Summer Lovin

My fiance and I received our first wedding invitation for the summer season sometime in May.  Then we got another one.  And another.  And another.  Literally, three weddings in the month of July, miraculously all on different days.  Then we got one for the first Saturday in August, and another for later that month.  I think everyone we know was getting married this summer!  
Despite all the driving, budget gift-giving, outfit picking time it took for these weddings, they were all for dear friends and wouldn't have been anywhere else.
Ok, sappy.  Other than the fun that we had, the man and I had a lot of conversations about what we want out of our own wedding.  On the car ride home from every event, the dialogue went something like this:
Me: So... what did you like?
The Man: The ceremony was really short.  That was good.
Me: So... what didn't you like?
The Man: They really needed a person instead of just an iPod.
and so on...
It gave us great insight into what we wanted.  We were able to see what worked and what didn't work.  The experience, though sometimes stressful, was a wonderful way for us to really get a grip on what's in store for our own wedding and planning process.  Not to mention, it proved a great way for me to use retail store promotions, sales, and rewards for gift giving! Yay!
To celebrate our summer of love, I rounded up some photos of fun ideas we took away from some of the weddings. 

I love the idea of doing a photobooth at the reception.  It really gives guests a sense of involvement, especially for those of us who cringe when they call for all the single ladies to converge on the dance floor to catch the bouquet!  Something else I also cringe at are favors.  You know the kind: a bottle of bubbles, a badly scented candle with the special date on it, etc.  I was so pleased when our friends gave out these sweet teapots with a simple tag.  It was a nice nod to the bride's Chinese heritage.  The yellow and gray quilted centerpiece, I fell in love with.  There was one on every table for this backyard potluck reception.  A couple mason jars with flowers, and voi la!  An utterly adorable, non-fussy centerpiece. Did I mention twinkle lights and champagne? Yes, please!  So, not only was Mickey and Minnie Mouse the centerpiece for one of the tables at this last wedding, but they also served as a substitute for table numbers.  The bride sculpted each clay centerpiece after famous couples: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Calvin and Hobbes, Kermit and Miss Piggy, Johnny Cash and June Carter... you get the idea. It was fun to be able to walk around looking for my table (Fred and Ginger) seeing all the cute characters.

Photobooth pic by memory montage productions