Pink Roses

bowling, burgers and beer...

I promise this is the last wedding detail I will show you, but I thought you might want to see the after party. Yes, after a proper wedding and cocktails and dinner and dancing, we did this...

We rented a private club, and had a ball!  We had baskets of white socks, and she made custom music soundtracks to play on the sound system.  We served gourmet sliders & Vidalia onion rings, there was bowling and pool tables and some serious Guitar Hero on the big screen TV!

The bride wore a second {shorter} dress...

The grown-ups {me} crashed on comfy leather sofas, and the kids kept it going till the wee hours.  Everyone was weary at the brunch the next morning.  I still say it was my best weekend ever...but I'm glad I only have ONE daughter! :) 

ready & waiting...

While the girls got ready...

the boys were waiting...

and waiting...

and doing Abbey Road impressions...

and a little "surfin USA", just for me! :)

at last...

 

 

 

 

 

my two...

 

 

she danced ALL night...

 

 

 

more to come...

the card suitcase...

This project took 10 minutes, and turned out really cute.  I took one vintage suitcase...

lined it with my favorite vintage wallpaper...

 

stuffed the pockets with old hankies and a chenille bride and groom...

 

add a few vintage wedding postcards, and some glitter letters pinned to a piece of seam binding...

 

and you have a cute {vintage} spot for guests to leave wedding cards at the reception!

the tag gate...

 

THIS was a labor of LOVE!  We wanted a clever way to do our escort cards, to let everyone know which table they were sitting at for the wedding dinner.

 

We could have written it on a chalkboard...

 

or simply had the placecards on a table.  But when guests arrived at the reception, they saw this instead.

 

I hand dyed and decorated 120 shipping tags, used my best penmanship to write all the names, and hand stamped table numbers on the back.

 

I tied them all to a vintage metal garden gate...in alphabetical order...

 

and it became known as the TAG GATE!

 

I asked Elizabeth to please write my name on mine for me, because I wanted her handwriting on mine. She did this...

 

I {LOVE} her!  This was another one of those projects that was SO worth the trouble.  Everyone just loved the tags and many thanked me. I saw them tied to purses and sticking out of lapel pockets all night... one person said she was going to frame it!  This was my little gift to everyone, and especially to my girl.  As for my "Mommy" tag...it is one of my prized possessions, and I may put it on the Christmas tree this year!

little projects...

Over the next few days I'm going to share a few little homemade wedding projects with you. These were the details that made the day a bit more personal, in my opinion.

First, the guest book...

I made it the same way I made THIS ONE, and actually just used the BACK cover of that original ledger.  Two new books from one old ledger!

Mr. & Mrs! signs for the chairs...

We decided that he was already a MR, and would still be a MR, but she was changing from a MISS to a MRS, and that deserved an exclamation point!!!  I used pages from an unfinished chipboard book (Michaels dollar bin), and covered them with paper, sanded the edges, glued on glittered chipboard letters, punched holes and tied with organza ribbon.  These were tied to the back of their chairs at the wedding reception dinner.  Took 10 minutes, and was simple and elegant.

Party favors.  Elizabeth wanted to personally make something for everyone, and decided to do her "famous" pretzels.  I say famous, because after she made them the first time, people always ask her to make them again.

And just to do a little math with you...we planned a sit down dinner for 150 x 6 pretzels per bag= 900 pretzels that had to be dipped in chocolate and rolled in sprinkles.  900 pretzels to be bagged, and ribbons cut and tied and doilies folded...2 days before the wedding!  We stayed up half the night. Do you know how many little white sprinkles were ALL OVER my kitchen floor??

I will admit...they were stunning when they were all in a big rectangular wicker tray, and EVERYONE loved them.  In fact there were only 3 left!  People couldn't believe she took the time to do that.  Good idea E!  My obsessive moment was with the programs...

They were simple, and I printed them myself at Kinkos, but we went to 4 different Michaels stores to find enough paper (Bazzill cardstock in a pearl finish) to print them all.  Thanks to 3 awesome bridesmaids, Ashley, Isa and Megan, who flew into town 2 days early and asked "what can we do?",  they were all folded and tied with seam binding ribbon in about an HOUR!!

I would have been lucky to get them all folded, and given up on the ribbon for lack of time.  The girls sat and talked and finished it up in record time.  Those 3 helped me SO much in the last few days, I will forever be grateful for their energy and enthusiasm and genuine LOVE for my daughter.  She is blessed to have such friends! More to come...

flowers...

The wedding flowers are starting to fade, and I don't know why I didn't photograph them sooner.

My house has looked like a floral shop all week!

