flowers and tables (2)

D*S reader Jennifer Lackey, who is planning a September wedding, was kind enough to forward this great find. These rustic birch wrap vases are great for any season, available from Small Stump.



And the always impressive folks at ReadyMade Magazine did a number of articles on wedding decorations in the Feb/March 2006 issue. I'm going to be featuring some more tips from this issue later, but you can buy a back copy to get the full scoop. Here are some table centerpieces made with blood oranges and canned flowers.



Here is a much-loved heirloom shamrock (oxalis) plant belonging to my family. My great aunt gave it to my grandmother about forty years ago, and we've been making offshoot plants from it ever since.

My cousin John got married a few years ago, so we started a bunch of new shoots nine months in advance. When the wedding day finally rolled around, we were able to use them as lush and charming centerpieces. Guests took them home at the end of the night, which was a special way to share a part of our family history with them. Planting them in teacups adds an extra touch.


Oh, and speaking of giving away centerpieces... One reader was wondering about what happened to the goldfish after this wedding. The couple had loads of neices and nephews, so after clearing it with their parents they gave each of the kids the goldfish of their choice. And if you're thinking of using this idea for your tables, remember to fill the vases with water the night before so it will be room temperature when you put your fish in. And have a plan in mind for the end of the night!


I'm a huge fan of Laurie Cinotto's arrangements. Although some of the more intricate styles are best when left in the hands of the experts, I thought these two simple looks fit nicely into the DIY category. Be sure to start practicing growing your wheatgrass a few months in advance so you have an idea of when it will be at its peak.



Kate Bingaman used bold colors and patterns to decorate her casual outdoor wedding. Here's Kate:

"About the tablecloths: I have an addiction to collecting fabric from thrift stores and for my wedding I asked my mom to sew 18 table cloths made from all of my fabric scraps.

About the dishes: I cleaned out thrift stores in northern mississippi and northern alabama searching for vintage dishes. I almost found 150 settings (I was picky...only floral designs from the 60s and 70s). I ended up supplementing with colorful plastic dishes for the settings that I came up short on."





And speaking of color, Johanna Poole from Grand Rapids, Michigan had a huge raw banquet space for her reception. They used pillow stuffing and blue felt to create homemade clouds and rain drops, and hung them from the ceiling. The guests absolutely loved them.


And along these lines, Sally Struever is now planning her wedding at her grandmother's farm in Blue Hill, Maine. She's having a friend design and knit lacey table coverings with yarn spun from the sheep last year. They're still in the design phase, but I couldn't resist posting a shot of the guys who inspired the whole idea. :)