Dollie's Daughter: November 2015

« November 2013 | Main

November 17, 2015

Violet & Brandon's Wedding (Part 1) Theme, Venue & Attire

♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ If Music be the Food of Love, Play On ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫

The Marriage of Brandon & Violet

Walters Barn _ Lula, GA

Violet’s wedding to Brandon took place on June 8^th, which is the anniversary of Violet’s grandparent’s wedding that took place 57 years earlier on June 8^th, 1957.

Wedding Theme
Violet and Brandon’s sentimental wedding was vintage-inspired with both traditional and non-traditional elements. The wedding was rustic, yet elegant. The color palette included various shades of violet, lavender and orchid. Violet and Brandon are both music lovers and wanted a unique wedding that reflected their personalities: fun, relaxed, sentimental, with vintage and handmade touches throughout … one that was as enjoyable for their guests as it was for them.

Venue
The wedding and reception took place at the Walters Barn on 435 picturesque acres in Lula, GA. The early evening outdoor ceremony overlooked one of the lakes on the property. The bride and groom stood under a wrought iron arch that was lovingly designed and handmade by the bride’s father. The arch included intricate heart designs and was topped with a treble clef. After the wedding, the couple will enjoy the arch for a lifetime as a lovely design element in their garden. One of Violet’s favorite quotes by William Shakespeare … ‘If Music be the Food of Love, Play On’ was inscribed on an antique window pane that hung from the arch. The seating included antique church pews with large floral pompoms balls that hung on shepherd’s hooks at the end of each isle. The weather was perfect … a beautiful, sunny day with a light summer breeze.

Attire-Guests
The wedding invitations included a note that said “hats encouraged”. The guests thoroughly embraced the whimsical, festive spirit of the wedding. Both men and women wore hats and dressed in various shades of lavender and purple. The men looked so dapper and the women so stylish in their hats of all shapes and sizes. So many of the guests commented on what fun it was to have an occasion to wear a hat.

Attire-Bridal Party

Violet was radiant in her traditional bridal gown with a beaded bodice and full skirt. Sumi, a friend of the bride, customized the dress and veil by hand sewing on individual purple rhinestones in addition to creating a lavender tulle petticoat. The dress was adorned with a large cluster of vintage velvet millinery violets tied with an aurora borealis sequined ribbon. The bride also wore a handmade floral crown in her hair. Her ‘something old’ was a heart shaped necklace that her father made for her before she was born. It was inscribed with the sentimental message “Not a day goes by …”.

The bridesmaids wore custom dresses designed and handmade by Vintage Opulence. The dresses were made from vintage lace, fabric and trim in various shades of lavender and were adorned with vintage jewelry, beading and millinery flowers. The bridesmaids accessorized with vintage jewelry and wore handmade floral crowns in their hair.

The mother-of-the-bride was dressed to the nines in her gray, silver and beaded flapper-style dress that was inspired by her grandmother’s wedding dress from the roaring 20’s. The mother-of-the-bride wore vintage sheer organza gloves, rhinestone jewelry and pearls. Her fanciful headpiece was custom made using a beaded and wire tiara that a friend made for her at an art event. The tiara was embellished with a French feather plume and flower that the mother-of-the-bride purchased while in Paris at a shop that handmade millinery flowers one petal at a time.

The Fairy Godmothers (inspired by Magnolia Pearl) wore custom handmade dresses by Vintage Opulence in lovely shades of blush and ivory. The Fairy Godmothers also wore whimsical handmade hats that were made from vintage millinery flowers, netting, trim, feathers from a millinery shop in Paris and were topped off with a tulle nest and feather chicken.

