Renewal in PA Part II – The Venue and The Look

To continue our Renewal story today I am sharing more about our fabulous venue in Dallas, Pennsylvania.  Early on in the planning I posted this, so have a look!  The Cottage at Hillside Farms is anything but that which the word cottage implies.  This was the summer home of the well known Cunningham farming family.  A well loved place, full of original china, rugs and architecture, the owners of this grand place trust each visitor to wander carefully and respect the history each item holds.  The minute you enter the Cottage, you are welcomed in, feeling an instant sense of warmth and familiarity.  I still love this space and take every chance I can to return.  It is quite amazing how a space, a home, a room or veranda can draw on your heart and make such an impact. Perhaps it is the spirit of all good times had here that lures people back time and time again.  We certainly added to the celebratory history of this place with our Renewal celebration.

The massive wrap around porch became our party space.  The outer screened wall was lined with banquet tables, draped in peony embroidered loveliness compliments of my friends at La Tavola Linen in warm honey shade.  Every guest had a view of the sprawling front lawn speckled with mature pines and landscape. Above left is a view of the rustic gazebo crafted by the original owners.  Organic shapes made from antlers and fallen branches gave this dancing space its own personality and charming spirit.  Maggie from Details, came along to deck out the space with lights and bold lanterns.

One of my favorite shots of the day; the Hubby’s parents caught in an intense moment of conversation.  A picture is so worth a thousand words.

Each table was detailed with a collection of vintage linens, crocheted doilies, old art frames and small styling details such as collectible salt dips and pretty lotion glass jars I collected over time.  We wanted each table to feel at home, with guests comfortable at their seats and able to soak in the decor, play games and relax. From Yahtzee and Dominos to chess and Boggle, guests were immersed in friendly games all evening long.

Just a few steps beyond the porch was a setting that took us back in time to warm late spring evenings on the lawn.  Vintage lawn furniture was placed about the property in cozy vignettes for guests to mingle and rest.

The grand dining room inside became a haven for those needed a bit of rest from the outdoors.  The dining table original to the property comfortably sat 20 of our guests for long chats and a game of poker or two!

Photos by the talented Daniel Lanton and the kind Kara Walsh

I wanted to extend a huge thank you to the team at the Hillside Cottage for giving us run of this beautiful property.  We set up “camp” there for over 3 days, busy with preparations.  Long days turned into late nights and we always felt right at home.  Up next…a look at the stationery, favors and photobooth!

Renewal in PA Part I – DIY Flower Designs

As many of you might remember, the hubby and I renewed our vows last May and followed up with a big celebration bash in Pennsylvania.  Recently the full gallery of images captured by good friend Daniel Lanton was featured on Wedding Chicks!  So now I am thrilled to share some more details from the party!

Mom and I spent a solid 12 hours arranging over 15 designs with perfect blooms from 50flowers.com.  From their incredibly personal customer service to fresh flowers delivered on time and as promised, I sing their praises as often as possible.  The moment the 20 boxes of blooms were delivered, Mom and I went right to work prepping.  Each stem was snipped, leaves removed, rinsed and them placed in buckets of treated water.  All the buckets were then driven to our gorgeous venue at Hillside Farms in Shavertown, PA.

My snapshot

DarkerShadesofBrown Photography

For months before the party, Mom and I plus sometime the hubby and Dad too, traveled to dozens of local vintage shops to scoop up any amber, orange or yellow glass we could find.  Tall pedestals like those seen above were my favorites.  Mom and I are quite different in our flower arranging styles.  On the left above is one of Mom’s masterpieces in all its organic and flowing beauty while mine to the right is more dense and quirky.  It is amazing what you learn about eachother after 12 hours of wet hands and flower buckets!

DarkerShadesofBrown Photography

This scale glass piece is my all time favorite of the day.  For just $12 at a flea market about a mile from my house, a sweet woman made my day as she wrapped each piece in tissue.  I told her of my plans and she couldn’t have been happier to know that this piece was to be used in such a clever way!  The coral spray roses used in the design dried beautifully and this piece is now displayed in tact in my sitting room!

What was most exciting about the flower design experience was quite honestly the smell.   For two days we were surrounded by the crisp woodsy aroma of Silver Dollar Eucalyptus and the sweet, classic notes of the romantic Piaget Rose.  Other blooms incorporated were White Scabiosa and Ranunculus, Chocolate Cosmos, Peach Carnations, Coral Spray Roses and Italian Ruscus.

Soon I will be sharing more about the favors, menu, cake and the decor details.  Curious about the invitations? Check out this lovely post over at Oh So Beautiful Paper!

Renewal Inspirations – A Trial Run with Dreamcatcher Photography

Several weeks ago I thought it might be a good idea to have a site visit with our Renewal in PA photographer Kara Walsh of Dreamcatcher Photography.  The Cottage,  the location of our PA renewal celebration is a unique place and has so much to consider, so a pre-party visit seemed smart.  Kara was all for the idea and one crisp Sunday morning we met to scour the 100+ year old summer home.   Being that my latest obsession is tablescape styling, I considered the renewal celebrations as the perfect opportunity to flex my creative muscle and dive into a project with my style and sensibilities at the very core.

I asked Kara to being along her equipment so she could capture some test shots of sorts to first, help me gain a better sense of all the color decisions I had been making over the last year and second, to give Kara a chance to become familiar with the space and light.

