The Rural Voice, 1999-07, Page 35Home Decorating
Decorating for big brother's wedding
By Patti Robertson
By the time this is your reading
material, "My Gentle Readers", the
event I'm about to share with you will
already have taken place! My big
brother will be married and I'll have
been in charge of all the decorations
and advice therein.
Mike and Sherry's wedding will be
held at their turn -of -the -century farm
home, situated on 50 acres of scenic
walking trails at the edge of the
village of Desboro. (Most folks do not
realize there is plenty more there than
just the "Dodge Hotel".) Anyway, on
previous occasions, I have been the
decorating consultant for other
weddings so this was not a new
experience and my intention is to
share with you some guidelines and
stimulus for those planning on
creating the wedding decorating
scheme of their dreams.
First, in any case I walk the
property or hall to get the feel of how
areas will be used and observed by
arriving and participating guests. Next
I locate all areas that will create focal
points, taking special note of where
the main focal point and pivotal point
will be. The main area will get the
most elaborate decorations with
secondary and intermediate points
receiving less detail.
Of course I had several
conversations with the bride and
groom to make sure their wishes were
being served to the best of my ability.
Any particulars that they were
concerned about were addressed, right
down to the types of fasteners which
would secure the decorations. The
chosen colour scheme was selected.
The couple chose to go with white,
cream and gold. A reminder to anyone
tackling their own scheme ... always
use at least 2/3 of one colour to only
1/3 of your accent tone for the very
best and dramatic combination.
For a very nominal fee I rented
mini -lights, tulle, lengths of ivy, gold
grapes, cherubs, table skirts, etc. To
this I added semi -sheer fabric for
swags and white velvet and satin
ribbons. Always analyze the area to be
decorated. Allow the bits and pieces
you plan on embellishing your area
with to either create a theme or
32 THE RURAL VOICE
impression to suit the scale of the
festivity. In this case we were dealing
with a charming older home and
property that did not need to be
overdone or smothered. Mike and
Sherry's possessions are more about
spiritual well-being than monetary
rewards, so this
was the theme I
set about to
capture and
enhance.
The first area
I focused my
attention on was
the mail box,
swathed in white
semi -sheer and
velvet bows, at
the base I
positioned a
large pickling
crock loaded
with white
daisies. This served to designate the
property and welcome guests. Next,
with Ward's ever helpful hands, we
fashioned a swag for their balcony and
garnished it with mini -lights and
flowing bows. Large, extravagant
bows adorned the home's center two
columns and smaller versions of these
bows were worked into the graceful
vines across the home's facade. A
touch added by Sherry was a croquet
game set up on the front lawn. From
every hoop swayed a white balloon —
what a great idea and the kids loved it!
As guests turned into the long
driveway, the parking area was
designated by a semi -sheer swag
fastened to the gatepost. Once again
white bows fluttered in the breeze.
The summer kitchen of the home
served as the pivotal point for the
party, food service, toasts, etc. I
embellished the entrance door off the
driveway and front lawn with tulle,
semi -sheer swags, bows and mini -
lights. From the pediment of the door,
for an added romantic touch, I
fastened two lace wedding bells and a
heart in white satin, which swayed
lazily in the breeze.
Inside Mike and Sherry had gone
to great lengths to create a quaint cafe
atmosphere, complete with tables,
chairs and furniture conversational
grouping. Many of the couple's
personal treasures adorned walls and
table tops. To this I added charming
garden -gathered bouquets of Bridal's
Wreath, Japanese Snowballs, Yellow
Lilies, Peonies, Chives, etc. Candles
made a magical display of every
corner.
The focal point in the summer
kitchen was the service table. Decked
out in cream skirt and an antique
formal white lace tablecloth, it
featured a large antique cherub
candleholder surrounded by ivy and
golden -toned grapes as the
centerpiece. Behind the table Mike
had hung a massive mirror and
shelving unit. This not only gave us a
"double exposure" of the festivities
and the party attire, but served to
create the illusion of a much larger
room. The couple added to the charm
with the personal touch of family
photographs of nostalgic wedding and
wedding memorabilia. I simply added
to the clever idea by garnishing the
area with tulle swaging, ivy, grapes,
and an array of candles.
Finally, to the outdoor ceremonial
areas. This was held to the far side of
the summer kitchen beside the three -
tiered water pond, overlooking the
entrance to their woodland paths and
country gardens. Hand-crafted
wooden benches covered in tapestry,
provided the seating. The second
entrance from the summer kitchen led
guests out into the delightful "Outdoor
Chapel". It was also decked out in
semi -sheer swags, tulle, mini -lights,
bows, hearts and bells. White cherubs
had been positioned in and amongst
plants and feature areas.
I arranged two huge bouquets of
bridal wreath and Japanese snowballs
to adorn each side of the altar area. As
a finishing touch I sprinkled a
multitude of petals from the snowballs
and peonies all around the alter area
and designated congregation area.
What a beautiful carpeted touch this
made. Imagine, walking barefoot to be
married over flower petals!
This wedding scheme was created
to capture a nostalgic theme, with the
focus on Mike and Sherry's love of
each other and those in attendance.
Very simple, relatively easy and as
i