Till Magazine
-
Upload
emily-mullett -
Category
Documents
-
view
231 -
download
0
description
Transcript of Till Magazine
1
HITCHEDOutdoor Wedding Spaces
FLOURISHFloral Accessories for the DIY Bride
HOMEGROWN FLAVORLove is Sweet
TILL DEATH DO US PARTA Perfectly DIY Wedding
SHUTTER BLISSFinding the Perfect Photographer
Special Wedding Edition
cultivating your life
cultivating your life
in every issue Spaces Hitched: Outdoor Wedding Spaces
Decor DIY Decor
Found Forget-Me-Not Wedding Finds
Food Homegrown Flavor
14
34
18
48
22
58
24
68
table of
Flourish: Floral Accessories for the DIY Bride
Paper Cuts: DIY Stationary
Till Death Do Us Part: Jon And Courtney’s Wedding Planner
Shutter Bliss: Wedding Photography
special features:
ALICE LEWIS [email protected]
EMILY [email protected]
NOEL [email protected]
MALLORY [email protected]
meet us
Hannah and Daniel Grover
March 24, 2012
The Art of Celebration www.canvasandcanopy.com
The Art of Celebration www.canvasandcanopy.com
Keds for
MADEWELL.COM
SUMMER
2012SOME THINGS ARE JUST NO BRAINERS, like knowing you can always find a lot of organic food at our stores. As the first nationally certified organic
grocer in the US, we offer you the biggest and best choice we possibly can because it’s an important part
of our commitment to you and the planet. Choosing organic supports farmers and producers who believe
in good health, quality foods and earth-friendly sustainable agricultural practices. And that’s good for
everyone, from the farm worker to the planet to your family—and future generations too.
madewell.com
outdoor spaces
spaces hitched
he outdoor wedding is one of the most magical weddings of all—if you
do it right. When you are scouting locations for an outdoor ceremony
and wedding reception, keep some important factors in mind.
You will need to select a spot that allows for a contingency plan. If it rains, what
will you do? If you’re having a tent, you can rent one that has flaps so guests
won’t get wet. You can also plan to have a wooden dance floor (and not just grass)
so that guests can still dance if the
ground is wet.
If you are not using your own
backyard, you will want to con-
sider what each site you visit has
to offer. Can you marry outside an
inn or bed and breakfast and then
have the guests stay over? This
works well with a small wedding.
You could choose to rent a beach
house and hold your ceremony on
the shore and then have guests
stay at the house with you
Bigger weddings that are outdoors are going to
require a staff to man them. Many places will offer
a ceremony outdoors by a garden, terrace, or at-
tractive focal point. Then you can come inside for
the actual reception. This works for a number of
reasons. You don’t have to worry as much about
the weather since you can always move the cer-
emony inside. If you’re already planning an indoor
reception, you know they have the space. Also,
you don’t have to figure out how you’re going to
serve dinner and drinks outdoors.
17
our favorite
1 Field: Field weddings hold an endless ar-
ray of opportunities, especially with decorations.
You can get creative with your set up of the cer-
emony: Try using hay bales with colorful blankets
draped over them for seating, or place pews from
a church in the field. You and your guests will en-
joy the serene atmosphere of this natural space.
2 Garden: Gardens and conservatories serve as
the perfect backdrop to your ceremony. Use the
natural beauty of the flowers and plants in your
advantage. Experience the sights and fragrances
of a wide variety of flowers and plants, all in their
natural settings.
3 Barn: There is something magical about lights
being strung up in a barn. This is a very rustic yet
romantic place for your wedding, and also are a
great shelter in case it rains.
4 Orchard: Orchards are beautiful places
alone, so you can’t go wrong with this location.
Choose an orchard with a perfect backdrop for
the ceremony.
5 Beach: Beach weddings are casual. The natu-
ral beauty and aroma of the water and sand make
it the perfect backdrop. A shorter dress is great
for the sand, and think about having your grooms-
men in shorts, and casual dresses for bridesmaids.
1
2
34
5
spaces hitched
Lighting your siteTo set the mood (and help guests see each
other), add paper lanterns, pinspot lighting,
twinkling lights or stately chandeliers. Light up
surrounding walkways for easy access to the
bathrooms. Think luminaries and small up—
lights along the paths and Mason jars with tea
lights hanging from nearby tree branches.
Creating a relaxing spaceWhether you’ve chosen a grand, grassy lawn or
a small backyard, pick an area and make it more
inviting with lounge furniture and lots of pil-
lows. If you don’t have room to bring in couches
and plush chairs, arrange your dining area with
smaller 4—person reception tables instead of
larger 8— or 10—person tables to create a more
intimate look and feel.
Cozy it up The more you bring into your space, the warmer
it will feel. Colored linens, miss-matched plates
and silverwear, vibrant up- lighting and quirky
knickknacks set a great vibe.
Restrooms If there aren’t any restrooms nearby (and even
if there are a few), you should consider renting
them. These days, you can find luxury portable
restrooms with amenities like in—room music,
granite countertops and air conditioning or heat-
ers depending on the season.
Keep bugs at bayTo control insects on your wedding day, think
about having your site sprayed by an extermina-
tor two days beforehand and placing citronella
candles throughout the space.
Don’t feel like you have to settle for barbecue just because you’re having an outdoor
wedding. Some of the most upscale weddings have been designed outdoors. Just make
sure you choose a locale that has access to bathrooms, indoor facilities if it rains, and
provisions for other extreme weather like excessive heat or a freak hail storm.
for your outdoor wedding
19
decor centerpiece
If you use opaque vases or containers, then the stems won’t be visible,
and your arranging doesn’t have to be as precise.
