Monday, February 15, 2010

My sister's wedding day


She's a nurse

He's a pilot

When Liz and Adam got married they were able to pull off a beautiful wedding on a very small budget. She was on her last year of nursing school, and he had just gotten a pilot job flying commercially. Paying for all that schooling didn't leave a lot of money for an extravagant wedding. I think my sister did a fabulous job putting together her wedding on such a small budget. I would like to share a few pictures with you. Be warned actually a lot of pictures.

My sister loves peonies. However they are very expensive. She decided to have peonies only for her bouquet and our bouquets (the bridesmaids) She ordered peonies from a grower and had them shipped to her. We put the bouquets together the night before the wedding. We got home from the rehearsal dinner and we didn't have any electricity for some strange reason! (We grew up on Camas Prairie which is in the middle of nowhere in Montana. 45 minutes from the nearest Walmart.) We were in the basement of my Mom and Dad's house trying to put bouquets together in candle light. Finally at around 2:00 a.m. it came back on. The bride ended up sleeping in a chair that night. Wouldn't recommend putting your own bouquets together. However it did save her a lot of money. She ordered the gerber daisies and ranunculus from Costco.

My sister, Monica made the ring bearer pillow out of vintage fabric.

Adam bought her ring at Costco!

My sister Thomasina helping Liz

My sister let all of us pick our own dress styles, they just had to be black. These are the bouquets that were made by candle light in the middle of the night. (My sister Thomasina is the blonde directly behind Liz)

I think one of the smartest things my sister did was choosing to have her reception at this beautiful mansion. She was able to rent the grounds for the entire day for $250.00 (price since 2007 has gone up). It is called The Conrad Mansion. It is located in Kalispell, Montana.

There are paths of flowerbeds throughout the entire grounds. They saved so much money by renting an inexpensive place that had the perfect backdrop.


Liz's hair looked so pretty. I love the peony she added to the back of her hair.

Adam taking a picture of his new bride dancing with her dad!

You can see some glimpses of the mansion in the background of my Dad and Liz dancing.

Liz's friend was supposed to make the cake and had to cancel last minute. She then ended up having to order it from a grocery store bakery. We added fresh daisies to the top and around the base.


Liz used this picture for their thank you cards. She had it printed out on card stock and sent it as a postcard thanking their guests. I loved this idea it was so cute.

You can kind of see the tent in the background of this photo. We strung tulle from the tent. It was over a 100 degrees that day.

We hung pom-poms from the ceiling of the tent. There are those pom-poms again. Click on this link if you want to know how to make these! Martha Stewart Pom-poms!

Vases were filled with gerber daisies from Costco and set on tables covered in white table cloths.

This handsome cowboy did all the barbecuing for my sister. ( this is my cowboy) He barbecued chicken and tri-tip. (California Style)

We had roasted potatoes and green salad. Along with some french bread.

My sisters made these cute shortbread cookies for favors for the guests. They were stamped with a stamp from Michaels. These were a real hit with the kids and adults. I am trying to find this recipe to put a link to it. It was from Martha Stewart Weddings. When I do I will put a link to it here. They were so good.

Drinks were set out in these galvanized buckets filled with ice.
My mom and sister, Monica
A picture of an entry way into the Conrad Mansion.

I love this picture of my sister walking with her friends along this old rock wall at the mansion.



I hope you enjoyed the pictures of my sister's wedding. Liz provided me with these beautiful pictures. Thank you Liz for letting me share your special day with all of these special women. I hope you don't mind how many I shared with all of you. I wanted you to see how pretty her wedding was without having to spend a fortune. I really wanted to share it on Valentine's Day, but I couldn't get it done on time. I love weddings, and hope to someday go into designing for weddings. I dream of renting out my chandeliers to help a bride create a beautiful atmosphere. I am always inspired by wedding magazines, and love incorporating ideas from those magazines into my own home.
Thanks again for all of your sweet comments! I was so excited to share the anthro clearance with all of you, I am glad you were all just as excited as I was.
I also want to share my sister in law's new blog with all of you. Wendy just started a blog on building homes in Montana. They built their first home and are now selling it. She has 3 little girls and homeschools.
Please check out her new blog if you get a chance!
Take Care,
Maria

