DIY fun and games.

This week I have been focussed on creating a very crafty wedding planning scrapbook and the pages for my home made guest book which have been sent off for printing! :D.

Invitations etc.

Engagement announcements-

Here are the anouncements we sent out in order to give people the full notice required of a destination wedding, but before we could send out actual invitations. They follow our turquoise and ivory colour scheme and turtle mini-theme. The photo on it is one from our engagement photo shoot.

Front:

Back:

 Magnet:

The Reception

Location-

Beach decorations

Table set-up-

Depending on how many people we have, this is what we're hoping for from the table layout. As for the seating plan, that's being left to Adam (not that he knows it yet :p)

Table layout

Palpa-

There are also several extra large palpas on the beach that we hope to be able to decorate and use as a makeshift dance floor (or somewhere to run for shelter in case of sudden downpours!) 

The palpas at DLR and an example of one decorated.

Food choices-

The prospective menu

I'm currently leaning towards caprese salad (one of the best things I ate last time I was there), tomato soup, chicken cordon blue and the milk cake.

Cake-

The cake itself will probably be a simple one tier cake with turquoise ribbon around it, then with a personalised topper. This will be on a beach and have palms with the wedding date written in the sand (A <3 K?); a personalised bride and groom (designed from photos of us, my dress and hair), the mini groom will have an xbox pad in his hand behind his back ;).

Cake and topper ideas

Garter-

I'm really torn on this one, the one below on the left is beautiful and I love it...; however I'm really tempted to go for something like the one on the right to give Adam a giggle. The one below in an Xbox 360 garter!

Decorations-

The gazebo decorations will be moved for the reception, ideally we will be able to dec the palpa out with the voile, string squares and flowers. 

Lighting-

We will also add battery powered fairy lights around the trees and the centre of the palpa, paper sand bags filled with tea lights and flare candles to stick into the sand. These infuse certain element of Glastonbury into our wedding and combines our two favourite places, albeit only slightly.

                                     

                  

     

Another area in which we are attempting to incorporate Glastonbury is though a fire and [eco-friendly] fire lanterns. 

Jam jar candle holders-

These are a bit of a DIY jobby that I've already had a go at., I intend to decorate them using our turtle logo as well as things like hearts, the date, our names etc. and filling them with tea-light candles and either sand or beads. Here is an example of one done properly:

and here's one I've had a play around with in preparation. I got two of these for £1.50:

Place names-

These will be the same design as our wedding announcements were and our invitations will be, as will the menus be. These will be placed in turtle photo clips. 

 

                           

Music-

Music:

Meal:

- Nat King Cole- When I Fall in Love [3.11]

- Jason Mraz- Lucky [3.10]

- Jason Mraz- I’m Yours [4.03]

- Whitesnake- Summer Rain [6.11]

- Stereophonics- Have a Nice Day [3.25]

- Israel Kamakawiwo'ole- Over the rainbow/ What a Wonderful World [5.04]

- Adam Sandler- I wanna grow old with you [1.22]

- The Beach Boys- Wouldn’t it be nice [2.25]

- Oasis- Champagne Supernova [5.01]

- Diamond Rio- Beautiful Mess [3.48]

- Springsteen- The River [5.00]

- Seal- Kiss from a Rose [4.49]

- Louis Armstrong- What a wonderful world [2.19] - Cyndi Lauper-  Time After Time [4.13] - Tim Minchin- Not Perfect [6.02] Total: 54 minutes

Reception:

Slow:

- It Means Nothing- Stereophonics [3.49]

- Close to you-The Carpenters [4.36]

- Lionel Richie- Hello [4.09] (J & L)

- Van Morrison- Moondance [4.36] (D & C)

- Whitesnake- Is this Love [4.41]

- Whitesnake- All I Want, All I Need [5.41]

- Oasis- Wonderwall [4.16]

- Snow Patrol- Chasing Cars [4.26]

- Take That- Rule The World [4.57]

- Florence and the Machine - You've Got the love [2.49] Dog Days []

- Aerosmith- I don’t wanna miss a thing [4.58]

- Snow Patrol- You're all that I have [4.32]

- Bob Marley- Three Little Birds [3.01]

- Elbow- One Day Like This [4.00]

Total: 51 minutes 14

Faster:

- Def Leopard- Hysteria [4.36]

- Michael Jackson- Beat it [4.18]

- Pendulum- Tarantula [4.58]

- Billy Idol- White Wedding [4.11]

- Dirty Dancing- Time of Your Life [4.50]

- Edison Lighthouse- Lets Twist Again [2.23]

- Queen- I Was Born To Love You [4.50]

- The Killers- Somebody Told Me [3.17]

- Bloc Party- Helicopter [3.40]

- Billy Ocean- Caribbean Queen [4.06]

- Dizzee Rascal- Holiday, Dance Wiv Me [3.38] + [3.25]

- MC Hammer- Can't Touch This [4.17]

- Journey- Don't Stop Believing [5.24]

- The Smiths- This Charming Man [2.43]

- Oasis- Don't Look Back in Anger (last song?) [4.47]

- Green Day- (Good Ridance) Time of your life [2.33]

- Muse- United States of Eurasia, Time is Running Out, Plug In Baby [5.48] + [3.58] + [3.40]

- Michael Jackson- Smooth Criminal [5.37]

- Kings of Leon- Use somebody [3.52]

- Bon Jovi- You Give Love a bad name [3.44] Livin’ on a Prayer [4.09]

- Franz - Take Me out [3.57]

- Strokes - Last Nite [3.14]

- Guns n Roses- Paradise City [6.49]

- Madonna- Holiday [3.52]

- Spanish 'You've got a friend in me' [2.17]

- Queen- Don't Stop Me Now [3.29] Crazy Little Thing Called Love [2.55]

- U2- Beautiful day [4.38]

- Pulp- Common People [4.15]

- Cream- Sunshine of Your Love [???]