Another option is to wrap a bouquet of a single type of flower, such as a
calla lily, in florist’s tape and then ribbon and then prop it up in a slender
clear glass vase filled with a couple inches of water, so the flowers jut out
at an angle. (Make sure the ribbon wrap doesn’t get wet.) You could even
put several bouquets of different types of flowers at different heights in a
low glass vase, anchoring them with glass marbles or river rocks.
Avoid placing fragrant flowers near food.
If the arrangement will go on a table where people are seated, remember
to keep it either very low or so high that it’s above the sight line. Anything
at eye level will more than likely hinder conversation.
You can line clear glass containers with big, shiny leaves for a sleek look
that also conceals stems.
tips for creating centerpieces
hen it comes time
to create center-
pieces and other
arrangements for
dinner tables, cocktail tables, the cake table,
and so on, there are a million intriguing op-
tions. Consider placing small potted plants
on cake stands, using pitchers or antique
patent medicine bottles in lieu of vases, or
arranging flowers in a conglomeration of tea,
biscuit, or coffee tins (lined with plastic bags
to prevent leakage). Anything that can hold
water can serve as a container; don’t be shy
about pilfering from friends and relatives,
especially if someone you know is a collec-
tor. Again, either go full-on matching or very
eclectic, featuring either one striking bloom
or masses and masses of the same flower
grouped together.
12
34
5
New or vintage,
tin containers and
glass jars or vases
are inexpensive
and easy to find
at specialty-food
stores, tag sales,
thrift stores, and
online auctions.
To make centerpieces more unique and
specific to the bride, collected vintage tin cans
and containers can be filled with varying flowers
for an eclectic feel. Additional object could be
incorporated as well such as old books, trinkets,
figurines or candles Each table will be slightly
different and unique for the guests. This will
allow personal tastes to reveal to guests as
well as display flowers in a engaging way.
secondhand
21
PAGEPAGE
23
wedding
2
3Find different antique pitchers at a thrift store to
use as vintage inspired centerpieces.
water pitchers, thrift store, $10
Embroidery hoops make the perfect garden ac-
cesory! Here they are used to make decorative
signs hanging from a tree branch.
embroidery hoops, amazon.com, $7
With a little twine and gift tags you can make
these simple napkin holders. Use rubber stamps
to turn them into place cards also!
twine, walmart.com, $9
Mason jars can be used to add a rustic touch to
your wedding. This couple used them as glasses
and personalized them with handmade tags.
mason jars, kmart.com, $10.34
Collect various beer bottles for these DIY vases.
Be sure to pick out bottles with cordinating labels
and green or brown glass.
beer bottles, your local liquor store, $12
Paper lanterns can add a romantic glow to your
outdoor wedding space. Use colorful ones like this
picture for a fun and festive look.
paper lanterns, peir1.com, $12
Chalkboard paint is a must for any garden wed-
ding. It adds a handmade element and is so
handy for labeling food, seating, and signage.
chalkboard paint, hobbylobby.com, $3.49
It is the special touches that make a
wedding stand out. Make your wedding
unforgetable with these items that are
perfect for your dream garden wedding.
Our favorite things
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
found things we love
6
7
4
5
1
25
love is
Traditional wedding cakes are out and the fruit cakes are in.
wedding cake is a focal point on your special day. It is
hard to define what exactly constitutes a modern wed-
ding cake —although most people agree that if you opt for a white
tiered cake then you have gone the traditional route. Modern cakes
are infused with fun and whimsy. They reflect the personalities and
tastes of the couple instead of being just a sweet and pretty looking
dessert. They are works of art that a cake designer has labored over.
The modern wedding cake is a magnificent marriage of creativity,
taste explosions and unparalleled beauty.
1 ice cream cakesFrosty sorbets are served in lemon peels for a light
and refreshing accompaniment to the wedding
cake. Cut lemons in half and scoop out the flesh.
Pack the peels with your favorite sorbet and freeze
until set, about one hour. Slice into wedges just
before serving. As a prelude to the wedding cake,
give each guest a miniature version molded from
sorbet, a palate cleanser.
2 by the sliceThe mocha cake (top left) is flavored with three
buttercreams—vanilla, and light and dark cof-
fee—between tiers of dense devil’s food cake. On
the bottom layer: a bittersweet-chocolate ganache.
White-chocolate pistachio cake (top right) is made
with airy layers of pistachio sponge cake nestled in
cloudlike white-chocolate mousse layered with pis-
tachio cream, served with a scoop of pistachio gela-
to. The blackberry buttermilk cake (bottom) is four
layers of fruit-studded buttermilk cake and black-
berry buttercream are encased in fondant, a deco-
rative sugar paste that helps keep the interior moist.
3 personal souffA slice of wedding cake concludes your special day
on a deliciously festive note. But if you love des-
serts, why stop there? Indulge your fantasies and
have a dessert buffet. Here, treats are playfully
displayed on stands and sticks and in cups and
bags, as they would be at an old-time carnival. Fa-
miliar favorites, such as toffee apples, snow cones,
and caramel corn, make an appearance.
Here’s the step-by-step for the popcorn
cake, dreamed up by Cortnie from Canvas
& Canopy:
homemade popcorn cake
If you love desserts, why stop there? Indulge
your fantasies and have a dessert buffet.
Here, treats are playfully displayed on stands
and sticks and in cups and bags, as they
would be at an old-time carnival. Familiar fa-
vorites, such as toffee apples, snow cones, and
caramel corn, make an appearance.
1
2
3
1 large popcorn
Popcorn
Fabric
Ribbon
Scissors
Glue gun
— Cut off the top quarter of each bucket and
discard that trimmed off bit.
— Use hot glue and a glue gun to attach the
fabric to each bucket.
— Once the glue has cooled, wrap a ribbon
around the middle of each container and secure
it with adhesive.
— Make your popcorn and fill the large bucket.
Place the smaller container on top of it and fill it
with popcorn as well.
