Last October my older sister Ellie married her longtime boyfriend Travis, and I was lucky enough to be maid of honor for their nuptials. As one may likely guess, I enjoyed another chance to get a bit crafty (and thereby spent all my creative energies for last fall, exhausting myself in the process such that I've had little motivation for anything else since then). I have been regretting my laxness in posting lately, so I intend to document the one major project I've worked on over the past six months, which was of course comprised of a million small and large projects.
Ellie of course did the majority of the planning and execution, but I enjoyed my own ideas. So where shall we start? Ellie decided upon candy favors, and picked a cute origami box design to hold them in. I suggested the wrapping, and voilà!
I also designed the programs shown above, including sketches done by my mother for decoration. They folded at the top, with the inside text printed on translucent vellum, a series of seashells at the bottom.
Ellie assigned me the task of figuring out the centerpieces, so with the closing sale at our local Joanne's last summer, I put a little something together. An example of which can be seen here:
I found hurricane lamp-shaped vases, which I filled with crushed quahog shells we had harvested from the bay (after eating the meat! yummy!). I grabbed a bunch of nice-looking accessories from Joanne's as well, and together one of the other bridesmaids, Ellie and I decorated about a dozen, each a unique work of crafty art. Then I assigned my cousins to put them on the tables, float tea candles inside and light them. Lovely!
We had planned on the formal photographs being taken at the old front entrance of the house. My mother did a great deal of work on landscaping, making a beautiful backdrop. It's hard to see, but I put together a couple of black and red ribbon arrangements that you can see hanging from the porch and blowing in the breeze. They took a lot more work than they look, so I've been sure to save them in case of the unlikely event I can find another use for them.
My sister had the idea to order a large selection of variegated flowers and arrange the bouquets ourselves, so you can see some more of our handiwork there. It was my mother's idea to include the long, flowing ribbons, and I think they turned out splendidly if I do say so myself!
My absolute crowning glory, however, was my mother's dress. I picked out the pattern and the fabric myself, and my mother never thought it would become her as well as it did. But I knew, so I charged ahead, even when I realized the pattern was undoubtedly the most difficult garment I have ever made.
The. Hardest. Garment. Ever. Well, it was worth it!
Was there anything else? But of course! It may not be considered crafty, but I did get around to doing...
Bridesmaids' hair
And Bridal makeup
Was there anything else? Oh well. After having recounted all of that I'm a bit too exhausted to remember!
Happy weddings!
