An evening to remember!

As I mentioned, my friend Debbie got married yesterday. And, she had asked me to help her decorate a dinner for her family that would be held after the wedding reception. I had sort of set a mental budget of $100 to do this and here is how it all turned out ~ enjoy!

Let's start with the drink table -

I covered a regular folding table with brown paper and then laid a cloth of burlap over the top. An enamel pail of hydrangeas from my yard formed a beautiful centerpiece! Large jars of lemonade and sweet tea were on either side. Guests drank from pint size canning jars with tags around the top edge - and a marker was handy for writing their name on the tag so we could keep track of whose was whose.

Carrie served drinks like this at her rehearsal dinner and I loved it! Thanks for the jar and the inspiration, Carrie!

An old silver cooler was on the ground nearby for ice.

Under the pavilion, we had a combination of picnic and folding tables - I did the same thing with the brown paper and burlap tablecloths. Then, I used two of the blue canning jars (thanks!!), hydrangeas and shells. Between the two jars, I placed a small star tin (sorry, forgot a picture - eek!) with sand and a votive candle in it. I didn't light the candles because it was HOT - the heat index was 105. I didn't want to add any heat no matter how small!

I made small paper fans to place on the tables in an effort to provide some relief from the heat. I saw lots of them being used, so hopefully they were a help! This hydrangea photo was what she had used on her wedding invitations - I took an extra one to Staples and got them color copied four to a page on cardstock. After cutting apart, I just hot glued them to long wavy popsicle sticks found at Hobby Lobby. A short sheer ribbon was tied around in a simple knot.

Leading up to the pavilion from the sidewalk - I created a little walkway out of these shepherd's hooks and jars. Both were left from Carrie's wedding and she graciously let me borrow them! Jelly jars are filled with dried lavender and a piece of wire is wrapped around the top to create a hanger. I skipped the tea lights that originally were in these - several of them melted in my car during the wedding!


Let's see - how did I do on my budget?
30 yards burlap: $30 (thanks Michele for the tip on $1/yard burlap with free shipping!)
canning jars: $12 (shipping, thank you ladies for your generosity in sharing your jars!)
paper lanterns: $2
beverage jar: $14
brown paper: $13
candles: $2
W sign: $2 (initial hanging in the pavilion)
Paper Fans: about $20
Canning jars for drinks: borrowed or purchased by bride
Hydrangeas: free (my yard and some friends yards)
Shells and sand: free (trip to beach)
Plates and silverware (all plastic) were provided by family of the bride
Napkins: $2
Star Tins: $2 (thrift store)

Total: $99

I love that I can use lots of these things again which will extend their value! And, I want to thank the special ladies who sent their blue canning jars so graciously! I also would like to thank each of you who purchased something from The Rusty Robin - this was a wedding gift to my friend from my giving fund that the proceeds of my crafts supplied. Also, my friend Susan was an invaluable source of encouragement and help during the set up!!

One guest said that the evening was so homey and country - that was music to my ears and definitely the feel I was going for!