Ceremony Details: Programs, Grass Seed, Burlap Bags

Adore these photos! And they've totally helped me brainstorm about some of the details I'd love to have at our ceremony, including ribbon tied programs laid neatly in a basket, and offering guests burlap or muslin bags full of grass seed to toss over Chris and me as we skip down the aisle.

Grass seed is the only thing we can throw at Oatlands, per policy, and I love the idea of filling little bags with them, maybe even stamping the bags with "Grass Seed" or labeling them with cute patterns or maybe with these cute tags!

I'll check out Home Depot for the grass seed, and Michael's for baskets. Bella Figura is still set to make our program covers, and we'll handle the printing of the inserts as well as find twine, purple ribbon, or something else to lovely to tie them together.

Next steps: finalize program wording, put in order for program cover with Bella Figura in August, buy grass seed, purchase 80 muslin/burlap bags (maybe order a sample to start with), explore stamping/printing design or labels for the bags, purchase holding baskets.

Frog Pins Just Arrived! Adorable

Somer is a genius. These vintage frog pins from Etsy.com are so whimsical, antique, and totally fun as table card holders. I love them. The shipper said he could arrange for as many as I need, so I hope to place an order with him soon!!

What a productive week: our envelopes and table cards with finished calligraphy are due tomorrow in the mail; we've got a VERY strong contender for table card holders (!); we've purchased all of our ribbon, fabric, dried fiddlehead, and supplies for the boutonnierres and pin-ons; we've selected a stamp that ties our stationary together; Somer and I have begun the bachelorette party planning process; and mom and grandma have kicked off bridal shower plans.

What more could a bride want?

Hmm... well... there's lots more to do. So much, in fact, my head's spinning. But I've tried to update my appointment page, just to keep myself on track because things are gettin' kinda crazy.

Fiddle dee dee: My Fiddlehead Obsession

Why are these ferns so damn cool? Seriously. Love them. Found some dried ones at Michael's craft store, my home away from home. Well, actually Somer and Suzanne's house is my home away from home, followed by Michael's, but really: these fiddlehead ferns rock. With a bit of expresso spray paint, they'll be adorable for our boutonnierres and/or pin-ons, along with the FOUR different designer fabrics I picked up in wool, courderoy, suit jacket, and tweed--various patterns to mimic the veins of leaves--and about nine different types of ribbon.

This Saturday, we're headed over to mom's for a little arts and crafts day, so that we can get these leaves sewn and over to Judy. If June 20th holds true for our testing day at Oatlands, I'm thinking we'll drop off the glass ware, twine, and a sample napkin and pie box for her, since she's right off route 15. If we can manage that, I'll not only have more room freed up in our house, but I can totally check off FLOWERS from our to-do list, which will make be so freaking happy.

Purty Stamp for Envelopes!!!

Testing Day 2.0!!! Dance Hall

On June 20th, we're headed back out to our beloved Oatlands to figure out this dance hall business. We've got a lot to do, and in many ways, this portion of the Carriage House is a lot trickier design-wise.

Here's a list of things we need to resolve:

1. Take an inventory of every object (painting, piece of furniture, shades) that needs to be removed prior to decorating.
2. Figure out placement of existing Oatlands' furniture in room. I think we're just going to keep the antique wood dresser as our guest table, and everything else goes, but we'll see when we get there.
3. Figure out placement of the white carriage rail. Do we have enough room for musicians, dancing, walkway?
   
4. How do we decorate the white carriage rail? Flowers? Mason jars? More votives? Difference sizes?
5. What looks best for our escort card presentation? Canvas on easel? Barrel? Tree in barrel? Branches in vase on guest table? Door? One of the green window shutters already in the house? String? Clothespins?
6. Where will the bar go? I'm thinking the front left-hand corner, right when you walk in. Perhaps catty-corner? On an angle?
   
7. Where will the guest book table go? I'm thinking the right-hand corner, right when you walk in. Perhaps catty-corner? On an angle?
8. What will go on the guest table? Typewriter, votives, paper, flowers? Need to work this out.
   
9. What lights, if any, do we need to hang? Which ones look the best? I have two different types to try out. Where do we hang them from? How do we explain this to the ATrendy design crew?
10. Where do we place our rustic signs, if any? What will they say?
    
11. If we use the lighted branches in this room, where will they go? How will we support them? Twine and wire? In a barrel planter?
12. In the event of a downpour, how will we arrange the ceremony indoors? Will guests be standing? Seating? How will we arrange this?
13. Where do we stick the musicians for best sound carry?
    

Questions for Katherine at Oatlands:

1. Can we remove the green shades from windows in both the dance hall and dining room?

Equipment/Supplies to Bring for Testing

1. Two strands of hanging lights (bright, soft glow).
2. Wedding sign
3. Glass votives with lace
4. Taller glass votives
5. Flowers
6. Mason jars
7. Milk jars
8. Barrel
9. Tree branches
10. Twine
11. Clothespins
12. Measuring tape
13. Escort leaves
14. Typewriter
15. Color swatches (browns, lilacs, purples)
16. Table card
17. Invitation
    

Firefly Jars!

I'm in LOVE with these little electric firefly jars. Instead of lanterns for our send-off post reception, why not give every guest one of these to carry out into the darkness, lighting our pathway? Or maybe give these away as favors instead of pies? Or combine escort cards and favors into these with each guest's name attached? Wow, that would solve a crapload of problems for sure.

One problem though: these jars are more summer-timey than autumnal. So maybe they'd just be really cute as outdoor decor only? Wrapped in paper? Placed by our wooden signs that point the way between our cocktail hour and carriage house reception?

I already have one of these to play with already, so I'll just bring it along on testing day 2.0 on June 20th.