Making It Yours, pt III

When it comes down to it, people just want to feel included. Most people like feeling taken care of. I know, for myself, I enjoy it when I feel some sense of ownership in a project or event. I would really love to enlist our family and friends to help, but I'm trying to be sensitive to the fact that not everyone is going to want to cut flowers and arrange centerpieces the night before our wedding.

Irregardless of who lends a hand, my goal for our wedding is for every single guest to feel at home. I wish we could actually have a wedding at home, but since that was not feasible, we chose a home-y ranch in the hills. One of my bms attended this at-home wedding as a guest. She had never met the bride or groom, but like the good lil bm that she is, she took lots and lots of pictures. She said that this was hands down the best wedding she had ever been to. She was enthralled by every detail (this particular bm is not necessarily the type to be enthralled by a wedding). Basically she told me she would never forget it, and that was saying a lot seeing as she has no clue who they are. I'm so glad she sent me pictures, I told her she basically got a sneak peak of our day!

I love all of the flowers! I love that they are so random, so colorful and placed in such unique containers. I also love the wine barrel cocktail tables. T said the whole evening was incredibly relaxed and romantic. The wedding was in a backyard, the ceremony took place on a structure that was built over the pool while a dance floor on the grass provided a sturdy place to bust a move.


A small white row boat floated in the pool, loaded with bushels of florals.

So this was T's favorite detail of the entire evening. The couple had a few kegs of beer and an abundance of wine. Instead of unsightly keg cups, or small cocktail glasses, the favors were these old fashioned glass mugs. Each guest filled out their name on the adorable tag, attached, and enjoyed their frosty beer for the rest of the evening.

Because B works with several major beer companies, we have a great source for beer. I was thinking bottles, but everyone else has told me that kegs would be easier. Cups were a big question mark. But I LOVE these!

All photos by BM, T. This wedding took place in the LA/Long Beach area. While T remembered every single detail of the wedding, she could not remember their names off the top of her head. If you recognize it let me know, I'd love to see how the professional pictures turned out!

Oh? This Old Centerpiece?

There's such a fine line between simple centerpieces and empty-looking tables. I'm hoping to play around a bit. I really want a variety of florals. I'd love if no two tables looked the same--but I realize how difficult this look can be to pull off. It's kind of like that tousled hair look. You know, where you spend two hours on your hair so it looks like you just ran your fingers through it and walked out the door? I have a feeling that doing twelve different "simple" centerpieces may be just as hard. We shall see!

Ah. This is the first centerpiece that ever spoke to me. I still love it.
photo: The Knot



I love the idea of potted flowers. Inexpensive, reusable and gorgeous.
photo: Andrea's Images

So pretty, right? I love that the tins are painted. The varying heights are fabulous.

photo: Sweet Paul

Check out the little bowls with single bloom. Gorgeous.

Photo: Rebecca Thuss

Glorious simplicity.

photo: Anna Kuperberg

A Beautiful Table

I found myself swooning over every detail of this table.
mmm. Candles.
Tucked lavender. DF loves the smell of lavender...
The little wood box is so perfect.

All photos: Ryan Phillips Photography

On the table

I think I have a good idea of what I want my tables to look like. Photo: Leigh Miller
I want simple florals in multiple vases/containers and candles+candles+candles
Table from my sorority sister's wedding. By Amanda Bevington modern photography

The following photos all depict the no-fuss florals I envision for our tables. While I'm less clear on the colors or the types of flowers, the volume and visual affect are clear in my head.

I definitely plan on rocking the mason jars! Photo: Leigh Miller

Love the wild flower feel. Photo via snippet & ink
I've been thinking of using a burlap on the table. I love the color and the texture it gives. Photo via The Bride's Cafe. Photo by BB Photography
Love the use of single flowers. Photo: Ritzy Bee
Gorgeous simplicity making a more modern statement. Photo via: The Bride's Cafe. Photographer: Mary Basnight
Beautiful blend of candles and single step florals. Photo By Anna Kuperberg

Frugal Florals

I've always been a flower person. But to be honest, flowers are not going to be a priority for me. I would like my bouquet to be picture-worthy, but as for ceremony decor and centerpieces-I'm looking for a bargain. I feel like my dollar can go so much further somewhere else. The other thing is that I really have no idea how much flowers cost? I've been referred to a few florist/floral designers but feel it's a little soon to be getting quotes etc. I have been picking up some great budget tips while perusing theknot, the blogs and other great sites! Since I haven't nailed down my colors, I'm looking at flowers with an open mind. The one thing I know: I want looottts of candles!

A baby's breath bouquet? Check it out at Real Simple

Another creative use of baby's breath

I've always balked at carnations (they're filler flowers!) but Real Simple has some great tips.

This is the look that I initially thought would work best for me. I want candles, candles, candles! And then some smaller vased flowers. I like this look-but probably won't do the bright colors.

Photo: The Knot

This one caught my eye for several reasons. Number 1: yes those are carnations and I love that they have done several containers of one type of flower each. I also love the little bully they have as their table markers. We plan on incorporating our own bulldog in our wedding. We're hoping we can have him there in some capacity, but as that is highly unlikely-we'll probably do something similar to this:

The Knot

Here's a shot of our lil guy, Maverick.

He is very expresssive and loves the camera, so getting shots of him for table numbers wont be difficult!