We used biodegradable plates and bamboo veneerware forks from Branch for serving up the sweets.

The ribbons behind the table are part of a curtain I found at a thrift shop and worked perfectly with the gingham table cloth.

I also enlisted the help of my Aunt Karen and Cousin Val to make some of those great Ice Cream Party Favors from The City Cradle.  The kids LOVED them!

Good times were had by all!  XO!

I cannot wait to get the film developed because I know we are going to have some great shots … like this one of my Gramma Dorie!  Priceless.

We removed the few panes left in the window [they looked pretty cool, but were loose and I didn't want to risk someone slicing themselves on broken glass at the wedding], inserted a couple of eye hooks in the top of the frame, strung it with some clothesline and wrapped that around the branch.  I also hung a few vintage pieces I found in thrift shops on the tree along with an iron candle holder left by the original house owners in the basement.

I was quite pleased with the outcome and everyone [namely myself] had a lot of fun taking snapshots in the window panes.  Simple and pretty.

Michael and I finally tied the knot on August 14th!  The ceremony and reception were held at my parent’s home in rural Ohio, which made for an intimate and idyllic setting.  I did all of the planning myself and with a little help from my mom warning everyone to just leave me alone, it all went off without a hitch.

All week the weather was beautiful and around 1pm on the day of the wedding, it started pouring rain!  We had to scramble to move some things around so they wouldn’t get soaked or blow away and the rain was tapering off by the start time of 4pm.  There were still a few sprinkles during the ceremony, but then the sun came out and made for a perfect evening.  Over the next week or so I will be posting little details of the ceremony and reception … maybe you can get some inspiration for your own country wedding.

I love vintage glass.  I’m drawn to it … and I don’t care about rarity or worth, I just like it to be aesthetically pleasing.  It’s pretty and you can just set it out to look at it or actually use it.  I’ve started spray painting vintage bottles [the yellow bottle on the left was my first].

Apparently there are lots of people who love this look because I found tons of great glass on Etsy.

(from left to right)

TOP ROW:  Bluebell, Myra Melinda, Monichelle’s, Joe Vintage

MIDDLE ROW:  iWunder Vintage, Garden 22 Vintage, 2 Bored Bunnies, Snu2 Vintage

BOTTOM ROW:  Vintage Indiana, Corr Nucopia, fernswoodpixie, Satisfind

This picture [via Project Wedding] was the inspiration for our picnic boxes, but we are using kraft paper colored boxes and the colorful striped bags pictured above.  We are also going to have little containers of salads stuffed inside and all of our packaging is eco-friendly.  Please pray it doesn’t rain!  XO

I should have placed the order for my own wedding invitations [not pictured here, but yes from Etsy] today, but it was so nice outside and the day just ran away from me.  Maybe I’ll get around to it tonight – I really need to send them out.  The clock is ticking!!  Before we selected our invites, I perused hundreds of selections on Etsy and decided to share some of my favorites.

TOP ROW [from R to L]:

Beautiful letterpress “Bloom” invite from Pistachio Press

Unique fabric [yes, FABRIC] invite by Artful Beginnings

Very playful “Cirque de l’amour” invite by Orchard and Brown

A touch of modern in the invites from Stelie Designs

MIDDLE ROW:

Such a cheerful invite titled “Mexico City” from Earmark

An intimate Script invite by The R Studio

Rock and roll with this mock music poster invite from Raspberry Creations

BOTTOM:

An “Art Deco” booklet invite from Ruff House Art

Bright & cheerful carnival stripes invite by Paper + Pinafore

Gorgeous vintage look letterpress invite from Golden Rectangle Press

After the vows have all been said and the cake has all been eaten and the honeymoon is over [so to speak], you will want to look back and remember all of the beautiful moments from your wedding day.  These handmade custom wedding albums and guest books will hold your memories and well wishes for many years to come.

The photo album keepsake and guest book by Daisy Blu boast hand stitched embellishments and archival quality paper.  Very simple and very elegant.

The handmade albums and guest books by Priscilla Foster are filled with loving care and attention to detail.  Choose from a variety of fabrics, ribbons, and other personalized touches.

Know someone that makes albums and or guestbooks?  Send me a link in the comments section … I love checking out new stuff!!!

My stomach won.  I made a delicious grilled cheese [cheddar] on organic whole wheat sourdough we got at the Farmers’ Market this weekend.  Yum.  Ava woke up [on cue] just as I sat down to eat it.  Ahhhhh……..What was I blogging about?  Motherhood sidetracks me sometimes.

The ring bearer is part of the wedding tradition dating back to ancient Egyptian times when jewels were presented on ornamental pillows during the ceremony.  When the exchanging of rings became a part of getting married, these traditions were combined.  In today’s weddings, the ring bearer is usually a young boy related to the bride or groom who carries the rings down the aisle on a pillow.  Some couples have the actual rings loosely sewn onto the pillow with thread, while others leave the rings with the best man and send the bearer down the aisle with fakes.  We will have my nephew, Taylor, carry our rings for us … and I haven’t decided if we will go with a traditional pillow or one of these beautiful custom bowls from Paloma’s Nest.

If we do go the traditional route, Emici Bridal has a wonderful selection of pillows to choose from.

Nothing is cuter than children dressed to the nines in loads of tulle [girls] and cute little tuxes [boys].  Taylor will be wearing a tuxedo for our ceremony and thanks to Me and Matilda, I have tons of great handmade bow ties to choose from – love the colors and patterns!

There is also a whole bunch of ring bearer gear out there for your dog, but I’m saving that for a post I have in the works for animal attire.  Okay, the babers is eating a magazine.  Gotta run.  XOX!

My father passed away unexpectedly this past December, but I want to make sure he is remembered at the wedding.  He loved nature – especially pine trees.  The house is surrounded by them [literally].  So, in honor of his memory we will be handing out little seedling pines to our guests.  I found these online at Plant a Memory and they gave me a great idea.  We are going to purchase the pines from a local nursery and then make our own casings out of cardboard paper towel tubes.  We can design our own memorandum / how to plant sheets [on recycled paper] and tie them off with some raffia and maybe a few dried wildflowers.  I’m even thinking about decoupaging the tubes [sounds like a project for my mom and mother-in-law to be!  lol].

And keeping with the nature theme … check out these heart shaped bird seed favors by 2 Birds in Love.  Made with locally grown organic seed in Frankenmuth, Michigan.

I like the idea of adding some calligraphy to these origami paper cranes by Craftation and using them as place cards for your wedding guests.

I think these delicate paper globes are beautiful.  They would look great strung up mobile style or in a streamer line … and they would make great holiday ornaments too!  There’s something so whimsical and romantic about them.  Handmade by an elementary art teacher, Guy’s Art Gal.

If you’re crafty [or know someone who is], you can save money by making some of the wedding favors and decorations on your own.  You can’t buy the sentiment that personal touches add.  Mom & Carin, hope you have your glue guns ready!  XO