— Place your “cake” on a cake stand and enjoy!
le
food homegrown flavor
Feel free to contact us if you need some advice on what to grow, or
for any questions or concerns.
anniesheirloomseeds.com
29
Cooking with organic
ingredients doesn’t
require any special
equipment or even any
unusual cooking tech-
niques. In fact, you’ll
find that with organic
ingredients, you need
to do less to bring out
the foods’ character.
barbecueA popular option for on-site catering is barbecue. Plymouth-based T-Bones
Roadhouse has won numerous awards and been named a “hidden jewel” by
the Phantom Gourmet. Menu choices range from $9.95-$19.95 per person and
include sides like pecan rice pilaf and corn succotash in addition to the range
of barbecued meats. Dedham-based Tex’s BBQ Express has packages ranging
from $11-$29 per person. Pawtucket-based B&M Catering takes alternative
catering to a whole new level, offering on-site Carolina-style whole pig roasts,
Hawaiian-style whole pig roasts, and an “islander” style menu with items like
Jamaican jerk pork and grilled mahi mahi in addition to traditional barbecue.
food homegrown flavor
clambakesB&M Catering also offers another huge trend native to the
area: Cape Cod-style clambakes. While B&M’s business is
to ship the finished clambake to the venue, companies like
Clambakes Etc. bring the whole clambake process to your
door. Based in Osterville, the company can come to the
reception venue and either dig a pit to cook the clambake,
or make it pot-style. Lobster, New England clam chowder
and Cape Cod steamers are just a few of the menu items
that make this clambake a truly local affair.
sustainable foodFor those couples who wish to shed light on the sustainable and lo-
cal food movement, the Webber Restaurant Group offers “farm-to-
fork” catering options. The company uses as many local farms and
sources as possible for their seven restaurants/catering services, but
couples have the additional option of getting married at the pictur-
esque verdant hills of the company’s main farm in Groton, Gibbet
Hill. The Webber Group also offers the Fruitlands Museum in the town
of Harvard as a wedding venue. Like Gibbet Hill, the Fruitlands Mu-
seum offers stunning views of orchards and forests, and overlooks the
Nashoba Valley.
While choosing a caterer can seem
like a daunting task, the opportunity
for couples to make their menu as
unique as they are is well worth the
effort. With the abundant choices of
fresh, local food and scenic venues
in the area, your wedding can be a
day cherished as much for its menu
as for its memories. While choosing a
caterer can seem like a daunting task,
the opportunity for couples to make
their menu as unique as they are is
well worth the effort. With the abun-
dant choices of fresh, local food and
scenic venues in the area, your wed-
ding can be a day cherished as much
for its menu as for its memories.
“The food already is brimming with flavor. All you have to do is use the food in a way that accentuates its natural goodness,”
—Steve Demos
menu
NAME
ADDRESS
CITY/STATE/ZIP EMAIL
NAME
ADDRESS
CITY/STATE/ZIP EMAIL
PAYMENT ENCLOSED.
PLEASE EMAIL ME THE MONTHLY TILL NEWSLETTER—FILLED WITH LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND MORE—FREE!
BILL ME LATER
PAYMENT ENCLOSED.
PLEASE EMAIL ME THE MONTHLY TILL NEWSLETTER—FILLED WITH LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND MORE—FREE!
BILL ME LATER
PAYMENT ENCLOSED. BILL ME LATER
NAME
ADDRESS
CITY/STATE/ZIP EMAIL
NAME
ADDRESS
CITY/STATE/ZIP EMAIL
RECIPIENT
BILLING INFORMATION D O N’ T M I S S A N I S S U E. S U B S C R I B E TO DAY.
33
BUSINESS REPLY MAILFIRST-CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO. 360 LAWRENCE, KS
POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE
PO BOX 7645LAWRENCE, KS 66044
NO POSTAGENECESSARY IF MAILED
IN THEUNITED STATES
BUSINESS REPLY MAILFIRST-CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO. 360 LAWRENCE, KS
POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE
PO BOX 7645LAWRENCE, KS 66044
NO POSTAGENECESSARY IF MAILED
IN THEUNITED STATES
BUSINESS REPLY MAILFIRST-CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO. 360 LAWRENCE, KS
POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE
PO BOX 7645LAWRENCE, KS 66044
NO POSTAGENECESSARY IF MAILED
IN THEUNITED STATES
WELCOME TO MONTANAUS. TRAVEL BUREAU
T H E R E ’ S N O T H I N G H E R ENothing but living color everywhere you least
expect it. An otherworldy landscape filled with
bears and wolves. Where abundant herds of elk
and bison follow the earth’s ancient rhythems.
With nothing on the fringe but charming towns
full of creature comforts. Nothing will take you
so far from home or you more comfortable in
ours. MONTANA. VISIT MT.COM
Floral tips for the DIY bride
37
f flower arranging is your specialty, or you’re a fairly low-mainte-
nance type, full-on DIY flowers are doable. But because flowers
are so delicate and time-sensitive—they need to be handled care-
fully, for maximum freshness—they
may be treacherous territory for
most brides. Instead of trying to do them
all on your own, why not delegate them to
someone in your network, or perhaps do all
the planning and purchasing yourself and
hand the day-before and day-of work over to
a talented friend? Then, on your wedding day,
you can say “For me? You shouldn’t have!”
feature FLOWERS
may your love
While you’re dreaming up options for your wedding
flowers, spend as much time as possible at botanical
gardens, flower stores, and farmers’ market, asking
questions and making notes about what appeals to
you. Also, spend some time in the craft section of
your bookstore looking through flower books. You’ll
likely learn the names of blooms you’ve admired for
years, and you’ll become familiar with types you’ve
only heard about. For a good basic visual primer
on flower varieties, visit the flower library at www.
aboutflowers.com. Floral design is deceptively tricky.
