Table mock up

I'm giving some quick updates today because we're getting ready to leave for vacation! I went back to JoAnns to pick up the fabric and now I can finally stop thinking about it! I stayed with the maroon calico shown in my previous post as choice #1, but I found a more subtle toned accent fabric than the bright golden one shown with it in my previous post. I bought 15 yards of fabric for $45 and all I can do is hope it's enough for all the runners. Until we know how many guests are coming we're not sure how many tables we'll need. We've decided to go with a mix of squares and rounds, I saw a picture of this and I really liked how it looked. The squares seat 12 and the rounds seat 8 but I haven't got the exact dimensions of each table from our vendor yet. We have 132 adults and 54 children on our list for a grand total of 185 people, so far our (very)rough estimate is 135 guests. If we have 7 of each table that would provide seating for 140, plus the cake table, guest book table, gift book table, and sweetheart table= 18 tables. My plan today is to measure out the fabric to see what size each runner can be in order to get 20 table cloth runners.

I did some table mocks just to give you an idea of the finished product. Of course, there will me white linens under the runners (can you believe I didn't have anything white to use in my mock up- not even a sheet?) and the lantern will be sitting on a two inch cut of birch log. Also seen in the mock up are my pine cone accents which I spent many days collecting- I plan to scatter a few on each table as seen in the pictures (I got this idea when I saw someone use rose petals in a similar way). I did a sample of the seating cards which I'm not even sure we're going to do but which the vendor highly recommended. We don't like the idea of assigned seating but she's seen a heck of a lot more receptions than I have and so we're reconsidering. Just in case we do use seating cards I've been collecting long needle pine, pine cones which I want to use as the card holders- that's in the works. So enjoy the pictures and let me know if you have any suggestions.

More tutorials comming

Here is a list of the projects I'm currently working on and will blog tutorials in the coming two weeks:

1. pick fabric and sew table runners
2. pick fabric and get pinkinshears for jam decorations
3. decorate parasols
4. finish up invitations
5. burn two CDs, one for dancing during the band break and one for cocktail hour
6. table cards
7. placecards for Bride and Groom (see sneak peak below)
Yup, those are chipboard letters and giant clothes pins (both from Michael's)

Funny- Ha Ha

A wedding joke for your amusement on this muggy day (found on weddingbee):

Jennifer’s wedding day was fast approaching. Nothing could dampen her excitement — not even her parents’ nasty divorce. Her mother had found the PERFECT dress to wear and would be the best dressed mother-of-the-bride ever!

A week later, Jennifer was horrified to learn that her father’s new young wife had bought the exact same dress as her mother! Jennifer asked her to exchange it, but she refused. “Absolutely not. I look like a million bucks in this dress, and I’m wearing it,” she replied.

Jennifer told her mother who graciously said, “Never mind sweetheart. I’ll get another dress. After all it’s your special day.” A few days later, they went shopping and did find another gorgeous dress. When they stopped for lunch, Jennifer asked her mother, “Aren’t you going to return the other dress? You really don’t have another occasion where you could wear it.” Her mother just smiled and replied, “Of course I do, dear. I’m wearing it to the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding.”

Table Cloths Part III

I'm going to start this post by letting you know this little fact: it only took me one weekend to find my wedding gown.

I have been obsessing about table cloths for three months and am still without luck. Today, I braved the sweltering heat in hopes of finding inspiration at my local Jo Ann's fabric store. I found two possible combinations of three patterns and I liked both combinations in the store but now that I'm looking at the pictures, I'm not so sure. However, this is the best priced fabric I have looked at so far and all these fabrics are 30% off until Saturday.
#1


The top photo is of all three fabrics. The one on the left would be used for adding a fabric square and a bow to the top of our jam jars (our favors), it is a rust and beige gingham print. The other two would be table runners, alternating on tables. The bottom picture is a close up of the table runner fabrics.

#2


Same set up here. The top photo shows all three, the one on the left is for the jam jars and the other two for runners. I really like these orange tones but I like the jam fabric from #1 more than the jam fabric from #2 and of course I like the runners in #2 better than the runners in #1. Go figure.
I just realized that you can enlarge the photo by clicking on it and then, using the back arrow you can return to the post. Probably everyone knew this already.
I'm not sure which combination I'll go with or if I'll go back and dream up a few more combinations, but I definitely want to buy the fabrics before the sale ends.

Check... Cake Topper

Hip, Hip, Hooray! Yesterday during our Sunday ride, we happened by an interesting store in downtown Dover NH. Well, low and behold we stopped (I only had to ask once!), it was a good thing we did because this is where we found our fabulous cake toppers! I really wanted a unique cake topper and kept playing around with the idea of spending a fortune on one or trying to make one. Well, for $3.50 each (grand total of $7 for those of you keeping track) I just couldn't pass these ceramic love birds without thinking, "cake toppers!"


I think these birdies were probably made for sticking into plant pots, the dowel is a foot long. I'm not sure if I will have to cut them down a bit to make them sit flush on the cake, but the length of the dowel will support the weight of the bird so this piece lends itself nicely to it's re purposed life!
If you're ever in the New Hampshire area, I definitely recommend you stop into Blue Moon on Central Street in Dover. They specialize in fair trade items, antiques, and wares from local artisans. They had a nice variety of things for sale and a lot of eye candy. The prices were good and the sales woman was friendly and professional- really pleasant to speak with.

Countdown

We sat down last night to talk about plans and make some decisions about the BD (big day). We did the math, we checked it twice, we even drew ourselves a calender but the fact remains that we've only got 13 weeks to go. Thirteen weeks doesn't seem like enough. Not enough pay checks, not enough days of planning and preparing, not enough shopping days. Just not enough. Arggg!

Shoe Fetish

When it came to bridal footwear, I wanted to ensure my comfort for a full day of activity (including a post nuptial badminton game) and I didn't want to spend more than $75. Truthfully, I didn't want to spend more than $5 but, once I looked at a couple pair of shoes, I quickly realized that just wasn't gonna happen.
I first fell in love with these boots from Fluevog (nobody makes a shoe like john fluevog). They're daring, different, and the best part is they are versitile. Unfortunately, my groom-to-be had a real aversion to me wearing boots at the wedding (don't ask me why, I don't think he even knows why). Because he's asked for so little during the planning process, and because I was truly scared he might want to wear loafers on the big day, I decided to concede, and use this as a bargaining chip. No boots, no loafers.


I continued in my quest on the fluevog website and found these little lovelies. Again, they fit the requirements but at $229, I just can't do it.

A few weeks ago, I was in Kohls with my mum when we came across these cuties:


They fit all my requirements and they best part was the price! At a whopping $15, I didn't hesitate to throw them in the cart. If I do find another pair (or give in to my heart stings and part with the $229), I won't feel bad about the money I've already spent and I like 'em enough to wear them another time, maybe at my next wedding. Just kidding.