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DIY outdoor wedding reception

Spring Wedding Part 1

July 3, 2017 by 18 Comments

Two weeks ago, I shared photos from my sister-in-law Catherine’s Let Love Grow bridal shower. As promised, here are the snapshots I took at her wedding!Mr. Handsome and I, along with the other brothers and sisters-in-law, were guests of honor. Mr. Handsome wore a tux without a jacket, while us girls wore the same style dresses as the bridesmaids but in navy rather than blue. Mr. Handsome played music during the ceremony, while I walked my niece (almost three) and nephew (nine months) down the aisle and sat with them in the front row. My niece had a bag of toys and played quietly, while my nephew sat calmly in the grass the entire time.

The wedding ceremony took place at a park. Although it was hot, the scenery was gorgeous. Beyond the arbor was a small lake.

The reception was held at the same community building where we had my brother-in-law’s New Year’s Eve wedding reception. It was also the rain backup for our DIY outdoor wedding reception.

We were blessed to have a whole crew of friends and family help us set up. Around 260 guests attended the wedding.

 

The centerpieces were teacups/tea sets and books, as Catherine loves to read.

 

 

 

Instead of champagne or sparkling grape juice, we set out chocolates for the guests to eat during the toasts. The milk chocolate grooms were for the best man’s toast, and the white chocolate brides were for the maid of honor’s toast.

The wedding party sat at raised tables at the front of the room. The food was buffet style, catered by a friend. I made salad balsamic dressing (recipe to come).

Mr. Handsome’s cousin and aunt did the flowers, as they did for our wedding.

 

Stay tuned for more photos!

Filed Under: Ceremony/Reception, DIY Wedding Tagged With: centerpieces, DIY outdoor wedding reception, Let Love Grow bridal shower, May wedding, New Year's Eve wedding reception, toasts, tux

Fall-Themed Bridal Shower

November 2, 2016 by 13 Comments

Earlier this week, I shared two of the games we played at the wedding shower we threw for my future sister-in-law (purse raid and the shoe game). About twenty ladies attended, and we enjoyed chatting and laughing together.The theme of the shower was “fall in love.” (It was fall themed, which I’m sure you figured out.) Scroll down to see pictures:

Order of events chalkboard

The “We Do Forever” sign we had left over from my DIY outdoor wedding reception–letters are attached to the board using nails

A closeup of the pumpkin (49 Days Until She Says ‘I Do’)

Bridal shower word search

Guess how many chocolate kisses (winner takes them all home…there were 69)

Random cute chalkboard

Snack table (cobbler bar with your choice of toppings…blueberries sauce, baked cinnamon apple slices, and chocolate sauce) and other munchies

We also held a pumpkin decorating contest. We split up into groups of three or four and decorated a pumpkin to look like a bride. The groom-to-be chose his favorite (the one on the left). My group’s is two from the right, but our face isn’t the greatest. LOL.

Filed Under: Bridal Showers Tagged With: bridal shower, chalkboard, cobbler bar, DIY outdoor wedding reception, fall in love, fall themed bridal shower, pumpkin brides, pumpkin decorating contest, purse raid, shoe game, we do forever, wedding shower

DIY Wedding Reception (More Photos)

August 29, 2016 by 24 Comments

Last fall, I shared posts about our DIY outdoor wedding reception and DIY wedding food. Many of you have expressed interest in seeing more wedding photos, so I went digging and found some that had not yet been posted.We successfully planned a DIY wedding for 300 guests in only three months, but we couldn’t have done it without help from dozens of family members and friends. By DIY-ing almost everything, we not only saved tons of money, but we also strengthened our relationships with those who offered to lend a hand.

For example, after the rehearsal dinner at the church, the guests caravaned over to my in-laws’ house to hang out for the evening. While chatting and snacking, everyone helped set up tables and chairs that we had rented. The women tied bows of blue and purple tulle around the backs of the chairs, while the guys set out tiki torches (to repel mosquitoes) and filled them with lighter fluid.

The next morning, while the bridesmaids and I did our hair and makeup, Mr. Handsome, the groomsmen, and various other family members and friends finished setting up for the reception. When we walked into my in-laws’ backyard after the wedding ceremony, I was blown away by how beautiful it was…

My mom, cousin-in-law, and grandmother-in-law DIY-ed our flowers, and Mr. Handsome cut slabs of wood for each table. Someone even thought to lay out Off! Insect Repellent Wipes for the guests.

My sisters-in-law made clever chalkboard signs to display throughout the backyard…

And someone hung up this beautiful chandelier…

Many hands sure make light work. We were blessed that so many of our friends and relatives offered to help make our wedding such a memorable occasion!

Filed Under: Ceremony/Reception, DIY Wedding Tagged With: DIY outdoor wedding reception, DIY wedding food

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Meet Ellie

EllieMr. Handsome and I married four years ago and moved to Nashville, Tennessee. Between recipes, photos from our travels, money saving tips, DIY suggestions, post about our daily life with our son, and more, our lifestyle blog features a little bit of everything. Read More…

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