Anyone who’s tried to arrange a boquet of grocery-
store flowers in a vase knows that you need to have
a knack for it.
Peony
Sunflower
Bittersweet
Tul
ips
Hya
cint
hD
affo
dil
HydrangeaFreesia
Lisianthus
Queen Anne’s Lace
Stock
DahliasZinneas
Chrysanthemum
s
Amarylli
s
Narciss
us
Poinset
tias
Ilex b
erry
branch
es
Greener
y
Lilacs
Swee
t Pea
s
Ranuncu
lus
Anemon
es
sprin
g
summ
er
fall
win
ter
late early
late ea
rly
late early
late
e
arl
y
The good news is that many
flowers have a longer or even year-
round season these days. This is due
to imports from warmer climates, and
commercial growers cultivating the
flowers under glass, out of season.
Commercial growing techniques now
mean that flowers are available out of
season.
However, expect the best quality and lowest prices to be for seasonal wed-ding flowers that are in their normal flowering season.
Probably around 60-70% of the flow-
ers out there are available year-round
(though more expensive at some
times than others), but there are a few
types that captures the essence of a
particular season. Here are some that
are great for weddings:
of flowers
39
You have several options: growing your own, buying from a wholesale flower mar-
ket, purchasing online, or buying from a local grower (the best, most environmen-
tally friendly option). You can easily combine flowers from a variety of sources.
When buying from a vendor, you’ll want to find someone who will sell you at as
close to a wholesale price
as possible without re-
quiring an unrealistic
minimum order quantity.
Farmer’s markets are the
best places to scout for
local growers. Approach
them and ask where their
farm is located and if they
would consider providing
flowers for your wedding.
your flowers
If you live in a big city, your flower market or flower district will likely
be quite easy to find—you may even already know where it is. If you
are not sure where to find a flower market or wholesaler near you,
visit the Wholesale Florist and Florist Supplier Association (www.
wffsa.org) has a “find a wholesaler” link that allows you to search
by state. Or you can ask local florists where they find their flowers.
Typically, these markets open to the public after retailers have fin-
ished their buying, usually in the early morning hours.
Plan a visit well ahead of the wedding, six to nine months in advance.Don’t be deterred by a “wholesale only” plaque in windows. Just go
inside, and inquire whether they’d sell to someone planning to do
her own wedding flowers. If they say yes, ask whether they’d do a
special order. Then keep shopping. Compare prices at several ven-
dors to determine a reasonable range. Not which vendors seem to
stock which types of flowers and plants, and take down contact in-
formation for any you really like. If you’re lucky, you’ll find someone
who’s willing to help you out for the right price.
feature FLOWERS
There are an endless array of possi-
bilities when it comes to your bou-
quet and boutonniere. Check out the
inspiration page for ideas on color
palettes and flower choices.
41
LET’S TALK NUMBERS:
Pomander
Blooms cover a 3D ball-shaped creation carried by a loop of ribbon.
Arm
Flowers are tied together and held in the crook of the arm like a baby.
Cascade
Flowers fall forward in a waterfall effect.
Traditional
This is a bouquet that looks like it was plucked from a vase.
Flowers are counted by the stem, so you pay
for the number of stems in your hand, not
the number of blooms. As a general rule,
you’ll want eighteen to twenty-four stems
per table arrangement bridesmaid’s bouquet
(unless it’s something giant like a sunflow-
er, in which case three to five is probably
enough); ten to twelve stems for a small bou-
quet for a mother of the bride or groom or
a flower girl; and twenty stems for a robust
bride’s bouquet. The exact number is a mat-
ter of taste, and grip —you’ll want to figure
out how man stems you can comfortably fit
in your hand.
For boutonnieres and corsages, however,
you do count the blooms: each boutonniere
is one to three blooms; corsages are three to
five; and you’ll need one bunch of greens per
three or four arrangements.
Styles of bouquets
feature FLOWERS
UNCONVENTIONAL BRIDE
This beautiful bride rocked an
orange dress on her special day.
Branch out from the standard proto-
col and make it the kind of day that
you could imagine as being as fun
and meaningful as possible for you.
1 BUY THE BEST
Buy the freshest, highest quality flowers available.
Choose buds that are somewhere between tightly
closed and fully open, depending on how soon
you want to use them. In a pinch, you can get cut
flowers to open faster in warm water or warm air,
but never place them in direct sunlight.
3 NUMBERING
Select all the stems you want to use for an ar-
rangement before you begin, and lay them out on
your work surface or put them in a bucket. Use
off numbers of each flowers—three, five, or seven,
depending on how big the final arrangement will
be—in a mixed bouquet.
2 HYDRATING YOUR BLOOMS
Hydrate blooms immediately upon arriving
home. Use a sharp knife to trim off the bot-
tom of each stem, on the diagonal (to expose
maximum surface area), and plunge them into
cold water. Using a knife ensures a clean cut
and minimum damage to the stem.
4 GREENERY
Don’t forget the greenery—sometimes the
most striking elements of a floral arrangement
aren’t flowers at all. You may have interesting
choices in your own yard or in a nearby park.
43
your
Use this helpful page for inspiration for your flowers and accessories, plus find the meaning behind certain colors.
blue: The pale blue hues of a hydrangea or the
deep blues of an iris can calm worries and preoc-
cupation representing peace, openness, and se-
renity, fresh floral arrangements filled with blue
flowers offers an antidote to anxiousness.
pink: Think pink and you think of grace, gen-
tility, and happiness. Regardless of the shape of
the flower – from the tight, small buds of a pink
garden rose to the delicate, open petals of a
pink caellia in full bloom – pink blossoms convey
youth, innocence, and joy.
orange: There’s nothing bashful about the color
orange–its message is clear and blatantly proud.
