Saturday, August 30, 2008

to keep or not to keep?

I'm to the point in the wedding planning process where I'm trying to decide what ideas get kept and have money and time put toward them to follow through and what things don't.


Here are some of the items in consideration. What do you think?



1. Printing on the napkins



Check out these great napkins from other brides, here and here.



This bride's cake table runner. I do love it so and think it would be such an heirloom piece! But, I have not started on it. I am not sure what color it should be considering all of the other color in the linens, etc.



ahhh . . . just realizing I NEED to order the candles . . .



I am going to use these and these (the orange ones of course)



If I get some of the shorter ones of these for some of the tables, is that getting too divergent?



Okay, sorry, candle tangent. The candles are not up for negotiation except for perhaps the copper colored holders.



If I'm serving coffee I probably need some kind of stirrers don't I? Do I? hmmm . . . I don't really drink coffee except at places that fix it all for you. I kind of don't want those skinny brown plastic straws. Do you think I can get those little wooden sticks they have at Starbuck's somewhere? in bulk? for cheap?



Okay, back to things I'm debating . . .



bittersweet runners to go along the tabletops



I can't even find a picture on the internet to show you. I think these are definitely about to get sifted out.



I am sad, sad, sad to say it but chair decorations seem to have gone by the wayside. I love chair decorations! Always have. Thought for sure I'd have some at my wedding but I haven't figured out a good/easy/quick way to decorate 375 metal folding chairs.


Here are a few I like: top right photo here

bottom second to the left here

bottom second to right here

I would have loved to have all mismatched chairs like these bottom second to right but who can do that for hundreds of people? But . . . I do get to have really close to that look with the long rectangular tables, the long beautiful table runners thanks to my mom and aunts and the candles, centerpieces, etc.


hmmmm . . . . I would love to know your thoughts. 

Happy Labor Day weekend everyone!  Kelly

10 comments:

Meredith said...

If it were me, I'd skip the napkin printing. My mother always told me it was on the tacky side.

Maybe a stamp or embosser with the letter of your new last name--if you really feel strongly about it?

You can buy thin wooden stirrers for coffee at the grocery store or a restaurant supply store. I don't know about what they have at Starbucks, but they look like thin balsa wood and are very cheap.

Once people are sitting in the chairs, no one will notice that they're bare!

Your tabletops sound divine.

Rachel said...

I am with Meredith. I didn't want so much printing on ours either because if you have left over there is not ever really a time when you can use them again with a date. So, I opted for ones with just a calligraphy L so that we could use them again for whatever. That was nice and I enjoyed them over just plain napkins.

I think you could find cheap wooden stirrers at Sam's as well. You might could even ask at Starbucks if you can buy a box, but it might be more expensive.

I'm with Meredith on the chairs!

Love the candles!

Mandy said...

I was going to say the same thing. Throw the napkin printing out. I'm brainstorming about the chairs. How many will be there? Man, that one is tough. It would be a nice touch (I think) but a lot of work and probably very expensive for as many chairs as you will be having. I Ll-you (as Caleb now says)!
Mandy

Lisa said...

Hi Kelly - I haven't commented on your blog in quite a while. But, I have so enjoyed reading all about your wedding details. I have no doubt that it is all going to be beautiful!! If you have to cut something, I agree with the others on the printed napkins - after all, people are going to be wiping their mouth and hands with them and throwing them away. Hope all is well! ~ Lisa

Susan @ Blessed Assurances said...

okay, I am Paige's cousin, she turned me on to your blog awhile back b/c you and I have a love for the details and for decorating. I have a cheap idea for the metal chair decor. When my brother in law got married, I helped his wife to be decorate. It was at christmas and we tied silver ribbon and hung an ornament so it hung from the back. It was a small, inexpensive touch that gave the metal chairs a bit of pazazz. so maybe you could tie ribbon around it and hang your favorite silk flower or something-shouldn't break the bank and will look nice too.

Jenni said...

I'll share my thoughts and opinions in person tomorrow night....

BR said...

Definitely keep the bride and the groom. Everything else is optional. I have an R embosser that you could use on your napkins if you would like for me to mail it down to you. It was a wedding gift. Love you!
BR

Tara Vorhes said...

Thanks for the link love! I liked having the printed napkins- particularly as a way to work in quotes. And if you order them it doesn't take much time/effort on your part...

For stirrers our caterer included spoons for the coffee service; is this something that is already being accounted for by the caterer?

Christian - Modobject@Home said...

I'm super late responding to this but I have been thinking...

I agree with Meredith, I'd skip the napkin printing (unless the quotes are just something really important to you). If you have your heart set printed napkins your monogram "aRk>"would be nice and classy. Or, simply an "R".

I hate to see you give up on the chair decorations because I know that you already compromised in renting the plain, gray chairs. Here's what I'm thinking... Give each chair a "sash" -- just a strip of ribbon (grosgrain, perhaps) or tulle (white, blue, pomegranate) tied around the chair back with either a bow or knot in back and the "tails" hanging down a bit. Then stick a sprig of fresh greenery (free from the roadside!), or rosemary, or lavender, or a fresh flower in each knot. Play around with it. Simple, simple and pretty.

jessica lynn said...

just posted today about my napkins. i had 150 printed from an etsy seller and then I just bought some plain ones in our accent colors from the local party store. all in all i think it was less than $40