DIYS wedding: It’s all in the details

My mom, sister, and I had fun wrapping presents in brown sack paper and stamping sweet verses, sayings, and names on the packages this Christmas. When we were done opening on Christmas, I cut the bags up into little strips. I had no idea what I would do with them, but I started stamping love sayings, such as “past, present, future,” “always and forever,” “forever mine,” “one sweet love,” etc on the strips. I scrolled these around the tables to add a fun spirit and make each unique.

To cover the electrical boxes, my mom and sister picked up drop cloths (the kind you get from the hardware store to keep paint off the floor or cover furniture), and my sister freehanded a verse and a saying on them. These were incredible for breaking up the bare walls and also a fun touch that was meaningful and added to our “homemade” flare.

On a rainy day, when outside work was tough, my dad and George got to work on the “sign” I wanted.  As a geographer, I wanted to have a sign pointing to the places that were most important to George and me. This included where we met, at TCU, where we both grew up, our honeymoon destination, and a few others, plus the general direction for the ceremony and reception.  We sawed a couple of boards in half and then “arrowed” the tips. With a thick black sharpie, once again, Constance free-handed the names.  The wood came from the salvage yard, so it was repurposed, like the barn, and then white-washed with leftover paint and a buck of water. 

My sweet mother bought tall candles in glass from the dollar store and then made each one a statement piece we scattered around the barn and tables. She cut old music paper and words from magazines and used Mod Podge gloss luster to seal them around the candle. She then added different details for each candle. Some were the simple music paper, a little glitter sprinkled on, others had small pieces of twine tied around in a bow and an antique earring tied on. We had fun making these at home; they were a romantic touch. 

Pin It

Bring Bridal Portraits to Life with a Punch of Color!

There are trends for engagement, wedding, and, of course, bridal portraits that every bride stores away in her “wedding notebook.” For the past few seasons, incorporating unique backdrops like untraveled highways and salvage yards has replaced the typical Victorian staircase.

I took these all into consideration when planning my bridal session. One thing was certain: I was getting married outside, and my bridals would only fit outside where my heart belonged. I did land on one trend that I knew I had to have… “vintage sofa in a field.” I had seen this several times but wasn't sure how you were supposed to get your hands on a gorgeous antique sofa covered in fuchsia velvet, like the particular picture that gave me the inspiration. After showing this picture to my mom and discussing the logistics, she set out: garage sales, estate sales, and auctions.

Luckily, she found a tremendous antique sofa at an estate sale for literally a fraction of a fraction of what it would cost in a store. The only issue was it was covered in an old flower pattern that would make your great-grandmother Ruby look young.  So, we went to the local hardware store and bought bright yellow wall paint. Yes, wall paint. After three coats, the pattern underneath was barely noticeable, and we had the most incredible statement sofa in Texas.

The decision to go with bright yellow initially was my desire to go with a pea green. Once we were standing in front of the wall of paint strips, however, I decided to just go for it and make that sofa spring out of the field it would soon be resting in. The result was amazing, and I am so glad I went for that bright punch of color! So go bold when planning your bridals, and start now!

We started the sofa expedition nine months before the wedding. Planning is a crucial element if you want to have bridals with personality—mothers, however, are the key ingredient. 

Pin It

Green Wedding: RE-PURPOSING

Everything Counts! That’s my idea of going green. It’s a personal choice for me to be conscious of the environmental impacts my actions carry, and my wedding is no exception. 

The first and LARGEST green move was the barn itself. My dad is building me a barn to hold the reception after the ceremony, which is a short distance away in a natural ring of trees. The barn is primarily composed of re-purposed materials. The outside tin was initially part of a very old barn being torn down, but now it has a new home. The beams supporting the structure were taken from various buildings and welded together. Even the smoke stack for the fireplace was originally part of a factory (see below). As you can imagine, we had to cut it down a little!

smoke stake to the right

 

For a fun shabby chic mixed with rustic look, we have been collecting old fence posts. Now that we have a rather large pile, we have started whitewashing them using old cans of paint that have been sitting in my parents' garage for years. With a wet brush and barely any paint left, we have started creating fun signs that will dot the land telling guests where to go: this way for true love… that way for “I dos,” … that way for “go home,” … etc.  

The tables will combine old books, candles, and other decorative items found around my mother’s fantastic home (one of the benefits of getting married in your hometown). There will also be wildflowers in old jars ranging in all sizes. My family has been collecting these jars for years out of creeks, backs of old cars, garage sales, etc. This weekend, we splurged and bought three huge water jugs before they were plastic (mom keeps using them until the wedding, of course ... see below). Using these glass bottles is not only re-purposing them but cutting down on the cost significantly, while at the same time, it is exactly the look I wanted!

 

Pin It