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

The Day Before...

Part I of the wedding series isn't really a wedding DAY post, rather a day before one. But we all know rehearsals and weddings go hand in hand- so I figured I would start from the very beginning.

 The entire day before the wedding was spent setting up, but that's it's own post TOO! I told myself I'm going to break everything down into nice portions :)

The rehearsal was at the venue the night before and went off smoothly. I was really nervous imagining my friends and family filling up the empty seats but kept thinking about the bigger picture: finally marrying Ordy in just 24 hours!

seeing him for the first time after set up that morning

listening to instructions from the wedding coordinator

dad and i walking down

the real deal only 24 hours away!

Our rehearsal dinner was at the ADORABLE Foster House in Cumming. We had the entire restaurant to ourselves and Ordy's mom did the most incredible job personalizing the house with sentimental things and amazing canvases from our engagement shoot. 

all the mantles had a canvas of us for decoration... so cute!

wrapped up napkins/silverware

His family slaved away making every detail so personal and sweet

 Upon walking in the house, the first thing you saw was a little memory area his mom set up. She saved bits and pieces of things throughout the course of us dating- and Ordy didn't even know! I was so shocked at the collection of things. It included: the very first cell phone bill from when we first start dating and his parents noticed a huge text charge.. ruh-roh!, the 6 coke bottles I bought him when he mentioned Coke tastes better from a glass, the sewing pattern of the Three's Company Janet nightgown he surprised me 3 Valentine's Day gifts ago- sneaking and having his granny sew for me, the Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie recipe card I made him in college when he begged me for it so his mom could make it for Thanksgiving, and other movie ticket stubs. I was so touched and can't wait to keep it all for years to come!

the memory table

me & my girls. jk, matt. only kinda. (my sis was busy nursing 90% of the night haha)

reading the cute sign that went with the memories

mingling

my precious ring bearer

the entire party

sitting at our sweetheart table

love this picture!

can't wait to rock on the front porch with him for the rest of my life!

His family really worked SO hard to make the rehearsal dinner such a personal and detailed evening. It was perfect. The food was incredible and the night was so much fun it had my nerves calmed and I was too busy enjoying myself with close friends and family to worry about the next day!

More to come!