The DIY Stuff Part I: Centerpieces

So... I hear it a lot. "You're planning a DIY wedding while working full time, in your last year of law school, and working out 4x a week?? HOW DO YOU DO IT?!"

Truth is. I didn't. They did. Everyone did. The only reason the wedding was a success is because Ordy and I were surrounded by loving people who put so much into the wedding. So many hours were spent between my family and his to research, craft, hot-glue, spray paint and assemble. It was overwhelming.

Ordy's family and close friends helping make the "bow napkins"

My Mama S and Cousin Naz

The thing about me is: I shut down. When I get overwhelmed, I play ostrich. I stick my head in the sand but somehow know deep down it'll all come together. Three weeks before the wedding I remembered what my favorite bride, Lori said, "if you haven't finished a project by now, just forget about it." So, I did. Programs? What programs?? I planned on a 15 minute ceremony- I decided to save paper. Ok, truth is, I got way too busy to worry about it. I remember Ordy's mom would say, "Joonie, what are you going to do about ________" (fill in the blank: flower arrangements, boutonnieres, songs, set up, etc) and my answer was so awful I'm surprise she wouldn't slap me right there- I'd shrug and say, "I dunno..." this was up until a few days before the wedding too. (See 157 days prior to the wedding...!)


Anyway. Back to the details. I knew this much, I wanted it to be rustic chic. I wanted blush and gold. 
I wanted to "save money" by "spending time"... oh, I bet I lost friends and family members over all the projects! THANK YOU ALL!

So, the funny thing is: I thought I wanted apple baskets full of hydrangeas as my centerpieces. I didn't see a picture, I just saw the baskets at Hobby Lobby and bought all 25 of them. THE WEEK BEFORE THE WEDDING I realized I needed more gold if my colors were "blush and gold", and saw a gold mason jar on pinterest. I sent my groom a text and before I could even say, "pretty please?" he had 25 mason jars spray painted gold for me. I was obsessed. I also knew I wanted natural wood slices as platforms and milk glass + cotton!

this was the original look... glad we changed! it's cute but not AS cute!

As for the table markers, I bought chalkboards from Hobby Lobby and glued reindeer moss on it, then glued little stakes (all from Hobby Lobby) on the chalkboards. Badabingbadaboom.

Now, before you judge me. Let it be known... When Ordy gets my weekly dozen- he knows WHENEVER there are carnations to get them! I LOVE carnations and I think they are SO underrated! I knew I wanted light pink carnations and I ordered 200 from a wholesale place. (Yep, I did all the floral ordering myself, and my other mama B arranged them- my bouquet and the girls too- even the ceremony flowers. AMAZING!)

The assembly line. The carnations were in the jars uncut before the wedding. Cut shorter day of

 We picked the flowers up Friday so this was pre-bloom. We put them a few inches taller than we wanted in warm water.

 MY AMAZING day-of wedding coordinator. So back to my awful personality- the ostrich trait- well, that wasn't going to get things done. When my sister-in-law was asking me questions about sparklers and ceremony details I freaked out. I immediately met with this genius, Molly Hunt McKinley from Chancey Charm Weddings.  Her services = by far the best money ever spent. She listened to me and seriously orchestrated every last detail to be perfect. I LOVE HER!

I knew milk glass had to be everywhere! 

the semi finished look (just waiting to trim carnations)

team work!

more beautiful flowers made possible by Mrs. B

milk glass. swoon. 

wood slices and flowers. 

we added the brass candlesticks for gold and just stuck cotton bolls in

LOVE our centerpieces

the sweetheart table. My step mom slaved away and sewed EVERY single tablecloth herself!

the bows we made!

I will make a list of what all was DIY- if you want more details just let me know! Please note, more posts to come! The next one in the DIY part is the favor table/cake table/etc

ORDY & JOON GOT HITCHED!!!!

I'm so sorry for the long break! With the wedding, honeymoon, moving in, and home projects going on (along with the final days of school!!) I have neglected this poor blog... But I think a GOOD way to get back in the swing of things would be to give you a few pics for now to whet your appetite and then break down the blog posts by categories... (the girls, the boys, the ceremony, the party, the DIY, the details, etc!) I actually can't wait to share our big day with everyone!!! I am so happy to be his wife! Thanks for being so patient, I promise I'll be back with this little series! 

*****If you want to cheat and go straight to the dessert, go to the photographer's website and see a wrap-up of the night's best shots!*****

Bandit's Blessing

Before I mislead you... Bandit is still missing. We didn't find him this weekend... but we did find something else... and because of Bandit. Get ready, because here is a crazy story...

2 months ago we got a call from an elderly woman that she spotted Bandit... She was 100% sure it was him, she was outside washing her bicycle and said he came SO close to her she could have grabbed him. She said he was so gentle, just stood next to her watching her, but his size startled her and she got up and shooed him away with her broom... I guess I can't blame her because she is older and if a great dane/pit bull was just staring at me I might be scared too... I am sad though. She said she regret it later when she saw how mild mannered he was. She called me after she spotted a flier two days later... I misunderstood her and HAULED AAA to her house to scan the neighborhood- along with 6 other people... She said she felt bad to break it to me that the spotting was two days prior.

