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DIY ceremony decor and a daily reminder…

Good morning and happy weekend, readers!  It’s been a bit overcast here in California this weekend, so I’m blogging from my comfy bed with a cup of hot chai latte in my hands (thank you, dr. dave!).

dailyafterhtoughtblogspotcom
Photo via dailyafterthought.blogspot.com

It’s been a fun week.  Dr. dave’s brother, B, who will be playing some of his beautiful music (along with some band members from l’elan vital) for our reception and ceremony, was in town for a business trip, so we got to spend some quality time with him.  We also attended a charity gala last night, complete with silent auction…and I was reminded of one of the many reasons I’m marrying dr. dave.  My donation to the gala was a series of four hour-long ballet classes…and guess who was secretly bidding on them all night!  That’s right…my H2B.  When the emcee announced the winner, dr. dave turned to me and said, all wide-eyed and sweet, “you don’t have to teach me ballet…I just wanted an hour of your time.”  ….. I mean, right???

Anyway, I am just so thankful today to have him.  I think sometimes we can get caught up in the excitement of planning and forget about the most important part of a wedding… the everlasting love that we hope to continue long after the reception.

which, of course, doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy planning our details…but keeping them in perspective. So with that, I’d like to introduce to you…our ceremony decor!  ::insert fanfare here::

vintagedesigncompanycom
Photo via Vintage Design Company

Let’s be honest.  The last thing you’ll be wanting to do on the morning of your wedding is arranging ceremony flowers.  If you’re going DIY-style, this is a great project that will only take you about 10-30 minutes to complete day-of…most of the work can be done prior.

We’ll be lining the aisle with 6 of these beauties, and then transferring them to the buffet and cake tables.  Hooray for multipurpose decor!

What you’ll need:
Birch or Aspen poles from Nettleton Hollow or other supplier.
Vases from wholesale supplier or Michael’s…keep those 1/2-off coupons! Stick with tall vases for more impact…at least 20″
Water vials for stems
Your choice of flowers

Instructions:
1) Cut branches to the same length, using a circular saw or handsaw.  Get a little help with this if you’re not used to using power tools–we want you to be safe, after all!

2) Arrange branches in vase.  The number that you use will depend on the circumference of the branches you picked…for example, you’ll need fewer birch than aspen, because they’re typically a bit wider.

3) Cut flowers at an angle and immediately insert stems into water vials.  If you have a hearty flower (wax flowers, baby’s breath) that can be outside of water for some time, you can skip this…otherwise, they’ll wilt quickly.

4) Nest stems into center of branches so vials are hidden among them.

5) Bask in your glory.

Hope you enjoy this project!  What flowers would YOU use for this?

-B