The basics

So our original plan started out a lot more rustic than our final plan is ending up. It helps to know the wedding location. We were initially going to have our ceremony outdoors in front of a red barn on the mill's property and then go indoors for the reception. However, we started attending this wonderful, quaint little church, and we just felt so at home that we decided to hold the ceremony there. On the plus side for me, it has eliminated the worrisome logistics of setting up a ceremony site (renting chairs, setting up the aisle so you don't see the parking lot in the pics of me walking down, making a rain plan, etc.).

So now we will be married in this great church by a priest we love, take a few pictures, and then head off to the reception (for more pictures--and then the party). :) The drive is about 20 minutes, which is a little far, but at least the directions are fairly straightforward. We initially thought about providing transportation for the guests to the reception, but it just wasn't in our budget (the hotel is close to the ceremony but not to the reception). The wedding party, however, will be riding in style in a ginormous limo bus thing. Transportation tip--when inviting people to be in your wedding party, keep in mind that standard limos only hold 8-10 people. Fourteen attendants + bride and groom = ginormous limo bus thing.

The mill has a really great setup for a wedding reception. The main floor can hold up to 150 people (we are inviting about 125), and the lower level opens outdoors to the canal and river--the perfect place for an indoor/outdoor cocktail hour. The plan is for cocktails, seated dinner, and dancing (DJ). I did have some concerns about the mill being a sort of non-traditional wedding venue. They frequently have weddings, and their rental company has someone on site the day of to arrange the setup, etc., but I was concerned about someone being there to coordinate all the personal touches and DIY projects that I am entertaining. So we ended up hiring a day of coordinator--Jeannine McKnight of Jean Louise Design (I think her new website is under construction). Jeannine has been great so far, her prices are reasonable, and she has given me awesome peace of mind.

Here are two pictures that sort of inspired and set the tone for the reception (both from The Knot):
This centerpiece has basically been the inspiration for our entire reception decor. I love it. I love the casual garden feel, I love that the little pots of herbs can double as favors, I love the rustic wooden box. Love. It.

I will post more about recreating this look later.











Unfortunately, the reception is basically indoors, so no trees for hanging mason jars like this. We will have them filled with flowers though--on the cocktail tables, in the bathrooms, maybe on the windowsills, possibly at the ceremony. Our florist has some cool old blue ones that he will be using, and I'll probably buy a case of them for candle holders at the church and other assorted DIY touches.






Okay, so I guess next I will try to put together some more structured posts like I have seen other girls do (i.e. dress, flowers, cake, paper, etc.). That will probably be more helpful than the stream of consciousness that this appears to be. :)