Weddings by Song of My Heart: Burlap & Blooms

It was my honor and delight to assist with the wedding of one of the pastors' daughters in our church this past weekend. While I was not the head coordinator for the event, I was able to help make the signage and several decor pieces that really helped personalize Alysha and Todd's special day. Their theme was burlap and cornflower blue, with white and blue hydrangeas, peachy peonies, and pale yellow roses. It was a simply gorgeous day for an outdoor ceremony, and although the breeze got a little rambunctious on us, everything went very smoothly.

(All photos by author except those courtesy of Pamela Stevens Chowanec, 6/14/14)

One super cute (and very thrifty) idea was to cover the folding chairs with a wrap made of a square of plastic tablecloth, folded into a triangle, placed over the chair back and the ends tied into a bow. It was a wonderful way to inexpensively camoflauge less-than-elegant seating. A local family with an apple orchard made the rustic wooden arch, and old dressers, wooden crates, windows, and antique sewing machine tables were cleverly used for little vignettes and for the guest book and gift tables.

Under lead decorator Ann Bolton's supervision, we came up with a list of signs that needed to be made, and after a couple rounds on Pinterest, I took off running. We had burlap banners, canvas banners, kraft cardstock banners, and a even chalkboard pennant banner. I also made directional arrows, welcome signs, and stenciled, burlap-covered hanging boards over each food and beverage station. Both Ann and I brought multiple pieces from our own homes, like this free-standing chalkboard rack that I use for craft shows, and vintage frames and chalk-art signs from my kitchen.

The invitations for the big day set the tone for the event, with kraft cardstock and envelopes and a hand-torn edge around the printed insert. A twine loveknot was the perfect embellishment, and a little cornflower blue ink sponged around the edges added interest.

The room dividers that we used to help funnel the guests out to the back of the church towards the wooded area were the perfect place to hang some of the banners as well as photographs of the couple clipped to a twine clothesline.

Ann made a huge number of burlap flowers, and the main centerpieces were Mason jars full of flowers with curly twigs, resting on disks of wood cut into thin slabs. Rustic wooden photo frames tied with twine accented the tables. I also made canvas labels for the beverage dispensers, and tags to tie around the Mason jars that held the girls' bouqets during the reception. This wedding was full of tiny little touches that came together to make a one-of-a-kind event.

Everyone agreed the day was simple, God-honoring, and sweet, which suited Alysha and Todd perfectly.

If you are interested in an event by Song of My Heart, or know someone who might love help with creating their own invitations or favors, please let me know. I have lots of experience with stationery and special events with anywhere from 20-200 people or more. I love weddings and would be happy to assist you at any level that you desire help.

Update: At this point Weddings by Song of My Heart is only accepting personal friends, members of my church, and family members as wedding clients. Thank you for understanding.