Wedding Bells: The Party

January 16, 2014

Wedding BellsWhen I initially started planning our wedding and gathering images, one of the first things I found and loved was a miniscule detail in the grand scheme of things – you have to start somewhere right? It was an image of a place setting. Simple hemstitch napkins on white plates with a beautifully written name attached to a sprig of herbs. It was the first real design decision I made and funny enough it was the one that I remember noticing the most when we sat down at our table. My new name. I still have it hanging from a frame in our bedroom, thanks to my sister who rescued it from the table before the end of the night.

 Every second of our reception made me smile, laugh and cry with happiness. Speeches from our siblings and parents, a surprise dance performance from my 7-year-old cousin, our first dance to “This Year’s Love” by David Gray and hilarious moments on the dance floor. It was everything I dreamed it would be and more.

Wedding BellsWedding BellsOur cocktail hour was held beneath a cluster of oak trees on a patio my husband built. We hung chandeliers above, set up an old wagon as the bar and had wine barrels as cocktail tables. Wedding BellsWedding BellsAt each place setting guests were given a bottle of homemade limoncello as a gift. Tied around the neck of the bottle was a coaster designed by Bungalow 36 that included a limoncello cocktail recipe. Read more about how we made it hereWedding BellsWedding BellsFrom the beginning I knew I wanted long tables with a family style meal. It felt like a friendly, casual yet elegant approach to the evening. Wedding BellsWedding BellsOur signature drinks: Limoncello fizz (made with lemons from the orchard) and the Tonic Todd, a grapefruit greyhound – named after the groom!Wedding BellsWedding BellsOur original plans included a tent. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted something with an organic feel that matched the surroundings, I wanted to see the stars. So I did a little research and found a wood framed structure with draped fabric that was exactly what I wanted. Only problem was the rental company that supplied it had an outrageous price tag to go along with it. Todd saw the picture and casually mentioned, “I could make that”. And so two weeks before the wedding they picked up wood from an old barn and got to work. Wedding BellsWedding BellsWe tasted multiple cakes before making our decision – partly because it was so fun (guilty). But we ended up with two different flavors by Robyn Loves Cake: lemon curd with white cake and chocolate mousse with chocolate cake. Hands down the best wedding cake I’ve had!Wedding BellsWedding BellsWedding BellsWedding BellsWedding BellsOur amazing caterer Duo Events served homemade ice cream cones at the end of the night. I think I had about three… and a half. Wedding BellsAnd finally, my favorite shot from the night.

Thank you Arna Bee for capturing the day so perfectly!

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