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



rabbit, rabbit, rabbit

It’s the first of March and as the superstition goes…you will be brought luck by saying rabbit 3 times (or is it 2?) on the first day of the month. You know what I mean. Well rabbits make me think spring is finally around the corner after a long, snowy winter.

I can barely wait.

With spring, comes spring cleaning. I got a head start on that because I will be moving later this spring so purging the closet has been my hobby as of late. Where am I moving to you ask? Oh that part is still up in the air but I will be moving by May. Promise you. Plowing through all of the old junk has felt so exhilarating!

Then the undeniable happened. I ran full speed into the row of garment bags buried deep in the back of my closet. The yards of plastic house my collection of bridesmaid dresses. That includes Spring collection 2007…Fall collection 2008…Every season 2010. You get the idea. I am pondering what to do with these. I cherish the one-time-wears. Seriously, I do.  Does that mean I really lug them to another house just to be buried in the back of another closet?

While I ponder this decision, I thought I’d feature a dress here and there for you. (Ignore my mannequin’s graffiti. Or just think of it as a badass cleave tattoo.)

I was just a girl when I wore this celadon number in May 2007. It was my first run as a bridesmaid. I teetered down the aisle nervous that I’d trip over my own feet. My skin was itchy due to the layer of crinoline under the satin tea-length skirt. As for the bride and groom, they have lived happily ever after starting their married life out at the Burger King drive-thru after their reception. No joke. They are expecting baby number two this summer.

The new release of the summer edition of Flea Market Style magazine is another sure sign that spring is coming. And summer too for that matter.

I picked up my cherished issue yesterday and have read it cover to cover drooling over the vintage finds. I have also spent the last 24 hours dreaming about creating a potting shed from all recycled and repurposed materials and then hosting a casual Mother’s Day brunch in it. Then I remembered that I’m not very good with a hammer and I don’t actually know where I will be living come Mother’s Day. At any rate, the magazine is very inspiring for DIY projects that can easily be transferable into wedding entertaining.



Another new release that I just heard about is Three Sisters Marketplace. It is an online 'Main Street' where artisans can sell their handmade goods & connect with students who can sign up for classes.  Sounds a little like etsy, right? I thought so too but etsy doesn't offer classes. Well, I’m doing my part to spread the word. It may be another good avenue to find some handmade wedding favors! Or even sell your own crafts. Plus Three Sisters is Philly based so of course I love local.

And finally my first wedding of 2011 is on the horizon. I wrapped up the table numbers to coordinate with the gold invitations.  Remember the muted beach club elegant invitations? These sassy numbers are out the door.

Happy almost-Spring! (I hope I haven’t taunted Mother Nature too much with this anti-winter post.)

-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