My mom and I loved to dream about my wedding years in advance. We had so much fun dreaming up different ideas. One idea that was born late one night in a Chicago hotel room when we were on a girls' trip, staying up late talking was that of a family and friends dessert buffet.
Three words that described what I wanted my wedding to be like are: personal, unique and celebratory. We thought that having family and friends bring special desserts would be a way of making the wedding very personal.
My mom really spearheaded this for me. (Thank you soo much, Mom!) We sent a letter to various family members and friends who were invited to the wedding asking them if they would like to participate by bringing a dessert and e-mailing my mom with a little "story" about their dessert, why they chose it or whatever. The response was overwhelming and so, so much fun.
My friend Marla brought cookies that were her husband's childhood favorite, my friend Jenni brought a cake that I have had the pleasure of eating with her on many occasions, my friend Jenny brought monkey bread since this is what her mother made on special occasions to share with others when she was growing up. My friend Jenny brought Dunkin' Donut holes! We went to Cape Cod together one summer and I thought it would be fun to try to count how many Dunkin' Donuts we saw. :) My friend Tiffany made cupcakes. My mother-in-law brought her to die for pralines. Mrs. Lea brought an Italian cream cake. My friend Deborah made her Mamaw's cream cheese pound cake that I had made for her for her birthday one year when we were college roommates. My sister-in-law brought some very yummy cookies. My friend Betty made rosemary cookies with homegrown rosemary and brought them from Alaska! Adrian's grandma and a close family friend both brought delicious brownies from each of their special recipes. My aunts and uncles made sugar cookies, divinity, fudge and rented a cotton candy machine! Even people who couldn't come to the wedding sent things! It just went on and on . . . I know there are tons that I'm forgetting even as I type this.
It was such a blessing and a special and popular part of our wedding celebration. Our day of wedding coordinator packed up some of the offerings for us and we ate them on our honeymoon! Such a fun way to extend the celebration.
So, from a set-up standpoint, here are some pictures of how we did it.
Remember these baskets that we found?
Well, using some patterned scrapbook paper in the colors of the wedding, I cut out circles to line the baskets, free handed a slit up the side and a little circle out of the middle to fit in the baskets.
like so . . .
I also cleaned out and used some jars that I already had
and using yet more of the scrapbook paper from one of those big pads (where all the papers coordinate) and my xyron machine, I typed up some labels, printed on the paper cut down from 12x12 to standard 8 1/2 x 11, cut with pinking shears, ran through the xyron and then stuck down onto the jar over top of the seam binding "ribbon". I loved the way they looked. There were also extra labels in case we needed them that day.
I used these to hold the "stories" that my mom typed up on white cardstock and glued over the info on some leftover invitations from one of my showers! They were so beautiful, it was senseless to let them go to waste!
Here is a picture of the set up with my rented robin's egg blue tablecloths and the runners that my Aunt Gail and Aunt Terry so generously sewed for me! I had also been collecting glass cake stands for a few years as I went to antique shops, flea markets, etc. and my grandma and mom also bought some and loaned some to me.
Some friends from church came over and helped me make these little banners. Again, that pad of coordinating scrapbook papers came into play, I typed and printed our names, cut them into strips, notched the ends and threaded them onto the skewers.
If you were at the wedding, what were some of the desserts that you really enjoyed on the dessert buffet? Kelly
8 comments:
Wow, what a fun idea that turned out beautifully! I'm curious... did you also have a traditional wedding cake in addition to all these confections?
When we married my mom and I tossed around the idea of doing something similar instead of having a groom's chocolate cake. When it was all said and done we had a traditional wedding cake and then a "buffet" of assorted cheesecakes. Everyone loved it.
I love how you incorporated such a personal element with yours, and included people who are special to you in helping with an aspect of the wedding. I'm sure everyone who brought something enjoyed their labor of love!
P.S. I'm enjoying your posts about the wedding!
Thanks, Modgirl, yes, we did also have a traditional bride's cake and groom's cake and also gelato, pie, fruit and cheese. The wording on the invitation was something to the effect of . . . an evening of celebration with dancing and dessert to follow . . . It was such fun! Kelly
This is my second attempt to post this - so if it ends up on here twice, I apologize.
It doesn't get much better than a dessert buffet! All the desserts were wonderful, but among my favorites were: the gelato, the Italian cream cake, the chocolate groom's cake and the little buttercream mints (those bring back memories from my childhood, as well as taste good).
Julie
I think the dessert buffet was one of my favorite parts of the reception. (Do I say "my favorite part" a lot?--I guess the whole time was favorite). It not only looked beautful and tasted good, but was the fruition of a dream idea! I loved the way people were excited about bringing their special desserts.
MOM
What a fantastic idea and execution of an idea! What a fantastic addition to your very personal celebration! Oh, and the pom-poms are making me giddy! I may have to pass this idea on to others!
So gorgeous. I'm drooling over the pictures of your wedding. When do you get the pro pics back? I'm dying to see more!!
You have shared useful information on this DIY project. Last month only, I arranged my brother’s wedding reception at a graceful event venue Chicago. Got the venue decorated with beautiful flowers and was looking truly amazing.
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