So Raise Your Glass!

 

     When you write a blog, you have to really think about what you are going to post. How much is too much to share? Where do I draw the line between instructional and personal. Why do I write in the first place? Is to just show that I have a little skill with decorating and cooking or is it because I think that maybe, just maybe, if I am lucky...what I write might make a difference for someone. Maybe it is both and maybe that will happen today.

 

 

     My daughter got married a few days ago. It was a glorious day in Florida at the Disney Vero Beach Resort. The ocean is just behind the greenery in the picture above, it was 5:30 in the evening and the temperatures were in the high 70's. With the exception of becoming a mother, I have never been happier than I was that day. Actually, for several days!

 

  

     My daughter's bouquet was white hydrangea and white roses. The stems were wrapped in lace from my wedding veil and netting from my mother's wedding veil. A silver starfish was attached to the lace. Just before the ceremony we added a rhinestone brooch that belonged to my husband's mother, so she had a little bit of all of us with her. 

  

     There were 65 guests. When a wedding is that small, everyone there is very special to the couple. The weekend was full of happy tears. Instead of the Bridal March they entered to Bruno Mars, Marry You, After the ceremony,we had hors d'oeuvres and drinks out on the croquet lawn.

 

The colors were the colors of the water. 
Turquoise, sea foam and cobalt blue. 

 

 The tables were kept simple, 

 sea glass, candles and live white orchids. 

  

There were several little "pops" of color as you will soon see. 

 

     Disney did the cake and the cupcakes. We knew they were going to be wonderful but they were even better than we dreamed. 

 

     They used crushed graham crackers to look like sand. The cupcakes above were key lime with cream cheese frosting and white chocolate seashells.

 

     Vero Beach is known for turtle rescue. So of course there had to be a turtle cupcake. Chocolate, crushed pecans, caramel frosting and spun sugar "water" with chocolate turtles. The really nice thing is that everything tasted as good as it looked. We also had chocolate covered strawberries after dinner of mahi-mahi or filet. 

 

     My daughter's gown had a removable long skirt, so she could take it off and be in a cocktail length dress for dancing. I thought that was such a great design idea! I could stop writing now, and you would never know the "rest of the story". The traditional destination wedding you have been reading about wasn't all that traditional. We had laughed at how we never set out to be ground-breaking, but we were.

 

     You see, we had two brides. It was the first time for this Disney resort, although certainly not for Disney's other locations. The entire resort was involved and excited. I spoke with the General Manager a few days later and he said they really wanted to "get it right" and they certainly did. You see dealing with two brides is different. They both have their own ideas. My daughter was all about the beach, but my new daughter was all about rainbows. So, we had little pops of rainbow tucked in unexpected places. You saw the little rainbow treats on each table.

 

The cake surprised everyone! 

 

As the guests arrived they all got sunglasses. 

When the girls walked in, everyone had them on.

     The girls also both had on rainbow colored shoes.

 

 

 

     I feel so lucky to have another daughter and we couldn't love her more. You can see how excited she was coming down the aisle!

  

     The girls got through the ceremony, but their bridesmaids were all crying. You see, they love their friends and they know how happy they are. I had someone tell me that they were honored just to be a part of it. They exited to Sugarland's Stuck Like Glue!

 

     The bridesmaids and the brides came into the reception to Pink's Raise Your Glass and the party began. There was dancing, a photo booth and a few adult beverages! It was so much fun.

 

     So, while I know that some of you may find this hard to imagine, I had several people tell me how it was "just a wedding". In other words, it was the same as any traditional wedding. It was two people in love, surrounded by those who loved them. There were people there who had traveled their journey with them, friends from work, friends from home and family, all united in joy that these two incredible young women found each other.

     I don't like to draw attention, but someone told me that maybe this is my purpose. I hear stories of people who turn on their children when they find out they are gay and I just don't get it. My daughter was a little later than some to put the pieces together, so she certainly surprised us. I have to say that it made no difference in our feelings for her. There were things that concerned me about having a public wedding on Disney property. What if someone said something and hurt my child. It didn't happen. People were watching from the balconies, taking pictures and clapping. My daughter had her dream wedding and it was perfect. The world is changing and while I know that some may never agree with me, I truly feel that love is love and the change is for the better.

Here Comes...the Wedding!

 

     I know, I know...I have been the worst blogger in the world lately, but you should all be thanking me for staying away. I can barely speak in complete sentences, much less write them! My daughter's wedding is very soon and for those of you that have been through this, you will understand when I say that it is "all wedding all the time" around here. I have given up sleep, it seems as if the moment I close my eyes I start thinking of things we need to check on or do.

     Weddings used to be simple. I know my mother would disagree if she were here. I do remember how stressed she was for mine, but it was three days after Christmas and she still had a young teen at home who expected a real Christmas. I had a lovely wedding, but we didn't have a destination, favors, a fancy dinner, a DJ, or a photo booth and people simply signed the guest book and found their own seat somewhere. We sent out invitations only, no "save the date" and no web page. Well, times have changed.