- David Bowie- Dance Magic Dance [3.08] Ziggy Stardust [3.19] Changes [3.31]

- Whitesnake- Still of the Night [6.24], Here I go Again [5.05]

- Kansas- Carry on my Wayward Son [3.35]

- Guns ‘n’ Roses- Paradise City [6.50]

- Whitney Houston- I Wanna Dance with Somebody [5.15]

- Cindi Lauper- Girls Just Wanna Have Fun [4.26]

- Spice Girls- Stop [3.40] Wannabe [3.57]

- B* Witched- C’est la Vie [2.57]

- Outkast- Hey Ya [4.22]

- Dead or Alive- Right Round (Like a Record, Baby) [3.04]

- Kanye West- Golddigga [3.41] Stronger [4.27]

- AC/DC- Back in Black [4.04]

- Def Leppard-Pour Some Sugar on Me [4.30]

- Vengaboys- We Like to Party! [3:44]

- Coldplay- Viva La Vida [4.03]

- Foo Fighters- Times Like These [4.27]

- Chesney Hawks- I am the One and Only [3.45]

- Candi Staton- Young Hearts Run Free [3.15]

- Ian Brown – F.E.A.R [4.37]

- Arctic Monkeys – I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor [2.43]

- The Killers – When You Were Young [3.46]

- The Killers – Mr Brightside [3.47]

- Rolling Stones – Paint It Black [3.46]

- Stereophonics – Dakota [4.06]

- Pitbull- I know you want me [3.56]

- Corona- This is the Rhythm of the Night [4.24]

The Ceremony

We had always loved the idea of getting married on the beach, but after seeing a couple of (horrendous looking) beach ceremonies during our holiday, we made peace with the fact this wasn't likely to be a possibility. With hoards of obnoxious, barely-clothed onlookers surrounding the bride and groom for the beach ceremony, we fell in love with the garden gazebo which resides beside our 'Private Corner' (See engagement post) 

Eyeing up the Garden Gazebo, post ceremony

The decorated Garden Gazebo

However, in the year that has passed since, an additional choice has been developed on the site by the gazebo, one that is on a make-shift private stretch of beach. The decision is a difficult one, as we had got it into our heads that we would become husband and wife in the white gazebo, however the allure of the sand between our toes and the natural beauty of the alternative gazebo is looking like it will probably win...

Location- 

The Beach Gazebo 

Decorations-

The colour scheme for the wedding is different shades of turquoise alongside ivory, with elements of silver. Therefore we intend to have turquoise voile material (of different shades, ranging from teal to aqua) with ivory flowers (lilies and roses),  turquoise and ivory rose petals forming an aisle, and paper squares (shades of turquoise and ivory) on fishing wire/string as below.

Décor 

Similarly, the chairs will be an ivory colour with turquoise sashes, as below, for both the ceremony and the reception.

Attire- 

Groom and Best Men-

Although we ideally want a fairly relaxed day, we both really like the below for Adam's clothing. Annoyingly, we're not big fans of the tan colour that most destination grooms settle on and at only £80 for a fully tailored suit these are looking like a definite option! 

Bridesmaids-

I really love how bridesmaids in the same colour but different styles look, however as I am only having two maids (and a best man :p) I'm not sure how this is gonna look... Anyway, bridesmaids are going to be dressed in turquoise/ teal colours, here are a couple that have caught my eye so far: 

Bouquet and boutonniere- 

Between the expensive prices of flowers in the DR, their tendency to wilt in the heat and the inability to have them pressed as a keepsake (you aren't allowed to bring such items back to the UK) I have decided to buy real touch flowers.

I love this bouquet, though obviously the roses will be a shade of turquoise, rather than lilac. Below are the matching boutonnieres for the groom and groom/bridesmen

                                                   

On the chairs-

There will be 'complimentary' fans to try and help to keep people cool as well as an eco-friendly alternative to confetti, which I'm hoping will photograph beautifully :D. 

 

Parasols- 

Instead of bouquets for my bridesmaids I'm toying with the idea of them having turquoise parasols instead, like below: 

I also love this for the post- ceremony 'Mr and Mrs' photos!

Sand Ceremony-

" The Unity Sand Ceremony, a celebration that is usually two to three minutes in length, is a meaningful symbolic joining of two lives. In this timeless ritual of marriage, the couple ceremoniously pours various colors of sand from separate containers into one special container, the unity vase, symbolizing their coming together as one.

It provides a way for couples during their wedding ceremony to brilliantly show the joining of the flow of their two lives into a single stream with their individually colored sands joining as one in the Unity Vase.

Plus, because it can be displayed privately or for all to see for years to come, the symbol of the couple’s love is always present, always a reminder, and always a touchstone of truth. As such, the Unity Sand Ceremony and the unity vase can be treasured forever."

Sounds pretty cheesy, but I love the idea, and I love this photo frame as the container! 

Music-

Prelude: - The Carpenters- We've Only Just Begun, Melanie Doane- I can’t take my eyes off you,  Jason Mraz- I’m yours,  Leigh Nash- My Idea of Heaven.

Adam’s arrival: Bob Marley- Three Little Birds

Processional: Babar theme music

Ceremony: Springsteen- The River (without lyrics),

Recessional: Queen- You’re my Best Friend.