Symbolizing energy, enthusiasm, and warmth, an
arrangement of blooms in this vibrant color con-
veys confidence, satisfaction and a passion for
life.
red: There’s an indisputable energy to the color
red – an energy that has the power to transform
an otherwise unassuming flower into the essence
of desire, strength, and passionate love. With
beauty, courage and heat as its symbolism, it’s
no surprise that a bouquet filled with rich, red
blooms knows no restraint.
purple: With its origins tied to royalty and cer-
emony, purple flowers represent dignity, pride
and success. Whether grouped alone in a bold
range of rich hues or mixed in with other colors
to provide depth and contrast, an arrangement
filled with purple blooms represents accomplish-
ment and admiration.
white: Often associated with innocence, humil-
ity, and reverence, white flowers evoke simple
beauty. Whether they take their shape as the
luxurious, silk petals of fragrant gardenias, the
small, white bells of a lily of the valley, or the
quiet drama of a dozen white roses, fresh floral
arrangement dominated by white blossoms con-
veys modesty and elegance.
yellow: There’s a good reason why it can feel all
but impossible to refrain from smiling when you
spot a bouquet of bright daffodils or a pot filled
with sun-drenched chrysanthemums–the color
yellow evokes feelings of joy and lighthearted-
ness. Also a symbol of friendship, a bouquet
bursting with yellow blooms sends a message of
new beginnings and happiness.
feature FLOWERS
45
for your
hairpieces + boutonniere
A boutonniere is a very easy thing to make, and a
corsage and hair piece is effectively three boutonnieres
lashed together. If you need to make a lot of them,
however, this work can get fiddly and tedious, so enlist
help. Also, consider making a small bouquet for moms
and grandmas instead of the usual corsage. Store
corsages, boutonnieres and hairpieces in plastic in the
refridgerator, away from anything too cold — you don’t
want to freeze them. You can make them the evening
before the wedding but no earlier than that.
feature FLOWERS
acce
ssorie
s
• Flowers and greenery
• Florist’s knife
• 26-gauge floral wire
• Green stem-wrap tape
• Clippers
• Pencil
• Ribbon or fabric
• Corsage pin
1. Cut flower stems to 3 inches long, on the diagonal, using
the florist’s knife.
2. Take a lenth of floral wire and gently pierce the green
base of the flower, and then push it all the way through.
(Make sure you push through the meaty part, but make it
closer to the stem than to the flower.
3. Bend the wire into a hairpin shape.
4. Wrap the stem and wire in stem-wrap tape from top to
bottom in a spiral.
5. Cut the “stem,” including toe wire, which may exten be-
low the stem itself), to the desired length using clippers.
6. You can cover the stem with ribbon, if you like, or finish
with a bow, but it’s probably best to keep the stem small
and unobtrusive.
7. Pin on a lapel using the corsage pin.
47
PAGE
49
major theme for our
wedding surfaced early
on: the drive to do as
much as we can ourselves, or with the help
of our friends and families. We’ve both found
that the sometimes arduous work involved
with creating something yourself is vastly
out-weighed by the pleasure of looking upon
something you created yourself. And in our
opinion, it is also the only real way to let
your personalities show through the work.
We knew we could design our wedding
invitations and hand them off to one of the
many local letterpress printing shops and
end up with something beautiful. However,
this didn’t feel right to us. Beyond just de-
signing them ourselves, we wanted to fabri-
cate them ourselves as well. Not only did we
think the process would be fun, but it also
made the most sense for something as im-
portant as our wedding invitations.
Christine and Ian’s invitations:
designed and fabricated by the couple
51
Another reason is the application of embracing constraints. By
choosing to make the invitations ourselves, we limited our options
drastically, making decisions much easier to make along the way.
Modern print methods, and to a lesser extent letterpress, make al-
most anything possible. This can be a daunting realization when
staring at a blank aking, but conversely opened us up to a new level
of customization and rarely seen effects that traditional methods
wouldn’t allow. Luckily for us, there is a friendly neighborhood Tech-
Shop around the corner from our house. Just a two-minute walk
down the street was a warehouse with custom-fabrication machin-
ery for us to use.
materials:
Ian designed the main invitation card beautifully
and spent hours and hours at TechShop on the
laser cutter. It took twenty minutes for every four
cards. The kraft backings were also laser cut. Us-
ing an Xacto knife, the trees were punched out
carefully and bent forward to create the 3D ef-
fect. The front cards were then sewn to the kraft
backings with a sewing machine.
main invitation card
feature INVITATIONS
53
rsvp & mapThe RSVP cards were
printed on our inkjet
printer and individual
names were stamped
with red ink.
» 80# Kraft Cardstock
» Printer
» Stamps
materials:
» 80# Kraft Cardstock
» Laser Cutter
» White 8.5”x14” Legal Paper
» Printer
» Letraset Letratac Adhesive Dot
materials:
Wedding invitations are a perfect place to DIY. You can save a ton of money,
create something entirely personal and unique, and go easy on the envi-
ronment at the same time, if you use recycled or wood-free paper and/or
materials you already have on hand. Just keep in mind that what may look
stunning (and seem doable) when you’re working up a prototype could be
difficult to re-create in large quantities, or could start to look sloppy when
fatigue and boredom set in after a few hours of repetitive assembly.
invitations
feature INVITATIONS
The front and back covers of the Field Guide were laser cut. Sketches of
local wildlife were drawn, scanned and printed onto legal paper. They were
then glued onto the front and back covers with the adhesive dots.
55
ToTal cosT: less Than $200.
The wood buttons were cut using a band saw at TechShop. Each
button was hand drilled and sanded. The text paper was cut into
thirds and then each band was folded into thirds to wrap around the
entire bundle. The removable glue was used to keep the wrap closed.