I love this old buffet at The Cottage.  We plan to stuff the lower shelves full of flowers, some trailing to the floor even.  Mom and I are creating all of the arrangements with the help of FiftyFlowers.com (more on that later).  The linen pictured is just one of the many I have to adorn each guest table.   I purchased two basic bouquets at a grocery store to again, get a sense of what was really going to work in this space.  It was a toss up, between all white blooms and a mixture of white, yellow and peaches.  I really fell in love with the white, peach and brown mix pictured above.  I’m sooo happy though to have done the trial run because I was seriously leaning towards yellows.

Collecting vintage glassware and linens has become a bit of an obsession over the last year.  Because we needed so much, I had to shop around and grab deals where I could.  For the trial run with Kara, I chose one of my favorite pieces, a richly amber-hued glass pitcher with an elegant shape and graceful stature.

Meeting with Kara outside of her studio was enlightening and was yet another good reason to stage the trial run.  So much of creating a successful event is about ensuring there is good chemistry amongst everyone involved.  Sometimes good chemistry just happens, sure, but it also can grow from a mutual understanding of expectations aka “being on the same page”. Right?

Did you or your wedding planner stage a trial run with your photographer?  Was it helpful?

Renewal Inspirations: Painting a picture of love in Zion.

This is where it all began.  My love for the west, redrock landscapes and the clear, crisp air of the desert landscape-it began with a painting.  Years ago, when the hubby and I took our first trip out west, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to go honestly.  He was thrilled at the prospect of seeing our nation but me? I  would have preferred a trip to the beach.  My lackluster sentiments stopped very soon after we drove across the New Mexico border.  Plants and land I had never experienced, wide open spaces mixed with towering rocks were all I needed to get hooked.  As we drove further west, I pulled out my paints and water and began a lifelong love affair with this area of our country.  Visiting Zion National Park for the first time, struck me so deeply it is difficult to put into words.   Experiencing Zion with my brush and paints makes me feel lucky to be alive and have eyes.   Being so close to nature’s magic and feeling completely immersed in it builds character, fosters humility and gives profound gift of being part of a naturally occurring beauty.

So why am I sharing all this, you might be wondering?   Our renewal plans began with a simple idea; to celebrate and share our love with friends and family.  The hubby and I are two very different individuals since marrying ten years ago.  Many experiences have shaped us but mostly so have been our travels out west.  We fell further in love with each other with every mile driven, every walk taken and every new discovery.
As our renewal planning takes a hurried pace I wanted to remember the truth that has brought us to this point.  Our love and experience is what is most profound in this planning experience.  Cakes, dresses, music choices and yes even invitations are all gravy.

A Peek into the Studio: Renewal in Zion, Party in PA

So to give you an update on the renewal plans I though I would share a sneak peek at the ceremony invitations that just went out to guests!  If you remember our plans include a ceremony and small celebration in Zion National Park in May with a big party to follow two weeks later in PA.  Needless to say I have my planning work cut out for me as we are only 2 months away!!!  Thank goodness for my Mom as she has been making phone calls, scheduling appointments and basically keeping me sane.  Thanks Mom!

The save the dates went out before the holidays and were a big hit with our friends and family.   I wanted to follow up with a more colorful, typically “Kristy” style watercolor from one of our many trips to Zion.  Being inspired by my own clients like Brittany and Rebecca, I decided to created a similar style painted landscape invitation.

Of course, Betsy Dunlap’s  edgy script originally penned for our sae the date envelope back flaps needed to be included.  Betsy created a printable file of our return address and names so I was able to get creative with a bit of Photoshop love to use throughout this invitation set.

Over the years, after working with so many destination wedding clients I knew just what to include on our response card.  Destination celebrations are just as much about your guests as they are about you…like it or not   The response card is the perfect place to take a bit of extra time to find out what your guests may need.  For a small celebration dinner, special dietary requirements requests are a very personal touch I think.  Tentative arrival and departure dates will help us arrange for welcome gifts and transportation too!

So what else am I up to?

Just made a cake tasting appointment for next week (while in NYC for this) with Ms. Sylvia Weinstock.  All I can say is holy cow!  My first wedding cake was a struggle to say the least so I knew the renewal cake had to be amazing.  I will definitely be blogging about my experiences so stay tuned!  Being that the appointment is in the middle of the week, neither the hubby or Mom can go so I am on my own!

Gearing up to create the party in PA invitations using a vintage collection of Zane Gray novels found at a local antique dealer.  I purchased 65 books for about $50.00…this is going to be a blast!

Getting really excited for some amazing client projects coming up…just take a look at our Muddy Brushes gallery, it is brimming with handmade wedding invitation goodness!

Renewal Inspirations – Depression Glass and Vintage Linens

An inpromptu trip to a local Antique market last weekend was all I needed to get inspired.  Last week I announced that The Hubby and I are planning a wedding vow renewal bash.  I must admit settling on a color palette has been difficult for me.   Wandering around the Antique Center I was repeatedly drawn to the vintage tablecloths in so many of the booths.  Picking up a simple piece with light orange and yellow roses, worn from use and frayed a bit on the edges I was immediately drawn in.  At that moment I knew the search for our perfect color palette was over and boy was I lucky The Hubby agreed!

From there I found a few Depression Glass pieces I hope to use as centerpieces, reminding me so much of the lovlies in my mother’s china closet, I marveled at as a child.

During the stationery design process I always encourage my clients to find inspiration in uncommon places.  A cherished card kept in a memory box for years, a simple dinner plate loved for it’s pattern or a field full of wildflowers growing along the interstate.  In my experience it is a heightened awareness of those items you surround yourself with most often that can inspire with most meaning and passion.

What seemingly mundane items have inspired your planning process?