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| This is how we approached the ceremony spot after having photos along the river |
After almost 11 years together Steve and I got married 3 years to the day after becoming engaged! I had heaps of fun planning and making everything with help from lots of different family and friends. We are not traditional people and wanted the wedding to be relaxed and casual and above all fun! We also wanted to get as many family and friends involved to use their various talents and DIY a lot of things. My Mum made the cake, which I helped with, which was served as dessert. And Dad made the guest book with wooden cover. My sister did our makeup and brother played the guitar at the ceremony. I also got a friend to do the photography for us, which was fantastic!
Our favourite season is Autumn and the colours of Autumn were our inspiration for a theme. Steve has always wanted a paisley shirt so we decided it was the perfect event for one. I ended up making it as we couldn't find one in the right Autumn colours. So his shirt became the starting point for a colour palette. Finding my dress became a bit stressful as I didn't want white but it couldn't clash with Steve's shirt. Just before I was gearing myself up to make my dress I found one!
I wanted the bridal party to be mismatched so we told the bridesmaids and groomsmen to wear autumny colours and actually didn't see everyone together until the day. But it absolutely all worked together and everyone looked fantastic.
The ceremony was in a clearing next to the river, as we both love the river. My step-Dad mismatched painted some vintage chairs for the ceremony, which looked great and suited the theme.
We had a champagne fountain at the ceremony, which my parents organised, that worked so well! All the guests then took a glass to cheers to the newly weds and got to keep the gold rimmed champagne saucers. We also got stubby holders as gifts for the guests that could be used throughout the night.
I of course did all the graphic design elements involved (save the dates, invites, table numbers, mad libs, song requests). I made our bouquets from scrap fabric with my mother in law, which was fun and they all turned out fantastically!
The tables had simple hessian table runners with billy buttons I collected from the side of the road and brown beer bottles from Steve's beer brewing collection. I collaged pictures of us for the table numbers that corresponded to each year we have been together. I also made cassette style song requests slips and mad libs with an I spy game and hashtag on the back, which were lots of fun to read the next day. We also had pens on the tables made by my Pop who couldn't come as he is in a nursing home.
We started the day with 5km Parkrun, a tradition we both do every Saturday. Dressed in bride and groom sweat bands, t-shirt tux and veil we were joined by some of the wedding guests. A great start to a fantastic day! The weather, the people, the talent... I think we accomplished our aim for a fun wedding from the champagne fountain to the mad libs and DJ into the night. It really was all perfect!!
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| Save the Date |
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| Invite: I wanted all the information in one rather than loose pieces. So I created a 3-fold booklet with our thumbprints in a heart on the front, our story, timeline and map inside and RSVP on the back |
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| Homemade fabric bouquet, bridesmaids bouquet and my shoes, which I painted gold and added ribbon to. |
The Day
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| Parkrun finish with streamers and silly string guard of honour |
Ceremony
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| Ceremony spot |
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| Champagne fountain |
Reception
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| Bellybutton centre piece, Menu board I wrote, Seating chart and stubby holder gifts |
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| Table numbers corresponding to years we've been together |
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Place cards- the cherry blossoms (as we got engaged in Japan) continued over the back.
The cherry blossoms were also on the guestbook. |
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| Mad Libs, I spy and song request slips |
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| Guestbook by Dad and cards suitcase |
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| Photo Booth props I put together in a suitcase |
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| Cake by Mum |
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| We got our sister in law to run the shoe game |
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| First dance to Huey Lewis Power of Love |
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| Sparkler Send-off |
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| Wedding cards I made into a booklet using hessian string to thread through each one to the spine. |