 

     This wedding is going to be more fun than mine was, there is a beach involved and cupcakes (2 of my favorite things). However, helping to plan a wedding when you are 1000 miles away from your daughter and also planning all the things you need to take with you has almost driven me crazy. Let's just think about the shoes...flip flops for the beach, work-out shoes, walking shoes, flats, shoes for the long dress, shoes for the cocktail dress and I guess I will more than likely need my boots on just to leave my house! It might be hot, it might be cool...so, jackets, coats, long-sleeves, short-sleeves, panty hose aren't in style anymore but if it is cold they might be necessary...throw them in the suitcase! 

 

 

     Luckily, most of the table décor is provided by the resort and the florist, but not all of it...some of it is here, grab another box for that! Old, new, borrowed, blue...got it and the jewelry...mine, hers and remember we have two brides, add some more! Reservations are being made, dinners being planned, hair appointments, make-up and nails...all in a town that none of us live in. Can you see my brain spinning?

 

     Actually, we are good to go. My daughter got her gown back from being altered today and she says it is perfect. The ceremony is planned, everything is booked, my family is coming and almost all of their friends are able to make it. We are excited and ready to just have a good time. Of course, after this winter in Illinois, the fact I will be somewhere warm is certainly a plus!

 

     I really have had very little to blog about anyway. I haven't decorated a thing or set a table. We haven't been able to go anywhere because the weather has been terrible and I have only been cooking plain comfort food. We did escape one nice day to Alton, Illinois to see if we could find any of the eagles that come there in the winter. It was cold, but sunny and we were lucky to find a few of the majestic creatures.

 

 

 

We also had a wonderful lunch at My Just Desserts.

 

We both had the chicken casserole.

 

     They had so many desserts to choose from. My husband had the bread pudding and I had the apple praline pie with cinnamon ice cream. Both were just perfect. We will certainly go back there again.

 

So, wish us luck and good weather!

I am sure there will be pictures to follow!



Sharing the Joy-A Shabby Chic Wedding

    

 

      How many of us get to watch someone come full circle in their lives? Well that is exactly how I felt as I watched my friend of 10 years get married this month. My friend Debbie was one of the first people I met when we moved here. Over the past 10 years I have watched her life seem very "together", watched it fall apart and been a witness to her finding joy and serenity once again. It has been a painful journey, but I have never seen her as happy or peaceful as she is right now and it is such a blessing to see her happy ending.

 

 

     In the midst of massive rain the week of May 10th, the skies cleared just long enough to have the ceremony. The attendants were the children of the bride and groom, the flower girls the daughter's of Debbie's cousin and best friend.

 Her son, looking so grown up, escorts her to her groom.

 

 

     The venue for the ceremony was the field in front of a historical barn. The chairs were arranged in a way that they were able to walk in front of all of their family and friends.

 

     This wedding was both elegant and casual. Debbie is a perfectionist and both the wedding and the reception were very different than what she might have planned in the past and yet everything was just perfect. Families were invited, there were kids everywhere. Her friends helped with everything from setting up the ceremony to decorating for the reception. I loved being a part of doing the bridal bouquets and floral arrangements. This was the perfect blending of two families, surrounded by family and friends that couldn't be happier for them. 2

 

The happy couple after the ceremony.

He makes her so very happy. It makes my heart smile!

 

     The reception was at a building at the lake. This is not a fancy building, but it took on an entirely different look with the twinkle lights, flowers and fun decorations. They did something I have never seen before with the food. They had all of their favorite things from favorite places. I took the pictures before everyone got to the reception, so the chairs and flowers aren't in place yet (or some of the food). The sweets table had pie made by the groom's mother, cake made by the bride's aunt, mini pies made by her very good friend and various other treats and sweets.

 

 

 

     Mason jars with name tags and matching straws were picked up to fill with drinks and taken home at the end of the evening.

Adult Kool-Aid and

Amaretto Stone Sours for the grown-ups.

 

Pink lemonade and McDonalds sweet tea.

Mashed potatoes from our local fancy place, and

fried chicken and noodles from our local family restaurant.

The local "best in town" Italian restaurant lasagna.

Chicago pizza shipped in as well

as salad from The Hill in St. Louis.

A Fluffy Burger station-burgers from

 her hometown (not local) meat market.

 

Make your own tacos in a bag station.

 

The room before the chairs and flowers arrive.

The beautiful daughters of the bride.

 

     Music was a playlist created by the teenage children of the couple and it was mostly kids dancing. As you can see, it truly was a family friendly, happy event that was filled with love. Who could ask for more?

 

 

Stop by and see Michael @ Rattlebridge Farm for

Foodie Friday!