94 comments:

Unknown said...

the pictures are lovely, your sister looked beautiful! and you girls too :)

i too love weddings. i go the library all the time and check out the bridal magazines! i find lots of inspiration in them.

hope your week is off to a good start!

susan

Unknown said...

absolutely stunning!!!! if i could do it all over again...i would marry the SAME guy and have THIS kind of wedding! perfection! thanks for sharing all of your lovely photos! ~*~*~~*michelle~*~*~*

Tina said...

Wow, what a simply beautiful wedding Maria! It was all stunning and looked like the perfect day for your lovely sister Liz! Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful photos here. Have a lovely day ~ Tina x

Shannan Martin said...

It's gorgeous! I'm helping my best friend plan her outdoor wedding on a tight budget. Thanks for the tips!

Anonymous said...

i love how sweet and simple it looks! everything is beautiful! and what a wonderful deal on that wonderful mansion! great job! thanks for sharing!

Julie said...

Just beautiful. You wouldn't even guess it was on a budget, everything is just beautiful. Love the mansion and gardens, great backdrop for photos.

Anonymous said...

Just beautiful!! It just shows you don't have to go in debt for a wedding. The bride is beautiful and so is her ring!! Thanks for sharing:)Elma

Brigid C said...

Been loving your posts! Your sister's wedding looked lovely and proves that a beautiful celebration does not have to cost a wad. If you have not checked out this site yet, you should-Style Me Pretty-a beautiful wedding blog.

Stephanie said...

WOW! I'd love to see the wedding if she WEREN'T on a tight budget - that was pure lovely =)

The bride is GROGEOUS as well... that always helps!

Unknown said...

Thanks so much for sharing these Maria...I very much enjoyed seeing this beautiful wedding!!! Those bouquets are gorgeous...and so was the bride!!! I think you would make an amazing wedding coordinator...quite certain you would design the world's lovliest weddings!

Hugs ~

:) T

La Dolfina said...

Thank you and Liz for sharing her beautiful wedding with us! Definitely not too many photos!
~xo always

DustyLu said...

Gorgeous wedding! Stunning family. You can see so much love pouring out the photo's. Congrats to you sister. I wish them a forever and happy marriage! ~lulu

sara@augustfields said...

maria...what a beautiful family you have! your sister's wedding was gorgeous! her hair looked really pretty :) the bouquets...ahhh.....
and the mansion...love it!

i'm off to hop over to your sister in law's blog! we homeschool too and are currently building a house....so thanks! :)

DustyLu said...

Ok i had to post again! Love you sister blog. Thanks for the link! I have always wanted to visit Montana, now I can through your sister..lol ~lulu

white flower farmhouse said...

Maria, What a dreamy wedding. Your sister looks so happy. What a beautiful family you have. All the best, Lori

Dawn-Hydrangea Home said...

Looks like a beautiful wedding! Love all of the special touches.

Mary said...

Beautiful! It looks like it was a simple, relaxed but gorgeous day! ~mary~

beachvintage.com said...

This is just brilliant. I love the venue and the dress. It all looks like a million dollars.

Annie Louise said...

What an absoulutely beautiful wedding. It is simply astounding!! Good Job.
Thanks for sharing,
Jeanette

Low Tide High Style said...

What a beautiful day they had, and it certainly looks like an upscale event and not a budget wedding at all!

Kat :)

angela walker jewelry said...

What a beautiful and elegant wedding!! Thank you so much for sharing : )

Unknown said...

Thankyou for sharing such a beautiful wedding with us. It is great to see that you can create a lovely wedding day without having to spend a fortune. I think you will make a great wedding co-ordinator. xx

Tracy ~Seeking Refinement~ said...

what sweet photos, Maria - I'm sorta in love with the fact that your hottie cowboy was the grillmaster....what a special touch to that family wedding!

