I have only met Courtney a few times, but each time her friendly welcome and sharp sense of humor makes me feel like I have known her much longer! That talent for making people feel comfortable (and for being super organized, as you will soon see) is probably a huge asset in her being the principal of her event planning company, A Sweet Soiree.
Courtney had not one box but two. I could tell you all about how she "DIY-ed" pretty much her whole wedding, or how she and her husband hosted their Pittsburgh reception at PNC Park where the Pirates play...but it's way more interesting coming from Courtney herself:
image by Viglione Photography
The garter in the picture was my "something blue" and was given to me by my Maid of Honor. It was blue and gold and had "Mountaineers" on it as it was for my alma mater, WVU. The garter was never found again post-wedding night (hehe).
image by Viglione Photography
I searched high and low for my shoes. I actually took a risk and ordered them on eBay and they ended up being perfect. I highly recommend the sole inserts that you can purchase from Nordstrom: life savers! I was a two dress bride. Coincidentally, I also ended up being a two shoe bride as the first pair I bought didn't quite match my gown. Glad I got it out of my system since I won't be a two husband bride! ; )
images by Viglione Photography
images by Viglione Photography
images by Viglione Photography
The ceremony program (long one) and reception menu (round one) sat on plates at the place settings at the reception tables. Mike and I are both Lutheran, which made the church selection so very easy. We were married at the church I grew up in, just like I had always dreamed of.
My wedding invite (far left), Bridal Tea invite (far right), and Save the Date (bottom middle).
Our reception venue was also a no brainer. We are both VERY passionate about baseball, and our first date was at PNC Park. The minute we got engaged, we knew exactly where our reception would be. The Pittsburgh Pirates were so fabulous that they were even able to print our Save the Dates on the same tickets they print out for games! We even had the team mascot, the "Pirate Parrot" come help us entertain during the cocktail hour!
Our reception venue was also a no brainer. We are both VERY passionate about baseball, and our first date was at PNC Park. The minute we got engaged, we knew exactly where our reception would be. The Pittsburgh Pirates were so fabulous that they were even able to print our Save the Dates on the same tickets they print out for games! We even had the team mascot, the "Pirate Parrot" come help us entertain during the cocktail hour!
images by Viglione Photography
We had an explanation poem that was placed on every table along with disposable cameras. My aunt took her role as photographer seriously and snapped a photo of us at our sweetheart table. I made every single one of the place cards that sat at every guest's seat from scratch, including ours that read Mr. and Mrs.! I had some major blisters after bending and twisting metal for weeks, but they were such a perfect touch for the fall vineyard theme.
I cut out the cork coaster table numbers with their wine labels (they were in burnt wood frames); if you look closely behind the florals of our sweetheart table, you can see our table number that says, "The Newlyweds"! eBay was a go-to resource for the DIY bride. I was able to buy the champagne wire cages, card box, wine labels, bridesmaids pashminas, and so much more from there!
I love the wording that wrapped around the Memorial Candle, and I still have my groom's dried boutonniere. We reused the ceremony decorations at the reception, too. For a small fee, our florist carted everything to the reception venue and we used the items to decorate the place card, photo, buffet, and favor tables. It was a great way to save some money and get the full use out of our florals.
Also in my box are the specialty drinks menu and a bumper sticker (Pittsburgh style "OBX" type of thing) that was included in the welcome bags. Those specialty drinks did the trick...my bartenders had to cut off TWO of my guests. We still laugh about it today. At least they had a great time!
I was one of those brides that originally wanted zero kids at the wedding. Somehow, I changed my mind and now I am SO glad that they were there because they made the reception! If you were like me, you can hire a childcare attendant like I did who had activities for the little ones in another room (which sweetly included them making me that adorable scrapbook)!
image by Viglione Photography
image by Viglione Photography
I kept a few of the cool response cards that we received back. I never expected to get such unique replies. Anecdote: my friend Jeff takes the cake by having the most original response card, and as you can see, also the most unique reception attire.
image by Viglione Photography
Posts
