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So...knowing that I wanted to use Mason jars everywhere I can at the wedding, I have been keeping my eyes out for them in local ads and online. Guess where I found these beauties....Menards :) Made in the USA sale! So stinking excited! Now the people at the store were definitely giving me goofy looks, and I even got a 'My god, girl' as I was loading them into my car :) $6/case...meaning 50 cents a piece!! 

 
I love the fact that I have family that is willing [and able] to help with with some DIY projects. My dad's friend was tearing down his privacy fence. Thankfully, dad saved some of the wood to create directional signs for the wedding. I absolutely love these! They will be placed on main intersections near the farm, as well as in locations around the property to help direct guests. So super excited to share this sneak peek :)
 
With about 5 1/2 months to go [and through the suggestion of the MOH] I finally made my DIY To-Do list...and holy cow, do I have a lot of work to do :) Obviously, I will have some help on things with my mom and other family/friends. Here's a run down...

All Things Paper

  1. Invitiations
  2. Direction cards
  3. RSVP Cards
  4. Photo Share Cards
  5. Accordion Programs
  6. Table Numbers
  7. Escort Cards
  8. Favor Labels & Tags
  9. Wrap address labels
  10. Petal toss cones
  11. & symbol for pictures

Decorations + more

  1. Hay Bale seating covers
  2. Bridal bouquet [x7]
  3. Boutonnières [x9]
  4. Mason Jar Isle flowers
  5. Wedding Tree guestbook
  6. Muslin tablecloths
  7. Burlap table runners
  8. Twig centerpieces
  9. Vinyl saying for mirror
  10. Mason Jar chandeliers
  11. Cake Stand
  12. Framed engagement photos
  13. Card Box
  14. Yard game sigsn [corn hole, bocce ball, croquet, ladder golf]
  15. Escort Card window panes
  16. BBQ sauce favors for 200 guests
  17. Thank you cards
  18. Wedding dress sash
  19. Flower girl dresses
  20. Reclaimed Door Archway
  21. Bridal Flower Hair Piece
  22. Kids activity books
  23. Twine & Burlap wrapped jars
 
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My sister sent me a picture of a racing themed cake last night [#3 below]. Instantly got me thinking about how we could tie Steve's love for racing into a Groom's cake. The wedding always [seems to be] for the bride. And although Steve is a good listener when it comes to my crazy ideas...I know he's just humoring me :) I figured this would be a great way to bring some of his [reasonable] ideas to the day. Some of you may remember the birthday cake I got for him this past year [to the right]...such a hit! There are so many unique ways to create a grooms cake that I wanted to share some of my favorites from all corners of the lovely internet. Seriously in love with the first three below. And even though Steve doesn't drive a sprint car, I had to share it anyways! Who knows...maybe we could work in a replica of his car?  I love the mechanic cake toppers too! So many choices!!

 
I swear it has been raining in Indiana for 2 straight weeks. The sun tries to show his 'brighter' side...but it's more like playing peek-a-boo than anything. That gets me thinking....in the back of my mind, sitting on a little stool in a dark corner, is the thought of having a rainy wedding day. Rain + Ceremony outside = one stressed out girl! I'm trying to keep him in that little dark corner, but also know that he can't stay there forever. Two options: [1] Rent a tent to cover the ceremony site on the front lawn...just in case. [2] Setup the reception site in the barn so that just in case it rains, we could always do the ceremony in the barn too....obviously neither is ideal, but both are possibilities. $$$ vs convenience? I did run across this wedding online [same venue] that had both ceremony and reception in the barn....so there is hope for that option :)

 
Super excited that we found a DJ yesterday! He actually is my mom's neighbor but had forgotten he DJs until I ran across him on the IndyChannel's A-list....with a 4th place finish in 2010 our of 57 DJ services. Mom called him to see if he was available....ta da! He was! I talked to him later in the evening to discuss some of the details and after talking it over with Steve, we were very excited to finally mark it off of the list!

Now...on to the wedding dress shopping! Me, mom, steve's mom and our MOH are all heading to Louisville to go dress shopping! I've been trying to track down a very specific Allure gown, and nowhere in Indiana had it in stock to try on! Ah! Thankfully, some girls at work told me to check out Louisville....and I found 3 sizes just at one store! Needless to say, I made an appointment immediately and are headed down there first thing Saturday morning!
 
Being a graduate of Ball State, I have a little place in my heart for Ball Jars....even more so after we picked the Breeding Farm as our ceremony and reception location. I've been searching for creative ideas for reception decor with mason jars and ran across this wedding....and fell in LOVE!! How simple & rustic, yet chic and creative. [Images from atelier joya]
 
So when we were searching for a venue, we couldn't find anywhere that would let us do some of the crazy ideas we have. So when I ran across the Breeding Farm, we couldn't pass it up! We are planning on having our ceremony on the front lawn of the historic farm house, which was purchased by the Henry Breeding Family in 1916. Henry Breeding's farming specialty, until he was nearly ninety, was the feeding of beef cattle for market, and his wife, Blanche,  raised chickens and sold eggs. Blanche also had a large garden every year, canned extensively, and raised beautiful flowers, especially dahlias and canna lilies. [Information from Bartholomew Country Historical Society].
 
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So upon searching for decoration ideas, I came across a post about shepherd hooks at the Dollar Tree. After lunch on Sunday, I took a little trip over there. Sure enough...42" shepherd hooks for $1/each. I seriously bought all 16 that they had :) They are a little on the thin side as far as the quality of the metal, but they will work perfectly for the one day that we will need them for. So then I paid a little visit to the Bloomington store at lunch one day...and bought them out too :) We had previously purchased some 4' sturdy ones and was wanting more, but couldn't justify the cost of spending $3-$5/per hook for a one day thing. I am super excited about these. Here are just a few little inspiration photos of what they could become :)