The peonies are perfect (my ABSOLUTE fav!) and the mansion - what a perfect backdrop!

Seriously, you and I would get along soo well sipping cocktails (or coffee....or both!) and chatting about our passions: decorating, parenting, all things wife AND weddings...

so....when are we getting together? ;)

xoxo (another fabulous post....!)

Katie said...

I loooved this post! It brought back SO many memories and similarities of my own wedding in June '08. I mean SO many similarities (it's pretty crazy) from the colors to the hair to the ring, outdoor wedding, tent, heat, and even being a nurse and getting married in my last year of nursing school! So awesome! We also did our wedding on a budget, just the way we wanted it, I'm a simple person and a garden wedding and tent reception was perfect for us.

P.S.

I am hoping to order those Anthro jars, thanks for the info on them!

<3 Katie

The Adventurous Family said...

Thanks Maria for letting people know about my blog on your post! I know you would create beautiful, memorable weddings for others if you were a wedding coordinator. You have so much talent and always have since I can remember. I am glad some of the blog world gets a glimpse at some of that talent and beauty you create!

Your Sis In-law

Lynn said...

Hi Maria,
What a beautiful wedding. Would never know it was on a budget. For the life of me, I cannot understand why people need to spend thousands and thousands of dollars when your sisters wedding show how beautiful one can be on a budget. She look stunning and they look so cute together. Thank you for sharing, Maria and Liz.
Lynn

Chatterberries said...

Nice wedding pictures, awesome! Thanks for sharing.

TheVirginiaHouse said...

So beautiful! Thank you both for that post. On my way to check out your sisters blog!

Amanda said...

What a beautiful wedding - thanks for sharing all these gorgeous photos and details with us. It all looks so professionally put together - good on your sister for doing so much of it herself. Her bouquets look lovely and her dress is stunning x

Daphne Nicole & Lynda Cade said...

What a beautiful wedding!!! I loved the bouquets... It's nice to know that you can have a beautiful wedding, and it not cost a fortune.
Daphne

Julie Johnson said...

Gorgeous wedding! My husband and I had a low budget wedding 17 years ago, and it was all so special....nobody knew the difference, and the details were so fun to put together.
Thanks for visiting me again. Day 1 of no sugar did not go well...dear friends brought some cheesecake and cake over. OH MY. So, here we go again... :)
Julie

eva said...

Great ideas for a wedding party. Thank you for sharing this with us. Keep posting and will be checking on you regularly.

southerninspiration said...

Too MANY pics???? I found myself wanting to see more!!!! Beautiful photos!!! Just found your blog, and I am so glad I did!

Suzanne

Shining Windows said...

a lovely day well captured and shared!

FEDERICA said...

Oh what a beautiful post! Sooo sweet! I love weddings and this looks absolutely fantastic. Your sister look amazing and her dress is stunning! Thanks so much for sharing all these pics with us!
Hugs
Federica

P.s. I'm planning a beautiful post about you and your gorgeous blog :-)

Tricia said...

Gorgeous images Maria. Looks like a memorable and beautiful event~ congrats to your sister!

Be sure to check out my post today...just a quick highlight of your incredible home and blog.

savvycityfarmer said...

I can "feel" the magic ... you captured it so journalistically ... is that a word ...

they look happy ... AND meant for each other.

red ticking said...

this looks amazing and i can only imagine all of the love in your family... this is what it is all about... xx pam

Rayia said...

Thanks for sharing, what a beautiful wedding!
I grew up in the Kalispell area and the Conrad Mansion was a favorite place! My Dad used to do the Christmas at the Conrad craft show!
It was fun to see it as a "stage" for your sisters wedding!

Little Emma English Home said...

One of the best photos from a wedding I've ever seen. Everything looks so simple but chic in details at the same time, I hope someday I can have a wedding like these. Kisses from Italy.

