The Ceremony Rug

*Photo credit Jonathan Frey - our wedding

I find great comfort and beauty in tangible symbols. And I have a feeling I'm not the only one. Many couples look for something to incorporate into their wedding ceremony that they can keep with them after the ceremony is over. Maybe its a thumbprint tree guestbook. Maybe it's a unity candle or unity sand vase. Or maybe you're like me and framed your wedding invitations. (Our wedding invites were one of my favorite components of our entire wedding!) Well, today I'd like to suggest a new symbol to take with you, and for lack of a better name, we'll just call it The Ceremony Rug. The Ceremony Rug is simply a beautiful rug you and your betrothed stand on during the ceremony. This is NOT a rug that says "bride and groom" or "i do." No. It is simply a rug you can place in your home after the wedding is over. Maybe this rug is the first thing your cold toes touch as you slip out of bed in the morning. Or maybe you'll wash your dishes on this rug, or even have your first big fight pacing back and forth and wearing this rug thin. And hopefully in those moments you will stop every once in a while and remember the day you were married. The day you stood on this rug, it's pattern in the background as you glanced down at your love's hands. The day you kissed your spouse on this rug as your friends and family cheered all around you. This rug will be a quiet rug. It doesn't scream wedding. It simply says, your wedding was the only the start of something much bigger.

What rug should I buy, you ask? Well, I'm glad you asked. Find something washable and relatively inexpensive. A 5'x7' rug will be perfect for you and your spouse to stand on, or you could buy a really large rug to help anchor a ceremony spot outdoors and add some texture. You could even layer some thin rugs down the aisle. Trust me. It will be awesome.

We own this rug from Urban Outfitters and love it.

This blog post from greenweddingshoes.com provides some more visual inspiration. You have to scroll through several photos before the ceremony shots - but it's worth it! 

Glow Sticks

I have two words for you, friends. Glow sticks. Buy some. Then, when all the party animals mob the dance floor, or more likely, when people need a little encouragement to leave the comfort of their suddnely cozy folding chair, throw them into the crowd. They. will. go. crazy. 

Even the groom's mom will love it. 

And your friend's fiancee can make walrus teeth.

When the reception is over, people can send you off waving the glow sticks. Once, we even used the glow sticks to decorate the get-away car. 

Some couples display glow sticks in mason jars on reception tables or at a specific "send off" station.

So do yourself a favor, and fork over the $30 for glow sticks. You'll thank me later.

The Flowers

Last September my sister Suzanna married her sweet and hilarious guy David in a beautiful barn wedding. It was one of my favorite weekends of all time, and it showed me once and for all that I loved being a wedding coordinator. One of my favorite tasks was assembling all of the flowers. In the past I had only worked with fabric flowers, but after working with these real beauties, I'm never going back! 

                                 

For the bridal bouquet I used three shades of roses, baby's breath and dusty miller. At the last minute Suz and I decided to add some rosemary sprigs from her garden. I like that the rosemary and dusty miller gave the bouquet a succulent look.

                             

     

The bridesmaids' bouquets were made of baby's breath and dusty miller - so simple and elegant! Sadly, the dusty miller lost its oomph as the day wore on. I realized that I should've given them an extra day soaking up plant food and sun before the wedding.

                             

The men's boutonnieres were assembled with hypericum berries and rose leaves, tied with twine. I love hypericum berries for this purpose - they are sturdy and look great all day long. 

  

                             

I also created several simple arrangements to spruce up the decor where needed, like picnic tables and the dessert table. This little bunch ended up on the crates we used as a table to serve communion during the ceremony. 

                              

The reception centerpieces featured a variety of vases which my sister spray painted and antiqued. My dad cut and etched all of the small wooden table numbers, and little packets of chocolate covered espresso beans were sent home with guests as favors. We hand-cut the strips of burlap for table runners, and a word to the wise, have a vacuum handy! We ended up with burlap lint all over the living room. But you know what? It was totally worth it.

                              

I loved executing my sister's vision for her flowers. That girl has good taste. 

All photos courtesy of Jonathan Daniel Frey.

   

Kansas City Wedding Coordinator

Hello there, Bride!

Congratulations on your engagement. Welcome to the world of wedding planning. My name is Rebekah, and I am a Wedding Coordinator here in Kansas City. After planning my own budget friendly, DIY wedding and helping friends through the many details of their own, I've realized two things.

1. Even the DIY bride needs a little help.

    As a Wedding Coordinator, I am here to support you and help your vision come to life. I want your mom to be able to cheer you on as you make your joyous departure from the church instead of leaving early to set up the reception site (true story - thanks, Mom!). I want your Best Man to be out there on the dance floor instead of frantically searching for the missing cake plates (also true story - Thanks, Josh!) This is a day to revel in and remember. Let me pick up the flowers from the florist and corral the family for photos. 

2. I love, love, love the details, the planning, and even the stress that comes along with every wedding.  

     Sewing up a seam on a bride's dress ten minutes before the ceremony? Check. Pinning pesky boutonnieres on countless groomsmen? Check. Drying plates, silverware and glasses the morning after a storm at a beautiful barn wedding? Check. Fixing the bride's hair in between photos? Check. Give me your crises! Give me your checklists! Give me your tux returns! I love every bit of it. 

This is a new adventure for me. My wedding experience thus far extends only to family and friends. But I am excited....no, I'm thrilled actually, to take what I've learned and help you. 

I would be honored to assist you in any way possible to make this the absolute best day for you. Check out the Services and Pricing page for more details, and always feel free to email me at bestdayweddings@gmail.com. 

Happy Planning,

Rebekah