Rented ninety-inch rounds and high boy tables were sprinkled throughout the spacious back yard, leading down to the lake. We rented most of the pieces to furnish the space since we were at a private residence, but actually ended up purchasing the table cloths from Smarty Had a Party because they were cheaper to buy. After the wedding, we washed the linens, saved a few, and sold the rest on Craig's List to a gal who does events locally. It was a total win-win, and I encourage brides (or anyone hosting a soiree) to do some leg work to ensure you're getting a fair deal. (We ended up getting back 70% of the purchase price for the linens, and saved over half of what we would have spent to rent.)
Our centerpieces were assembled by the floral ninjas (my bridesmaids), and we repurposed the vases from a previous event at the residence. Inspired by this image on Pinterest, we opted for a few white hydrangeas and baby's breath to create a romantic, vintage-y focal point, that was also below eye level to encourage conversation amongst our guests. Linen runners (which we cut and treated ourselves) were secured at each end with raffia, and we also sold those after the wedding via CL to a gal who does events for a local church.
Menu cards (handmade by my step-sis!), frosted votives (from Amazon), and wedding favors joined the floral arrangements to make the tables feel dressed, since we keep all the plates and cups, etc. inside until dinner was served (we opted for a buffet). Our favors were little glass apothecary jars filled with coffee beans (just enough for french press for two!) from our favorite local roaster, Buon Giorno, tied with a message from us on these sweet gift tags we found on Etsy.
Y'all, I have to confess: I was a bad party hostess. I spent very little time making the rounds. It's unfortunate, really, because we had family and friends who came in from all over the place (even "local" guests had an average drive of 45 minutes since we were relatively remote at our lakeside locale). But I made the decision before the Big Day to actually enjoy all the planning we had done. I wanted to eat the amazing food that we had taken such care in selecting, and I wanted to dance to the playlist that we spent months working on. I wanted to be part of my wedding, not just float through it. So I ate. A lot. And I danced. A lot
Our first dance was awesome. I literally felt like we were the only two people in that moment...which could have been potentially awkward for the hundred or so people staring at us. But it was so sweet, and we couldn't help but sing to each other every word of The Civil Wars rendition of "Dance Me to the End of Love."
And our silly talented friend (and hubby to my MOH), Lincoln Durham, played Ray LaMontagne's "Hold You in My Arms" to kick off the dancing portion of the evening after dinner was served. (We also had some live music during our ceremony, which I will share with y'all soon, that included a huge surprise from my beloved. It's rough being surrounded by insane talent, let me tell you.)
We opted out of some of the traditional reception moments (such as the father-daughter dance), so I was really touched when our DJ played "Dream a Little Dream of Me" by Mama Cass while I was dancing with my dad in the midst of the reception. I couldn't have picked a more perfect song, and it was such a cool, organic moment with Dadoo.
The single ladies lined up to catch the bouquet (well, a toss bouquet made by the floral ninjas...I couldn't part with my bridal bouquet) while "I've Got This Friend" by The Civil Wars filled the cove, and my garter (handmade by my dad's gf) was removed by my handsome hubby to "Howlin' for You" by The Black Keys.
M and I had our own private table for dinner (yes, I splurged on chiavari chairs just for us...busted), and I have to tell you, being able to share our first dinner date as husband and wife in this cozy little space was absolutely a moment I will never forget. It allowed us to stay connected (which is something I hear so many brides and grooms struggle with in big, elaborate receptions), to savor every little detail, and to let it sink in that we were finally Mr. & Mrs. I highly recommend it.
We scheduled it out so that we could grab our food and eat while everyone else was making their way through the buffet, so it was a natural break in the evening that allowed us to spend some time together, just one-on-one. The next few hours were a blissful blur of laughter, happy tears, heartfelt "thank you"s to everyone who contributed to this amazing gathering, and a whole lot of white-girl dance moves.
All photos by: Kim Hayes Photography (DFW)
Venue: Private residence in Granbury, TX
Rentals: Celebration Event Rentals
{More of our wedding details}
If you feel moved to Pin any of these images, please be so kind as to link back to this site, or at the very least credit Kim Hayes for the photography. She's so talented and these images should carry her with them.
what a beautiful post, you look stunning!
ReplyDeleteI was here recently as a photographer at a wedding. There was a small intimate bar next to the main hall and a nice covered patio area just outside a series of double doors on one side.
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