My Farmhouse Kitchen said...

my first time here..and what do I see...a MOST beautiful wedding..just stunning..what a great job you did....beautiful couple...beautiful pictures....beautiful wedding....

loved all of it...

Unknown said...

Beautiful wedding, very charming. I love your sister's bouquet. Beautiful family. The picture are very romantiques. It's going to be a great memory!
www.lechateaudesfleurs.blogspot.com

Home Sweet Seattle said...

I just got chills looking at those photos. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE weddings and all the little details. She did a wonderful job, and it looked like a million bucks! Oh that mansion (!!). I'm sure it was extra special having all of those homemade touches~ from the bbq, to the cookies, to the handmade pillow. How very special and what a lovely bride. Thank you so much for sharing!!!
Jen @ www.homesweetseattle.blogspot.com

Jerri said...

Thanks for sharing all the wedding photos...sooo pretty...my daughter is getting married in May and well...so much for budget, but we have purchased and done some things ourselves which has helped with costs...check out her blog @emersynlane.blogspot.com...we are hoping to have our own business someday as well and we have gotten quite a start with her wedding. Thanks again for sharing!

Ashley said...

Hi Maria,

Thanks for stopping by. That's my mama up there ^ Your sisters wedding is Gorgeous! It's so nice to see what can be done even if you don't have an unlimited budget. I know it's so easy to get carried away ;)

You home is so dreamy. I love the way you use little burst of color throughout. Beautiful!!

<3 AshleyR

Lisa said...

Awesome pictures, I think sis needs to write a how to book. It brought back memories of my own wedding 15 years ago. My flowers came from Sam's & 10 of us sat in a hotel room with the A/C set to 50 degrees overnight! I cannot imagine what room service thought when they came into that room the following morning. Freezing with flowers & leaves everywhere! Lisa

angelework said...

Thanks for posting these beautiful pictures; she did do an amazing job -- and, truly, money isn't needed to have a perfect wedding when you are in love and marrying the right person!

LuLu said...

Oh Maria I LOVED this post... having 3 daughters who are a long way from getting married but still it has given me so many great ideas to write down for years from now to remember!!! Your sister's wedding was just OUTSTANDING so beautiful!!!! i love wedding pictures!!!!
Happy day to you,
xo,
LuLu

Rie said...

What a absolutely beautiful family you all are!I love all the special touches on the wedding. It reminded me of my own wedding, as we got married at an old mansion too (also because of cost...but it really was the most unique choice in the end). One day many brides will be blessed by using your services, not to mention your chandeliers!

The kids said...

Thank youf or sharing, and thanks to your sister as well, it looks absolutely breathtaking

Jeanne Oliver said...

What a gorgeous bride and wedding. It goes to prove once again that a beautiful wedding can be created on a budget.

Jess said...

Your sister is beautiful. Don't you just love Costco? I know I sure do!

FEDERICA said...

Darling, I hope you will like my post today :-)
It's an honor for me to share your amazing pictures!
I'll never tire of telling you that your house is gorgeous.
I love your photos as well, could you give some tips?
Hugs
Federica

Unknown said...

What a beautiful wedding! So many gorgeous pics! Have a sweet day!

Nadine said...

What a beautiful post! Everything looks so simple yet stunning. A perfect day for your lovely sister and her husband. Thank you for sharing this photos with us.

This is my first visit here and I´m inspired of all the beautiful things and your wonderful pictures.

Nadine

Valloittava valkoinen said...

So wonderful!It was very lovely to see so many photos it like a great story!Thanks!

Come to see my blog...
Anu

Sarah Tognetti said...

Wow these photos are amazing! This marriage must have been a wonderful party. I am happy to have met you today, congratulations for the blog and good luck to your sister! Kisses

Sarah

Irene b said...

thank you for sharing this photo! You have such a gorgues blog! I love it!! Kisses from florence

One of my Hobby Blogs said...

how gorgeous - I think the little girls nearly steal the show! I love peonies too! aren't they just so lovely...

