One of my favorite couples of all time finally announced their engagement after 6 years of dating. Since their families already knew each other, they were in no rush to host a “get-to-know-each-other’s-fam” party. However, as good friends who have been waiting since college for these two to tie the knot and truthfully never need much of an excuse to throw a party, we seized the opportunity to show our excitement.
There were tons of personal touches we added when planning this party. In a spin on their wedding colors of Pewter and Platinum (love!), I added a dash of lemon yellow to brighten up this end of summer party. The signature cocktail was vodka-grapefruit infusions in mason jars inspired by the bride’s favorite drink – the greyhound. Complete with a taco bar and dessert table, the party was full of handmade and crafted elements.
1. To empathize the color scheme we stuck to all yellow and grey desserts: Oreo Balls in white chocolate and grey sprinkles, lemon cake and cupcakes (made by the Maid of Honor) and zesty lemon squares.
2. This couple has such a great history we wanted to share it with the rest of the bridal/groom party. A Memory Walk welcomed guests in to the party. Ribbons were hung off the banister and filled with black and white prints of the couple.
3. Two of my favorite items from the whole party showed up at the bar. Paper straws added a nice splash to the table and low flower arrangements were put together earlier that morning with hydrangeas from the flower mart and roses from my best friend’s parent’s house (why buy ‘em when you can snag them). We lined the vases with lemon slices to complete the look and bring in some color.
4. Dancing on the wall was a great way to start off the day. We strung twinkle lights around the wall for the evening and paper lanterns from the trees. I’m told our host loved the lanterns so much, he never took them down after the party and kept them up for the rest of the summer.
5. Coordinating signage and food tent cards welcome guests to “Have a Sweet Treat to Eat” and were easily designed and printed in a festive chevron stripe. Frames from Ikea were a cheap way to introduce the taco bar, dessert table, and the beverage bar.
