Happy Monday! This past week was a busy one for weddings! We were part of a last minute one that we were overjoyed to help make beautiful! With the passing of the Supreme Courts decision to allow Same Sex Marriage here in California these two Bride's...together for over a decade...decided to get married while everything was legal. The complication was that they were also moving to another city for their education so while making wedding plans they were also packing up their home! So they married on Wednesday and moved on Thursday! While this made for a really crazy week for them it also meant their home was totally empty on their wedding day...making it a perfect air conditioned reception site! 

 Guests were welcomed with this door hanger that we made for them to take to their new home as well as to add decor to their reception site. Totally DIY, this hanger was made from a pre-cut frame, letters and shape from Michaels and then glued together, painted and then trimmed with their wedding ribbon.

 After being greeted at the door, guests were encouraged to sign the guest book which was on the corner of the food table.  

 We used both paper lanterns and tissue paper poms to decorate the entire space. They have two advantages; they are inexpensive and they are easy to assemble. This made for a quick set up of the space between the ceremony and reception times.

Their colors were aqua, peridot and silver so we added a silver pom to the bunch hanging over the food table.

 We used lanterns on the walls along with some tulle....

 In the center of the ceiling to create a "dance" area...

 And even in the corners of the room to help dress it up!

 The tables were dressed with white tableclothes, paper lanterns and pom poms in their colors. Silver and white plates were used for the food and cake tables.

Forks were wrapped with silver paper napkins and then tied with ribbon and decorated with little crystals for a bit more wedding bling!

The food table featured all cold foods to counter the hot summer day outside. 

Table Tent Signs were used at each point to dress up the tables.

 Several different sandwiches were purchased premade from the local sandwich shop and then unwrapped and arranged on the tray with big tongs to make it easy for the guests to choose which sandwich looked best to them. 

 Then the salads! There was literally something for everyone in the salad category!

 Pasta, green, and fruit salads made for a very colorful presentation for the table!

 Since not everyone loves peppers they were sliced and placed into a tray at the side, themselves making a very colorful presentation!

 Using lots of different types of fruit in the fruit salad allows guests to have a choice. This one had watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries and grapes. Wonderfully ice cold fruit for a hot day!

 The cold pasta salad had olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and celery in it along with a light dressing. Heavy food would have made everyone feel weighed down so the light fare was perfect.

This mixed salad came along with the sandwiches. It was a mix of greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and feta cheese. The Mother of the Bride provided 3 types of salad dressing along with grated cheddar cheese.

Available drinks were punch, bottled water and wine. They were set out on the bar near the kitchen with back ups stored in the fridge.

 An ice heart floated in the punch bowl. Fresh berries were frozen with spring water in a heart shaped mold and then, right before the reception began, it was unmolded and placed into the already chilled fruit punch.

Of course there were personalized water bottles! Tory custom designed these for the Brides and included the little loving pink flamingos that also top the wedding cake! 

 The kids were all over the chocolates set out next to the drinks! We would find them sneaking over for another bite when they thought we were not looking!

 Also on the bar were the favors. Little bottles of bubbles and packages of buttermints made for a combination of use now (the bubbles for the dancing) and take with you (the mints in the pretty bags) favors for the guests.

 Each bottle of bubbles was labeled with their names and wedding date. They were really good bubbles too! We had fun blowing the bubbles during all of the dancing as well as playing with them the next day at home with the kids!

 We dressed up the bar area by hanging three extra large paper lanterns over it. This added more texture to the walls as well as more color to the room. It is good to think ceiling to floor when decorating a space.

The cake table was a multi-piece focal point for the room. We featured their colors in the poms on the wall as well as the dots on the wedding cake.

 The Bride's bouquets helped decorate the table as well once they were tucked into a pretty cut crystal vase. Toasting glasses and a cut crystal cake cutting set were decorated with the wedding ribbon and a pretty table sign added an elegant touch.

And speaking of the toasts! As with every aspect of your wedding you don't have to have the "traditional" choice when it comes to your toasts! If you don't drink alcohol then have whatever your favorite drink is in your toasting glasses. These Bride's don't like champagne so why have it at the party?

 Instead they invested in their favorite wine to serve as their toasting drink and for their guests.

 

 Because they were moving the very next day the couple didn't want to purchase a lot of serving ware so a mix of paper and plastic as well as crystal were used. The Mother of the Bride figured that the Bride's could always use wine glasses in their new home so they were a good investment as well as a small container to pack for the move. It also made toasting the couple feel a little more elegant.

Before the sand ceremony the pieces, a specially made frame and color sand filled vases, added a colorful touch to the bar area.

 Once the cake was cut and everything cleaned up, the Sand Ceremony was set up on the Cake Table.

They blended the two colors into the specially made frame that will decorate their new home!

 And now the Cake! This swiss dotted confection was from Cat's Cakes. Decorated in the Bride's colors and dotted with little candy pearls it was made even more perfect for the couple by the addition of the pink Bride flamingo cake topper!

 

The adorable custom made topper featured veils held on with flowers in the Bridal colors! They captured the bright, colorful, fun loving spirit of the couple and will make a great keepsake as they begin the next stage of their lives together as a married couple!

We had a wonderful time with them. We danced under the lanterns and poms with bubbles floating around us, enjoyed all of the great food, the toasts and the lovely sand ceremony at the end. A huge Thank You to this couple who included us in their very special day! Congratulations again!

Lastly, there is a CONTEST going on over on our Facebook Fan Site! So stop on by, share lots of our tips or photos that we post between August 2nd and September 2nd and you are entered into the contest! The person who shares the most tips and/or photos for the entire month wins their choice of one of three gift cards! So stop by every day, share that days tip or photo and you can win!

Cat