DIY Winter Wedding
I truly feel like this bride and I are kindred spirits. Just like me, she's a Midwest girl who believes in the magic of winter, and wed her love on the snowiest of days. But what's left me loving her even more are all the handmade moments she and her ladies crafted all along the way. Paper Antler perfectly documented every last bit, and we've got even more snowy goodness you Simply. Can't. Miss.
From the Bride... I’ve always loved winter, and growing up in Wisconsin, some of my favorite memories are of blustery cold days, snowed in at home with a fire burning in the fireplace. I wanted to replicate that cozy feeling – of being so incredibly content and warm despite the frigid weather outdoors – for our friends and family at our December wedding. With that as our foundation, Dan and I decided on two additional goals for our day: first of all, we wanted to throw a good party; secondly, we wanted to infuse a classic, vintage element, including books, books and more books (because what’s a snow day without a pile of good books to read?).
We didn’t have to search long to find our perfect reception venue. When we saw the gorgeous floor-to-ceiling windows, crystal chandeliers and neutral tones that played flawlessly into the ivory and metallic color scheme we envisioned, we booked Lake Windsor Golf Club on the spot. To add the element of eras gone by, we collected old books, typewriters, and mismatched items such as teacups, candleholders, gravy boats and serving bowls from flea markets, thrift stores and relatives’ homes. The larger vintage items such as the suitcases, hinged door and chalkboard signs came from an amazing vintage rental company in Madison, A La Crate (I could live in their warehouse!). My favorite decorations were the old photographs of our parents’ and grandparents’ weddings displayed with the cakes. They not only added a touch of intimacy, but created priceless opportunities to talk to our family about their weddings and marriages as we planned ours.
A large portion of our day was do-it-yourself and only completed thanks to the love and time of those closest to us. One of my bridesmaids, a brilliantly talented graphic designer, designed our invitations. My mother helped me paint the wooden table numbers gold, create the metallic custom paper signs, and (tirelessly) spent days upon days hot gluing silver and gold tinsel to bamboo skewers to use as stir sticks for the cocktail hour. Dan's sister, an incredibly talented artist, hand-lettered the beautiful chalkboard designs hung throughout the venue, and my grandmother made the flower girls’ dresses along with my veil. One memory I know I’ll cherish forever was staying up late on the eve of our wedding with my bridesmaids and mother-in-law assembling the centerpieces, bouquets and boutonnieres.
The one thing we forgot to plan was our exit. As the night wore on, we completely lost track of time, celebrating with our guests until the venue starting locking the doors, and it was only then that we realized we didn’t have a ride home! Dan’s sister gave us a lift, and after all was said and done, we couldn't have asked for a more perfect celebration to start our lives together as husband and wife.
We also want to give a shout out to the kind and talented people we are so grateful to have worked with, such as Jonny and Michelle from Paper Antler, Jennifer and Beth from Lake Windsor, and Pastor Dave and his wife Nancy from Blackhawk Church, and many others. Thank you! It was an absolute dream day for us, and I, for one, felt as if I was curled up in front of a fireplace the entire time.
We didn’t have to search long to find our perfect reception venue. When we saw the gorgeous floor-to-ceiling windows, crystal chandeliers and neutral tones that played flawlessly into the ivory and metallic color scheme we envisioned, we booked Lake Windsor Golf Club on the spot. To add the element of eras gone by, we collected old books, typewriters, and mismatched items such as teacups, candleholders, gravy boats and serving bowls from flea markets, thrift stores and relatives’ homes. The larger vintage items such as the suitcases, hinged door and chalkboard signs came from an amazing vintage rental company in Madison, A La Crate (I could live in their warehouse!). My favorite decorations were the old photographs of our parents’ and grandparents’ weddings displayed with the cakes. They not only added a touch of intimacy, but created priceless opportunities to talk to our family about their weddings and marriages as we planned ours.
A large portion of our day was do-it-yourself and only completed thanks to the love and time of those closest to us. One of my bridesmaids, a brilliantly talented graphic designer, designed our invitations. My mother helped me paint the wooden table numbers gold, create the metallic custom paper signs, and (tirelessly) spent days upon days hot gluing silver and gold tinsel to bamboo skewers to use as stir sticks for the cocktail hour. Dan's sister, an incredibly talented artist, hand-lettered the beautiful chalkboard designs hung throughout the venue, and my grandmother made the flower girls’ dresses along with my veil. One memory I know I’ll cherish forever was staying up late on the eve of our wedding with my bridesmaids and mother-in-law assembling the centerpieces, bouquets and boutonnieres.
The one thing we forgot to plan was our exit. As the night wore on, we completely lost track of time, celebrating with our guests until the venue starting locking the doors, and it was only then that we realized we didn’t have a ride home! Dan’s sister gave us a lift, and after all was said and done, we couldn't have asked for a more perfect celebration to start our lives together as husband and wife.
We also want to give a shout out to the kind and talented people we are so grateful to have worked with, such as Jonny and Michelle from Paper Antler, Jennifer and Beth from Lake Windsor, and Pastor Dave and his wife Nancy from Blackhawk Church, and many others. Thank you! It was an absolute dream day for us, and I, for one, felt as if I was curled up in front of a fireplace the entire time.