Posts tagged ‘wedding’

April 11th, 2012

DIY Project: Herb Hostess Gift

I’m super excited today to share a brand new contributor to Middle of the Map Weddings.  I met Laura last summer when we brainstormed with Ashley about doing a shoot together.  She’s a super talented gal, and has her own blog A Girl Who Makes, where she shares all kinds of DIY projects.  It’s definitely one to add to your reading list.  Find out more about Laura in our Contributor section, and here’s her first project for Middle of the Map Weddings.

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Hello! A huge thank you to Emily for having me today. I am excited to share with you a simple, yet clever DIY idea that can be used as a hostess gift, bridesmaids gift or wedding favor. This potted herb gift is versatile and very easy to put together.

Materials needed: potting soil, 8” ribbon or yarn, small pair of scissors, coffee mug (the one shown is from anthropologie), an herb (the one shown is chive).

Step 1:  Place about 1” of potting soil into the bottom of your mug.

Step Two: Plant the herb into the mug and fill the remaining space in the mug with potting soil. Gently press the soil into the mug to secure the herb. You want the herb to have a snug fit.

Step Three: Trim the herb plant to your desired length and shape. In this case, the chive was a bit long, which made it bend, so I decided to trim it to about 12” so it would stand up straight.

Step 4: Using the ribbon, tie a pair of small scissors to the handle of the mug.

There you have it! A planted herb in a mug. These could be given as shown, or loosely tied up in cellophane for easier transport.

CategoryContributors, DIY Projects, Inspiration | Comment1 Comment »

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April 10th, 2012

Inspiration: Ashley and Tom’s 10 Year Vow Renewal

I’m sure I’ve said it before, but one of my favorite things about writing Middle of the Map Weddings is getting a chance to be inspired by, and connect with so many talented vendors across the midwest.  Ashley submitted her 10 year vow renewal ceremony to me, and I was blown away by her sweet event.  I think that it’s wonderful, not only because the flowers and styling are right on point, but also because it’s a real ceremony, with real people, and real emotion.  I’ve really enjoyed connecting with Ashley, and her love for all things beautiful, and local, and shared her work in a Featured Vendor post as well.  So without further ado here’s her and her husband Tom’s lovely 10 Year Vowel Renewal:

Backyard ceremony

Who, What, Where ~ Location: Tom and Ashley’s backyard.  Photos: Red Bird Hills.  Flowers: Ashley Fox Designs.  Dress: Alexia Admor, NY.  Shoes and coat: Thrift store/vintage.  Tom’s suit: Joseph Abboud.

10 year vow renewal.

Backyard arbor ceremony.

Handmade ceremony programs.

Apple pie and fall flowers.

10 year vow renewal ceremony.

Acorns and rings.

Gorgeous coral, orange, and burgundy bouquet.

Ashley and Tom.

From Ashley…

We were married at the Arboretum in 2001 in front of 150 friends and family, but we chose to have a vow renewal at our home in the gardens that was small and very personal.  Our best man, Brian Harvey, created and officiated a heartwarming, nostalgic, and emotional ceremony. Leah Vestmark, my creative, beautiful, and funny college buddy designed a “commemorate the day” program.  It capture the spirit of our family and the home, gardens, and backyard chicken coop Tom and I have built together.

My husband Tom, and excellent baker, made the “Perfect 10″ apple pie and everyone said it was the best pie ever.  Our children Evelyn, and Lucas had a great time running around and enjoying the autumn day, and couldn’t wait to eat the pie of course.  Tom surprised me earlier in August with a diamond anniversary band to celebrate our 10 years of marriage, “I couldn’t wait” he said.

We used our cake cutter, server, and the crystal champagne glasses from our wedding day, and a much more toned down drink of cider instead of champagne.  Our wedding was beautiful and special 10 years ago, but the vows we spoke on our renewal meant so much more, and we had more fun with them too.  ”Ashley, I promise to love you even though you drive too fast,” and “Tom, I promise to love you even though you cannot point direction North if your life depended on it.”

CategoryDIY Projects, Inspiration, Minnesota | Comment2 Comments »

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March 20th, 2012

Inspiration: Eclectic Hay Loft Wedding

Spring is definitely all around us, but I couldn’t see any reason not to share one last winter inspiration shoot, especially one as lovely and detailed as this one.  Shot by the talented Erin Johnson, and styled by Carly of Girl Friday (a wedding PR business), this post is packed full of so many great ideas.  Here’s a bit more from Erin about the shoot, and it’s inspiration:

I asked Carly, from Girl Friday, to set-up an inspiration shoot. I told her I just wanted to show up and be suprised. Well, I was surprised alright! She called on some of our favorite people in our area…and pretty soon it was getting so big she split the shoot into two themes with two sets of models! This is the first theme. We’re calling it “eclectic hay loft wedding.” It’s inspired by Carly’s love of books, fonts, black and white stripes and her pug, Hank.

