Karianne & Tanner

I'm so excited to share the pictures of the wedding I decorated and catered this past weekend! It was for my little brother Tanner and his gorgeous bride Karianne. They are such an adorable couple and it was such a pleasure to create a beautiful atmosphere for their reception.  I am not exaggerating when I say this may have been my most favorite decor job yet. ;)

Karianne chose a vintage chic theme with aqua/teal blue and coral as her colors. We used accents of burlap, lace and baby's breath to pull together a cohesive theme.

First, the food table: My dad built a fence out of barn-wood on which we hung a collection of gold-framed mirrors. I used two tall Eiffel tower vases filled with baby's breath to frame each end of the table. For refreshments we featured a chocolate fountain with strawberries, rice krispie treats, cream puffs, pineapple and gummy bears as well as sour dough bread and spinach dip made by the mother of the bride (which was excellent, I might add).

The cake backdrop was perfectly dreamy in its simplicity. We hung mason jars filled with baby's breath to create a curtain of flowers. The cake was simple but the coral roses really popped against all the green and white baby's breath.

The backdrop behind the line was made using old curtains the bride found at the thrift store. The ruffles and lace fit our vision perfectly.

When decorating the tables, I added texture by layering a burlap runner, a rectangle of ivory lace and a homemade doily. We topped it off with blue vases painted by the bride, mason jars of roses and a little teacup I found in a Kansas City thrift store.

The groom, Tanner, and his new father-in-law spent hours creating the framework for the ceiling of lights. On every other strand of lights we put little "lamp shades" on the lights to create a more prominent glowing effect as the sun went down.

Additionally, my family also helped me cater the luncheon. We served BBQ pulled pork, baked potatoes, spinach salad, rolls, green beans and carrot cake. I decorated the tables using upside down goblets encasing a flower and topped with an ivory candle. People really seemed to love the simplicity and elegance of the set-up. :)

Thanks to Karianne and Tanner for allowing me to help with their amazing wedding day. It makes me really miss doing these weddings on a regular basis. :)

Sebastian & Bethany

Sebastian and Bethy are a vibrant couple. They are full of laughter and are lots of fun to be around and we were privileged to be able to travel down to Arizona this past week to assist with the decoration of their reception.

Bethy's colors were a very classy black, white and light pink. We played with a damask undertone as is evident on the tables. We put up our classic tent-styled dropped ceiling, but softened the look by lowering the center pitch (the high middle point). There was no official backdrop, but a faux wall of black and white stripes was put up to break up the monotony.



We also put up 4 horizontal wall panels around the room with a black vertical stripe that was gathered in at the middle. I hung pictures of the bride and groom with light pink ribbon at alternating heights and then spot-lit the pictures to add emphasis and ambiance.



The centerpieces were damask-style candelabras with battery lights along with 2 bud vases holding 3 pink roses each. The tables had white tablecloths, black satin overlays, and a white damask runner to complete the look.



The bride decorated her own cake, isn't it gorgeous?!



All in all, it was a lovely evening:

Abby and Korbin

A few weeks ago I had the fantastic opportunity to put together a gorgeous wedding reception for the son of a family that lived down the street from where I grew up. I loved the vintage theme and was excited to see everything come together. The bride and groom were a gorgeous couple and the family was an absolute delight to work with!

Our main accent was a very organic feeling burlap that we used on as table runners and chair ties and on the backdrop. The pictures below illustrate how we were able to incorporate all the various pieces into the room to create a complete and unified look.



I adore this little table and chair set and love to use it whenever possible. I think it was perfect for this occasion!


A key but usually ignored factor in our decorating is how we balance the lighting. Using a dropped ceiling can lead to the temptation to turn off all the lights, making the white ceiling lights glow, but leaving the rest of the room in darkness which can be difficult when the bride and groom are attempting to greet their guests. We avoid this issue entirely by adding gentle spotlights on our ceiling that focus on the place where the bride and groom will stand. We also do this to the cake area so that no one misses the intricate details in the icing or the cake cutting.



The centerpieces feature a gorgeous floral arrangement of hydrangea and roses and accented by a couple of charming love-birds!


These authentic antique trunks provided by the groom's family were a neat room accent.


