beach

Wedding Party Gift Idea

A lovely email from the Pottery Barn popped into my inbox today, so I decided to take a wee look. Turns out, they are having a sale! My clients often ask me for gift ideas for their wedding party, so I always keep this in the back of my mind when doing my daily online research. When perusing Pottery Barn's site today, I came across their Awning Striped Beach Towels - lovely thick towels with monogramming available ... and they are currently on sale! This is a perfect gift for a summer wedding near or at the beach/lake/water. Whether you have their full name or their initials embroidered onto the towel, your bridesmaids and groomsmen will greatly appreciate this gift!

Day 4 of the Wedding Festivities ~ The Wedding Day

After a year of planning, 855 emails, countless phone calls, and several meetings, the much anticipated wedding day is here! The setup required 30 solid hours of labor, 20 crew members, a 30 foot truck, a pick-up truck and trailer, a sprinter, a Jeep Cherokee, a minivan, and a subaru - each packed to the brim! As the venue was built in the 1900's, we had a few challenges loading and unloading. The path leading from the driveway to the front door was 2.5 ft wide and 175 yards long. You can imagine the problems this posed for unloading couches, fire pits, and all sorts of equipment. We managed to gain access to a side road, which allowed us to drive 100 yds closer to the entrance. We still had to battle the rocks jutting out of the path, the stone steps, and a narrow doorway. Once everything was unloaded the stacks and piles were daunting. But, with the incredible A team on board - Bellissima Floral, Crux Events & Party Rents, and One Fine Day's team, we pulled it off with ease!

At 2:30pm, the furniture was in place, candles were lit, and the guests started to arrive. I took a few snapshots with my iphone  - obviously these are not even close to what Catherine Hall will produce, but they will give you a little glimpse!

Top left - the ceremony took place on the beach with benches built by Crux Events, petals covering the altar, and a lovely lounge setting in the back. Top right - Bellissima dressed up the chandeliers to modernize the look of the 110 year old dining room. Bottom - intimate lounge settings overlooking the lake were placed on the decks, lawn, and beach.

The overall look was romantic, organic, and very comfortable. I can't wait to see Catherine Hall's photos - stay tuned!

Simple Place Card Ideas

Although pretty simple, place cards can create a beautiful display and create a graceful entrance to the reception room. You can spend pennies or dollars when creating this display. Check out a few pics below to view simple arrangements:

A fresh rose with place card attached. Christy and John had their wedding date embossed into the card and each person's name engraved in gold writing.

Catherine Hall Studios

A bed of wild rice held the wine corks in place. Each cork was sliced horizontally to make a perfect slit for the place cards. This display holds up on windy days!

Heidi Wilson Photography

Simple cards clipped onto a string. A simple tablecloth and ribbon incorporates the colors and design of the wedding.

Court Leve Photography

What better way to tie in the beach theme than use sand for the place cards. Since it was a little breezy, the baskets allowed us to easily move the place cards inside during the ceremony and quickly bring them outside as guests approached the table!

Heidi Wilson Photography

Organic & fresh! Incorporating the mountain theme with a green wedding, these place cards were symmetrically placed on a striped linen.