Boutonnieres, Corsages, and Bows

The groom's boutonniere

The wedding countdown is in full gear, but I think I'm ready and have a handle on everything. When it comes to planning, I'm freakishly nerdy. I think I've thought of everything ... think being the keyword here.

My sister from Georgia and her husband came to town on Sunday. She reported to duty here at Headquarters bright-eyed and bushy-tailed yesterday morning. I showed her my spreadsheets and printouts, complete with diagrams and instructions for both the overall layout and each individual table. After surveying the mountain of meticulously labeled boxes filled with carefully bubble-wrapped items, we went over the To-Do list, then got to work.

The first things we did was make the pew bows for the church and the bows to adorn the tables at the reception (some of which are pictured below). It took a while, but we finished. (If you heard angels singing yesterday afternoon ... that's why!)

My sister, posing with SOME of the bows for the church and reception.

I had already made the boutonnieres with the roses my daughter had bought, but I thought the flowers were too big. My daughters both thought they were just fine, but I didn't. I showed them to my son and my boyfriend.

"They're too big, aren't they?" I asked.

They both replied "They're fine" (in a tone that suggested they were terrified I was going to continue to talk about the wedding ... or make them look at my spreadsheets and diagrams!).

I didn't believe any of them. They looked pretty ... but they were too big!! Unable to find anyone to tell me what I already knew, I showed them to my sister.

"They're too big, aren't they?"

"Yup," she replied. "They are." Finally!

We ran to the craft store for rosebuds, but couldn't find any that didn't cost more than it would cost to order boutonnieres from a florist. We did, however, find some tea roses that were a suitable replacement. We meandered around the store for a while, stopping to make fun of ugly things and pointing out things we liked, then headed back to my house.

We played around with the various arrangements for the boutonnieres and corsages, then settled on a design. Before we could begin an assembly line, my sister had to leave to visit her sweet granddaughters. (Her son and his wife have four of the prettiest blue-eyed, blondes you will ever see!) After she left, I started on the boutonnieres. Five hours, twelve boutonnieres, and three corsages later, I was able to mark that task of my To-Do list! (So if you heard angels singing in the wee hours of the night, that's why!)

It's been a very stressful journey, but in the end, it will be worth it ... my sweet little girl will marry a man who loves her as much as she loves him. She'll have the wedding of her dreams to begin her happily ever-after.