A walk down memory lane with wedding DIYs

anniversary and birthday high I wanted to share a few of my favorite DIY projects from our wedding.  For those of you who don’t know, we were engaged and married in less then 3 months! We really wanted to share our vows and become Mr. and Mrs. before Geoff deployed for 12 months to Afghanistan…so off to the planning board we went! You’d think that 3 months hardly seems like enough time to ‘throw’ together a dream wedding, but with the help of my family and God’s perfect timing everything came together more beautifully then I could have even prayed for.

Along with the planning came some creativity and DIY projects I really loved designing and crafting together.  Thankfully I had the help and vision of my talented florist, photographer and venue coordinator to help my projects come alive! I really wanted to have special mementoes and pieces incorporated into our wedding ceremony and reception. Not only did I want the day to be special for us and our guests, but I wanted to know I had taken special care to add personal touches of my own.

Since Geoff and I met that one special night (cough) at a bar watching our Auburn Tigers continue their winning streak and onto a National Championship, I wanted to tie in subtleties of our school into our big day. We decided to start with soft tones of orange, coral, navy and white into our bridal party, flowers, and decor. I didn’t want it to scream Auburn, but I wanted the idea of how we met to incorporate the day we said ‘I do’.

Our bridal party –

The Bridesmaids – To tie in the ‘orange’ my bridesmaids and I chose this eye-catching coral color.

The Groomsmen – The groomsmen were suited well in a classic navy blazer and dress slacks, with coordinating ties chosen by the Groom.

Bridesmaids gift – DIY pearl necklace

I wanted to do something special and creative to show these girls how much I love them, and how much it meant that they were spending this day with Geoff and me. The day wouldn’t have been as full of love and joy without them there to celebrate with us. So, with the help of my groom, I strung together this custom pearl necklace for all the Bridesmaids and flower girls in our wedding party. I’m no professional jewelry maker, by any means, but I think we managed to pull off a wearable accessory for the ladies. 🙂

Materials-
Lots of pearls! With a few discount codes and coupons I was able to score enough pearls in varying sizes from Michaels (Hobby Lobby also has a good selection)
Flexible beading wire
Lobster claw clasp
Crimp beads
Jewelry pliers (I just used regular Needle-Nose pliers)
Wire cutters

The flowers – Arlene’s Designs in Jacksonville, FL

Arlene and her team were absolutely amazing! She patiently (and quickly) designed a room with me at the beautiful San Jose Country Club. Together we chose the floral arrangements, center pieces, table settings, linens, lighting, and custom ceiling drapes to make the room a romantic oasis that was ready for a party!

The shoes and jewelry –

This was such a remarkable and noteworthy gesture from a dear friend, Sharlie, who’s husband allowed me to wear this stunning necklace and earrings just for my wedding day.  It meant so much to me and really added that extra sparkle. Special thanks to Sharlie and Brad at Harby Jewelers in Jacksonville, FL!! and what girl doesn’t love some French footwear from Christian Louboutin??! Unfortunately, he’s a little pricey for this bride’s budget so I was able to score these knock-offs to strut around in under my lacy gown.

The signature drink for cocktail hour – Tiger Tini

The head bartender at San Jose Country Club met with my mom and I to help us create this delicious drink for guests to enjoy during the cocktail hour…we called it the Tiger Tini (naturally).

DIY cocktail stirs –

Materials:
Martha Stewart 1″ and 2″ circle paper punch
Card stock
Avery 1″ round labels
Craft sticks

DIY curly willow branches and family table –

To get to where we are, I wanted to remember where we came from so I created this family table for guests to enjoy pictures of our families and loved ones.

DIY table numbers –

I wanted our guests to be a part of our love for Auburn and how we met, so I created each table number with a memorable location, street name or land mark around Auburn’s campus. Table 1 was set up family style and name ‘The Bucketshop’ for the Auburn bar where we met.

Materials –
Decorative double-sided card stock

Grooms cake – Tasty Toilet Paper Rolls!

As the southern tradition goes, the grooms cake is incorporated into the reception as a unique addition for the groom to feel especially loved.  Again, tieing in our love for Auburn, I wanted to surprise Geoff with something special, so I scoured the web for inspiration, sketched out a few ideas and came up with these ‘tasty toilet paper rolls’! It’s a play off our beloved Auburn Toomer’s Trees and the ‘rolling Toomer’s’ tradition that began decades ago. {We even had this bush potted, decorated, and trimmed to look like the Toomer’s Oaks by our Photographer Theresa Child!}

The late night snack – AU grilled-cheese

We wanted our guests to leave feeling full of happy times and good food, so before our send off we passed around these custom-made AU grilled cheeses for them to enjoy! My mom already had this AU cookie cutter and the chefs at San Jose were happy to cook these up and cut them out for us!

The send off – AU shakers

What other way to have a send off then for our guests to shake these authentic J&M Bookstore orange and blue shakers over the Mr. and Mrs.?! It was the perfect way to end a perfect day.

11/05/11 was such a special day. I loved creating these memorable DIY projects…and all of this was done in less then 3 months! Who says you need a year to plan for your big day, ey?? All you need is a little love, support, and creative DIYs to get your through it and enjoy the process. 🙂

Thanks for reading and sharing these special mementoes and DIYs with me from our special day!

Lemons to Love,

Lindsay

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