My fantasy wedding reception do-over

Okay, so I said that I would design a wedding reception do-over party on my blog. I didn't really mean I'd try to have a party on a blog. How the heck do you do that? I suppose you could sort of do that. But this is just my idea of what I would do.

Let me paint a picture for you:

It's September. The sun is out, the weather is cool and happy. We know that winter looms but we're too full of joy to feel intimidated by future bleakness. We feel powerful, ready to take on 6 months of Canadian zombie death.

We head off to some smashing reception venue like this:

[Vince's photo. Warning: If you weren't satisfied with your wedding or wedding photos, or satisfied with the country in which you live, do not click on that link. It will make you very jealous, even if you're not normally a jealous person at all. I mean, possibly. I wouldn't know from personal experience. I'm just guessing, really....]

I would have many more little white lights strung from the rafters than what you see in the above photo. Maybe even some brown kraft paper lanterns but I'd have to see it first to make sure it's not too much because I'd also be hanging these tissue paper pom poms (which I actually have hanging in Josie's room) in these muted shades except with the addition of a mossy green and maybe a robin's egg blue.

I'd have sun lanterns lining the perimetre of the room, just on the floor. 

 

Strung across the windows I'd have these paper leaf garlands, made from recycled printed paper, which I'd have my children make because they keep telling me how bored they are everyday and how easy is that?

And then, against the paper garland that's on the windows, I would have art hanging from all my friends, and maybe a couple pieces of my own. Photography, paintings, drawings, and poetry. They would hang on two wires going straight up with hooks, hanging from the window frame. And if my friends wanted to sell them, they could put a little note on their pieces. (Speaking of art, I think these prints are fantastic: Ex. 1, Ex. 2, Ex. 3, Ex. 4.)

On the tables I'd have rustic light brown linen table cloths. The centre vases would be ceramic or pottery:

[Click here to buy.]

 

[Click here to buy.]

And they'd be filled with paper flowers like these except multicoloured and I would let my closest friends take home a bouquet after.

I would rent a mish mash of lovely china or ideally pottery dishes and every table would be different.

I'd have a casual buffet of finger foods and desserts because this isn't really a wedding thing. It's just a party.

Food stuffs I like:

Salami and Asiago Pinwheels (easy and delish)
Artichoke Croustades (even more easy and common winner)
Antijitos with Basil Sour Cream Dip (Montana's restaurant-- ughmmmm)

For cake we'd have my favourite cake to make and one of the few I like to eat: Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk Cake with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing. SO CRAZY GOOD.  I'd have it decorated with sugared edible flowers. And Jude Law would jump out of the cake and I'd help him get that icing off. Sorry. It just fell off my imagination to my fingers.

For drinks we'd have Dry Soda in Cucumber, Juniper Berry, Kumquat, Rhubarb, Lemongrass and Lavender. And water. If you want to get loose and woozy, sorry, I don't think I'd have booze there. I would recommend you bring your own prescription drug cocktail or something.

And I'd have a stunning free-for-all candy buffet in glass apothecary jars.

I'd tell my guests to come casual dressy. I'd be wearing some worn jeans myself and probably a white tee with a fancy silk bolero:

I'd just wear my hair down and curled.

And I quite like these [super expensive] bracelets:

I'd probably wear some shoes like so

but not for long because who likes to dance in shoes?

Jude and I would dance to I Will by the Beatles (and I'd be taller than him in my 3-inch heels, which I confess I LOVE-- probably some control/power issue of mine):

And in my perfect world, I will have written Jude a song and have learned to play it on guitar and would sing it for him. Not that I'm a good singer. I considered actually recording myself singing a song to him but for a lot of reasons: nah.

Some slow songs I know I'd want to have:

Stick With Me Baby by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss-- just so pretty
Shelter by Ray Lamontagne-- sexy as heck
Pretty Flowers by Steve Martin, Vince Gill, Dolly Parton-- sweet, sweet
How Sweet it is to Be Loved By You by James Taylor-- a great classic
I Could Write a Book by Harry Connick, Jr. (this is Frank, though)-- Jude and I: we made two lovers of friends
Better Together by Jack Johnson-- one of my favourite songs ever-- feel good, sexy, great lyrics, relaxing

And some let's get jiggy wit' it songs:

A Little Respect by Erasure-- and the whole time I'd be thinking of this dude in red pumps and weird white women's undies
Wake Me Up Before You Go Go by Wham-- I don't know about you but this video reminds me of how shocked I was to find out George Michael was gay.
Friday I'm in Love by The Cure-- a great classic
Let's Get it Started by Black Eyed Peas (clean version)-- this song has kick started so many mornings for me
Mai Ai Hee (Dragostea Din Tei) by O-Zone-- awesome
Rainbowarriors by CocoRosie-- loose and cool

And seriously, Mike, no "moves" would be needed. As evidenced by this video Josie wanted to make with me. Blech. This would be the Grey's Anatomy just-jump-around-everywhere kind of dancing. Except on Grey's Anatomy, the women don't have tummies. Or maybe that's my shirt. I honestly can't tell. Anyone can jump around with spirit, surely.

And if anyone wanted to get up and tell a not-too-embarrassing story about Jude or I, that would be welcome and if anyone wanted us to kiss, they'd have to write a limerick. Remember, the formula is 8-8-5-5-8.

I wrote one for Jude:

There once was a cutie named Jude
Who was always in a good mood
You know just for what
The cheeseburger hut--
For meat he was never a prude.

 

(I started laughing when he grabbed my boob. But it's okay because we're already married.)

And if anyone wanted to get up and say something cool about marriage, a nice quote or poem, that would be nice.

But mostly we would just dance ourselves sweaty.

For party favours I'd give out copies of the Book of Mormon. Haha, just kidding. But I might have a stack somewhere, free for the taking. No, for favours I'd have a tree in the room and hanging from the tree branches would be cute little paper and ribbon bags with maple sugar soft candies in them.

That would be my party.  And it would probably be the happiest day of my life to have all my favourite people there. But there'd be no kids allowed except for mine and only briefly. 

Wish it was real. *sigh* ;-)

Daily Gratitudes

1. Bike riding and playing "soccer" with the kids tonight for Family Home Evening.
2. My Burtons got my our package on the day they were supposed to and found someone to rent their house.
3. Blog readers who like to have conversations in comments. Fun for me. It's all about me.
4. New friends.
5. The weather is no longer sweltering.