E & M Have Wed!

Hello!  Remember me, that lady who is redoing a house?  Well, I think I am "starting" to recover from the wedding I did last weekend.  I came down with a nice cold starting Monday night and yesterday I dragged myself and the kids around trying to get somethings done.  Today my hubby stayed home so I could rest.  He really is the best thing that ever happened to me.  I had to drag myself out of bed this morning to go over to the house and meet with the plumber and talk to my contractor about a few things.  There are days I feel like a circus performer in charge of the juggling act.  There is a lot to remember and keep straight and in order.  It's coming and so far, so good.  

BUT, today I wanted to share the wedding results with you.  I spent almost my entire day Friday setting up and then all day Saturday as well.  To say my feet were hurting at the end of the whole thing is an understatement.  They were KILLING me!!!  I think I'm going to book myself a massage this weekend.  

It was 100% worth it though.  Two moments from that evening will stay with me forever and really made all the work melt away.  1).  When the father of the bride walked into the reception room he was overcome with emotion.  He sought both my friend (aka "Partner in Crime") Erin and me out and with tears in his eyes, thanked us for making it so lovely.  His wife was crying as well and told me that the bride said it was perfect.  You can't get much better of a compliment than that.  2).  The second moment was at the end of the night when the bride and groom left and everyone went outside to say goodbye.  Unfortunately Erin had gone back inside, but as "E" turned towards everyone before she got in the car, she looked for us and when our eyes met, she mouthed, "Thank You".  It was like out of a movie.  The icing on the cake.  I will remember it forever.

Enough of the mushy stuff, so what did it all look like once we had it together?  I wish I had a picture of the room with no decorations so you could compare.  We did have a girl come in while we were decorating who is having her reception there and she said we did a great job of making it look cozy even though it was such a big room.  She could not have given us a better compliment.  Cozy is how a wedding should feel.  It's intimate and close, shared with friends and family and it should feel like a warm place to snuggle but still be beautiful and elegant.  It's not unlike how your home should feel.  I will welcome anyone into my home who says it's cozy.  Then I will know I've reached my goal.

The brides colors were creams, golds, greys, and a touch of deep red.  I will admit that I was a bit skeptical at first, but it all came together and looked great.  There were 20 tables, plus 2 tables for the bridal party, and a head table for the bride and groom and best man and maid of honor.  

For 10 of the tables we used white milk glass vases tied with a gold and white ribbon with branches coming out that were sprayed in gold and then we glued pearl and silver balls on them.  

Here is a close up of one in my house before we took it over:

Here is one on a table at the venue:

For the other 10 tables we used white chargers with bowls turned upside down to create a cake plate like look.  We then topped them with ramekins and filled them with flowers.

Here is what all 10 looked like at Erin's before we took them over:

They were filled with white hydrangeas, spider mums, white roses, and a red berry that starts with a "G" and I can't remember off the top of my head.  So pretty!!

Here they are on a table at the reception:

In order to save cost, we used a lot of tulle.  We draped a piece across every table and then tied small pieces of ripped fabric at the edge of the table and then close to the centerpieces.  We then wrapped a small pearl twist through each piece of fabric.  It was just the right touch of homey elegance.

We also tied fabric with this pearl accent around each of the white linen table clothes that were placed on every dinner plate.

As you can see in the above picture, we also placed paper doilies under each plate that just gave it a little added touch of elegance.

The venue provided all the tables, chairs, and table clothes.  The table clothes only came down a foot on the sides of the table.  To draw attention and add a little more sophistication, we rented floor length table clothes for the head table and the 2 bridal party tables.  It really looked nice.  

You will also notice on this head table that we did a two long platters with flowers and then did taper candles to set it apart.  The Mr. & Mrs. signs ended up being attached at the front of the table when the reception started.

To set the bridal party tables apart we got taller glass vases, filled them with rocks, tall gold sticks with pearls, and then had seeded eucalyptus coming out of them.  I loved these.