Her husband told me their property backed up to 40 acres of "dog haven" and that a lot of lost dogs hang out back their because of the creek, running field, and railroad tracks. He said the property was actually owned by HIS neighbor, who was a bed ridden 98 year old woman who wouldn't notice if we wanted to sneak back in the property to scan the field for our lost pup. Remember pictures of the gorgeous property here? 

At the time, I was too busy boo-hooing and sobbing over Bandit to even notice how gorgeous the property was. In fact, I was miserable. I was eaten by mosquitoes and cut up by all the brier, not to mention scanning the property feverishly for my dog- all while screaming his name. Fast forward two months.

I had a dream Thursday. In this dream, Ordy and I were getting married on this property. In the dream I saw all of my ideas and I woke up ecstatic. I was so excited my emails to Ordy were almost incomprehensible... I was giddy and I said, "THIS IS IT. THIS IS WHERE WE ARE GETTING MARRIED." I had to refresh his memory and remind him about the property. I said, "the 40 acres we searched for B! Remember??!" Vaguely. You see, we both were pretty caught up in the search.

Ordy and I made it our mission to go ask the kind elderly couple if they wouldn't mind putting in the request to their neighbor, the lady who actually owned the property. We knew they had a better relationship with her and it might help us if they asked her if "friends" of theirs could get married on her property, vs. some random kids who might have a drunken party on her property...

We went up there this Saturday afternoon and the gentleman remembered us immediately, he asked if we had found our dog... we let him know we didn't, but we were there to see if he wouldn't mind putting in the good word about possibly getting married in the field...

He said, "I have good news and maybe bad news..." We held our breaths, I had no clue what he was about to tell us. "The lady who owns the property died two nights ago. But her daughter and her husband are here settling up final affairs." WHAT?! Wait, what?! SO the lady passed away the night I had the dream?? Goosebumps. Creepy. Too weird.

We hesitated for a few moments whether or not we should bother the daughter in this time of mourning to hassle her with our proposition, but the fact that they were leaving in the morning to go back home to Florida made me want to at least leave my contact information and put a face to the proposal, I wanted them to at least meet Ordy and I.

I was so nervous, I pushed Ordy to the front of their door and whispered, "YOU'RE doing all the talking!!" He just gave me a look and rolled his eyes. "Chicken." He knocked on the door and I felt my stomach fall. But the moment that door opened and a smiling lady opened the door, my heart was at ease. I could just see in her kind face we could pitch our idea to her. I was expecting someone bawling with tissues wadded up in their hands and feeling like a jerk for even knocking. I was relieved.

Ordy did all of the talking, I found myself reinforcing stuff like, "I PROMISE we'll clean up afterward, and leave it better than we found it!" I saw the husband chuckle in the corner of the kitchen. The daughter was just grinning ear to ear. After we were done with the proposal, the husband was still laughing and the lady finally spoke, "OF COURSE you can get married there!!!! But are you SURE?!??! It's been abandoned for years!!!! You have to do so much to it!!!" That's when Ordy said the term, "bush hog" for the first time in my life (and I heard it many more times after that)- telling them he'd bring out a tractor and level it and promise not to have any cars park on the property. The husband finally spoke (while still laughing, almost in disbelief that anyone would want to get married back there), "listen, if you do ANYTHING back there, you'd be improving it... y'all need to get back there and make sure you want to do it there..."

Are you kidding? Of course we want it there! It's GORGEOUS and would be the perfect backdrop for my "backyard wedding" concept!!! We exchanged contact information and we talked for a few more minutes regarding logistics, and it was apparent they could care less what we did- in fact the husband suggested a fun bonfire. Um, hello perfect wedding. I was so happy I hugged the lady and squeezed her with glee. The couple was so sweet and perplexed why we would want to get married there, but you could tell they were just happy to make our day in such a way! I bet they never expected that question when we knocked on their door!

They told us to consider the property ours for the wedding and to feel free to go back there whenever for planning. Ordy told him plans for bush-hogging and the husband said, "good luck..." Ordy said, "that's hard work I enjoy doing, sir. It'll be worth it." I think they're happy we're even doing anything there, mostly the clearing out of 10 years worth of growth. This was such a blessing I can't even put to words, but I just tried. Thank you Bandit, in some way leading us there. All that would make it perfect is for you to show up for the wedding. I swear I would mess up my dress for you, I would scoop you up in my arms and never let go... Thank you for our blessing and for our wedding venue. We couldn't have found a better place with better people. You are the best dog even while away- good looking out :) {Really, I'm thanking Jesus, don't think I'm thanking a dog- but through Bandit we found the place!}

Here are some pictures, I know you want to see! Please imagine the grass cut down and a lot of work done...

 

What do you think, think we're crazy?? Too much work?? Um, any help as far as practically making this work are welcome... I hope my guests don't hate me... But, I'm truly in love!