{jeSsiCa}

Ok everyone…it’s been a while since i’ve blogged and I really needed a push {thanks Ranai!} to get back at it. We’ve done so many awesome events and really want to share them all with you, starting with a super special wedding that we were so lucky to be a part of :]

Theme: Bohemian Chic
Colors: Cream, Robin’s Egg Blue, Mustard Yellow, Burnt Orange and a Dark Brown
Location: Felton Guild, Felton, CA
Florals:  Bunches, Los Gatos
Printables:  Qute Hoots
Photography: Nicole Chubb Photography
Catering: DNL Catering

On August 31, 2013 Ranai and I had the honor of decorating a wedding for one of my long time pals {really more like family} Michelle Nicholas, and her wonderful now husband, Andrew Korb. We were SO excited to get to help plan this special day but we were also really nervous! This was our first, large scale event that we would be decorating for {other than my wedding, of course} but we were definitely up for the challenge. This wedding took place at the Felton Guild in Felton, CA which is a great outdoor wedding venue in the center of the Redwoods. With such a beautiful, natural venue and the bride’s crafty, bohemian style we were able to bring her vision to life!

Card holder, paper medallions and a rest area…oh my!

Let me start by saying that the bride had so many great ideas and did a lot of projects on her own which was a huge help! Michelle had a specific vision and really played a big part in the success of this wonderful event. One of her requests was for us to make a paper medallion garland for decor. Ranai had these old doors that we used for the Mad Hatter party that we spray painted a cream color and hung the garland to create a cute little picture area. We also thought it would be nice to have a rest/freshen up station for guests to grab a mint, steal a tissue or just check themselves out in the mirror. I used a vintage table and chair set that I spray painted a burnt orange color to set up by the restroom area. We love to decorate but we also know it’s important to look good and feel good, too!

A few steps away was the ceremony site where we had a special place for the guests to put their cards and gifts before taking their seats. During the summer in Santa Cruz, CA we have an antique fair every 2nd Sunday of the month which is where I found this awesome vintage blue make-up case that I scored for $8! We used this for the gift cards and it went really well with the wedding decor. We added a nice little card sign I made, a name sign Ranai made and some fresh flowers to come up with a really special little area by the ceremony site. The flowers are in an antique vase I found at the thrift store, too! :]

Wedding cakes and table top decor

When picking out linen and accent colors, we took into consideration the beautiful greens and browns of the redwoods that would naturally lend their decor to the reception area. We decided that blue and orange would really POP against the natural landscape that surrounded us…great idea! We had a nice blue linen with a 15-foot burlap runner down the center of each table. The table numbers were 4×4 pieces of wood cut down with a stenciled number on them, very cost-friendly if you happen to have scrap pieces available {thank you to Ranai’s dad who donated the lumber and very kindly cut them all at an angle for us}. Pieces of real fruit made great accents as well as fresh herbs potted by a family member of the groom.

Another really great touch was their take on the wedding cake. Instead of your traditional wedding cake, the couple’s close family members baked individual carrot cakes for each table, which was great because it was an old family recipe that meant a lot to share with every guest. Ranai and I used some wood slabs that again, her dad graciously cut for us, out of an old tree that had fallen by their home. One was placed at each table and was frosted with coconut flakes to look like a bird’s nest, then we added a little bird and we had the cutest centerpieces ever!

The last thing to finish the tables off was a little nod to the groom who brews his own beer…a duo of wheat stalks were placed in each guest’s napkin! Then a little individual wet nap helped keep guests tidy after enjoying the mouth watering BBQ.

The Sweetheart Table

One thing you should know about this special couple is how much they LOVE their special little furry friends, Leyla [a Boston Terrier] and Angus [a French Bulldog]. They both made an appearance during the reception donned in a bow tie and little orange flower, very adorable additions to the wedding party! For their table, we wanted the cake toppers to really stand out since they had them specially made to resemble their little pups {if you look closely the resemblance is amazing!}. We put them on a cake stand we made with a bronze candle holder and a cream colored plate  {E6000 glue is amazing for projects like this}. The finishing touch was the Mr & Mrs banner that we made with pre-cut burlap banner pieces from Hobby Lobby and stenciled lettering, pinned it onto the table linen and we were all set!

Remember when I mentioned that the bride was very crafty and worked on some projects of her own for the wedding? Well take a look at this wonderful wedding party photo below; see the beautiful fabric banner hanging in the background? That’s all Michelle right there! With one inch strips of fabric, she made a small slit at the top of the fabric pieces and pulled the fabric over the string to make a banner. It was definitely a beautiful addition to the ceremony site and just an amazing backdrop. Great job, Michelle!

This was such a special day for Qute Hoots, but meant a lot to me to be able to be part of my friend’s special day. To see such an amazing couple come together and vow to love each other forever and always is a gift. Treasure each other always :]

Congratulations on the nuptials Korbs…but an even BIGGER congratulations goes out to the new bundle of joy you welcomed into the world just recently. Get ready world, baby Milo LeRoy Martin is here and he is as cute as can be!