A love story.
Welcome to the wedding decor edition of the blog!
Planning a wedding or a celebration party can be daunting, overwhelming, time-consuming, stressful, and quickly drain your pockets.
We weren't in any specific rush for the "wedding," as Chris and I had already eloped. (Read about our elopement and what it meant to us here.) We must obey what God wants us to do for our family first and foremost. We did, however, have a particular date in mind. My birthday is November 11th. Chris's birthday is November 9th. So we decided why not celebrate our union on November 10th, which approached fast and in a hurry. Happy birth-a-versary to us!
Moving a dance studio, building on an addition to our little farmhouse to accommodate our blended seven-member family, and just returning from an epic vacation in Texas makes your purse strings quite tight regarding a wedding reception budget.
We understand it's not how much you spend or how lavish the day will be... it's about the love shared and the people there encompassing you with their support and celebration.
We secured a location first: Lu Mill Vineyard. It's a beautiful stretch of land near one of our favorite places, White Lake. The area means a lot to us; we savor an excellent bottle of wine (please try the Harmony Hall! You’ll fall in love!), and the fact we could stay in their small, secluded cabins made us want to have our celebration there. The price of renting the General Store on-site made the decision a no-brainer.
While my blood runs vintage, I wasn't a massive fan of the walls because it felt more "garage" than nostalgic. The insignia from days long ago, like gas station signs and cigarette advertisements, made me think it might be more distracting and cluttered for the look we were going for. Lu Mil has a very strict no tape, no tacks, no glue rule when it comes to their decorating. Thinking outside the box, we ordered these photography backdrops and heavy-duty magnets to hang the crisp white cloths as a blank canvas for our event. The softness of the fabric made the space truly magical and the texture so warm and welcoming.
Before…
Lots of metal, very industrial, very man-cave-ish.
After…
Cleaned up, fresh, and elegant.
We purchased A LOT of sage tablecloths from tableclothsfactory.com. We didn't have a color scheme (although green emerged as a clear winner), but if we did have an overall theme, it would be books and coffee (surprise!).
Our memory table had a place for my Papa and my Mom.
We created our adorable invites by personalizing a return library card with everyone’s food truck order for easy food distribution. Zazzle and Vistaprint are fantastic places to customize online. Everyone had a dictionary pocket at their seats with an assortment of chocolates tucked inside.
I created these vintage book page table runners with my whole heart! I went on a book hunt to find books I was willing to deconstruct (the most challenging part). I chose classics and well-known love stories, like "The Great Gatsby," "A Walk to Remember," and "Romeo and Juliet". I also needed rolls and rolls of kraft paper and rubber cement. It's quite a simple process but very time intensive. But the look is so whimsical and lovely, and I'm so happy with how they turned out.
We also began collecting glass vessels and mugs. We displayed the cups on rustic-feeling bookshelves flanked by a sign explaining that guests could pick their mug and use it for hot chocolate at the reception. It was such an adorable party favor.
We didn't use fresh live flowers but instead used sprays of frass, eucalyptus, and dried faux flowers in our glass containers.
We had a photo opportunity with a vintage green couch and an oversized gold hoop we adorned with the same sprays of greenery and large feathers. That was a big hit when anyone wanted to give their dancing feet a break.
We decorated the dessert table with a gorgeous handmade dessert display tray (thank you, Donna and Dee!) and mouth-watering homemade baked goodies. The peanut butter cookies melted in my mouth. A hot chocolate bar and led lights putting were whimsical details that made the night so charming and memorable.
Venue: Lu Mil Vineyard
Backdrops, Bookshelves, Metal Circle: Amazon
Books, Typewriters, glassware: Thrifted
Floral decorations: Target, Temu, Amazon, Thrifted
Mugs: Thrifted and TJMax
Foodtruck: Scullys
Beverage Cart: Traveling Spirits
Dress: Thrifted
Thank you to everyone who helped set up, break down, clean, stapled, arranged, and prepared to help make this day so amazing. I love you all!
The overall look? Simple, thoughtful, purposeful, relaxing, and classic. It was also inspirational, peaceful, and earthy. Nothing too abrasive, gaudy, or overpowerful. Just how a love story should be.
K bye
Megan
Doing life the best I know how…