A couple at our church had asked me if I could help decorate for their outdoor wedding. The day after Family Day, I began planning. I had one week to come up with something. I had some ideas previously, but nothing concrete.
While washing dishes, and gazing out the window wondering what I was going to do, I noticed my white picket fences that border my herb garden. Mike made them, and they are so pretty. When he made them, he put tubing on the back of them with a steel rod supporting them so they could easily be removed for mowing (or in this case transported to another yard). So that sparked the idea for a garden theme.
The bride's family had a friend that decorates for weddings. This lady very generously allowed me to use all of her materials. She had arches, bows, and tons of tulle.
While washing dishes, and gazing out the window wondering what I was going to do, I noticed my white picket fences that border my herb garden. Mike made them, and they are so pretty. When he made them, he put tubing on the back of them with a steel rod supporting them so they could easily be removed for mowing (or in this case transported to another yard). So that sparked the idea for a garden theme.
The bride's family had a friend that decorates for weddings. This lady very generously allowed me to use all of her materials. She had arches, bows, and tons of tulle.
Needing a space to work (and make a mess), I decided to turn part of the garage into my workshop for the week. In an effort to keep the cost down, I tried to be creative with things I had on my own property. I decide to make bouquets to hang from my white fences. I gathered herbs (yarrow, chive flowers, and sage), hydrangeas, cedar branches, maple leaves, and even asparagus leaves from my garden. I sprayed some of the flowers white, and some with a clear gloss to preserve them. Once the bouquets were put together, I hung them in my garage upside down so they would dry straight and then stand erect when upright. Then I added a tulle and lace bow to each bouquet. 
You can see from the pictures how I added tulle to the fences and hung the bouquets from the fences. I put cedar branches and yarrow over the arches.
Brandon agreed to spray paint my rusting rod iron tea table white so I could use it for the unity candle. I placed this under the arch, between the fences.
The couple was able to get 25 church pews from a church that was getting torn down. They also rented white chairs. (The guest count was over 600 people!) I wanted to make it feel like a church, even though it was in a big beautiful yard in the country, on a lake.
Graciously some friends that own a nursery allowed Mike and I to load up our 16 ft. enclosed trailer with whatever we wanted to use for the wedding. This gave me so much material to work with -beautiful planters, shrubs, and small trees.
In the front yard, I put a set of fences with an arch and plants to make it feel like you were entering the church. Then I did the same thing at the back of the chairs, so it felt like you were entering the sanctuary.
There were several tents, to which we added tulle and bows. Then planters were placed all over the yard. I am so thankful for all the help I had putting everything up.
The day was perfect -sunny and gorgeous! It was tons of fun....but not something I will be able to do very often! :)
You can see from the pictures how I added tulle to the fences and hung the bouquets from the fences. I put cedar branches and yarrow over the arches.Brandon agreed to spray paint my rusting rod iron tea table white so I could use it for the unity candle. I placed this under the arch, between the fences.
The couple was able to get 25 church pews from a church that was getting torn down. They also rented white chairs. (The guest count was over 600 people!) I wanted to make it feel like a church, even though it was in a big beautiful yard in the country, on a lake.
Graciously some friends that own a nursery allowed Mike and I to load up our 16 ft. enclosed trailer with whatever we wanted to use for the wedding. This gave me so much material to work with -beautiful planters, shrubs, and small trees.
In the front yard, I put a set of fences with an arch and plants to make it feel like you were entering the church. Then I did the same thing at the back of the chairs, so it felt like you were entering the sanctuary.
There were several tents, to which we added tulle and bows. Then planters were placed all over the yard. I am so thankful for all the help I had putting everything up.
The day was perfect -sunny and gorgeous! It was tons of fun....but not something I will be able to do very often! :)
We had a lot of prizes, all from our farm. Apple pie made with apples from our apple trees, Emily's crab apple jelly, canned beans, eggs, homemade bread, cookies, cinnamon rolls, watermelon, crab apple juice, crab apple syrup, Boxelder syrup, barbecue sauce, and dill relish. So even though our guest did suffer some embarrassment during the games, they were rewarded with yummy prizes. :) 
The last game was a fun one to watch. It was called "Pa and Ma Do Chores". The couples raced the clock in this game; the couple with the fastest time won. First they had to get dressed, then collect two eggs, milk the goat, fill the water pails, and lastly carry a sack of grain, the milk, and the eggs across the finish line. Steve and Cindy Kerzman, two bona fide city slickers won this game (to much surprise)! :) They took home a loaf of whole wheat bread, a dozen eggs, and an apple pie. Good job guys! :) 
