So I took the dish holding the preserved leaves off to have a look at them yesterday and, well, I'm not sure what I did wrong, but they look horrible. They are soft and supple now, but instead of the bright fall colors I was hoping for, they're covered in horrible brown spots. Not the ideal for a beautiful centerpiece. I think silk leaves might be the only option.
We could also do a centerpiece with only candles. There are so many beautiful and inspirational photos out there. Right now I'm considering just a vase with a floating candle and maybe some flowers or fall leaves (not preserved, but gathered closer to the wedding day perhaps?) in the bottom of the vases.
In any case, I'm right back at the very beginning, but one option I hadn't considered and just read about, is potted mums. They are easy to find this time of year, and I can hide the pot in some pretty tulle and dress it up with ribbon. I can surround the table with tealights which will lend the romantic look I was hoping for, and it would be a very green option. I like the idea of pumpkin or apple cinnamon scented tealights to add something special to the wedding. While I'm not too thrilled about the situation, and may try my hand at preserving the leaves again, it is good to have another option to run by Tim!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Thoughts of Centerpieces
One of the most expensive things we've decided to make ourselves is the centerpieces. Floral arrangements were out of question from the beginning due to cost and then we briefly considered renting candleabras from our venue. At $35 a pop, it didn't seem too bad, but when you consider that we have at least 15 tables to do, that adds up fast. Our entire goal in making our centerpieces now is to get each one under $35.
We don't have a clear idea as to what specifically we'll do, but we have some ideas as to what we want to incorporate. Candles are a definite plus and I read somewhere (I wish I could remember where!) that Ikea drinking glasses are a cheap alternative to candle holders. Ikea also has wonderful candles at a much better price than most other places. Instead of spending a lot of money on a basket or scattering the centerpiece over the table, we plan on placing the candleholder on a glass plate from Ikea. The plates are about .99 a pop and we can use them after the wedding as well.
On the plates and around the candleholders we have a plethora of ideas, including floral foam filled with fall leaves and cheaper grocery store flowers. For a while we've been debating between fresh and silk leaves and luckily yesterday my glycerin came in the mail, so we'll preserve some leaves and see how those look. So far the leaves I chose seem a little brown in places, but they had dried up a bit while waiting for the glycerin to arrive. I was impressed, however, at how quickly they went back to suppleness once placed in the solution (2 parts water, 1 part glycerin. Make sure to use another dish to press the leaves into the mixture). I think that this weekend we'll head to the park to gather some fresher leaves in order to see if the result is somewhat better.
In any case, there's plenty of time to keep trying and experimenting with different centerpieces! 374 days to go!
We don't have a clear idea as to what specifically we'll do, but we have some ideas as to what we want to incorporate. Candles are a definite plus and I read somewhere (I wish I could remember where!) that Ikea drinking glasses are a cheap alternative to candle holders. Ikea also has wonderful candles at a much better price than most other places. Instead of spending a lot of money on a basket or scattering the centerpiece over the table, we plan on placing the candleholder on a glass plate from Ikea. The plates are about .99 a pop and we can use them after the wedding as well.
On the plates and around the candleholders we have a plethora of ideas, including floral foam filled with fall leaves and cheaper grocery store flowers. For a while we've been debating between fresh and silk leaves and luckily yesterday my glycerin came in the mail, so we'll preserve some leaves and see how those look. So far the leaves I chose seem a little brown in places, but they had dried up a bit while waiting for the glycerin to arrive. I was impressed, however, at how quickly they went back to suppleness once placed in the solution (2 parts water, 1 part glycerin. Make sure to use another dish to press the leaves into the mixture). I think that this weekend we'll head to the park to gather some fresher leaves in order to see if the result is somewhat better.
In any case, there's plenty of time to keep trying and experimenting with different centerpieces! 374 days to go!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
The Beginning
A little over a month ago, Tim and I got engaged. We have our venue booked, a beautiful southern plantation up in northern Maryland near Gettysburg. When we saw the cost of the venue, we nearly had a heart attack, but it was too late, we had already fallen in love with the location. We were going to have to use nearly all of the budget allotted us from my parents on the venue, so everything else we'd have to pay for ourselves.
Here's where the art of DIY comes in. I've always loved doing crafts, so my wedding seemed like the perfect opportunity to make some beautiful and unique things. I'm determined that our wedding will be gorgeous and personal. We're getting married next fall, so all of the projects we're planning have a distinct fall theme to go along with that. We're taking our colors from fall leaves and at the moment I have a box in my living room full of wine, gold, eggplant, rust, and brown ribbons ready for crafting.
I'm a little overwhelmed just not at the amount that has to be done, despite the time we have to do it in. I'm also working on handmade Christmas gifts for my family and fiance as well as starting a new job. Right now I'm convinced that no bride is complete without a wedding planning binder full of pockets for all the samples you get and make, as well as a notebook or loose leaf paper so that you can write down every single detail that pops into your head. I guarantee that the second you stop thinking about it, when something else comes up, there's a decent chance you will forget.
I'm so excited to share our wedding and all of the personal touches we come up with and make ourselves over the course of the next 12 months. 375 days to go!
Here's where the art of DIY comes in. I've always loved doing crafts, so my wedding seemed like the perfect opportunity to make some beautiful and unique things. I'm determined that our wedding will be gorgeous and personal. We're getting married next fall, so all of the projects we're planning have a distinct fall theme to go along with that. We're taking our colors from fall leaves and at the moment I have a box in my living room full of wine, gold, eggplant, rust, and brown ribbons ready for crafting.
I'm a little overwhelmed just not at the amount that has to be done, despite the time we have to do it in. I'm also working on handmade Christmas gifts for my family and fiance as well as starting a new job. Right now I'm convinced that no bride is complete without a wedding planning binder full of pockets for all the samples you get and make, as well as a notebook or loose leaf paper so that you can write down every single detail that pops into your head. I guarantee that the second you stop thinking about it, when something else comes up, there's a decent chance you will forget.
I'm so excited to share our wedding and all of the personal touches we come up with and make ourselves over the course of the next 12 months. 375 days to go!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)