Wedding Week :: DIYs & Details

To say that a lot of time was spent doing projects before our wedding is a complete lie. 100% inaccurate, false statement, not even close. The truth is, we spend an absurd amount of time doing projects. For weeks months our apartment was packed with craft materials, every night was met with twine and glue, and Doug was definitely confused on whether he was marrying Martha Stewart or little ‘ol me.

In hindsight, I probably fretted about those little details a little too much. But, to be honest, I wouldn’t have changed a thing. The details are what make something complete, and our wedding was filled with lots of DIY, rustic {and cost effective!} touches that felt personal and unique.

The centerpieces were one of my favorite parts of the decor as they had lots of love that went into them. Every table had a wooden slab, cut by my step-father, covered in moss. Flowers in vases, mason jars and glass holders filled the center, each with summertime wild flowers the colors of the wedding. The table numbers were wine bottles, de-labeled by Doug and I, with handwritten numbers written in gold marker. Placed throughout the table were gold candle holders found on a bargain by my mom. Every guest had a place card that was handwritten by myself, along with a single-stemmed wild flower beneath.

On the ceiling of the tent, there were string lights, vintage chandeliers {Swing by tomorrow to see glimpses of those} and white Chinese lanterns that Doug and the groomsmen hung the day prior. The result was a perfectly whimsical ambiance that added a fun touch to the reception.

When guests first entered the reception tent, there was a favor table complete with flip flips, champagne Pashmina scarves, the “guest book” and a wine barrel card holder with “Doug & Emily Charron” on the front. The flip flops were wrapped in twine and held in vintage pop bottle holders that Doug and I found in a Wisconsin barn sale. In between the holders was a sign that said, “A little treat for your dancing feet.” The scarves, also wrapped in twine, had kraft paper labels made by the same printer who made all our wedding invitations and print needs. They said, “Wrap yourself up with love. And take it home with you!” and were found not only on the favor table but at the place setting of every woman guest at the wedding. For the men, we had a cigar bar and personalized “The Perfect Match” matches from Etsy.

Our “guest book” was not a traditional book but rather hand-ripped sheets of cloth paper with a sign saying, “Please share your love lessons to live by.” To help guests think of ideas, little pieces of advice surrounded the main sign, containing love lessons such as “Enjoy the little moments” and “Be kind.” We loved going through all the guest “lessons” later on – some were really emotional, and some were absolutely hysterical.

At each bar there were signs displaying our signature drink, Whiskey and Ginger, with gold chevron straws in milk jar vases.

One detail that {so sadly!} wasn’t snapped at the reception was the window frame that Doug and I reclaimed, painted, and wrote all the guest names on for them to find their table number. Luckily, we grabbed a few photos {A post on creating this DIY is coming soon!} as we made it, and below is a little preview of the sign that stood on wooden slabs just outside the reception tent entryway.

…And there you have it! Little details and DIY touches from our wedding day.

Swing by tomorrow for a peek inside the wedding reception, which includes Doug closing out the night playing the drums with the live band!