fab four on the farm

This past weekend was one of those weekends that leave you melancholy on Monday when the reality of adulthood sets in. I got to spend the entire weekend with 3 of my closest college friends. There was a point in our lives when we spent every day together. Every crapateria meal (that's not a typo). Every Wednesday at the dive bar drinking dollar Natural Lights (vom). And every Thursday at an apartment party. At that point it was hard to believe that in the future we’d live separate lives in different states and only see each other a few times a year.

Fast forward ten years and we were attending the first “Fab Four” wedding. Not only were we in attendance but the 3 of us were bridesmaids to our 4th. We wore black floor length gowns and carried light palette bouquets that were accented with flowers with black centers such as anemones, gerbera daisies and poppies to complement the dresses and the classic color scheme.

I am still laughing today at some of our new memories from the weekend.  We found ourselves planted on the Eastern shore of Maryland.  Although not far from the city, we were worlds away.

Back to the wedding…it was not actually on the farm.  Or near the farm.  We visited Grams and Pop’s farm after the wedding.  Luckily we arrived just after they chased the escaped pigs back into their pen so I could get this cozy shot of them.  I’m not sure this city girl would’ve been much help corralling pigs anyway.

Oh yeah. The wedding. It was on the Chesapeake Bay just before sunset. The Father of the Bride broke the ice like I’ve never seen before during a wedding ceremony. When asked “who gives this woman away” , he pulled out a receipt, actually a no return policy, and had the groom sign. He tore off the carbon copy and gave it to the groom while he held onto the original. It was comical although I'm not sure the bride agrees. 

Check out the ring bearer’s pillow that the MOB made. Isn’t it just the sweetest?

And the flower girl’s dress next to the bride’s.  There were about 100 buttons that all had to be fastened down the back of the gown but it was worth it.  She looked stunning…

And in case you were following along with the paper goods that I created for this wedding...here is the table number with the complementing, monogrammed favor box.  The box was filled with yummy chocolates which I have to admit I finished before the night was over!

So sad it's over but glad we get to do it all over again in just 10 months!  This weekend we were asked to be bridesmaids in the 2nd Fab Four wedding which is quickly approaching.  Before we know it we'll be dress shopping and jet setting all over again!

And now a word from our sponsor...Wilson.

-The perennial bridesmaid



mmm, chocolate

God, I love getting chocolate as a favor. It never gets old. Don’t let anyone tell you chocolate isn’t a good favor.  The last rehearsal dinner I went to included a personalized favor. It’s nice to get a favor at the pre-wedding dinner although not a requirement.

The favor was mini Hershey bars so I was in heaven but they DIY’d a spin on the bars that made it oh-so personal. The groom’s family printed out the wedding logo on standard business labels and then wrapped each chocolate bar individually. This is an idea I never thought of before but hello! So simple. And much more cost effective than getting those customized M&M’s or customized Hershey Bar labels online. You will pay a premium for those.

The crafty ladies didn’t stop at the chocolate bar labels. They took it further to really personalize this favor. The dinner was held at a brewery and homebrew beer was one of the wedding themes so bottle cap magnets were made with the wedding logo and silly pics of the couple. Bottle caps! Clever. Again.

Here’s a pic of how they neatly packaged it all up in cellophane envelopes.

Remember, a professional wedding logo is not a requirement. You can create a monogram or use your initials and get the same effect. These favors could also be given to guests at a shower or even the wedding.

-The perennial bridesmaid

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

pooch of honor

You may have noticed my absence the last few days. My lack of posts is a direct result of my new buddy, Wilson. He is an adorable beagle/basset hound mix that we adopted on Monday. Some good folks found him running loose on the highway and rescued him from traffic. So sad…but now he is happy in his new home!

I am quickly becoming one of those crazy dog people. I want to dress him up, take his picture and show him off all day long. I’ve already seriously considered his Halloween costume options. I’m not kidding and they are available in stores.

So I now realize why so many people want their pooch to be in their wedding. There are lots of creative ways to get your pup involved. I took to etsy to find a few good options.

