From our recipe book to yours --

We have 6 cocktail tables... which were just screaming out for something to go in the middle of them. Nothing as elaborate as the large table centerpeices, but something unique and quirky.

So I got to brainstorming about what to do. And I remembered a conversation I had w/ my floral guru back in March where she asked me "what is YOUR story? What makes your story totally different from anyone else's story?" She suggested to take the answer and use it to help define the look and feel of ythe wedding.

Like any good designer would do, I built off of the advice of someone much more experienced than me and went to work brainstorming. After some thinking, I realized that distance was such a defining aspect of mine and Bama boy's story. We have never lived in the same state or closer than 10 hours in distance. So to make our relationship work, we had to put effort into making it as "normal" possible. And thus the Dinner and a Movie dates were born. One of us would pick out a recipe and the other would pick the movie. We'd let each other know at the beginning of the day so we could rent the movie/ pick up recipe ingredients and then at a set time, we'd call each other. Over speakerphone, we'd cook our fabulous recipe of the night and then sit down and, still over speakerphone, watch our movie together. Yes. We are dorks. BUT it made us have those shared experiences that help create a lasting relationship.

So, I decided recipe cards would be the centerpieces of the cocktail tables. I picked 4 of our recipes and printed about 25 index cards per recipe -- then printed a little sign to put on the front. In an effort to carry over a fun bridal shower activity as well as create some input from our guests, I also printed 60 blank recipe cards for our guests to share what they believe is the recipe for a successful marriage. Placed in a soapdispenser holder-turned recipe holder ($1 each from TJ MAXX!!) and VOILA! instant cocktail table centerpeices:

Each holder will have 4 various votives holders & candles around them, with the tables that ask the guest to write their opinions having a votive holder hold little golf pencils in them.

One more project down, a ton more to do. T-minus 10 days til the big day - I cannot believe it!