harvest time

As you can probably tell, wedding season has slowed down greatly for me. Rather, it has come to a halt until next year. I am still planning and crafting but not nearly as much as earlier this year. I can tell you that January is booked out the wazoo with celebrations so stay tuned!

In the meantime, I am busying myself with all things I love about the end of the year. From pumpkin patches to wreath making! I am passionate about everything fall harvest and the holidays have to offer.

If you are planning a fall wedding, there are so many great natural resources to decorate with. One of my favorite centerpieces is the ol’ pumpkin. It is such a great standby. Of course, you can use plain pumpkins and gourds to create a harvest tablescape. You can also go the mini route with a bowl full of the smaller pumpkins and gourds. But my favorite is the pumpkin planter!

All you need to do is carve a large pumpkin. Make sure the opening is up top and is at least 6 inches wide. Pull out all of the seeds and mush. Place a seasonal potted plant inside. Try a mum, kale or my favorite, an ornamental pepper. There you have a centerpiece and conversation piece in one. It will look like the plant is growing out of the pumpkin! Feel free to dress it up further with raffia or ribbon. One thing I should mention is that you don’t want to remove the plant from the nursery container it came in. The plastic will help preserve the pumpkin longer. If the soil sits directly in the pumpkin, the pumpkin will rot quickly.

Bonus: use mini pumpkins for your place settings or escort cards. Put the name and table number on cardstock that you attach to the mini’s stem.  This will complement the centerpiece nicely.

I made this centerpiece (with the colorful pepper plant) for added fall decor in my house a few years ago and everyone that stopped by raved over it. Imagine the impact dozens of these can have at your fall harvest wedding! Try it for Thanksgiving this year.

-The perennial bridesmaid

photo: wiki

in tandem

In order to recap last weekend’s wedding, I feel that I really need to summarize the bride and groom. Here are a few adjectives that describe who they are: Marketer. Hombrewer. Jewish. Natural. Crafty. Ohioan. Theatrical. Bicycler. Laid back. Original.

Keep those in mind.

Ok, now onto the wedding.

Sunday was one of those perfect September days that make you thrilled for fall but also nostalgic for summer.  Not a cloud or hint of humidity in the sky. The grounds of the John J. Audubon Center  made for an excellent natural setting. The couple crafted an original ceremony from beginning to end. It included Jewish traditions such as the huppah and the breaking of the glass as a shout out to the bride’s background. They wrote their own vows and friends read select text from the couples’ favorite poems & books. They had a custom made Ketubah, a Jewish marriage contract shown below, which mimicked a bicycle. The laid back ceremony was accented by a circle of guests seated in chairs and coordinating blankets to observe.

After the breaking of the glass by the groom, guests made their way to the unique barn for cocktail hour. We enjoyed homebrewed beer that was made with love by the groom. The place cards were hand crafted name cards that were pinned to a clothesline complete with photos of the couple on another clothesline above.

And I almost forgot the West Philly Orchestra that played throughout the ceremony, cocktail hour and part of the reception including the horah, another Jewish tradition. The sound of horns brought a little bit of soul, a little bit of funk and a lot of original entertainment to the wedding.

The reception was held in a pavilion just up a trail from the barn and adjacent to the ceremony site. It was donned in purple and wheat accents as that was the color scheme of the event.

The newlyweds made a theatrical entrance on their own tandem bike complete with a ‘just married’ flag! What a fun surprise.

The crafty details that went into this entire wedding were more than I’ve ever seen before. DIY at it’s finest! Let’s see… I mentioned the homebrew beer that was drank well into the night. Each beer had a clever name and description.  they were named for the bride and groom's families.  Even the toast was with a craft champagne beer by the brewmaster groom.

Then there was the cake display. It was actually a cake buffet of about a dozen types all made by friends. Each cake donned a little flag that stated the flavor and baker. The center cake was topped with a tandem bike which was cut by the bride and groom. I'm sorry to say that I didn't sample ANY of these because I was having too much fun on the dance floor.  How did I do this to myself again?

Then there was the homemade favors…they were a little bit of heaven in the form of chocolate and peanut butter called “buckeyes”, a shout out to the groom’s Ohioan roots. They were packaged complete with a poem by the bride about the buckeye and how it relates to the couple.

A DJ took over after a gourmet barbecue dinner and dancing ensued. For those interested in other forms of entertainment, there was a photobooth to cheese it up in, games of cornhole to play and trails of the Audubon to explore.
All and all, it was a laid back yet detail oriented event that truly captured both the bride AND groom’s personalities. These people seriously know how to throw a party!  Thank goodness I am friends with them.

Stay tuned for the next post related to the marketing that surrounded this wedding. What do I mean by that? You will see! Here’s a hint…branding.

-The perennial bridesmaid

deco'd out

I love a good centerpiece challenge...possibly one of my favorite wedding-related pieces to come up with.

My cousin’s wedding is at a very cool retro theater turned wedding venue in Boulder, CO. This is a perfect choice for the couple who are serious dancers. I can’t wait to see their first dance which is sure to be choreographed and quite memorable as the live band plays.

The bride and groom are embracing the art deco vibe that the place evokes. As a result, they’ve chosen square tables over the typical round tops. There are plenty of sharp edges & straight lines throughout such as squares and stairs.

