W is for Wedding

Who doesn't love to look at anyone's wedding pictures. I love the different colors people choose for weddings, lime greens and fushia, and sunflower themed and it's endless but mine was a fall wedding. I decided even though spring has just sprung that I would do a post about W is for wedddings. I hope you enjoy the pictures. Like most little girls I dreamed of my fairytale wedding and although, my little sister beat me to the altar, I did get married older than some, 37. I had to pay for my own wedding as do many brides, for 2 reasons I had been engaged once before and my father had passed away 1 year prior to my wedding. It was hard to think he would not bring me down the aisle, but my brother who was getting married in the summer was also sad our dad would not be there for him. My sister had been the only lucky one He had been there for her, and I know in spirit he was at my brothers and mine.
  At the top is the invitation- I made them, I used Stampin up techniques and  inks and I had a great time designing them. I love the fall colors that begin to invite you to the event the minute you open it.
  I spent must time on the table ideas

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I had chocolate linens and a fall arrangement at each table. Each guess got a velvet colored sash that included the favor a silver wine stopper (we were married at a winery) The tables had menus of what we would be sampling and I wanted a champagne toast with strawberries. I hollowed out mini gord pumpkins to be candles for the night and I ordered white pumpkins for the buffet table and our table.
The venue is very important when choosing a wedding especially if it's outdoors, you dont' want the tent to be the only thing the guest see...

this is some of what my guest saw, the winery with it's grapes and the fall leaves in the valley below and the river. The clouds look photoshopped in but they are real.
 So the invitation is done, the venue is done the table and favor ideas are done now what about my dress.
now I know that you might shutter when you hear this ... but I was engaged before and went to visit my grandmother in Denver, Co while engaged to the 1st man and we went to Pricella's of boston , there I fell in love with this dress.. when I broke off my engagement to that man I could not sell this dress I held on to it for 7 years and trends change and waists change, but YES, I used the same dress in my current wedding, I bet some of you think that is bad luck but I had it changed in the back to make it look different and feel different and I don't regret it.

 see it in the middle, the dresses on the sides are my sister and maid of honor.Here is a picture of my bouquet.

I had a little more planning to do I had this idea in my head about the guests decorating the arch and I would just purchase grape vine for the top of the arch I purchased and the guests would add the flowers... So I got some velum paper and my leaf stamp and this is what I came up with...

Each guest got this in there invitation and my fiancee said, "It's not a good idea, it's not going to look nice and people are going to forget." thanks for the moral support honey, look how it came out...

The top of the arch had grapes and leaves and grape vine. You can see it in the "marriage shot". Ok so I had the arch figured out and the menu but I had a few details left...I wanted a table that had my families pictures and his families pictures so I purchased 2 trees from hallmark and got pictures of all my extended family on my side and on his side, I also had a few of our baby pictures and a tribute to my late father.

I also had a sign in book for drawing and markers to draw us a picture.
So time for the dreaded place cards ...

i cut out small leaves using a paper punch and VIOLA I had place settings and I made a list of table names not numbers because who wants to sit at table 13 - each name was a place we visited while dating.

i have this big green bird cage in my apartment it's antique like I keep my dangle earrings on it, I decided to spray paint it white and have people place there wedding cards inside the day of the wedding.
I keep checking the weather and the almanac and I am worried about rain, I have heaters for the tent but I still worry so I talk to my bartender and ask him if he  can make a hot buttered spiced rum and a hot apple cider for the guests.

  So I think all is covered my step-son is the best man, tux's are ready all seems right- Oh the little flower girls...and ring bearers... I invited my entire pre-k class but only 2 students came, it was still special that they were there.  My cousin was the ring bearer and I had 4 little junior and little bridesmaids but one chickened out the day of.. it was fine with me, Hey I am a pre-k teacher I know how they change ....

 

   Now I love chocolate but refused to have a chocolate cake I wanted a light creme colored cake not white but when I showed up this is what I saw it tasted delicious ( I had had a taste test of course) but I was a bit upset about the color. I reminded myself this is one short day and it was almost over just enjoy it, and I did. I reminded myself that all day (friends who had been married before told me to take a minute and look at all of it, take it all in) Here is the cake...

  There is so much more to write about my wedding, the candy apples I gave out... but I don't want to bore you and since it's not fall, We are all in a spring/summer mood. I will leave you with the following pictures my girls..., My arch again.... and my end of the night pictures...I hope you enjoyed looking at my wedding I did not have a planner I just read lots of books and took pictures from lots of magazines over the years as a young women...

W

2 more and I promise I am done...

 W is for Wonderful......