Ring Bearer by designsbybam

Groomsman by shopKCQ

Usher by CamargoCreations

Flower Girl by DownUnderDogDesigns

Bridesmaid by ProperPuppy

Ok so maybe Fido won’t cooperate long enough to participate in the actual ceremony. You can still represent him or her in the wedding...


Cake Topper by dandelionland

Favor by Thecookiecouture

Save the date by lterrill9

Invitation by leahfelicity

omigod! I’ve totaled crossed over.

-The perennial bridesmaid

pulling it off or putting it on

Hopefully you read the last 2 posts about the Greek themed honeymoon shower we threw last weekend. I wanted to follow up with some other details that went into the theme to round out this "mini-series" of posts.

Having never thrown a honeymoon shower, I didn’t know what to put on the invitations. I googled a few things but didn’t like much of what was out there. Collectively we came up with the following...

[Bride] and [Groom] will marry soon
Followed by a Greek Honeymoon

Let’s send her to Greece in style!
Out of the box, off the registry…

This verbiage combined with some stellar graphics (which I can't take credit for) seemed to do the trick. Guests came equipped with honeymoon and vacation gifts (see previous blog entry for honeymoon shower gifts).

Polka dots have played a big part in this wedding overall. The bride loves them. We decided it would only be appropriate to work them into the shower as well. It was subtle on the plates and napkins. The fact that they were blue and white also worked to our Greek theme being that they are country’s colors.

The guest of honor got to sit in the Aphrodite chair which was simply a chair lined with tulle and dotted swiss fabric. It may look simple here but once she was in it she literally looked like she was on a cloud channeling her inner goddess, of course

Favors are on of my favorite shower elements to put together. I like to come up with favors that are practical. Fortunately we started the planning early so I was able to pull of my vision. Wine charms are not necessarily a new concept in the favor category but we put a Greek spin on it that played to the theme quite nicely.

After researching significant Greek symbols and their meanings, we settled on the following four which also lend the appropriate symbolism to the upcoming marriage that we are celebrating.








Owl – wisdom, protection, inspiration
Meandros – permanence, stability, infinity
Evil eye – protection and good luck
Selene – goddess of the full moon, womanhood

Here is a tip, these charms were not easy to find. Hit etsy to find an artisan who can create yours for you! Wildbryde was awesome to work with and custom made the charms for us - the only party of the shower we didn't DIY! We added the charms and a few beads to the hoops and voila!

We didn’t just pull of a bridal shower but we put on a themed event! It was easy to hit all of the elements in this shower because of the partnership between the MOB and me. The more communication and organization that goes into these things, the better the execution! Did I mention she’s a great baker too?

-The perennial bridesmaid

happy earth day

In order to properly celebrate earth day today combined with all things wedding, I’ve put together a list of green wedding ideas…some you’ve heard of before and others that are totally original.
Consider upcycling, recycling, vintaging or eco-ing your wedding!
Hug the planet today.
Read on.


invitations

The invitation is the first impression your guests will get of your wedding.

Invite guests to your nuptials in an earth friendly manner with seedpaper that you can actually plant! I love this concept.
PulpArt on etsy

wedding & shower gifts

Off the registry but so worth it!

Pressed Flower Card. How refreshing!
JanesArt on etsy

Clever. The preserved glass bottle is being upcycled into a serving tray. And of course it is personalized with the announcement.
PJ's Glass Creations on etsy



























bridal party tokens

Trying to think of something unique to give your bridesmaids & groomsmen?  Try these eco-friendly jewelry options.

Vintage typewriter keys upcycled into cufflinks that you can personalize with letters or numbers. How original!
19Moons on etsy

Actual preserved rosebud made into a necklace. Stunning.
mcstoneworks on etsy

favors

Being a horticulturalist, I love the idea of giving your guests something that they can watch grow as their take-away. And personalize it with your day.

Seed packs for Spring Weddings.
Gift Bags By Susan on etsy

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bulbs for Fall Weddings.
Yvonne's Cat House on etsy

-The perennial bridesmaid

P.S. Don't forget to save the tissue paper & gift bags for reuse.  By far my favorite "green" thing to do!

seedy

I mentioned the bridal shower this past weekend. Since it was the first weekend of spring, it seemed appropriate to play that into the theme when coming up with a favor for the guests. With that said, flower seeds were a welcoming token after this long winter.