 

Their color scheme is primarily red with shots of white and black. All of us bridesmaids are wearing red knee length satin dresses. Hope I’ve created a visual of the overall look and feel of this wedding because the next decision to be made is regarding centerpieces. The bride is definitely keen on using the square glass vases that she received from a friend while keeping a minimalist yet striking display.

But how?

My suggestion is to stick with monochromatic, mono-flower and one plain. In other words, craft each arrangement out of just one type of flower in either red or white with the heads all cut on the same plain in a tight cluster. Although these are simple, low arrangements in the clear glass vases, the repetition of solid colors and flowers will create a bold impact full of texture…especially because each table will have a different flower in red or white. Here is the working list that we have so far, to be repeated throughout the theater…

 

Red
Carnations ($)
Tulips ($$)

Deep Red/Black
Black magic roses ($$$)

White
Mini Gerbera daisies ($$)
Peonies ($$$)
Mini calla lilies ($$) 

Carnations actually are quite art deco all on their own, especially in a bold red.

To achieve this look with tulips, you must poke a hole in the stem, just below the flower head. Why? Tulip stems actually continue to grow even after they are cut. If you miss this step, the tulips will look more like a wild flower arrangement than a tight cluster of flower heads.

Black Magic roses are a very cool alternative to your standard red roses like a Charlotte. You get a much richer color out of a Black Magic. Allow the flower heads to open slightly before arranging them.

Peonies may not be available since they’re traditionally a summer flower. The texture is an amazing cross between a rose and carnation, either of which could be subbed in for the peony.

 

Can you picture it?

 

-The perennial bridesmaid

 

round robin

Things have been quiet on the wedding front lately…as I’m sure you can tell. This lull in wedding festivities has given me the opportunity to pursue another hobby and passion…antiquing!

For the last five days or so, I have taken some time to hit the streets and “treasure hunt” as I like to call it. I’ve turned up some good finds and wouldn’t you know that it’s brought me full circle and back to weddings!

How, you ask?

You didn’t? Well, let me tell you about my wedding related finds anyway.

#1 a very fabulous 1980s Nicole Miller LBD. This is one fabulous little black dress that I will be wearing to a wedding soon. It is a stunning off the shoulder dress…everything that was good about 80s fashion in a non-overwhelming sense. Pictures soon.

#2 & #3 are vintage birdcages. Yes, for birds (not veils). These ‘tiques are going to be incorporated into future table centerpieces by featuring a floral arrangement, plant or votives in the cage…the options are pretty much endless for the bride and groom to customize these. How retro and sweet! Two down. Only about 18 more “treasures” to hunt.

Vintage Birdcage from Sassydoggs on Etsy

 
 
-The perennial bridesmaid

blues

Bridal blues. You heard of ‘em? After months of wedding plans, tastings, fittings & trials comes the main event and then? The honeymoon? Some brides experience a sort-of depression known as the bridal blues once their wedding is all said and done.

I think I am experiencing bridesmaid blues, if there is such a thing. I’m feeling quite melancholy. Maybe it’s because I’m left here in the rain with no exotic vacation.

I think it is simply because last weekend’s wedding was just so spectacular that I can’t believe it’s actually over! I keep remembering the delicious food and wishing I went back for just one more seafood cake or actually sampled the pasta station. Perhaps I should have had another lemony, signature cocktail affectionately named the Spanktini, a shout out to the groom. I regretfully never made it to the dessert buffet either because I just couldn’t pull myself off of the dance floor. I didn’t even taste the chocolate on chocolate 3-tier, square, monogrammed wedding cake that the bride & groom comically toasted and fed themselves instead of the messy cake smash on one another.

Bummer. It must have been a good party because I don’t miss out on chocolate for much.

The weather turned out to be just right for late March. It was the kind of early spring day that brings the deer out of the woods, the daffodils up and the geese flying…and they did. All of nature and 150 guests circled around the veranda at the Manor House to watch as my brother and sister-in-law exchanged their written vows. The ceremony was so very them. Sweet and nice injected with bits of humor. It was like watching a segment of their comical, everyday banter except they were in formal attire…and there was a photographer capturing every move.

The music was on point as well. Jason Mraz and John Mayer really can create a modern feel at an otherwise traditional outdoor ceremony. And who knew Slick Rick, Beyonce, Rolling Stones, Lil Jon, Dion, U2 & Guns ‘N Roses could be such a good time at the same time at the reception! Did I mention Guns ‘N Roses? Playing the air guitar to Sweet Child of Mine with the groom as we did as kids is definitely a fond memory. I’m just nervous to see the video. Swinging my hair around like Slash might have been cute when I was 7 but perhaps not so much as an adult in a gown. Time will tell.

Everyone looked fabulous.  Especially the bride in a stunning, rouched waste, v-neckline gown with an ornate flower in her hair.  Even my dad, with 2 left feet, had a way with his classic tuxedo. His dressy Chuck Taylor’s really put a spin on the threads that only he can.

Now that the vows have been exchanged; the toasts have been made; the feast has been had; and the newlyweds are on the beach somewhere; it’s time for this bridesmaid to shake the blues! One down, how many more to go this year?

-The perennial bridesmaid