Each return envelope was stamped with the return address and the
C/I logo. The #10 envelopes were also individually stamped with a
stamp kit. The main invitation card, RSVP and map, Field Guide and
Return Envelope were put into a bundle and wrapped with the kraft
paper band. Red and white twine was wrapped around the entire fin-
ished bundle and a wooden button, individually picked for each fam-
ily, was attached. It was then put into the #10 envelope and closed.
mailing tips
final touches
You can easily order personalized photo stamps online at
www.stamps.com. though, sadly, you'll pay extra. But the
post office always has at least two wedding~y stamp designs
to choose from, along with plenty of nonwedding designs
that might complement the personality of your event. (Go to
www.usps.com to browse.)
Some websites sell custom invitation and envelope patterns
and dies, If you really. really want to DIY but most stationery
shops have precut papers and envelopes in every shape and
size. If you’re purchasing envelopes rather than making your
own, make sure everything fits smoothly inside,
Put a return address on the main envelope. In case of mailing
error. Be prepared for forgetful guests who might send back
response cards without their names on them (it happens!)
by assigning each guest a number and writing that number
on the back of their response card with a pencil and a light
hand. (This is easiest to do if you’re keeping your guest list
In a spreadsheet.) No one will notice the numbers, and you’ll
save yourself the trouble of tracking down the identity of
any mysterious guests.
stamps:
envelopes:
tracking:
Kraft Paper Band
» Text Paper in Paper Bag from Paper-Source
» Removable glue
materials:
Return Envelope and #10 Envelope
» 4 Bar Envelopes in Paper Bag from Paper Source
» #10 String and Button Envelopes in Paper Bag from Paper Source
» Stamps
feature INVITATIONS
57
materials:
13 12
PAGE
59
Death Do Us Part A PERFECTLY DIY WEDDING
Meet Jon and Courtney Roberts—newly
weds currently living in southern Cali-
fornia. This young couple fits our profile
for the ideal DIY wedding with impecable
taste for all things fresh. From proposal
to honeymoon, Cournety and Jon main-
tained a keen sense of resourcefullness.
All the while, Courtney kept a journal of
her findings and is sharing it with you.
61
Apr 12 2011 • Los Angeles“In the Land of Sugar”
Because cake is one of my all-time favorite foods, I think a professional
cake-tester would be at the top of my list of dream jobs. This kinda came
true last Friday :] Another to-do was marked off of the wedding checklist
at Sara J Bakery in West Hills. I have yelp.com to thank for pointing me in
the direction of this gem of a bakery.
I knew it was going to be a great morning when I walked in and saw these…
.a daily treat of mine when I was in Israel! Little did Jon and I know that
we had discovered an Israeli bakery in the heart of LA! Even though they
aren’t kosher-approved (because they work on Saturdays), their bourekas
and challah bread are highly sought after. I loved meeting Sigar (the owner)
and her daughter who had just returned from her two-year service in the
army in Israel.
May 02 2011 • Los Angeles“The Sunday.”
I’ve been thinking some random thoughts lately.
One of those thoughts is how I should be blog-
ging more, but the following thoughts viscously
squash my aspirations. In the past week, I have
closed a big chapter of my life : tennis. I played my
last singles and doubles match this last Thursday,
gave it my all one last time, & soaked up the time
with my team. It feels strange to be letting go
of that title (“college athlete”) and to no longer be
required to practice. From here on out, tennis is
purely recreational…& that might be a good thing.
Goodbye tennis, hello finals : they exist to remind
me that I should be glad I’m graduating early. I’ve
been pushing back those year-end projects the
last couple of weeks to spend my time….
registering for the wedding…we might be 1/3
done, maybe
“and away we went
1.
3.
as told by
Fruit tart, Mango mousse, Fruit & Custard
Florentine, Lemon Mousse, Tiramisu, Marquis,
Hazelnut Crunch Cake, Chocolate Mousse Trio,
Flourless chocolate cake, Passion Fruit Mousse,
Creme Brulee tart, & Pyramid Chocolate Cake.
And there we stopped, because to keep going
would have made things extremely complicated.
This is my favorite kind of decision to make :]
Come September, you will be tasting sugar at its
best….several of the above desserts and also a
big vanilla cake with vanilla creme stuffed with
the fresh fruits of the season. They call it their
“fruitcake”, but for obvious reasons I refuse to
give it such a name.
I’m excited to take my parents to Sara J’s this
weekend, simply to remove the above image of
“fruitcake” out of their mind. Sigar and I share a
similar phobia :: fear of dry cake ! For this and
many other reasons, I am eagerly anticipating
September 4! We will have only the best for our
guests and loving family.
Established in 1996, Sara J. Pastries has been providing the hos-
pitality, gourmet restaurant and catering industries with fine
quality gourmet cakes and pastries for a decade. Specializing in
fine European and continental pastries, Sara J. Pastries empha-
sizes the use of only the freshest and finest ingredients to create
the highest quality and state-of-the-art products.
Sara J’s Pastries
2.
1. Fruit tarts for life.
2. Cholla and I. Holla!
3. Holy macaroons!
feature WEDDING
63
The lush manicured gardens and towering oaks of
the Orcutt Ranch make this historical monument
a perfect setting for a garden wedding or special
event. The patio areas provide picturesque back-
drops and dappled shade for your reception or
party. A cozy guest house which has two separate
dressing rooms is also available to the bridal party
before the ceremony.
Jan 25 2011 • Los Angeles“On The Warpath”
I NEED A VENUE // to channel my excitement
frustration // that allows me to express myself //
for our wedding
Oh California, your beauty and your wealth of re-
sources can be so enticing…& yet so elusive. Jon
& I have been on the hunt, scouring the Internet
(blogs, photographer sites) for our dream location.