There were flowers everywhere...wreaths on the doors to the church, on the ends of the pews, on the alter, at the dinner tables, bouquets, boutonnieres, flowers on the cake...hydrangeas, cabbage roses, lisianthus, larkspur...all in shades of white, pink and purple.  I brought some home, and gave away all the centerpieces to friends.

The bridesmaids wore purple, and the men were in black tuxedos.  It was lovely...

brother/sister moment:2...

I call this photo "Surfin' USA", because that is what he was singing at the time.  It is one of my all time favorite photos of my kids because it captures the true spirit of each of them.  She is a bit reserved, cautious, poised.  She follows the rules and is full of grace.  Notice her feet in perfect ballet 3rd position.  He, on the other hand, is carefree and full of life.  He is charming, adventurous, and has been known to break the rules.  This photo was taken in April 1994, ages 4 and 7, matching Kelly's Kids outfits for Easter.  All I asked was for one photo.  She instantly assumed this pose and stood there while I tried to convince him to stand next to her.  I'm sure it involved begging, and possibly bribing.  He finally got in front of her and sang the Beach Boys "Surfin USA" and struck this pose.  I took what I could get! He was notorious for hamming it up...

On Saturday, before the wedding ceremony, while guests were arriving at the front door of the church, the photographers took Elizabeth and her bridesmaids into the side courtyard garden for photos.  We had been there for a while when Elizabeth said "I want my brother.  Can someone please go get him for me?"  Christopher was inside the church, because he was one of the groomsmen and was ushering people.  He came outside and she said she wanted pictures with just him.  They posed and looked beautiful together, she in her wedding gown, and he in a black tuxedo.  I stood watching my two, happy as could be.  Then she turned to him and said "Now let's do one for mom".  He knew just what to do.  She stood gracefully, holding her wedding bouquet, and he started singing "Surfin USA" and once again, struck this pose.  I jumped up and down and screamed!  I loved them for knowing it was my favorite!  It was a GREAT photo and the last one she took before walking down the aisle! In a strange twist of fate...the ONLY picture I took of my children (with my mom) the entire weekend was this one, taken at the Rehearsal Dinner...

Who is the clown now?  Go figure!

brother/sister moment:1...

{There were a few moments, this past weekend, that I want to remember forever.  Moments that are etched into my mind and heart, but I want to preserve in writing as well.  Moments that remind me that being a mother is the greatest job in the world.  Moments that remind me of how blessed I am. I am writing this for ME, but sharing it with you}

Saturday September 24, 2011 1:00am

Tonight was the rehearsal dinner, and the first true realization that Elizabeth is really getting married.  Friends and family from out of town were there and it was a lovely relaxed evening.  After we got home, we stayed up for a while, going over details for the next morning.  Time line of hair appointments, makeup, lunch, transportation, etc.  We had 7 people staying at the house, Elizabeth was sleeping with me, and all had gone to bed except us.  It was 1:00am. Elizabeth took a shower and washed her hair, and as the hairdresser had recommended, I was to put mousse in her hair and roll it in sponge rollers to give it extra body for her hairdo the next day.  She was out of the shower, wrapped in a towel, sitting on the bench in my bathroom at my dressing table.  I was standing behind her with a hairbrush in my hand, getting ready to start. Christopher walked in and asked what we were doing, and I explained.  He took the brush from me and with one hand he held her long wet tangled hair, and with the other, he started to slowly and gently brush her hair. NEVER, in 21 years, has he EVER brushed her hair. No words were spoken between the 3 of us, but our eyes were locked with each other in the mirror.  It was the kindest, sweetest, gesture of love I have ever witnessed between my two children.  It was completely unexpected. When he was done, he kissed us both goodnight and left the room.  She and I stared at each other in the mirror and began to cry.  "He brushed my hair" she whispered through her tears, "I love him so much".  "He loves you too" I managed to say.  "I know" she replied, "I know"...

married!...

 

My baby girl is married!  EVERYTHING was PERFECT on Saturday...the weather, the food, the flowers, the music...you name it, and it turned out just as we had hoped.  Elizabeth never stopped smiling all day, and night.  I've never seen her so beautiful, or happy!  She made EVERYTHING worthwhile.  I wasn't allowed to bring my camera to the wedding...(orders from my children-" just enjoy the day mom"), so these are from my Uncle.

She and Paul are just made for each other!

I will share details soon, once I have recovered! It was a fabulous wedding, surrounded by family and friends...so much love and laughter and happiness.  Every bit of planning and stress was worth it to see her so incredibly happy. It was the BEST weekend EVER...