My First Try At DIY Dry Shampoo

I learned of the wonders of dry shampoo in 2012 and found that the Batiste brunette variation was my favorite.  The dark color meant my hair didn't look like chalk, and the nice smell was fun.  It soaked up the oil in my hair and let me start washing my hair only every other day, which was a great time saver, too!  However, after finishing the first experimental can and loving the dry shampoo, I realized that it was mega expensive.  The brunette formula I used cost upwards of $8, and it only lasted me a couple months!  Plus, that pretty smell wasn't enjoyable anymore, because the propane and everything else in the formula started to aggravate my lungs each time I sprayed it.

Cue the Wellness Mama blog, my health nut kick, and this super easy recipe for homemade dry shampoo!  There's even an adaptation for dark hair, and it couldn't be simpler!

Wedding Details: The Altar

One of the most difficult parts of the decor was figuring out how to construct a beautiful altar at the train depot's white arch where we'd say our vows.  It was Caleb who came up with the swagging material idea, which I latched onto instantly, but even with the gathered points and flowers, I wasn't sure it would look okay.

It was the day before the wedding that my mom realized there was a hearth in the depot's storage room.  With that addition, everything immediately came together and looked "on purpose".

My favorite part is how so many people worked on it.  I hung up the fabric, but my sister Taylor, matron of honor Millie, and makeup artist Kelsey did all the flowers, and some groomsmen moved the hearth.  I'm so pleased with how it turned out!  For me, it was perfect.

Wedding Details: We Didn't Have Wedding Cake

I don't like cake very often. There are some cakes that are delicious, but I much prefer pies. The decision was made as soon as the question came up of what we would have at our wedding. Pies!

I asked my mom and my mother-in-law to be in charge of collecting the pies. Some were brought in from a caterer, some were brought in from Sunday School friends, and some were made by aunts in the kitchen the day of the wedding. (It was a great relief on my small wedding budget to have all of these desserts donated. Someone even thought to bring whipped cream!)

I only got to grab one bite of pie as I was passing by the table after the last dance, but some awesome lady also sent a homemade cherry pie home with us. We still have some of it in our fridge, and never have I ever imagined cherry pie could be this amazing. It's fresh cherry, and I must get the recipe.

My ultimate favorite dessert is cheesecake, and my mother-in-law was able to make my dream come true of having cheesecake for what Caleb and I would cut and feed each other. She had her famous baking friend ship us one from Charleston, SC. I like how she made it a heart, and I greatly appreciate like how she sent along a separate small cake for Caleb and I to save for our first anniversary. I also really, really like the golden fox cake toppers I made!

All photography by Sarah Becker Photography

Wedding pictures!

They're all here!  Well, not in this post.  I'll just show you my favorites, but I will also show you the entire albums I posted on Facebook, if you like. There's an album for Getting Ready & Wedding Party Portraits and one for Ceremony & Reception Pictures.

I'll be talking about some of the specifics of the wedding throughout the week.  I hope you like the pictures and stories!

The lovely photos are by my good friend Sarah at Sarah Becker Photography.  I can't wait to get them printed and displayed in our home!

Wedding Details: In Between the Ceremony and Reception

One of the parts of the wedding that I got the most compliments on was also the part that I put the least amount of effort into and the part that I was most worried about.

Cocktail Hour
 

While the wedding party goes off for pictures after the ceremony, in other weddings there's usually, I guess, cocktails.  There are snacks and mingling or sitting at your table looking at the chocolate kisses and restraining yourself from burning the silverware over the candles.  That's how the weddings I've been to have been like.  And it's usually a nice time when you can talk and make noise and not have to sit still and listen to a pastor for a while.

The venue for my wedding (a historic train depot) had limited space.  We were using the museum room for the ceremony, then the reception would be on a large lawn.  The only area left for a cocktail hour was a smaller lawn on the other side of the building.  A few brainstorm sessions birthed the ideas of board games and a popcorn machine.  I figured we could have some tables and chairs around, too, but that's about all I had when it came time for the wedding week crunch.

What panned out was, as the guests told me, perfect.  Even the DJ commented that it was a great idea.  "Most people think the reception is only dancing, but I like what you did there with the carnival theme."  I wasn't going for "carnival," I was going for "garden party," but whatever the interpretation was, I know the goal was met.  People had something to do, people had refreshments, and people had fun.

This is what it looked like!

 Two young girls in attendance said it was the most fun wedding they'd ever been to, and I suspect it was because of this part.  I know it's not the biggest deal, but that made me really happy.  I wanted people to enjoy the ceremony and the party afterward.  Mission accomplished.

 

Thankfully, the mission was accomplished without me having to go crazy.  We rented the popcorn machine, bought the kernels, oil, and seasonings.  We made blue cones for holding the popcorn, and I purchased white tablecloths in bulk, cups, and drink dispensers.  The tables and chairs were already at the depot available for us to use, and the rocking chairs came from my husband's mother and the corn hole sets came from his uncles.  The games came from my own house.   (We've gathered quite a collection over the years.)  I'd originally wanted to have music, too, but it became something I couldn't afford the effort or reasoning on, so that got cut 2 weeks before the wedding, and people were fine without it!  How awesome is that!  I'm so, so pleased, and I wasn't even there to see it much.

{ All photos property of Sarah Becker Photography }

Wedding Details: Making the Bouquets

What began as a necessity (florist bouquets weren't going to fit into the budget) became a pet project of mine. I really like nature, and I had visions of wild and free spilling over my hands at my wedding. Wild flowers, vines, and plenty of green.

After much research and a great recommendation from an event planner friend of mine, I chose FiftyFlowers.com to provide the blooms. I got the assorted farm mix for the snapdragons, solidago, and limonium and alstroemeria. I also picked Queen Anne's lace and asters because I really like them. The Queen Anne's lace didn't fit into the bouquets like I thought they would, but they were able to be used in the decor later one.

The day the flowers arrived, Mom and I went to our yard to snip about one hundred vines of honeysuckle for filling in the bouquets and for decoration in the venue. When all of the materials had been collected and 4 ladies arrived at my house to help with projects, I began on the bouquets. My mother-in-law and her friend started the boutonnieres and corsages. I love what they came up with, and I loved getting to experiment with my ideas and the flowers.

I'd been collecting inspiration and tutorials on a Pinterest board. Mine of course look different from the inspiration, but I love how they turned out!


{ All photos property of Sarah Becker Photography }