Kris Connell said...

Beautiful!! Love your blog - I'm going to add it to my reading list on my blog.

Kris Connell

Connie @ SogniESorrisi said...

What gorgeous photos and your sister looked beautiful!

I love peonies...I found the most perfect ring pillow (so, so pretty if I do say so myself) and the ENTIRE time my nephew carried it upside down so I have no good photos of it! lol

{Bellamere Cottage} said...

Oh my gooooodness...........what a perfectly perfect wedding. I love how personal it felt.....sometimes big, fancy weddings seem to lose that. I can't imagine a day being more perfect.

I'm thrilled to know you can actually order flowers from Costco. My friend is getting married in three weeks, I'm going to pass that on!

Warm blessings,
Spencer

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed all of the wedding pictures. I am hoping to start a business renting out vintage wicker brides baskets & other vintage pieces for weddings & receptions.
I love collecting vintage bridal things.
You really can have a beautiful wedding without spending a fortune.

June said...

Liz's wedding looked like a perfect day! The setting was beautiful, but then the whole state is beautiful isn't it? I love it when young couples get creative to make their weddings afforable. Your sister did an amazing job making her wedding just beautiful.
hugs

Donatella said...

Dear Maria,
I want to thank you for your post about the wedding; what a great job, and the photos are really tremendous/ beautiful!
I think in today's society if it IS NOT done on an extravagant budget, we might feel a need to apologize, or give reasons (?)... like the cake coming from a local gorcery store, or the fact that your sister did so much to be cost conscious-
I just can't tell you how much I think that what she did, and what she was able to accomplish- is amazing. Better, deeper, more meaningful memories will come from this approach, for sure. Everyone looks so happy, peaceful even, and comfortable. What a nice time, such a nice family.
By the way, thank's for dropping by my blog; I'm honored to have you become a follower, and that we can now better interact ; ) My sister LuLu from DustyLu adores you!
Ciao~

FEDERICA said...

Goodmorning Maria,
I haven't received your email!
My address is federica.piccinini@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful day. Thank to these pictures
I love your blog!!!
Céline from France
patines.celine.over-blog.com

Mela said...

Beautiful pictures and beautiful blog!
I guess I'll take several inspirations here: I love your style!

Congratulations to your sister and her husband for their marriage, and to you for your great family!

Have a good day!

Cherry Blossoms said...

What a beautiful and stunning wedding! I also had peonies!I love peonies and the meaning behind them. Thanks for sharing these wonderful photos.

The Flying Bee said...

Such a beautiful wedding! Thanks for sharing your sister's special day with us! The pictures are gorgeous!

~Adrienne

Bonnie said...

Stunning! What makes it even so much more impressive is the budget friendly touches. It is so easy to spend money on such big events, props to your sister for doing a spectacular job!

On a different note, your blog is lovely. I'm in awe that you've only been blogging for such a short time! Looking forward to many more posts!

Thanks for sharing. :)

At Town Square said...

Maria,

That was beautiful! Wow it's hard to believe that was a wedding on a budget! I love the black for the wedding dresses, very stricking against the bride's dress.

Beach House 27 said...

So nice to meet you Maria - great photos and great ideas!

I'm in the midst of planning my daughters June wedding - and I'm loving every minute of it. The budget gets stretched just a little more everyday, but I'm figuring out how to copy expensive ideas by doin it myself - quite a challenge.

Thankfully there are nice people like you who are happy to share!

Have a great weekend -

Marsha

Anonymous said...

Absolutely beautiful bride and wedding! The photos are stunning. Marcia

Gosia said...

Wunderschönes Brautpaar und traumhaftes Hochzeit ! Alles Gute ! BR from Austria, margaretha

P.S tolle Fotos :)

Bettina Goodwin said...

