charming details

When a good friend gets married, you can't wait to go to her wedding.  When a great friend gets married, it brings tears to your eyes that after a decade of friendship you get to share in her big day.

My great friend Mary got married this weekend alongside a grazing doe and under a double rainbow.  Did it rain?  Not really.  But as the groom exclaimed, "Seven-thousand dollars for a double rainbow!" we all knew it was a gift.

I often remember days in details, and Mary's wedding was no different.  I know you will appreciate all the gems I'm about to show you.  Strung together they created the most charming of afternoons!

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Apparently my handwriting passed muster because I was the lucky one who got to write on these beautiful handmade chalkboards.

Great use of a vintage suitcase!  Since I forgot a card...can you believe that?...I put my pickles in instead.

Multi-purpose place cards...that aren't place cards.  Each guest was asked to find his/her name and bring these with to the ceremony.  On the back of the colored tag was a word.  At one point in the ceremony, guests used their outdoor voices to shower Mary and Terry with these words of wisdom in popcorn style.  Jahred and I's word was "balance."  How fitting. 

After the ceremony, the guests removed the three tags (shown with a tree on them) and placed them in their choice of three crates.  Each crate representing a charity Mary and Terry support.  After the wedding, they will be making a donation to each of the organizations for each tag collected in it's crate.

The three charities are, Lutheran World Relief, Outfront Minnesota, and the Alzheimer's Association.

Dinner is served.  Locally sourced veggies and a platter of pork that would make a non-vegetarian drool was served family style on the longest picnic table I've ever seen.  Guess who got to sit by the bride?  ME!