Rehearsal Dinner Deconstructed: The Plan

I have two things that I use when I am planning an event.

The first is an idea board. This event (and planning) were long-distance so one board was not enough for our constantly changing plans. Whenever something changed or a purchase was made, I changed our boards so that the mother of the groom and I were on the same page and had our ideas in front of us for the next idea or purchase.

As you will see in my next post, the end result did not include as many of the elements we originally thought we wanted to use.  For example:  Black table runners became black toppers, round chargers ended up square, we did not incorporate tin pails, black and white newspaper fabric was exchanged for four different fabric designs using our color palette, and we used white dinner plates instead of black.  We were always open to any new ideas or shopping discoveries.

The second must-have is a spread sheet of every detail. From planning to purchasing to execution, the spread sheet was indispensable. It does take a little time to create your format, but in the end you will be very pleased (not to mention less stressed) because you did it. 

Now for the fun stuff! Let's talk color palette. For this event the color palette was partially predetermined. The mother of the groom had found and purchased some unique, pink salt candle holders with which she had fallen in love. (The color was actually closer to a coral than a real pink.) It was a good start. She also wanted to incorporate touches of mint green - the color of the bridesmaids dresses. The other colors would be chosen to complete the final look.

Having now decided which colors we would build on, we settled down to plan the centerpiece and place settings. We kept our focus on geology, "the South", and the couple themselves. What type of centerpiece would incorporate all of these things?

We knew black lanterns would play a role, as well as rocks, silk flowers and Spanish moss. The picture to the right is the actual picture that was sent as a text to the mother of the groom during a shopping excursion. What could be more fun than a picture of a Joann's shopping cart piled high with elements we would use to create our vision? She just HAD to be a part of it! We knew we wanted to hang the moss from branches, so we looked into using driftwood or live branches. Then I found a website that carried something I had never seen before. Manzanita!
Whether used horizontally or vertically the manzanita branches were perfect.

I wanted to use the black cloth napkins the venue offered, but they needed an accent of some kind since the toppers were black. I chose complimentary fabrics and had some accent napkins made. They would look great and bring out some of the centerpiece colors to each place setting.

The last find was perfect to use as chargers. The mother of the groom had been scouring Atlanta and came across some 12" x 12" pebble flooring tiles. (Don't be afraid to think outside the box when you are looking for table decor. Who would have thought a floor covering store would have the perfect element?) With scalloped edges and a completely different texture at each place setting, they were (and still are) awesome. Even the venue staff commented that they had never seen anything like them used before.  I love that!

All we had left to do was pack the car. The question was..."Would it all fit?"

You will find out in my next post.  Happy Planning!