My sister's reception took place in the Draper Day Barn. It's a historic barn that is now rented out for events. The inside is lots of wood on walls and rafters, with some corrugated steel on the bottom half of the walls. It was a perfect blank canvas for the rustic wedding my sister wanted. Her colors were a bit unusual: purple and orange, but in all shades, from lavender to eggplant and deep orange to peach.
Lighting
Overhead, I strung white lights (thank you Black Friday sale at Lowe's) and two kinds of lanterns. Little jars made from baby food jars and wire, and tin cans I punched holes in and painted. Battery powered tea lights
went into each of them. The overall effect was exactly what I was going for. The barn has three sets of light, a set on the sides of the barn below the eaves, a set of bright metal lights hanging from the ceiling, and a set of dim lights with fans. We were able to use just the side lights and the dim lights with the fans, and the white lights and lanterns provided enough additional light to create the perfect ambient lighting.
went into each of them. The overall effect was exactly what I was going for. The barn has three sets of light, a set on the sides of the barn below the eaves, a set of bright metal lights hanging from the ceiling, and a set of dim lights with fans. We were able to use just the side lights and the dim lights with the fans, and the white lights and lanterns provided enough additional light to create the perfect ambient lighting.
Tables
My sister ordered tablecloths in lavender
and chair sashes in eggplant organza
from Linen Tablecloth. She had three events (a reception here and two open houses in Alaska), so it was cheaper to buy them than rent, and this way she can sell them after to recoup some of the cost. Then the centerpieces! First was a 24 by 24 inch square of burlap
, with multiple layers of 18 by 18 inch peach tulle
layered on top.
Then an unfinished frame
I stained and embellished, a tin can punched with their initials and painted, an embellished mason jar holding flowers, and a log tea light holder (free firewood we spotted on the way home from church one Sunday! I just drilled holes in the top and voila!).
My sister's photographer (Elisabeth Kate Photography, they were fabulous) was kind enough to send me a quick edit from her wedding day to display at the reception. So I got another thrift store frame, painted it white and glazed it. Another unfinished frame I stained and embellished, and one of the log candle holders (which is mysteriously without candles in this photo...).
The Thank You sign is built out of cheap cedar fence slats and Liquid Nails Construction Adhesive
. I then used my Silhouette 
to cut out a stencil (Liorah font). Here's where a mistake happened. I tried to spray paint the lettering on with the stencil using flat white paint. It was dreadful. It didn't really work. And it bled. So then I just got black acrylic paint
and dabbed it on using a foam brush. The result: something imperfect. But I figured since the wedding theme was rustic, it worked!
The basket is a random one I've had for years...and used for all three of our siblings' weddings! Another stained and embellished unfinished frame, and their important dates on burlap. (Don't you worry, I'll tell you all about printing on burlap in the follow-up wedding post!)
Video Table
Just a few feet over from the gift table was the table set up with a TV showing a slideshow/video of Andrea and Brandon's lives and courtship. Cute and unique to them, but pretty standard stuff. :) On one side was a mason jar of flowers and a stained and embellished unfinished frame. On the other was a log candle holder and this beauty:
Their relationship by the numbers, printed on lace.
(Don't worry, I'll get to that too!)
Food tables
My sister chose to have a hot chocolate and ice cream bar and mini cupcakes. I'm seriously annoyed at myself for failing to take good photos of the whole set-up BEFORE the carnage, but what can you do.
Eggplant tablecloth (and lavender tablecloth over the ice cream machine stand) with a burlap banner again.
Over the table, I hung stenciled wood signs (made from cedar fence slats).
Toppings for both ice cream and hot chocolate.
I scoured the cans for the toppings with soap and hot water by hand, then sent them through the dishwasher for good measure and towel dried them to make sure no rust popped up! Then I embellished them and popped them into Ziplocs to keep them clean until they held food.
The faux chalkboard tags I cut out with my Silhouette and my sister labeled them with a white Sharpie
. Then I clipped them onto the cans with mini clothespins
I had painted in her wedding colors.
I wrapped empty boxes in white butcher paper followed by tulle, then trimmed with burlap and ribbon. These allowed the toppings to be at staggered height so they could be reached more easily.
And the crowning jewel! My 6 year old son is quite the little artist, and he drew a picture for my sister a few months before the wedding. She loved it so much she asked to have it framed and used at the reception. :)
Over at the cupcake table (delicious mini cupcakes from The Cocoa Bean Cafe), another eggplant tablecloth with burlap banner (that I forgot to take a photo of) and three-tiered cupcake stands. I built those. With some help from my husband whenever my head was filling with curse words. Yep, they were a challenge. And oh so imperfect! But I just stuck the ugly spots on the back side and called it a day.