There is a little white farmhouse on the venue’s property where the bridal party dressed. The farmhouse was decorated with vintage touches for the bridal party to enjoy while they prepared for the wedding. The dresses hung on vintage purple wooden hotel clothes hangers adorned with vintage millinery flowers and rustic name tags. Hanging on the wall was a framed collage which included Violet’s baby necklace, photos of the bride and her mother and the sentimental phrase “Mom, let’s play dress up one more time.” Over the collage hung a banner with pictures of Violet in various outfits and costumes worn throughout her childhood. Each dressing station was decorated with a chalkboard sign with the bridesmaid’s name along with a vintage bride or bridesmaid doll. The ladies in the bridal party all received a clutch made from burlap fabric with metallic threading lined in purple. The clutch included beauty products consisting of refreshing Evian mineral water spray, a lace hand fan, luxurious diamond shaped bath bombs, tissues imprinted with lip kisses and a lipstick in a shade called “Violet”.

Attire-Bouquets
The bride’s Fairy Godmother made the bridesmaid’s bouquets using vintage satin & organza handmade flowers in lovely shades of lavender, vintage rhinestone jewelry, beads and buttons and were topped off with a vintage bridesmaid wedding cake topper. Each bouquet included a beautiful wide satin antique French ribbon and vintage tulle. Each bouquet also included a rhinestone brooch with the bridesmaid’s initial.

The mother-of the bride’s bouquet was made up of similar elements, but also included a vintage “mother” brooch and miniature French perfume bottle. The bouquet was topped with a German bisque half doll wearing a crown.

The bride’s bouquet was made from the same type of elements, but in shades of antique white and ivory. As a sentimental surprise to the bride, family members and close friends provided hand selected vintage elements (beads, jewelry, a rhinestone sweater clips, “Viola” brooch, etc…) to incorporate into the bouquet. The bride was presented with a note from each person to let her know a little about the element that they selected. The bouquet was topped with a vintage chalkware bride half doll. The bouquet also included framed picture charms of the bride’s grandmother and great grandmother in their bridal gowns.

The mother-of-the-groom’s bouquet was topped with a vintage groom wedding cake topper. So cute!

Attire-Men
To continue the rustic theme, the groom Brandon, wore lightweight linen pants and a vest along with purple canvas shoes. The groomsmen also wore linen pants along with lavender bowties, suspenders, socks and shoes. The boutonnieres were made from vintage millinery violets and lavender leaves made in Germany, vintage ribbon and twine. Fun sunglasses finished off their look.

The young male bell ringers wore lavender gingham shirts, linen shorts, whites socks trimmed with lace, purple tennis shoes and adorable boutonnieres made from Lego grooms.

The bride’s grandfather and uncles wore lavender gingham shirts and boutonnieres made from vintage groom wedding cake toppers, lavender German millinery leaves and vintage ribbon.

Comments (0)

Violet & Brandon's Wedding (Part 2) Wedding Ceremony

Marriage Ceremony
The bride and groom are both music lovers therefore the ceremony was filled with romantic music from various eras. The groomsmen walked down the aisle as Violet’s best friend Jillian sang ‘Tenderly’. During the bridesmaid’s processional, the groom’s brother Connor serenaded the guests with a rendition of ‘Unchained Melody’. In lieu of traditional flower girls, the bride’s two fun/crazy aunts walked down the aisle as Fairy Godmothers to Tchaikovsky’s ‘Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy’ caring large rustic flower pails, scattering flower petals in the air and down the aisle. The guests smiled and giggled as a lovely summer breeze gently swept the flower petals into the air and over the guests. Being from the south and with the wedding taking place at the Walter’s Barn, the bride’s young cousins Christopher and Adam walked down the aisle ringing large antique rustic cowbells adorned with vintage silk ribbons. The sound of the ringing cowbells was so charming. As if on cue, the cows in a pasture across the lake all came down to the fence to join the ceremony.

