Rain, Rain

So, yeah... today I had to come face to face, heart to heart, with the idea that it MAY possibly rain on our wedding day. I know it's like a 10% chance on October 3, but still... we have to plan.

My vision, should it rain, depends on the level of rain--that is, whether it's drizzling, sprinkling, raining, or pouring. These are four very distinct types of rain, you see, and each one demands a different plan of action.

So, here's my thinking. In the event of...

Drizzling: We'll still have the ceremony outdoors and use PARASOLS--both for me, Chris, wedding party, and guests. The cocktail hour will be half-in, half-out of the gardens, mansion, and carriage house.
Sprinkling: We'll still have the ceremony outside and, you guessed it, we'll have PARASOLS! The cocktail hour will mostly likely moved into the Carriage House, but the mansion will still remain open for intrepid guests.
Raining: We'll still plan to have ceremony outdoors + parasols. Cocktails in the Carriage House. Mansion tours for the fish among us.
Pouring: As the worst case scenario, we'll move the ceremony inside to the Carriage House. Chris and I will exchange vows under the back stable window. Guests will stand around us. Those who need to sit down, will find chairs and tables lining the perimeter of the dance hall. Cocktail hour will open up in the same room until dinner is served at 7 p.m.

So, part of the trick in having an outdoor wedding is preparing for every type of situation--which is why most brides (and I now understand this fully) avoid the risk altogether. But I suppose the RISK is worth it (!), since if the weather is beautiful, my vision will be 100% lovely. If the weather is uncooperative, it will still be around 80%. Not shabby. I'm being a realist.

On our rehearsal day, I will strongly urge Nicholas to hold not only a ceremony rehearsal in the garden, but also in the Carriage House--JUST IN CASE. Otherwise, should it pour like the dickens, and we're unprepared, we'll be a bunch of stumbling peeps in formal wear. Especially me.

Things to consider in the event of rain

• How will guests know what "plan" we're undertaking? Fortunately, since our ceremony and reception sites are the SAME site, this becomes a matter of excellent direction from our wedding coordination team, ATrendy.
• We'll need to provide parasols and umbrellas, in the event of drizzling, sprinkling, or raining, in the ceremony garden, and have our ushers offer umbreallas to guests along with programs.
• In the event of POURING, we'll need to determine (a) how we'll handle photographs--Chris and I are still game and I know Jen Chase will be! (b) where guests stand in the dance hall, (c) where the natural aisle might be, (d) how programs are distributed (ushers will need guidance), (e) what we'll do with all our little seed bags (since we can't throw them in the Carriage House), and (f) where Chris and I will go post-ceremony, since there's nowhere to go, and (g) how Conor will handle our announcement post-vows (probably after all the guests are seated in the dining room).

Thoughts? Ah, rain.

We're getting there.

Grassseed Bags: Which Design?

So, at our ceremony, I love the idea of placing a muslin bag of grass seed on the chair of every guest, so that, during the recessional, Chris and I can bask in the showering chaos that is post-vow bliss.

So, I have 80 parchment muslin bags--adorable--and two rubber stamps: a tree and a silhouette that looks less like a lady, and more like a recovering brain surgery patient. But still, I've posted both of them here for your ideas and review. And also any other suggestions for a rubber stamp design is heartily welcome!

The Bathrooms at the Carriage House: Decor Ideas? HELP!

So, one thing that I've been thinking about, but haven't done anything about yet, is decor for the Carriage House bathrooms. There are two bathrooms--one for men, and one for the ladies--each with 2-3 stalls.

The bathrooms themselves are just fine, but I'm not so sure about the decor of them. I may be going off the deep end a bit with even THINKING about bathrooms at our wedding (and if I am, please slap me!), but the only things I'd add to both bathrooms are the following:

1. 2 sink skirts--replacing this ghastly floral print with ivory cotton fabric. These are easy enough to make. We just need their measurements, details on how they hang, and elastic around the top of the skirt for ease of sliding.

2. 2 chair bottom coverings (one for each chair in each bathroom)--again, replacing said floral print with simple ivory cotton. We may not even need to sew anything, just get fabric and wrap the bottom cushions, securing with safety pins around the backsides.

3. 2 quart size mason jars of fresh flowers--we'd need to add that to our flower list for Judy, making it a total of 8 dining table quart-size jars, 1 milk jar for guest book table, 1 pint-size jar with handle for guest book table, 1 quart-size jar with handle for guest book table, 1 quart-size jar for sign outside of Carriage House, 4 pint-sized jars for tables in garden area, 4 pint-sized jars for tiny tables lining dance hall of Carriage House, and NOW 2 quart-sized mason jars for each bathroom, making all of this silliness a total of TWENTY-TWO flower jars.

4. A bowl of mints in the gentlemen

5. A fixer-upper kit for the ladies, including nail polish remover, deodorant stick, cotton balls, hair spray, lip gloss, tampons, Advil, or anything else that anyone can think of. I need help in this department! WHAT do YOU need?

Any thoughts on this would be SO appreciated!!

Jam Jar Candles and Lace Votives

I absolutely love these jam jar candles I tried my hand at making a few weeks ago--so easy to create! They're made with vellum paper--a cool crisscross pattern and a floral pattern--and twine ribbon. Inside, we'll have our electric tea lights, and then line 10 of these beauties along the white carriage rail--behind the escort card tree display--right when you walk in.
















The lace votives are also pretty adorable. These are quick to make with a glue gun: glass votive, vintage lace from the 30s and 40s (courtesy of Etsy!), and twine to top it off. Three will go on each table in the dining room (24 total), and perhaps a few on the cake table.

A First Whack at Framed Table Cards: WHADDYA THINK?

I designed this table card frame with a 4 x 6 expresso wooden picture frame, wooden number from Joanne Fabric, craft paper from Michaels, and paper flowers by Martha Stewart. The great thing about leaving the wooden numbers natural, is that they pick up and incorporate the twine bow/ribbon around the flowers vases and lace votives, making things a little more organic. I haven't tried staining a number yet. What do you think?

My idea for the table cards/frames was to make each one unique, with its own background stationary and highlighting flowers--all within out color palette, naturally. Below are a few pictures, the first of our trial run at Oatlands with just the flowers, linens, and napkins (to help put the table cards/frames in context!).

Guest Book Table Layout Ideas: Thoughts?

So, I was playing around with the layout of our guest book table pieces, and came up with this layout with apothecary jars, antique typewriter keys, typewriter, picture, and a 1890s blackboard. The "feel" I'm going for is welcoming, rustic, whimsical, a bit of home spun, and something that will make you stop and look at all the details as guests write us well wishes and good tidings.

In these pictures, the flowers are obviously NOT the flowers we're using--too monochromatic--and we're missing more pens for the pen jar, more simple ivory stationary cards and envelopes (only three are shown here) with calligraphy "To Chris & Ally" on the envelopes, typewriter paper, pretty handwriting for the "Well Wishes" jar, and of course, pretty handwriting for the "Guest Table" blackboard (did I mention I hate my handwriting?). Um, anyone want to do the handwriting? Otherwise, I'll send to Debi our amazing calligrapher for the Well Wishes label. The blackboard, though, I'll need some help!

So, what do you think? Remember that all of these elements will be on this table in the Oatlands' Carriage House.