After several weekends spent driving through
parts of LA that remain an unknown to most peo-
ple, we reached the point of despair. Too expen-
sive, no open dates, the wrong “feel”, overpriced
catering (over $50 for a meal? $9 per person for a
dry bar?) It adds up.
orcutt ranch
as told by
“We found some breathtaking
views of California splendor.”
I find that trusting God becomes applicable in a
new way once again. I think telling yourself to “re-
lax” and be at peace is impossible without letting
the mess inside your head find a new home…&
there is no better place to leave it then at the foot
of Christ’s cross. Pray for our sanity & persever-
ance as we sniff out the most affordable venues
& keep reminding ourselves :: the reason for a
wedding is marriage. That…carries far greater re-
sponsibility & more trials than a day-long event
&&& should take considerably more preparation.
All that said, we found some breathtaking views
of California splendor // hills, vineyards, lakes,
parks // from Malibu.
Jun 06 2011 • Kansas“The Outrage of the Day”
Outrageous food // I’ve been talking with some of you about this
book, a read that I strongly recommend for those who have a curi-
ous palate. Food has been on my mind a lot lately as I’m consider-
ing different lifestyle choices & how to be prepared for marriage.
After all, we do eat three times every single day, and yet how many
people care to know what they are actually eating (food is a lot more
complicated these days). If nothing else, it has spurred me on to dream of
what impact I can have on the future of our food. Knowledge is so power-
ful that it causes people to do one of two things : run or change. Mr. Pollan
states that many people today seem perfectly content eating at the end of
an industrial food chain, without a thought in the world. One of my favorite
lines….”But in the end this is a book about the pleasures of eating, the kind
of pleasures that are only deepened by knowing.”
The lush manicured gardens and towering oaks of
the Orcutt Ranch make this historical monument
a perfect setting for a garden wedding or special
event. The patio areas provide picturesque back-
drops and dappled shade for your reception or
party. A cozy guest house which has two separate
dressing rooms is also available to the bridal party
before the ceremony.
my wedding palette
feature WEDDING
venu
e
65
Jun 06 2011 • Kansas “The Outrage of the Day”
Outrageous food // I’ve been talking with some of you about this book, a read that I
strongly recommend for those who have a curious palate. Food has been on my mind a lot
lately as I’m considering different lifestyle choices & how to be prepared for marriage. After
all, we do eat three times every single day, and yet how many people care to know what
they are actually eating (food is a lot more complicated these days). If nothing else, it has
spurred me on to dream of what impact I can have on the future of our food. Knowledge is
so powerful that it causes people to do one of two things : run or change. Mr. Pollan states
that many people today seem perfectly content eating at the end of
an industrial food chain, without a thought in the world. One of my
favorite lines….”But in the end this is a book about the pleasures
of eating, the kind of pleasures that are only deepened by knowing.”
Here’s a quick drive-by….
1 Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother
wouldn’t recognize as food.
2 So that’s us: processed corn, walking.
3 Were the walls of our meat industry to be-
come transparent, literally or even figuratively, we
would not long continue to raise, kill, and eat ani-
mals the way we do.
4 While the surgeon general is raising alarms over the epidemic of obesity,
the president is signing farm bills designed to keep the river of cheap corn flow-
ing, guaranteeing that the cheapest calories in the supermarket will continue
to be the unhealthiest.
5 The sheer novelty and glamor of the Western
diet, with its seventeen thousand new food prod-
ucts every year and the marketing power – thirty-
two billion dollars a year – used to sell us those
products, has overwhelmed the force of tradition
and left us where we now find ourselves: relying on
science and journalism and government and mar-
keting to help us decide what to eat.
“These quotes are stuck in my head as I try to put my new knowledge into action.”
Take a 3-hour cooking
class with your fiance. I
highly recommend the
sushi course if you bring
your man…he enjoyed
the fruit of his labor with
5 rolls that day and left-
over for the work week.
feature WEDDING
September 4, 2011
Despite all of my attempts to
slow down time, the day flew
by & left me with a bouquet of
snapshot memories. I guess all
the best days do. These shots
were handpicked from 700+
in an effort to share this most
special day with you.
PAGE
69
BLISS
finding the right
Great wedding photography doesn’t just capture the
essence of the day. It also captures the essence of
your relationship, your feelings for one another, and
your affection for your guests (and vice versa). It’s
impossible to take your own photos, of course —
you’ll be in front of the lens, not behind it — but you
can DIY by choosing a photographer who shares your
vision, using all the amateur resources in your stable,
and setting up ways for
guests to capture their
own images. The best
way to get brilliant re-
sults is to work all the
angles: recruit several
helpers, and choose two
or three of the various
techniques described in
this article.
Hiring a talented friend or family member may require a delicate touch.
Choose your approach based on whether the person in question would
be invited to the wedding even if you didn’t want his or her services.
Photographing a wedding is hard work. And if this is someone you’d be
inviting anyway, and you’re asking him to shoot your wedding, then
he’ll be working hard instead of enjoying leisurely vodka tonics and
canapés, and you shold acknowledge as much. Say something like,
“We’d love for you to shoot our wedding, but only if it would add to
your enjoyment of the event.”
hiring a friend or a relative
feature PHOTOGRAPHY
raditionally, wedding photographers made portraits, friends
and family took care of the candids. That’s changing, as more
and more brides and grooms want photojournalism-style
shots, or images of their big day that lookmore like fashion or art
photography. The great news is that, when you look
beyond the territory of wedding photographers,
you’ll find a world of options. If you have a family mem-
ber or close friend who’s a good photographer, then half your work is
done. If you aren’t so lucky, start looking for help in all the unusual
places, colleges near you, or you can post a notice on a bulletin board
on campus to see if that shakes out any candidates. Ditto for your lo-
cal newspaper —call the photo desk and ask if anyone does weddings.
You may find your man or woman on the first try.