Eclectic hay loft wedding.

Beautiful bride in a fur stole and long flowing train.

Who, What, Where ~ Venue: Seven Oaks Farm.  Photos: Erin Johnson Photography.  Styling: Girl Friday.  Event Designer: Simply Elegant Bridal Consulting.  Flowers: Sweet Peas Floral.  Cater: Chowgirls Killer Catering.  Bakery: Sweets Bakeshop.  Invitations: Rosann Konieczny Calligrapher.  DIY or Handmade Goods Designer: Allison and Rachel Pegoraro.  Veils/Headpieces: Something Borrowed Bride.  Hair Styling: Salon Etica.  Furniture and Props: On Solid Ground Vintage Rentals and Lime Canary Vintage Rentals.  Dress Shop: Brides of France.  Dress Designer: JenMar.

Succulents and twine.

Succulents and twine decorate each guests plate.

 

Bell jars, books, and candlesticks.

The shoot combined some of the stylists favorite elements like graphic black and white, bell jars, and books.

 

Hydrangea, succulent ,and pheasant feather centerpieces.

Hydrangea, succulent ,and pheasant feather centerpieces.

 

Beautiful dessert table with silver vintage trays and bell jars.

Beautiful dessert table with silver vintage trays and bell jars.

 

Escort cards that are also keychain favors with guest names.

Escort cards that are also keychain favors with guest names.

 

More details and loveliness…


CategoryInspiration, Minnesota | CommentNo Comments »

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March 15th, 2012

Real Weddings: Steph and Erin, Lake Forest, Illinois

Today’s Real Wedding is one that I’m so excited to share.  It’s a got all the things that make an event special; tons of personal and DIY details, beautiful flowers, lots of color, and a super sweet couple who are so obviously in love.  Another great element to Steph and Erin’s day is that as nature lovers they wanted to make sure not to create a lot of waste with their event, and kept sustainability in mind throughout their planning process.  They created a natural, vintage chic event that is so lovely and uniquely their own.  A bit thank you to Steph for sharing all the details of their day, and to Jason Kaczorowski for his images.

Who, What, Where ~ Ceremony and Reception: Private residence.  Photos: Jason Kaczorowski Photography.  Event Planner: The Smitten Bride. Flowers: Libertyville Florist.  Catering: Gourmet Garden Catering.

More details and loveliness…

from Steph…

Erin and I met in college through one of my best friends and roommate. It sounds kind of cheesy but it really was love at first sight (for both of us) even though we didn’t let each other in on that little secret. We grew closer as friends and Erin moved in with my roommate and I. Soon after that, we started dating and here we are 6 years later (a civil unioned couple!)

We are both very outdoorsy and down to earth people so we wanted colors that reflected our personalities. I’m a little on the preppy side so I loved the idea of navy and yellow (and we decided to add splashes of green for nature).

There were LOTS of DIY projects. Most of the wedding was DIY. My mom made our table linen squares and hay bale covers, and we put the centerpieces together ourselves. We also purchased a ton of handmade items on Etsy to add to the whole feel.

The whole day was utterly amazing for me from start to finish. I don’t know if I could pick a single moment, but seeing each other for our first look and exchanging letters in a quite & intimate setting was a wonderful beginning to our day. Seeing our families release the butterflies during the ceremony was beautiful. Getting introduced and spending time mingling with all of our closest family and friends were some other highlights.

CategoryIllinois, Real Weddings | CommentNo Comments »

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March 13th, 2012

Give-away: Minted Invites and Save the Date Winner!

Hey all, so sorry I didn’t announce the winner of the give-away on the blog yesterday.  Unfortunately we’ve had no internet at our house since Sunday, and I’ve been crazy busy prepping for wedding season 2012 to begin, but I didn’t forget about you guys!  Just let me say a big thank you to all the readers who commented, I appreciate you guys taking part in the Minted give-away, and of course a thank you to Minted for letting Middle of the Map participate!  I used the Random Number Generator to pick a winner by order of comments, and the winner is:

Jessica F.

Yay for Jessica, you’re one lucky gal.  I will be e-mailing you with information about your prize.  Again, thanks to everyone for participating, and keep your eyes peeled for our next give-away!

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CategoryEvents and Give-aways | CommentNo Comments »

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