord in off white or antique
  • Scissors, sewing machine, needle, cream/natural colored thread, straight pins, large safety pin

 

Directions

  1. Use a sheet of 8 ½ x 11″ paper as a stencil and trace 2 rectangles on your fabric. Cut out and lay on top of each other.  Pin one 11″ side together and hem a ¼” inseam, backstitching at both ends.  Open and press.
  2. With the wrong side up, pin down the twill tape about 2″ down from one of the newly created 16″ sides (this will be the top).  Hem along both edges.  This will later be used as a tunnel for your drawstring cord.
  3. With the right side facing up, pin down your cream grosgrain ribbon and hem along both edges.  This piece is purely aesthetic. 
  4. With right side facing up, pin organdy ribbon across widthwise and over where your twill tape is hemmed.  This two is purely aesthetic but also will hide your twill tape if your fabric happens to be slightly transparent.  Set aside the remainder of this ribbon for later.
  5. Fold fabric in half so your first hem remains unfolded.  Pin the bottom and other side edges together and hem.  On the second side hem stop and backstitch ¼ ” into the area where the twill tape and organdy ribbon meet.  Restart hem ½ ” from there and continue to the end.  Remember to backstitch each time you begin or finish a hem.
  6. Tie a knot at both ends of your twist cord to prevent fraying.  Pin your safety pin into on knot and use it to jimmy your cord through the tunnel you created earlier with the twill tape.
  7. Turn bag inside out and press hems.  Tie a bow with the remainder of your organdy ribbon and hand sew onto the center of one side of your stitched on organdy ribbon.  Hand sew button tassel appliqué on top of bow. 
  8. You are done!

3 thoughts on “Bridal Money Bag

  1. Great tip! I will send this recommendation to the brides I will be photographing so they can have money bags made in coordinating colors (or assign their maids-of-honor the job!)

  2. Down here in Louisiana, we have a “money dance”. This is where the guests get to dance with the bride and/or the groom and before they dance, they pin (straight pin) money on the bride’s veil or grooms lapel and then dance with them until someone cuts in by pinning money and then they dance. This continues for about 15 minutes and believe me, the couple collects quite a bit and everyone has fun

  3. To Dorothy,

    Definitely pass along the idea! I regret not making one earilier for my wedding because I had my poor husband hold all the cards while we were greeting guests.

    To Kathy,

    We did the ‘Dollar Dance’ at our wedding too, my family is Hungarian and Polish – so it was a big thing for us. I opted out of pinning bills to the dress though and put my little niece and nephew to work collecting the money from the dancers. It was great, they loved helping out, and it’s such a fun tradition.

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