At each table we also placed boxes with pieces of paper for people to write their advice to the bride and groom.  We did this instead of a guest book.  You can see one in the first of the above three pictures.

The mother of the groom also put table numbers at each table that corresponded to the years in the bride and grooms life.  So instead of tables #1-20, it was #1995-2015.  Each year had corresponding pictures of the bride and groom from those years.  I cool twist to make it different.

It really was a lovely evening.  Many people commented that it was one of the more fun weddings they've been to.  The bride and groom were so happy and I know they will have a great life together.

Thanks E & M for the opportunity to do this!!  

After we recover, we will probably want to do it again for someone, so put your requests in now!

**Sorry some of these photos are a bit blurry.  I didn't take one picture of the evening so I had Erin send these to me.  I need to see if I can have her send them in a higher resolution.  You get the idea though, right? 

Make it a great Wednesday and Happy Belated St. Patrick's Day.  We didn't do a thing for it since I was sick.  Oh well!

Some of My Favs

Overnight we received about 5 inches of snow.  It is our first real snowfall and I love it.  It's a day I want to curl up in a warm blanket on the couch with some hot chocolate and read a book.  I may just do that later this evening.  But I have tons to do, so no cozy couch for me yet.  Luckily hubby didn't have to go to work because of the snow so that is an extra bonus!

For those of you who can snuggle up today and just may be looking for some good home decor reads, I thought I'd share with you a few of my favorite blogs.  I come across new ones all the time, but these have been some of my favorites.

1. The Lettered Cottage: Layla and Kevin feel like old friends to me.  I have been following her for years now and love just about everything she does.  She is cute as a button and seems like a truly happy person.  They are in the process of adopting a baby so that is another adventure she has been sharing lately.  Hopefully that blessing will be realized soon for them.  Kevin has mad photography skills and together they make a great team.  Layla actually went to decorating school and frequently offers lots of helpful free advise.  In fact, she currently has a free download able book on Space Planning - as in your house spaces, not outer space.  You will not be disappointed if you go take a look.

2. The Inspired Room:  Melissa is a newbie to me.  I have just recently started following her and have loved what I've seen.  She's a big deal in the decor blogging world and is even publishing her first book in March.  I have already preordered it. Go HERE if you'd like to as well.   I have no doubt it's going to be good.  She has tons of decor and organizing tips that won't disappoint.  She is also not a huge DIYer which is nice to see that you can still have a decor blog and not have to do everything yourself to get credit for your taste.

3.  Nesting Place:  This is also a new blog for me, but Myquillyn (very unique name), has got my number!!  Her philosophy about your house and the way you should see it is like manna for any sole who feels discouraged about the state of their home.  She also has written a book which I will be blogging about that at a later time, but if you can't wait to hear what I have to say about it - and truthfully you can't, nor should you wait to hear what I say about it - go HERE to get your copy.  I'll wait until you get back from doing that to continue.  It will be some of the best money you've ever spent.

4. Life in Grace:  If ever I coveted a style, Miss Edie Wadsworth would be the winner.  I would even covet her name.  Her style is full of color and randomness that some how magically all comes together.  I hope someday to have at least one room that mimics her home. She is also a great cook and a God fearing woman which inspire me as well.  She just seems like a super fun person that I would really like to be friends with.  She has a southern drawl that just pulls you in.  I called her first if it ever come to that.

4.  Thrifty Decor Chic:  I saved this one for last because I have probably been following her the longest.  Of all the blogs I follow, Sarah has got my style in almost every way.  I love everything she does and her home just makes me happy when I see it.  She is my decor twin sister but much more of a DIYer then I'll probably ever be.  Perhaps when all my kids are in school, I'll join her on that front.  Her house is BEAUTIFUL, yet she is constantly finding new and fun ways to update it.  She is a consistent blogger as well which makes following her nice since you know there will always be something up.

There you go!!  Just a few of my favorites.  I hope you find sometime to curl up and take a peak at them.  They are all great and you will come away encouraged and inspired.  Let me know what you think!