We marked the entrance with these frosted white lanterns and pink gerberas, set-off by a little burlap.


Here is the stunning bride holding her gorgeous bouquet provided by the talented floral designer at Tickled Pink Floral.

Melissa and Nick

Nick had perfect timing when he proposed to Melissa just a few weeks before we moved, so we were able to plan all the decor and the catering while I was still in Utah. Right from the beginning we knew it was going to be a beautiful wedding. They chose purple, lavender and silver as their colors, accented by white flowers.

I had such a fun time working with them and they are such a sweet couple. I know they will be very happy together.


I think the chandelier adds just the right touch to the dropped ceiling.





The backdrop is the 10 ft version of our Triangle Panel Backdrop. I really like how it turned out with the damask panel in the center and the purple on either side.



The centerpieces used purple LED lights and white fuji spider mums, which may just be my favorite flowers.







Along with decorations, we were able to provide a chocolate fountain with all the dipping accessories, which everyone adores. We also served cheese and crackers which provided a nice contrast with the other sweets.



Here, you can see McKay busy at work serving the guests.



Doesn't this cake look delicious? Nick was in charge of choosing it, and I think he did a pretty good job. Once it arrived, I added a few flowers to complete the look.

Whitney and Kelly

I have known Whitney since she was just a little kid and she has always been like a little sister to me. She married her sweetheart, Kelly, on August 14th and I was able to help to decorate her gorgeous reception inside the Mapleton Barn. Her colors were green and brown, with a rustic theme since Kelly is such a cowboy.

We brought in white lights and draped them across the top to create a romantic mood. (Please excuse the poor quality of the pictures, the light was so bright and always in the wrong place.)



The tables were covered in a willow green organza that really brought out the gorgeous centerpieces created by Melissa of Tickled Pink Floral and the bride's family.



The family set up a lovely candy bar for the wedding favors, pre-packaged as a nice convenience to their guests.




We also brought in some unique rustic touches, including an old bench for the gift area, our black lanterns, and wagon wheels.






Outside, our black lanterns greeted guests as they entered the barn.



To finish, I have to share the beautiful bouquet made my Melissa of Tickled Pink Floral. The flowers perfectly fit the theme and were a gorgeous accessory to the stunning bride.



Thanks Whit for letting me help with your special day! Congrats on your happily ever after!!

Julia and Justin

On August 6th, I had the awesome opportunity to help Julia and Justin with their wedding reception out in Vernon, UT.

Julia had chosen hot pink and black as her wedding colors and we leaned toward a really neat shabby-chic look using black lace and hot pink gerbera daisies. It was so much fun to plan out all the details and they came together so beautifully.



On the tables we used hot pink satin overlays with a runner of black lace. The centerpiece was tall black sticks with pink gerbs attached in rectangle vases. I personally loved the look.



They chose the Jen backdrop for their line and we put black satin and pink gerbs to bring in the right flavor.



Behind the cake was a toned-down version of the pipe and drape backdrop with strands of gerbs hanging on either side of the cake table.



Outside, guests were greeted by our white lanterns flanking the sidewalk into the church.



We also provided a delicious chocolate fountain complete with all the yummy things to dip in it.

Everyone in the wedding party and their guests were so delightful to meet and talk to. It was obvious that it was a wonderful party with lots of love and friendship. Thanks for letting us be a part of your special day!

Ted and Donna's 50th Wedding Anniversary

My grandparents, Ted and Donna, just had their 50th wedding anniversary on June 9. To celebrate, we threw them a lovely party and invited all their family and friends.

Back in 1960, when my grandparents were married, their wedding color was pink, so I made sure that all the flowers were pink and accented with green, hoping to bring a garden theme to the room.



Melissa of Tickled Pink Floral helped me with the centerpieces and all the other flowers. They looked fantastic! They were elegant in their simplicity.



We brought in the black arch to showcase the cake. I put champagne colored organza and a sprinkling of pink roses on the arch. My dad did a wonderful job baking the cake and making it structurally strong. Melissa and I then decorated the cake with ribbon, flowers, and edible pearls. Not bad for amateurs :).







I think the event turned out really nicely. Here's to another 50 years Grandma and Grandpa! ;)