What a beautiful wedding! I loved looking at the pictures and reading about the things you did to make it elegant yet not too expensive.
I got married two years ago and we were on a tight budget at well. I was surprised at how easy it was to have a beautiful, elegant wedding without breaking the bank.
Thank you for sharing all of this.

Francine Gardner said...

I am so glad to have found your blog via Red Ticking. I also like everything white. I so enjoyed reading about your sister reading. a very dear young member of Interieurs team was just engaged and is having the most stressful time trying to plan her special wedding day on a stringline budget.I am sending her a link to the wonderful story of your sister wedding...Will make sure to visit often...Francine

Mélanie A. said...

What a beautiful wedding. All the sisters look gorgeous !!

1 Funky Woman said...

Wow, I just found you through The Vintage Wren and I love all your pictures. Your sister's wedding pictures were gorgeous, she looked beautiful! Can't wait to be a follower!

Megan

Liz Thompson said...

Hi Maria, totally love your blog! My sister is getting married in June and wondered what you guys did for a shower? Any great ideas? Thanks so much!!

Nishant said...

That was beautiful! Wow it's hard to believe that was a wedding on a budget! I love the black for the wedding dresses, very stricking against the bride's dress.
work at home in india

La Petite Plume said...

Your Majesty,

what i love most about this whole story is the love and support all of you gave your sister. this is what really counts and made this the best wedding ever! i am just blown away by so much love and so many hands helping this beautiful couple, bravo to the entire family!!!!

Daisy

Sew Much Ado said...

What a beautiful wedding! She did an amazing job. I had to smile when I saw the Conrad Mansion, I remember visiting it when I was really little on a family vacation. Ever since then I've loved old homes (especially if they're a mansion!).

Unknown said...

Hi there! Your sister is gorgeous and her wedding looked spectacular. I love the setting and cannot believe how fortunate she was to get it for $250. WOW! I loved the bit about making bouquets by candlelight. Thanks for sharing her creativity with us.

Laura said...

the pictures are lovely, your sister looked beautiful! and you girls too :)

Anonymous said...

I just found your blog via a beach cottage. It's just gorgeous and you captured your sisters wedding so beautifully. Look forward to browsing around and discovering more :-)

kate said...

fabuleux!!!!et de tres belles photos!!cet ete en mai je dois faire une page sur mon blog speciale mariage cela serait sympa de mettre une ou deux des votres ,elles sont tres belles!!!!!! vous me direz si c'est ok! bonne continuation,kate

Noble Vintage said...

Ok, Maria! I hopped over here to see this post after you mentioned it today...I stopped and took photos at the Conrad Mansion 5 years ago when we were in Montana for a family reunion!! That was so fun to see the pics :) I literally made my dad pull over so I could jump out. That is the perfect spot for a wedding reception. Thanks for sharing!

jasa custom clearance said...

I like your blog ...
nice info..
and god luck!!

"Cottage By The Sea" said...

Simple and elegant, really beautiful. You would never know she didn't have an expensive wedding planner and a ton of money. I hope I can pull off my daughter's wedding half this well. Congrats to the beautiful couple!

Sassy said...

These are just beautiful! My sister is getting married in February on a budget. Glad to see it can be done beautifully!

Anonymous said...

Stopped by to enter your contest and saw the link for your sister's wedding photos - I LUV wedding photos.
These are absolutely beautiful - thanks so much for sharing - and no there's not too many I'd love to see more : D

tibby said...

Do you know what? I like cheap weddings better. It's so unpersonal all those wedding with a huge budget, where the bride just dictates somebody else what to do. Your preparing the bouquets, her ordering the last minute cake and adorning it wi gerberas.... Is much more personal than a wedding planner.
She looks gorgeous, both look happy, relaxed and in love. They don't need anything else.
XOXO,
CRIS from Spain (I thought you'd like to know you're read so far away)

fregmail said...

beautiful beautiful beautiful wedding!!
The bride looks amazing! :)
Thanks for all the pitures you shared with us!!
Ciao, Francesca