The bride’s brother Halem (Halem Albright Band), accompanied by brother Daniel, sang ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ as the bride walked down the aisle, escorted by her mother, Robin. The groom could not hold back his tears of joy when he saw his bride as he whispered “You look so beautiful”. The bride and groom each wrote their own marriage vows. The bride’s mother officiated the ceremony; therefore it was sentimental, heartfelt and personal. Violet is a choral director, musical theatre teacher and an Opera performer. Violet surprised the groom by singing ‘Songbird’ by Fleetwood Mac. Again, the groom could not hold back his tears of joy as his lovely bride sang. The guests swooned, laughed, sighed and swayed to the music with tears of delight throughout the ceremony. The programs were printed on paddle fans to help keep the guests cool and comfortable.

Comments (0)

Violet & Brandon's Wedding (Part 3) Wedding Reception

Reception-Food/Drink
The reception was held inside the barn at the Walters Barn venue. During the cocktail hour, the guests munched on delicious bruschetta along with signature drinks prior to the meal. The bride and groom each created a signature drink for their guests. The groom and groom’s father make homemade beer. It started as a hobby and now the groom’s father has a store, Gravity Home Brew that sells specialty beer. The groom’s father provided the guests with his specialty … cold homemade beer. The bride created a purple violet martini which she named a “Violetini” each topped with lavender Easter Peeps chicken floating on top. (eek! So cute!)

The guests dined on a fabulous farmland meal which included: chicken, beef, squash, green beans, fresh green salad tossed with pecans and cranberries, biscuits, gourmet mac-n-cheese served in individual glassware with various toppings, along with refreshing southern iced tea, wine and champaign. The meal was served from a large screened in porch on the property that has a beautiful stone fireplace. The fireplace was decorated with a handmade rag banner and rag wreath. Romantic candles in mason jars decorated with vintage lace and German millinery violets finished off the fireplace décor along with white faux taxidermy feathered chickens lovingly referred to as “the wedding chickens”. The guests loved them!

The wedding cake was one of Ouefcake’s specialties, a Blue Moon Marmalade - Tres Lechi cake (as in Blue Moon beer) covered with beautiful lavender violets. The groom chose to have refreshing cold, tart, key lime pies in lieu of a groom’s cake. The pies were topped with vintage spun cotton bride and groom picks and were displayed in a vintage white kitchen cupboard lined with crochet dollies. Champaign cupcakes with champaign mouse filling were served in vintage teacups. The teacups were displayed on a tiered wrought iron stand handmade by the bride’s father.

Reception-Music
DJ Mark provided a variety of music during the reception that made everyone want to dance and celebrate. One of the highlights during the reception was when DJ Mark played “All You Need is Love”. The bridal party sitting at the head table eating, all spontaneously began to sing along with the song while holding hands in the air and swaying. The singing was contagious and soon all of the guests at the reception were holding hands and singing in unison. Another highlight of the reception was when Kerstin (a friend and co-worker of Violets’) sang ‘At Last’. It was so romantic.

Reception-Table Decor
Rustic farm tables and chairs were used for the guest’s dining and seating. The farm tables were so lovely that handmade lavender burlap runners were used on each table instead of tablecloths. The centerpieces were made up of various varieties of live African violet plants under glass cloche domes. Large rosettes adorned each table made from satin and calico fabric, ribbon, lace, tulle and vintage purple county fair prize ribbons for “African Violets … Best in Show”. Each table was adorned with vintage chalkware wedding cake toppers under glass domes, wedding themed flash cards, celluloid and chalkware farm animals, candles in mason jars that were decorated with vintage lace and German millinery violets, vintage violet porcelain trinket dishes, vintage place cards and handmade calico cloth napkins. The bridal party’s table was set with the mother-of-the-bride’s vintage amethyst stemware, silver napkin rings monogrammed with a “V” (Violet) and antique Limoges violet floral dinner plates. The wedding décor came from the bride’s mother’s, grandmother’s, great grandmothers’ and aunt’s extensive collections of antique and vintage items that have been lovingly collected a piece at a time and passed down from generation to generation.