71
If you can’t find—or don’t want—a single (professional or amateur)
photographer to capture the wedding day from start to finish, or you
just want more coverage, consider creating a friends-and-family pho-
tographer roster, with everyone taking a shift. Make sure you have a
high-quality digital camera, along with a gigantic memory card (or two,
or three) and a backup battery, available for their use. Make a list of
the best photographers among your guests. Break the event up into
shifts (ceremony, reception until dinner, dancing, and the like—whatever
makes sense to your event) and assign two people—a photographer,
and a buddy/assistant/drink fetcher—per shift. Make it the responsibil-
ity of each photographer to hand equipment off to the next, but make
sure a reliable bridesmaid or groomsman knows the roster, just in case.
feature PHOTOGRAPHY
setting up a round robin
“PROM” PHOTOS AND MORE!
Photographers should be notified if anything big (such as the cake cutting
or bouquet toss) is scheduled to happen during their shift, so they don’t get
distracted shooting the ring bearer stealing maraschinco cherries from the
bar and miss it. (Another tip: Put anyone who likes to booze on an early shift.)
Because it’s not a fulltime job, you shouldn’t have trouble getting people ex-
cited about volunteering. They’ll likely be flattered that you asked, and they
will enjoy the excuse to be near the celebs of the day. Even if you don’t set
up a roster, encourage your friends to bring cameras and snap away. You’ll
be grateful for their shots—someone who knows you will know what to look
for and may wind up capturing better moments than a stranger ever could.
Once you know you’ve got the basics covered, it’s
time for some fun photo add-ons. Remember your
prom photos? That fake arbor, those sparkly lights,
maybe a slogan emblazoned on a banner behind
you. No matter the setting, the result is the same:
put up a backdrop, and people instinctively begin
to pose. In the world of red-carpet photography, this
phenomenon is called a “step-and-repeat,” be-
cause the beautiful people swarm by in an end-
less stream while the shutters pop like firecrack-
ers. Whatever you call it, a station set up with
a portrait background (yes, sort of like the photo
studio at Sears) and a camera can capture some
priceless moments.
1
how to
For your wedding photos
Your hair and makeup are flawless, but your
nerves? A little frazzled with that camera lens
in your face. Heed these tips to guarantee great
shots -- of you, your groom, and your friends.
During formal pictures, “stand at a slight angle,
not straight on. Take a deep breath, exhale, then
tilt your chin down and look up.
People look slimmer when photographed from an
elevated point, so ask your pro to hop up on a
chair for some shots.
Bring a friend, have her stand off camera to carry
on a conversation -- bonus if she’s the funniest
bridesmaid.
Hold the bouquet with one hand, rather than
clasping both hands around it, clutch it loosely
with one and let the other hang naturally by your
side. It’ll look more relaxed.
Be nervous -- it’s okay! Everyone’s a bit jittery on
the big day. Rather than forcing a smile the whole
time, let yourself be real.
1
2
3
4
5
3
4
5
2
feature PHOTOGRAPHY
snapshots
ALMOST ANYTHING CAN SERVE AS A BACKGROUND
Scout around for a visually appealing surface
somewhere in or around your reception space,
such as a brick wall, cool wallpaper, heavy cur-
tains, or a garden wall covered in ivy.
A red carpet step-and-repeat background usu-
ally has a sponsor logo on it, so why not take the
same approach and put in a plug for your wed-
ding? Locate some clean, blank wall space and
stick up custom vinyl lettering with your names
and the date, or use stencils to decorate a bed-
sheet or drop cloth with letters and/or designs.
Ask your photographer if he or she has access to
a muslin backdrop, or rent one from a photogra-
phy supply store.
For a kitschier approach, you might hire a local
sign company to print inexpensive banners of
the kind that you really might have had behind
you at prom.
Here are some ideas:
You can either assign a guest to man the camera, or set it up as a
self-service station—you may get funnier shots that way. As an al-
ternative, you can even rent a real photo booth from a party sup-
ply company. It could set you back around $1,000, but it would
make for great, easy favors for your guests. Assign someone to
keep one eye on the photo station to make sure everything is go-
We got married in vegas, and, instead of having a traditional guest book, we had a life-size
card board cutout of elvis. Instead of signing in, guests were asked to pose with elvis while
my bridesmaids took pictures. Now we have all the photos of our guests hamming it up,
which can be put into a nice photo album. I think it’s an idea that could work at other ven-
ues: if you were on the beach guests could pose next to a tiki torch or palm tree; at a new
york wedding you could have a cheesy cutout of the brooklyn bridge or statue of liberty.
-LARA COREY, SAN FRANCISCO
“ ”Advice from real couples
feature PHOTOGRAPHY
You can either assign a guest to man the camera, or set it up
as a self-service station—you may get funnier shots that way.
As an alternative, you can even rent a real photo booth from a
party supply company. It could set you back around $1,000,
but it would make for great, easy favors for your guests. Assign
someone to keep one eye on the photo station to make sure
everything is going well. Put a digital camera on a tripod and
attach a bulb, or print up step-by-step instructions on how to
use the camera’s self-timer. You can send the shots to people
later, either attached to an e-mail or in the form of a printed
photo card ordered from an online photo service. Assign some-
one to keep one eye on the photo station to make sure every-
thing is going well. Put a digital camera on a tripod and attach
a bulb, or print up step-by-step instructions on how to use
the camera’s self-timer. You can send the shots to people later,
either attached to an e-mail or in the form of a printed photo
card ordered from an online photo service.
77
PAGE
LITTLE GIFTSFUN AND UNIQUE
FOR EVERY OCCASION
look forward to
SpacesFall Party Venues
Food13 Ways to Cook Pumpkin
FoundThe Best Candy Options Around
DecorDIY Fall Wreaths
FEATURES
Pumpink Recipes Galore
Fall Party Invitations
How One Woman Captured Autumn
Sustainable Harvest