Displayed on the cupcake table were generational photos from both bride's and groom's families. Just another personal touch. More thrift store frames painted.
Sign-in/Photobooth
We had a whole table of props (like the chalkboard which my kids LOVED) and everyone really got into it and had fun. We've got the photos to prove it.
And there were some details outside that didn't get photographed. The walkway lined with lighted punched cans like those hanging from the rafters. And a rustic wood sign saying A & B, much like the Thank You sign, but staked into the ground. Sigh. Still kicking myself for missing the photos on that!
And if you're looking for more wedding ideas, check out the other two weddings I've done! M&M and B&H
and chair sashes in eggplant organza from Linen Tablecloth. She had three events (a reception here and two open houses in Alaska), so it was cheaper to buy them than rent, and this way she can sell them after to recoup some of the cost. Then the centerpieces! First was a 24 by 24 inch square of burlap, with multiple layers of 18 by 18 inch peach tulle layered on top.Then an unfinished frame
I stained and embellished, a tin can punched with their initials and painted, an embellished mason jar holding flowers, and a log tea light holder (free firewood we spotted on the way home from church one Sunday! I just drilled holes in the top and voila!).
One last detail my sister really wanted was a get-to-know Andrea and Brandon quiz of sorts. I didn't have the time to do what I really wanted to with this, so I just ended up printing it out on white cardstock. I divided the questions into four parts, and placed one of the four quizzes on each corner of the centerpiece of each table. I thought it was a fun way for those friends of the bride to get to know the groom a little, and vice versa.
Gift table
Off to the left as the guests entered was the gift table. Eggplant tablecloth with burlap banner.
 |
| Isn't the fire extinguisher a nice touch.....sigh..... |
I stained and embellished, and one of the log candle holders (which is mysteriously without candles in this photo...).. I then used my Silhouette to cut out a stencil (Liorah font). Here's where a mistake happened. I tried to spray paint the lettering on with the stencil using flat white paint. It was dreadful. It didn't really work. And it bled. So then I just got black acrylic paint and dabbed it on using a foam brush. The result: something imperfect. But I figured since the wedding theme was rustic, it worked!, and their important dates on burlap. (Don't you worry, I'll tell you all about printing on burlap in the follow-up wedding post!)Just a few feet over from the gift table was the table set up with a TV showing a slideshow/video of Andrea and Brandon's lives and courtship. Cute and unique to them, but pretty standard stuff. :) On one side was a mason jar of flowers and a stained and embellished unfinished frame
. On the other was a log candle holder and this beauty:(Don't worry, I'll get to that too!)
Food tables
My sister chose to have a hot chocolate and ice cream bar and mini cupcakes. I'm seriously annoyed at myself for failing to take good photos of the whole set-up BEFORE the carnage, but what can you do.
Eggplant tablecloth (and lavender tablecloth over the ice cream machine stand) with a burlap banner again.
Over the table, I hung stenciled wood signs (made from cedar fence slats).
The faux chalkboard tags I cut out with my Silhouette
and my sister labeled them with a white Sharpie. Then I clipped them onto the cans with mini clothespins I had painted in her wedding colors.And the crowning jewel! My 6 year old son is quite the little artist, and he drew a picture for my sister a few months before the wedding. She loved it so much she asked to have it framed and used at the reception. :)
Last but not least...the part that was the most important to my sister: the Photobooth.
My sister got an app for her tablet, and then using a tripod adapter, we stuck the tablet on a tripod.
My sweet husband agreed to run the booth. :)
The back barn door was cute and white, so we used that as the background with a large A & B banner across.
The two part steps were: Grab a Prop and Strike a Pose! and then Give Us Some of Your Best Marriage Advice.
And there were some details outside that didn't get photographed. The walkway lined with lighted punched cans like those hanging from the rafters. And a rustic wood sign saying A & B, much like the Thank You sign, but staked into the ground. Sigh. Still kicking myself for missing the photos on that!
So that's that! As always, feel free to email me at diykindagirl@hotmail.com with any questions you have. I'll be back to explain a few things more in depth (like printing on burlap and lace), and to talk about my sister's bridal accessories. Stay tuned!
And if you're looking for more wedding ideas, check out the other two weddings I've done! M&M and B&H
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, I actually didn't like it that much. I DID, however, REALLY like this book. Both the historical context and the mystery of the story fascinated me. I have only read two of Kate Morton's (though I have another sitting on my bookshelf!); I definitely want to read more.
