They Come From a Long Line of Love

Sara and Evan's wedding included many personalized touches which made it even more of a special event and kept them busy crafting and creating in the months preceding the big day!  So proud of Sara for all of her creative ideas to make the day unique and beautiful!

I captured this picture of Evan's sweet gesture for Sara on one of the many pre-wedding crafting runs to Michael's!
Evan had one main request; to find a venue that would allow them to serve his home brewed beer.  They found such a venue in the Wareham Theatre in Manhattan.

This is the portable bar on wheels that Evan, Bobby, and Sara built to house the home brew:

(note the eight pack of Diet Mountain Dew that they made certain to stock special for Bobby)

The happy newlyweds serving up Evan's home brew (Evan learned how to brew from his Dad and they have been home brewing together for years.)  Cleverly named beers for the wedding day and Sara's crazy good handwriting on the chalkboard menu.  The sign hanging behind them on the bar is a gift that Evan had given Sara for Christmas one year.

This was projected on the background screen during the ceremony.  

It is a remembrance of Sara's Grandpa Nolan; the signature he left in our Thanksgiving journal one year.  Love, Forever & Ever + a Day.  Such a sweet addition to the ceremony.  Sara also wore a bracelet on her wedding day engraved with this saying copied from her Grandpa's actual handwriting. 

At the church; 

'In Loving Memory of Those Who Are Forever Present In Our Hearts':
Sara's Grandpa Bob Waller, Evan's Grandma Bonnie and Grandpa Bob Rapp, Evan's Grandma Karin Deursch, Sara's Grandma Madeleine and Grandpa Nolan Gering, and Sara's Aunt Debbie Gering.

When Sara was a young girl she dressed as a Barbie Bride one year for Halloween.  Her costume came complete with the standard plastic high heels. Her Pop being the smart man that he is, knew that cheap plastic high heels were not suitable Halloween night foot gear. So he lovingly bedazzled a pair of white Keds for her to wear instead!  Fast forward to her wedding preparation where she requested her Pop to bedazzle her leopard skin Keds to wear on her wedding day.  Of course he obliged, and then added a special note to the inside soles.  

In keeping with tradition for good luck, Sara included something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue in her wedding day attire. The something borrowed was a pair of gold earrings that her Pop had given to me early in our marriage.  To store them for her wedding day, I made a pouch using material and lace from my wedding dress.  Yes...it was green. 

Speaking of diamonds, when Evan had the engagement ring made he included the diamond from Sara's Grandma Gering's wedding ring.

Another special item worn by Sara was the necklace that belonged to her Great Grandmother Gering with a lock of her Grandpa's baby hair enclosed, there are teeth marks on the necklace that her Grandpa made when he was a teething baby.  A treasure from generations past worn on this special day by a sentimental bride who treasures such items.

Sara made the bride and groom (and Merle) cake toppers!  I glittered wooden skewers and added the mini bunting that Sara had found.  The cake plate was a gift to Sara from her Aunt Teresa a few years ago and Sara added the gold ribbon.  Sara had found gold paper filigree cupcake wrappers which added a sparkly touch.

Some more of Sara's crazy good hand lettering skills on the cupcake sign!

The centerpieces were crafted from beer bottles, frames spray painted glittery gold, gold mercury glass votives, and table numbers from navy, white, and gold scrap book papers.

Sara selected peonies as the flowers used in the wedding party bouquets and table centerpieces as a tribute to Evan's Grandma Bonnie who had a Memorial Day tradition of placing home grown peonies on all of the veteran's graves in their home town cemetery.  A meaningful tradition that has always been a big part of their family's holiday weekend, one which is still carried on by his family using flowers grown by his Mom and sister.   

With Rapp being Evan's last name and Sara's new last name, 'That's a Rapp' was the theme of the day!

And 'Happily Ever Rapptor' for the notes that went with the guest's hotel goody bags!

Using Sara's description, Bobby created this unique guest book.

(I love that Sara thought to lay out a pad of sticky notes so that guests could test out the paint pen before signing!)

This is probably a great place to share our deep felt gratitude for my creative friend Susan and her handy husband Kent who spent the day setting up all of these special elements of decor to make the event venues every thing that Sara had imagined.    

We could not have done it without them!

And speaking of special friends, you can see right there on the guest book where my best friend Robin from grade school and life traveled all the way from Florida to be a part of Sara's day along with her daughter Tracy.

Albie, another good friend created this hand crocheted gift for Sara and Evan and it made the perfect addition to the gift table.

Sara personalized the 'E' with home brew beer caps and the 'S' with lines from her favorite book for a unique and personalized decoration for the bar.

The seating chart, Sara found software to create them and we had them printed at Kinko's. 

And this guy with the white notebook? Josh served as the officiant and crafted an original and very personalized wedding ceremony that included special words from the bride and groom recalling their reasons for loving each other.  The ceremony also included words about love from both sets of parents.  

(apparently this picture was from one of the humorous moments in the ceremony!)