DIY Dessert Bar

DIY Dessert Bar:  Start out with a color scheme..1-3 colors. I used white square and rectangle plates...white cake stands, and glass.  I found an apothecary glass jar  and unique glass vases at Ross ...and six glass goblets from a vintage shop.  Think outside the box when it comes to what containers to use.. you might find that you have items in your own kitchen..or a friend's! Glass vases are inexpensive at Walmart and Michaels craft store...also.. so save on candy, fill containers a third full with matching crinkled paper..also can be found at craft stores in your coordinating colors.  
My color scheme was obviously pink..but I used pastries and white candies as well. 

I love how the photos turned out..thank you Storybook Wedding Photography!

Chocolates taken out of the box and displayed on a plate look so elegant! Can you believe these were from Walmart?!

The mini scoops can be found now in most wedding aisles in craft stores or party stores.  After Valentine's and Easter sales are a great
and thrifty way to save on candy. 

I made the labels on photoshop and used a Scotch Tape Pen to attach the labels to coordinating ribbon.

This crockenbush look alike is actually made from donut holes!  I attached them with toothpicks into a styrofoam cone..added in some flower buds and dusted with powdered sugar

Again... another after Easter sale on jellybeans!

Another tip is to display the items on your dessert bar at different heights..it looks a bit more elegant and creates a pretty picture! I used styrofam blocks and cardboard boxes..

1st Anniversary

well i can't say the wedding went off without a hitch.. cause there were MANY hitches during wedding week.. the bride forgot her bouquet and the groom his tux to name a few... but we had an AMAZING crew of family and friends who helped us have beautiful and perfect memories of our wedding day.. i am truly thankful to everyone who helped this bridezilla that week! check out our beautiful wedding photos by Storybook Wedding Photography!

7 days...whaaaaat?!!!!

yup! 7 days! my last weekend as a single woman! hahaha.. I went to get my hair done today for a trial run.. I was really nervous about it because if I didn't care for it ..I was stuck.. My first stylist backed out so I was in a panic to find another. I decided to go to the salon down the street where I'd had my hair cut before. The girl did great..and did my mom's hair wonderful too. I wanted a bump on top and curls.. She made the bump good.. although I had to go to pizza hut right after.. I slightly felt like Priscilla Presley so I came home and parted it on the side as I usually do.. so I think I'm going to have her do that... but as far as the overall look I liked and the curls.. They loosened up later tonight so they are not as ringlet and tight looking. Big sigh of relief...whewww.... now to superglue my earring that I dropped on the floor at the salon!

the keys...

The skeleton keys have arrived !! ..from Kennedy Hardware online...photos to come soon. The rsvps have been coming in daily.. it's exciting to check the mail and see those little white envelopes with the fleur de lis... Went to my apartment and got the measurements for my windows and spent the afternoon today putting curtains and curtain rods on my registry at Target. I came home and was surprised to see a big box sitting outside the door.. wondering what it could be..then thinking OH NO!!! it's the candy for the dessert buffet! I think it was over a 100 degrees out today..all I could think about was the hot sticky mess inside the box.. Well thankfully the only things that melted were the malt balls.. have to replace them with pink whoppers now.. But the raspberry chocolate crowns, rock candy swizzle sticks, gummy bears, grapefruit sour balls, and striped candy sticks are safe! Now waiting on the lavender from save-on-crafts to come... We did our third session of premarital counseling yesterday and have one more to go...yay... and then I'm going to meet with the wedding coordinator, pastor, photographer, hair stylist, and DJ in the next two weeks. And this coming weekend is the last weekend that I have to finish up wedding stuff before we move stuff into the new apartment and get that ready ..and before relatives start to arrive. SO.. working on the music and slideshow tomorrow night.. and then on to programs, key tags, place cards, seating chart, candy buffet labels, make the sugar scrub and label (for the reception bathroom), enlarge engagement photo, do my last fitting, and pack!

What a great weekend... I went to the pool and babysat my neighbor girls..that was a blast.. tetherball, swimming, and going up to the cabana for more sugar and candy..I love my neighborhood pool..and my neighbor girls! Then Thomas and I made the tags for the mason jars with the lace. He sawed down a pallet we found outside a furniture store and I painted some rustic looking signs, "Thank" "You" "McQuary Wedding" "Dinner + Dancing" and "Mr." "Mrs." Annnnd I made these cute little birds.. The ones I've been idolizing on the internet cost of $200 for the pair! I bought these clip on birds at Michael's and took the clips off..Thomas made some legs out of this twine-y wire.. I made a top hat, bowtie, and tux out of ribbon and felt for the groom.. and used some left over netting, diamond and pearl stick pins, and flowers for the bride...and hot glued...they crack me up. I'm going to have them by the guest book at the ceremony and on the gift table with the vintage bird house at the reception.....oh and I ordered the skeleton keys and pink stripey straws ! ..and the postcard rack is painted a flat black and we found a finial for the top..

So my idea was to have guests (on the back patio of the golf clubhouse) mingle and watch the bridal party take photos on the golf course.. i saw photos of the paper cones out of sheet music online.. saw that others had used them for petals, etc. Then I found the popcorn co. here nearby.. I went in and free sampled practically every variety.. I decided on three flavors.. cajun (orange and spicy), kettle corn (yellow and sweet and salty), and bubble gum (teal! and sweet).. love the teal blue color of the bubble gum..and that was actually my favorite pick from the whole store.. different and unexpected and the color will make the photos pop... so the popcorn is going to be in galvenized buckets (if i can find some that aren't too shiny..atwoods has some but tooo shiny now i think)..and mini chalkboards attached to label them (bought at michaels).. and guests will fill their cones with the popcorn.. i'll have some pre filled in these old wood coke bottle crates i found!!! excited about these.. I have two and they were $5! .. So then I was on stylemepretty blog and I found the idea I had in my mind! minus the wagon wheel cart..lol The cones are all made now..working on tags for the mason jars for the pink lemonade.. ordering the pink and white straws today too!

escort cards

I really like this idea...i've seen it a couple of times on different blogs... (first two photos -elizabeth ann designs) ..guests arrive and find their name and table number on their escort card, skeleton key/tag. I found the frames at hobby lobby half price sale... they were bulletin boards.. thomas and I covered the cork in burlap yesterday afternoon... now to find 100 skeleton keys on etsy or ebay!