I bought up all of the sunflower seeds that I could find but that wasn’t enough. We needed to personalize the packs to the occasion so I came up with the following poem…

Put on your garden gloves
and plant a seed
as we watch
the bride and groom’s
blossoming love
grow indeed


Some less tasteful rhymes that ended up on the cutting room floor…

Welcome Spring with a fling
Don’t forget to check out the bride’s ring!

Thanks for showering her with gifts
Now take an hour to plant these misfits

Soon they will tie the knot
Don’t let these seeds rot

Thanks for coming to the shower
Here’s a sunflower

-The perennial bridesmaid

where is the love

I mentioned previously that I was involved in a bridal shower this past weekend. I signed myself up for favors. A wedding themed cookie came to mind. I began calling bakeries to find out what they charge. To my dismay, I can buy a box of chips ahoy for the price of one of those professional gourmet cookies! It seemed to make obvious sense to bake the cookies and decorate them myself. How hard can it be?

I decided that I was going to make sugar cookies. I have a set of cookie cutters that spell out LOVE which were actually a favor from another shower. According to my plan, each letter would be iced in yellow, accented by white and mounted to navy cardstock to match the wedding colors. The four cookies would be packaged in a cello bag to produce an elegant, edible favor that would possibly replicate the LOVE sign in Philly.

That was the plan.

After logging in about 18 hours to successfully make 40 favors (160 cookies), I quickly found out why the bakeries charge so much. And that doesn’t include the hours that my mom spent decorating and packaging the cookies when I called for help. I didn’t let her leave for exactly 24 hours. No exaggeration.

To be honest, it didn’t have to take this long but the first batch tanked for several reasons. Hopefully you can learn from my mistakes:

1. When the recipe calls for butter, use actual butter. I had no idea that there was a major difference from butter, margarine or well, country crock. There I admit it. I tried this recipe using country crock! Ha. Don’t do it. In the words of my bf, the cookies were “dense”. Of course I took insult to that until I realized why they were so dense. Country crock is not butter.
2. There is a MAJOR difference between frosting and icing. It seems not even some of the savvy bakers in my life knew this. Listen carefully: Frosting is for a cake. It is sugary and soft. It will not harden...ever…not even if you freeze the damn cookie. When I tried to put the cookies in the bag, the “frosting” got all over the cellophane. It was not a cute presentation. “Icing”, on the other hand, is what I needed. Icing hardens when dries and allows you to decorate and package the cookies.
3. Learn to count/possibly repeat kindergarten. Somewhere along the way I miscounted my finished cookies. I was short 10 Vs. What is LOVE without a V? LOE just doesn’t work for me.

BTW there is still a batch of “dense” LOEs covered in “frosting” lying around if you’d like to sample. They’re really not THAT bad.

I FINALLY achieved success by following these steps in order:

1. Follow the Rich Roll Cookies recipe from Joy of Cooking (referred by a trusted baker friend of mine.) Cream: 1 cup butter & 2/3 cup sugar; Beat in: 1 egg; Combine and add: 2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt & 1 teaspoon vanilla; Chill dough 3 to 4 hours before rolling; Preheat oven to 350 degrees; Roll out and cut; Bake for 8-10 minutes or until slightly colored. Makes approx. 60 2-inch cookies
2. Repeat
3. Repeat again
4. Call mom for help
5. Throw all cake frosting away & buy fancy icing from craft store. Heat icing in order to easily spread icing on cookie. Get desired color with food coloring.
6. Ice entire cookie surface
7. Let icing dry for awhile
8. Decorate with contrasting icing color
9. Let icing dry for awhile
10. Individually adhere each letter cookie to cardstock using icing to spell LOVE. Be firm.
11. Let icing dry for awhile
12. Gently place cookie on cardstock in cello bags
13. Let mom go home

The finished product was quite tasty. Butter & icing really do make a difference in producing just the right textured sugar cookie. I pushed those favors like a girl scout pushing her cookies outside of a wal mart. No one left empty handed.

-The perennial baker, I mean bridesmaid