Okay, so Summer and James’s wedding was pretty spectacular in the DIY department (as well as many others). It got a lot of attention from a lot of blogs, but now it is my turn to share some photos and stories (OH! The stories!) There are details, emotion, and spectacularly odd coincidences…intrigued?!? Keep reading!
I have known Summer for going on nine years, so when she and James told me the themes for the wedding – buttons (Summer sews A LOT!) and the Dashwood Cottage from Sense and Sensibility (Summer is also a huge movie nerd) – I was not at all surprised. So I hope you are prepared for a lot of detail pictures because details – there are many! Let’s start with the hotel room favors…
First there is the “day after the wedding” box, which included gums, snacks, beverages, some Advil, and a “For the Ride Home” CD, with tracks inspired by the members of the bridal party.
For the second “hotel favor’, Summer’s best friend, who is a pastry chef, created four candies inspired by each season. Summer= strawberry lime pate de fruit, Fall= Peanut Butter Rum Fudge, Winter= Peppermint Patties and Spring= Honey Saffron Bon Bon
Escort cards were hand stamped and had a sticker that matched the theme of the table the guests were sitting at (more on that later). And the card box featured plenty of buttons!
Instead of a signing book, Summer and James had guests write notes on recipe cards.
I mentioned buttons were a big part of the theme, right? Well each bridesmaid’s bouquet was wrapped in ribbons covered with buttons.
And Summer’s bouquet featured lace ribbons
Moments of pure unadulterated emotion…it does not get any better than this…
Back to the decorations. Remember the escort cards that had a sticker that corresponded to each table? Each of the ‘table paintings’ were done by the bride’s mother, scanned and used to create the stickers for the escort cards.
And each table’s painting corresponded to the preserve that Summer and James had made as a favor for the guests sitting at that table! They spent a year canning, pickling and preserving. And yes, that is mead! (that was my table). Each is hand stamped and note the buttons that correspond to the color of the preserve!
As if that weren’t enough, each napkin ring was also a favor featuring buttons and lace.
And for a special touch, the bride and groom’s napkin rings featured buttons from their grandfather’s and grandmother’s collections.
Haven’t had enough buttons? How about a button themed cake?
How about more DIY? The bride and groom and their friends spent many hours hand making book cover ceremony program holders that can also be taken away as a favor.
And then the big moment…
Since Summer is a cheesemonger (yes, a cheesemonger), the cocktail hour featured cheeses –
