The Icing on the Cake

Well, my wedding is less than 5 months away now and the planning is pretty much done! I can't really believe it myself. Yes, we had an extremely long engagement, but to plan a wedding in a state that we can only get to once before the big day, I'd say I've done a pretty good job of making it all come together!

I'm tying up all the loose decorating ends now, which are minimal, but key. Since the reception is in a huge old barn, we thought beverages should be served in mason jars. I somehow managed, though the Craigslist gods, to procure over 200 mason jars for just $65! They are all different shapes and sizes, some smooth, some quilted, and all awesome. Just what I wanted!

I don't think I'll be tying any fabric around my jars, but I am thinking of doing something creative to help drinks stay with their drinkers. Perhaps name tags on straws, or a little piece of elastic that can slip around the jar with a name tag on it.

I've been collecting random jars and wine bottles that I think are neat for the past year and a half to be used as flower vases for centerpieces. The miscellaneious jars are clear, brown, and shades of green (sea foam green bottles are near impossible to find) and range from BBQ sauce jars to baby food jars to wine bottles, and everything in between! I'm using all white flowers in our wedding, which I think will look great in little groups of various jars!

Also, I plan on stringing as many white lights as I can get my grubby little hands on, and a tasteful amount of white paper lanterns. The barn is a little bit pre-decorated with leftover decorations from a previous wedding, which I plan to rearrange in a better way or take down.

Real photo from Kleffner Ranch above

And lastly, the Kleffer Ranch has all sorts of great things in the barn, such as an old carriage and some sort of really old car that we can use for decorating! I don't know what we'll do with them yet, but they're there just waiting for me!

Both photos from Kleffner Ranch

I've decided to save the cake as a surprise. As many of you know, I know a thing or two about decorating a wedding cake! So just to keep you in suspense, I'm saving that one for myself (minus the few who I've already told, and my dear friend Alaina who somehow inspired the idea). But here's a sneak peek.

I love everything about this photo.

Girls in Green

I am not a traditional girl, and after working in the wedding industry for over 2 years, I find many aspects of a traditional wedding to be completely ridiculous, unnecessary, and just horrible. Thankfully my friends and most of my family agree with me on these matters, but I do run into a few who try to convince me of how wonderful these silly traditions are. I will not be swayed! More importantly I don't feel that I should have to defend my choices to those who cannot think outside the box.

That being said, my bridesmaids were given the task of choosing their own dresses. They had a few parameters to stick to, such as color family, and my insistence that it looks great on them. Somehow all 4 girls chose a short dress in some shade of sea foam green! This pleases me, not what I envisioned, but I am thrilled none the less. Of course when ordering clothes online you can never be too sure what the end result will be, and these may not all work out, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they do!

Jesse and his groomsmen will be wearing brown suits with a white shirt and brown tie. Casual, simple and classic, although a little less classic than black. This I am also getting a lot of flack for, why brown they all ask. Because I said so! Let's hope they all look as stunning as old Ronald here.

My maid of honor and all around awesome human being, Alaina (of Paper Flour Water) will be making necklaces for all the maids, as well as myself. And I will be making unique little boutonnieres for the groomsmen. Jesse's old friend Geneva, as well as super creative person (of Bird Crap Featherwear) has graciously offered to make me a custom hair piece and matching boutonniere for Jesse! We are so blessed (I use that term loosely due to my lack of religiousness) to have such crafty friends. Our friends and family are playing all sorts of special roles in our wedding, and I'm so excited to see it all come together!

Only 5 months left! Yikes!