Reception Decor
Barn columns were decorated with curly willow twigs adorned with vintage chenille and spun cotton birds. Purple turnips and Georgia peaches from the farmers market were used in various vignettes, along with purple net turnip & pecan farmer’s market bags that the bride’s grandfather obtained from a local farmers market. Antique lavender hardbound books with beautiful worn gold, gilded lettering were used in various vignettes. Some of the titles included “Lavender and Old Lace”, “The Honeymoon Wife”, “To Have and to Hold” and “The Flirt”. Banners were hung with vintage photos of the bride’s grandparent’s wedding which took place on the same date 57 years earlier. The bride’s grandmother and great grandmother’s wedding dresses were displayed on vintage dress forms along with photographs of them wearing the dresses. The gift table included packages wrapped in vintage wedding gift-wrap. A vintage suitcase was repurposed to hold wedding cards. A large chalkware garden angel statue on the gift table held a vintage flashcard sign that said “Thank You”. Other decorative elements included vintage bride and bridesmaid dolls, a purple antique wheelbarrow (filled with ice to hold cold bottled drinks), an antique white tufted sofa (used as a photo prop and for seating), an antique purple wrought-iron bed with violet sheets and chenille quilt (also used for seating), vintage lingerie gowns that hung next to the bed and a large pink fringe umbrella and stand that was originally used as a movie prop (which provided a little outdoor shade). The table holding the guest-book included a miniature rustic metal Ferris wheel with chenille/spun cotton brides & grooms in each seat. The groom proposed on the SkyView Ferris Wheel in downtown Atlanta, GA. The bride and groom’s rings were custom designed and made. Violet’s engagement ring is a beautiful pear shaped amethyst with diamonds set in rose gold. Brandon’s ring is titanium with a purple burl wood inlay. A wedding keepsake book was handmade from an antique book titled “Violet with Eyes of Blue”. The keepsake book included planning notes from the bride, mother-of-the bride and Fairy Godmothers, photos from the wedding showers, wedding dress shopping, cake tasting, along with wedding décor mementos (napkins, spun cotton bride/grooms, etc…). The guestbook was vintage and included a vintage aurora borealis sequined ribbon and German millinery violets. The barn was lit with lavender, gardenia and violet scented candles that softly scented the barn and added to the romantic ambiance. Prior to the wedding, while setting up the wedding décor, the bride’s aunts wore lavender t-shirts embellished with rhinestones that spelled “Fairy Godmother”. They also wore vintage sheer, white, organza wedding aprons with heart shaped pockets.

Reception-Wedding Favors
Each guest took home a lovely sentimental candle wrapped with a picture of the Walter’s Barn, tied with lavender raffia and adorned with a vintage millinery violet flower as a reminder of the romantic, fun filled day. The candles were displayed in a wooden crate that had a CINDERELLA vintage grape crate label.

Comments (0)

Violet & Brandon's Wedding (Part 4) Couple's Departure & Guests

Bride & Groom’s Departure
In preparation for departing for their Las Vegas honeymoon, the bride changed into a custom satin dress by Vintage Opulence and carried a vintage suitcase filled with vintage lingerie. The bride wore a handmade tiara made from wire that was shaped to form the words “Just Married”. As the bride and groom departed, the guests waved wands made from vintage ribbons and lace. Vintage violet bone china and porcelain pitchers held the wands. A large chalkware garden angel statue held a vintage flashcard sign that said “Wave”. The couple rode away in the back of a vintage pickup truck. The couple sat on bales of hay and quilts while holding a handmade “Viva Las Vegas” banner. The bride’s brother sat in the back of the truck playing music on his banjo as they departed (reminiscent of ‘The Darlings Band’ from the Andy Griffith show). It was so much fun that the guests didn’t want to leave even after the bride and groom departed.

The fun filled wedding overflowing with love, delighted all of the senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. In addition to the five senses, it also delighted the wedding couple’s and guest’s hearts and souls.