Decorating For A Summer Wedding

Hi All,

Today I am recuperating from a very busy week. My little sister got married over the weekend and I had my hand in a lot of the preparations. When my sister announced just a few short months ago that she would be getting married in July I immediately stuck my hand up like a giddy little school girl who is just dying for the teacher to call on her. I offered to be her wedding decorator for this splendid event. Even though it was going to be a simple, casual backyard wedding with just close friends and family, I knew getting everything done would still be stressful for her.

Renting a large tent was a must for the ceremony. Sitting in the blazing North Carolina sun at 3:30 in the afternoon in mid July would have surely sent a few guests to the emergency room for heat exhaustion. The mercury rose into the 90’s and the tent really did help. Unfortunately we couldn’t do anything about the humidity.

outdoor wedding

Decorating for a summer wedding does not have to cost a fortune. You can have a beautiful wedding on a small budget with a little creativity and inspiration.

We dressed up the tent with some white and aqua blue tulle, and silk floral garlands around the otherwise unsightly support poles.

an outdoor wedding

We topped off each pole with a small bouquet of silk flowers.

wedding flowers

I gave some of the chairs at the end of the rows a face lift with some silk flowers wrapped in tulle, finished off with a  bow.

wedding chairs

A beautiful white lattice arbor was the focal point of the design scheme.  As we baked in the sun, we embellished it with more tulle, a bright aqua blue ribbon, (hmmm are you seeing a theme here?) and more silk flowers. I think it turned out so pretty and what a beautiful backdrop for the upcoming ceremony of love. We were lucky enough to find loads of white flowers on sale and on clearance locally. The other flowers were purchased online.

wedding arbor

Yep, that’s me….

Lisa Hogan

My sister looked so happy as my nephew walked her down the aisle to “give her away” to her new husband.

Lauren and Jared

The other bridesmaids and myself tried very hard not to cry as the two lovebirds recited their vows. Nonetheless,  I could not help choking back a few tears.

Lauren and Gemin

What can I say? I am a hopeless romantic, a sentimental fool. I have always been a sucker for weddings, true love and all that jazz.

you may now kiss the bride

As soon as the ceremony was over we sprung into action. In a matter of a few minutes we brought in a few tables and rearranged the chairs, transforming the  little “wedding chapel” into a reception area. Simple but pretty.

tented wedding reception

Inside the house I created this beautiful tablescape that showcased their amazing wedding cake.  I adorned the table with a silk floral arrangement, real rose petals, a basket filled with favors and candlelight. I even managed to sneak in my faux aqua blue cake (located on the left side of the table) I made  for my own kitchen a year or so ago. The colors were perfect so why not?

wedding cake tablescape

I cannot take credit for the design of their gorgeous cake.

wedding cake

Believe me, it tasted as wonderful as it looked!

cutting the cake

This silk floral arrangement turned out just lovely. Using silk flowers for a wedding is a wonderful alternative to real flowers. You can find very realistic silk flowers on the market these days and they will last for many years. This arrangement can now be displayed in the happy couple’s home as a reminder of their beautiful day.

wedding center piece

Seeing my sister get married  reminded me of my own wedding.  I found myself reminiscing, thinking of when I was the young bride to be. Many of us begin dreaming about our wedding day as little girls. I picked out my cake when I saw it in the window of a local bakery, years before I met my husband. We dream, plan and stress over every little detail of our wedding day and then it’s over before you know it. It amazes me that my 18th wedding anniversary will be sneaking up on me in a few short months.

Dean and Lisa Hogan

Where does the time go????

I hope my sister and my new brother-in-law have a lifetime of love and happiness.

Thanks so much for visiting and sharing a special day with me. Please leave me a comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

~Lisa

[signoff] Linking Today To:
Frugal Friday
Show & Tell Friday
NMH Open House Party

Tater Tots and Jello’s Weekend Wrap Up

Made By You Monday

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2 Responses

  1. Removalist Melbourne

    My wedding is in january (that's smack bang in the middle of summer in Australia) and im worried ill over heat lol. My dress will probably make me quite hot (dont say get a cooler dress please!) any of you have any tips or things you wished you had to cool down?

  2. Jana

    Sounds like a lovely wedding and what a sweet sister you are to have helped out so much. Loved viewing all the photos of her special day! Visiting you from TT&J party. Have a fabulous weekend.

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